26 Her story: Emp

While they were walking towards the gate in silence, Emp came to a sudden realisation. He could just use the book of answer to know why she hated nobles. He didn't need her to tell him directly. Why did he not think of this earlier? Good thing all those books reminded him of its existence.

He got the book out in the middle of the street and Galana asked him what he was doing, perplex.

"I was about to ask the book why you hate nobles."

"Is that not obvious by now why hate nobles? Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"

"I do, I really want to know and I really want to tell my own story."

"Since you are going to pry into my life anyway, why not tell me your crazy story first, you promised to do it after all and you seemed to really want to do it."

"Then you will tell me yours?"

"Sure, if you promise to not look for anything else about my past in that book then I will."

Emp chose to agree, hearing the story from her should be much better than reading it from the book. Who knew what nonsense the book would give as an answer.

Fulfilling his end of the deal, he told her how he met Chinui and why he had his name, he told her about his four creators and the gifts they gave him but not the quest. The quest was too important to tell it to anyone else. At least he understood that now. Saying it aloud would bring a lot of trouble so it was better if he just kept it for himself. However, he answered every question Galana asked him and by the end, Galana had made a conclusion slightly off the mark.

"Then, you're just a homeless kid who lied about his name."

"No, I never said Chinui was my father. Your grandmother just assumed it was so because I spoke about him and had his name. I never intended to lie, it just happened."

"But how did you manage to change the name on your hunting card, that's impossible."

"I did not, it changed on its own."

"What was it before?"

"Just Emperor."

"Emperor? Are you kidding me?" This seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. (1) This was the most inconceivable story she ever heard. "If I got all of that right, you were born out of nothing because four gods willed it. Then, you met the great general by coincidence and he told you to enroll into that school pretending to be his son because of unknown reasons. None of that makes sense!"

"It does not but it is what happened anyway. I do have both the treasures my creators bestowed upon me and the name of Chinui to prove it."

"I guess so, and it explain why you are so clueless."

"So you believe me?"

"No, not at all. I'm just trying to understand what you would gain from such an insane story. I can't see the goal behind all that nonsense."

She didn't believe him but at least now he felt much better. The lie was gone and it felt great.

"Even if you do not, I am happy I shared it with you, now it is your turn to tell me yours."

"Fine then, I will tell you. But only because you leave me no choice!" She said with a loud voice.

She proceeded to tell him what had happened to herself with a volume barely above that of a whisper. It was like the words themselves did not wish to be heard.

"My parents are... they were death seekers, ruin seekers mostly. They searched clues in old books for lost places that could still contain something valuable and went around to explore ruins and scavenge old battlefields."

Emp wondered what ruins looked like. Were they just like a normal building but older?

"My mom knew how to cast some water spells and how to use a bow. My dad liked to use a great shield and a short sword, he always said that as long as he could keep mom safe, he would win every time. One day, they found traces of a place called Neifner but I wish they had not. Since that town was destroyed mysteriously, no one dared go near it for a long time and then they forgot it was ever there. My parents thought the monster that had probably destroyed it had also probably died long ago and the bounty should be plentiful, if they found it, our family would prosper."

So far, her story had nothing to do with nobles. How did the exploration of her parents end up with her hating the nobles? He did not ask out loud though and let her continue at her own pace.

"My parents didn't dare go so far out alone, it was way too dangerous, they needed more people. They asked other death seekers but since the trip would be long and the reward uncertain, they would not be able to find help without a guarantee. They needed to promise them money, the kind they did not have. At that point, either they gave up, went alone or borrowed money. They were so sure a great treasure was within their reach, they chose to borrow money."

Since she was wearing a debt iron, he could already guess that something went horribly wrong.

"We went around asking people we knew to lend us money, then we went to the city lords and the nobles until we found someone willing to finance this expedition. We did find someone in the end. Like the rest, he thought the risk he would never see his money again was high but, he also had a brain made out of mush and thought it would impress me if he paid anyway."

Emp did not really understand what she meant exactly and Galana must have seen it on his face since she decided to explain in a little more details.

"I don't know what was going on in his head, all I understood is that he was smitten with me. He decided to show off with all his money but he himself was weak, and ugly, and not very smart at all. All around, he was horrible, even worse than you."

Emp wondered how he had ended up as her template for terrible persons. Had he become some sort of scale to judge who was worse than others in her eyes?

