Marcus, richly dressed, sat in a black and gold carriage spacious enough to accommodate an entire family, yet there were only two inside. Opposite him, but on the other side for comfort, sat the grand chancellor with a stern face. As usual, his eyes were cold and his lips pursed as if he sought to make them invisible under his thick graying beard.
The attire Marcus wore, though lightened by numerous runes, still felt uncomfortable to him. It was apparently an official black and red outfit that the emperor wore on grand occasions. Everything seemed designed to make the emperor appear broader, whether in the shoulders, arms, chest, or legs.
Not only had they disguised him in this manner, but they had also chosen a matching grotesque hat for him, topped with colorful feathers. If the goal was to make him visible from afar, it was certainly achieved!
I look like a fool in this attire! By all the gods, I am so ashamed!
Blushing, he could barely bring himself to look in the direction of the prime minister. He had protested, of course, but no one had listened. He had simply been told that he would make a public appearance, chosen some clothes, and left the chief of the servants to take care of him.
That chief was an old man named Gast, who seemed even more obtuse than the grand chancellor and old enough to be his father. All his hair was as white as his graceful mustache. Clad all in black, he knew how to be as discreet as a thief.
His job was to assist the emperor in his daily tasks, such as dressing, serving tea, organizing (with the help of the grand chancellor) his schedule, grooming, and so on.
Gast had served the imperial family since the reign of Maxime I, the grandfather of the current emperor. He was a trusted person like His Majesty had few in this world. Naturally, he had been informed of Marcus's existence.
It was he who had dressed Marcus, and he had done so very professionally, with the same care as if it were His Majesty himself.
"We are nearing," remarked the grand chancellor, looking out at the passing scenery.
"Does His Majesty often do this? The inaugurations?"
"Only the most important ones that serve the interests of the State, like a ship or a fort."
Marcus nodded slowly and turned his attention back to the outside. Since his arrival in the capital, he had not had the opportunity to admire the landscapes or even visit the city.
The sea stretched out before him, as blue as the sky and as shiny as the stars. Here and there, sails of different shapes and colors could be seen. While many had crossed or would cross the Pillars of Hercules to trade with Western Europe or the Ifriqya kingdoms located in the Gulf of Mali, most did not leave the Inner Sea. After all, it was not necessary to travel for weeks to make significant profits through maritime trade.
Using a carriage enhanced by numerous high-quality runes, the emperor could not travel otherwise; they soon reached their destination.
It was a massive construction project initiated during the reign of Maxime I, forty-four years earlier. Even with the aid of magic, such a project had taken just as long. It gave an idea of the scale of the project.
"We have arrived," said the grand chancellor to Marcus. "From now on, we must be very careful. There will be important nobles who are familiar with His Majesty's habits and many witnesses."
"I understand."
As soon as the carriage stopped on the paved road, someone rushed forward to open the left door. Although the prime minister was on the opposite side, it was he who got out first. That was the protocol. He bowed to greet the crowd awaiting their arrival, then stepped aside to let Marcus descend.
With an impassive face, Marcus looked around and nodded dignifiedly as he had been taught. So far, no mistakes had been made.
There are many people! If they only knew who I am...
"Your Majesty! Your glory is immense! Welcome!" said a noble with an oval face and smiling eyes.
"YOUR GLORY IS IMMENSE! WELCOME!" echoed the men and women best dressed behind him.
All bowed before him, even if it meant soiling their very fine clothes. Further away were simple people, workers, but also fishermen, farmers, and artisans. They bowed even lower before Marcus, thinking to bow respectfully before the emperor.
The place became immediately very quiet. The only audible sounds were those of the waves, seabirds, and the fresh wind laden with spray. The air was very fragrant, a new sensation for the young boy who took a deep breath.
With a simple and elegant gesture, Marcus commanded all these people to rise, which they did slowly, without making any sudden movements. The grand chancellor took three steps forward towards the man who had spoken first, the one with the smiling face.
"Lord Olenna, you have done an excellent job. His Majesty is very pleased and wishes to admire your work."
"It is too much honor. I have only done my duty, Your Highness. Your Majesty. Moreover, I am not the only individual who supervised this project. There were four of us. It is as much their merit as mine. I only contributed. This way, please. It will be my honor to guide you."
The man, the Count of Olenna, was very happy to finally show the result of his work. Many magi had been needed to complete this grand project that would be recorded in history books. By his contribution, his name would never be forgotten.
This man, or rather his house, was very much focused on history. It had always been a duty to study this noble discipline. It was said that the library of Lord Olenna, augmented from generation to generation, was more complete than that of the Imperial Academy of Magic. If a history book was not found there, it was either not worthy of it or did not exist. History was a passion passed down from generation to generation. One could speak here of cultural heritage.
It was no wonder that many members of this great family had joined the teaching staff at the Academy or other academies in the world. The name Olenna was renowned worldwide, far beyond the borders of the Empire.
"All you see here, Your Majesty, did not exist just forty years ago. Great water and earth magi worked to push back the sea and advance the land. Thanks to them, the size of Cartagena Bay has been tripled. All of His Majesty's ships could shelter there if it were his pleasure."
"It's very good. We are satisfied."
The count heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing "the emperor" declare that he was satisfied. He would not have known what to do to make amends if it had not been the case. Probably he would have given up his titles and offices to retire to his estate and be forgotten until his death.
Like two large arms of land and rock, the port of Cartagena was protected. All ships would have to pass through a wide opening in the center to reach the capital by sea. On each side of this opening were two impressive stone forts, pierced with fine openings to shoot rifles and cannons at the Empire's enemies.
"The fort on our side will be baptized in your presence and named Fort Maxime. The one opposite will be called Fort Lucius, in honor of the first emperor. We have faithfully followed the plans laid out by our predecessors to guard the entrance to the bay. A device has been designed to completely close off access to the bay in case of attack. To bring it down, the attacker will have no choice but to take these two forts. Naturally, this will not happen, as a garrison will remain in place."
"It's very good. We are reassured to see our capital and our people safe behind such a work. You have done well."
"If you permit, Your Majesty, there remains one last stone to lay. Once laid, Fort Maxime will be officially completed."
Marcus turned to the grand chancellor, who subtly nodded in agreement.
"We permit it."
Delighted, Count Olenna gave his instructions, and a giant wooden crane that Marcus had not been able to ignore since his arrival began to move. It was tall and made up of many wooden elements and ropes. Around it, workers were bustling to not keep the emperor waiting.
Far above their heads hung a large wooden platform on which a yellow stone as heavy as a horse had been placed. It had been positioned and raised even before the imperial carriage was in sight, to save time. It had been waiting up there for hours to be placed in its position.
But just as it was about to be placed, a rope snapped, causing the stone to topple into the void.
"Watch out!"
"Protect the emperor!"
The stone posed no threat to Marcus, who was far away, but the few workers operating the crane could not say the same.
Damn! It's dangerous!
Marcus didn't think and, without hesitation, he held out both hands in front of him. A violent gust appeared out of nowhere behind the young man, and just before the stone touched the ground, it was diverted to fall into the sea.
"By all the gods!"
"Your Majesty?!"
"His Majesty has awakened!"
"Hurrah!"
Curiously, the workers were happier to witness the emperor's awakening than their own survival. Sweaty back, Marcus turned to the grand chancellor, still trembling. He stared at him with a serious look.
Oh, damn! That was dangerous!