CHAPTER 170: MEETING THE EMPRESS [2]

’....What?’

It was the painting of the first elf....

’...Why is he there?’

Along with her was Velyrian.

For Akamir, it wasn’t hard to recognize the Ieril of Dawn who was the first elf sent by the Golden Sun.

Because there was no one whose picture should be in this place.

But....

No matter how many times he saw it... it was Velyrian who was standing beside her.

’What the fuck is going on?’

Akamir couldn’t help but wonder in confusion as he looked at the painting.

"What the hell is that?" Nayomi whispered softly beside him. "It’s Velyrian, isn’t he?"

Akamir nodded in response as his eyes were practically glued to the painting.

’Is he just Velyrian’s lookalike?’

He wondered to himself as he drew in deep breaths.

Despite whatever reasons may be, Akamir wasn’t here to look at the picture.

Taking in another deep breath, he shifted his focus back to the job at hand.

It was still late at night, and there wasn’t any sound coming from the inside.

Akamir walked to the left from the main hall.

’It would have been nice if I could tell where she is.’

Even though the insect confirmed that she is inside, it didn’t give him an exact direction.

Akamir walked past a room and tried to find her.

He didn’t use mana to check in case she had a higher sensitivity for mana.

’Wait, should I try it?’

Akamir stopped in his place as a thought crossed his mind.

He slowly closed his eyes as he drew in a deep breath.

The lingering spirit energy in his body slowly began to circulate.

’I need to form a core in order to properly use the spirit energy.’

The condition of making the spirit core was the same as making a mana core.

One has to take in spirit energy from the spirit world and condense it.

Though with the destruction of the spirit world, the concept of the spirit core was also forgotten.

’I am sure I am the only spirit energy user in this continent.’

The spirit energy that slowly circulated in his body reached his eyes.

And...

Even with his eyes closed, Akamir could see everything.

Akamir’s breath steadied as the spirit energy laced itself around his nerves.

His heartbeat dulled into silence, and the world faded from color to glowing silhouettes.

Even with his eyes shut, everything became... visible.

Not through sight... but presence.

He could sense the flow of air, the pulse of old roots through the floor, the aura of nature clinging to the structure of the mansion.

Everything made a solitude of greenish colour that was clearly felt by him.

Akamir could make a map of the entire place in an instant.

Finally, after a few moments... he felt it.

A stillness within the mansion, unlike anything else.

Not absence, but overwhelming control— it was like a vast ocean pretending to be a pond.

’That has to be her.’

With his eyes closed, he slowly moved towards her.

There was nothing that he couldn’t see; with his spirit eyes, he could even see through walls.

’What is she doing?’

Akamir wondered to himself as he moved closer.

The more he ’saw’ her, the weirder he felt.

’It looks like she is sleeping on the floor?’

Akamir frowned. Though confused, he still moved towards her.

He turned right from the main hallway, carefully stepping down a corridor that led deeper into the mansion.

The architecture was beautiful; he could feel it with his eyes closed.

Finally, he reached the door. From the opposite side, he felt her presence.

Akamir stood outside the door for a while as he controlled his breath.

Finally, he reached out for the door handle.

"What are you doing?"

A voice echoed from his side, startling him.

Akamir quickly ’looked’ to his side, finding a glow of energy.

’A fairy?’ he thought to himself. ’Wait, is she—?’

The small fairy, not bigger than the size of a hand, was still brimming with spirit energy.

"Wait, aren’t you that weird human!?"

The fairy asked, her translucent wings moving around.

"What are you doing here, Human—!!"

Akamir quickly placed his hand over her small mouth, muffling her sound.

"Can you not talk so loud?" Akamir whispered. "You are going to expose me."

The fairy blinked innocently, removing his hand from her mouth.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "You are already caught."

Akamir looked at her blankly until....

"Give me one reason why I should not behead you right now."

A cold and emotionless voice echoed from the inside of the room.

