Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World-Chapter 744: The God Emperor
Chapter 744: The God Emperor
Aurelion, The Solar Throne Hall. White stone caught the afternoon light and bent it inward, refracting gold along the vaulted ribs of the Solar Throne Hall. Banners of the Valerian Dominion hung unmoving, embroidered with sigils of conquest rather than prayer. They burned no incense or sang hymns in this solemn hall.
The Empire did not beg or serve its gods like slaves.
For man becometh God.
Albrech Valerius, filled with elegant charm, crossed the marble floor alone, his boots clicking with a precise marching pace. His white and gold diplomatic attire remained unblemished despite weeks of travel. He knelt only when reaching the correct distance, with a straight spine and level chin; he gave worship to his Emperor.
Behind him, armour rang sharply.
Caelith Ignivar halted one pace short of the kneeling envoy, crimson-gold eyes fixed forward, jaw tight enough to ache. Her gauntleted hand rested on the pommel of her sword as if the steel itself were restraining her.
“Your Imperial Majesty!”
“Worship his Divine Majesty!”
At the far end of the hall, upon a throne carved from sun-veined stone, sat Tharion Elbrecht.
God-Emperor of the Divine Land.
First Knight of the Divine Host.
He wore no fancy crown because his power required no ornaments.
“Raise your heads.”
A faint radiance clung to his existence, granting him an almost ethereal aura. The air near the throne felt denser, as if reality itself leaned closer to listen. His hair, golden threaded with silver, lay loose upon his shoulders. His gaze was calm but filled with an ancient will that had nothing to do with age.
“I said, Rise, Albrecht,” Tharion commanded.
The words carried effortlessly across the hall. He narrowed his eyes, observing the young noble from his mother’s house. A distant cousin, yet that one characteristic made all the difference.
Albrecht stood, sharp like a spear. “Your Majesty. I return from the Demon Empire having completed my task and written my report.”
Behind him, Caelith’s lowered face trembled as she clenched her fists at the sheer mention of that wretched place.
Tharion’s eyes shimmered with flickers of golden light, with sparkling silver as if the sun and stars joined as one. He adjusted his gaze towards the beautiful knight whom he held close to his heart.
“Caelith, is there something you have to say? Speak.”
Though an official meeting, because they were the only ones in the grand hall, Tharion didn’t mind the slight rudeness of his two trusted aides.
After being granted permission, Caelith gracefully stood, her half-cape dancing with her motions, as her cold eyes, both beautiful and ferocious, stared at the Emperor’s foot. She dared not look higher, for fear of forsaking her oath.
“They butchered our envoys,” she said, voice sharp like the blade on her waist, each word reverberating off stone. “Strung one from their gates like carrion. We cannot allow such vulgar filth to exist, Your Majesty! Please, allow me to march headfirst into their ranks! Let me burn their cities until even their false gods choke on the sulfur.”
‘It seems the loss of Darius wasn’t a fluke, to have them return like this.’
Tharion tapped his cheek, amused by the intense emotions that he no longer felt. Was it a sign of loss, or maybe achieving such a realm was a sign of evolution? He had long forgotten such worries and instead avoided her glance.
“Your emotions are too erratic; such destructive feelings rarely prove useful, in anything other than self-sabotage. My Knight.”
He then turned back to male. “Is this your view too, Duke Albrecht?”
Albrecht’s body shook. The sheer pressure from the Emperor’s glance was enough to freeze his thoughts. His forehead dripped with sweat the moment he lowered his head. “The Demon Empire is unforgivable, although they treated us with the bare minimum of civility. They cannot deny the responsibility for being heathens who defy and deny our gods!”
He paused, trying to catch his breath, before continuing.
“They offered no explanation or apology.”
A faint smile touched Tharion’s lips, but it did not reach his eyes.
“Of course they didn’t.”
Albrecht continued with a smooth voice, carefully layering his elegant tone and ability to sugarcoat words. “Their ruler deigned not to appear, leaving only his empress. These monsters test our grace and boundaries. Do they truly believe that our great Empire will not crush them under our boots?!”
“Surely, a Crusade in our great Emperor’s name is needed!”
