Chapter 847: Chapter 846: My Path Is Not Lonely

Aldernon, Obsidian Palace.

A rare sunny day, sunlight dispelled the mist shrouding the entire Aldernon region, brilliant rays poured down from the sky, penetrating the thin and pale clouds, slanting down upon the courtyard of the Obsidian Palace.

In the small flower hall on the palace’s first floor, the attendant opened the window facing the courtyard, fresh morning breeze blew leisurely through the shrubs outside and into the hall, Emperor Rosetta Augustus sat on the bench by the window, half of his face illuminated by sunlight, as if coated with a layer of shimmer.

"Hadrian sent a message, he came up empty at the Throat of Orlandeau," Rosetta raised his head, looking at Matilda who sat opposite him, "He happened to be inspecting factories near Orlandeau yet couldn’t detect when the Eternal Sleepers withdrew."

"If a secret organization has been operating in our Empire for seven hundred years, then when they are determined to withdraw secretly, it’s only normal that we can’t immediately detect and intercept them," Matilda sat upright across from her father, golden fine chains dangled from her hair, flickering delicate golden light by her cheek, "I just didn’t expect Gawain Cecil to be behind all this..."

Rosetta glanced at Matilda: "Judging from the timing, when the Eternal Sleepers encountered an incident and launched the withdrawal plan, it coincided with the days you stayed in Cecil Castle."

Matilda couldn’t help but frown, showing a look of regret and shame: "Yes... I was near Gawain Cecil those days, yet I didn’t notice anything..."

Rosetta’s expression remained calm: "If someone as young as you could easily discover his secrets, then he wouldn’t be the emperor of Cecil, and Typhon would have nothing to worry about."

"Gawain Cecil’s secrets..." Matilda muttered instinctively, then raised her eyes, "Father, this ’Outland Wanderer’ secret can be used to undermine his ruling authority. If he is no longer ’Gawain Cecil’, then the support he gained from his pioneer hero reputation would definitely be greatly shaken. Moreover, his connection to the Eternal Sleepers, can that also..."

Rosetta raised his eyebrows, looking into Matilda’s eyes, seemingly with a hint of amusement: "I remember you recently said he was a kind and generous elder, and conversing with him taught you many things."

"... I don’t deny that I have a certain respect for him, regardless of whether he is genuinely ’Gawain Cecil’," Matilda answered seriously, "But he is ultimately our opponent, isn’t he?"

"... Matilda, you’ve grown a bit," Rosetta quietly looked at his daughter for a moment, a smile creasing the corners of his eyes, "But you haven’t grown enough, you’ve mistaken some things.

"Our ’opponent’, indeed relied on the identity of ’Gawain Cecil’ to gain support when he rose in the southern borders, but to sit on the emperor’s throne, he did not rely purely on the name ’Gawain Cecil’. His continued rule over the Empire is not maintained by this name."

Matilda didn’t react for a moment, instinctively asking: "So he relies on...?"

"Certainly his military, and the bureaucrats he has greatly cultivated, my child," Rosetta suddenly laughed, "You normally aren’t this slow—didn’t you think of these?"

Matilda’s face showed slight embarrassment: "I..."

"No worries, you’re still young," Rosetta smiled and shook his head, "As I said, what supports an emperor on the throne is not a ’good reputation’. A good reputation is important, it can make your crown appear prettier, and allow you to sit more comfortably in that position, but military power and political power are key to keeping you in that spot. Sadly, Gawain Cecil has both, and grasps them firmly.

"If he loses control over the military and social order, he wouldn’t need our intervention, countless remnants from Old Anzu would emerge to brand him with numerous titles of usurper, and his ’resurrection’ would undoubtedly become a devil’s plot.

"If he firmly controls the military and social order, then even if countless people expose his secrets, it would merely be ’malicious slander by those seeking to restore and evil schemers’, his ’resurrection’ would still be a miracle. When needed, it could even be divine providence.

"And when considering his effective means of controlling public opinion and attracting hearts, child, do you still think a mere rumor about ’resurrecting a malevolent spirit’ can shake Gawain Cecil’s rule? As far as I know, since his resurrection, similar rumors have never ceased, have these rumors ever served any purpose?"

Matilda displayed a posture of humility, earnestly listened to Rosetta’s words, and asked after he finished: "But... it’s still a very significant leverage, isn’t it? For us, this ’secret’ is quite a major unexpected gain."

"Indeed, a significant leverage... but one that can’t produce much impact, and as you said, this gain is merely ’unexpected’," Emperor Rosetta Augustus nodded lightly, "So if we truly wish to use it for something, we must not ’personally’ do it, it’s not worth it. Gawain Cecil and his department specifically designed to control intelligence have surely prepared public opinion countermeasures, any carelessness, and our losses could exceed his; secondly, do not expect great results, just like your swordsmanship studies, there is no surefire move for victory against formidable foes. Advantages need to be accumulated gradually, and oftentimes what we accumulate isn’t advantage, but merely time for gaining advantage."

Matilda listened quietly, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face, she heard her father speak to her with profound tone: "Matilda, ruling an empire requires more than iron fist and swift execution. Frequently, you also need patience and caution."

Matilda instinctively nodded, but suddenly realized something, gazing at Rosetta with wide eyes: "Father, you..."

