A Walk with Eternity-Chapter 43: Inseparable

"You really didn’t have to do this, Father," Kian says as he forces a smile on his lips. "We appreciate the effort to convince almost half of your vessels to send us instead of them, but you didn’t have to make it obvious you badly want the world to know we’re rich."

As the official delegates of the empire, they were given a total of grand three carriages for themselves and their luggage, along with the gifts they were assigned to give. One problem they have is that it’s too much on the eyes.

The emperor, Kyro, however, sees no problem with the carriages he had prepared for his son and his friends on their trip. He raised a brow at his own son.

"What? The future emperor of Slora is coming to visit his friend of a decade and half, along with all his other friends, so why not make the reunion a little grand?"

While the others tried to contain their laugh from the emperor’s fatherly behavior, Kian rolled his eyes. He wasn’t having any of it.

"These carriages won’t even reach the capital city because we’re riding a ship to get there! It won’t even be that much of an emotional reunion!" Kian raised his voice, finally snapping. "We’re going there for Nilsine, not because of its empress!"

The emperor rolled his eyes, almost similarly to Kian himself. One could say they were more like siblings than father and son.

"From this moment, you’re going there under my command. Also, Nilsine isn’t the only reason you are going there. Syvestian is coming with you for more than just that reason," the emperor says as his eyes then turn to Syvestian who was standing next to Kian. "No?"

Syvestian grins in excitement.

"Yes, it would be great to make a deal."

Yes, that wasn’t Yves. That was the heir of Grimestone and the owner of VOID talking. While Nilsine was his main fish to catch, he’s hoping to seal a business deal with the empire as well. From what Syvestian heard from Kian, Tadeas, and Ezio—the Empire of Amadeus Oceana lack advanced technology that the Slora Empire has because they are rich in nature. They own the ocean, after all. They have also rejected Tadeas’ initiation in such a business, because they fear such technology might destroy more than it will help.

The emperor smirked at his own son. "See? You’ll be meeting with the empress more often than you think."

Kian and the others simply stared at Syvestian, who seemed to be acting too normal. Their eyes were showing their very own thoughts on the situation that will indefinitely happen. In their thoughts, they were all in a conversation.

Yves and Rue doing business...? Milera tried to imagine it.

Ugh... I can’t imagine them even being serious without being all over each other. Dolunay made a face of disgust at the thought. She and all her other friends still remember how clingy Rue was with Yves during their stay together.

Who knows... It might be possible. Ezio shrugged his shoulders. What happens will happen. Rue has probably matured over the past few years, she might have also outgrown her crush toward Syvestian. At least that’s what he thinks.

With that face? Lysander thought to himself and scoffed. He, on the other hand, was sure that Rue is just like any other high-value woman who likes pretty things.

And Syvestian is pretty. Like very pretty.

She might actually just hold him hostage. Cimmerian couldn’t contain his smile.

I think she’ll seal the deal with a kiss from him... Kian sighs. He finds it hard to think that their stay in the Amadeus Palace will be peaceful. With the situation at the moment, Syvestian is like a walking trigger to the empress, and they don’t know if it will be a good or bad thing.

They do know that Rue liked him.

At the moment? They don’t know. She was able to cut them off without being guilty enough to offer an explanation why. They don’t know if she’d be the kind to look back on past feelings and let it control her conscience even for just a moment.

Syvestian noticed the burning stares a little too late. He turns to them all confused.

Hah... look at this fool... they all thought, finding his audacity to act all confused and unbothered even when he’s going to leave the empire to meet his favorite disciple completely baffling.

"What?" He asks and they all turn away, leaving him more confused.

"Well," the emperor interjected, his tone changed to catch their attention back to him. "While you do all that you need to do, please remember to stay safe."

They have remained safe until now, trying to bring their friends together within the empire. This time, however, they were leaving the empire, and will be moving inside another empire. Anything could happen, especially with the line-up, and the emperor is hoping for the better side of things.

The emperor turns to Milera. "I’m surprised your father is letting you finally travel, Lady Knighdale."

Her father, Marquis Knighdale, has been strict with her security for the longest time after she was saved from trafficking. Even the emperor found it too restricting, but couldn’t exactly blame him.

Milera was still a girl to her father, after all.

Milera giggles at that. "Well, he blindly trusts Yves. Big brother also helped me in convincing him."

"And you, Lady Roseblood," the emperor turns to Dolunay. "How has it been convincing your family to leave the empire for another month after not being home for years?"

Dolunay shakes her head. "Oh, Your Majesty, they wouldn’t even notice me gone for that long." She smiles, containing a laugh. She was happy enough that he didn’t have the need to ask about their reaction to her transformation.

The emperor then turns to the men.

"I don’t think I have to ask you about strict parents."

All five of them collectively nodded in response.

They were men in the wild. No parent will worry too much as they know the capabilities of their own sons. And even the ladies’ parents trust them to protect their daughters.

Although the sons themselves think that the daughters were as ruthless and strong as they are.

The emperor smiles again. I first saw these people as children. They used to be inseparable, and they are not failing to prove me right every time I see them all together, he thinks to himself.

The emperor was complacent with this line up of people representing him. But there was one thing he was worried about.

"Syvestian."

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Syvestian meets his gaze once again, and the emperor was still smiling.

"Spare your friends some stress."

In clear translation: don’t wreck havoc and make trouble.

Syvestian couldn’t even form the words to respond because of how baffled he is. Really? Has he been creating the image that he’s somewhat a ruffian? Has he truly looked like a reckless troublemaker?

Looking at his expression now, Kian, Ezio, Cimmerian, and Lysander tried their best to contain their laughs at this plain display of stupidity.

"He doesn’t even know he’s built that reputation..." Kian mumbles.

"How clueless can one get?" Ezio was more shocked at how dense Syvestian can be in social circles.

"He’s only been beating up people since he revealed himself..." Lysander says as he tries to not make it so obvious that he finds this whole situation ridiculous.

"There’s no way he’s this oblivious..." Cimmerian muffled a laugh, covering his mouth completely after expressing his disbelief.

Dolunay looked at him in pure disbelief, while Milera was sighing.

"For a damned deity who only did research his whole fucking life to not know how one action can affect people’s perception of you... this is ridiculous." Dolunay expressed without a second thought.

"Come on, spare him the constructive criticism. Don’t you remember, he doesn’t even know how to cook, yet he brews potions most of the time." Milera joins in, blatantly siding with everyone else but Syvestian.

Syvestian remained quiet, taking every sentence in and forcing a smile.

When all of them saw such an eerie smile, they froze.

Oh, fuck. We were just teasing...

The emperor, who was watching quietly, couldn’t help himself smiling at the comedic scene playing before him.

They are such children.