Chapter 80 The Ice Empress And The Human Princess
-- POV Alayna --
We stood before the Empress of Elysium, dressed in clothes as black as her hair except for a magnificent white Imperial cloak. I didn't notice it right away, but beside her, sitting on a smaller throne, was another woman.
Unlike the empress, she had crimson hair and a much softer face. I didn't know who she was but her presence was also intimidating though more bearable than the ruler of the Empire.
"I am Empress Freya and you are in the presence of my army Commanders and my wife Queen Gaya here !"
As she spoke these words, Empress Freya looked in turn at the 10 women in front of us, ending with the mysterious woman at her side.
*Her...wife ?*
In all my life as a recluse, I didn't know that there were relationships like that. I was not against it at all, on the contrary I found it both wonderful and romantic. But my thoughts were soon forgotten as the sovereign straightened up with interest to ask us a question.
"Now that you know who we are, I'm going to ask you all to give me your names. You can do that for me can't you ?"
As she finished her sentence, I could almost see her smile slightly, as if the Empress had something special in mind. At times I almost felt like she was staring at me specifically, as if she knew who I was.
*You're imagining things...that's impossible !*
Shaking my head quietly to get rid of this idea, I could hear a shy voice coming from the room. The young woman had asked for our names so Erkas the husband of Elen, was the first to speak.
"Empress...my name is Erkas and I..I am the representative of our group."
Despite his trembling voice and stiff body, the elf seemed determined to defend us also in front of her Highness. He had turned pale and the fear that he would faint any moment was present in my heart.
"I.."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Empress Freya was already cutting him off.
"Would you be the one who compared my Empire to those of the humans under the pretext that we wouldn't be able to discern...what was it again ?"
As she turned her head with an amused look, Luna stepped forward to answer.
"To discern a good heart from a bad one your Highness."
"Mmmh that's it !"
Looking at the whole scene, it was easy to understand that the ruler remembered very well what had been said. Me, I understood absolutely nothing because it must have happened while I was passed out and my stress kept increasing
"It doesn't matter, just relax. You are free to have your own opinions and I won't judge. I understood your words considering the situation, that's why we are here. You others, what are your names ?"
In turn, the members of his family introduced themselves. There was Elen the mother, Eve the sister, Nym her husband and Erkas' two children named June for the older sister and Sora for the little boy. As they introduced themselves, I realized that apart from the two parents, I didn't know the names of any of them. Carefully noting them in my mind, the muscular man's voice echoed in the room in turn.
"Vig"
I didn't have time to think about what he had just said, it was now my turn to say my name.
*What to do ? Should I say Luna or Alayna ?*
I was currently in a big dilemma. My real name was known because I was the princess of Zal, it would be dangerous to expose it like that but at the same time I didn't dare to lie to this young powerful woman. What to do ? All eyes were on me as I swallowed before answering.
"My name is Lu...Luna your Highness"
My lie had come out of my mouth under pressure. I hadn't really decided to lie but I had lost my nerve and under the intensity of the sovereign's gaze I had lied despite myself. As I finished my sentence, I could see the Empress frowning before standing up and walking towards me.
*Oh no...*
Instinctively my first instinct was to lower my head, shaking, praying that she would not stop in front of me. Unfortunately for me, the young woman stopped right in front of me. Her black boots were under my nose as her sharp voice rose above me.
"Human. I repeat...what is your name ?"
I was terrified, all I could do was shake curled up in my arms. I could feel the tears welling up and my mind disconnecting as I could no longer control my fear associated with her presence closer to me than ever. My eyes were closed but I knew that I was being watched and that those with me probably had many questions.
*Sorry, I'm sorry I lied to you all *
I opened my mouth but no words would come out, I was like a mute. As the Empress leaned into my ear, I could feel her breath as she whispered a few sentences that instantly made me pale.
"I advise you to be honest for your own sake if you don't want me to get upset. I hate being taken for a fool. Here you have the chance to be honest so grab it...princess."
