Chapter 542 - Bedtime Stories.
Hal kept his expression natural as he replied,
"The Nexus what?" He asked in what was meant to be a clueless expression.
The Empress rolled her eyes,
"The Nexus Stone. Don't play dumb, you know exactly what it is... Except of course, if you simply went to the Silver moon sect to retrieve the orb without knowing what it leads to?" She said to which Hal kept looking as clueless as he probably could.
"My apologies, your majesty, but what the heck are you talking about?" He asked and at that point, Empress had taken to ignoring his words and when she spoke next while her words were clearly directed at him, it was more like she was speaking to herself.
"Hmm, if you have no idea what the orb is, I guess that would be understandable. It would fit with my suspicions that she is just using you to get what she wants. That said, you are clearly a smart young man who comes from a powerful family so there must be something you are getting from this.
Tell me, Hal, is she paying you to aid her search?" The last past was pointedly directed at Hal who narrowed his eyes but held his tongue.
Because had he opened his mouth to speak, he knew with certainty that he would be questioning the Empress' sanity.
Not because he genuinely thought her to be crazy but because that seemed to him the most appropriate response to her disregard of his opposition to a possible working relationship with Tanya in the search of the Nexus stone.
When several seconds passed without Hal saying a word, the Empress chuckled,
"Are you wondering how I know of my daughter's little plans?" She asked Hal and while he did not reply, she accurately judged that he was interested in knowing.
The Empress chuckled,
"What has that girl been telling you? By Zalser's laugh, did she make you think knowledge of the Nexus stone is a secret?
Hahaha, my dear boy, that idea would be completely wrong.
The tale of the First Emperor and his Nexus stone is a fable. One that is well known among members of the Haron family.
Especially members in line for the throne.
I told Tanya the tale of the Nexus stone myself.
It is mostly regarded as a fairy tale.
A legend that is meant to reiterate to all Harons what we know by birth, which is that we are special and not at all like any other bloodline in this world.
A legend to tell us we are blessed by the gods"
"Blessed by the gods?" Hal asked for further reiteration.
The Empress nodded,
"Yes. Well actually, blessed by one god in particular; Zalser, the Primeval Asura and progenitor of the Haron Bloodline.
While many other families boast of such blessings, one of them being the Danes and another being the Doxons, none of them can claim their patron god gave them the key to forever rule the continent.
The key being the Nexus stone that the legend has us believe Zalser planted in the Haron continent just for us"
(In case some of you think the name Zalser is familiar, well that is because it has been mentioned earlier in the novel. I do not mean when Tanya swears by his name in chapter 431, I mean earlier in the novel.
Zalser was introduced in chapter 2 and was revealed as the Emerald-eyed god sitting on an obsidian throne and smiling after striking and 'killing' Hal with a bolt of lightning.)
"So this Nexus stone was placed on the Haron continent by a god?" Hal asked.
The Empress rolled her eyes in annoyance at Hal who was still acting like he had not known of the stone before speaking to her,
"Yes, that is what the legend says and like stories told to children usually are, it is absolute nonsense.
I have learned through quite some books in my collection that the Nexus stone or better still Nexus stones are not the creation of any god. It exists just like the world exists."
Now Hal's eyes widened,
"Stones? there is more than one?" He asked and the Empress nodded with a smile that showed the enjoyment she was getting from delivering information to someone willing to learn.
Although, Hal had a feeling that even if it was with someone unwilling, she would still enjoy the act of information transmission nonetheless.
"Well, of course, there are two stones. If just one only allowed the First Emperor to rule the Haron continent or as it was called before our reign began, the Human continent, then it should be easy to guess that the Dystopian continent has one as well.
And judging from how the four major tribes have been able to hold on to their reign, I would say they are most probably sharing it. Ruling the continent in a pseudo but definitely not peaceful union.
This is of course just my guess as there is no actual proof besides the words of knowledge I am privy to thanks to the books in my collection.
Besides, even in the case of another Nexus stone, we will still need to defeat the Dystopians and then carefully search for the stone which is definitely no less well-hidden than the one the first Emperor hid."
"Wow" Hal said as the implications of the Empress' words dawned on him.
Not major implications of course.
It was mostly just the realization of the fact that even with things that did not involve the Empress telling her daughter bedtime stories that had now spurred the talented princess on a quest for supremacy, there was really not much one could sneak past a woman as knowing as the Empress was.
Just judging from her words, Hal was almost certain there were things she knew and had not revealed to any other human. The Emperor included.
Maybe the Emperor had the power in their relationship but the Empress definitely had the brains.
And if used for selfish means, the brains could very well become the power.
In fact, Hal suddenly thought, who was to say she was not plotting things as well?
"The point is, the Nexus stone is not some big secret. The fact that someone believes the stories as truth despite there being no evidence of the vault's existence is the only surprise in this matter. Although if anyone is to set out on a quest to find it by grasping to the bits of truth within the stories, then it is only fitting that it's my daughter"
"Bits of truth?" Hal asked.
The Empress nodded,
"Yes, the fact that Emperor kept the stone away as well as that it really exists. Although I guess the magnitude of those truths are subjective to your personal thoughts and whether or not one desires to find the stone.
Anyway, I know of the map and I know of the Orb and where it was before you acquired it, the location being the Silver moon sect.
Now that the Orb is in Tanya's possession and I no longer have the advantage of being a few steps ahead of her, I just want you to tell me, how further along she is in her search for the stone.
Does she finally know where the First Emperor's vault is?"
Hal sighed and made to once again deny knowledge when the guards announced Tanya's presence outside the study doors.