Relics from the Mythological Era (2)
Chapter Summary: Quite by chance, the two little ones encountered Emperor Gratian.
In the history of the galaxy, Emperor Gratian's flagship "Odysseus" eventually sank to the bottom of the galaxy along with Colonel Caesar Ganymede's "Hyperion".
Theodosius entered the emperor's bedchamber and found it empty. The bed was disheveled and still warm. He heard footsteps in the corridor; it was the night watchman. The lamps held by the servants on night duty emitted a soft, warm yellow light that seeped through the cracks in the door and cast long shadows on the damp, cold walls of the bedchamber.
A gray cat with golden eyes stood on the ground, sizing him up.
Theodosius made a "shh" gesture. The gray cat, tail tip erect, curled up and sat down.
His breathing was a little heavy, and his forehead was covered in sweat, but he didn't feel hot at all. Touching the wall, he saw the open semi-circular balcony, the night breeze of Zeus City blowing in from outside, making the curtains flutter; the bright lights adorned the deep night city, which at this moment looked like a flowing, gleaming black river.
He hesitated for a moment. The emperor wasn't there; perhaps he should give up? Or should he look around the vicinity? However, the emperor's residence wasn't a tourist attraction; being captured this time meant he couldn't claim to be a tourist anymore. Clinging to the railing of the balcony, he carefully climbed down. A mountain stream meandered through a frost-covered forest, below which lay the bustling center of Zeus City. The city and fields stretched out in all directions, and further on, the vast, deep, dark ocean. Theodosius glimpsed a small patrol warship. He ran over, checked the dial, and entered a command. From the back seat, a voice called out to him, friendly, "Are you the new kid? Which team?"
Theodosius's hand trembled, and the watch face with the strap attached fell to the ground with a "thud".
"Report. 14th Squadron. Imperial Logistics Department."
"Oh, so you're from the logistics department. No wonder I've never seen you before."
“Hello, child. I plan to stroll around Zeus City tonight. My hands and feet are a bit cold, and I'm feeling a little weak. Could you help me pilot the warship? I haven't felt the thrill of flying in the sky for so long.” The young man leaned halfway out from the back seat, the pale moonlight caressing his smooth, jade-like skin. His snow-white robe hung down from his waist, the collar slightly open. His arms rested on the porch, like a statue of an ancient hero, making the small airship dock appear as grand as the Arc de Triomphe. He wore a headscarf, his hair shrouded in the soft shadows cast by the layers of pure white fabric.
Theodosius was taken aback. He looked closely at the man; his eyes were deep brown, not icy blue. This man was not the emperor.
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
He sat in the warship's cockpit. He didn't ask who the man was, afraid of arousing suspicion. He guessed he was some nobleman. But, it was rather pitiful that he was so young and already so ill.
He poured the man a cup of already brewed hot black tea—a very simple action. The man took the cup, nearly dropping it. His arms were as limp as rotten flower stems.
Theodosius could only kneel on the ground and feed the man water spoonful by spoonful.
"Thank you." The man said he hadn't been able to eat for more than six days, which had worried his family's little doctor to no end; Theodosius peeled an apple for him, which the man quickly ate.
Theodosius swore this was the first time in his life he had ever taken the initiative to care for someone. He swallowed his pride and said, "Sir, you don't need to be so polite."
"Could you also prepare a hot compress towel for me? Yes, and add a few drops of lemon oil to the back of the chair where I'm lying down..."
Theodosius told himself he had to be patient.
Emperor Gratian had recognized Theodosius long ago. Using the rearview mirror at the front of the warship, he carefully traced the boy's face. The boy's gaze was fixed on the dark sea of clouds ahead, clear light occasionally breaking through the mist and falling on the boy's handsome profile. The patrol ship's instrument panel displayed the altitude. The boy lowered his eyelashes, his fingers fiddling with the control lever, silently reciting numbers. His focused expression resembled someone else. Not himself.
