Chapter 42: Emperor Moore, Section 3

Briefly startled, Black Hair immediately realized it was his turn. He quickly adjusted his clothes and leisurely walked toward the platform. Above, the mist surrounding the imperial emperor had thinned, allowing a faint glimpse of his figure.
Like all Moors, he was somewhat slender. Yet his extremely luxurious robes covered up many of his flaws, and his long tenure in high office gave him a distinctive presence—so much so that even from a distance of a hundred meters, one could sense his nobility and elegance.
Well, Black Hair admitted that description might fit women better. But for some reason, that’s all he could think of at the moment. Because in his eyes, this great monarch who ruled half of the universe showed not a trace of dominance.
How was that possible?
The Moors, known for their aggressive nature from years of conquests, had a monarch so gentle—would anyone believe it? If not for personal experience, Black Hair might have doubted he was even facing a real Moor!
But the surroundings couldn’t lie, nor could the elite imperial guards. If this man wasn’t the Emperor Moore, Black Hair had no idea why he was here. If he were a fake, the knowledge among the subjects outside would likely spark rebellion immediately.
So Black Hair forced himself to admit that the most aggressive race in the universe actually had a monarch devoid of any dominance. In fact, from certain angles, he seemed more like a gentle scholar.
“In the presence of His Majesty, please observe proper etiquette,” a voice interrupted Black Hair’s thoughts. He then realized he had already reached the platform. Not far ahead, the Emperor Moore was right there. It was the old man who had stayed by the emperor’s side who spoke up to remind him, as he had been distracted.
Startled, Black Hair reproached himself for being distracted. Yet he moved swiftly. Like all competitors, he knelt on one knee as a sign of respect. Then he stood straight, waiting for the imperial emperor to award him the medal that drove countless people mad. But unlike the other winners, he didn’t lower his head to avoid the emperor’s gaze; instead, he faced him bravely, examining this supreme being of the empire with fearless eyes.
Seeing his behavior, the other competitors became agitated. But before they could express their dissatisfaction, the old man in the luxurious robe spoke first.

“Bold!! Lord Beck! You are too rude! Watch your behavior.”
“I understand,” replied the dark-haired man indifferently, his gaze unchanged—even with a hint of amusement. At this moment, there was not the slightest trace of awareness of his inferior status; he clearly saw himself on par with the Emperor of the Empire! This was far more than rudeness—it was outright rebellion!
Now, it wasn’t just the old man who rebuked him. Before the surrounding victors could react, hundreds of palace guards at the bottom of the stairs stepped forward simultaneously, their right hands reaching for the swords at their waists—though they didn’t draw them right away.
That was because their supreme ruler, His Imperial Majesty, suddenly spoke up.
“Are you that Beck? The lucky Beck?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied the dark-haired man calmly, nodding slightly, his chest still straight. His somewhat bulky Boran physique didn’t give him a vulgar appearance at all; instead, it made him appear as solid as a hill, changing the usual impression people had of the Boran race.
Seeing his demeanor, the Emperor’s smile deepened. He waved his hand lightly, ordering the palace guards to return to their posts, before turning to him.
“I hear you performed excellently in this competition?”
“That’s what they say,” the dark-haired man admitted without hesitation.
“Well, then I’ll agree as well. So, as such an outstanding fleet commander, what’s your own assessment of yourself?” Hearing his reply, the Emperor laughed.
“Luck. A lot of luck. That’s why they call me the lucky Beck. But what I want to say is, they’ve forgotten one thing.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Luck is also a form of strength.”
“Good!!” The Emperor laughed heartily, causing the mist around them to ripple. “Luck is also a form of strength. That’s the key point. Before I saw you, they kept telling me various things about you—saying your success was purely by chance, that your tactics were completely unconventional. But what does that matter? The result is what counts. Perhaps in many people’s eyes, your success is just due to luck. But since you succeeded, that’s enough.”
“Thank you for your recognition, Your Majesty,” replied the dark-haired man politely, but unlike other praised victors, he showed no ecstatic expression.

But this is already enough. Although His Majesty the Emperor didn’t say much just now, his meaning was extremely clear. Even a fool could see his admiration for Black Hair at this moment. Many people even thought that in his next words, the Emperor would grant Black Hair a great reward.

