"Well then, that settles it. Do you need to co along with you? It'd be a good chance to explain what really happened back then."
The Emperor's Blades were as accommodating as ever, which made Steven feel much more at ease. There was no need to rush into unnecessary conflicts. As long as he stayed by Talulah's side, the day would inevitably co when he'd have to clash with them anyway.
But that didn't an he couldn't take the opportunity now to talk, to probe, to build a bit of rapport. Especially since they had co with an invitation—to et soone who, by all odds, was none other than the most exalted figure in Ursus.
He'd heard tales of the forr emperor of Ursus, a man said to be almost absurdly formidable. Compared to such a legend, what kind of presence would the current one command?
Having made the offer to accompany them himself, Steven turned his head, eting Talulah's furrowed brows.
Clearly, she didn't like the idea of him going.
"Don't worry too much about . I don't think Ursus has any plans to make a move against yet, right?"
He clapped Talulah and Yelena on the shoulders with a reassuring smile. The Emperor's Blade had no intention of treating him as an enemy—at least not for now. Otherwise, they would never have spared those infected simply for his sake.
And if they did have so darker sche? Steven would almost welco it. After all, no one strikes the smiling man who offers his hand—if they were the ones to tear the mask first, then he'd be free to drop his own act as a "gentleman."
"Mr. Steve is one of the most honored guests of Ursus," the lead Emperor's Blade said with a polite smile. "How could we possibly move against you? True, your deep involvent with the Infected goes against our rules. But we know very well where Ursus' priorities lie—and who our true enemies are."
"And likewise, this reminder is for you as well, Patriot. I trust you understand it too. Compared to the Infected you wish to protect, who is the true enemy of Ursus… no, of this entire land? I hope you can keep that clear in your heart."
With that, the commander retrieved a flare-like device from the folds of his heavy coat. He struck it alight, sending a burst of signal fire arcing into the gray sky. Then he bowed deeply toward Steven.
"Mr. Steve, the surrounding army groups have halted their advance. Shall we be off?"
"Of course."
Steven grinned, a mischievous laugh bubbling up in his chest. For a mont, he couldn't help but feel like so princess being handed over in a political marriage to a rival general.
With that, he followed the eight Emperor's Blades, their figures soon swallowed by the endless white of the snowfields.
His last glance back fell on Talulah, already embroiled in a heated argunt with her companions. To his surprise, what worried him most now wasn't his own situation—it was hers.
The information the Emperor's Blades had dropped was devastating. For the leader of the Infected to be revealed as the daughter of a duke who had risen to power by exploiting others? That was a blow straight to the heart of her followers' trust.
Fortunately, Alina and Patriot still stood firmly by her side. A revolt seed unlikely, at least for now. But her path forward had just beco far more treacherous.
"You said your assessnt of her ca from a deal with that so-called Deathless Black Snake, didn't you?" Steven asked lightly. "Making pacts with tigers… well, that's the kind of gamble where the risk might just swallow you whole."
With both hands laced behind his head, Steven strolled along at an easy pace behind the Emperor's Blades, as if out for a walk rather than being escorted. To break the silence, he casually tossed out a question.
If he didn't, the march really would have been unbearable. These Emperor's Blades were like sealed tin cans—grim, silent, and suffocating. Aside from the constant hiss of their respirators, you could almost forget they had voices at all.
"As long as the bargain benefits Ursus, what of the risks?" one finally answered, voice ringing with an unshakable confidence. "We can bear it. Ursus can bear it. Even if the cost is our very lives."
Steven chuckled softly. "And may I ask—what exactly was the foundation of this deal? To test her? To judge whether she's fit to beco the next Deathless Black Snake?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Deathless Black Snake's sches were transparent to him.
He'd read enough novels and watched enough ani to know the archetype: the villain seeking an heir, ready to impose their will by seizing another's body, passing down their cursed "legacy" to soone stronger.
And with soone like Talulah, stubborn to the point of obsession, it would be all too easy.
Show her the shattering of her ideals, strip away her certainties, and her defenses would crumble. That was why the old snake had spoken so plainly of "prophecy." He knew full well that Ursus—and the entire land itself—would never allow Talulah's vision to take root. The path she walked led only toward a tragic end.
"Forgive us," the lead Emperor's Blade said flatly, not even glancing back, "but we cannot speak further. You need only understand this much: at this mont, Ursus needs the Deathless Black Snake. His ideals, his thods—we find them far easier to accept than theirs."
That was confirmation enough. Steven exhaled through his nose, half amusent, half resignation.
"What a sha. I can't say I share that sentint. Who knows—when next we et, we might not be able to sit down and talk as pleasantly as we do now."
He pulled a bottle of strong liquor from his inventory and took a long swig.
If not for those respirators clamped tight to their faces—clearly not sothing they could simply remove—he would have offered to share. Not for the taste, but as a toast: to their loyalty to Ursus, and to this brief, fleeting harmony.
"Who can say what the future will bring? But we're nearly there. Please wait a little longer."
As they spoke, the party reached the edge of a sprawling military encampnt. Layers of defenses sealed it tight, patrols paced by none other than the Emperor's Blade themselves—each asure a testant to the importance of the one sheltered within.
Steven, however, seed oblivious to the intimidation. His eyes instead fixed on a single tent, larger and more luxurious than the rest, standing like a jewel amid the bleak white.
He understood perfectly well what that ant. And yet, one question burned in his mind:
Why does this current emperor of Ursus… have a boss health bar floating over their head?
Eyes narrowing, Steven stared at that crimson gauge above the tent's peak. And on his face spread a grin—sharp, mischievous, and utterly fascinated.
< >
Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
sdrive.google/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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