Ch.52Chapter 52 – The Mechanic Receives the Emperor’s Invitation (2)

I followed Shannon to the Chancellor’s office located at the top of the Tower of Documents.

Neither of us spoke a word during our journey to the Tower of Documents.

That’s how surprising this matter was for both of us.

Passing through the entrance of the Tower of Documents, taking the elevator, and arriving in front of the Chancellor’s office—all felt like a mere instant.

“Chancellor. It’s Shannon. I’ve brought student Pathos.”

“Come in.”

Unlike usual, the Chancellor’s voice was filled with tension.

Most likely due to the Emperor’s envoy present in the office.

Shannon carefully opened the door to the Chancellor’s office, and I walked in.

“Welcome, student Pathos.”

As I entered, the Chancellor was sitting on the sofa in the center, and on the sofa to his right sat a slightly balding blond man.

“So you’re THE student Pathos. Pleased to meet you. I am Berton, an envoy sent by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Decatro IV, the Supreme Sovereign of the Gelebrio Empire.”

The balding blond man, Berton, stood up and offered me a handshake.

He introduced himself as an envoy sent by Decatro IV, the leader of this country.

“First-year student at Glesius Academy, Pathos.”

I greeted him by accepting his handshake.

“Since our conversation might take some time, let’s sit down and talk.”

I accepted Berton’s invitation and took a seat.

Once I sat down, Berton stood up and pulled something out from inside his coat.

‘It looks like a petition scroll.’

The object he took out resembled two long cylinders attached together, similar to a petition scroll.

Berton held the two cylinders with both hands and pulled them apart.

As he did so, the space between the two tubes widened, revealing something like paper stretching between them.

“Now, as an envoy of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Decatro IV, the Supreme Sovereign and Sun of the Gelebrio Empire, I shall deliver his message.”

Berton cleared his throat a couple of times.

[Pathos, ability user blessed by the Great Goddess. I have heard from Chancellor Bergen Steyler that you are the one who can solve my long-standing wish for the Gelebrio Empire. Therefore, to fulfill this grand wish, I wish to invite you to the Imperial Palace. If you have received this message from my envoy, I command you to visit the Imperial Palace immediately. To ensure your convenient travel, I have sent a carriage and escort troops through my envoy. Thus, I ask that you accept my invitation.]

What Berton conveyed was a lengthy statement that I had been invited to the Imperial Palace.

An invitation to the Imperial Palace was something I had never even imagined, so I could hardly believe it was real.

However, the golden lion emblem drawn on the cylinder Berton was holding was the symbol of the Gelebrio Empire’s imperial family.

Moreover, since Berton had identified himself as an envoy representing the Emperor, it meant that my imperial invitation was indeed real.

I turned to look at the Chancellor, who nodded.

That was the moment it became certain that Berton was truly the Emperor’s envoy and that the message he delivered was genuinely from the Emperor.

‘I, a modern person reincarnated into another world, received an invitation from the Emperor?’

No, I’m not some hero summoned to save another world from a demon lord.

It hasn’t even been half a year, so why am I getting a request to meet the Emperor?

Yet Berton’s face as he looked at me was very serious, and the Chancellor too was looking at me with an unusually grave expression.

Apparently, both of them were waiting for my response to the Emperor’s message.

I had no reason to refuse the Emperor’s invitation.

He even sent a carriage and escort troops to bring me.

If I were to refuse here?

This small object protruding from my shoulders might be swiftly chopped off.

Although I possess remarkable abilities, I’m still just a flickering candle in the wind before an Emperor who rules a vast empire.

“I gratefully and willingly accept the invitation from His Imperial Majesty, the Sun of the Gelebrio Empire.”

“Very well. His Imperial Majesty will be greatly pleased. If you have any belongings to gather, we shall wait. The carriage provided by His Imperial Majesty is waiting at the main gate.”

“Understood. I will pack my things and join you as quickly as possible.”

Since it had come to this, I decided to accept the Emperor’s invitation with a positive mindset.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

The carriage prepared by the Emperor was quite comfortable.

