Putting down his wine glass, Lucius watched the noble ladies chat about topics only women discussed. Some of the younger girls were even trying with all their might to get close to him. He pursed his lips, the word "boring" written all over his face.
Letting out a soft yawn, Lucius pushed away a young woman who was practically draped over him. How were these girls who threw themselves at him any different from the women he casually found whenever he felt the urge? In his eyes, all these girls wore the same mask. It was truly dull. His Empress could absolutely not be someone like this.
He'd just take a stroll around the manor, make an appearance, and then leave. While he could just turn around and walk out now, he still had to consider the feelings of those old coots in the Senate. His greatest talent was campaigning on the battlefield, and he still needed those old men to help him stabilize the situation in various regions.
Lucius turned and walked away from the main hall. A few other girls wanted to use this chance to become a royal mistress but were driven back by a single glare from Lucius's magenta eyes. Seeing the girls retreat in fear, Lucius was both satisfied and felt a certain disdain for them.
With no one else around, Lucius relaxed considerably, the fierce look on his face gradually softening. When he was alone, he still wanted to unwind. Ruling such a large empire, especially when the country was already facing so many problems, was no simple task if he wanted to achieve a revival. He allowed the lords in various regions to govern their own territories to maintain stability within the country as much as possible. He was an emperor with ambition, one who wanted to restore the empire. To do that, there were only two choices: pacify the interior or wage war abroad.
If he chose the latter, given the empire's existing problems, he couldn't hope to completely resolve the internal issues without spending decades on it. Combined with the harassment from the eastern steppes, it was better to wage war externally to divert domestic attention and conflicts rather than remain deadlocked at home.
Though all of Rome knew the great name of the Sword Emperor Lucius, who could possibly understand the pressure he was under?
"Find an Empress? Heh, how boring. How can an Empress be as thrilling as a good fight? Women will only slow down the speed of war."
Lucius stood up straight and turned, preparing to leave, but he inadvertently caught sight of a figure in a navy-blue dress. The words he had just spoken got stuck in his throat. How should he put it? Right now, Lucius wanted to slap himself. He had to admit, maybe the reason he didn't want to find an Empress was that he hadn't met the right person yet.
Lucius was a very direct person; he did whatever he thought of. So, he straightened his clothes and directly followed the figure in the navy-blue dress. However, while he felt a flicker of curiosity and excitement, the emperor's heart still held a measure of caution. Based on the attire, the figure he had just seen should also be a guest at this party. But why was she walking alone in a distant corridor? That path didn't lead to the main hall.
But that's what made it interesting, wasn't it? As an existence completely different from the previous emperors, he naturally appreciated people who were out of the ordinary. For example, in a while, he wanted to personally go to the eastern front to meet the King of the Huns, whom the old men in the Senate called the "Scourge of God."
God? He didn't believe in Christianity. The magic sword he held represented dominion over the continent and was blessed by Flora, the goddess of flowers. Flora was a part of the Roman mythological system. Since God's scourge was about to lash out, then he, a believer in the gods of Rome, would be the one to sever that whip.
Aslan was wary of his surroundings, but the Sword Emperor Lucius was no ordinary individual. It wasn't so easy to detect him when he wanted to hide, especially when Aslan was constantly monitoring everyone, causing his mental energy to be quite scattered.
Lucius didn't follow Aslan's footsteps directly. Instead, he had the manor's servants bring him the guest list, and while checking it, he looked for the names of any young women who weren't in the main hall. Only then did he quietly follow the path Aslan had taken.
Melusine quietly put down the delicacies in her hand and also left the hall. While she didn't know what purpose the Roman Emperor had for being here, the fact that he wasn't in the main hall was an unstable factor. Therefore, she couldn't let Aslan take risks alone; she would follow the emperor. If he discovered Aslan, she would immediately take Aslan away. Melusine remembered Aslan saying that the current emperor was one of the strongest people in the world. Aslan was wearing a dress right now, which was not convenient for combat. A dragon greatly cherishes its treasure; she had to be careful, careful, and more careful.
Meanwhile, Aslan, after using magic to make inquiries along the way, had finally learned where the gem and the metal fragments were located. As mentioned before, Aslan wasn't particularly interested in the gem; he cared more about the so-called metal fragments. What he hadn't expected was that the fragments were placed in an underground storeroom.
If his guess was correct, then the owner of this manor, that noble lady, truly didn't know the value of her possessions. She had stored away the very thing that gave the gem its true power. Although he didn't know how long it would take for the fragments to imbue a gem with energy, as long as they were well-preserved, wouldn't she be able to have as many enchanting gems as she wanted in the future?
"The underground storeroom... It seems this is the place."
Looking at the passage leading underground, Aslan reached out and took down a kerosene lamp hanging outside the passage. After lighting it, he held it in his hand and walked down. The smell of dust immediately filled his nostrils. This was a neglected place, so it naturally wasn't cleaned very often. Only some footprints on the ground indicated that many people had been here not long ago.
Following the path inward, he arrived at a door. Aslan looked at the heavy wooden door before him, and the steel frame that firmly encased it. He raised his finger, and magical energy gathered at its tip. Aslan's finger easily left a mark on the wood as a string of Faerie Letters was quickly written.
"Open, gate."
Empowered by the Faerie Letters, the heavy door automatically unlocked and then slowly swung open to both sides. Aslan didn't hesitate and stepped inside. Everything in the storeroom then came into view.