Chapter 42: Emperor Moore, Section 5

An interesting show to come?
Could it be that the emperor before him had already sensed what was about to happen?
Confusion filled his mind, but since the emperor seemed unwilling to explain and Blackhair couldn’t ask questions, he began eating like the other contestants in the dull atmosphere.
To be honest, dining with the emperor wasn’t exactly enjoyable. It was more of a formality, showing the emperor’s favor toward his favored subjects. Naturally, the emperor himself wasn’t comfortable, and even those invited felt uneasy, afraid of displeasing their superior.
Of course, Blackhair was an exception. After going through a series of events, he had completely let go. Since it wasn’t him who would assassinate the emperor, and it couldn’t be anyone among those present, further consideration was pointless. After all the inspections and meetings that day, he hadn’t eaten a thing and was quite hungry. How could he not take this opportunity to make up for it?
Thus, a strange scene unfolded during this imperial dinner. The emperor ate little, and the guests did the same. Only Blackhair ignored everything and devoured food voraciously. He swallowed huge pieces of roasted meat and drank plenty of wine. While his eating habits weren’t particularly rude, they lacked any trace of nobility.
At that moment, Blackhair was undoubtedly the only oddity in the room. His unusual behavior immediately drew everyone’s disdain. The other contestants stared at him with disgust, almost ready to scold him.
But His Majesty the Emperor was clearly not among those who held prejudices against Blackhair. On the contrary, he watched Blackhair devouring food with great interest. Seeing him eat large pieces of meat and drink heavily, the emperor kindly asked, “Is that enough? If not, I can have the servants bring more.”
“Hmm, then bring some more. The roasted meat here is good. Thank you, Your Majesty,” Blackhair replied rudely.
“You’re welcome,” the emperor smiled and waved his hand lightly. A small door in the corner of the room opened, and several servants brought more roasted meat. Blackhair drank a large glass of red wine first, then plunged back into eating.
Seeing his behavior, the emperor really didn’t know what to say. He smiled slightly, then suddenly let out a long sigh.

“What a simple and pure person. If everyone were like you, wouldn’t there be much less conflict in the empire?”
“What did you say, Your Majesty?” Hei Fa raised his head, his oily face filled with confusion.
“It’s nothing. Go on,” the emperor said with a smile, waving his hand. Only after seeing Hei Fa resume eating did he slowly turn to face the other contestants.
“Well then, what about you? As the most outstanding talents of the empire, what rewards do you desire? Alright, alright—no need for fancy but meaningless words. Just state what you want. As your ruler, it is my duty to fulfill the wishes of my best warriors.”
What boldness! Hei Fa, buried in his food, frowned, but he couldn’t deny that the Moorish emperor indeed had the confidence to say such things. With an empire that covered almost half of the universe, where else could there be anything he couldn’t obtain or satisfy?
The first to speak was one of the gladiators. He wiped his mouth (there wasn’t much oil there anyway; perhaps due to his restraint, he had hardly eaten). With a seemingly bold voice, he said, “Your Majesty, I want a shock troop. If possible, one from the front lines. As you know, we gladiators can’t do without fighting. Intense battles not only improve our skills but also bring us medals. With your permission, I’m willing to use my victories to glorify your glory, making enemies tremble at the mere mention of your name.”
“Oh?” The emperor was taken aback before examining the gladiator more closely.
“Aren’t you tired of bloody slaughter? I thought you’d ask for a title and a fiefdom. I remember someone saying that gladiators are actually pitiful people who plunge into bloodshed yet despise it. Every gladiator aims to have their own land and live out their lives in peace. Isn’t that true?”
“That’s correct, Your Majesty. That’s indeed how most people see us. But in my eyes, such people aren’t even proper gladiators. On the battlefield, they would likely be torn to pieces in no time! Content with mediocrity, how can they claim strength or call themselves brave? Your Majesty, please don’t let those scum among the gladiators cloud your sharp vision.”

