Chapter 96

The two zombie guards at the door saw us and quickly opened it, revealing the dining haul that I was at earlier. Though the inside was much more extravagant than before. The tables were rearranged and underneath all the containers was a small silver coin-shaped candle that licked the bottom of the metal. The various torches that lined the pillars were moved and replaced with small clusters of candles that sat in scones. Tables that once filled the room were gone, leaving only a couple that held candles in the center. The various plates that I saw sitting there before had vanished and were replaced by plates made of pure silver and matched by utensils made of pure gold. The entire room now radiated a quiet elegance that many would struggle to compare.

A few ambassadors were seated at the tables, though not as many as I would have hoped. At first glance, I could make out the Thelian, who looked to be a lumbering beast-man of some sort, covered head to tail in brown fur that barely hid the muscle that rippled underneath. A set of large horns was on his head that curved in on themselves. His snout was large and prominent yet was covered in a myriad of scars that crisscrossed his face. If I wasn't mistaken, that was a minotaur. Beasts renown for both their strength and their boundless intelligence.

Next to him was a small woman who had long flowing black hair. Instead of flesh, there were scales the color of freshly fallen spring and glittered in the warm candlelight. Her eyes were slightly slanted and looked as if they came directly from a serpent. She wore a radiant violet silken dress that clung to her curvy form. She must be a half-breed. This would also be why she would be an ambassador, which also told me she was from the dynasty. If anything, I would say she was a natural beauty.

Next to her was a man clad in the traditional outfit of Artan, which was a loose-fitted shirt, that was the color of the setting sun, matched with a pair of white trousers that flared out near the bottom. Along with a few ribbons of various colors wrapped around his waist. His flesh was the color of copper and seemed to be covered in dozens of wrinkles, and his face was, although neutral, still held a bit of disgust. He may be a bit of a problem, so I would have to watch him. The rest of the ambassadors around didn't mean that much to me since they came from smaller kingdoms. I would leave them be, for now, and see what deals can be cut.

Without a second thought, I strode across the dining hall with Cato and towards one of the empty tables. Well, empty mostly. Outside of the plates and glasses of red wine that adorned the tables. I glanced at Cato before I glanced back at Kharon, who stood in the middle of the room. He reached out, took a wine glass and a knife, and quickly tapped it against the edge. The sound overrode the quiet murmur that filled the room. "Ladies and gentleman, Lady Asteria thanks you for coming to the inauguration and hopes that your journey here was safe. She also wants me to pass on the message that all the food made was done so with full safety in mind. The food is open as a banquet, so feel free to take as much as you like. After the ceremony, I will spend some time with each of you. Anyway, enjoy the food." He set the wineglass down on the table and gave us one last look before stepping back into the shadows.

"So she expects us to get our own food?" Cato glanced over at the table with a hint of scorn on his face.

"Well, she made it clear that the undead will have no part in dealing with the food, so it would make sense why you would have to serve yourself." I shrugged as I grabbed my plate and stood up. I wasn't perturbed by doing this. In a way, it was thoughtful of her. Instead of a reply, he tsked, grabbed his plate, and followed me over to the table. Clearly, everyone else was slightly annoyed that they had to get the food themselves, based on the murmur that filled the room.

I pulled the lid off the closest container and saw that the pasta from the other day was the first food option. However, instead of a fork, it was a set of metal utensils connected near the top by a curved piece of metal. I gripped it, gave it a slight squeeze, and saw that they pressed against each other like a set of pincers. I reached in and grabbed a few pieces of the pasta before moving on to the next one. Within this one sat strange foodstuff shaped like small pipes that sat in a white milky substance. It smelled good, though, so I would still try it, especially if it tasted as good as that stuff did the other day. Next up was a salad of some sort, filled with peppers and really fluffy bread. I grabbed a healthy portion of each and walked back over to my table, excited to try the food that was at hand. There was still other stuff up on the table, but I would go back up for more, soon at least.

