Chapter 51: The Emperor
1094 Words
The Emperor of the Empire…
Of course, an empire needs an emperor. Even in this strange era where everyone believes in the Holy Light and the Church's influence permeates the world, an emperor remains an inevitable presence.
This isn't merely a habit, or the result of years of brainwashing by the ruling class.
It's because… people need to live.
Every life inevitably strives for survival. Survival requires food, resources, spiritual recognition, self-awareness, and so on. Simply put, humanity inevitably pursues self-interest as its guiding principle. In this pursuit, conflict arises, conflict leads to groups, and groups inevitably produce a balancer of interests on a human level.
Thus… the emperor appears!
This is an inevitable trend in social existence. It may appear at different times, under different names, and in different forms, but it can never be erased.
Even if one day the Church collapses, the Holy Light dims, and faith crumbles,
the emperor… will still be an emperor.
The current emperor is a highly respected elder named Augustine Ferti.
In fact, his name is almost easily forgotten unless one consciously thinks of it, as he has reigned for nearly 60 years, and the people of the empire have long since inextricably linked his identity with that of an emperor.
During his reign, the empire experienced a transformation from decline to resurgence, weathering the Second Dark Ages-like invasion with remarkable resilience. Steam technology flourished, the economy maintained its growth, and the population steadily increased. Three major chambers were established, imperial laws were amended, and a governing committee with over three hundred members spanning every sector of the empire—judicial, civil, agricultural, tax, inter-regional coordination and supply—reached its most perfect state in centuries.
Emperor Augustine the Great can almost be considered the most outstanding emperor in modern human history since the opening of the gates of hell.
Therefore… upon hearing Father Thompson say that this task was personally ordered by the emperor, Watson had to fall silent once again.
Why was His Majesty the Emperor searching for the Holy Son of the Papacy?
While he could imagine the brutal and protracted power struggle between the Papacy and the government, they had maintained a facade of harmony. So why, suddenly, on such a prominent day as the Day of Holy Love, did he begin secretly contacting the Papacy's high-ranking officials?
And right off the bat, a candidate for the next Pope—without any gradual process?!
This thought flashed through Watson's mind. He hadn't intended to dwell on it, knowing he couldn't possibly understand the reasons.
But then, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the few white hairs on Father Thompson's head, swallowed by the sunlight.
Suddenly, he realized a possibility he had long overlooked…
Emperor Augustine was already over 90 years old.
Even if those old monsters at the Academy of Life Sciences could extend his lifespan by many years, so what… could an old man who looked so frail and aged truly continue to sit in that chair?
"Is it......the time for the succession to the throne is approaching...?" Seeing the sudden realization in Watson's eyes, Father Thompson slowly spoke, "Whatever you're thinking, please always remember your identity.
You are merely a commoner from Lower London, not a nobleman, much less a member of parliament. The only reason you've been given this mission is because you work for London's law enforcement, and you also have the best outward appearance—that's all.
Furthermore, you must understand that besides you, many others are searching for His Highness the Holy Son. Such an important mission cannot be entrusted to just one person; you are merely one of countless options.
Therefore...you only need to diligently complete your task." Father Thompson spoke seriously and slowly, as if afraid the young man before him might overlook even the slightest detail.
Watson smiled and nodded. He understood his superior's intention. In such a mission, the executor could not afford the slightest negligence, but even more importantly, could not overstep their bounds.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
He rose and left the office.
...
221 Baker Street, Building B.
Sherlock had returned to his apartment.
The events of last night's underground tavern were still vivid in his mind: the chaotic scene, the sudden assassin, the flames in the alley, and the potential b****y revenge from a pope...
All of this had unfolded in such a short time; it was probably beyond the comprehension of a lower-town commoner.
However, Sherlock didn't care.
As mentioned before, he was only interested in unsolved mysteries, so compared to the aforementioned matters, that guy named John Watson seemed to be more of a concern.
Oh, and there was something else that bothered him: his contracted demon.
Now, he opened the apartment door...
He still didn't know what the worm-like tentacle had to do with the distorted sun in the sky, but ever since making eye contact with the giant eyeball within that sun, Sherlock could see the area the tentacle had crawled through in reality.
After a whole night, the tentacles had crawled through the entire room, and had claimed the staircase and an area of about 100 meters in radius on the street as Sherlock's territory.
This speed truly surprised Sherlock, because judging from the speed of the small tentacle before, it shouldn't have been able to crawl this fast.
Could something have changed in the dream?
Well, the mysteries need to be solved one by one. He wasn't asleep yet, so he decided to test the limits of his control over the demon.
So Sherlock went to the window, looking down at the street. Across the street was a dark alley, the location of his domain, yet difficult to detect.
He concentrated and quietly tore open a rift in the void there.
Excellent, the rift could be easily torn open within his domain, and then, the dog emerged, head held high in military training.
No different from the last summoning.
Next, Sherlock decided to test if the creature could move outside the domain;
However, just as he was about to control the corpse dog to walk out…
“Hmm?”
He paused, because he discovered that deep within his consciousness, there seemed to be a strange feeling of 'not quite enough'.
Sherlock hesitated for a moment. Although he felt it was foolish, he still followed the thought in his mind and turned his attention back to the alley across the street.
He focused slightly…
Then, to his surprise, he saw…
a second void rift…
torn open by himself.
- Writer