Emperor Gratian smiled.
Caesar's child.
The way he looks when he's serious really reminds me of Caesar.
"Alright. Let's stop here for a while."
The young man pressed the joystick. "Would you like to visit the night market?"
Theodosius was a little uneasy; there were too many people here. Although the ordinary people of the empire certainly didn't know him, escaping would be a troublesome matter in case of an emergency; in addition, there were quite a few police patrols around.
"Yes. The capital is most lively at night. It's hot during the day, so people don't want to go out."
"What do you usually like to do? What do you like to buy? We can go and take a look."
Theodosius said he didn't have that hobby.
"What about books? Do you like reading? Philosophy, mathematics, or biology and medicine?"
"I don't really like reading. But, a friend of mine really enjoys it."
"How about we buy him some books to take back?" The man smiled, his bright eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Oh, by the way, are you logistics people a little short on cash? No problem. I can lend you some. Just come to the palace to see me next time and pay me back."
The man walked ahead, his pure white robe weaving through the crowded throng. He tugged at the turban covering his hair, obscuring his forehead. His gait was vigorous and steady, each step exuding a restrained reverence and nobility. His attire was common on the Imperial Streets, yet the moment he stepped off the warship, he drew the attention of almost everyone on the street. Theodosius immediately tried to hide, but the man grabbed his arm. "Let's go. Ignore them."
The crowd gradually looked away; but some people still stared intently at the man, their expressions dazed, as if they had seen something so breathtakingly beautiful that they had forgotten where they were.
Gratian first accompanied Theodosius to browse the bookstalls; Theodosius lacked basic common sense, so Gratian explained to him the difference between a novel describing love between two men and books like "On the Republic" and "The Prince".
"You mean my friend likes to read both types of books?"
"I guessed. Judging from your description of him. But sending a book is rather unoriginal."
Theodosius browsed in front of the shelves for a while. Suddenly startled, he turned around and asked, "You came out in the middle of the night just for this?"
The man shrugged. "More or less. I just came out to have some fun; I didn't really think about the purpose."
Theodosius didn't buy anything. Empty-handed, he and the man walked out of the crowded city center. They came to a relatively secluded place, where dense artificial greenery filled the space. The sky above was a deep, transparent blue. Through a temperature-controlled curtain wall, the hall maintained its lush vitality. Huge vines entwined swords, rusty guns, tombstones, and military uniforms buried in the soil. Swarms of butterflies danced under the white searchlights, occasionally landing on a newly opened petal. It was a strange setting; this was one of the most famous attractions in the Galactic Empire, "Wind, Sand, and Stars." It was a museum, a repository of archaeological materials from the war between the Empire and the Alliance, a burial ground for the past, for old people and old stories. Countless huge warships floated in mid-air under the buoyancy of the magnetic field. Plaques beside the warships listed their former owners—Imperial generals, Alliance soldiers, some still alive, most dead.
A magnificent white shadow loomed over Theodosius's vision: "Queen of the Void," Odysseus.
The flagship that Emperor Gratian piloted when he conquered the stars and unified the galaxy.
He unconsciously walked towards the dazzling pure white light, but Gratian stopped him and whispered, "Hey. Be careful."
Theodosius then noticed another flagship. Hyperion. The mythical giant of the north. It roamed silently in the shadows of the hall, its dark gray metallic hue reminiscent of a whale in the deep ocean. Hyperion drifted toward Theodosius, the man pulling him along as it brushed past the boy's nose; Odysseus, bathed in pure white light, seemed to beckon to Hyperion, the dark gray Allied flagship drawing near, and the emperor's chariot immediately emitted a cheerful platinum glow.
"This..." Theodosius exclaimed in surprise, "Are they going to [do something]?"
What can a warship spawn? A lot of small warships? Besides, these two are both aircraft carrier-class and neither of them is male, so... no, no! What nonsense!
