Emperor's Bane

Chapter 747: Roman She-Wolf, Cleopatra

At dusk, the sounds fade away and the food smells delicious.

In the hall, under the lamp, sitting opposite each other.

The two of them looked at each other in silence.

"After all these years, you haven't changed your bad habits at all."

They were silent for a long time. Finally, it was Orperson who lost his temper and said the first sentence hesitantly.

The immortal was seen sitting in his chair with a haggard look on his face, which looked ten years older than before. The fine wine that he had held tightly in his hands could neither be opened nor left open, and could only be cooled down little by little along with the delicacies on the table.

But now Orperson no longer had the energy to take care of these things. He even forgot to turn off the TV on the wall, leaving the room filled with the noisy sound of a series of advertisements: the Immortal was frowning, staring at the figure sitting across from him.

Her thin, slender, wheat-colored skin contrasted with the brilliance of the chandelier above her head, with the softness that a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl should have. Her hip-length black hair had obviously undergone long-term care and frequent trimming, with the grace that only the daughter of an official could display: she had obviously been well taken care of in the past period of time.

But what really made Orpersong feel familiar and creepy was the pair of eyes that looked like bright copper sheets. They were placed just right under the long eyebrows, and the indifference reflected in them made the immortal's back shiver: this was definitely not an emotion that a child would have.

That's right: this was indeed the old friend he had been avoiding for tens of thousands of years.

There won’t be another pair of eyes in the entire galaxy or the entire world that are so frightening.

And now, the owner of this pair of terrifying pupils was smiling at him: it was an intimate smile that only Orpesson could recognize, a smile that belonged only to the Emperor, but now it was on the skin of a little girl, which made the Immortal feel even more uncomfortable.

He heard the Emperor's words.

+What? Or? +

+ We haven't seen each other for tens of thousands of years. Why must your first question be so heartless? +

"If you don't want to listen, the door to the room is on your left."

The Eternal was not shaken at all. He was not even willing to show the slightest contempt in front of the Emperor, because he knew that Neos did not care about this: his temper was better than people thought, but his character was also far worse than people thought.

"By the way, before you leave, please find my adopted daughter."

He added angrily.

That's right, this room, which was originally full of a warm family atmosphere, is now slowly cooling down like a zombie. At this moment, there are only two figures sitting in it: Orpesson and [Lucy]. Cyrene, who should have been the happiest, has left the door for several minutes.

And this is also the greatest dissatisfaction of the Immortal with this uninvited old friend: he saw with his own eyes how this old guy used those little tricks that were not worthy of being shown on the table, and with just a few words and hints, he made his beloved daughter happily [voluntarily] go out to buy the cake as a dessert after dinner.

As skillful as if by instinct.

Judging from the name of the place, it is far away at the edge of the next deck: although there is no need to worry about the safety of traveling alone at night on the Aurora, it still takes at least forty minutes to go back and forth.

It's enough to do anything.

The Eternal One was really a little angry.

The Emperor's uninvited arrival and the still aching touch on his wrist were far less infuriating than the moment when Cyrene was manipulated, which made Orperson feel the real anger: the vagueness brought by time was torn apart, and he recalled so bluntly what kind of bastard was sitting in front of him.

Before he knew it, he dared to order his daughter around.
Even for Olpersson himself, it is impossible to have such a high success rate.

Although Cyrene was not a lazy girl, she did have the spontaneity of a teenager: when Olpersson was really busy, or when Cyrene was in a very good mood one day, she would happily take the initiative to help her adoptive father.

But at other times, Orperson needs to say some extra nice words, urge repeatedly or simply give some sweet benefits.

But it is precisely this trivial daily routine that has become a treasure that the immortal has gradually become accustomed to and even cherished over the years: and it was precisely this "old friend" of his who, within less than five minutes of walking into his house, disturbed the warm feeling that Orperson had spent decades to cultivate.

Thinking of this, a rebellious emotion that had long been dormant and had not surfaced in the hearts of the immortals for hundreds of years quietly came to him.

