Chapter 015: The Ancient Volcano
The sky over the imperial capital was covered with thick clouds at some unknown time, as if the entire sky were about to be crushed down. Amidst the dense clouds, thunder rumbled from time to time, followed by bursts of golden lightning.
Under the light of the lightning, the grand hall of the palace remained resplendent and magnificent.
Once the heavy sandalwood doors of the palace hall were pushed open, one could see that the vast palace was filled with magically glowing crystal lamps that emitted bright colors, allowing a faint glimpse of what lay within the hall.
The ceiling of the hall was as high as ten meters, with arched surfaces inlaid with colorful shards of glass. The edges of the glass featured uneven patterns, exuding a sense of solemnity and antiquity.
On the walls of the hall hung works by the most outstanding artists of various eras—poems, paintings, reliefs… They seemed to have remained there inadvertently, yet they blended seamlessly with the entire hall, creating a dignified atmosphere.
The floor of the hall was covered with a thick layer of white marble, its surface polished to a mirror finish, as if to reflect everything above it.
Golden curtains hung everywhere around the hall, blending harmoniously with the ceiling, walls, and floor—creating a unified and perfect whole!
While showcasing the grandeur of the royal family, it also added a sense of solemn mystery.
The massive magic crystal lamps were hidden behind the curtains. Any one of these crystals would be highly sought after by magicians outside, but here, aside from providing light, they served no other purpose. Yet, when combined, their colors created a strange yet vibrant white—a color befitting a royal palace!
The palace guards wore plain white robes and knelt in the darkness of the courtyard, bowing their heads in reverence. Though their robes alone could sustain an ordinary family for a year, they were considered the lowest-ranking people in this place.
Their faces were hidden in the shadows of the light, like ghosts from another world. Without permission, they were not allowed to make even the slightest sound.
Yet even so, their gazes remained fixed on the throne at the center of the hall, not daring to blink, as if doing so might be an act of desecration…
In the center of the grand hall stood a stone platform over two meters high, divided into nine levels, each layer paved with the finest jade. To prevent the jade from being damaged, secret silver was poured into the corners to secure it, along with a small magic array, which gave the platform a mysterious and solemn appearance.
At the top of the platform lay a long throne, crafted from the highest quality yellow dragon wood. Even after hundreds of years, it still exuded a faintly mysterious fragrance.
Unlike the luxury of the platform, the throne was simply made of yellow dragon wood without any additional decorations. Yet, to those who understood such things, the subtle patterns on its edges revealed the skill of a master craftsman—this throne was already a priceless treasure! What more decoration was needed?
At that moment, a thin layer of animal skin covered the throne, and upon it sat a figure as divine as a god!
At least in the eyes of everyone in the Gavin Empire, this supreme being’s status was hardly any different from that of a god.
He wore a robe of extreme softness, woven from gold and silver threads that reflected dazzling light under the illumination. The robe was adorned with intricate patterns depicting lifelike tulips, so exquisite they resembled works of art.
On his head was a crown made of pure gold, with a huge gemstone at its center—as large as a human eye—constantly shining with brilliant light.
Yet beneath this magnificent robe and beneath the glorious crown, its owner appeared… so gaunt, so frail, so… lifeless.
His already pale face took on a faint golden hue from the light of the crown, but under that golden glow, his wrinkled skin appeared even more disfigured.
His high cheekbones had a sickly redness, and his dry, dead-looking lips seemed cracked everywhere.
Even his hair, once somewhat shiny, appeared likelow-quality wool due to its curliness.
Yet deep within his sunken eye sockets lay a pair of blue eyes. Though somewhat cloudy, they occasionally flashed with a glint, like eagles soaring in the sky—cold and full of authority.
Most of the time, this supreme ruler would cover his mouth and cough softly; his labored breathing sounded like that of a broken bellows, causing unbearable discomfort to anyone who heard it, making them want to cover their ears immediately.
Beside this supreme ruler stood two beautiful palace-dressed girls! Both girls were no older than fifteen, but their faces no longer showed innocent smiles; instead, they wore a faint air of indifference at all times.
One of them held a huge fan and slowly fanned the air—though, no matter how it was looked at, the wind never reached the supreme ruler!
The other placed her hands on the ruler’s back and gently stroked it. With her touch, the ruler’s coughing seemed to lessen slightly, prompting him to lift his arm, as thin as a withered branch, and raise it slightly backward. Only then did the girl release her hands and pull out her own huge fan, beginning to fan slowly…
This was the current emperor of the Gavin Empire—Austin III!
He owned one-third of the land on the Roland Continent, with tens of millions of subjects. He was the supreme ruler of this country and, at the same time, the most outstanding emperor in the history of the Austin dynasty—without a rival!
This emperor was just as legendary: ambitious and arrogant!
For a dictator, these were not flaws; on the contrary, they were often qualities a dictator should possess, because only through conquest could an empire remain prosperous for long…
It was a pity, however, that Austin III was born in the wrong era. If he had been born a hundred years earlier, the Gavin Empire might have become even stronger under his rule. But alas, he was born a hundred years too late…
By this era, the influence of the nobles in the Gavin Empire was already sufficient to affect the entire empire, severely limiting the emperor’s power. In fact, many of the emperor’s orders were not properly carried out even after being issued…
Although, since Austin III ascended to the throne, he had managed to reverse much of this situation through his extraordinary tactics, the complex struggles among the noble factions had reached a terrifying level. Even on the surface, it seemed the emperor had solved many problems, but appearances were just that—appearances, while reality was reality!
But His Majesty Austin III managed to do something that no emperor in the history of the Gavin Empire had been able to achieve: although he did not regain much real power from the great nobles, at least the royal authority was not further decentralized! Moreover, all four of the empire’s legions pledged loyalty to the royal family, and the entire Gavin Empire began to show signs of regaining its former glory! For a Gavin Empire whose royal power was nearly exhausted, this was truly invaluable! Many nobles, both outwardly and inwardly, held great reverence for His Majesty Austin III. It’s a pity, however, that these were events from the prime of His Majesty Austin III’s life; now, he is extremely old, and in the eyes of many nobles, this once mighty lion no longer has the strength to restrain them. When this lion finally falls, it will be the time for the nobles to seize more power once again! At this moment, the supreme ruler, the emperor of the Gavin Empire, sat on his throne in a weakened state, worn down by time. One hand supported his chin, while the other gently rubbed his brows; the wrinkles on his forehead were deeply visible, like marks carved by time. After a while, a deep and long sigh broke the silence of the hall! “My dear Kimberly, I think I need your most loyal advice now… You must be aware that at this critical moment, no one other than you will be able to share my burdens… Can you tell me what I should do now? What can I do?” The aged voice of Austin III was hoarse, as if it might be erased by time at any moment; it seemed filled with anxiety and anger, like a volcano ready to erupt! Yet, it was merely an old volcano.