While wandering through the market, they arrived at a blacksmith shop. Yuan stood watching the displayed weapons.
Yuan: "Why are most of the swords and spears single-edged?"
Jin: "On Earth, it was due to the poor quality of raw iron, then it turned into culture and identity. But here, despite the presence of all resources, it is just about identity."
The shop owner appeared, a man perhaps in his sixties.
The Blacksmith: "What do you want, young men?"
Jin (seriously): "Is the katana a blade or a single-edged sword?"
The Blacksmith (annoyed): "A sword."
Jin: "But it has one edge; it is a blade, not a sword."
The Blacksmith: "And why wouldn't regular swords be blades with two edges?"
Jin: "And why wouldn't blades be single-edged swords?"
The Blacksmith: "Because blades are blades, and swords are swords."
Jin: "Then the katana is a blade and not a sword."
The Blacksmith (extremely annoyed): "No, it is a sword and not a blade."
Jin: "What is the difference between blades and swords?"
The Blacksmith: "Are you stupid?"
Jin: "Why?"
The Blacksmith (grumbling): "Who asks questions like these?"
Jin: "I do."
The Blacksmith: "Are you sane?"
Jin: "Maybe yes, and maybe no. To be honest, I don't know."
Yuan looked with clear pity: "Old man, ignore him; he is mentally delayed. He failed three academic years."
Jin (surprised): "What kind of lie is this, man? I compressed ten years of study into just two."
Yuan: "Do you see? He says illogical things."
The Blacksmith: "His questions are not those of an insane person; he is overcomplicating things."
Jin was thinking: Is this even complexity?
Yuan: "Do you have swords made of energy alloys, at the very least?"
The Blacksmith: "Yes, there are."
After a while, Yuan bought a sword, and now…
Jin: "Why did you buy a new sword?"
Yuan: "I am training on a new style to use a sword in one hand and a blade in the other at the same time."
Jin remained silent for a moment: "Hmm, wow."
After a while, at eight in the evening, the two young men returned to the palace gate. In front of the outer gate, the guards stopped them—the same scenario known in such situations. While Yuan explained the situation with an eerie calmness and identified them, Jin was thinking as he looked with annoyance: Why do all security guards act the same way? What is this stupidity?
One of the guards: "We sincerely apologize. Please forgive us; we truly forgot that you two arrived with the rest of the delegation."
Jin (sarcastically): "Forgot? Do you realize that what you're saying is an insult?"
The guard bowed: "I am truly sorry. I promise you this mistake will not be repeated."
Jin fell silent for a moment, looking at him, thinking: Hmm, I expected it was a deliberate situation, but he is truly sincere.
The two young men moved. Jin: "No matter, it is your job in the end."
They walked a little, heading to the meeting hall.
Yuan: "You'd better wake up. The rest of our delegation has arrived, and you will find the ministers and the heads of the families of this country there as well."
Jin looked at him with a dull gaze: "I will wake up when the time is worth being serious."
Shortly after, the two young men finally arrived in front of the official reception hall. The door opened, and they entered. A majestic hall with an immense ceiling height and massive columns that increased the weight of the place. On the left side sat the delegation of the Heavenly Demon Sect, and on the right side sat the ministers of Tinghai. Between the two sides, the path was spacious—a carpet of cashmere wool in the color of wood. The colors of the place were simple, radiating the identity of the country starkly. Both sides sat with calmness and immense prestige, their eyes focused on the two young men.
In the middle of the hall, on a platform slightly elevated from the floor—two steps above which was the third—stood a throne of ancient ebony wood. Decorations and paintings filled the wall behind it, mixing the country's symbolism and the pride of the Samurai. A man in a Sukutai outfit in the majestic imperial sun color sat there, his black crown small but full of delicate details. His face appeared to be in his early sixties, his short beard a mix of grey and black. This was the Emperor of Tinghai, [Hiromitsu Sora].
On his right side stood the Imperial Chamberlain, and on his left side sat a small table where a cheerful-faced old historian was seated. The two young men advanced into the middle of the council; the gazes of those present were burning them, and Jin was deeply annoyed by this. Until they arrived before the Emperor's council.
The Chamberlain spoke in his powerful voice: "You are now in the presence of His Majesty the Emperor."
They knelt on one knee and performed the original Murim salute, their voices clashing.
"Jong Yuan, the youngest heir of the Heavenly Demon Sect, salutes His Majesty the Emperor."
"The leader of the Blood Sword Squad and Guardian of the Border, the Twelfth Elder, salutes His Majesty the Emperor."
All the attendees of Tinghai looked at them, and thoughts followed in amazement:
: Is this child really the current leader of the Blood Sword Squad?
: He doesn't look like he has passed his mid-twenties; he is the youngest elder in the continent's history.
: Why didn't he mention his name? Doesn't he realize the magnitude of the mistake he made?
The Emperor smiled calmly: "You may sit now."
Yuan sat on the third seat directly next to Bai Rion, and Jin sat among the seats of the Council of Elders.
The Emperor spoke with the same calm smile while looking at Yuan: "So, this is the new heir?"
Bai Rion: "Yes, Your Majesty. He is my younger brother and the last of the heirs."
Sora remained silent for a moment, looking at him, then tilted his eyes toward Jin. Jin was about to speak, but the Emperor interrupted him.
Sora: "No need to say anything. Your name already circulates among kings, [The Miracle of the Continents]."
Jin felt tension from this and thought quickly: Wait, what does he mean by this?
He said with noticeable tension: "Thank you, Your Majesty. This is praise I do not deserve; I am not in a position that qualifies me for such a description."
The Emperor looked for moments, the calm smile never leaving his face: "Yes, humility is truly good."
He looked at the Guardian: "It has been a long time, Great Guardian."
The Guardian smiled: "Yes, Your Majesty. It has been a long time indeed."
Meanwhile, Jin was thinking: What is this? Why does he say this with such confidence? What else does this person know about me?
Sora remained silent for a moment, looking at the floor and thinking, then spoke: "Let us postpone the main topic until tomorrow. Come, let us talk for a bit."
The Guardian: "With pleasure."
Both of them rose and moved to the center of the council. Suddenly, a man stepped forward from the back. He appeared to be in his early thirties, his facial features extremely ordinary, his hair short and neat, his face smooth. His clothes were not military armored at all, and on his waist, two swords were hanging.
Sora looked calmly: "It's alright, you can stay here. He is an old friend."
The Man: "At your command."
The man returned to the back, stood in front of the throne, and placed his hands behind his back.
All those present were stunned by him, and Jin specifically was the most shocked. He looked in shock while thinking:
: What… what is this? Was he standing next to the platform this whole time and I didn't feel him?
Jin looked at the audience for moments and continued his thinking: Damn, everyone is truly stunned. Did no one feel him at all?
Jin looked at him for moments: What is this? Why can't I feel any energy from him?
As for the Imperial side, they were focusing on Jin in particular.