Chapter 7: The Birth of a Charlatan

"Indeed, Your Majesty," the Left Chancellor solemnly stated, "Lord Léon's report indicates that Gilbert may settle in the Tudor Dynasty for an extended period and has a close relationship with Lord Léon."

Emperor Mercedes VII pondered for a moment, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes. "What impact will the arrival of this legend have on our dynasty?" he questioned.

The Left Chancellor spoke with a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the identity of this legend remains mysterious, but Lord Léon's report suggests that Gilbert's presence may bring significant changes to our dynasty."

The notion of settling, as the name suggests, implies living in the imperial capital. However, when a legend settles, it carries a deeper meaning — it signifies their commitment to serve the dynasty!

The strongest among the Four Empires, the Angevin Empire, owes its current status to a legendary summoner who once settled in the imperial capital. It was also due to this legendary summoner taking on a disciple in the capital that the Angevin Empire possesses the unparalleled tenth-tier demonic beast among all human kingdoms today!

The significance of a legend settling is far more profound than the advancement of Léon's Marquess!

Hence, Emperor Mercedes VII found it somewhat unbelievable that a legend would choose to settle in the Tudor Dynasty, a nation not yet considered an empire!

"Your Majesty, Lord Léon's sincerity is beyond doubt. However, his subordinate, Karno, will likely report exactly as instructed by Lord Léon. Therefore, this matter is undoubtedly true!" The Left Chancellor's resolute words hit Emperor Mercedes VII like a bomb, eliciting a radiant smile on his face.

In a short span of time, with two fantastic pieces of news, Emperor Mercedes VII felt ecstatic. His face twitched as he burst into wild laughter and began to dance with uncontrollable joy.

In contrast, the Left Chancellor, Harry Yintell, remained expressionless, almost devoid of humanity.

"Cough, cough..." The Left Chancellor coughed lightly, as if to remind Emperor Mercedes VII of his composure.

Although there were only the two of them in the chamber, such extravagant behavior from an emperor was deemed inappropriate.

"Hahaha... My dear Harry, there's no need for you to remind me. I suppress my emotions every day. Shouldn't I be allowed to be happy about such wonderful news? There's no one else here but us. Let me revel in this joy a bit longer, haha! A legend settling in our dynasty! This is the hope of our dynasty! The hope of achieving imperial dominance!"

A hint of undeserved fondness flashed in the Left Chancellor's eyes, but he didn't continue to dissuade Emperor Mercedes VII.

After a while, Emperor Mercedes VII finally vented out his pent-up emotions. His face regained its usual solemnity as he looked at the Left Chancellor and said, "Since a legend is about to settle here, should I not proclaim it to the world, to elevate our dynasty's status on one hand, and to deter the ambitious 'Great Sun Dynasty' to the north on the other?"

The Left Chancellor remained silent for a moment before responding, "The message from Lord Léon only suggests the possibility of settling, not certainty. We must demonstrate our capability to retain this legend. Since this legend has remained anonymous before, it is likely they prefer not to be publicized. Therefore, it's best to refrain from making announcements for now. We can keep them here temporarily, and if they decide to settle, we can make the announcement later."

"What do you think we should do then?"

"We should act with discretion, but we must also show our respect to the legend. Therefore, I suggest we welcome them with the highest protocol within the palace. As for spreading the news beyond the palace walls, it's best to refrain from doing so for the time being."

"Agreed. I leave this matter to you, my dear chancellor. Also, regarding whether this legend will settle or not, it's still uncertain. Remember to keep Lord Léon's advancement to secrecy."

"I understand, Your Majesty."

"Yeah, you go prepare. Also, think about how we can keep our legendary summoner here!"

"Understood!"

If Li Xie knew that he was not only mistaken for a legend but also believed to be a divine embodiment by Emperor Mercedes VII, he would probably be quite astonished!

Who knows, he might even quote a line from the "Master Meng's Sayings": "Great misunderstandings often stem from the self-righteousness of some clever individuals. Charlatans are often born from misunderstandings and then elevated by those self-righteous individuals!"

So, we can imagine that the greatest charlatan in the history of the Tudor Dynasty is about to be born, fueled by Lord Léon's misunderstanding, Cardnall's single-minded relay of messages, and Emperor Mercedes VII's ambitious aspirations!

And what about our charlatan?

"Hahaha... Lord Léon, my brother! You actually have three wives! Impressive, impressive!"

Li Xie draped his arm around Lord Léon's shoulder, laughing heartily.

For days, the group had been traveling, and Li Xie believed he had hooked a big fish. He spared no effort in getting closer to Lord Léon. Likewise, Lord Léon was also doing his best to please this person he believed to be a divine embodiment.

This was indeed a case of a blind cat encountering a dead mouse!

So, regardless of age or status, the two had come to regard each other as brothers! Lord Léon even abandoned his warhorse and opted to ride in Li Xie's carriage, starting a passionate "carriage" life together.

"Lord Xie, my brother! A man prioritizes his career. If not, why settle for just three wives? I could have thirty!" Lord Léon extended a bottle of wine to Li Xie. "Here, drink!"

"Haha... Cheers!"

Li Xie felt elated at this moment. The big fish beside him was not getting away. Wasn't this life just wonderful?

