The Emperor Krent and a Chilling Realization

Sixth Knight Julius of the Imperial Royal Knights slowly advanced through the streets of Fort June, astride a magnificent white hybrid unicorn.

Clad entirely in mithril, his armor, combined with the unicorn’s pristine white coat, shimmered so brilliantly under the sun that it was impossible to gaze upon them directly.

“He is indeed a truly great figure,” a person standing beside Iordera remarked, their voice filled with awe. “Just look at this procession—so imposing, so utterly extraordinary!”

Another person chimed in, “A true man ought to be like this!”

Those gathered near the teleportation array were, for the most part, prepared to depart and capable of making a living elsewhere, which lent them a relatively relaxed air, allowing for leisurely chatter. In stark contrast, the long-standing residents of Fort June remained profoundly somber, utterly indifferent to the arrival of any distinguished guest.

Consequently, along the entire vast stretch of the main street, no one else could be seen apart from Julius and his formidable escort, as if the thoroughfare had been cleared specifically for his grand procession.

“Alright, alright, back in line now,” someone urged.

****

During this extraordinary period, the cost of teleportation had surged dramatically, now demanding a hefty ten gold coins per person. Factoring in the thirty gold coins the two maids had spent on mercenaries, a staggering sixty gold coins had simply vanished.

It was fortunate that Iordera had managed to earn a substantial amount, or perhaps more accurately, fortunate that Sir Olcott had been so exceedingly generous; otherwise, their departure today would have been utterly impossible.

The queue moved at a glacial pace, not only due to the unusual crowd that day, but also because the act of teleportation itself was an inherently protracted process.

Iordera learned that the teleportation array operated by first establishing contact with the destination’s array to set a fixed coordinate. Then, the magic array would activate, solidifying the space within its bounds into aether, before ultimately swapping the space above the two magic arrays.

In essence, it would meticulously package the individuals and objects standing upon the magic array, along with the very space they occupied, and then perform a direct exchange with the space at the designated destination.

Consequently, the preparation time required was quite substantial.

Amidst the interminable wait, the mistress and her two maids ingeniously discovered a method to stave off their boredom.

Iordera began, “Ah, let me recount my experiences from these past few days; they were truly quite legendary.”

Nina prompted, “Oh? How so?”

The mistress narrated, while one maid acted as her comedic foil (TL Note: A comedic foil, or ‘pěnggēn’ in Chinese crosstalk, is a straight man who reacts to the storyteller’s jokes, often with exaggerated responses or questions). Meanwhile, Yuna, aspiring to become a bard, sat nearby, diligently recording the unfolding narrative with paper and pen.

“Well, on that fateful day, our very first upon arriving in Fort June, we set out in search of employment…”

The events of those days slowly unfurled, recounted in the loli’s soft, gentle accent.

****

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the tall and imposing Royal Knight led his contingent closer to the grim edifice of Prison Zero.

Sir Olcott awaited their arrival there.

“Well then, consider the official handover complete,” Sir Olcott declared, already making his way out with his luggage in tow. “Prison Zero and the Witch are now entirely your responsibility. All the former prison staff have already been dismissed.”

Julius merely spared him a fleeting glance, then dismounted. “It matters not,” he stated coolly. “This prison will cease to exist soon enough.”

With a swift wave of his hand towards his waiting team, the others immediately began pushing the massive contraption forward.

Sir Olcott simply picked up his luggage. “Whatever happens, it is no longer my concern,” he said dismissively.

He skirted around the assembled personnel, making his way towards the city gate without a backward glance.

Julius, with his hands clasped behind his back, motioned to the others. “Let us begin the work,” he commanded.

As the heavy coverings were finally drawn back, the Emperor Krent (TL Note: The name of a powerful alchemy device, literally ‘Emperor Krent’ or ‘Krent the Great’) at last revealed its true, formidable form: the most potent alchemy device on the entire continent, the supreme masterpiece of the Empire itself.

Its appearance was far from aesthetically pleasing; beyond its thick, three-dimensional outer shell armor, it featured only a single, ominous “muzzle” from which raw energy was discharged.

Connecting the core to this muzzle was a grotesque, pulsating vein-like conduit.

The accompanying alchemist stepped forward, clutching a notebook in trembling hands, and stammered, “Ac-ac-according to the Imperial Alchemy Regulations, the Emperor Krent’s… the operational procedure must strictly adhere to the user manual…”

Julius, not bothering to wait for him to finish, snatched the user manual with a single hand. “We’ll handle it,” he declared curtly. “You needn’t follow us inside; wait out here.”