Contrary to my expectations, the road from Archenium to Aurelios, the capital of this empire, was a wide, well-paved path.

The road even had stone slabs embedded like planks, allowing the carriage to move with minimal shaking.

“Hmm.”

“Does the food not suit your taste?”

However, I still couldn’t get used to the food eaten while traveling in the carriage.

Even though it was prepared by the imperial court, it mostly consisted of hardtack, salted meat, and jerky—commonly used as combat rations.

“Is there perhaps any other food available?”

“Unless it’s a journey of at least a week, imperial civil service regulations prohibit carrying anything other than hardtack, salted meat, and jerky for trips under three days.”

“I guess it can’t be helped.”

Since those were the imperial civil service regulations, there was nothing I could do.

The one fortunate thing was that I wasn’t the only one eating this food—everyone else was eating the same.

Oh, by the way, after that incident I’d rather not mention, I’ve been intentionally avoiding using my ability on food.

I used my ability just in a city near the academy, and it caused a situation I couldn’t handle.

What if people related to the imperial palace or the imperial family showed the same reaction?

‘Then the next day would become my memorial day…’

Ugh, I’m not such an attention-seeker that I crave that level of attention.

Inevitably, I had to endure eating tasteless jerky and hardtack for two days.

Fortunately, the distance from Archenium to Aurelios was only about two days’ journey.

The reason I could endure this was thanks to my military service experience.

Due to a stupid battalion commander who didn’t properly arrange for provisions, we had to train for two days without proper meals.

Fortunately, when the regimental commander heard that soldiers were starving because of lack of provisions, he immediately drove over in his Retona and severely reprimanded the battalion commander.

Sigh, damn it. Just thinking about it makes me angry. I should have shot that battalion commander back then.

Anyway, thanks to that experience, it’s no secret that I can somehow force myself to swallow slightly unpalatable food.

After about two days, I was finally able to enter Aurelios.

“Imperial carriage! Pass through! Pass through!”

“Let them through!”

The carriage carrying Berton and me was able to bypass the inspection at Aurelios.

What is this, some kind of VIP express pass?

Befitting a country where the Emperor’s power is strong, they seem to automatically allow passage just by seeing the imperial emblem.

Thanks to that, I could comfortably remain seated in the carriage all the way to the imperial palace.

“Giddyup! Giddyup!”

“It seems we’ve arrived at the imperial palace. Now, let’s get off.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

After entering the imperial palace grounds and the carriage stopping, Berton and I were able to disembark.

As I got off the carriage, a familiar face greeted me.

“Welcome, young Pathos.”

“Chancellor, sir?”

“Hahaha. I’ve been waiting for you.”

It was none other than the Chancellor. Wait, why is he appearing here?

“Follow me. His Imperial Majesty is waiting.”

It seemed the Emperor was quite eager to meet me.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for “Bergen Steyler” himself to come here to guide me personally.

I followed the Chancellor into the imperial palace.

The interior of the imperial palace was truly magnificent and splendid.

I heard Hitler deliberately made his office horizontally long to overwhelm others, but the imperial palace was just enormous in every way.

Perhaps they wanted to display their power by being able to build and maintain such a large building.

The interior decoration was the epitome of splendor itself.

Artisanal decorations and statues were everywhere, and even the armor mannequins placed for decoration were gleaming brightly.

Moreover, hanging from the ceiling were lamp-like objects emitting a soft light.

Those must be the mana lamps that cost about two gold coins each.

“Your Imperial Majesty. I, Bergen Steyler, have arrived with Pathos. May we enter?”

Standing before a massive golden door, the Chancellor carefully conveyed his message beyond the door.

“Oh, do come in.”

With the invitation to enter, the massive door slowly began to open.

I took a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves. Excessive tension leads to mistakes.

As the door fully opened, I finally met the ruler who governs the Gelebrio Empire, the main stage of Erasto Chronicle.

“Welcome. As the Emperor of the Gelebrio Empire, I welcome you.”

Decatro IV.

What could he possibly want from me that made him summon me here?