"I don’t mean anything else," Rosetta calmly stated, suddenly shifting the topic, "Actually, if our intel is accurate, we might even owe Gawain Cecil a favor."

"Owe him a favor?" Matilda couldn’t help but ask in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"... Since late Cold Month, how many nightmares have you experienced?" Rosetta asked.

"... Only twice," Matilda thought for a moment, though puzzled, she answered seriously, "The curse’s power strengthened before, but from late Cold Month, the curse’s impact returned to normal... maybe even weakened, the duration of my nightmares shortened."

"The curse entangling our family comes from the Throat of Orlandeau, from the ruins of the old imperial capital. Now we know those fallen Dreams Clerics have stayed at the depths of those ruins for the past two centuries, continuously researching forbidden subjects—the information provided by Lord Bomai indicates that the Eternal Sleepers’ own research led to a catastrophe of divine proportions, forcing them to seek help from the Wanderers from Outer Realm. And all of this coincides with the recent fluctuations in the strength of the curse."

Matilda’s gaze gradually became serious.

"According to the analysis of the royal advisor, if the disaster induced by those dark priests were to erupt, the entire Augustus Clan would suffer tremendously, though everything ultimately remains contained..." Rosetta spoke slowly, watching Matilda’s reaction with scrutinizing eyes, "Gawain Cecil has his own objectives; his aid to us is not ’gratuitous,’ but in reality, we owe him a favor."

Matilda’s expression seemed a bit strange, as if uncertain how to respond to her father’s words. But after a few seconds of silence and contemplation, she shook her head: "A favor can be repaid with another favor, the Empire’s interests are different." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"This is your best response today," Rosetta’s stern expression relaxed, "Go attend to your own matters—speaking with your babbling father for so long might have tired you."

"Conversing with you always enriches me greatly," Matilda stood up and bowed deeply to Rosetta, "I shall take my leave then, Father Emperor."

Rosetta waved his hand lightly, and Matilda departed from the small hall bathed in sunlight and the scent of flowers.

The room fell quiet, leaving the bright morning sun as company with the no longer youthful Emperor Rosetta Augustus. The Typhon Ruler sat quietly for a moment in the serene atmosphere, then slowly shifted his gaze to the round table in front of him.

An exquisitely printed and gold-embossed book lay there quietly, basking in the rare bright sunlight found in Aldernon.

This was a gift Matilda brought back from Cecil, a present from "Gawain Cecil" to himself.

"You’re truly lucky," Rosetta suddenly chuckled softly as he reached out to pick up the book, muttering to himself, "The whole of Aldernon brightened up just to welcome you."

His gaze swept across the pages, as neat lines of text met his eyes—

"...A nation is an ordered collective, a union that includes both people and territory, tied together by a consistent cultural identity and pursuit of interests...

"Maintaining social stability and development is one of the fundamental missions of a country’s ruling class..."

In the quiet hall, gradually, only the sound of turning pages remained.

After a long while, a sigh filled with inexplicable complex emotions echoed in the hall: "I understand what you want to say..."

...

"Sir Golosh, Lady Asharena, I hope you’re comfortable staying in the Autumn Palace," Gawain said with a smile as he looked at the Dragonborn ambassador in the Cecil Palace’s reception room, "We have limited knowledge of the customs and habits of the Sacred Dragon Kingdom. If there’s any arrangement that is not to your satisfaction, please let us know."

"No, your hospitality has been more than satisfying for us," Sir Golosh replied with a relaxed smile, "We can sense Cecil’s sincerity and friendliness—as a first encounter, this is a very good start."

"That’s good," Gawain nodded. Yesterday’s pleasantries were over; today was the time to discuss serious matters, so he quickly moved to the point, "Let us begin directly—The Cecil Empire hopes to establish closer ties with the Sacred Dragon Kingdom. This is not just one transaction, nor just sending a few more envoys; we hope to establish a stable commercial conduit between our two countries, benefiting the lives of the people and the economies of both nations."

Sir Golosh evidently appreciated Gawain’s straightforward manner of speaking. Upon realizing this nascent "Cecil Empire" was not as bureaucratic or rigid as commonly portrayed in descriptions of human realms, his demeanor became relaxed and direct: "Frankly, this is also Duke Balogar’s intention—the Sacred Dragon Kingdom may not frequently interact with the outside world, but this does not mean we are closed-minded or inflexible. We are curious about the outside world and interested in your country’s Magic Guide Technology. But what are your thoughts on the ’commercial conduit’ between our nations? Or more straightforward, what do you plan to sell to us?"

Gawain’s lips curled slightly, showing an earnest and pleased smile.

When dealing with commercial partners, he always smiled sincerely.

"Sir, you traveled via our Magic-guided Train when you arrived—are you interested in it?"

Sir Golosh and Lady Asharena exchanged a glance.

"Ah..." After two seconds, Sir Golosh blinked and nodded, saying, "That’s a very miraculous thing, with obvious uses; naturally, we are interested."

Gawain smiled, signaling his attendant to bring a few sets of documents: "Then, considering your interest, we have a comprehensive investment plan."

(Recommend a book, "Legends of the Border Song" by the author Panda Writes, a story about traveling to the late Northern Song Dynasty with a martial arts system. You can show some friendly support.)