Especially considering that the continent of the gods wasn't strictly monogamous! This made Li Xie's imagination run wild!

"Oh, my brother, we've been on the road for ten days. At our speed, why haven't we reached the capital yet?"

"We're almost there, my brother. In fact, we've already entered the heart of the capital and are heading towards the palace."

"We're here? I want to see what the capital looks like! I've never been to the capital before, despite being this old!" Li Xie said, moving to open the carriage window to catch a glimpse of the Tudor Dynasty's capital.

"No, no." Lord Léon quickly stopped him, looking Li Xie up and down with a smile. "Lord Xie, my brother, you're a public figure now. Look at yourself. Though you may not care, it could damage your public image, especially your reputation among the women of the capital. It's better not to show yourself yet. Wait until we're in the palace and you've met the emperor. I'll have someone prepare you properly. Then, you'll truly be worthy of the title of legendary summoner, my brother!"

Lord Léon didn't want Li Xie, soon to become a god-summoner, to be seen traveling with the commander of the Lionheart Legion. Such attention might attract the wrong kind of interest. So, he gave this explanation, knowing that Li Xie would comply. Over the past few days, Lord Léon had roughly figured out Li Xie's temperament. He was a bit clever but loved to boast and had a strong sense of vanity!

Indeed, Li Xie, who had long been a scavenger, couldn't suddenly change his habits. At least, underneath his laughter, his insecurity was hard to hide. Yet, this insecurity gave him a strong sense of self-esteem, fueling his vanity. He craved recognition and longed for others' envy, so he naturally paid attention to his appearance.

Previously, there was no need for vanity while scavenging. But now that he'd hooked a big fish, how could he appear in public wearing tattered rags?

"Hehe, big brother is right. I should pay attention. Let's not embarrass ourselves. I'll wait until I'm properly groomed before making an appearance. Oh, you mentioned meeting His Majesty. Is that the emperor?"

"That's right. You'll meet Emperor Mercedes VII of the Tudor Dynasty!"

"Wow! I've never seen an emperor before! They say being close to the emperor is like being close to a tiger. One wrong move and you lose your head. Does your emperor have this rule?" Li Xie admitted to feeling a bit worried about meeting the emperor.

"Being close to the emperor is like being close to a tiger?" Lord Léon looked at Li Xie in surprise, chewing on the colloquial phrase. It described the relationship between ruler and subject so accurately, and yet it came from the mouth of a trickster! Despite his surprise, Lord Léon didn't pay it much mind and reassured Li Xie, saying, "Don't worry. His Majesty is kind and benevolent. He wouldn't go around chopping heads off recklessly."

At this moment, the sound of drums and music could be heard outside. After a while, the carriage came to a stop, and the guards pulled back the curtain, announcing, "My lord, we have arrived."

Lord Léon, hearing the music outside, furrowed his brow slightly and led Li Xie out of the carriage. But what they saw made Lord Léon freeze on the spot!

What's going on?!

On the platform outside the main hall of the palace, Emperor Mercedes VII was dressed in splendid attire, adorned with a golden-threaded cloak on his shoulders, a crown on his head, and holding a scepter in his hand, smiling down below. The prime minister and other officials were dressed in formal attire, standing on either side.

Descending the steps of the platform were hundreds of civil and military officials of the dynasty, lined up on both sides. At the bottom of the steps, along the stone path leading to the palace gates, the ceremonial guards played horns and drums, creating a lively atmosphere!

Wasn't the plan to keep a low profile and not let anyone know?

Where did things go wrong?

Lord Léon's mouth twitched as he spotted Caron's figure in the crowd, shooting him a murderous glare!

Knowing Caron well, Lord Léon immediately realized the reason behind the current situation! It must be Caron who, in order to conceal Li Xie's "legendary" identity, did not disclose that Li Xie was a fake legend when reporting to the prime minister! And Lord Léon believed that the prime minister knew how to handle it, so he didn't explicitly order to keep Li Xie's audience discreet. The prime minister, unaware that Li Xie was a fake, thought he was a legend, leading to this grand reception by the entire nation!

"By the grace of the Earth God! Damn Caron!" Lord Léon wished he could rush over and beat Caron senseless right now, but he also knew that Caron was sincerely carrying out his orders, leaving Lord Léon feeling helpless.

But how to deal with the current situation?

This was the highest standard protocol for welcoming dignitaries in the Tudor Dynasty! How could it not arouse countless speculations? Especially, if His Majesty addresses Li Xie as "Your Highness" later, who wouldn't know that Li Xie is a legend? Once someone realizes that Li Xie has no magic or combat energy fluctuations, then with a little more thought, Li Xie's secret as a godly being couldn't be kept! It would inevitably lead to a scramble among the four great empires!

"Caron, oh Caron!" Lord Léon's mind was in chaos, with thoughts racing through his mind, ultimately settling on killing Li Xie!

Once Li Xie's secret as a godly being was exposed, the four great empires would certainly come to seize him. The Tudor Dynasty was currently powerless to resist the onslaught of the four great empires. By then, they could only surrender meekly. Instead of fattening the four great empires, it would be better to eliminate Li Xie directly. After all, the nine-tier magic beast Landoof would also become the hope for the rise of the dynasty!