The Strongest Emperor

A frail-looking man was lying down on the floor. He has dark circles under his eyes and deep wrinkles showing his declining age.

He can be considered somewhat good-looking during his prime, but time has embraced him, leaving only a withered body with several joint pains.

'Where am I?' the old man muttered just in case someone was there while getting on the support of his trembling hands.

The man appeared very haggard,but contrary to his appearance, he was clad in a red fur robe with a golden crown on his head.

He narrowed his eyes, looking around, trying to find anything distinct, but everything was white- so white that it was sickening to the eyes.

'J-Just where am I?' The man tried to guess every possible reason for this situation, but nothing made sense.

After standing up, he started to walk in a random direction.

It's been several minutes while walking, but he can't seem to find any path. Heck, he doesn't even know if he was moving or just assuming things.

'This won't do; there has to be something that can give a clue', the man sighed while massaging his temples with his left hand; his vision turned to the ground, where it paused for some seconds...

'Oh, yes The floor!' He suddenly shouted but closed his mouth not knowing if there was a danger here

He bends down and touches the floor.

The floor was soft and comfortable...

There was an inescapable feeling penetrating him making every inch of his body remember the emotion he was ignorant of most of his life...the emotion called peace

'...Maybe sleeping here for life will not be so ba-'

SLAP!!!

'Wh-what am I thinking!?- is this a hallucination, or is there something in the air?' The man stands up and increases his pace while blocking his nostrils by pinching it with his fingers.

'Seems like they are all prepared this time; I will surely see them after getting back!' The man can't seem to handle his emotions well, as it seems like his mood is changing every second.

The happiness to sadness to envy to gratuitous to anger.

But the most scary part is he is not feeling uneasy; even his intuition, which he finds more trustworthy than himself, is telling him that there is no danger; he should do and go with the flow of what is happening.

His rational mind couldn't seem to expect this situation; he knew that there was something wrong, but he wanted it to happen.

'Why? Why? Just why I am feeling relieved!!'

He grunted, his mind working at its fastest; he used every ounce of knowledge and experience he had gained just to find anything similar to this situation.

'Something is different but what... wait...'

He moved his trembling hand towards his face. Fearfully, but slowly, he touched his face and discovered something different...

He was smiling.

It caught up to him. He tried to remember every bad memory of his life, cried, dug his nails into his cheeks, now trying to induce pain upon him, but his every action was becoming meaningless because no matter what he did, he was slowly but surely becoming... Happy.

'No'

He whispered his last word before starting to fall into the temptation called 'peace'.

"Who's there identify yourself!!"

!!!

A sudden shout comes into the ear of the man, breaking his trance.

He was elated after hearing this voice, it didn't matter even if the other person was an enemy now he just wanted to see something living

"This is the second time! Identify yourself, what are you doing here this is my shif—"

"I am—!?"

The old man turned around and was stunned.

'A c-camel?'

There was a camel who was at the same eye level as him by bending its neck.

A sense of relief washed over the old man.

'Huh! Haha so this is just a dream, why didn't I think of that, seems like it's true that recognizing your dreams in a dream is hard'

On the other hand, the camel-like creature was stunned. His face became visibly paler.

"You!!"

The old man had just started to realise his situation, but then he suddenly started falling...the voice of that camel going farther and...farther it seemed like he was saying something.

'Haha' there is a pitiful smile on the man's face.

The old man realized that this feeling was too real to be a dream

'I don't even care anymore' the old man said with a defeated expression and closed his eyes.

There is a saying that says if you can't understand something then let it be. This is the case with the old man now.

[???, Morse]

The man opened his eyes. After wandering his eyes, he concluded that he was in a room. No, saying it was a room was an exaggeration. The walls have many cracks, and the ceiling gives sound as a warning that 'I can fall anytime'.

There is a distinguishable smell on the air which is slightly different from the surrounding. The bedsheet is clean and soft contrary to the house.

'This is real' the man wispered.

"Oh! You are awake"

A voice fell into his ears and jolted him.

'Who are you?'

He can't believe he doesn't noticed him.

A boy was sitting on a stool on the side of the bed, peeling the apples.

"Are you hungry? Here, they are for you"

'Tell me why am I here?'

The old man tried to get up, but he couldn't seem to feel his body below his neck.

"I don't know, I just found you on my farm...naked," the boy said innocently.

The man stared at the boy for seconds before surprisingly bowing his head.

'Thank You I will never forget this debt, you have my word'

There is real gratitude in his eyes.

The boy said nothing only concentrating on peeling his apples.

Grrrrr...

...

'Do you have anything to eat?' the old man asked without changing his expression

"Sure, do you want apples?" He asked excitedly.

The man nodded.

The boy cheerfully jumped off the stool and took the plate near the old man.

When the boy came near the man he suddenly lunged at him grabbed his neck.

'Seems like your medicine's effect wore off, huh? Now tell me, whom do you work under?'

The boy doesn't give any reaction like what was happening was just an everyday thing.

"Are you sure you don't want these apples?" The boy asked again, respectfully.

Now, the old man started to feel that something was wrong; there was not a ounce of fear on the boy's face, he was weak like a stick but ssomething is wrong, the sensation of his hands was slowly starts to slip away once more.

Both parties stared at each other; one had a frown on his face, and the other had a small smile.

