Emperor Quaedes of the Empire appeared before Miles just like that, without any omen or prior warning.
Just moments ago, everyone had been discussing how to stop Emperor Quaedes from summoning the world-destroying god tomorrow night.
Yet not even an hour had passed before Miles was forcibly teleported through space to meet the Emperor alone.
Of course, calling it "alone" might not be entirely accurate.
In the resplendent royal palace hall, aside from Quaedes seated upon the throne and Miles standing before it, there was one more person… the glamorous, mature woman standing beside the throne, Karina Diane.
Seeing that Miles remained silent for a long time, Quaedes asked to confirm, "Lady Karina, you're certain you didn't capture the wrong person, correct?"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty." Karina still held that rose-folding fan in her hand.
"This young man is the Royal Guard, Miles. Yesterday, during the duel with the Gate family, he summoned one of the Three Egyptian Gods, The Winged Dragon of Ra. I witnessed it with my own eyes. There can be no mistake."
"Karina Diane…"
At this point, Miles was finally able to piece together the situation.
The attack just now had been a meticulously planned conspiracy from beginning to end, all for the purpose of abducting him and bringing him before the Emperor.
As for the specific reason he had been targeted, it was likely the same as Prince Zepha Soroya's insistence earlier that he must be present today.
Presumably, Emperor Quaedes had also learned from Karina Diane about how he summoned The Winged Dragon of Ra last night.
And as everyone knew, Emperor Quaedes' obsession with God Cards bordered on madness… mad enough to abduct someone in broad daylight.
Though, to be fair, Miles himself had been careless at the time. He had assumed they were merely a group of powerless underlings, even casually catching the fireball they threw at him, only to fall into a spatial magic trap.
Well, there was no use regretting it now. He had already been brought here.
Miles had one outstanding trait—his mentality was excellent.
Looking at it from a brighter angle, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to personally meet the Emperor of the Empire.
And Miles also wanted to know: what exactly had compelled the dignified Emperor to scheme so elaborately just to have him brought here?
To take the God Card from him? That seemed unlikely.
After all, on the Spirit Continent, the most fundamental rule regarding Monster Cards was that they were bound to the Duelist themselves.
Even for Tradable Cards, unless the holder willingly handed them over, it was absolutely impossible for an outsider to seize a card by force of will.
But if Emperor Quaedes were like Nia, the president of the High-Level Spirit Research Society—someone who would grow uncontrollably excited just at the sight of a card—then that would be another matter.
However, judging from first impressions alone, Miles simply could not imagine the frost-cold young Empress upon the throne behaving like Nia, fawning over a card in infatuation.
"Oh? A boy who commands a god, yet you do not seem afraid of me at all."
Emperor Quaedes' voice perfectly matched her icy appearance. Clear and frigid, it carried the steady composure befitting the ruler of the Empire.
"What do I have to be afraid of?" Miles shrugged, feigning calm. "Surely the dignified Emperor wouldn't go out of her way to harm a mere commoner like me?"
"I have no intention of harming you."
Lowering her crossed snow-white legs, Quaedes slowly rose from the throne and stepped toward Miles.
As she approached, she did not forget to ask Karina Diane behind her for confirmation.
"Lady Karina, have you prepared everything I instructed you to prepare?"
Karina replied with utmost respect, "Your Majesty, I would not dare be negligent. Everything has been prepared exactly according to your instructions."
"Very good."
At last, Emperor Quaedes stopped directly in front of Miles, standing close enough for their eyes to meet.
Quaedes was a little taller than Miles in his youthful frame.
Though her figure was not as alluring and seductive as Sylvia's, it was nevertheless well-proportioned and pleasing.
Her ice-blue eyes, paired with skin as pale as congealed cream, gave Quaedes a distinct aura—the temperament of a distant ice queen. It was a special presence, unlike any girl Miles had ever known.
Come to think of it, the Emperor of the Empire was standing face-to-face with him without the slightest guard.
