Chapter 466 Emperor of the Wes (1/2)
CHAPTER 466
EMPEROR OF THE WEST
Rio stood frozen in place, beyond flabbergasted. He'd experienced plenty of mind-bending moments in his life, the like which caused him to look at the world in an entirely different way, but nothing ever came even close to today – to this moment. The symbol of everything he, and millions of others believed in, the cornerstone of all they stood for, the penultimate star of the Empyrion, was right by his side, dressed in hemp and shabby clothes, sporting a playful grin on his face.
Rio wasn't surprised the Emperor was dressed so strangely as it was a well-known fact across the Empire that he rarely wore imperial garments; he wasn't even surprised that he was grinning and smiling, as he was, too, well-known for doing that – he was not, however, well-known for randomly appearing in front of young Generals of the army as though it was the most ordinary thing.
”—don't be so shocked,” Lino chortled, pulling his arm around the stunned Rio's shoulders and guiding the lad toward his tent. ”I absolutely hate feeling stuffy inside the so-called 'Imperial Chambers'. Good god, have you seen them? Absolutely dreadful! People hollering and hovering at me all day, eat this, drink that, dress this, say that… pssh, I'm half-worried someone will ask me to wipe their asses and bless their shit, you know?”
”…” Rio remained speechless – indeed, this was the Emperor. Eccentric, perennially-engaged in saying nonsense… Emperor indeed.
”Congratulations on today's victory!” Lino exclaimed as the two ducked in the General's tent. ”You looked quite cool out there, you know? You've got promise, I gotta say. If you keep proving yourself like this, I just might take you under my wing, you know? Ion's all grown-up now and the bastard refuses to come home until he 'liberates my homeland'. The selfish fuckin' prick, ain't he? Tsk, tsk, whatever. Young lads need to dream, no? What's your dream? Besides wedding and bedding whats-her-name, I mean.”
”—I… I…” Rio stuttered, unsure of how to reply. Though he may have known that the Empyrean was an eccentric, that didn't mean he knew how to respond and play along. Rather, he was still trying to process the fact that he was casually sitting across the Empyrean in his tent as the latter took out two bottles of mead, handing one over, whilst slowly beginning to drink the other.
”Hmm, that's the stuff!” Lino mumbled, taking in a deep breath as the chilly sensation cruised down his throat. ”Man, Maya sure knows how to make godly booze. Drink. It's good for your nerves. I imagine you could use a bit of help right about now.”
”—ah, yes…” Rio mumbled lowly before capping open the bottle and taking a few sips; it was quite strong, causing him to spit out a mouthful and cough violently right after, taking nearly thirty seconds to completely recovered. He could barely breathe as each breath he took would rekindle the frost in his lungs.
”Ha ha ha, not much of a drinker, huh?” Lino chortled. ”Aii, sorry, should have warned you. Nevermind. Too late now, ain't it? Anyway. Won't you reply?”
”Hm?”
”What's your dream?” Lino asked.
”… ah,” though Rio felt slightly dizzy, he also felt relaxed, less anxious. The alcohol truly seemed to have swept his nervousness along through his veins, leaving him in a calm state of mind. ”To fight… to help You realize Your dream…”
”… I'm not asking about your aspirations lad,” Lino said. ”But your dreams. Beyond the battles. Beyond the war. Beyond serving me as a weapon. What do you want to do? To be? To achieve in your lifetime?”
”… honestly?” Rio smiled sheepishly, playing with the bottle. ”I… just want a family, you know? A home. A place I can come back to and feel… warmth. A couple of toddlers. A small farm, perhaps, or vineyard. A little piece of land to call my own.”
”… 's that so?” Lino smiled widely, taking a sip. ”It's a nice dream.”
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”… you don't think it lacks… something? A higher calling?” Rio asked, somewhat stunned by Lino's reply.
”—what's the point?” Lino said. ”A simple life… is breathtaking. The happiest moments of my life are when I'm with my family, sheltered from the hustle and the bustle of the world. From the bottom of my heart… I hope you realize your dream one day.”