Klang.
"Hah."
These past few months, after that arson incident, Guren had not been feeling well. The massive headaches continued to increase gradually, and he couldn't even sleep a wink. Only when he had tired himself to the bone by training with his sword and various weapons, as well as doing his duties as an emperor, and had passed out would he get a little bit of sleep.
"It's still not enough."
Guren gazed at the stars as he let go of his bow. The dark circles under his eyes were deepening, and his gaze was hazy, lacking any ounce of direction as if he had taken opium for weeks.
He hates the moon's luminous light, but he also abhors even more the sun's radiant gaze in his empire.
A cold wind blew as Guren lay on the ground, feeling the breeze as he closed his eyes.
"Say it."
The shadow not far away descended from the wall and knelt in front of Guren and directly said, "Your Majesty, regarding the missing scholars, it's already been done by the Archduke. It seems that the Principal of the Academy and the Empress Dowager's continuous communication from before were delivered by the Principal to the Archduke."
"However, the premise of exchanging professors shows that the neighboring kingdom seems dissatisfied and wants them to return. Yet, without a proper reason, they could only express it through gossip."
"There are those nobles who did look at it as an opportunity and tried to befriend them, and the teachers would exchange information with these nobles. More so, most of the graduate students have now been found, and those who have been extremely abused were kept in safe places, while others remain in different areas that are already marked and will soon be saved."
"What else?"
"Regarding the evidence, we have gathered all of them and are awaiting your orders, Your Majesty."
"Deaths?"
"About a hundred and one have been found dead, and eighty-seven people have been badly injured. They were all turned to ashes in accordance with Adiand's burial rites. The painter had completed the list and will soon be shown as you command, Your Majesty."
A hundred and one deaths.
Compared to the battlefield, it's too little, yet they are all more useful than dozens of soldiers. Such scholars met their end either by being secretly caught by his enemies or by dying after embarking beyond the borders of the Adiand Empire to see what it looked like.
They said curiosity always sticks with scholarly people. Indeed, it is.
"And the Dowager?"
Guren rubbed his temples, his brows knitted, fully annoyed by what he was feeling right now.
"The Dowager seems preoccupied by the bridge she had entrusted with Sire Akan, and after meeting the eldest son of Garth and disguising herself as her, the Dowager just stays in her room all day reading books and scribbling down something this servant cannot understand. Please forgive me, I tried my best to imitate the missives, thinking it must be a secret wording."
Guren took the paper and pursed his lips. He took some time staring at it.
"Burn it."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He does not understand it. They are different from the letters he knows from all the empires he had learned and gone through. Surely, this is her mother's secret wording. He, who knows almost all of the languages and written forms, cannot understand this? Only the Dowager befits this kind of knowledge more than he could.
Look at that, why now did she make her own language and writing?
Guren didn't think further as his head throbbed.
Anyway, he doesn't care about it. Her mother knows what can cause him dissatisfaction.
"Tell Butler Xiwen to appoint the newly appointed Marquis Montecraso to handle the situation."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
"Then leave."
"Yes."
Guren stayed lying on his chair, turning to his window, looking at the sky, letting time pass, yet sleep could not come to him. It's as if he were abandoned.
"Again."
How tiresome.
His head is holding a huge boulder. Guren stands up, walks away from his training area, and wanders through the landscape. The whole palace is too silent, yet his head is too loud. Guren only stopped and listened to the subtle music he could hear not far from him.
Ah, yes, this is better—a distraction. As lousy and distasteful as it may be, it's better than usually hearing the pounding rhythm in his head. He sat in a nearby tree. Guren just stared dazedly at the moon.
Every day, it's always the moon that's ever-present in his eyes. Guren gradually closed his eyes, focusing on the music he heard not far away.
The drum beats loudly; the horn's sound is crisp in his ears. Guren aimed his arrow at the sky; the tail of the arrow had a thick satin ribbon dyed red tied around it.
Shwack.
Right in the middle line between him and his enemies.
One of the enemies retrieved it, handing it to their general. Not a moment later, a roar came from the other side as horses thundered across the ground, and louder. Guren's armies waited for them to cross the line; the hundreds of archers raised their bows.
Guren raised his pointed finger, a subtle movement.
Fire.
The whole scenery changed.
The bonfire was lit, and only Guren, along with a wounded man, was inside a darkened cave with only fireflies that were caught in a bottle to provide light.
"Your Majesty…it's been six months."
Six months and still they haven't found a way out of this darkened place. The cave was too dark. Finding dried wood is harder, just as catching fireflies.
"There are no…more fireflies to catch."
"Commander, don't lose more breath."
Guren coldly uttered.
"Your Majesty…there are no more rations. This man is getting old…let this body serve you till…death."
The two fireflies began to lose their light, fading from sight as the cave began to crumble, and soon a bright greeting could be heard.
"Good morning, Your Majesty!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"All hail, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
A different timbre.
"Your Majesty, leave us!"
"Why leave us, Your Majesty!"
"Don't abandon us!"
"Your Majesty! We beg you!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Aha! Bahaha!"
"Horrible!"
"Bahaha!"
A dead knight with an empty heart rose from the mountain of carcasses, slowly walking towards Guren. Yet he couldn't say anything. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, but he could only watch. His five senses were at their peak, convincing him this was real. Guren's dead eyes looked at the knight.
A realistic dream.
"My..son. Let me see one last…"
Before the man could even pierce Guren's heart, he knelt.
"I can't…the price of your life is still not enough. Please continue bearing witness to the empire."
The whole scenery came crumbling down, and what remained was an endless plain and the crimson moon at the front. There was no one. Everything became quiet.
He soon could stand up and move his body.
"What…is this?"
Guren's mind wandered, yet no person, animal, or anything could be seen—no mountains full of rolling bodies, nor the rivers dyed in red.
Guren continued to walk. He walked for a long time, fading into a blur as the crimson moon covered his body with its dim light.
Gradually, that dim light turned brighter and brighter. He frowned and opened his eyes.
Truly opened his eyes.
"Ah."
A dream.
He dazedly stared at his window, and it seemed it was already morning.
"I'm less irked today."
Somehow, he doesn't seem so tired after waking up.
No.
Why am I in my chamber? Didn't he rest under a tree that night?
Guren pulled the tassel?
"Your Majesty, I'm here."
It was Butler Xiwen's voice.
"Come."
"Yes."
"Who took me here?"
"It was the Dowager's servant, Ares, Your Majesty."
"Lies."
Butler Xiwen sighed, thinking that the Empress Dowager may please forgive him, as His Majesty does not believe the short words she reasoned to tell His Majesty if he asks.
Butler Xiwen answered, "It was indeed Ares, Your Majesty, along with the Empress Dowager. They were on their way back after watching the ball, and saw you. Ares quickly went to Physician Franz and me. I assisted along the way, but you were placed in the Dowager's seat. It seems she had moved you with extreme effort."
"I presume, when you saw us, she was already unconscious." Beneath his feet, if not, she's near him.
"…Yes indeed."
"…"
"What else?"
"It seems she moved you a bit farther not to be seen."
"Not that."
"…we didn't find anyone trying to take your life. The guards in the shadows kept a close watch."
"…"
Guren sat down, his back turned to Butler Xiwen, as he undressed.
"If that's all, you may leave."
"The…The Empress Dowager might be asleep for three or four days, according to the Royal Physician. I shall take my leave now, Your Majesty."
"…"
Now, you want me to visit her?
Although Guren is dissatisfied with being touched, he does not feel that way at the moment, even the thought of being touched by the Dowager.
It could be because of the blood they share.
Hmm.
Well, today's dream was good. Just walking endlessly until you wake up.
"What is meant to come cannot be turned away."
A momentary bliss of dreams, that's what it is—no need to wander when he has many papers to work on.
Even as he sleeps, dreams of delusions and a sense of premonition coincide, like a nightmare of torrential waves. Still, Guren would embrace it.