Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 700: Rumors About The Emperor And The Seventh Queen, Eccentric Nature Of The Seventh Queen

"Because of what happened with the Third Priest, there may be people who try to harm you, so the World Tree has decided to give you its protection," Eloy said with an easy smile.

Isaac nodded politely, accepting the explanation without arguing. However, inwardly, he became considerably more wary because there were several things about the situation that he did not like.

First, it was now clear that the World Tree was paying attention to him. Isaac already had a poor impression of the World Tree because the Third Priest, someone devoted to it, had attempted to harm his family, so knowing that the World Tree itself intended to constantly watch over him did not make him feel comfortable.

There was another problem that bothered him even more. The World Tree had only given its blessing to him and had not extended the same protection to his wives, which made it clear it was interested in him specifically.

He also noticed Althea flinch slightly when Eloy appeared. She had been confident and relaxed until now, but she was suddenly quieter, and Isaac could tell from her expression that the Second Priest was not someone she was fond of.

Isaac still didn’t like the thought of being constantly observed by the World Tree, and was about to speak up when Emily’s hand tightened around his. He looked toward her and found her watching him quietly, choosing not to use telepathy because someone with sufficient perception might notice or even decode the mana transmission.

She simply looked at him gently. Her expression seemed to tell him that whatever happened, everything would be fine, and Isaac understood what she was trying to say without needing any words.

Isaac sighed before smiling back at her. He decided that there was little point in worrying about something he could not change at the moment, so he followed Eloy toward the city. He had been prepared for this already anyway.

They soon reached the enormous gates, where several Florathi guards were waiting for them. Every guard wore Mystic-rank armor and carried weapons of the same level, which made Isaac raise his eyebrows because equipping ordinary guards with such expensive equipment was an impressive display of wealth.

The gates opened without resistance, and the group entered the city. A carriage had already been prepared for them, so Isaac and his wives climbed inside while Eloy flew beside the carriage and continued talking throughout the journey.

Althea, however, remained unusually quiet. She sat with her hands clenched together and only answered when Eloy directly asked her something, and although she tried to hide it, Isaac could tell that she was nervous.

Isaac occasionally looked through the curtains as the carriage moved through the streets. Most of the Florathi people had red or green hair and deer-like antlers, although there were plenty of exceptions, including people with other hair colors and even some with pointed ears that reminded Isaac of the elves from the fantasy stories of his old world.

There were also several different races living throughout the city. The streets were busy without being chaotic, and the shops, homes, and various public buildings made it clear that this was a prosperous city where people had lived for a very long time.

What caught Isaac’s attention most were the buildings made from plants and trees. Their structures reminded him of the buildings Althea had helped him create in his own city, but these were far larger and considerably more refined, showing just how much experience the Florathi had with manipulating plants into useful structures.

The city was undeniably beautiful. Isaac continued looking outside while occasionally speaking with his wives, and he noticed Emily staring particularly hard at one of the sweet stalls they passed.

She kept watching it until the carriage moved too far away for her to see it. Isaac understood immediately that she wanted to try the sweets, so he quietly decided that he would take her there later, and considering how much mana existed in the food of a city like this, there should be no issue with her being able to taste them.

Even Celia behaved herself during the ride. Isaac found that somewhat surprising, but he was not about to complain about it.

Eventually, the carriage stopped before a massive palace located deeper within the city. Its outer walls were covered with living plants that had been carefully shaped around stone foundations, while enormous trees stood on either side of the entrance, their branches forming a natural arch above the path.

The group left the carriage and proceeded toward the palace entrance. Several layers of guards stood along the way, but Isaac quickly noticed something unusual about them.

Every guard wore a complete helmet along with full-body armor. Isaac could not sense what was inside those suits, and even his spatial perception could not properly determine their body shapes, which made it difficult to tell even their genders.

"Interesting, isn’t it? The palace of this city, which is ruled by the Seventh Queen, has only automatons inside it, including the maids, guards, cooks, gardeners, and everyone else who works here," Eloy said as he flew beside Isaac at roughly eye level.

"No matter what position someone holds, only automatons are allowed to remain inside the palace. Even for people like us, being permitted to enter this place is quite rare," Eloy added with a small chuckle.

Isaac nodded while continuing to observe the palace. The arrangement was certainly unusual, especially considering that this was supposedly the residence of one of the queens of Florathi Kingdom.

Eloy suddenly lowered his voice as they continued walking. "Did you know that no one has ever actually met the Seventh Queen?"

Isaac frowned and looked at him. He was beginning to suspect that Eloy enjoyed gossip far more than someone holding the position of Second Priest should, but he remained silent and allowed him to continue.

"The one sitting on the throne is an automaton. In fact, most of the automatons inside this palace have her face. Some people believe that she hides among them and changes positions whenever she wants, while others believe that she actually lives somewhere far away from this city. There are even rumors about why the Emperor has never shown her much favor, although I should probably mention that those are only rumors," Eloy explained quietly, although his voice was still loud enough for everyone in the group to hear.

Eloy paused for a moment before lowering his voice even further. "Apparently, during their wedding night, the Seventh Queen sent an automaton to the Emperor’s bedchamber for the bridal ceremony instead of going there herself."

Isaac became silent after hearing that. The Second Priest was far too chatty and far too interested in gossip for his liking, but the Seventh Queen herself sounded like an incredibly eccentric person.

They finally reached the doors leading into the throne room. Two armored automatons stood on either side of the enormous entrance, their bodies completely still as they waited for the group to approach, and when Eloy stopped before the doors, one of them stepped forward.

"His Excellency, the Second Priest, has arrived with Isaac Hargraves and his entourage," the automaton announced in a clear voice. The doors slowly opened after the announcement, revealing a vast hall beyond them, with polished floors, tall pillars, and large windows that allowed the green light of the World Tree to illuminate the room.

The throne room was large enough to make the group appear small as they entered. Rows of automatons stood along both sides of the hall, all wearing identical armor and remaining perfectly motionless, while at the far end of the room stood an elevated platform with a single throne.

The Seventh Queen was sitting upon it.

Isaac’s eyes immediately settled on her. Her red hair flowed down from her head like streams of blood and over the sides of the throne, while her cold green eyes carried the quiet authority of a ruler, though there was also a subtle hint of slyness hidden within them.

She had a small nose and cherry red lips that made one want to bite and devour them. Her milky-white skin was completely flawless, and her face possessed the kind of beauty that could easily make a man lose his composure if he stared for too long.

Yet the Seventh Queen herself showed no reaction to their arrival. She simply looked at Isaac and the others with calmness, her posture relaxed despite sitting alone at the highest point of the throne room.

Isaac met her gaze.

He reminded him of what Eloy had said. This woman was supposed to be an automaton, and considering that the entire palace was filled with them, there was no reason for him to assume that the woman sitting on the throne this time was anything different.

Isaac took a slow breath and told himself to calm down. This was just an automaton, no matter how convincing or beautiful her appearance was—

Then a familiar voice suddenly sounded inside his mind.

[A suitable target has been detected in host’s vicinity]