"I wasn't impressed, disgusted even, so I hmm.... I did not answer to his feelings as politely as I should have."

Emp could guess how bad her answer probably was. She was already like that with him and still, she was making efforts to stay polite.

"He got angry at me and said I would definitely regret this but still lent the money to my parents with a condition added. Since it was his money after all, he would have the final say on who my parents hired for this. They agreed and after a month of preparations, they left with their team and supplies."

He just let it go like that? This didn't seem to fit how Galana described nobles at all, he must have a really strong self control and be really forgiving. With what they had told Emp before, he should have been extremely upset if he was insulted like that in front of everyone.

"At first, everything was normal, I took care of the bookstore and the days went by without anything happening. Until at one point, everyone seemed to notice that nothing had been happening for far too long. Every passing day made it more obvious that my parents were not coming back.

After a little more than a year, that perverted toad came to request his money, he had that huge disgusting smile, he knew full well I could not pay. He was followed by some men I knew, they were the guys we had hired as escort. Even if he did not say it out loud, I knew then, my parents were dead. My guess is that those guys waited for my parents to find the ruins, killed them and took everything for themselves and that demon pig.

Not only had he not lost anything, he had gained the treasure and still came to me requesting the money we had borrowed. There was nothing I could do against him, that's how I ended up with that debt iron. The only reason he didn't finish me off then is because the law forces him to wait for a while after he put the debt iron on someone's wrist."

Emp didn't know what to say. What a sad and unfair story. What could he possibly answer to such a tale? That man was clearly in the wrong, was this not some sort of crime? Why did no one do anything about it? Thinking about it, it was probably similar to what had happened earlier that day. If the guards were to go there, between Galana and a noble, the words of the noble were more credible, also, the guys who came back would probably deny ever going there, it would be everyone against Galana. The guards would undoubtedly think she was just trying to get herself out of a debt.

He could only stare at her in silence, finding nothing to say. Her face was distorted by rage and a few tears of anger glided on her face while she talked.

"That's why I despise nobles. They are all like that. They steal and lie and somehow manage to put the blame on some innocent people. Not only do they not help you when you are in trouble but they kick you while you are down. We went there to get help but all we got was ruin and misery.

They take and take but never give anything back but pain. I'm sure the other nobles know as well what happened to me or many others but not one lifted a finger to correct the wrongs of their peers. I'm sure they are all laughing together about it all. I hate them so much I wish everyday that I would be able to rip their heads off with my bare hands!" She said through her teeth, ripping off an imaginary head in front of her.

She had the most hateful glare Emp had ever seen but, he had not seen many hateful glare in his life before so he wasn't sure if this was impressive or not.

"They can't all be like that." Objected Emp. "Just today, I gave you food and you got angry at me for it. Is it possible that it was just that one?"

"Were you not the one insisting you aren't a noble? You're just an idiot who doesn't understand how the world works, that has nothing to do with what we are talking about."

Maybe he wasn't a real noble for now but, one day he would be an emperor, he would be a noble too, the highest of them all. Still, he couldn't tell her that.

"But you said you did not believe me, plus, if what I said is true, it means that Chinui, who is also a noble, was generous enough to give me a lot of gold and even his name even though we knew each other for less than a year."

"I learned it today, the Muraciers are people I can't understand, almost nothing you say or do makes sense. Either they are like the rest of the nobles but I am so small a pawn I can't even see why you are acting like this with me or, they really are unlike the rest of the nobles but if this was the case, why aren't they doing anything?"

Emp was taken aback once more by her answer.

"That is unfair, I cannot fix something I do not know about. Just tell me the name and I will go there myself to pay your debt."

She seemed to think about it for a moment but she ended up refusing while shaking her head.

"I can't let you do that, I would be indebted to you then, that's not much better is it?"

Emp disagreed, it was much better to be indebted to him because he didn't care at all about the money and did not intend to do bad things. Also, he never intended to ask the money back afterwards.

"I could just ask the book who it is."

"You can't, you promised you wouldn't ask anything more from the book." She denied with a wry smile.

He had not thought of that at all! What was the best way to help then? Why was she making it so hard? Emp thought the bast way to do like Love had told him was to help those he came across but if they were all as difficult to assist as Galana was, he would never be able to do it. He really wanted to ask Love how to best help people now, it was all so confusing.

While he was thinking about this, the city gate came into view, he was almost out of time.

"Then at least tell me how much money he is asking for."

