After leaving the construction site, Dio and the Empire Diplomat continued discussing what had just transpired. Dio remarked, "I must admit, these barbarians have surprisingly strong anti-infiltration awareness. Even after all that, I couldn't extract a single piece of information. Their lying skills could use some work, though. Bricks growing inside ice? That's just absurd."
The Empire Diplomat held the opposite view. "I have a feeling that barbarian might have been telling the truth. If potatoes can grow inside ice, why not bricks?"
"The Northern Territory unifying and establishing an empire within mere months is already highly illogical. There must be some hidden reason we don't know about."
Dio nodded in agreement. "Hmm, you make a fair point."
A moment of silence fell between them as they exchanged glances. Then, in unison, they blurted out, "So why am I even discussing this with you?!"
Let's not forget, these two were still enemies.
Tsk~Tsk~
The two men clicked their tongues in unison, turning their heads away from each other. They stopped talking, but absurdly, their footsteps remained perfectly synchronized as they continued forward.
Moments later, for reasons unknown, a large group of Barbarians had gathered a short distance ahead, lined up in a long queue. The Empire Diplomat raised an eyebrow and approached one of the Barbarians. "Brother, what's going on here?" he asked.
"What else would it be?" the Barbarian replied. "We're here to collect portraits of Boss Imperator, of course!"
This particular Barbarian was a member of a small clan that had recently joined the Northern Territory Empire. After hearing tales of the Imperator's legendary deeds, he had become utterly devoted to her.
"Boss Imperator?" the Empire Diplomat asked. "Could you tell me more about her?"
At this question, the Barbarian's words came pouring out like a torrent. People always seem to have boundless enthusiasm when pulling pranks or sharing their passions.
"Boss Imperator is absolutely incredible!" the Barbarian exclaimed. "They say she arrived in the Northern Territory with just five people, and within a few short months, she established a stronghold right in the heart of it—where we are now—and subdued all the surrounding Clans!"
"Legend has it that anyone who lays eyes on her is instantly overwhelmed by her majesty, falling to their knees and pledging unwavering loyalty from the depths of their hearts! Even a monk from the Eastern Ancient Kingdom, said to possess immense power, now quietly serves Boss Imperator!"
"A monk from the Eastern Ancient Kingdom?" the Empire Diplomat paused, taken aback. It wasn't a term he encountered often. Moreover, he recalled that monks from that land were supposed to be detached from worldly desires. How could such a person swear fealty to another?
Listening to the Barbarian's words, the Empire Diplomat couldn't help but suspect Boss Imperator wielded some kind of mind control magic, enslaving all who crossed her path.
Dio, standing nearby, clearly had the same thought. But he countered, "That's impossible. Mind control magic has a limited duration. Unless she's using a high-tier spell like 'Modify Memory,' which consumes immense energy and requires meticulous precision, it's simply impractical to use it on such a vast number of people."
The Barbarian continued, "And then, you know, at a time when the Northern Territory Empire had only 100,000 people, the 300,000-strong Falcon Clan set their sights on this land. They migrated en masse, determined to crush the Empire in one swift blow!"
"But Boss Imperator only sent 10,000 warriors to meet them. They utterly routed the Falcon Clan, leaving them running with their tails between their legs. In the end, they killed the Falcon Clan's leader and subjugated the entire clan!"
"One against thirty!?" The Empire Diplomat was astonished. Such a victory seemed utterly impossible. He couldn't imagine even the Emperor's Personal Guard achieving such a feat.
Of course, if the Empire Diplomat knew that the 10,000 warriors were merely there to rescue survivors, and that Hysilens had single-handedly "eliminated" the 300,000 Falcon Clan members with a single strike, he would have been even more stunned.
The Barbarian continued, his tone growing increasingly boastful. "And then! The Northern Territory's strongest clan, the Black Bear Clan, challenged the Northern Territory Empire! Boss Imperator personally piloted her personal vehicle, taking only a few trusted followers, and went alone to the Black Bear Clan's territory!"
"They say the Black Bear Clan was facing a demonic crisis at the time—something about a Plague Lord from the nth layer of the Abyss? Doesn't matter—Boss Imperator crushed that guy without even breaking a sweat! As for the Black Bear Clan's chieftain, he naturally knelt before her in the end, swearing fealty!"
"Wha... what?! A Plague Lord?!" Dio was stunned by those words. He didn't actually know who the Plague Lord was, but anyone with such a title had to be an absurdly powerful Archdevil. "Are you serious?!"
"Of course!" the Barbarian retorted. "Arthur, the Black Bear Clan's former leader, told me this himself. Why would he lie?"
"This... this..." The Empire Diplomat frowned deeply. "But that's preposterous! How could a mere Mortal possibly defeat an Archdevil?"
"Who told you Boss Imperator Kaiser was a mere Mortal?" the Barbarian retorted. "She's a True god walking among humans! Don't you even know basic stuff like that?"
The Empire Diplomat stared blankly. "?!"
Dio: "?"
The Barbarian said, "I think they call her... the God of Law or something. Anyway, she's incredibly powerful! They say that if you pay the right price, Boss Imperator can grant any wish! When we were short on food, potatoes grew from the ice. When we needed clothes, they rained down from the sky. When we lacked shelter, bricks and stones appeared on their own!"
After hearing the whole story, the Empire Diplomat and Dio still wore expressions of disbelief. The Barbarian's claims were simply too outlandish to believe!
It was like a city dweller visiting a rural village and discovering that every villager drove luxury cars like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces. If they asked why, and the villagers replied, "Our village has a UFO, and these luxury cars were gifts from the aliens," wouldn't the Empire Diplomat and Dio be astonished?
