--- [Alex’s perspective]
Mark is here to escort us to the Emperor’s palace, but to be honest, I don’t think it’s possible to go the wrong way…
The palace is unbelievably large.
So large that no matter where you are in Adamas, you can still see it.
I’ve only felt this sense of awe twice before in my life.
The first time was before the F-rank hunter exam when Leanne created a colosseum 100 times bigger than Minima, and the second time was when I first saw the guild HQ for The Red Knights which was significantly bigger than even that…
The Emperor’s palace dwarfs even that…
Someone could probably live there their entire life and still not explore it all.
I obviously can’t see around the corners, but it looks like there are guards stationed evenly around the entire perimeter, with a heavier concentration around the outer gates.
They’re all dressed in the same uniform, the uniform of the royal guard.
As we approach them, the guards shout out a few commands at us.
They’re probably just following protocol.
“Halt! Name and intention!” – Guard
“It’s Mark. These are the winners of the battle festival. They’re here to visit the Emperor.” – Mark
“Prove you are who you say you are!” – Guard
He snaps his fingers and sparks fly out.
Unless you have an identification system in place like the one Rose made for our guild, looking at his specialty is probably the best way to make sure he is who he says he is.
“Access granted; you may enter.” – Guard
They open the gates, and we step into the largest building in existence…
Wow…!
How is this place even real?
When I look to my left, I see a gigantic golden statue that is also a fountain.
When I look to my right, I see a garden with the greenest grass I’ve ever seen, and one of every flower.
As we go through the halls and navigate our way to the place we were supposed to meet, the incredible sights continue.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
There’s a swimming pool so large I could mistake it for the ocean.
Hundreds of different restaurants, containing every cuisine in the world.
A theater with at least 100000 seats.
A diamond the size of an elephant.
Training fields so extensive they could be used for any form of training imaginable.
And so much more…
Yet…
Almost all of it is completely empty and devoid of people.
The only people here besides us, are the guards.
Nobody is using any of these mindbogglingly beautiful attractions.
Generally, people aren’t even allowed in here, so the world doesn’t even know most of this exists…
Why is there so much wealth concentrated in one place if nobody is here to enjoy it?
“This is it.” – Mark
After a long walk, he finally stops.
“This is as far as I can go.” – Mark
The place we stopped appears to be a lounge of some sort.
Of course, like everything else in this place, it is way bigger and more elaborate than it needs to be.
“Howdy!” – ???
Another guard approaches us.
“That’s my que to leave. I’ll go prepare the money reward right away. After you’re done here, just come back to the waiting spot to get it. I’ll see you soon!” – Mark
He waves us goodbye, and just like that, he’s gone.
“I watched your matches, you’re all wonderful hunters! I’m sure we’d all love for you guys to one day join the royal guard!” – ???
He sits down and points to the couches.
“Sit. I insist.” – ???
We all listen and do exactly as he says.
“My name is Freddy, I’m a middle ranked royal guard who works here at the palace. You’ll all get to meet the Emperor soon, but before that, I have some rules I’d like to go over. First of all though, I’d love it if you could introduce yourselves. I know the announcers said them many times, but I’m terrible at names, so forgive me for not remembering.” – Freddy
He points at me.
“Since your rank is lowest, let’s start with you.” – Freddy
Not really sure what to say, I stumble around looking for the right words.
“Uhm… I’m Alex Minima. I, uh… I’m a D-rank hunter from The Red Knights. It’s nice to meet you.” – Alex
“Nice to meet you, Alex!” – Freddy
He looks at the next person.
“I’m Casey.” – Casey
…
He didn’t have much to say…
“Nice to meet you, Casey!” – Freddy
Finally, he looks over at Rose.
“I’m Rose Rubrum. I’m a B-rank hunter, and also from The Red Knights. It’s nice to meet you, Freddy.” – Rose
“Nice to meet you too! Well then… Alex, Casey, and Rose… There are a few rules you should be aware of before going in there…” – Freddy
He points backwards with his thumb to the door behind him.
I guess that’s where the Emperor is…
He’s so close…
“First of all, don’t speak unless spoken to. He’ll let you know when it’s your turn to talk. Second of all, kneel. We are less than him; you are not an exception. Show it. When you are in his presence, kneel. Third of all, unless you have a death wish, don’t look directly at him. Being allowed to be this near him is already an honor, so don’t push it. Compared to him, we are all lesser beings. The key takeaway is this; be respectful.” – Freddy
Those are some intense rules…
I’m not even allowed to look at my own father…?
“There are only a handful of people in the world who have the authority to enter that room on a regular basis; two of them are in there at this very moment. They’re two of his most loyal servants. Two high ranking royal guards who have served him for thousands of years. Even they follow those rules…” – Freddy
With a series look on his face, he looks us all in the eye.
“Are you ready?” – Freddy
We all nod in union.
“Alright…” – Freddy
He stands up and opens the door behind him so that he doesn’t see anything.
The door opens just enough for us to squeeze in there, but not any further.
As we get in, we immediately kneel and look down.
I can’t see him, but I can still feel his presence…
Despite having never been in the same room as him before, the aura he emits is unmistakable; had he ever appeared before me in the past, I would know it’s him without anyone telling me…
This is strongest man in the world.
“…” – Emperor