"We've always been at war. Many times, I proposed peace talks, not with our allies, but with him alone. I told him, 'Give up! The destruction of the Earth Republic Alliance is inevitable. Such a decaying and old nation is not worthy of your loyalty!' But he always ignored my signals to surrender. I thought he suspected me and was afraid of falling into my trap, so I slightly adjusted Odysseus's settings. When other warships entered Odysseus's firing range, their main guns and all auxiliary weapons would be loaded. Only his Hyperion was different. When Odysseus detected his signal, it would immediately, well, release some messages of love and peace."
Theodosius gazed at the two colossal figures entangled before him. Odysseus and Hyperion were frolicking amidst the interplay of light and shadow; Odysseus shifted planes to attack, while Hyperion dodged; once caught, Hyperion affectionately nuzzled against Odysseus's body. Theodosius saw Grathian enveloped in a halo of light, the white-robed man staring intently at the two enormous shadows floating and drifting in mid-air, as if he were the one who had first witnessed them.
It wasn't until much later that Theodosius understood the meaning of Gratian's gaze, like a little boy standing in a lonely wilderness, reaching out his hand, his fingers cupped above his head, letting the clear, abundant starlight fall through the gaps between his fingers, the boy calling out to the universe.
But the universe answered him with only eternal and profound silence.
Later historical records state that after Emperor Gratian's death, his subjects, following the first decree he wrote, placed the two warships, Odysseus and Hyperion, into a newly formed nebula (imperial astronomers predicted that a massive binary star system would form there two hundred million years later). Odysseus initiated its self-destruct sequence, rushing towards Hyperion as if embracing a first love. Hyperion deactivated its protective shields and obediently accepted Odysseus; the two giant motherships collided, their fragments shimmering and sinking forever into the cosmos.
"I heard from my friend that the central command systems of these two warships were inputted with the personal information of their former pilots, and their temperaments were very similar to their owners. However, the Galactic Empire no longer uses this anthropomorphic bionic technology. It is said to be to improve the efficiency of algorithms and systems."
“The Allied Caesar piloted the Hyperion, and Emperor Gratian piloted this very Odysseus…” Theodosius abruptly stopped, “You… how were you able to modify the Odysseus’s central system?”
"No, you...you could be..."
"Your Majesty—! Your Majesty the Emperor!" the officials shouted loudly. Caligula, his face tense and lips tightly pressed together, hurried behind the intelligence officials who were jogging and brandishing their guns. The head of the intelligence agency made a gesture, and all the entrances and exits of the museum were immediately sealed off.
"Your Majesty, why didn't you inform your subordinates and leave the palace on your own? Two hours ago, the palace guards reported that you were missing. My subordinates and I searched for you throughout the palace and Zeus City in the middle of the night, and even issued a martial law to all the residents of the city..."
"Didn't your men already place Zeus City under martial law? There's no need to make up that excuse anymore, Caligula."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"As you can see, I am fine. Martial law is lifted, so do not disturb the lives of the people. Your little tricks have really annoyed me, so please tone it down a bit, at least until I die. Also, I am going out of the palace for a night's stroll and will return tomorrow morning."
"Then, please allow my men to accompany Your Majesty and protect your safety."
"No need. It's late. You guys should go back and rest. Xiao Xi, let's go. Keep up with me, don't fall behind."
Caligula's face darkened. "Your Majesty, I have another matter to report. The intelligence agency has learned that an assassin named 'Theodosius' has infiltrated Zeus City with the intention of assassinating Your Majesty and endangering the safety of the Empire."
"Oh, then you should hurry and hunt him down. This involves our national security, thank you all for your hard work."
Theodosius felt his head being pressed down; the emperor's large hand caressed his scalp, warm to the touch. His own hands had been cold before. A little worried about the emperor, he glanced up slightly. The emperor's face was calm, but rather pale. His cheeks were flushed. Theodosius suspected he had a fever again. The emperor's hand tightened, and Theodosius could only continue staring at the floor.
