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It was fortunate for the eunuch that Jin perceived the Imperial palace as the enemy.
Jin noticed something unusual from the high point of the spire because his senses were sharpened.
'A person?'
A fall happens in an instant no matter how high the spire is.
There was no time to ponder who the falling human was or what the circumstances were.
Jin's body moved reflexively.
Quack-!
The power surged from his swollen thigh, and the white pavement ruptured and cracks were created when Jin's body shot into the air like an arrow released from a bow.
There was no preparatory action, yet the nearby guards were too slow to block him. Their eyes widened in astonishment as they watched Jin soared away.
And the Emperor couldn't help but smirk as he observed Jin, who was getting closer to the spire.
'It's risky, but I can catch him.'
In that moment of confidence, Jin heard a familiar and sharp clicking sound near his ear.
It was the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard, and it sounded like there were dozens of them.
This was the Imperial Palace, the most heavily guarded place in the world. There were guards ready to protect the Emperor from visible and invisible threats.
The Imperial Guard who had been hiding all over the palace since Jin's arrival were also on high alert.
Even though Jin was attempting to save the falling person, the Imperial Guard had a duty to subdue him because this was the Imperial Palace.
In the Imperial Palace, all actions had to be universal and sensible. A "sudden leap" like this was considered a threat to the Emperor's safety.
Shaahk-!
The leaping Imperial Guard' swords came crashing toward Jin. Jin evaded the attacks by spinning his body in mid-air without drawing his own sword.
However exceptional Jin might be, he couldn't evade all of the Imperial Guard' attacks barehanded, especially in his desperate state while suspended in mid-air.
Several blades grazed Jin's body and multiple minor wounds appeared on his body. Droplets of blood splattered around, but all of the injuries were relatively superficial.
Allowing such injuries also created an opportunity. Jin managed to evade the Imperial Guard' blades and catch the eunuch just before they hit the ground.
"Are you okay?"
Simultaneously, the swords of the Imperial Guard who had followed them in the fall were pointed at Jin from all directions.
"Stop!"
"This is the Imperial palace, Jin Runcandel."
Jin didn't respond immediately but instead assessed the condition of the person he had saved.
'He must be a eunuch.'
He could tell by the attire. The prominent scar on the eunuch's neck also caught his eye, and he quickly recognized it as a deliberate injury that prevented the eunuch from speaking.
At this hour, there were only two possibilities for a eunuch to fall from the Imperial palace spire: suicide or a imperial command.
There were very slim chances of any other possibility.
Jin's actions were reflexive in the face of someone's death, but from the moment he leaped, Jin believed that the latter possibility was more likely—an imperial command from the Emperor himself.
The coincidence of someone's suicide and his visit was too elaborate to consider.
He lifted the eunuch and looked up at the top of the spire. He couldn't see the Emperor, but the corners of Jin's mouth raised as he saw the window of the spire closing.
The reason the Emperor threw the eunuch was obvious. It was to observe how Jin would react.
'Arrogant bastard.'
Jin shrugged his shoulders and looked at the Imperial Guard.
"Stand down, I was just returning the Emperor's greeting."
At those words, the eyes of the Imperial Guard were filled with murderous intent, but a group of servants rushed towards them, shouting from a distance.
"Stop the Imperial Guard!"
"He is His Majesty's guests; how dare you show such disrespect!"
The Emperor had invited Jin as the highest-ranking guest and had assigned attendants befitting that status. These attendants were taken aback by Jin and the Emperor's unexpected actions, but unlike the Imperial Guard, they immediately recognized the Emperor's intentions and reacted accordingly.
"I am Chamberlain Barkam. I apologize for the rudeness on behalf of the Imperial Guards."
Jin met eyes with Barkam for a moment before speaking.
"He is in a comfortable position."
Jin left out "Emperor", but Barkam and the attendants understood the meaning and concealed their embarrassment.
Since the other party had acted rudely first, there was no need to adhere strictly to etiquette. Besides, no one has a higher rank than the Runcandel flagbearer outside of Runcandel.
"We will escort you to His Majesty."
Jin followed Barkam and the attendants, and they walked through the palace for about an hour.
The palace displayed the pinnacle of grandeur that he had anticipated from the outside.
Vermont is the third most powerful group in the world following Zipfel and Runcandel, and its extravagant luxury is befitting the name of the only empire on the continent.
After some time, they arrived at the Dragon Pavilion.
The Imperial Guards and special task force blocked Jin's path inside the Pavilion.
"Surrender your weapons."
"No."
"What... do you mean?"
"It means I will face the Emperor with my weapons."
"Ha?"
"Besides, I assume the Emperor is already accompanied by the palace's finest martial artists, isn't it? I'll just leave if it's absolutely impossible."
This was the first such case since the current Emperor's ascension.
While the Imperial Guards and Chamberlains were pondering how to handle it, the eunuch's voice could be heard from inside the Dragon Pavilion.