Did this count as a good opportunity to make a move?
With the hidden power within Miles' current body, perhaps he could, like when Luca single-handedly pierced the Empire Marshal's skull in the royal capital and seized the Millennium Eye, instantly kill Emperor Quaedes.
If he were to kill Emperor Quaedes here, would that not eliminate at the root the plan to summon Numerounius?
Clenching his fist, Miles stared fixedly into Quaedes' ice-blue eyes. Neither of them spoke.
…Forget it. It's still too dangerous.
After weighing his options, Miles loosened his clenched fingers.
The reason Luca had been able to physically execute the Empire Marshal in an instant back then was because the Marshal had just lost a duel and could no longer use the power of spirits.
Under normal circumstances, however, powerful card spirits would actively protect their Duelist. Even if the Duelists themselves failed to react in time, the spirits would automatically block a sneak attack.
Although Miles possessed extraordinary physical abilities, he was still far from capable of confronting powerful spirits head-on.
If even a single strike failed, the charge of attacking the Emperor would be unavoidable.
He might have been able to walk out alive as things stood, but acting rashly would only throw his own life away.
It might even endanger Aisha and the others who were still within the Empire's borders.
And there was one more crucial lesson Miles had learned from anime: In a world of dueling, villains who try to solve problems without playing cards usually die miserably.
Having abandoned the idea of striking after weighing the pros and cons, Miles decided to first see what Emperor Quaedes intended to do with him.
After a long moment of silent eye contact, Quaedes seemed to have seen through Miles entirely before finally speaking.
"Come with me, Miles."
Though not a forceful command, it was a tone that instinctively resisted defiance; the pressure of the strongest Emperor, despite her youth.
This time, Karina Diane did not follow. She simply stayed where she was, watching as Quaedes led Miles away.
Leaving the resplendent royal hall, they stepped into a corridor where no lamps were lit. Though it was daytime, the passageway appeared unusually dim.
In the silent environment, only the alternating footsteps of Miles and Quaedes could be heard.
"Your Majesty, where are we going?"
Walking alone with the Emperor down the shadowy corridor, an inexplicable unease rose within Miles.
An hour ago, while still at the prince's residence, he could never have imagined he would be experiencing something like this just one hour later.
"There is no need to worry. As long as you obey, I will not harm you."
She did not seem inclined to answer his question. Quaedes only stopped when they reached the end of the corridor.
At the corridor's end stood a door whose interior purpose was impossible to discern from the outside.
"Go in, Miles."
Quaedes stepped aside, signaling for him to enter first.
What was this supposed to mean?
In that instant, countless possibilities regarding the room's purpose flashed through Miles' mind.
An interrogation chamber, intending to force him to reveal information about the God Card?
No, unlikely. She had said she would not harm him. Emperor Quaedes would not go back on her word.
Then perhaps a hidden prison cell… to secretly place him under house arrest. Even if she could not obtain the God Card, she would ensure it remained here forever.
Truly, the most venomous of women.
Dangerous speculations flooded his thoughts. Yet when Miles actually pushed open the door and stepped inside, he was left dumbfounded.
Inside the room concealed at the corridor's end stood an opulent grand bed. In the enclosed, dimly lit space, pink and blue gauze curtains draped along the walls and ceiling, creating an unmistakably intimate atmosphere.
Click!
The door was locked directly by Quaedes after she entered.
"Your Majesty… this place?" Miles' mind short-circuited for a moment.
"I said before, as long as you obey, I will not harm you."
"So… what exactly do you want me to obey?"
Quaedes' slender, pale fingers rested lightly upon her flat abdomen.
"A boy capable of wielding the power of a god… what I require is simply that you leave behind your genetic legacy."
Though Quaedes' tone remained icy as ever, her words were as fierce as wolves and tigers, leaving Miles utterly stunned.
Now Miles finally understood why, despite also being able to use a God Card, the one who had been abducted was not Aisha.
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