The Emperor in the Tavern (1)

At the front lines of the Great Crusade, Han Mingxuan was either in this Legion or that Legion; in short, he was extremely busy.

Meanwhile, on Beach somewhere in Nostramo, the Emperor is fishing.

"Old friend, please don't use Psychic Powers, okay?"

"My old friend, I don't think I've ever used it before."

As the Emperor spoke, another fish was caught, and his bucket was almost overflowing from the beginning.

Hearing the Emperor's shameless remarks, Malcador felt nothing but contempt for him. If only Old Han were here, he would surely ridicule him mercilessly.

But since Old Han isn't here, the Emperor can use it, and so can I.

Without further ado, Malcador also started using Psychic Power fishing.

However, it's obvious that some rogue Huangpizi wants him to solidify his reputation as an air force veteran.

"Don't go that far, Neoth."

"Hmm? What's wrong, my old friend?"

Upon hearing the Emperor's question, Malcador was furious.

Just as he was about to use his Psychic Powers to fish, he sensed another Psychic Power stopping him.

There are currently no Perpetual on this beach, so it's undoubtedly just the Emperor's twisted sense of humor.

With that in mind, Malcador simply put down his fishing rod and sat on a deck chair to sunbathe.

Don't be discouraged, old friend, fishing requires a calm mind.

"Hehe."

"Gentlemen, it's time to leave this fishing spot. Whether you caught anything or not, please leave. It's not safe at night."

Beach workers are clearing out the fishermen from the area.

The Emperor checked the time; indeed, it was already 6 PM, and he had caught enough fish to stop fishing.

"Thanks for reminding us, we'll be right there."

And so, the Emperor carried a bucket full of fish, while Malcador carried an empty bucket.

Furthermore, the Emperor also requested that Malcador and he take a good stroll around the Saviour Building in Nostramo.

Just as the two were showing off, it was time for Hope Primary School to close, and the Teachers and students left one after another.

The Emperor stood there, watching the students and Teachers leave.

"What are you looking at, old friend?"

"I see hope for humanity."

The Emperor had not seen such a scene for countless years.

"Hope is a luxury in this world, but Old Han has managed to achieve it; it's truly incredible."

"Yes."

As the Emperor spoke, he took out a sign that read, "Fish I caught myself, free to give away."

Before long, his place was surrounded by people. The fish were so plump and large that passersby would either take a look or buy one or two.

"Young man, are you giving this fish away for free?"

"Yes, it's free."

The Teacher who spoke to them didn't say anything, but just casually picked up two items.

"Thank you for the fish. You caught it yourself, so I'm sure it will be very fresh."

"The water quality in Nostramo is good, and the fish are good too."

"I just don't know if the lamb tastes fresh?"

"I've never eaten lamb, but as the saying goes, fish and lamb are both delicious; if the fish is delicious, the lamb will naturally be delicious too."

The two looked up and met eyes; the Emperor saw the face he had longed for day and night.

He remained as calm, wise, and indifferent as ever.

"Are you Oll Persson?"

Looking at the Teacher in front of him, Malcador was overwhelmed with shock. He never expected that the First Warmaster would be here as well.

"I told you, we would meet again."

"I didn't want to see you, Neoth, but I can't stand certain deals between you two young people and the Mystery Cult, so I came to talk to you."

"Come with me."

Oll Persson then took the two to a tavern.

"It's unbelievable, everyone here, from the bartenders to the waiters, is Perpetual."

As soon as he entered, Malcador realized that there wasn't a single ordinary person here.

"We are Nostramo people now, and we need some entertainment. Sit down."

"Bartender, three glasses of Dusk, please."

"Old man, why did you bring these two young men here and even invite them for a Dusk drink? Do they even deserve it?"

"This shows sincerity; what we're about to discuss is very important."

Soon, three cups of Dusk were served.

"This wine must be something special."

"There's nothing unusual about it, Malcador. He drank here during the three years the Father of Night returned to Nostramo, so the Perpetual also like to drink this."

"It's truly unbelievable that people like us, who have lived for so long, would actually follow the crowd."

Oll Persson and Malcador chatted idly, while the Emperor silently drank his wine.

Soon, after downing a glass of wine, the Emperor looked at Oll Persson.

"Ollanius Persson, what's wrong?"

Someone has gone missing from the tavern, and I want to know where he is.

"This has nothing to do with me."

"That man's name is Klein."

Klein.

The Perpetual who gave him the Klein bottle was a mystery; there was no record of this person in the Emperor's memory.

"Don't even think about it. He was one of the original founders of Mystery Cult. This secret is known only to the higher-ups and the oldest Perpetual within the Mystery Cult. To the outside world, he is an unorganized individual."

"Specializing in mysticism and Alchemy."

The Emperor nodded. He knew about Klein's research area; the other man had mentioned it before.

"But there are some things he hasn't made clear to you yet. In his research, mysticism and Alchemy are only secondary."

"What is his main area of study?" Malcador asked.

"He studies the world."

"We are all studying this world, sir."

"You're still too young, Malcador. What I mean is he studies the world, the Parallel Universes in Nostramo's science fiction novels, you get me?"

"Parallel Universes?"

"Just like Mr. Han, Neoth, you brought Mr. Han into this world, giving Klein hope for studying the world."

"That's why, as the most mysterious being among the existing Perpetual, he chose to meet you."

"So what were his research findings? It wasn't that Klein bottle, was it?"

"Yes, it's that Klein bottle. I saw his notes back in the Tower of Babel when I destroyed Enuncia."

"The details are obscure, but in summary, he used Enuncia to create something capable of destroying the world."

"That Klein bottle?"

"I don't know. His notes were very evasive about the research findings, sometimes mentioning it as Prophecy, and sometimes as a research result."

"However, the entire notebook ultimately points to only one word."

"What is it?" the Emperor asked.

"Despair, all that's left for the world in the end is Despair."

"So he's missing now?" the Emperor continued to ask.

"Yes, he disappeared completely. We've used all the technology known to the Perpetual, but we still haven't found him."

What can we do if we find him?

"We need his Alchemy Formulas to save Nostramo."

"This is the hope for Humanity's Fate; there can be no problems here."