Yet, things weren’t as simple as people thought. While everyone was still envying Black Hair, their supreme ruler, the Emperor of the Empire, suddenly changed his tone.

“Well, as I said, you’ve proven your strength by winning the highest award in this competition. You must be very clear about what this award represents, right? Command over an imperial fleet—this is probably what most people expect for your future. Undoubtedly, this is also the Empire’s custom. But…”

The Emperor paused, his voice suddenly dropping.

“Do you think that just because of this victory, you deserve such a future? Or rather, is it because of this future that you’re so confident, even to stand upright in front of me and ignore the dignity of the royal family?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the victorious ones below were instantly panicked. The Emperor’s words were far too severe. Wasn’t this revenge for Black Hair’s rude behavior just now? If things followed this logic, just a few more words, and that lucky Beck would be labeled a rebel. At the least, his future would be ruined; at the worst, he would die on the spot!!

Disrespecting imperial authority was a grave crime. With the Emperor’s authority looming over them, anyone would have to bow. In just one sentence, those who had once envied Black Hair so much now looked eager, waiting for Black Hair’s response to see what fate awaited him.

Faced with this situation, Black Hair wasn’t the least bit flustered. He simply smiled faintly and spoke softly.

“I haven’t ignored Your Majesty’s dignity. In fact, your authority has already spread throughout the universe. Wherever the imperial army goes, there are your subjects. Your authority doesn’t need my actions to prove it.”

“Oh? Then what was your behavior just now?” Hearing Black Hair’s reply, the Emperor became interested and asked gently.

“It was my duty,” Black Hair replied firmly, his face showing determination.

“It is the duty of an Imperial soldier. An Imperial soldier must possess an Imperial style. The Empire dominates the universe, unchallenged. Its soldiers should also be fearless and never retreat. That’s why I cannot, and will not, bow my head—even in front of Your Majesty the Emperor now. We are the sword in your hand; if the sword bends, it loses its value. That is my reason.”

“Good!” Hearing this reply, the Emperor laughed heartily. “It seems I underestimated you. You not only have your own style in command but also sharp wit. Very good, I am satisfied.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” replied the dark-haired man with a slight raise of his eyebrows, maintaining a respectful yet unyielding tone.

Just a few words, and the tense atmosphere from earlier vanished completely. It was truly surprising. Only then did everyone realize that the Emperor had not been trying to trouble Beck at all—it was merely a small test. Unexpectedly, Beck passed it easily and even pleased the Emperor. From this, it seemed no one could stop Lord Beck’s bright future. As the legends said, he was indeed a lucky man.

What followed was simple. Like all victors, the happy Emperor personally awarded the medal to the dark-haired man. The difference was that while others’ medals were made of exquisite crystals, the one given to him had a ring of golden metal surrounding the crystal. It was unclear what material it was, but it was clearly distinctive.

As he accepted the medal, the elderly man in the imperial robe who had been by the Emperor’s side coughed and then announced, “Lord Beck, winner of the Fleet Command finals at the Imperial Competition, receives the Imperial Second-Class Royal Medal and is promoted to Viscount. Specific arrangements will be announced after discussion by the Imperial Military Department.”

“The awarding ceremony is now concluded. A total of 326 winners have emerged from the competition. 325 Imperial Third-Class Royal Medals and one Imperial First-Class Royal Medal have been awarded. Please exit in order, winners. Shuttle vehicles have been arranged. The ship entrance will close in 15 minutes.”

With these words, an opening reappeared at the back of the hall, where the dark-haired man had come from. A shuttle slowly rose from below and soon appeared before everyone. The many winners also left in an orderly manner, escorted by two rows of royal guards.

But not everyone would leave. Just as the intelligence had indicated, at the emperor’s orders, a few winners were left behind separately. In a moment, the emperor would meet with them privately, and if lucky, even have dinner with them. Among those who stayed, Kurokami, as expected, secured a spot.
Discreetly, Kurokami glanced at the other lucky ones. As anticipated, the three guys he had noticed earlier were among them.
This is going to be interesting… Kurokami thought to himself, then followed the directions of the royal guards and slowly headed toward the adjacent passage…