“Pfft…” Hearing the gladiator’s proud reply, the Emperor laughed. As the ruler here, he naturally knew that while this seemingly brave man was speaking boldly, his calves were trembling beneath the table. It could also be interpreted as awe, but anyway, his bravery had already lost some value in the Emperor’s eyes.
“Well, since it’s your request, I can assign you to the front lines of the empire. You’ll receive the relevant orders in a few days. But the formation of a shock brigade is something the empire can’t handle for now. After all, ships are still the main force in combat. Don’t worry too much.”
“Ah… Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty.” The gladiator sat down obediently. At that moment, he was extremely depressed. Although the Emperor had agreed to his request, only he knew that a shock brigade was what truly held real power. Without that power, being sent to the front lines was useless—perhaps a single barrage of ship cannons could end his life. Though brave, the gladiator was insignificant in fleet battles.
No matter what he thought, the Emperor’s gaze shifted to the next person. As expected, it was the artist.
“And you? Keen observer, voice of inspiration. What do you desire?”
“Please grant me a pass to travel within the empire, Your Majesty.” After what had happened to the previous contestant, this artist was clearly less extravagant. Moreover, his behavior in front of the Emperor was quite satisfactory—nothing outrageous.
“My inspiration needs long journeys to accumulate, and the vast territories of the empire are the best source of material. Your Majesty, if possible, please grant me the right to travel freely throughout the empire. I believe I can discover many astonishing places and turn them into perfect works of art.”
“Not bad. Your request is logical and can be fulfilled.” The Emperor felt somewhat fond of this sharp-eyed artist. He snapped his fingers lightly. “A tri-polar pass, allowing access to all areas not under alert. I wonder if this meets your needs?”
“Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. This is the greatest gift for me.” The artist nodded and bowed respectfully, placing a hand over his chest.
“You’re welcome. As I said, fulfilling the wishes of my finest subjects is also my duty.” The Emperor was pleased by the artist’s respect and smiled even more. Only after the artist returned to his seat did he turn his gaze to the next contestant—the dwarf.

“Hmm, let me see—winner of the weapons competition. Master who maintains the strength of the empire. And you? As someone who has made outstanding contributions to the empire, what reward do you hope for? Speak freely; I will grant it.”
“Your Majesty, I… I…” The dwarf was clearly unprepared to be called upon so soon and was at a loss for words. But seeing the emperor’s encouraging smile, he quickly regained his composure.
“My request is the same as those of the other contestants. Your Majesty, could we let him speak first?”
“Oh?” The emperor became interested. He glanced at the dwarf first, then at the cannon competition champion behind him, and nodded in understanding.
“It seems interesting. Wait, let me guess first. A master skilled in weapon modification, along with a cannon competition champion—such a combination might indeed be perfect. Perhaps what you need is a fleet? A prototype fleet that you can modify at will? If that’s the case, maybe I can indeed agree.”
Hearing the emperor’s words, which sounded almost like he was talking to himself, the gladiator and artist in front of him changed expressions.
A fleet, and one that could be modified as they wished—was this the emperor’s promise? If so, these two would be extremely lucky. After all, even a prototype fleet granted by the emperor would be no smaller than 300 ships. Such power could almost allow these two to establish their own domains right away.
But to everyone’s surprise, upon hearing the emperor’s guess, the ordinary-looking cannon competition champion didn’t show much excitement. Instead, he first wiped his mouth with a snow-white silk handkerchief before standing up respectfully and bowing deeply to the emperor.
“Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. But the two of us do not need your fleet. In fact, while a fleet might drive others mad, it’s of little use to us.”
“Oh? Then what do you want? Tell me,” the emperor replied with a smile, unbothered at all by his guess being refuted.
“We want…” The cannon champion raised his head, about to speak.
Suddenly, a sense of extreme danger surged through the black-haired man’s heart. Without a word, he slammed his hand on the table. In an instant, he leaped up from his seat like lightning. While still in mid-air, he threw dozens of plates filled with food as weapons, which emitted a sharp whistling sound as they flew toward the cannon competition champion!!

At this moment, the second half of the words from the gunnery champion also reached everyone’s ears.
“We want your life!!!”
“Boom!!!”