How did she know ? Could she read minds ? What I didn't know was that she couldn't read minds, but that she read people like an open book in addition to her system.
As the young woman walked away to go back to her throne in the huge silent room, a hand came to my shoulder to give me courage.
____
-- POV Freya --
[Onee-san, isn't it a bit too cruel to play with her like that ?]
*I don't care. I was planning to be lenient but you know more than anyone that lying is one of the things I hate the most. I understand why she hides her name, but here she is standing in front of me and still dares to lie to me. Do you think I will let her do that ? Certainly not kufufu~*
I returned to my throne and waited patiently for this young human to be honest.
*A good discussion never starts with a lie..*
If she wanted to prove that she was not a threat to us and to honor the courage of this family, this human had to tell the truth in front of everyone. I also wanted to test her and her companion who was very powerful. As soon as they arrived, I analyzed each person and the two humans were definitely the most interesting.
[Vig
Race: Human
Element : x [N/A : none]
Lvl 32/70
HP : 55 000 / 75 000
Strength : 321
Defense : 320
Agility : 260
Stamina : 300
Speed : 285 ]
The human named Vig had almost the same level as mine, although his statistics were lower. This was normal because I was raising my attribute points thanks to the system, which made me stronger than my level. His HP was not completely full because he was injured but this Vig was stronger than any of my commanders.
*For now at least kufufu~*
[Alayna Zal
Race : Human
Element : x
Lvl 2/10
HP : 300 / 300
Strength : 20
Defense : 15
Agility : 30
Stamina : 10
Speed : 10 ]
____
For the Princess, there was not much to say. Without even opening her status, I knew at first glance that she was not a fighter at all but rather a weak human. However, what interested me about her was her family name and her ability to get here without dying. Of course Alayna had been helped, but physical strength was not the same as mental strength and determination, which was also very important to me.
*A weak mind in a strong body is no better than a strong mind in a weak body*
Contrary to what I thought, seeing humans did not make me want to exterminate them. Of course, I still had trouble with them and will do so for the rest of my life, but the ones I hated the most, the ones I wanted to see suffer, were the humans who ruled as tyrants, torturers and murderers in this world. These two humans did not seem like that, so I was able to listen to them and treat them with impartiality.
While I was still waiting for an answer from the human princess, I could feel my patience slowly breaking and as I was about to speak, she finally spoke up .
"Al..Alayna your Highness. My..my name is Alayna."
Vig had his hand resting on her shoulder which seemed to give her the courage to respond. Alayna had done well to be honest because this was her last chance. If she had lied to me again after my warning, her head would have rolled on the carpet the instant her lie came out of her mouth.
"You did well to be honest Alayna, now can you take off that mask and hood ? I like to see the faces of the people I talk to."
Knowing that her identity had been revealed, she no longer had any reason to keep her mask on. However, once again Alayna was hesitating for some unknown reason. Her gaze was fixed on Luna and her eyes looked sad and desperate. I was about to order her to do it quickly but Kira was already intervening to stop me.
[Wait onee-san ! I don't know what's going on between her and Luna but please let her keep her mask on. I...I won't ask anything else of you, I promise, but...but I feel like it's important to her...]
*Why should I let her keep her mask after what I told her ? Should I go back on my word because of a simple intuition on your part ? You seem strangely concerned about her feelings, little sister..*
My voice remained cold as I answered Kira. I couldn't understand why she was so panicked and wanted to protect this human.
[I...I can't stand that sad look. But I won't say anything more, excuse me I didn't want to go against what you decide, after all you are the Empress and she is a human]
Hearing my little sister's words, I suddenly felt guilty. I was not like those humans. I was certainly ruthless and cruel when I had to be, but I didn't want to traumatize anyone who didn't deserve it. If I started doing that, then Erkas would be right, I would be no different than any of these humans. Taking a deep breath, I answered Kira who was silent.
