Alex was sitting in his lavish work chair in one of his offices. This was the official emperor's office, as his current one was being renovated. The room was decorated with portraits, one of which depicted a hill overlooking old Draconia when it was still a city-state.
"Your Majesty, the operation led by Sean to rescue the surrounded special operations soldiers was successful. A few hundred died, and they are being sent to the military hospital in the frontier city," said an officer representing the High Command, relaying the latest information.
"I see. Have the rewards prepared for the ceremony in the future, and have the dead preserved. The remaining soldiers who died should be buried in the Fallen Cemetery, 2 kilometers away from Draconia," Alex said as he looked over a map, pointing to the cemetery that was not far from the public one.
"And have a monument set up that shows a soldier stepping down on a titan while aiming his rifle downward. This will mark our victory in this war or serve as a symbolic gesture for our people," he continued, glancing out the window as night began to fall.
"I'll be out for a while. Inform them of this," Alex added, leaving the slightly bowing officer behind as he exited his office. He spoke to the guards outside.
"Tell the others the emperor is taking a walk," he said and, without waiting for a response, headed down the hallway towards the front door. The door, weighing 200 kg, usually required an imperial guard to open, but Alex swung it open flawlessly and made his way toward the front gates, which were over 10 km away. The distance was a deliberate design in case of a siege, ensuring that any attackers would face a massive fortress. Military planners had estimated it would take over 100 years and 5 million soldiers equipped with the weapons of his less technologically advanced neighbors to breach it.
Crackle. Crackle.
Alex heard the sound of thunder and looked up to see dark clouds gathering. Other gods might use a sonic boom to disperse them, but he preferred to let nature take its course unless a god was controlling it. After checking the weather to confirm no supernatural beings were involved, he continued his walk towards the city center, the most bustling part of the city. Luckily, Alex had brought his jacket. He removed his mask, changed his coat into a black long jacket, and put the hood on.
He imagined the people chatting, moving around, street performers playing tunes, some making quick laughs, and shop owners shouting about the items they had for sale. As Alex casually walked along the paved streets, he found himself in a section where cars didn't usually pass, only road trains, smaller versions of traditional trains.
As the rain started, people brought out their umbrellas, and others sought shelter in cafes and restaurants. But Alex continued his walk until he bumped into a little girl wearing a white raincoat. He helped her up and spoke.
"Are you lost, little girl?" he asked gently.
"No, mister. I'm just roaming around the city," said the little girl as she made eye contact with Alex's silver eyes.
"How about your parents? Where are they?" Alex inquired.
"My mother is working in Novoros Duchy as a technical advisor, and my father is a soldier in the 4th Legion, so my grandparents are taking care of me," she replied, which surprised Alex.
"What's your age?" he asked as they moved to a nearby cafe, where he ordered a juice for her and an iced coffee and two slices of cake for himself.
"I'm 5, mister," she said, raising her fingers to indicate her age.
"And do you know who I am?" Alex asked, amused.
"I don't know."
"I'm the emperor," he said casually.
"No, you're not. The emperor wears a mask," she replied, sounding offended.
So Alex raised his hand, and his mask appeared, showing it to the girl.
"See, I'm the emperor," Alex said amusedly, and the little girl was in deep shock before speaking up.
"Can you let my parents come back? It's quite lonely without them," she asked timidly.
"That's not for me to decide, little girl. It's a commitment that your parents made for your future. Maybe when this war is over, they will spend much more time with you. At least learn about patience," he said. He then gave her a pendant.
"Wear this, as it will grant you what you desire in the future," Alex said, placing it on the table. The little girl grabbed the pendant, inspected it, and saw that it had a blue and white color mixture that glowed faintly.
"Well, child, explore as much as you like. A big world is out there for us to discover," he said, then left the table, having paid for the food in advance and already consumed his coffee and cake.
He waved goodbye to the little girl and continued his walk until he reached the walls overlooking the outer city. The buildings were from an era resembling the Cold War in our world, as Alex had pushed for the modernization of the cities. Small villages were encouraged to converge into towns, and Alex designated green areas for agriculture while barren areas were focused on production. Half of the empire's lands were used for production, while other areas were left untouched. Farming was often treated as a retirement option, allowing people to earn a profit.
As Alex continued to observe the city, the light from the mana streetlights shone in the darkness, and blimps that Alex had introduced carried people between cities slowly. Even with the introduction of civilian planes, some people preferred a sky cruise, so these blimps, originally prototypes of the Big Bertha project, began selling like hotcakes as the rich and middle-class took to the skies for vacation.