The elderly alchemist’s mouth fell open in astonishment. “But this doesn’t comply, it doesn’t comply with the established procedure…”

“Indeed, but you are also keenly aware that the one imprisoned within was once revered as a deity by your people,” Julius stated, gesturing to his subordinates to keep a watchful eye on the alchemist. “It is imperative that you absent yourself.”

He then turned, calling out to the rest of the team, “Let’s move!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

Never before had Prison Zero echoed with such a noisy, disorderly cacophony of footsteps. Hecate opened her eyes, observing the new arrivals. “Oh, Julius,” she purred, “are you the one tasked with the takeover?”

Julius offered no reply to her question, merely a cold sneer. “Miss Witch,” he said, “it’s time for you to relocate.”

The Emperor Krent was carefully positioned at the entrance of the cell, its stabilizing base supports embedding themselves deep into the stone floor with a resounding thud.

Julius, clutching the user manual, meticulously followed its instructions, slowly bringing the colossal device to life.

A low hum began, rising steadily: *Vwoom—! Vwoom—! Vwoom—!*

Energy exceeding level ninety converged to a single point, an impossibly dazzling beam of pure force continuously emanating from the muzzle, resembling nothing so much as a legendary lightsaber.

The individual tasked with controlling the muzzle silently wiped a bead of sweat from their brow.

“Keep your hands steady, and proceed slowly,” Julius cautioned him. “The energy output of this device far surpasses that of every single one of us combined.”

And by a rather terrifying margin, at that.

The number of operators at the muzzle was swiftly increased to three. Under their most meticulous supervision, the first stone slab was cleanly severed.

“Aether slab, confirmed acquired!” a voice announced, laced with relief.

Everyone, including Julius himself, involuntarily exhaled a collective sigh of relief.

Only Hecate remained, her eyes still closed, appearing as though she had simply fallen asleep.

****

“This, then, is the conclusion of the tale,” Iordera finished in a single breath, her voice animated. “Well, wasn’t it utterly thrilling, truly awe-inspiring?”

Yuna nodded slowly. “It was quite impressive, but… why did that Witch decide to help you?”

Having spent such a considerable time together, and having forged a bond through shared life-threatening experiences, Iordera simply decided to reveal the full extent of Hecate’s involvement.

And indeed, Iordera found herself genuinely stumped by Yuna’s pertinent question.

“That’s right,” Nina added, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I distinctly remember you asking us about this very matter, Young Miss, didn’t you?”

‘That matter…’ Iordera lowered her head, pondering the implications, and suddenly, her youthful face flushed a deep crimson.

On that particular day, she hadn’t understood why Hecate had specifically requested her presence. Upon returning home, she had questioned her two maids, only for them to offer a rather suggestive (TL Note: 涩情 (sèqíng) implies something suggestive, naughty, or even erotic) response.

“Young Miss, I truly believe,” Nina stated with a perfectly straight face, “if she isn’t using you, then she intends to finish you off with two fingers.”

“No, that’s impossible,” Iordera stammered, her small face burning redder still. “She’s confined to a prison cell; she can’t even lay a hand on me. How could she possibly mean her fingers…?”

“Then she’s using you,” Yuna stated matter-of-factly.

Iordera shook her head. “No, no, that’s even more impossible. Everything she helped me with was the right thing to do. How could she be using me? Besides, I don’t even have the qualifications to be used, nor can I help her escape.”

She grew increasingly convinced by her own words. “Someone once told me that only three people can free the Witch from her cage: one is The Guardian, Sheila; another is the Witch herself in her prime; and the third is…”

Seeing her fall silent for so long, Nina reached over and gently shook her arm. “What is it? Hello, Young Miss?”

Suddenly, a chill ran down Iordera’s spine.

‘When Fort June descends into absolute chaos, deemed beyond repair, the Empire will deploy the Emperor Krent for relocation.’

‘Pencil dust entering the engine core will cause it to overload and lose control, leading to an explosion.’

‘A level ninety-plus entity, with an unprotected vascular system, solely to ensure heat dissipation during output. How pathetic.’

‘Send him a pencil, my dear.’

“Hey, those going to Saroyan, it’s your turn!”

The call from the teleportation array staff jolted Iordera back to reality. She quickly tugged at her two maids, scrambling onto the teleportation array with both hands and feet.

“What’s wrong, Young Miss?”

“Don’t ask, just run! Hurry!”