*Sigh...no..I apologize. My title of Empress does not allow me to interfere in the hearts and minds of people against their will. That's not why I took the title. After all, she will eventually take off her mask. Thank you little sister for reminding me of what's important..*
[Th..thank you onee-san]
As I looked up at the human princess, I could see her trembling hands gradually reaching her face as tears began to fall from under her mask. Without waiting, I raised my voice to the young woman again.
"Alayna, you can keep your mask, it doesn't matter. If it's important to you, you're free to keep it."
The young woman was relieved as a genuine smile appeared on her face as she whispered an honest and for the first time, fearless "thank you". I couldn't see all of her face but I knew that behind that mask was most likely a very beautiful woman.
When I came to this world, I never thought I could show such compassion to a human, and yet I had just done so. The words that Lieutenant Ash had reported from the elf father echoed in my mind and were tinged with truth. As I was about to continue, Nixia stepped forward to speak.
"Your Highness, please excuse my disrespect, but shouldn't this human comply with your orders ? Why should you take back what you said earlier ?"
The beautiful black-scaled lamia seemed upset to let her get away with it. I knew that after me, she had to be the one who hated humans the most and I understood her. However, she also had to understand that we couldn't pick on them just because they were human. I was not a nice person, but I was now an Empress and I represented the Empire. I didn't want this Empire to start discriminating against other races like all the others.
"Nixia, I understand how you feel, but as this elf here said, if we don't know how to show compassion to those who have never wronged us...then we are indeed no better than those humans who revel in the suffering of our own. All of you who joined me were fleeing discrimination, racism...I don't want to replicate that here. I ask you all, are we not different ? We are ! This is the Empire of Elysium and under no circumstances will the lights within it be tainted by such acts !"
I raised my voice to make sure everyone could hear me. My determination could be felt in every word as it echoed through the room like a heavenly rule.
"Hai !"
Everyone in the throne room was both amazed and admiring to hear me say this. In everyone's eyes I could see that they understood what I meant, some were disappointed that they had made a hasty judgment based on resentment and anger. I myself had almost given in to this impulse and without the intervention of Kira and Erkas, the Empire might well have taken a completely different direction. This meeting with the humans for the time being had at least helped us to know the guideline of this Empire that should never fall into the ways of humanity.
"Good...now let's get started !"
____
FULL STATUS
Name : Freya
Age: 0 years / Mentally: 25 years
Sex : Female
Course : Ice Demon Wolf of chaos - Adult
Race : Major Demon
Titles : Blessed by Titania, Goddess of endless Chaos and eternal frozen Hell.
Dragon tamer
Ruthless slayer
Level : 33/70
Exp required for next level: 100 / 34 000
HP : 90 000 / 90 000 MP : 45 000 / 45 000
Strength : 425
Defense : 421
Agility : 435
Stamina : 428
Speed : 427
Intelligence : 425
Charisma : 410 (imperial she-wolf)
Attribute points to allocate : 0
Married to: Gaya
Daughter : Shiro
Empire (menu)
Subordinates : 387
Humans killed : 148
Elements: Ice / Chaos
Skills (all):
Attack - Demon Claws (Lvl 5)
- Bite of hell (Lvl 5)
- Infernal ice spikes (Lvl 6)
- Fighting techniques (lvl max)
- Mastery of the katana (lvl max)
- Demonic aura of the empress (lvl 5)
Defense - Ice demon wall (lvl 6)
- Demonic cloak (lvl 5)
Pain Resistance (lvl 3)
Attack/Defense - Domain of the Ice Empress "frozen wrath" (lvl 1) - (under condition)
Others - Humanoid form
- Ice creation (Lvl 5)
- Storage of chaos (Lvl 4)
- Devouring chaos (Lvl 5)
- Analysis
- Second soul (Lvl max) - unique
- Telepathy
Mana detection (lvl 1)
Passives - Commander (lvl max)
- Natural Aura of the Ice Empress ]
We stood before the Empress of Elysium, dressed in clothes as black as her hair except for a magnificent white Imperial cloak. I didn't notice it right away, but beside her, sitting on a smaller throne, was another woman.
