Chapter 317: Prelude
No work, no food, hence, work was essential.
But work wasn't everything.
Thanks to Sigurd's lightning-fast planning and deployment, along with the tireless dedication of countless officials, the nation had finally gotten on the track of progress. It could now sustain stable and continuous development.
And so, the "Four Days Off Per Month" system was proposed—and promptly implemented through the Central Core.
In short, people finally got holidays. The exhausting and borderline suicidal work culture that had dominated the upper and lower echelons alike finally made way for some real energy and life.
Tzing—
At the foot of a mountain, beside a flowing stream and lush green grass, serene notes of a zither danced gently with the wind. The melody seemed to merge with nature itself, soothing the soul, dissolving worries and fatigue.
Sip
Sigurd took a light sip of tea and looked up toward the mountain—then frowned.
"That mountain's blocking the trade route between Jì City and Píng City. It's also disrupting access for multiple merchant convoys in the area. We could level it."
"That can wait until after today,"
Fu Hua replied while plucking the strings of the guqin, her fingers pale and jade-like. A soft, flower-like smile played across her lips.
Her every movement carried the elegance and poise of centuries of cultivation.
"Sure," Sigurd nodded. Then added, "Your playing is not bad."
"You know music?"
"Not really. But it sounds nice. Very calming."
"Haha, I'm just playing whatever comes to mind. It's not even a famous piece."
She glanced at the guqin with satisfaction.
"But this instrument is excellent. It shouldn't be a surprise, considering that it came straight from the imperial treasury. At least it's way better than the one I used to have."
She looked quite pleased, clearly enjoying both the feel and the tone of the guqin.
Sigurd listened for a few more moments, then said:
"If you like it, keep it. When we get back, I'll help you find an even better one."
"No need to trouble yourself. I'm no music fanatic—anything that works is fine."
Their conversation was casual, neither intimate nor flirtatious. And yet, beneath the simplicity, there was an unmistakable sense of harmony between them.
"Sigurd, how have things been going lately?"
"Over sixty thousand logical gaps patched and modules added."
"Sounds like a massive haul."
"Two-thirds of it is useless."
Sigurd took another sip of tea.
"This world is still in a feudal era. Back where I'm from, we're preparing for a centralized republic. The contexts are completely different."
The zither music paused briefly, then resumed.
Fu Hua gave a small sigh.
"I'll never understand what it is you're building. Still, if you ever need anything, just say the word."
"I will. How about your side? I heard you've been diving into the so-called mystical arts of this world, and testing the capabilities of Senti's powers. Any breakthroughs yet?"
"Quite a few, actually. Still organizing and reflecting on it. I want to be more helpful, that's all."
"Keep it up."
As the gentle music flowed, Sigurd continued to enjoy his tea in silence.
That was when Durandal appeared, carrying stacked chairs and tables on her shoulder, while Rita followed, elegantly holding a food container. They emerged from the meadow together—lunch was prepared.
Rita approached the two, who sat on either side of the guqin, bowed with poise, and smiled gracefully.
"My Emperor, Lady Fu Hua—your meal is ready. Shall we move to the dining area?"
Fu Hua stopped her playing, scratching her cheek awkwardly. She was still not quite used to such formal etiquette.
Sigurd turned his head to look at Rita. After a few seconds of silence, he let out a sigh.
"Sigh… After I made myself clear last time, it seems none of you took me seriously."
"I've accidentally walked in on Kongming bathing, witnessed Kiana and Durandal tear open their clothes mid-training, and Durandal showing up naked in my bed, claiming she was there to 'warm the sheets'... All your doing, I assume?"
"I've already said it—there's no way you're getting a child from me."
Rita remained her usual composed self. She shook her head slightly, lips curled into a soft smile.
"My Emperor, lineage and succession are easily solved problems. I'm not someone who refuses to adapt, and I wouldn't force that issue. But you—your position and importance—you are irreplaceable. So, if there's even the slightest chance to change your mind… I will pursue it with everything I have, and try to make you stay."
"Then why not just offer yourself?"
"Well… According to what I've learned from Lady Senti, Your Majesty has a preference for youthful, delicate girls."
Rita gave a subtle smile.
"I'm afraid I might be… a little too old."
Rita gently touched her own smooth, elastic cheek—and at last, a faint shadow of melancholy passed over her expression.
Age.
It's a topic every woman inevitably cared about.
Among the four Pillars of the Emberya Empire, Rita was in fact the eldest. Though still in the prime of her twenties—a beautiful and vibrant age—in the eyes of this feudal era, she was already considered a "grown woman," no longer the preferred choice by societal norms.
And she had just admitted she was old.
Sigurd gave her a good look, then nodded solemnly.
"Indeed. Old."