"As Your Majesty commands. However, if I may be so bold, who is this young man beside you? He seems quite unfamiliar."
“A new kid in the logistics department. I like him very much. Caligula, you shouldn’t spoil my trip.”
“Alright.” Caligula curled his lips into a slight sneer and asked, “May I know his name, Your Majesty?”
With chests out and guns tucked behind them, the soldiers, who had already lined up on both sides to respectfully see His Majesty the Emperor off, looked straight ahead.
“Nemesis. His name is Nemesis.”
"I understand. Thank you, Your Majesty. This boy is actually named after a goddess of revenge."
Gratian remained silent. Theodosius felt the emperor's palm, which was stroking his head, was sweaty, and the sweat seemed cold. The emperor suddenly nudged Theodosius, and not understanding what the emperor meant, he remained rooted to the spot, motionless. Rows of officers stood with their rifles gleaming, muzzles pointing skyward. Heavy metal buckles adorned their boots. Caligula stepped back slightly as the emperor passed him, clearing a narrow path. He bowed respectfully to the emperor.
Theodosius felt the emperor's hand begin to tremble. Suddenly, Gratian put his arm around his shoulder, making a protective gesture.
"Xiao Xi? Xiao Xi—is that you, Xiao Xi?" Ye Wanzhou ran towards them.
At that very moment, alarms blared, and Zeus City awoke.
The boy slammed on the brakes in front of the emperor, glanced at the man in white robes—who was he? He didn't recognize him. He quickly averted his gaze to the person in the white-robed man's arms, and said, "Behind me, there's a huge group of people chasing me. Little Xi, thank goodness, I've finally found you! Let's run, run..."
Ye Wanzhou held the stun gun she had found in her hand, not knowing how to use it, just pretending. "Xiao Xi? Why aren't you saying anything? Let's go!"
He pulled hard on the boy, but the boy didn't move.
"Sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else. I don't know you."
Ye Wanzhou screamed, "Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi, it's me! Is the lighting bad here? Look at my face, it's me, it's Ye Wanzhou!" Ye Wanzhou shone her bright flashlight, the beam flickering in front of Theodosius. After a long while, he realized something was wrong. Theodosius remained expressionless. "Uh, what's going on..."
"shot--!!"
"Caligula, how dare you?!" The Emperor shoved Theodosius backward, his other arm pulling back the completely bewildered Ye Wanzhou. Ye Wanzhou's teeth chattered as he heard countless sharp bullets whizzing past his ears. The muzzles of the guns of the two rows of officers opposite him spat fire. The man in white robes desperately dragged the two boys backward.
"I order you to stop! Do you hear me?"
“Your Majesty Gratian,” Caligula said, emphasizing each word, “as the emperor of the empire, your act of protecting a criminal is a disgrace to our empire. If you insist on associating with that assassin, then I have no choice but to act in accordance with the law.”
"Fine. So you're going to kill me too, is that it?"
"If necessary, Your Majesty."
The intelligence chief waved his hand, and the officers charged forward while firing their guns.
Theodosius shouted, "Your Majesty, make way!"
"What?" The emperor didn't quite react.
Theodosius deftly pulled a piece of metal, about the size of chewing gum, from his pocket and tossed it. Caligula's expression changed drastically. "Wait, don't fire! Stop shooting! Stop!"
But it was too late. Two metal bullets grazed the air, and the gum-shaped object quickly disintegrated, releasing tiny, grayish particles. As the bullets grazed it, the particles immediately ignited, flashing with light before a violent explosion spread. Wherever the particles reached, a series of blinding explosions erupted in the air.
Theodosius was satisfied. "Not bad. It was worth auditing a whole year of chemistry classes. There are indeed many good things in the lab!"
He pushed Gratian and Ye Wanzhou outside, saying, "We're leaving! Ye!" In the thick fog, they discovered that the emperor had fainted.