Unlike the empress, she had crimson hair and a much softer face. I didn't know who she was but her presence was also intimidating though more bearable than the ruler of the Empire.
"I am Empress Freya and you are in the presence of my army Commanders and my wife Queen Gaya here !"
As she spoke these words, Empress Freya looked in turn at the 10 women in front of us, ending with the mysterious woman at her side.
*Her...wife ?*
In all my life as a recluse, I didn't know that there were relationships like that. I was not against it at all, on the contrary I found it both wonderful and romantic. But my thoughts were soon forgotten as the sovereign straightened up with interest to ask us a question.
"Now that you know who we are, I'm going to ask you all to give me your names. You can do that for me can't you ?"
As she finished her sentence, I could almost see her smile slightly, as if the Empress had something special in mind. At times I almost felt like she was staring at me specifically, as if she knew who I was.
*You're imagining things...that's impossible !*
Shaking my head quietly to get rid of this idea, I could hear a shy voice coming from the room. The young woman had asked for our names so Erkas the husband of Elen, was the first to speak.
"Empress...my name is Erkas and I..I am the representative of our group."
Despite his trembling voice and stiff body, the elf seemed determined to defend us also in front of her Highness. He had turned pale and the fear that he would faint any moment was present in my heart.
"I.."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Empress Freya was already cutting him off.
"Would you be the one who compared my Empire to those of the humans under the pretext that we wouldn't be able to discern...what was it again ?"
As she turned her head with an amused look, Luna stepped forward to answer.
"To discern a good heart from a bad one your Highness."
"Mmmh that's it !"
Looking at the whole scene, it was easy to understand that the ruler remembered very well what had been said. Me, I understood absolutely nothing because it must have happened while I was passed out and my stress kept increasing
"It doesn't matter, just relax. You are free to have your own opinions and I won't judge. I understood your words considering the situation, that's why we are here. You others, what are your names ?"
In turn, the members of his family introduced themselves. There was Elen the mother, Eve the sister, Nym her husband and Erkas' two children named June for the older sister and Sora for the little boy. As they introduced themselves, I realized that apart from the two parents, I didn't know the names of any of them. Carefully noting them in my mind, the muscular man's voice echoed in the room in turn.
"Vig"
I didn't have time to think about what he had just said, it was now my turn to say my name.
*What to do ? Should I say Luna or Alayna ?*
I was currently in a big dilemma. My real name was known because I was the princess of Zal, it would be dangerous to expose it like that but at the same time I didn't dare to lie to this young powerful woman. What to do ? All eyes were on me as I swallowed before answering.
"My name is Lu...Luna your Highness"
My lie had come out of my mouth under pressure. I hadn't really decided to lie but I had lost my nerve and under the intensity of the sovereign's gaze I had lied despite myself. As I finished my sentence, I could see the Empress frowning before standing up and walking towards me.
*Oh no...*
Instinctively my first instinct was to lower my head, shaking, praying that she would not stop in front of me. Unfortunately for me, the young woman stopped right in front of me. Her black boots were under my nose as her sharp voice rose above me.
"Human. I repeat...what is your name ?"
I was terrified, all I could do was shake curled up in my arms. I could feel the tears welling up and my mind disconnecting as I could no longer control my fear associated with her presence closer to me than ever. My eyes were closed but I knew that I was being watched and that those with me probably had many questions.
*Sorry, I'm sorry I lied to you all *
I opened my mouth but no words would come out, I was like a mute. As the Empress leaned into my ear, I could feel her breath as she whispered a few sentences that instantly made me pale.
"I advise you to be honest for your own sake if you don't want me to get upset. I hate being taken for a fool. Here you have the chance to be honest so grab it...princess."
How did she know ? Could she read minds ? What I didn't know was that she couldn't read minds, but that she read people like an open book in addition to her system.
As the young woman walked away to go back to her throne in the huge silent room, a hand came to my shoulder to give me courage.
____
-- POV Freya --
[Onee-san, isn't it a bit too cruel to play with her like that ?]
*I don't care. I was planning to be lenient but you know more than anyone that lying is one of the things I hate the most. I understand why she hides her name, but here she is standing in front of me and still dares to lie to me. Do you think I will let her do that ? Certainly not kufufu~*
I returned to my throne and waited patiently for this young human to be honest.
*A good discussion never starts with a lie..*
If she wanted to prove that she was not a threat to us and to honor the courage of this family, this human had to tell the truth in front of everyone. I also wanted to test her and her companion who was very powerful. As soon as they arrived, I analyzed each person and the two humans were definitely the most interesting.
[Vig
Race: Human
Element : x [N/A : none]
Lvl 32/70
HP : 55 000 / 75 000
Strength : 321
Defense : 320
Agility : 260
Stamina : 300
Speed : 285 ]
The human named Vig had almost the same level as mine, although his statistics were lower. This was normal because I was raising my attribute points thanks to the system, which made me stronger than my level. His HP was not completely full because he was injured but this Vig was stronger than any of my commanders.
*For now at least kufufu~*
[Alayna Zal
Race : Human
Element : x
Lvl 2/10
HP : 300 / 300
Strength : 20
Defense : 15
Agility : 30
Stamina : 10
Speed : 10 ]
____
For the Princess, there was not much to say. Without even opening her status, I knew at first glance that she was not a fighter at all but rather a weak human. However, what interested me about her was her family name and her ability to get here without dying. Of course Alayna had been helped, but physical strength was not the same as mental strength and determination, which was also very important to me.
*A weak mind in a strong body is no better than a strong mind in a weak body*
Contrary to what I thought, seeing humans did not make me want to exterminate them. Of course, I still had trouble with them and will do so for the rest of my life, but the ones I hated the most, the ones I wanted to see suffer, were the humans who ruled as tyrants, torturers and murderers in this world. These two humans did not seem like that, so I was able to listen to them and treat them with impartiality.
While I was still waiting for an answer from the human princess, I could feel my patience slowly breaking and as I was about to speak, she finally spoke up .
"Al..Alayna your Highness. My..my name is Alayna."
Vig had his hand resting on her shoulder which seemed to give her the courage to respond. Alayna had done well to be honest because this was her last chance. If she had lied to me again after my warning, her head would have rolled on the carpet the instant her lie came out of her mouth.
"You did well to be honest Alayna, now can you take off that mask and hood ? I like to see the faces of the people I talk to."
Knowing that her identity had been revealed, she no longer had any reason to keep her mask on. However, once again Alayna was hesitating for some unknown reason. Her gaze was fixed on Luna and her eyes looked sad and desperate. I was about to order her to do it quickly but Kira was already intervening to stop me.
[Wait onee-san ! I don't know what's going on between her and Luna but please let her keep her mask on. I...I won't ask anything else of you, I promise, but...but I feel like it's important to her...]
*Why should I let her keep her mask after what I told her ? Should I go back on my word because of a simple intuition on your part ? You seem strangely concerned about her feelings, little sister..*
My voice remained cold as I answered Kira. I couldn't understand why she was so panicked and wanted to protect this human.
[I...I can't stand that sad look. But I won't say anything more, excuse me I didn't want to go against what you decide, after all you are the Empress and she is a human]
Hearing my little sister's words, I suddenly felt guilty. I was not like those humans. I was certainly ruthless and cruel when I had to be, but I didn't want to traumatize anyone who didn't deserve it. If I started doing that, then Erkas would be right, I would be no different than any of these humans. Taking a deep breath, I answered Kira who was silent.