"Not happening." She said as she crossed her arms.

She had forgotten something important though.

"Fifteen red dragons! That's a lot."

"How!" She complained.

"It's written on the debt iron, it's easy to read when your arms are crossed."

Annoyingly, the name that was engraved into it wasn't in the right angle for him to see. She uncrossed her arms and hid them behind her back in a hurry. He lost his chance to know who was giving her a hard time.

"That's cheating!" She said angrily.

Emp just smiled and put his hand in the bag to look for the money. Even if he didn't know the name, he could just give her the money she needed.

"Don't you dare get money out of that bag. I don't want it."

"Why? Won't it be much better when there isn't that threat on you all the time." He asked, really confused.

"Sure but I still don't want your money, even if you do get it out of that bag, I will never take it."

"Why are you so stubborn on this, can you not just let me help?" Emp said in a complaining tone.

"Because you're a noble... and a stranger... And also, you said it earlier, I have no right to complain if I don't do anything to get out of trouble myself. I do not need your help and I do not want your help."

Now she was using his own words against him. If he had known this would happen, he would never have said it in the first place. Now the words he had used to force her to accept his help were stopping him from helping again. That was very frustrating. He tried something else.

"How Am I to pay you if I cannot get money out of the bag?"

"You will get only three silver scepters out of it, no more or I am not taking anything."

That was so little compared to what she owed! That was depressing, he would have to find some other way to help latter.

"Then before I leave, could you answer one last unrelated question?"

"What?"

"What do you think would make for a good emperor? What kind of person or abilities does a good emperor need?" This truly was unrelated but, i really wished to know her thoughts on this. Maybe if he asked enough people, he would come up with a better picture of what he needed to be.

"Where does that question even come from?"

"I just want to know what you think, I told you it was unrelated. This is the last thing I need from you before I leave this town."

She thought for a while but then, seemed to realise something and instead of answering his question asked him her own.

"Wait, do you really intend on leaving the city alone? Should you not wait for a caravan instead? It's dangerous to go alone." (2)

Emp had seen caravans before, they were really slow and he didn't want to wait.

"They're too slow, it's faster for me to go alone."

"Then at least take a horse! Don't tell me you don't want to waste money for one."

"I don't know how to ride."

Also, the horse was a liability. If he wanted to hide well at night, he would have to get rid of the horse anyway or it would reveal his own position. It was safer it the horse wasn't there.

"What a useless noble! Idiot! What are you going to do if you come across a timestop sloth?" She said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I have no idea what that is." Answered Emp.

Used to him not knowing, she just answered plainly.

"That's a thing that looks just like a sloth but it's not. Once it looks at someone, he becomes unable to move until the sloth breaks eye contact. That is why it's called a timestop sloth. Once it got something frozen, it slowly moves to it and eats it alive."

That sounded terrible.

"Is there a way to get away from it?"

"No, but the sloth can only target one thing at a time so as long as you are at least two, the sloth cannot do anything to you. Aside from its time-stop ability, it is super weak. At least, if you were on a horse, if you were paralyzed, the horse could still move forward and bring you out of danger but if you come across one alone, you are dead."

As long as you were two there was no problem? Well then he wouldn't be in any trouble, he was always two anyway.

"Then I will be all right if I just do this." He said as he summoned his second self.

Of course Galana was shocked.

"That's amazing! Wait, why did you not do that in the alley?"

"I forgot." He answered honestly.

"You are terrible, I hate you!" She said angrily. "Just give me my silver and leave."

"What about my question?"

"I think a good emperor would be someone who can control the other nobles since they represent him. Someone who could stop them from doing whatever they please but I don't think such a thing exist."

"I will remember." Emp said as he gave her the money. "Good bye and good luck, I will send you your books back when I'm done with them."

"Don't do that!" Said Galana but Emp ignored her.

Afterward, he recalled the other Emp and walked towards the gate. He only had made a couple of steps when she called him again.

"Hey! Idiot!"

He looked back to her thinking she was just going to say goodbye but instead, she said "Stop being so dumb." with a pout.

What kind of goodbye was this? Emp, as confused as ever, left the city of Red-water behind him.

(1) What kind of weird expression is this! In french we say that it was the drop that made the vase spill, that makes much more sense. I should probably work on my own version of this.

(2) Old man in the cave? What are you doing here! Don't tell us you have a sword for Emp too.