The old man slowly released his grip from the boy's neck and checked his hand by opening and closing it, then he turned around towards the boy and said calmly

'Boy, do you even know who I am'

The old man was not sure if the boy in front was a small kid or a different entity that's why he asked this question to confirm his suspicions.

"Can you tell me how did you know that I was lying?" The boy asked while munching on the apples with a smile.

It doesn't appease him much that the boy ignored his previous statement but he decides to show patience because he wants answers.

'I want to believe in you'

"Hm-So?"

'I never believe anyone'

"..."

'That's when I found that something was...different' The man grimaced trying to take the apples before deciding not to do so.

"Only different? Not dangerous?"

The boy asked slightly surprised

'I don't know if it's your sorcery or what but I can't help but believe in you...just what did you do to me?'

"You are a right, paranoid boy, but there is one thing on which you are wrong"

'What?' The man asked not showing his visible confusion.

"I never lie, I indeed pick you up from my farm...naked" The boy said.

The man stared at the boy for a few seconds before opening his mouth

'I am—'

"Arthur Luminous Ravenstein, quite a grandiose name, I would say," The boy said casually, trying to peel a banana now.

'... So you knew me,' Arthur said, not a little bit surprised because it would be more weird if he didn't know him.

"Who doesn't know you...

The Brave Knight of Light,

Peacemaker,

The God in human clothes and...

The Sole Emperor of Morse continent"

'Thank you... I guess?' Arthur said without any change in expression, as these are the things he has been listening to for many years.

'So what do you want from me, don't tell me you kidnapped me for something like money' Arthur said while trying to get up from bed.

[Temple of Vera]

In an unknown land, a camel-like creature who was shivering uncontrollably with his head bowed to the ground was contemplating his life choices.

[What is your name?]

A majestic voice reverberated across shook inside his head.

'Why!? Just why was I there at that time, Should I not have reported this!?' He knew that an angel of his rank would not have a chance of meeting 'him' in his lifetime.

[What is your name lamb?]

'H-Huro, master' Huro said hurriedly trying his very best to not fumble

[Huro huh, so tell me lamb, what did you see at the Sacred blank?]

'S-so there was a man, an old man who is in the clothes of those mortals. We checked his identity, he was some sort of leader of a place, his mortal name is Arthur we are still investigating further...

...and I am a camel'

He doesn't know, but he feels like he should add the last sentence for his satisfaction.

The figure before Huro loomed like a mountain, its massive head cradled in one of its six colossal hands. Glowing white eyes pierced the darkness, illuminating its dark purplish skin. Though its features remained shrouded in shadow, the creature's immense presence filled the air with a palpable tension, leaving Huro both awestruck and terrified.

[Arthur is his name, right?]

The man asked without actually opening his mouth

Huro looked at him, making an expression like he couldn't understand something but was pondering whether to ask or not.

'I humbly apologized, master, but who is this Arthur?' Huro asked still confused about this situation.

The figure only stared at him fully aware that he was not lying or acting.

He tried to peer into his mind, but suddenly, an unknown force slipped into his soul and tried to alter something.

Seeing the frown on his Master's face Huro can't help but ask 'Did something happen, Master Raphaestus'.

[Nothing, just again someone trying to covert something he couldn't handle]

Huro looked upon him with a mesmerizing gaze, still couldn't believe he really is front of him.

'Taka will be blown with jealousy', Huro giggled, imagining the situation.

[Now, continue lamb, you are telling me about the situation at Nether?]

'It's getting difficult, Master, we are short staff...'

The conversation about Arthur faded from everyone's minds, slipping away quietly as if it had never existed, leaving no one aware of its absence.

________________________________________

Arthur was having the weirdest time of his life. After he asked him what he wanted from him, he said nothing and just smiled. It's creepy in itself when he only smiles every time. He can only guess the being in front of him doesn't want to harm him or can't harm him so he tried a different approach this time.

'Hey, why do you only smile every time? Do you think you look mysterious?' Arthur sneered, trying sarcasm this time.

"No, I just like smiling; it feels good. You should try it sometime, too," The boy said, still with a sly smile.

'I am feeling hungry', Arthur said shamelessly, completely ignoring his previous statement.

"I have offered you my apples many, but you are not taking them. May I ask why?"

'Because you are offering it'

The boy stared at him for some time before saying "I like you maybe I should keep you for myself"

'I am married boy' Arthur said making the most disgusted face of hiscompeted

"Haha now we are on the same frequency" The boy laughed

From the third-party perspective, it will seem like Arthur started to open up to him, but on the contrary, Arthur's mind has become a mess; he wants him to let his guard down and find something before his mind makes him his slave.

"Hey, you should not act like this I can actually read minds"

Arthur stared at him for several minutes sometimes checking his body and looking out of the window to recognize the area he was in then he took a deep breath

'Haah... Ok I accept defeat do what you want to do

"But I never competed with you," The boy said blinking his eyes

...

Seeing his already old face which is aging with every second he added

"Ok, enough jokes, ask what you want to ask," The boy said while eating his banana.

Arthur contemplated for some seconds before opening his mouth

'...why didn't I ask for your name?'

"You noticed?" The boy seemed surprised or at least looked like.

Arthur didn't say anything.

"You are dead, boy", he said suddenly, waiting for his reaction.