*Sigh...no..I apologize. My title of Empress does not allow me to interfere in the hearts and minds of people against their will. That's not why I took the title. After all, she will eventually take off her mask. Thank you little sister for reminding me of what's important..*
[Th..thank you onee-san]
As I looked up at the human princess, I could see her trembling hands gradually reaching her face as tears began to fall from under her mask. Without waiting, I raised my voice to the young woman again.
"Alayna, you can keep your mask, it doesn't matter. If it's important to you, you're free to keep it."
The young woman was relieved as a genuine smile appeared on her face as she whispered an honest and for the first time, fearless "thank you". I couldn't see all of her face but I knew that behind that mask was most likely a very beautiful woman.
When I came to this world, I never thought I could show such compassion to a human, and yet I had just done so. The words that Lieutenant Ash had reported from the elf father echoed in my mind and were tinged with truth. As I was about to continue, Nixia stepped forward to speak.
"Your Highness, please excuse my disrespect, but shouldn't this human comply with your orders ? Why should you take back what you said earlier ?"
The beautiful black-scaled lamia seemed upset to let her get away with it. I knew that after me, she had to be the one who hated humans the most and I understood her. However, she also had to understand that we couldn't pick on them just because they were human. I was not a nice person, but I was now an Empress and I represented the Empire. I didn't want this Empire to start discriminating against other races like all the others.
"Nixia, I understand how you feel, but as this elf here said, if we don't know how to show compassion to those who have never wronged us...then we are indeed no better than those humans who revel in the suffering of our own. All of you who joined me were fleeing discrimination, racism...I don't want to replicate that here. I ask you all, are we not different ? We are ! This is the Empire of Elysium and under no circumstances will the lights within it be tainted by such acts !"
I raised my voice to make sure everyone could hear me. My determination could be felt in every word as it echoed through the room like a heavenly rule.
"Hai !"
Everyone in the throne room was both amazed and admiring to hear me say this. In everyone's eyes I could see that they understood what I meant, some were disappointed that they had made a hasty judgment based on resentment and anger. I myself had almost given in to this impulse and without the intervention of Kira and Erkas, the Empire might well have taken a completely different direction. This meeting with the humans for the time being had at least helped us to know the guideline of this Empire that should never fall into the ways of humanity.
"Good...now let's get started !"
____
FULL STATUS
Name : Freya
Age: 0 years / Mentally: 25 years
Sex : Female
Course : Ice Demon Wolf of chaos - Adult
Race : Major Demon
Titles : Blessed by Titania, Goddess of endless Chaos and eternal frozen Hell.
Dragon tamer
Ruthless slayer
Level : 33/70
Exp required for next level: 100 / 34 000
HP : 90 000 / 90 000 MP : 45 000 / 45 000
Strength : 425
Defense : 421
Agility : 435
Stamina : 428
Speed : 427
Intelligence : 425
Charisma : 410 (imperial she-wolf)
Attribute points to allocate : 0
Married to: Gaya
Daughter : Shiro
Empire (menu)
Subordinates : 387
Humans killed : 148
Elements: Ice / Chaos
Skills (all):
Attack - Demon Claws (Lvl 5)
- Bite of hell (Lvl 5)
- Infernal ice spikes (Lvl 6)
- Fighting techniques (lvl max)
- Mastery of the katana (lvl max)
- Demonic aura of the empress (lvl 5)
Defense - Ice demon wall (lvl 6)
- Demonic cloak (lvl 5)
Pain Resistance (lvl 3)
Attack/Defense - Domain of the Ice Empress "frozen wrath" (lvl 1) - (under condition)
Others - Humanoid form
- Ice creation (Lvl 5)
- Storage of chaos (Lvl 4)
- Devouring chaos (Lvl 5)
- Analysis
- Second soul (Lvl max) - unique
- Telepathy
Mana detection (lvl 1)
Passives - Commander (lvl max)
- Natural Aura of the Ice Empress ]
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