In front of the throne room, Nathan noticed something strange, there were no signs of a battle near the door. It had been a while since he'd seen the last skeleton.
"I'm sorry... but it doesn't look like a battle took place."
"No, child. Look there," the butler said.
He pointed to the sides of the carpet leading up to the massive white doors. Boot prints, dozens of them lined the edges, as if knights had stood in formation, letting someone walk down the center.
"It's because the door didn't have a lock. The Emperor believed in supreme victory, choosing to face the end alone."
"I see… but didn't he know the way of the sword?"
"No. Unlike his father, the last Emperor didn't have a body suited to manifest aura."
"…How ironic, for a man who thought he was all-powerful," Lilo cut in.
"I can only nod in shame," the butler replied.
"So… can we enter?"
"Yes. My task was only to bring you here. You may go on without me."
"I see… thank you."
The door creaked open with just a gentle push. Lilo and Nathan stepped inside, leaving the butler behind. As the door shut, he offered a faint smile before fading from view.
"Woah…" Lilo said.
"Rich... Filthy rich," Nathan muttered.
The throne room was unlike any other part of the palace, untouched. No signs of battle, no destruction. Statues stood whole, paintings hung undisturbed, and the white walls gleamed with intricate designs. Six pillars supported the grand hall, each carved with unique patterns. But at the back of the room stood the throne, a dazzling white seat embedded with jewels. And in it sat a corpse, a sword thrust deep into its chest.
"That must be him."
"The Emperor?"
"Let's check it out."
A red carpet led them to the body. Nathan examined the ornate clothes, decorated with gemstones, gold, and military insignias. The Emperor had clearly held full command of the military. The sword in his chest resembled an upside down cross; the upper part served as a handle, the lower as the blade.
"Lilo… don't you think something's missing?" Nathan asked.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Isn't an Emperor supposed to have a crown?"
"Maybe it fell somewhere?" Lilo suggested.
They began searching the throne room. Oddly enough, the crown was nowhere to be found. Could the invaders have taken it? But then again, the rings, bracelet, and insignias were still on the body.
"Let's ask the butler."
"Hey! I wanted to say that first."
"1–0."
"Not fair."
But when they returned to the door, the butler was gone. To be fair, they hadn't asked him to wait.
"Maybe he got busy?" Lilo guessed.
"Lilo, it's a fractured time zone… what the hell would a butler be busy with?"
"I don't know?"
"Let's just split up."
"Split up? Never!"
"Ugh, fine. Let's go."
Lilo clearly didn't want to wander alone through corridors full of skeletons and ruined grandeur. Nathan understood. They searched everywhere the guest rooms, towers, even the prison, but the butler had vanished.
"F*ck, where did he go?"
"Hey, Nathan, let's just sleep in a room. I'm sure he'll come back tomorrow."
"I don't know, Lilo. With all this light-"
Just as he was about to complain about the eternal sun, Nathan's bag started glowing. The compass lit up again, pointing them toward a new destination.
"Finally !"
They sprinted through the halls to a room they'd already checked, a vast library. But now the compass pointed to a massive map mounted on the wall. It was a zoomed-in depiction of a single country.
"Nathan, what's the name of the country?"
"…The Crusaders."
"…"
Nathan had a hunch. Just like the living walls of vines, this map was another portal, another scene in the story they were dragged into. He stepped closer, ready to cross over, when a voice came from behind.
"I'm sorry for disappearing… and for leaving you alone. That's what he told me."
"You… fancy seeing you back, Mr. Butler," Lilo said.
"My apologies, little ones. Please understand... I only follow orders."
"Whose orders?" Nathan asked.
"You'll find out in there,"
The butler said, pointing at the map The Crusaders. Whoever had orchestrated this entire journey was waiting for them.
"I'm surprised you didn't attack us, like that knight," Nathan said.
"So the great White Sword was defeated… With his power reduced nearly tenfold, it's no surprise."
"…Tenfold?"
"This place is a simulation of the past. No being here is as strong as they once were."
"It's okay, Nathan. Don't let it get to you," Lilo offered.
It stung Nathan's pride, knowing that the knight he struggled against had only been a shadow of his true self. Frustrated, he stepped into the map. Lilo followed without hesitation.
"Bye bye, Mr. Butler!"
"Safe travels…"
As she disappeared, the butler's body began to glow and dissolve, only his head remained. With a faint, almost inaudible whisper, he said...
"And thank you… for freeing us."
Then he too was gone.