Chương 132: The Aging Emperor

No, this is the Commander of the Imperial Guards! He commands the military force that the Emperor relies on most!

So they're not even human?

Richard's eyes widened as he looked at the dark elf woman.

Not only him, but Cinderella and her daughter were also astonished—it seemed to be the first time Elsa had ever seen a living dark elf since she was born.

Beside her, Isabella, having already guessed their reactions, whispered, "This Ms. Miranda Waldo was a close friend of my great-grandfather. She betrayed her own god for him, came to the surface, and converted to the Dark Maiden and the Lord of Radiance. He personally promoted her to Commander of the Royal Guard—"

"Having served for over a century, he has never made a mistake or slackened. Although not human, he still enjoys the trust and respect of everyone in the empire."

Richard blinked.

Wow, there seems to be a rather interesting story hidden here, with an ending that touches on the concept of lifespan.

Furthermore, although it sounds absurd at first glance that dark elves would serve as human guards, upon closer examination, it does make some sense.

The most important thing for the commander of the Imperial Guards is to be loyal to the emperor.

Given the size of the empire, if a human were to sit in that position, it would be difficult to avoid entanglements with various factions.

Perhaps a moment of greed would lead him to be bribed by some high-ranking nobleman, or perhaps his subordinates would add a yellow coat to his robe because it was cold one day.

The female dark elf before them, however, was different.

First of all, although she was of a different race, she had no way out and could only stay in the empire.

After all, normally, the dark elves of the underworld must worship a very petty evil god called the Spider Queen, and this Lady Miranda betrayed her faith and came to the surface, so it is obviously impossible for her to go back.

Secondly, also because she was of a different race, she was practically more isolated in the human empire than the emperor himself.

She couldn't connect with any of the nobles outside the royal family, and it was impossible for her to rebel and become emperor herself.

Finally, considering that she still believed in the Dark Maiden and the Lord of Radiance, and that they were powerful enough to be completely questionable under Richard's Eye of Insight, just as excessive as Ignas— In short, by a twist of fate, this female dark elf actually became a fairly suitable candidate to lead the Royal Guard!

However, it's estimated that this relationship will only last until Isabella's father's generation; it's uncertain whether there will be any further development after that.

Thinking of this, Richard couldn't help but purse his lips, marveling at the wonder of the world.

Then he turned his head and looked around, trying to see if there were any other important officials present who were worth recognizing.

I remember Isabella saying that the central authority of the empire was the Imperial Council, which included not only the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, the Intelligence Minister, and the Commander of the Imperial Guard, but also the Army Marshal, the Navy Marshal, the Minister of Justice, the Chief Archmage, and the Chief High Priest representing the Church.

However, it seems that none of the people who were supposed to be there today.

I wonder what they went to do.

At this moment, the Imperial Guards standing around the hall suddenly began to shout in unison.

Isabella whispered a reminder: "My father is here."

Richard, recalling yesterday's lesson, stood behind the princess, facing the throne, and bowed respectfully with his hand on his chest.

A moment later, he saw an old man with a hunched back, a beard that dragged on the ground, and so many wrinkles that his eyes were almost invisible, being helped by his servants to sit on the throne.

This made Richard's eyes widen in surprise.

Without a doubt, the person in front of him was the most powerful human being in the world, Emperor Charles VII of the Empire.

But why does he look so old?

I think she was only seventy, but she looks like she's ninety!

No, even if he were truly ninety years old, he shouldn't look like this. After all, as an emperor, he couldn't possibly lack magical potions and divine blessings. Even if his lifespan couldn't be extended indefinitely, his mental state shouldn't have deteriorated to this extent!

For a moment, the poet's mind was filled with doubt.

Unfortunately, he couldn't ask Isabella right now, so he had to keep it to himself.

Over there, Charles VII took his seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall through the gaps in his wrinkles, and said in a very happy tone, "Do you all remember that last week I said I dreamed of peacocks and that good things would happen to me soon?"

"And today, my words have come true. My daughter has returned, and she has also reclaimed Lord Franz's lost bloodline!"

"Haha, this is truly delightful!"

Compared to his aged appearance, the emperor's words were surprisingly strong and full of emotion.

Upon hearing this, the courtiers below immediately chimed in, making the hall quite lively for a moment.

"Okay, calm down."

Charles VII raised his hand and said slowly, "Issa, and that one, um, Cinderella? Come closer, let me have a good look at you—" Isabella smiled and agreed, taking Elsa's little hand and leading her to the throne, where she spoke softly with Charles VII.

The father and daughter seemed to be having some casual conversation.

Then Charles VII laughed again, waved his hand, and said, "Now, let my daughter tell me about her adventures. It must be a remarkable and legendary journey, worthy of our careful listening!"

Isabella took two steps back, walked into the crowd, and began to recount her experiences along the way.

Although she omitted many details because it was a verbal account and she needed to keep it a secret from Grace, the story itself was full of ups and downs, and contained rare elements such as shapeshifters and the world within a painting, which still captivated everyone in the hall.

In the back row of the hall, many young nobles and citizen representatives couldn't help but start discussing it after hearing only half of what was being said.

"They actually infiltrated the castle to launch a sneak attack! Those vampire monsters are truly despicable!"

"Fortunately, Her Highness the Princess is incredibly brave and has the protection of the gods, successfully breaking through the monsters' encirclement and pursuit!"

"Now the title of Grand Duke of Ashes has been passed down, and the vampires will be living in constant fear from now on, hehe~"

"In retrospect, it seems that we weathered several crises thanks to that poet."

C

"Hey, you know what—" As the discussion continued, more and more people turned their attention to Richard.

Isabella didn't take all the credit for herself, so everyone gradually realized that the greatest hero of this legendary journey was not the genius paladin princess they had expected, but the young poet in front of them!

Isabella was able to find Aisha because Richard was there.

Because Richard was there, the guards were able to spot the shapeshifter in time.

It was because of Richard that Elsa was able to escape the curse, and that the infamous vampire count died at Longspear Fortress!

this---- What an honor this is!

Soon, Isabella finished telling her story of the journey.

Everyone was lost in thought for a moment.

On his throne, Charles VII remained silent for a short while before exclaiming, "You have suffered! I swear, I will make those vampires pay the price!"

After saying that, he looked at the three siblings, Pei Guoti and his sister, and praised them a few times.

Finally, his gaze settled on Richard.

"Mr. Targaryen, you are truly a magnificent bard—"