"Hope Mr. Fool's Protagonist physique works its magic, making this trip less boring…"
In the Fourth Epoch, within the Abraham family, Lynn stood before a mirror, internally grumbling while the butler meticulously adjusted his attire. The butler's earnest instructions continued.
"Master Libert, as you leave the Abraham family for the Balam Empire, you mustn't stray too far from Lord Bethel. And under no circumstances should you be alone with Duke Amon…"
The butler's face was filled with worry. As a confidant of Bethel, the butler, though not highly ranked—only an ordinary Sequence 4—was a long-standing member of the Abraham family. In fact, apart from Bethel, he held the highest status, having even raised Bethel Abraham.
In some ways, the butler considered Bethel almost like his own child. Consequently, his concern for the pretend son of Bethel, Lynn, was genuine.
Given Lynn's audacity to taunt Amon during their first meeting, clearly piquing Amon's interest, the butler's worry was profound.
"Rest assured, nothing will happen. Even if you don't trust me, isn't Mr. Bethel here? Amon can't do anything to me."
Lynn, recognizing the butler's genuine concern, patiently listened and then reassured him with a smile. Lowering his voice, he added, "By the way, I heard someone in Abraham write post-marriage stories about the Night Emperor and Empress, based on true events. Is that true?"
This served both as a topic change and to satisfy Lynn's curiosity.
"Uh…" The butler coughed, also glancing outside before lowering his voice, "Yes, there is such a series of novels, and many stories are indeed adapted from real events, though artistically enhanced. Master Libert, are you interested?"
Lynn, reading into the butler's response, suddenly asked, "Did you write it?"
"Uh…" The butler coughed again, nodding modestly, "Yes, Master Libert."
"Amazing!" Lynn quietly praised, then asked, "Can I see it?"
"Of course…" The butler nodded, then cautioned, "But best not read it in front of Lord Bethel. He doesn't approve of us writing such things."
"But doesn't he also write travel journals? I saw…" Lynn was about to reveal that he once noticed Mr. Door writing in a diary when he spotted a figure at the door. Quickly changing the subject, he said, "Shouldn't we add something here? It feels a bit empty."
"How about this sapphire brooch? I think it suits you perfectly," the butler seamlessly switched topics, taking out a beautiful sapphire brooch from a jewelry box and pinning it on Lynn.
Silently observing, Bethel Abraham thought: …You do remember I'm the King of Angels, right?
Once the brooch was in place, Lynn turned to Bethel, smiling as if nothing had happened, "Good morning, Mr. Bethel. Is it time to depart?"
Bethel Abraham's mouth twitched. Feeling already tired before even leaving, he nodded, "The delegation is at the gate. If there's nothing else to prepare, we can depart."
"Then let's go!" Lynn said, walking out with Bethel. The butler followed them to the Abraham family gate, watching the delegation depart and sighing internally.
"Sigh…"
Despite his worries and reminders, as a competent butler, he would never question lord Bethel's decisions.
…
In theory, traveling from the Tudor Empire to the Balam Empire only required a simple door-opening by Bethel Abraham.
But theory aside, perhaps due to the symbolic importance of this mission, the delegation chose a more conventional and grand approach, clearly intending to make this well-known to other nations.
"Feels like they're more into making a spectacle than actual cooperation…" Leaning against the ship's railing, Lynn muttered, gazing at the endless sea.
Given that the Balam Empire is in the southern continent and the Tudor Empire in the north, sea travel was inevitable.
In this era, without steam power or ironclad ships, the existence of Beyonders allowed the ships to travel quickly even without steam engines.
"Alista Tudor and the Night Emperor Trunsoest's greatest enemy was undoubtedly the Black Emperor Solomon. After all, they betrayed their former superior, who, despite being killed, resurrected shortly…" Lynn pondered the Four Emperors' War situation, analyzing the mission's possible reasons.
"Though the Six Gods each had their grudges, they all supported the Night Emperor Trunsoest. This suggests the Night Emperor might have initially been their puppet. But clearly, the Night Emperor didn't want to remain a puppet, hence the alliance with the Vampires…" Lynn's expression turned nuanced,
"Setting aside the Earth Mother being Lilith, this choice was wise. The Vampires, though not the strongest, were significant, and with the disunity among the Six Gods, having the Vampires' support allowed the Night Emperor, a Sequence 0 himself, to gradually gain control."
"The Tudor Empire is straightforward, supported by many factions, with Amon as a backer. His greatest foes were Solomon and the Primordial Demoness…" Lynn's thoughts paused as he recalled the Four Emperors War conclusion.
"In the end, the Tudor, Trunsoest, and Black Emperor Solomon all perished, leaving the God of Death, the Underworld Emperor, as the greatest beneficiary."
(End of the chapter)