Olperson's eyes darted between Lucy's ruby-studded collar pin, her perfectly ironed white shirt, and her tight crimson skirt, thinking about the best way to kick her out of his house.

But before that...

"you tell me first."

A few minutes later, the Immortal finally poured himself a full glass of wine. He shook the wine as calmly as possible and adjusted his voice to an unquestionable and threatening tone.

"How did you find my daughter?"

＋A wonderful encounter. ＋
The Emperor crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with confidence.

"..."

Olperson was trying to recall which drawer he had put the service pistol he had brought back.

"Honestly, Neos."

＋This is the truth. ＋
The Emperor laughed: it was obvious that the Lord of Mankind was delighted to hear his former name from the mouth of his old friend.

+ Because of some... things, I need to place a part of my soul here for future emergency: I was just wandering around on the deck, but when I passed the downtown area, I happened to see your daughter holding a religious event with her group of senior nuns. +
＋She is good at making cakes. ＋
＋Then, she asked me if I had time to learn about their hunting goddess. ＋
Having said this, the emperor paused.

+Honestly, Or, although you were already a believer when we first met, I remember that you didn't believe in hunting goddesses: why did your daughter hang out with those nuns? Is it your wife's belief? +

"Cyrene is my adopted daughter."

+You are not married? +

The emperor's voice became slightly higher.
"What does this have to do with you?"

＋I'm just a little curious. ＋
The Lord of Mankind picked up his fork and looked very hungry for the ordinary dishes that Orpesson served.

+After all, you didn't seem interested in starting a family before. +
The emperor suppressed the flicker in his pupils.

+Where did you adopt her? She looks like she is less than 20 years old. +
"The perfect city."

＋Perfect City! ＋

The emperor raised his head suddenly.

+Were you there too? +
"You were maintaining law and order on the ground, watching your daughter floating in the air, and you made up a white lie to the residents of the city that you could never come up with in your entire life. Then, you found Cyrene, who was less than ten years old at the time, in the crowd. You felt that she and I had a good impression of each other, and she seemed to have no relatives, so you adopted her."

+...+
[Lucy]'s slender fingers pressed a hideous scar on the fork.

+Morgan knows where you are too? +
“She doesn’t even know it now.”

For the sake of his salary, the Eternal Man still made an excuse for his financial backer.

"Your daughter probably has no interest in a lieutenant colonel under her command."

+That’s it. +
The Emperor nodded, seemingly accepting this statement very reluctantly.

"Why are you asking this?"

＋Nothing, I just know that I still find it a little bit unbelievable. ＋
+Would an old soldier who had nothing to do but disappear think about starting a family? +

"Look what you said."

Olpersong sneered.

"Hasn't a former sheep thief now become the emperor of the entire galaxy?"

The Emperor paused, then put the inserted Grox steak into his mouth and pretended to chew it a few times.

+You still don't like salt. +
"It's an old habit. Why, it's not suitable for the noble stomach of the Lord of the Galaxy?"

＋It's okay. I just want to eat something light these days. My daughter cooks too many delicacies every day. After eating them for a few months, I feel a little bored. ＋
"..."

"I don't think the father-daughter relationship between you two is very good."

＋After all, she is quite tiring. ＋
The Emperor did not deny this statement.

＋Although by luck, I do have a daughter with some abilities, but her achievements over the years are not worth boasting about: she has just started her own business in the Far East, the contents of which you should know better than me, and she can occasionally help me with some small matters that I am not convenient to deal with. ＋
"Small things?"

The Eternal One asked back.

"But I heard that your only daughter is very capable. She has done a great job in the Far East. Even in the history of mankind, it is indeed a very good place. If you let her solve those small problems, it will be considered a major event that can affect the galaxy in the eyes of ordinary people."

"Among all your sons, it is this daughter who has a better reputation among the people."

＋Just following the crowd. ＋
The Emperor shook his head, but Orpesson saw it clearly: the pride on the face of the Lord of Mankind was almost overflowing, that was the happiness that belonged only to fathers and raisers, and now when the Immortal, who was also a father, saw this scene, he inexplicably felt a little sour in his heart.

