Chapter 398: Emperor’s Ambition
The Emperor didn’t tell me where we were going. He just said, "Walk with me," and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. Almost immediately, a strange quiet settled around us, like a soundproof bubble.
I looked down at the pavement beneath my feet, smooth concrete now, not the cracked stones of the palace courtyard but my shadow wavered, as if I wasn’t fully there.
We stepped out into the capital streets.
The noise hit me first: cars hummed softly on the roads, a distant siren, conversations spilling out from open cafés.
People walked by, dressed in casual clothes, business suits, or simple uniforms. Soldiers in neat coats passed us on patrol, their steps steady but not loud. Everyone seemed busy, but nobody noticed us, not really. The Emperor’s presence cloaked us like a shield.
"Sometimes," he said quietly, "it’s better to see without being seen."
We moved along a busy boulevard. Flags in deep red and gold hung from office buildings and light poles, fluttering in the light breeze. Fragments of conversation floated past me.
"...Holts finally pushed back for good..."
"...Ironhart? Heard he took on three at once..."
"...No, five. My brother said it was five..."
A quiet warmth spread through my chest. The Emperor glanced at me but didn’t say anything.
At a sidewalk café, an older woman handed a cup of coffee to a young mother and smiled kindly. Her hands shook slightly, but her voice was steady as she said, "Stay warm, dear. This year will be harsh." She didn’t know if her shop would still stand when the war ended.
We passed a couple of young soldiers leaning against a building, whispering. One smiled, the other looked tense.
"If this war starts, we’re going to be on the front lines."
"Yeah, but with our Emperor around, maybe it won’t last long."
I wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or uneasy.
The Emperor turned us down a quieter side street. The sounds shifted, the chatter was hushed, voices clipped. Through an open window, I caught a man’s low voice. "We raise prices now, everyone’s scared. Profit’s waiting."
A rough chuckle answered him. My stomach tightened.
"Fear feeds the wrong kind of men," the Emperor said softly.
We passed a small office with its blinds drawn. Through a crack, I saw coins sliding across a table. The men spoke smoothly, but their words reeked of greed—selling to both sides, ready to betray whoever pays more. They laughed like nothing could touch them.
"This is the other face of the city," the Emperor said. "When the ground shakes, some reach for a weapon... others for a wallet."
We stepped back onto a wider street. Children ran through the crowd, chasing a worn ball, their laughter cutting through the tension. They didn’t care about borders or battles, only who would score next.
One boy stumbled near me but didn’t seem to notice I was there. The Emperor’s cloak still held us hidden. I knelt and picked up the ball, handing it back. The boy grinned and ran off shouting.
"Innocence is the rarest thing in a city," the Emperor said softly. "It’s the first to vanish when war comes."
His words settled in me as we entered a small plaza. A storyteller sat on the steps, weaving tales of ancient heroes and great battles. His voice promised glory and victory, but I wondered how many names were lost in the shadows.
We moved on and passed a bakery with its windows wide open. The smell of fresh bread filled the air. Inside, a young woman kneaded dough while a small child sat on the counter, humming softly. Life still carried on here, no matter the storm ahead.
Then we passed a dark alley where three men stood close, their voices low. I caught words about shipments and "accidental" delays, coins exchanged in hushed tones. It wasn’t hard to piece together the plan: starve the front lines, then sell supplies at a higher price.
My fists clenched. "You’re letting this happen."
"For now," the Emperor said, his gaze steady. "Knowing who hides in the shadows is the first step. It lets you decide when to bring light and where."
We crossed a bridge over the river slicing through the city. On one side, soldiers drilled in perfect formation, shields clashing and swords flashing. On the other, fishermen argued over a torn net, their voices rising but never turning sharp. The city thrummed with life, fragile and fierce.
As we neared the palace gates, the Emperor slowed. "You’ve seen hope, greed, fear, and innocence. This is what you fight for... and against. So tell me, Ironhart, what do you see?"
I thought about the children, the merchants, the old woman, the soldiers. I thought about the way people spoke of war, some with tight jaws, others with loose smiles.
"It’s messy," I said finally. "There’s no simple right or wrong."
He nodded once. "Exactly. Winning means protecting all of it. Losing means losing everything, good and bad. Victory alone isn’t enough. You decide what survives."
"I will be plain with you, Ironhart," he continued. "Your purpose is not to sit here and guard these walls. We have men and women, old warhorses like me, who have spent our lives holding this ground. That is our burden to carry, not yours. You were not shaped to watch gates. You were shaped to break them."
He took a step closer, and for a moment it felt like the rest of the hall faded away.
"I do not need you to be the strongest shield in this world. I need you to be the spear that goes where no hand has thrown before. You must go further than any of us have gone.
Travel where no map is drawn, into skies no one has crossed, into dangers so vast they will not even have names yet. When you step into a place, your name alone should be enough to make the wise hesitate and the reckless flee."
"I have seen enough of you to know your potential is not just rare, it is dangerous in the right hands. And you have the hands for it.
This is why I trust you can do this, why I will not tie you down to our borders like some sentry. You are meant to carve your name into places this empire has never even dreamed of reaching."
His tone dropped lower, more solemn.
"Life is fragile in the universe we live in. You can be a hero, a tyrant, a saint—it makes no difference. Good or bad, the end is the same if we lose. If we fall, all of it ends. The universe will not care about our intentions, only our strength."
The emperor straightened, his gaze still fixed on me.
"So remember this, Ironhart. You will not win the war by standing still. You will win it by stepping into places that were never meant to be touched and returning with victory written in your shadow."