The fairy zipped behind his shoulder in an instant and sat on his head.

"Be grateful, human," Lili said in a smug tone. "I asked her to not attack you the moment you walked in."

Akamir drew in a deep breath as he steadied himself.

Despite the pressure that was coming from the other side of the door, he didn’t lose his composure.

Akamir’s hand left the door handle.

"I didn’t come here to fight," he said, his voice steady.

There was a moment of silence, heavy and tense.

"You’re not one of mine," she said. "You don’t carry Elven blood... and yet, you walk into my home."

Akamir slowly raised both hands in front of him. "I came here to talk, nothing else."

"To talk," she repeated.

There was no sarcasm, no laughter—just suspicion laced with curiosity.

"Who sent you?"

’I am glad she asked that.’

At least the woman was ready to talk with him.

"Velyrian," Akamir said softly and felt the fairy on his head stop. "He sent me here."

The silence that followed Akamir’s answer stretched longer than he expected.

Then, at last, a soft breath escaped from behind the door.

"Father...?" the Empress’s voice was quieter now. "....Why would he send a human here?"

"Wait, what’s up with you?" Lili asked before he could reply to her. "Why am I feeling spirit energy from you?"

Akamir ignored her as he focused on the Empress.

Taking in a deep breath, he delivered the news.

"Velyrian is no more."

Akamir said firmly.

"He died in an accident a half a month ago."

The silence stretched for a long time after that.

---

"...How?" the Empress finally asked.

Her voice was barely above a whisper, and though it carried no emotion,

something about it felt... fragile.

Akamir lowered his hands.

"He was experimenting with something that he shouldn’t have," Akamir replied. "He died doing something good."

There was another long silence between them.

"Is this some kind of joke?" the voice replied from the other side. "Are you playing with me?"

"I would never joke with someone’s life," Akamir replied firmly. "He is really dead."

Then came the sound of something soft collapsing—maybe she had sat down.

Or maybe her knees had finally given in.

’Wait, did I hear the sound of water?’

"...Even if he is dead," Sephrina said, her voice cold now. "What about it?"

Akamir still had his eyes closed as he asked, "Pardon?"

"What does it matter!!" the Empress snapped at him. "He was gone from my life for years, I don’t car—!"

Her words didn’t even finish as she choked on her own breath.

Finally, the sniffing sound of someone crying echoed within the place.

The sound of her sobs was quiet, but there was no mistaking it now.

She was trying to hold them back trying to keep the wall up but it was too late.

The moment the tears had started, everything else began to crack.

"...He promised," Sephrina whispered. "He said he’d return with a... cure."

Akamir didn’t say anything as he kept on ’looking’ at the door without a word.

"I waited. For decades I waited. Even when others told me he’d vanished, I knew... I just knew he was out there." Her voice trembled. "Why did he just...."

Akamir let out a sigh as he kept on hearing her uncorrected mumbling.

"Why did he send you?" she finally asked after a long pause.

"He left a letter for you," Akamir said, placing his hand back on the handle. "And asked me to pass it to you."

Sephrina didn’t say anything as she began moving in her room.

Akamir began to open the door. "I am coming in."

"Wait, no!" Lili immediately tried to stop him. "You will get cursed if you go inside."

"It’s fine," Akamir said, smiling. "It won’t affect me with my eyes closed."

"W-wait, still—"

Akamir ignored her rambling as he pushed open the door.

’Hmmm?’

The first thing that he noticed was the change in humidity.

Even though his eyes were closed, he could still ’feel’ and ’see’ the world with his spirit eyes.

And right now....

What he saw made his blood turn cold.

Because it wasn’t the room he was in, and nor was the Empress sleeping.

Sephrina was taking a bath, and right now...

.....He stood in her bathroom, where she was naked.

"Did I give you my permission to walk in?"

Sephrina’s cold voice echoed within the bathroom.

"Uh, sorry?"

Akamir walked back and quickly closed the door.

’Fuck.’