Caelith’s eyes widened at her partner’s emotional speech. She nodded while curling her lips. This was what she desired: anyone who insulted her Emperor, the man who saved her from suffering after being summoned to a strange world.
Democracy? Freedom! Hah! Those things could eat shit for all she cared.
Caelith twisted her head. “Let them believe whatever they wish! Just let me correct the misunderstanding with steel and fire.”
This time, Tharion looked at her, and his eyes narrowed into curved slits.
With just his emotions and facial expressions, the temperature and atmosphere shifted, but he didn’t say no!
“Knight-Templar Ignivar,” he spoke with a soft, almost affectionate tone, “You must not mistake restraint for weakness.”
Her molten gaze met his—and she wavered.
“You see demons and think of filth,” he continued. “I see assets, threats, and inevitabilities. The Demon Empire did not attack our envoys out of rage. I believe there was a message, something you have overlooked. Alas, I forgive your shortcomings. For you are not a god, or a divine seer.”
He leaned back slightly.
“And now those foul creatures you name know exactly where to direct their blades.”
Albrecht’s pupils shrank as he spoke again, carefully. “Your Majesty… they also spoke of the gods, mocked and profaned them. Against you!”
A calm ripple of divine aura spread through the calm chamber.
“Oh, did they?” Tharion asked, bemused.
As if something changed within his mind, he waved his hand across the throne, creating hundreds of small golden flames that lit the countless beacons atop the pillars.
Where he looked, the light followed like a dog.
Soon, it became apparent why no priest dared preach in Aurelion without his permission, why even the Radiant Dawn Order could only bend their knees in this hall. The aura around the God-Emperor was not some cheap borrowed faith from an old book.
It was pure power!
“Since they have profaned my name, this time I will allow your insolent words, Albrecht. The world seems to have forgotten just why our Empire rules the ages. This title I wear is not just symbolism, but a fact!” Tharion said with distant eyes now focused on something beyond the stone walls.
He lifted one hand, and the sky shimmered and cracked.
From that crack, warmth spread first—soft and gentle like the first light of spring. An intoxicating heat that carried the faintest hint of perfume and desire. An unseen presence brushed the senses, beautiful and indulgent, ancient and amused.
“Aphrodite.”
Then the cracked sky shifted, becoming chaotic as lightning and storms seeped into the world. The warmth became cold pressure, as if a sharp blade pressed against their throats.
“Apollon.”
The new God of War, he who killed his predecessor in cold blood.
Caelith dropped to one knee without realising she had moved, breath caught in her throat. Albrecht’s composure fractured. And for the first time, he couldn’t do anything; his eyes widened a fraction before he knelt.
“Although you might be gods, I do not kneel to those who are weaker than me,” Tharion said calmly to the two gods. “Nor do you rule me.”
The two presences shared opposite reactions, with Aphrodite’s spirit wrapping around the back of the God Emperor, stroking along his refined jawline, flirting with the half-god, a smile upon her lips. Apollon, seeing his wife acting in such a way, raged, his body wrapped in iron yet unable to do anything but watch.
Finally, Tharion looked to Albrecht.
“Return to your duties.” He smiled when the young man looked shocked at his words, then continued with a sharp, cold tone.
“Let the Demon Empire believe we have accepted their apology, and prepare a grand fleet, we will summon the legions of God. I’m counting on you, Albrecht.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The moment he heard these words, Albrecht’s heart pounded; he almost felt as if he was flying, filled with intense emotions. He soon left the room, never showing his back to his God-Emperor, leaving only Caelith.
A moment of silence followed.
“I will not forsake you, My Knight. Prepare not for an invasion, but for a grand crusade. We shall smite these filthy monsters from our world for good this time. No mercy.”
Her eyes widened, glowing with emotion, as she folded with flushed cheeks.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Then, just like Albrecht, she left with her emotions soaring, another side effect of summoning the spirit of Aphrodite. No normal human could resist, and their emotions and desires would keep growing the longer they remained close.
In the silent throne room, Tharion smiled.
He glanced towards the east before shaking his head and crossing his legs, humming.
“It’s all inevitable, right, Demon Emperor, Asmodeus?”