"Ugh, this is so fragile! What kind of imperial beauty is this?!" Theodosius was speechless.
Beside him, Ye Wanzhou wept with joy because Theodosius had just called his name.
Officers continued to aim their guns; the firepower remained ample. "Rat-a-tat-tat!" The gunfire relentlessly pounded the heels of the three fleeing men, sparks flying. A sniper in hiding called the intelligence chief, "Sir, should we take out the criminal and his accomplices?"
"Enough, you bunch of useless trash!" he said, putting his gun away. "Do you really want to hurt His Majesty the Emperor?"
The cadres exchanged bewildered glances. The sniper fell silent.
Caligula said, "If I can't take it back, then so be it."
"Oh, right, first contact the media and suppress tonight's commotion. In any case, scandals like 'the emperor leaving the palace in plain clothes' or 'the emperor having a secret rendezvous with a strange boy at night' must not be allowed to appear in the newspapers. Say at tomorrow's court assembly that the emperor has caught a cold and is unable to attend."
"Instead of sitting in the palace playing the role of his mascot, he actually ran off to the bustling city to mess around. Humph."
"Understood. Chief, what about tomorrow's morning assembly..."
"I'll host."
"Understood. But His Majesty just said he would return to the palace tomorrow morning?"
"Fool! His Majesty has been out all night and must be exhausted. How dare you ask him to attend the court assembly! He will certainly need to rest then!"
"Your subordinate is dull-witted. I understand, Your Excellency!"
Caligula pondered how to prepare the emperor's diet and health regimen for the next three days. Had he taken his medicine with him when he went out?
Sigh. How willful.
Never mind, never mind. Gratian, as long as you're happy. In the last days of your life.
Upon reaching an open area, Theodosius quickly set the emperor down from his back, leaning his upper body against a large tree. The emperor, using the tree trunk as a pillow, didn't wake up for a long time. Ye Wanzhou, holding a fan made of banana leaves, vigorously fanned the emperor, blowing in the fresh air until he felt a little cool. The emperor said, "Thank you. Child, your name is Ye Wanzhou, and you are Theodosius's friend, aren't you?"
“So you recognized me all along,” Theodosius said indignantly. “What a superb acting, Your Majesty!”
Gratian removed her contact lenses, revealing irises the color of icy blue. The colors she saw when gazing at glaciers, the sky, and the distant ocean and starry sky.
"Emperor! You really are the Emperor! Emperor of the Galactic Empire, hero of the Scamander River, destroyer of the Earth Republican Alliance, legend of 1,359 victories, a miracle in the history of warfare since the beginning of human records." Ye Wanzhou, who usually called himself a "republican," rattled off a series of glorious titles. He leaned closer, touching and pinching the Emperor's body, brushing aside the Emperor's long, golden, waterfall-like hair, praising the lion's mane for its excellent feel—soft yet rough, shimmering yet majestic. His eyes gleamed, and he rubbed his hands together, saying:
"Your Majesty, you don't look well. Would you like something to eat? I brought some bread, but there's only one left. Here you go."
"Your Majesty, are you thirsty? Would you like some water?"
The emperor smiled slightly at Ye Wanzhou, and Ye Wanzhou's vision went black; she almost fainted.
Theodosius could no longer contain himself. "Your Majesty, do you usually rely on such methods to get others to serve you wholeheartedly?"
Gratian was bewildered. "What methods did I use?"
Theodosius restrained his urge to strangle the emperor. Ye Wanzhou was circling the emperor, listening to His Majesty's pleasant voice speaking standard Latin, like a hummingbird whose glands were stimulated by nectar.
Strangely, not long after the thought of strangling the emperor crossed Theodosius's mind, he was overwhelmed by a sense of guilt, shame, and intense remorse: You mortal! You actually plotted to kill an angel sent by God out of jealousy!
