Sword of Salvation-Chapter 38: - Empress Lasyana (2)

The imperial palace was larger than any building Mariel had ever seen.

Its courtyard was incredibly vast. It wouldn’t have been surprising if someone got lost while visiting. The palace complex was truly massive. Surely, a significant number of workers were needed to keep the palace and its surroundings in the best condition.

Mariel and Celinee were immediately granted entry to the palace after showing proof of their membership as part of Ultores. Apparently, the empress had left instructions to allow the two Ultores members inside. Lasyana had been waiting for and anticipating their arrival.

However, the palace’s owner was busy when they arrived.

Mariel and Celinee were guided around the palace by a woman dressed as a servant.

Mariel didn’t perceive her as a simple servant because she was surrounded by a fairly strong aura. Celinee also whispered that the green-haired woman, who had introduced herself as Delphia, had slightly more prana capacity than Celinee.

Delphia took them through various rooms, including the gallery room, library, dining hall, and more. Delphia’s mouth was constantly active, providing general information about the rooms. Occasionally, Mariel and Celinee asked questions, which Delphia answered perfectly. The beautiful green-eyed woman, two centimeters taller than Celinee, seemed like a professional guide.

The throne room was the last room they visited before Delphia escorted them to the main guest room. The servants had already prepared refreshments on the table. Celinee and Mariel were invited to sit down. Delphia informed them that their arrival would soon be announced to the empress and asked them to be patient.

"Lady C and Mister M," Delphia addressed them as she sat across from the two masked individuals.

Mariel and Celinee focused their attention on the woman.

"I have a deduction about the spirits you possess. You can deny it or ignore it—it’s fine. But I want both of you to hear it."

Mariel and Celinee instinctively glanced at each other. Celinee nodded. Mariel understood her intent and nodded as well. Merely listening was no issue at all.

"Lady C, you possess a king-type spirit: Envy King Leviathan. And Mister M, your spirit is more superior than any spirit I’ve tried to analyze. I’m a user of a king-type spirit: Wisdom King Raphael. I can analyze Mister Shin’s spirit, Wrathful King Satan. But your spirit is different—I truly can’t analyze it."

Mariel was somewhat surprised by her statement, as was Celinee. Delphia’s words were entirely accurate. Celinee, who had been trying to hide the fact that she could already use her spirit’s power, had been exposed. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, her reaction had given her away.

However, what shocked Mariel even more was the fact that Delphia had also revealed her own spirit and Shin’s. Mariel had never met Shin, but he already knew he was the number one mercenary in Ultores’ history. The term "Wrathful" didn’t provide much information, but it was enough for Mariel to deduce that his power was based on destruction.

"Is that your spirit’s power?" Celinee asked after several seconds had passed.

Delphia nodded.

Mariel was a bit surprised. Delphia wasn’t trying to lie. Nor did she attempt to extract information or mislead them with false information. This woman was likely the straightforward type who prioritized honesty. She didn’t easily consider anyone an enemy. It wasn’t surprising that her spirit was named "Wisdom King".

"I haven’t been able to use fusion mode yet, so my analysis ability is limited."

Hearing that claim, Mariel became interested in knowing what Delphia could do if she could use fusion mode. Could she analyze ways to defeat an opponent stronger than herself? Could she analyze the true state of the world?

Interesting. Mariel was very intrigued. However, he didn’t voice what fascinated him. Instead, he asked Delphia to tell him more about Lasyana.

-----ooOoo-----

...When all the flames filling the arena disappeared, not a single monster remained.

Not even a trace of them was left. The empress had completely eliminated every monster she had created. It took quite some time, but that was because Lasyana had restrained herself from using the power of the sacred scythe.

Letting out a sigh, Lasyana allowed herself to lie down.

One Magog alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat an Ultimate Demon, but two were a different story. Their combination would give any Ultimate Demon a hard time. Three Magogs would be sufficient to kill one. And Lasyana had faced ten of them. In comparison, it was like fighting five high-level Ultimate Demons at once.

It was no surprise that Lasyana was exhausted. She had limited herself to using only fire elements and scythe skills.

The empress closed her eyes, allowing her body to rest and regain its strength. Meditation would help replenish her prana faster, but lying down would help her body recover more quickly. Given the two options, Lasyana’s choice was clear.

However, before even a minute had passed with her eyes closed, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears.

Lasyana was reluctant to open her eyes. Whatever message was being delivered to her was likely not too important. She would instruct the servant to consult with Delphia. The only human she called a friend would undoubtedly provide the perfect and satisfying solution.

"Your Majesty, the mercenaries you’re expecting have arrived. Lady Delphia is currently accompanying them until you arrive."

Lasyana’s eyes immediately opened. Change of plan, she thought. She sat up without hesitation.

"Tell Cecilia to prepare five million escal," the empress said as she stood. "I’m going to bathe now. If I arrive and Cecilia hasn’t prepared all the coins, tell her I’ll cut her salary by fifty percent next month."

The servant obediently bowed and hurried off to find Cecilia.

Sighing, Lasyana headed straight to her chambers. While no one had the right to criticize her, she didn’t want to present herself in a sweaty state. As the empress and the number one woman in the empire, her appearance had to remain flawless and captivating.

And there was no harm in using her beauty and charm to persuade one (or both) of the mercenaries to leave Ultores and serve her, right?

Nearly twenty minutes later, Lasyana emerged from her chambers wearing an outfit identical to the one she had worn at breakfast. However, it wasn’t the same outfit—Lasyana owned two dozen similar outfits, as they were her favorite.

The empress wasted no more time. She had already made her guests wait long enough. Keeping them waiting any longer left a bitter taste in her mouth. It would have been different if they weren’t people she wanted to meet. But now, she was very eager to see them.

Step by step, she moved forward. Finally, the empress arrived where Delphia had been keeping the guests waiting.

Delphia and Cecilia (along with two accompanying servants) immediately stood as Lasyana entered. The masked woman also rose to her feet. However, the young man beside her did not. Though he looked at Lasyana, there was no sign he intended to stand.

"Your Majesty, ...you are too late. Had you arrived a minute later, Mr. M and Lady C might have already left. What held you up?"

Delphia was an extremely polite individual, a personification of kindness. If Lasyana hadn’t insisted that she speak more informally to her in all situations, the word "you" would never have come from Delphia’s lips. It would be "Your Majesty".

"There was a minor issue, but it’s no longer a problem." Lasyana then shifted her gaze to Cecilia. "Did you make sure the amount is correct?" she asked with a faint smile.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I have confirmed it."

"In that case, you may go. You two as well. There’s no reason to keep you here any longer."

Cecilia and the two servants nodded and left. Lasyana approached Delphia and nodded at the masked woman, signaling her to sit down again. She then sat beside Delphia herself, her eyes fixed on the masked young man staring at her intently.