[CHAPTER 118]
The Emperor of the Farman Empire, Dan Parker, and the Empress, Gardrien Parker.
It was when the news first came that the two would visit the small border town of Saturn Town in Hiscarn.
The villagers regarded it not merely as a visit, but as an honor.
Led by the Border Count Holter Saturn and his younger sister Amali, they gathered the finest ingredients and rare treasures to welcome the Emperor and Empress.
Finally, on the first day of March, in the early afternoon.
The Emperorās procession, so long that its end was out of sight, reached the town entrance.
Your Majesty!
At last, Your Majesty has graced our town with your presence!
The villagers knelt with faces full of emotion.
The Empress, leaning out from the window of the enormous golden carriage, waved to the villagers with a graceful smile.
Everyone felt honored, but one person, Joli, felt an inexplicable unease.
Empress Gardrien Parker radiated light like the sun.
She was smiling, yet somehow appeared terrified.
The carriage is heading to the square!
Letās hurry too, shall we?
Holding the hands of the siblings entrusted to them by the Wispoon couple, Joli followed the procession with the villagers.
Soon, the golden carriage carrying the Emperor and Empress entered the square, followed by hundreds of guards in dark armor surrounding the town.
When the carriage finally stopped in the main square, the cheers of the people grew louder.
Protected by the guards, the Emperor and Empress descended from the carriage, intensifying the applause.
Holter, organizing the crowd, stepped forward, knelt, and greeted the Emperor and Empress.
I, Border Count Holter Saturn, greet Your Majesty. It is an honor that you have visited Saturn Town in Hiscarn.
The Emperor extended his hand, and Holter kissed the back of it.
The honor is mineā!
From the side, the elderly ladies whispered quietly.
How grateful we are that Your Majesty sends us grains and wine every month, even to our humble town?
Indeed. Thanks to Your Majestyās special care, the people of Saturn Town did not starve.
Especially with all the dreadful rumors going around.
Listening carefully, Joli cautiously joined the conversation.
Dreadful rumors?
The three elderly women paused and scanned Joli from head to toe.
Saturn Town was an unusually closed-off village. Their eyes were sharp toward the only outsider, Joli.
You donāt know? Last winter, the gate in Hiscarn opened, and monsters poured out.
Many people died.
The Emperorās visit to our town is actually to investigate that incident.
The elderly women took turns chastising Joli for her ignorance.
I seeā¦
Joli nodded slowly, trailing off.
Last winterā¦
That was when she, having experienced her third divorce, drifted across the entire Empire.
By the way, Joli, youāve never tried the wine sent by His Majesty, have you?
Of course not. Itās a rare gift only allowed for our villagers.
The two elderly women lifted their chins with pride.
No. I have never tasted it.
Joli answered honestly, and the elderly lady with tied-up hair, who was close to Amali, said.
Anyway, you should be grateful to the Wispoon couple who took you in. You are almost the first outsider in our village, after all.
Technically the second, or third, though.
Another villager who had been eavesdropping chimed in, and the elderly lady sharply turned her head to glare at him.
Ahem.
She cleared her throat lightly, and he immediately shut his mouth.
Strange.
Feeling that something was indeed off, Joli gripped the childrenās hands tightly.
She looked up and saw that the Emperor was now standing on the platform.
The Emperorās gaze swept over the villagers as he delivered his prepared speech.
It was terrifying, like a predator selecting its prey.
Yet no one in the town, not even the skilled former attack mage Holter, sensed the danger.
Am I overreacting?
Having gone through three divorces and being scorned all her life for her appearance, Joli wondered.
Then Niniel whispered softly.
Scaryā¦
Bending down, Joli adjusted the fidgeting childās hand.
Niniel. Are you scared?
Niniel nodded.
Of what? Whatās scary?
For Niniel, Theon held up his second finger.
Theon was pointing at the Emperorās face.
ā¦
Joli froze, and Theon tugged her arm.
Understanding the childās meaning, Joli leaned in to listen as Theon whispered in a tiny voice.
Since last winter, Mom and Dad have been acting strangely.
How?
Every dinner, they pour a glass full of red drink and pray.
It wasnāt unusual to have wine with dinner.
Since Joli had started helping at the Wispoon coupleās small theater, she had often been invited to their evening meals and seen them drink wine during dinner.
Praying to the Vizhan god before meals was also natural.
But why was Theon telling this?
Why is it strange that they pour red drink and pray, Theon?
ā¦
Children canāt drink the red drink, but adults often have it with their meals. Besides, praying before dinner is something any devout believer does.
Hesitant, Theon glanced at the surrounding adults and continued.
Since last winter, our Mom and Dad pray not to the Vizhan god but to His Majesty the Emperor. They say they would even give me and Niniel for His Majesty.
ā¦
Joliās eyes surged like waves.
Holter approached the Emperor, who had finished his speech, and bowed respectfully.
Now, please dine at our home. The villagers have all contributed to prepare the meal.
Led by Holter and Amali, the Emperorās procession headed toward Holterās mansion.
Joli looked at the platform the Emperor had stood on.
The villagers had specially built the high platform to welcome the Emperor and Empress.
She had never paid close attention before.
The structure of the platform is unusual.
The wooden platform, about the height of a person, had no railings, but two sturdy pillars were erected on either side.
Taking advantage of the quieted square, Joli held the childrenās hands and walked toward the platform.
Up close, she saw chains attached to the tops of the pillars, seemingly meant for hanging ropes or similar objects.
A wave of fear swept over her.
The platform, specially made under the Emperorās orders, looked unmistakably like an execution stand.
What are you doing here, Joli?
Startled by the familiar voice, she turned to see Brown Wispoon wiping sweat from his forehead and stopping.
Itās this platformā
Just as Joli hesitated to ask him about all the unsettling things surrounding the Emperorās visit, Theon and Niniel pulled her hands tightly from either side.
Stop the pointless talk and bring the children here.
While Joli hesitated, Brown took the children away.
Didnāt I tell you? Today is the day we have the honor of dining with His Majesty at the Border Countās mansion.
Since itās an event just for our villagers, Joli, go clean the small theater. The floor is full of dust.
With a short command, Brown turned his back and headed toward Holterās mansion.
The children kept looking back, but Joli was just a wanderer with no home or ability to help anyone.
Even if the danger she sensed was real, there was nothing she could do.
* * *
Joli, recounting the horrifying memory, added with tears toward the guild members.
My feeling was right. That day, the mansion of Border Count Holter burned down. It was all the Emperorās doing.
Shut that demonās mouth immediately!
Amali screamed, revealing her decayed scalp.
However, led by Caliph, all guild members had their weapons pointed at the villagers, so no one could move easily.
Brown told me to clean the theater, but I didnāt listen. It was for the children. I couldnāt ignore the faces of the children constantly looking back at me as they were led by their father.
That dawn, when Caliph returned from an outing, he placed Theon and Niniel safely, instead of the guest room Amali offered.
If not for him, the children would have been in danger again, Mayna thought.
It was a more horrifying thought than the black barrels of guns now aimed at her.
I will confess everything that happened that day.
Holding the door to prevent anyone from escaping, Joli knelt as if collapsing.
I hid outside the mansion gate and observed the situation. So I witnessed everything.
A deep wrinkle formed on Holterās forehead.
Stop, Joli.
He delivered a threatening warning, as if he could immediately turn the gun aimed at Mayna onto her.
That day, Emperor Dan Parker burned all the villagers to death.
Yet Joli did not stop her confession.
