This Hero And The Invitation!

The four of us stared at the sealed letter in my hands. Knowing that this seal is the mark of the emperor himself and thus means it is official business directly related to him makes this an entirely different matter than what it had been prior.

"So… I guess the emperor is mad, huh?" I jokingly asked in an attempt to dispel the tension in the air.

My joke did not land.

"Mad is probably an understatement, bud." Tael awkwardly fidgeted in place. "I wouldn't be surprised if this is a demand."

I slowly placed my hand on the seal and broke it. There's no use in questioning what the contents of this letter are, so I may as well check and see it now.

The scent that emerged from the broken seal was strange. It was like strawberries mixed with chamomile, but the scent was so faint that I was only able to take a single short whiff of it before it disappeared.