"Okay: everyone knows you're lucky. You got a good daughter for no reason."

＋Hey, that's it. ＋
The emperor waved his hand, and the teenage girl looked like someone several decades older.

+ She does have some small skills, but if the child doesn't listen, then all is for naught. Unlike your adopted daughter, Cyrene, she is well-behaved and sensible. None of my sons can compare to her. Moreover, our little Cyrene's attitude towards religion also makes me feel very comfortable. Maybe she will be able to realize her ambitions in the future. +
"What is our little Cyrene?"

+ She is not my niece: do you want me to build a palace for her in Terra? +

"Forget it. We don't want to have anything to do with your noble royal family."

"and……"

Olpersong narrowed his eyes.

"I'm warning you, Apocalypse."

The Eternal's voice was hoarse.

"Don't involve my daughter in any of your bullshit plans."

+This is not something I can decide.

The Emperor shook his head, selecting his victims at random on the table with his fork.

+Oer, there are no outsiders here. You know everything about me. I have also tried religion, but I have never been successful after several attempts, because the results were always out of my control: I am also a victim in front of the power of faith.

"You are a victim in everything."

Olpersong snorted.

"Stop using these words that are stuck tens of thousands of years ago to try to show your pity, Apocalypse."

"I won't be fooled again." +Fooled? +

His two thin lips pressed tightly against the piece of meat, and then he swallowed it slowly. The emperor picked up the napkin at hand and wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth elegantly.

+ You didn't think I forgot, did you? The last time you saw me in this skin, you said you would never let me walk into your house wearing this skin again. +
"Tsk..."

The Immortal's face was somewhat distorted.

"If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten."

Then he laughed: his sarcasm was blatant and he didn't try to hide it at all.

"But then again, why did you take out this skin of yours again?"

"What's the reason this time?"

"Want to be a priestess of Ishkar in the temple of Babylon again?"

"Let me be frank with you. People's aesthetic standards are no longer what you look like now."

＋How do you know so much? ＋
"Don't even think about it. Your daughter is very strict about the work style of the auxiliary troops. There is no gray area on the Aurora. But if the guys serving with me get the opportunity to go to the planet for rotation, they will relax more than you think."

+...+
"Also, don't change the subject."

The Immortal lowered his neck.

"What do you mean: this time there is another city of Rome that needs you to raise funds to build?"

"That's not right. I remember that the Romans at that time liked women who had given birth to boys."

"Didn't the Augustus you were in at the time marry someone who had a child?"

+You remembered it wrong. +
The Lord of Mankind chewed the cold food in his mouth without changing his expression.

+I am not Octavian. +
"Isn't it? I remember that you clearly participated in the history of that period, and played a very important role in it. I think you were called the enemy of Rome or something? I should have seen and remembered this name in the history book when I was a child in Cyrene."

＋History books? ＋
"what……"

Olpersson gave her a sidelong glance.

"When a father who has been busy outside comes home to see his daughter, he will naturally test her on her studies. I am not a scholar, and asking her to memorize the knowledge points in the textbook is the limit. Some things will be remembered naturally."

"Well, let me think."

The Eternal rubbed his chin.

"Are you Caesar?"

+ No. +
"Pompey? Cicero? Cato the Younger..."

＋Neither. ＋
The Emperor lost his patience.

＋At that time, I named myself Cleopatra. ＋
＋Also called Cleopatra. ＋
"..."

This time, it was Olpersson's turn to fall into a long silence.

damn it.

He actually forgot that the old thing in front of him had been tired of being a man a long, long time ago: he might have been a woman longer than people thought.

"I don't remember it."

＋Of course you have no impression. ＋
The emperor smiled complacently.

+Because your name was Anthony at that time. +
"..."

Grass!
"Don't fucking mention it!"

+ Why not mention: The love story between Antony and Cleopatra has been around for a long time. +
"Fuck you!"

The Immortal gritted his teeth, and the thumping of his fists made the entire tabletop tremble.

