The Emperor

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The carriage was stopped at the gates of the palace.

The coachman, displeased, said, "This is Lord Aldridge's carriage."

A stiff voice replied, "Sorry, it's just my duty."

Sitting inside the carriage, Aldridge shrugged and said to his two students, "A strange voice. It seems they've changed guards."

He opened the carriage door and led Mond and Kevin out.

A noble-looking officer stood in front of the carriage door. Seeing that the person inside was indeed the famous scholar, his expression immediately turned tense.

He respectfully bowed, "Scholar, sir, I apologize."

Aldridge waved it off with a smile. "Haha, no worries, no worries. According to the rules, any carriage entering or leaving the palace should be thoroughly inspected."

Seeing that the elderly scholar was so easygoing and didn't put on airs, the officer breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned into the carriage and carefully inspected it.

"Please get back in the carriage, sir. My apologies for delaying you."

The officer quickly instructed his subordinates to let them pass.

Aldridge smiled and led his two students back into the carriage.

Once the door closed, the sound of hooves resumed as the carriage slowly entered the palace grounds.

Mond frowned and quietly said to his teacher, "The emblem on the uniform—it's from the D'Arshi family."

Aldridge, who was resting with his eyes closed, smiled faintly and did not respond.

Kevin looked at his senior and then at his teacher, feeling a bit puzzled but refrained from asking questions. He figured that if it was something he needed to know, they would tell him eventually.

After passing through the palace gates, the carriage traveled for quite a while before finally stopping. Kevin felt that at the speed they were going, the distance they covered could have circled his village several times.

After getting out of the carriage, they were led by a palace official to a side hall. Contrary to Kevin's expectations, the decor inside was not extravagant, but rather exuded a sense of simplicity.

There was an oval table in the hall, surrounded by eleven chairs. It seemed to be a room where the emperor held meetings with his ministers.

Aldridge walked straight to a chair on the left side of the head seat and sat down. Kevin dutifully stood behind him, just as Mond did.

After about five minutes, a voice came from outside the side hall: "His Majesty, the Emperor, has arrived!"

Aldridge immediately stood up, turning toward the entrance. Kevin quickly adjusted his expression, trying hard to appear solemn.

"Don't panic, don't panic," he told himself, trying to suppress the excitement building inside him.

A man with a full beard entered his view. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be in his forties, with sharp, chiseled features and an imposing aura.

"This must be Emperor Bartley Griffin, the ruler of the Gabella Empire," Kevin thought to himself, while imitating his teacher and senior in greeting the emperor.

"Good day, my emperor," Aldridge respectfully greeted him.

"Good day, my teacher," Bartley Griffin responded with a smile.

What? The emperor of the Gabella Empire had once been Aldridge's student? Kevin was shocked.

After Bartley took the head seat, Aldridge finally sat down.

"I assume you already know why I invited you to the palace, teacher?"

Aldridge stroked his beard. "It must be about Prince Antonio's return to the capital, correct?"

"Yes! Hahaha!" Bartley laughed loudly, his joy unmistakable. "Antonio really made me proud this time! It was a great victory, a great victory! Hahaha!"

Kevin understood what the emperor was referring to. Senior Mond often talked to him about the situation in the Gabella Empire, so he knew that Gabella was currently at war with another country to the east—the Nesta Empire.

The border between Gabella and Nesta was long, unlike the natural barrier of the Sunset Mountains that divided Gabella from Aldor. The two nations had clashed many times throughout history, and wars had broken out on several occasions.

This war had begun a year ago, and unfortunately for Gabella, their border defenses had been breached by the Nesta forces, who then advanced deep into Gabella, pillaging and plundering.

Emperor Bartley, enraged, had ordered Duke McDonald, a seasoned commander, to lead the army, with the second prince, Antonio Griffin, serving as his assistant.

Kevin had long been curious about this Prince Antonio. Whenever Senior Mond mentioned him, he would speak with admiration.

According to Mond, the prince had been exceptionally intelligent from a young age and incredibly diligent. He had grown up surrounded by the praises of his teachers and had remarkably maintained his brilliance into adulthood, unlike many child prodigies who faded into mediocrity.

Prince Antonio had just turned 18 this year, and although he had only recently come of age, he was already highly skilled in both governance and military strategy. Many people compared him to Princess Catherine of the Kingdom of Aldor, as both were far more capable than their peers and had long been helping to alleviate the burdens of their royal fathers.

Seeing the emperor so happy, it was clear that Antonio had achieved great success in this war.

Indeed, Bartley proudly said, "It was all Antonio's plan—swift, decisive, and unexpected. The Nesta rats suffered a huge loss, hahaha!"

This was the emperor's third bout of laughter since entering the side hall, significantly softening the intimidating aura he had earlier.

Aldridge smiled helplessly. His student had always been so bold and straightforward, even after years of ruling an empire. Even in front of a stranger like Kevin, Bartley hadn't changed at all.

But that was also one of his more endearing qualities.

"Ahem!" The old scholar had to cough to remind the emperor to maintain the necessary composure.

"Ah... Oh! Teacher, is this your new student?"

Emperor Bartley, realizing his lapse, felt a bit embarrassed and quickly shifted the topic to Kevin, who was standing behind Aldridge.

Aldridge replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Mond brought him back from Aldor not long ago."

"Is he from Aldor?" Bartley patted Kevin's shoulder, and Kevin felt the emperor's strength. His Majesty must be exceptionally physically strong.

"Study well under Master Aldridge. It's the greatest fortune of your life. Oh, and remember, from now on, you're my junior, so don't embarrass me!"

Kevin hurriedly bowed and stammered, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Mond explained from the side, "Your Majesty, he's only recently learned the Gabella language, so he's not very fluent yet."

"Haha, take your time, take your time," Bartley said, completely unconcerned.

The emperor turned back to Aldridge. "Teacher, let's get to business. After this great victory, I plan to hold a grand ceremony to celebrate."

(End of the Chapter)

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