Wait, what angel? What the hell? Theodosius awoke with a start. He looked at Emperor Gratian and thought to himself, "This man is truly terrifying. He's practically a succubus from the universe."
"You have indeed come to kill me, haven't you?" The emperor looked gently at Theodosius. "Although Caligula's methods are always extreme, his intelligence has never been wrong."
Theodosius drew his gun and pointed it at the emperor. "Yes, Your Majesty. It would be a great honor to shed blood alongside you here today."
“Cizer’s child, won’t you come with me to the palace?” Gratian seemed completely oblivious to the gun barrel aimed at his brow. He tried to stand up from the ground, and Ye Wanzhou was stunned. She looked at Xiao Xi, then at the emperor, who was sweating profusely from just the small movement of supporting himself on his elbows.
Caesar's child? Who is Gratian calling? Little Caesar?
Ye Wanzhou reached out and helped the emperor up.
“There are some things your father gave me,” the emperor said.
"Emperor Gratian, are you planning to lure me into a place where your guards can reach me, and then eliminate me?"
"I do not recommend that you do this. Caesar's child, you and your friend are in Zeus, the capital of the empire. If you kill me now, even if you are not afraid of death, can't you think about your friend? He is your lover, isn't he? You can't be so irresponsible. Do you want him to be captured by Caligula's men and live a life of darkness and misery from then on?"
Ye Wanzhou somehow steered the conversation towards him. He was carrying a bulging backpack, stuffed with books, drinking water, a hairdryer, shampoo, shower gel, and oh, towels—things he'd brought on the trip.
Theodosius silently lowered his gun. He began to hate himself for always being so indecisive and lacking in assertiveness. Ye Wanzhou looked at him, her eyes full of confusion. Theodosius glared at him, and Ye Wanzhou's eyes immediately filled with grievance. Theodosius walked over, put his gun away, patted Ye Wanzhou's shoulder, and said, "What's in your bag? Such a big bag..." As he spoke, he took Ye Wanzhou's bag off the shelf and reached inside, "You only have one loaf of bread left?" His tone was menacing.
Ye Wanzhou felt even more aggrieved. "I just casually grabbed some daily necessities from the dorm."
"Give me the bag. I'll carry it!" Theodosius said angrily. "This bag is damn heavy..."
The emperor beckoned the two children to accompany him to the palace. Theodosius, carrying his bag in one hand, walked forward, unzipping it as he went. He rummaged through the bag, seeing socks, pajamas, a laptop, paper and pens, and an empty water bottle that took up most of the space… Wait, why is there a hairdryer? Theodosius tugged at the black cord, pulling on the pink hairdryer that was half-exposed. The hairdryer got stuck, not moving an inch. He remained silent for a while, then turned to Ye Wanzhou and said, “I really don’t know how you, a grown man, have survived to this day.”
Later, perhaps the emperor grew tired. He summoned a carriage, and the driver's hands trembled the entire time he saw His Majesty. Gratian had to remind him to switch to autopilot. After shifting gears, the driver kept glancing in the rearview mirror. He dared not turn his head, fearing that staring directly at His Majesty would offend him, so he could only occasionally look up and steal a few quick glances at the emperor; a few minutes later, he would steal a few more glances. Ye Wanzhou talked to the emperor the whole way, which annoyed Theodosius. It wasn't until the emperor's tone revealed obvious fatigue that Ye Wanzhou's dizzy mind cleared a little. "Your Majesty, are you tired? Please sleep. Rest well!"
Gratian nodded. His long, pure gold hair melted into the deepening night.
The car was quiet. Ye Wanzhou took out the notebook he had slipped into his bag when he left. The latter half of Caesar's diary. He glanced at the emperor's serene profile; even breathing filled the narrow space. Ye Wanzhou buried his head in the dim light, but he read intently.
Hmm, I'll read a book for a while.
—At least for now, reading is better than being forced to face Xiaoxi's face, which looks like she's eaten two pounds of lemons.
——tbc——
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