What was going on? What the hell? What were they doing?
Were you Romans playing some kind of new game?
When Huai Shi arrived at the Roman embassy, he was completely bewildered.
The bustling embassy was filled with people coming and going. Amid solemn music, every invited guest enjoyed warm hospitality within this splendid imperial residence.
There was no sign of haste, nor any omission or error.
Everything seemed bathed in a gentle warm breeze, leisurely and peaceful, enough to bring a smile to one's lips.
Even if His Majesty had slapped his forehead an hour ago and suddenly declared, "I intend to abdicate. Make preparations," then one hour later, everything had to look exactly as His Majesty required.
That was precisely why Huai Shi found it so difficult to understand.
Inside the hall where the ceremony was being held, people bustled back and forth amid noise and activity, as though they were hosting a banquet for some New Year festival. Huai Shi could practically imagine Titus stepping out from behind the curtains shortly to shout at the audience, "I missed you all so much..."
"What are you people doing?"
He grabbed Vulcan and lowered his voice. "Are you serious?"
"His Majesty's decisions are never mistaken. Once an order has been issued, we as his subjects must carry it out with the utmost solemnity. How could there be any question of whether we are serious?" Vulcan, dressed in a traditional robe, asked in confusion.
"Abdicate?"
Huai Shi's eyes widened. "At a time like this?"
With the Present Realm on the verge of collapse, the Lord of the Roman Lineage, the Roman Emperor, one of the Present Realm's foremost rulers and decision-makers, the embodiment of mighty Rome itself, was just quitting?
Retiring?
No, did Rome have a tradition of clocking out