Rita blushed instantly. She kept her dignified and graceful posture—but she definitely blushed.
Even so, Rita didn't retreat. She pushed down her shyness, straightened her back, and forced herself to remain composed.
"If… if my Emperor desires it… then Rita can as well. If Your Majesty is willing to show mercy to the Emberya Empire, then the four of us—can all…"
What exactly they could do didn't need to be said. Just one look at her delicately flushed face, paired with her bashful yet forcefully calm demeanor, was enough to inspire a thirty-thousand-word doujin of not so pure bedroom activity.
Sigurd stroked his chin. Not because he was tempted—but because he was trying to figure out how to respond clearly, politely, and without hurting anyone.
After a brief pause, he offered her a gentle smile—calm and courteous.
"Leave."
"Yes!"
Her embarrassment had already reached critical levels, and Sigurd's response finally shattered all of Rita's composure. She bolted away in a flustered jog.
No matter how seductive or mature her appearance might be… no matter how clever or composed she was…
Rita was, at the end of the day, just an innocent girl.
There was no way she could handle a rejection like that face-to-face.
Once she was gone, Sigurd turned to look at the only one still remaining—Durandal.
Durandal lowered her head, cheeks tinged with red, and said nothing.
This was the same girl who once offered herself as a bedwarmer without hesitation.
But in truth, she was just as inexperienced as Rita—a pure-hearted general whose emotional defenses were not one bit stronger.
Sigurd rubbed his forehead, shut his eyes, and let out a long, helpless sigh.
That was when Fu Hua's barely-suppressed giggle reached his ears.
"Pfft—"
Sigurd's eyes turned blank, like a dead fish.
"You think this is funny?"
"From a rational perspective… yes. It's quite amusing."
Fu Hua smiled mischievously.
"Our Emperor is so charming that he can't help but attract affection wherever he goes."
"They're not in love with me. They love this nation. Devoting yourself for the sake of the world—it sounds noble, doesn't it?"
"And you dislike that kind of nobility?"
"It's admirable… as long as they don't bother me with it."
Sigurd shook his head, but quickly brushed away the irritation.
It wasn't a difficult problem—just ignore them all.
And then—things got too quiet.
That alone made Sigurd suspicious: what was that little gremlin up to now?
He turned to glance toward a rock by the stream.
There, Senti and Kiana were seated, locked in an intense board game. Both wore grave expressions of absolute focus.
But even more intense was Zhuge Kongming, who sat beside them, analyzing the board with a furrowed brow.
"A seven-step entrapment… targeting the central axis?"
"Hidden formation—dragon snare?"
"No, perhaps a lethal feint… trading ten for nine—wait, no, that makes no sense…!"
She let out a strained hiss.
"Why can't I understand this board at all?! Could it be that both Lady Senti and that usually-lazy Prince possess chess mastery far beyond mine?"
Then, after a full fifteen minutes of silent deliberation, Senti gently placed a stone down.
"Five in a row! I win!"
"Argh! I knew it!"
Kiana flopped back, groaning.
"I acted all mysterious and intense for hours—but you still saw through my opening!"
With a triumphant grin, Senti picked out the five black stones she had lined up diagonally.
Meanwhile, Kiana scratched her head in defeat.
The two shared a long look—comrades who had fought an epic battle of minds.
Then they shook hands firmly.
"To battle me for so long and so fiercely… Kiana, you are a worthy opponent!"
"Same to you, Lady Senti! I never knew such a deep and thrilling game existed! Let's have a rematch soon!"
"Kiana!"
"Lady Senti!"
"Kiana!"
"Lady Senti!"
Their hands gripped tighter, their faces glowing with the exact same self-satisfied brilliance of "intellectual giants."
Zhuge Kongming, still sitting beside them, had long since turned to stone.
"...You were playing Gomoku this whole time?!"
From the very start of their match, Zhuge Kongming had been desperately analyzing the game—scanning through every strategy she knew, flipping through mental archives of Go patterns—only to realize they weren't playing Go at all.
Gomoku—a five-in-a-row game—seemed completely unknown in this world.
No wonder she couldn't make sense of it.
And now?
She felt like her IQ had been stomped into the dirt and dragged through a gravel road.
"Pfft—"
Fu Hua chuckled again, unable to hold back.
Sigurd simply shook his head. These ridiculous gremlins were not his problem.
But then—he suddenly turned toward the distant sky.
Fu Hua's brows furrowed slightly. She closed her eyes, sensing… something.
"Sigurd, that is…"
"Yeah," he said calmly, setting down his teacup.
"The war they want… has arrived."
Slowly, he looked toward Durandal—who still hadn't said a word, hadn't reacted at all.
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 364: The Invisible Power[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/140631608[3]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/140631608
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/140631608
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed