Chapter 2689 – 2689. God’S Atlantis

The Emperor, along with the Crown Prince, the Thousand Year Duke, the Iron Duke, the Water Duke, and other imperial retainers and attendants, totaling 300 people, arrived in Valdert’s territory.

「Entering Sector 3,008, Lake Platinum.」
「Due to a special barrier, spatial movement is not possible within this sector.」

The Water Duke, after confirming the system message that appeared, narrowed his eyes.

“Spatial movement is impossible, you say. If this is a trap, it’s quite a fatal one.”

The Crown Prince agreed.

“Indeed, Father. Isn’t the Illusion Duke’s intention suspicious?”

The Crown Prince hadn’t forgotten the past. Because of the Illusion Duke, his position had been shaken, and even now, he was in political conflict with the Illusion Duke. At this rate, even if he ascended to the throne, he wouldn’t receive the Illusion Duke’s cooperation.

The Emperor frowned and glared coldly at the Crown Prince.

“You foolish one. This barrier is to prevent external intrusion. Setting a trap using his own wedding as bait? Why would the Illusion Duke do such a thing? Water Duke, I’ve heard that your relationship with the Illusion Duke hasn’t been good lately. But refrain from such behavior during the wedding.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I will be more restrained.”

“…I’m sorry.”

The Water Duke and the Crown Prince bowed their heads. The Water Duke was difficult for even the Emperor to see through. It was natural, as the Water Duke was older than the Emperor.

The Crown Prince? He had excellent political skills. However, he had begun to falter since that day. Perhaps it was the burden and anxiety he felt as the Illusion Duke’s reputation grew, leading him to make mistakes like this.

‘People say that anyone can make mistakes. But one mistake can ruin everything. If this were a peaceful era, the Crown Prince would have been a good Emperor. But the current era is too harsh for the Crown Prince to handle.’

Their world had become Atlantis, and they were being tested by the gods. A peaceful era? It was the era of the end.

‘I should pass the throne to the Crown Prince when everything is stable and a golden age has arrived.’

It was a shame that the Second and Third Princes were not present.

The Third Prince had died on the day the Barclay Legion attacked, and although the Second Prince’s body had not been found, he was presumed dead. If he were alive, he would have been kidnapped by the Barclay Legion, and if kidnapped, the Barclay Legion would have used him in some way, but no news had been heard.

‘Perhaps the Crown Prince is becoming a bit complacent because he has no rivals.’

The possibility of the Second and Third Princes taking the throne had completely disappeared.

Now, when the Emperor died, the throne would naturally pass to the Crown Prince.

‘…The fact that there is a possibility that the Crown Prince might rebel is what troubles me.’

The Emperor sighed inwardly and planned for the future. The urgent matter was to extend his lifespan. Fortunately, this wasn’t too difficult.

Since becoming Atlantis, they had encountered all sorts of strange objects. He knew that items related to immortality and rejuvenation existed. Although they were difficult to obtain even for the Imperial Family.

The Emperor looked up at the sky.

A clear blue sky.

The air was clean, and the temperature and humidity were pleasantly moderate.

It seemed that the Illusion Duke had used some kind of magic to ensure that this area was not affected by the volcanic island.

Also, Lake Platinum was incredibly beautiful, sparkling.

In the center of the lake was a structure. The wedding venue was placed on the lake. Although it was a structure, it had no roof or walls, only a white floor and pillars. The prepared seats numbered over 3,000 at a rough estimate.

“Impressive.”

Suddenly, the Thousand Year Duke, who had been walking behind the Emperor, spoke. It was rare for the taciturn Thousand Year Duke to speak first. Especially if it was a word of admiration. Curious, the Emperor asked the Thousand Year Duke.

“What is impressive? Do you find the scenery of the lake so pleasing?”

“Scenery? That’s not entirely wrong. This area is a mix of all sorts of illusions and magic. The flowers blooming there, even the single tree planted next to them. The flow of air, the gentle waves of the lake, even a single pebble. Small and large magics have been applied to control everything. This is a miniature garden that a great mage has painstakingly completed over a long time.”

“…The last time you praised someone so highly was after the Three Extremes Duke and Banray. Was the Illusion Duke such a figure? Do you think the Illusion Duke will surpass his father, the Three Extremes Duke?”

“The Illusion Duke is at a similar level to the Three Extremes Duke. And soon… he will surpass even the Three Extremes Duke.”

The Thousand Year Duke did not lie.

The Emperor quietly sighed.

‘To surpass the Three Extremes Duke… I never thought I would feel so deeply the fact that my relationship with the Illusion Duke has soured.’

Just as the Emperor sighed,

a woman approached them.

She had calm black hair that reached her waist and quiet, dark eyes.

She wore clothes that didn’t expose much skin, but they clung to her body, revealing her figure in a way that made her look even more seductive. Large breasts, a slender waist, and large hips. She was full of sexual allure. She didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding that allure.

The men were distracted by her, but they didn’t dare to treat her carelessly. They felt a sacred aura from her, and the sword at her waist was extraordinary.

“I am Arrell Bake, Baroness. Your Majesty, I will guide you to your accommodations from here.”

“A talent the Illusion Duke recently made his retainer. I’ve heard of your abilities. Is the Illusion Duke very busy?”

“Yes. He is very busy.”

Some people frowned, expressing their displeasure. The Emperor himself had come, but the host had dared not to greet him in person.

The Emperor also felt displeasure, but he didn’t show it. He knew that the Illusion Duke had put a lot of effort into this wedding. To cause conflict here? Then he might really have to worry about the Illusion Duke’s rebellion. And considering the achievements the Illusion Duke had made, he could afford to be considerate.

“He is one of the people getting married. It’s understandable that he’s busy. Guide us to our accommodations.”

They followed Arrell.

The Crown Prince stared intently at Arrell and quickened his pace. The Emperor quickly grabbed the Crown Prince’s shoulder.

“Do not act rashly. That woman is a subordinate whom the Illusion Duke cherishes.”

“…Father. If we could bring her into the Imperial Family, wouldn’t the Imperial Family become more solid?”

“Have you not considered that it could endanger the Imperial Family? Satisfy your lust with other women.”

The Crown Prince bowed his head again at the Emperor’s cold gaze.

“…Yes, Father.”

Tsk tsk.

The Emperor clicked his tongue. Aside from his political sense, the Crown Prince was still young. He wasn’t like this before, but he had become complacent because he had no rivals.

As they headed to their accommodations, they encountered another group.

A man wearing a crown and nobles. They knelt before the Emperor.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

“King Blesion, I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“I received an invitation from the Illusion Duke.”

“I see. Let’s talk again at the banquet later.”

The Emperor passed them by. He treated the king of another country like a mere noble. But no one felt it was strange. This was the natural order of things.

In this world, there were four kingdoms besides the Empire. But they were kingdoms in name only, and in reality, they were no more than city-states.

The Empire could destroy the kingdoms, but it maintained their existence. It was to have external enemies to blame if problems arose within the Empire.

In addition, inferior races were needed for the imperial citizens to feel superior. To put it bluntly, the kingdoms were left to create a sense of national pride.

It was an open secret that the kingdoms, tired of the Empire’s tyranny, were supporting the Barclay Legion Alliance.

‘In other words, that’s all the kingdoms can do.’

The Emperor stopped paying attention to the kingdoms. Any one of the Imperial Dukes could destroy a kingdom. The kingdoms were no match for the Empire. Whether in military power or economy, they could be crushed. In this continent, the Empire was the only hegemonic power.

The Iron Duke, who was from a destroyed kingdom, quietly passed them by.

• • •

The servants of the Valdert family were all moving busily. Even the knights were running around with sweat on their feet. As famous forces such as various countries, legions, merchant guilds, and nobles from the Atlantis continent gathered, there were many incidents. It was no exaggeration to say that most of the powerful people on the continent had gathered in Valdert.

In this situation, there were two women enjoying a leisurely tea time.

One was a calm maid, and the other was a venomous fox.

“Ugh! Why is this black tea so bitter? The level of the Valdert family is worse than I thought.”

Mireyeong frowned and tapped her teacup.

“It’s not bad. I can feel the touch of an expert.”

Yuria quietly sipped her black tea.

“No, isn’t Yuria unnie annoyed? Your husband is marrying another woman!”

“I have no reason to object to my master’s will. Elena is capable enough to stand by my master’s side. And strictly speaking, Mireyeong is not yet married, so isn’t it absurd to call my master your husband?”

“Wow. Are you dissing me like that? But strictly speaking, I’m married too, you know? Look, here’s my marriage certificate.”

Flap.

A Korean marriage certificate fell onto the table.

“That’s a forgery.”

“…It’s not. Look. The handwriting is my husband’s.”

“The handwriting is different. Even if it looks similar, you can see that too much force was used when writing the name here. My master habitually puts force when drawing this stroke.”

“Wow. That’s a bit scary.”

Mireyeong shook her head. Then, she slammed her head on the table and collapsed. She rubbed her cheek against the cold table and suggested to Yuria.

“Hey, unnie. Shall we crash the wedding and kidnap my husband?”

“Elena would be genuinely angry. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Ugh. I’m depressed. You must be happy, unnie. You’re married and you have Yuna. Even if Elena gets married, you think you’re better than her, right?”

“…….”

Yuria just smiled calmly.

Watching her made Mireyeong even more annoyed. She thought in her head. Could she win if they fought? Somehow, she felt like she would lose even if she broke her limits.

Bang!

The door opened, and Elena appeared.

“I apologize for not properly attending to my guests. I’ve been too busy lately. Hmm? Do I smell the scent of a loser somewhere? Ah, it was the scent of a fox.”

Mireyeong, who had been lying down, jumped up.

“Kyaaaak! Do you want to know how sharp a fox’s teeth are?!”

Regardless, Elena sat down on an empty chair.

“Do you know how long I’ve been preparing for this wedding? The people gathered in this area are all the leaders of the world. And the gods are watching our wedding. The goddess of the household has agreed to bless my marriage with Eugene. There’s also a story about this… Eugene went to the temple of Hera himself…”

The boasting began.

Mireyeong stared at Elena with a disgusted look. Yuria’s lips, who had been listening quietly, trembled slightly.

“Elena. A wedding can’t be without a congratulatory song. I’ll sing a congratulatory song for you.”

“Of course not. Do you think I don’t know your intention to turn my wedding into your concert venue?”

“That’s too much. I just wanted to give you a congratulatory song as a gift.”

Mireyeong raised her hand.

“Elena-ssi, your parents have passed away, right? Shall I escort you when you enter? I can do it well.”

“No matter how I think about it, it only looks like you’re trying to steal my position while wearing a wedding dress. You two just need to wear the clothes I’ve chosen for you and sit in the corner of the audience and clap. That’s why I called you.”

Elena smiled throughout.