A few hours later:

The wind outside picked up as the sun started its journey to cross the horizon. Dark clouds were slowly traversing the sky, bringing in the smell of petrichor and cool air. It was going to rain, possibly quite soon, but thankfully, we were all seated under a veranda that overlooked the courtyard where a legion of undead stood. Hundreds of undead stood at the ready, with their weapons sheathed. But even with the sheer number of undead that had arrived, there were still more patrolling the walls and even more that were leaving the stronghold.

The sheer number of troops that sat here was astounding. Granted that most countries could bring to bear more troops, this was frightening for what this was. If the Empress broke our pacts, she could easily overwhelm many towns and cities with the sheer amount of troops that sat here.

"What's on your mind, Cato"? I tore my attention away from the legion that stood at attention and towards my companion.

"The military here. It poses a grave threat." The words he spoke mirrored that of what I thought.

"I agree. Thankfully, she doesn't seem interested in the world outside of here."

"So you say Redrick, so you say." His words were filled to the brim with doubt, and I didn't blame him. Sometimes, even I doubt it.

However, before I could speak, Kharon's voice tore through the ambient murmur of the assembled ambassadors. "Honored delegates! I thank you for coming to the ceremony. Lady Asteria will arrive at any moment, and we may begin our preceding." He stood on the outlook, gazing down on us with burning red eyes.

At the mention of the Empress, the legion snapped to attention even more than they were before. The sound of hundreds of boots slamming into the ground filled the air, silencing the last of the murmurs that continued on. For a few brief seconds, everyone held a collective breath, and in the distance, I could hear the sound of hundreds of more feet that marched in perfect synchrony.

"Aye, Cato, maybe now you will meet her." I leaned in close to Cato and whispered in his ear. His jaw clenched as he stared at the gate. The sound of marching troops grew louder as the air whipped around us, as dozens of smells in the air intermingled. A few agonizing seconds later, the gate swung open and squealed softly on its hinges.

As the door opened, we were greeted by the sight of hundreds of warriors clad in gleaming gold and deep purple. The troops in front bore shields as large as they were, with the face of an enormous beast painted onto the surface. In its eyes was an etheric fire, and its giant maw turned towards the sky as if it were defying the gods. Spear tips gleamed angrily in the dying light. As they were the first to march into the stronghold, their names were a sea of red and purple as they marched in. Their lifeless eyes, staring straight ahead, I felt as if I was standing before an audience. They marched in perfect formation, taking an empty spot next to the legion.

There were dozens more zombies and skeletons behind them that marched in lockstep. Their purple uniform stood in stark contrast to the golden armor that looked much like the stuff that the guard that accompanied Kharon wore. Some wore polished armors of full plate, while others had simple curved swords that hung from their hips and wore that strange vest-like armor. As one, they broke off from the formation and took positions against the wall, encircling the stronghold's interior.

Behind them marched a small group of only thirteen cloaks garbed undead. Their violet cloak held traces of gold that glittered softly in the dusk light. Ethereal blue eyes glimmered from the depths of darkness that thrived just under the hood. I quickly analyzed them and saw that they were praetorian battle mages and were all tinged red. As they passed through the gate's arch, they broke away and filled in next to all the other guards who stood at the wall's interior.

Next, there were only five instead of a final formation walking through the door. The Empress, who wore her standard cloak, which seemed to be very muted and dull compared to the display of power I just witnessed. Next to her was Nyx, who wore a black dress that seemed to swirl and eat in the air as if they were flames composed of darkness. She held her head high and proudly held her mother's hand as she walked. Next to those two was Alessia. Her silver hair danced in the air, and her golden eyes raged with an unbidden wrath. Her flesh seemed to flicker in and out of reality as the light passed through her without issue.

She was the only one out of the honor guard who lacked armor, yet I knew she didn't need it. The remaining two were the palatine guard that accompanied her the last time I met her, and this time they were clad in very light armor, and both wore a cloak, much like the magi that marched through mere moments before.

This was the army that would easily tear through the outside world. Could they be defeated? Yes, but at a cost. The sheer strength that the Empress possessed was a sight to behold, even more so at the presence of what I would assume was the entirety of her honor guard. Woe for those who would dare garner her wraith.