Alien world

Chapter 1850, Section 483: The True and False Emperors
The next day, early in the morning. Anan woke up in his 200-square-meter bedroom.

Looking at Russ, who was resting under the pillar, some vague memories came flooding back.

“I think I saw you…” Annan hesitated, then shook his head. “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Such a strange thing must be a dream.

Because Ruth's feet were seen during the day?
Ruth put away the cards, and they each changed into the robes left behind by the maids—just long enough to cover their feet, it seemed the maids had taken Annan's height into account.

Not long after they changed, a maid came to greet them. After walking along the path for a few minutes, Annan and the third prince met in a garden where statues of warriors stood everywhere.

Good morning, Annan.

"Good morning, Your Highness the Third Prince."

Noticing the dark circles under the Third Prince's eyes, Annan asked, "You don't look like you've had enough rest?"

His Home Secretary even had dark circles under his eyes.

"The bedroom is too empty, and I'm a little nervous about meeting the Emperor today," the Third Prince said with an embarrassed smile.

"Don't be nervous. In the style of the Empire, everything is prepared. We just need to go over and agree with a few words, and then be pushed forward." Annan, who had just been busy with nothing a month ago, knew this all too well.

"I see."

The third prince took deep, slow breaths, indicating that he was calming down.

Annan turned his attention to his surroundings, scanning the towering statues that stood tall, some holding battle axes and roaring, others riding warhorses upright.

There wasn't a single maid or guard around. Were they going to meet the emperor here?
As I was thinking this, a figure appeared and disappeared from the path.

"These statues are of the ancestors of the Montreal Golden Family."

He touched the statue of a female warrior wielding two axes and said in remembrance: "According to tradition, all members of the Golden Family who bravely fought and sacrificed themselves against the enemy are entitled to have a statue erected in the Huanshan Palace Garden, so that they can become heroic spirits and guard the holy land for generations."

Annan and the third prince exchanged a glance. Such disregard for the rules meant he was undoubtedly the emperor.

The attendant first dismissed Ruth and the Minister of the Interior, then said, "You are about to meet the Supreme King, the Emperor of the Tathun Empire. After a night's rest, the dust from the journey has mostly dissipated. Now, here are the things you must be mindful of before the Emperor..."

"Your Majesty, why bother?"

Annan hinted that he should be frank and that a formal meeting was about to take place, so what was the point of him sneaking off again?
"Your Highness? Where? I don't know what you're talking about." The emperor, disguised as a servant, was still playing dumb, which made Annam laugh in exasperation.

"Your Majesty, the same move won't work on me twice."

But the emperor decided to play dumb to the end and never admit his identity.

Annam could only listen to the Emperor himself recount the precautions to take upon meeting him. On the bright side, at least this Emperor wasn't dressed as a woman—

After listening quietly, Annan suddenly spoke up: "What unknown quirks did that emperor have?"

The waiter's gaze sharpened: "What are you implying?"

“No, my reverence for the Emperor is as boundless as the river, how could I be disrespectful?” Annan’s tone suddenly changed, “Hey you, go get us some drinks.”

The waiter's face stiffened: "How dare you order me around?"

The third prince was a little nervous, noticing the atmosphere turning cold.

“I am the guest, you are the waiter, what’s wrong with ordering you around?” Annan said matter-of-factly.

"No one has ever dared to order me around. You... just wait!"

The emperor obediently ran out to fetch something, seemingly a little...excited. Annan explained to the stunned third prince, "It's nothing. Having some quirks is normal. Like me, everyone says I have a thing for foreigners, but did I say anything?"

"Is the rumor true?" the third prince asked curiously.

"Uh... I just have a more tolerant mindset than most people. Other races didn't just spring from rocks; they have thoughts and feelings too..."

After listening to Annam's long rambling, the third prince returned to the question: "What if he's not the emperor?"

“If he weren’t the emperor, I, Annan Reeves, would eat this statue right here and now!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another figure emerged from the morning mist.

A handsome young man, dressed in a luxurious yet understated dark gold robe with a lapel, walked towards them with a relaxed expression on his face, followed by the Minister of Military Affairs.

Prince Annam raised an eyebrow. "Do you see that? The attendant and the emperor never appear together."

"Where's the water I asked for?" Anan complained to him. "And why isn't there even a place to sit?"

The young emperor paused slightly, stopped the Minister of Military Affairs from speaking, and said, "There are no chairs in the garden, but you can sit on the ground like me."

The palace gardens surrounding the mountain were spotless. Annan pulled the third prince and the Minister of Military Affairs to sit down. Just as they were about to say something, another figure appeared in the thin mist.

Here, the water you wanted.

Annan looked up, staring blankly as the waiter approached and handed him a glass of water.

Emperor Tatum was sitting right in front of him, so... who was the attendant?
The real emperor looked helplessly at the servant in front of Annan and said, "Morena, stop fooling around."

The waiter, who had just been putting on a serious face, skipped over and uttered a clear, bell-like female voice: "Wow, brother, he actually thought I was you, just like you said."

Annan lowered his head so he wouldn't see his flushed face.

"cough……"

The young emperor was also embarrassed. He had imagined many occasions for a formal meeting with Annan, but he did not expect it to turn out like this: "Morena is a companion spirit of the palace gardens around the mountain. She likes to play tricks on outsiders, but she has no ill intentions."

Annan, who had just guessed that Morena was a princess, looked up in surprise. Companion spirit... is it the kind of existence that tower spirits have for mage towers?

The emperor gave an affirmative answer.

Having her identity exposed, the companion spirit called Morena lost interest, her figure gradually faded away, and finally made a face at Annan before disappearing behind the emperor.

The Minister of Military Affairs remained unmoved, seemingly having long been accustomed to it.

“However, the guard who spoke with you on the outer ring of the garden that day was indeed me,” the emperor explained.

Out of curiosity, he couldn't resist coming out to meet Annan after learning that Annan had come to the garden.

So the one who talked at length and offered a bunch of suggestions at the banquet yesterday wasn't one?

After a brief silence, the young emperor suddenly chuckled: "Isn't this better? There's not much political seriousness involved. You're comfortable, and I'm comfortable too, aren't I?"

Annan, who was looking at his water glass, looked up and agreed: "You're right. We're all young people. There's no need to talk about boring politics like a decadent middle-aged man."

The Minister of Military Affairs looked grim. He was the only middle-aged man here. What were you implying?

“Your Majesty, I have a question.” Opportunities to meet the emperor face to face are rare, so Annan seized the opportunity to ask, “The purpose of the alliance is to completely resolve the chaos in the north. The empire chose the Kingdom of Dimon because they have proven their strength.”

"And what about Liberty City?"

(End of this chapter)