"I didn't recognize you at the time!"

+ Then you pretended to be defeated and committed suicide. To be honest, I am sorry for you, Or. You finally decided to be brave and try to become the person who changed history. But unfortunately, I also wanted to change history at that time. +
"As Cleopatra?"

+ I was used to being a king in the Middle East, but I suddenly wondered what it would be like to unify the world as a queen. Until I met you halfway, my goal changed a little. +
"I'm really sorry."

Olperson turned off the noisy TV behind him with a bit of annoyance.

"It interferes with your grand plan."

＋It's not too intrusive. ＋
The Emperor smiled.

＋Thanks to Octavian, who insisted on witnessing Cleopatra's death: replacing his name and face was indeed a challenge for me at the time, but overall, I did a pretty good job, and I also like the name Rome. ＋
"..."

He always forgets how perverted this bastard was in the past.

"so what?"

Olpersson was unyielding.

"What's going on this time? Are you and Erda just trying to do something fancy?"

That wasn't right: he remembered that Erda seemed to like guys older than her.

+Elda? +

The emperor paused for a moment, then threw the fork in his hand aside.

"……What's wrong?"

The Immortal felt something was wrong: he guessed the answer, but then he was shocked by the answer he guessed.

"Don't tell me that even Erda can't stay with you anymore?"

"Oh my god, Neos..."

"What did you do to her?"

＋Don't let your imagination run wild. ＋
The Emperor glanced at him.

+Elda is alive and well, we just had some differences of opinion, and she caused me some trouble, so I excluded her from the plan: she lives on Terra now, if you miss her, you can go back to see her. +
"Forget it."

Olpersson's figure retreated.

"She and I are just acquaintances, and everyone knows that girl is obsessed with you."

"..."

"Honestly, Neos."

After a moment's silence, Orpesson still couldn't suppress the doubts in his heart.

"How did you break up with her?"

"Even Erda will leave you? This is simply unimaginable."

＋There is something unimaginable. ＋
"What? She would rather give up her eternal life than delay your plan. What have you experienced in these years?"

Having said that, Orperson felt as if he had remembered something again.

It seems that it is not just Elda: there are many of their kind who acted with the two of them back then, those Eternals who once followed the Emperor: their enthusiasm and admiration for the Lord of Mankind are no less than Elda's in their impression, but in the end, they all chose to leave the Emperor.

And when they leave, their personalities are very different from when they first started.

Without exception: it got worse.

It was really strange: in his impression, Erda was not someone who would get into trouble…

+Forget it, Olpersong. +
The Emperor clapped his hands, and all thoughts vanished from the Eternal's mind, swallowed by the invisible gale: Orpesson stared at his old friend in front of him in a daze, listening to the incomprehensible words coming out of the Emperor's mouth.

＋I am grateful to you, old friend. ＋
+If it weren’t for you back then…+
＋Forget it, these things are all a thing of the past for you anyway, you'd better not think about them in your life. ＋
"What are you talking about, Neos..."

＋What I want to say is……＋
Suddenly, the emperor changed the subject.

He smiled, and that smile was so terrifying that even Orpesson, who was used to big scenes, felt his calves trembling unconsciously, and every cell in his mind was screaming at him.

as predicted……

+O'er, are you interested in coming back to work for me? +
＋The two of us can accomplish a lot of things by working together. ＋
"no."

The Immortal didn't even think about it.

"I live well here, and..."

＋Are you sure? ＋

"..."

The smile became more and more terrifying.

"…What are you going to do, Neos?"

＋No, don't worry. ＋
The teenage girl smiled an ambiguous and emotional smile, stood on a chair, grabbed the edge of the table, and leaned forward aggressively. Opposite her, a weather-beaten veteran was so scared that he retreated again and again.

＋I just wanted to make sure.＋
＋Mr. Olpersson. ＋
+ You don't want to see your beloved daughter Cyrene's future affected, do you? +

"..."

＋Oh, that’s right! ＋

#laughter#
+And all that... pension money you have in your Avalon Military Savings Account? +
(End of this chapter)