"Well, I would like to experience it sooner," Alex muttered as he leaped off the wall and landed on the street below, heading towards the old market.
Old Market Alleyway
The bustling marketplace was now grander, with shops from different categories and varieties on sale. This place was where a future mall was set to take shape, as architects had designed a 5-story building with a newly designed prototype elevator that moved continuously without stopping at selected floors.
As he walked through the streets, passing a few citizens, he saw mini trucks carrying deliveries for other shop owners coming from the production district. Some orders were sent to the company, and they would assign an available factory to make a temporary production line. After the order was fulfilled, the line would shut down temporarily, and the products would be moved to storage for resale to other companies and stores.
"Sir! Yes, you! Please come and have a look at this," called a merchant as he beckoned Alex over. Alex approached and examined the products.
'Hmm, mostly foreign, but some are not known in this region,' he thought as he picked up an amulet. The amulet had a picture-perfect drawing, almost like a photo. Upon closer inspection, Alex noticed an unfamiliar coat of arms, so he asked the seller.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
"I don't know, sir. I just bought it from a pawn shop in the Destrian Archipelago. The pawn owner said it came from a faraway place, and even the archivers don't have any record of it," the merchant replied. Alex's curiosity was piqued, so he looked further through the products and found some that were not from this continent or even this world. He needed to confirm this since a dimension-hopping caravan often sold such items, and Alex had acquired a few in the past.
"Alright, I'll take this, this, and this," he pointed to three items laid out: one was a revolver that seemed designed for a noble, made of luxurious materials; the second was a dagger, but it was too long to be a normal one, and he sensed foreign magic inside it, more akin to something a god might carry.
"So, how much for all of them?" he asked, looking at the items he chose to purchase.
"Over 7,000 Dracs in total, sir," the merchant replied.
"Okay, here," Alex said, knowing this wasn't a scam, so he handed over the exact amount in paper bills, which featured the crown of Old Siegfried on one side and its banners on the other.
Alex grabbed the items, placed them in his ring storage, and began walking away, heading towards a hidden tavern known only to the high echelon of Draconia.
The Southern Tavern
Alex saw the sign in a back alleyway and gave a coin to a homeless man who was a demigod-level being contracted to the tavern as a guard.
"May the winds of the south blow hard to the north," Alex recited the code, and the guard waved his hand, soon enveloping the rundown alleyway in mist.
Ting!
As Alex took a step forward, a door appeared, embroidered with blue-colored inscriptions that were faintly visible, with a sigil pointing south.
A small chime sounded as the door hit the bell. As he entered, he found himself in a medium-sized room with walls lined with wood, giving off the aroma of a new home. Above, chandeliers were lit by eternal candles. In front of him was a bar, and around the room were tables with minimalist designs, each with five chairs and a candle that burned with a white flame.
"Barkeep, I need another cup!" someone shouted, raising his glass.
"Sure, Milla, send it to that table," said the black-haired barkeep, handing a drink to a waitress dressed in a 17th-century maid uniform. The barkeep himself wore a short-sleeved shirt in shades of black to match his pants and hair, while his eyes were a striking blue.
As Alex approached the bar
, he sat on a chair and spoke, "Something light to start, barkeep," he said softly, resting his head on his hands. After a few minutes, he heard a glass being placed in front of him. Looking up, he saw a drink with a white shine and a small crescent shape floating on top.
"Moodfade, sir. This is the light drink you requested," said the male barkeep.
"Alright, but I need some sides," Alex said as he took a sip and felt the unknown energy seeping into him.
"This is nice," Alex said as his mind relaxed. This tavern was one of the few peaceful places where he could unwind, so he provided covert protection, like other powerful beings who protected this place, as it was treated as neutral ground for all factions.
"Potato chips as you ordered," said a woman with pink hair.
"Thank you," Alex said, and soon he heard a light tune being played. He turned towards the band, which was playing a melody without lyrics, adding to the light atmosphere.
Alex enjoyed the place for a few hours and planned to return in two, as he turned to the tables where different people were chatting away. The room seemed to expand as doors began to appear, and different people entered from various races, from ethereal beauty to the grotesque. No one cared who entered or drank, but based on Alex's investigations, the doors only opened in different locations in the south.
"Oh well, back to commanding the war after this," Alex said as he sipped his drink and requested something stronger.