"His majesty says, 'Just let him through!'"
The thin and shiny cloth that covered the entrance to the throne room was removed, and dozens of palace servants appeared from nowhere, and spreaded colorful palm-sized pieces of cloth like a long carpet on the floor.
Jin walked forward, and the palace servants collected the cloth pieces in his path and laid down new ones on the yet untouched ground.
Once Jin reached the end of the cloth pieces, the palace servants stepped back into the shadows on both sides, and Jin saw the Imperial Throne, which felt excessively high, as he raised his head.
Normally, those standing in that spot, regardless of their status, were required to bow deeply. However, this did not apply to Runcandel and Zipfel.
'Amir Vermont....'
Jin briefly thought about the Emperor's name as he stood there.
Kashmir's elder brother, and the original owner of the Multa's rune in Jin's previous life, a human who encouraged living golem experiments.
'In my past life, I merely thought of him as someone who is skilled at walking the tightrope between Runcandel and Zipfel. In fact, most people regard the current Emperor that way.'
The Emperor's initial appearance was far from what one would expect from a skilled tightrope walker. A well-proportioned nose, thick eyebrows, and eyes that shone with dignity.
He looked more like a seasoned general who had gained enlightenment on the battlefield.
The Emperor spoke first as Jin stared blankly at him.
"You've been through a lot to get here, Sir Jin Runcandel."
"I imagine the emperor has had his share of trouble as well, returning to his seat after that tumultuous welcoming ceremony."
The Emperor smiled in response to his provocative words.
"Were you offended?"
"Yes."
"As I've heard, you're quite the fiery individual. I was simply curious about you."
"Are you implying that you threw the eunuch just to satisfy your curiosity about my personality?"
"That's right. You are a bit fierce, but you seem more softer than I expected. How come you only focus on the immediate future?"
The Emperor chuckled and continued speaking.
"The eunuch you rescued is a criminal of a serious offense. He dared to covet a palace servant, so I silenced him a few years ago and reduced him to a pitiable existence."
"Is that so?"
"How could you risk the lives of honorable guards just to save a wretched human like him?"
Clank, clank!
The sound of chains being pulled echoed from the darkness on both sides of the throne room.
The guards who had initially greeted Jin walked out of the darkness. They had been brutally punished throughout their way to the throne room.
The Emperor continued with a smile on his face.
"These guards were punished and dismissed for failing to prevent your impulsive actions. They had to endure such brutal treatment, and they have now been ordered to return all the rewards they received for their service. It's a small punishment compared to not stopping a threat to me, but it's a great tragedy for them."
Jin didn't flinch as he looked at the guards.
"In other words, you saved a scoundrel and brought about the downfall of these guards and their families. Moreover, this is the palace, my domain... Your actions have been a grave offense from the beginning. Whatever happens here, you have no right to stop it. You have hindered my orders."
The Emperor spoke forcefully, and Jin nodded in agreement.
"You're making interesting arguments."
"You can ask for forgiveness even now."
"And there's one thing you are mistaken about."
"Mistake?"
"Do you think I tried to save the eunuch without knowing it would offend you?"
The Emperor's pupils narrowed.
"I didn't calculate that in the first place, even though I don't agree with the excuses the Emperor has given. I acted on impulse because I felt like I was being tested."
"Hahaha…"
"Do you dare think that the Emperor of Vermont could test the flagbearer of Runcandel?"
The Emperor's laughter stopped.
However, he didn't dispel his discomfort and instead seemed quite intrigued as his eyes gleamed with interest.
"There are plenty of swords here that can kill you. Even if I were to kill you, Runcandel wouldn't retaliate too harshly. They would think of it as me removing a flawed stone on their behalf. I have plenty of justification."
It wasn't entirely wrong.
If the Emperor were to kill Jin, Joshua and his allies could easily cover up the incident as long as they returned Jin's body intact.
"Whenever I've been in situations like this throughout my life... I've always had one thing to say."
"What's that?"
"Try it if you're confident."
Clap!
Suddenly, the Emperor rose from his seat and expressed his admiration.
"Indeed, considering you recently broke the Garden of Swords, this place should pose no challenge for you. I can only commend your audacity!"
The Emperor even clapped his hands with an amused expression, and genuinely seemed to enjoy himself.
"Release the guards and reinstate them, then bring down the golden crown."
The Emperor smiled once again as the Imperial guard led away the dismissed guards.
"I think I'm starting to understand you a bit more now."
"I still don't know much about the Emperor."
Jin and the Emperor locked eyes.
"You'll learn as we go along. Today, I've called you here to bestow a reward upon you, and I hope our relationship can develop in a positive direction."
"What will you give me?"
"Power."
The Emperor looked down at Jin and continued.
"I'll grant you the power to swallow Runcandel and even oppose Zipfel."