While they were talking, the procession slowly advanced. Finally, it was their turn. The bald Barbarian, holding a stack of portraits, called out, "One portrait per person! Don't take more than you need!"
The Barbarian, who had been bragging to the pair just moments ago, immediately stepped forward to claim a portrait. The Empire Diplomat and Dio followed suit. But when they finally examined their acquired images of Empress Cerydra, both the Empire Diplomat and Dio were struck dumb.
It wasn't for any particular reason; Her Majesty the Empress... simply didn't quite match their expectations.
The Empire Diplomat scrutinized the portrait from every angle before remarking, "This perspective feels so strange. It's like she's about to step right on my face."
Dio nodded in agreement. "You're not wrong. This portrait... and is this even a painting?"
The Empire Diplomat asked, "What do you make of what that Barbarian said earlier? How credible do you think he was?"
Dio shook his head. "Hard to say. His claims were so outrageous, they almost seemed genuine. And the fact remains: the Northern Territory Empire has indeed developed into its current state."
"So what now?" the Empire Diplomat pressed.
"I don't know," Dio admitted.
They exchanged a long, silent look. Despite their initial animosity, since arriving in the Northern Territory Empire, they had stuck together—aside from their initial weapon-sabotaging attempts. Ultimately, the overwhelming pressure exerted by this rising empire had forced them into an uneasy alliance.
Although the Alliance and the Empire were currently at odds, they shared a common stance within the Northern Territory Empire: neither wished to see a new, powerful nation rise in this region.
After a pause, the Empire Diplomat continued, "Continue investigating. At least gather comprehensive data on the Northern Territory Empire's current population, economy, and military strength. If possible, collect as much information as possible on Her Majesty the Imperator as well..."
Just as the two were preparing to resume their mission, a bald-headed man appeared before them. Dirk glanced down at them with a slight nod and said, "No need for all this sneaking around. Boss Imperator has ordered that if you want to see her, just come with me directly."
The Empire Diplomat, Dio, stared in stunned silence.
After all, outsiders were rare in the Northern Territory. When two strangers suddenly appeared, the Barbarian who first traded with them immediately reported their presence. Even the Adamantine Longsword and Magic Flute they had traded are now in Cerydra's possession.
Naturally, Cerydra had someone keep an eye on the pair.
Normally, spies caught sneaking into another country would be executed on the spot. But Cerydra recognized Dio—an old friend, after all—and couldn't simply have him eliminated.
After some deliberation, Cerydra reasoned that since the unification of the Northern Territory was already more than halfway complete, with most major clans having submitted, even if the Alliance and Empire tried to intervene now, it would be too late. So, she decided to abandon secrecy and openly declare her existence, initiating formal discussions with the Alliance and Empire.
Returning to the perspective of the Empire Diplomat and Dio, their first reaction upon Dirk's sudden appearance and his declaration was to flee. After all, they were spies caught in the Empress's presence—certainly no good could come of that!
And indeed, that's exactly what they did. They turned simultaneously, but the Empire Diplomat immediately swept Dio off his feet with a sweeping leg kick, sending him crashing to the ground. "Sorry, buddy!" he called over his shoulder as he fled.
But no sooner had he uttered those words than he felt like he'd run into a brick wall, his momentum abruptly halting. The Empire Diplomat looked up and saw Dirk staring down at him, his expression one of utter disbelief. He had somehow plowed headfirst into Dirk's chest!
In reality, the Empire Diplomat had attempted to sweep Dio's legs out from under him as he fled, but Dio had secretly cast a Perception-disrupting spell, causing the Diplomat to run in the wrong direction.
It was clear that both men had the exact same plan: use their "teammate" to stall the Northern Territory Empire forces, buying themselves time to escape!
Realizing this, Dio, still sprawled on the ground, immediately began cursing, while the Empire Diplomat, still entangled in Dirk's embrace, simultaneously retaliated.
"Damn Empire dogs!"
"Damn Alliance monkeys!"
Dirk watched the two of them and couldn't help but remark, "You two... seem to get along really well."
Dio and the Empire Diplomat retorted in unison, "Get along? My ass! I'd kill him if I could!"
As more Barbarians surrounded them—this was, after all, Northern Territory Empire territory—the two were inevitably captured. With no escape, they were escorted toward the Winter Palace.
Of course, they continued to hurl insults at each other the entire way.
As they approached the Northern Territory Empire's heart, two- and even three-story buildings began to appear, along with the rudimentary beginnings of a commercial district. Cerydra was clearly planning to modernize the economy; bartering was far too antiquated.
For currency, they would undoubtedly adopt Okhema's paper currency system, forging a strong economic link between the two powers. This way, even if the Northern Territory Empire faced future crises, Okhema would serve as its financial backstop.
As they traversed the bustling commercial street, a magnificent, all-white palace came into view, its splendor leaving both the Empire Diplomat and Dio speechless. Before the palace stood a colossal statue of Cerydra, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon as if surveying her domain.
"This is... breathtakingly beautiful..." Dio couldn't help but murmur. In this frozen realm, the sight of such a majestic ice-sculpted castle evoked a sense of fantasy and unreality. It was hard to imagine such opulence could exist in this barren land.
Upon entering the Winter Palace, the first sight that greeted them was a vast hall, meticulously furnished and arranged. Twelve pillars, each intricately carved with different animal motifs, were evenly spaced throughout the hall. A crimson carpet stretched across the floor, leading to a grand staircase at the far end. At the top of the staircase, on an elevated throne, Cerydra sat cross-legged, one hand propping up her cheek as she silently observed the Empire Diplomat and Dio, her uninvited guests.