Chapter 45: Queen of Virtue

The Amazon Memorial Hall stood along the main thoroughfare in the southern district outside the imperial city. As a museum dedicated to commemorating the history of the primal tribes, its presence within the imperial capital was somewhat abstract. Did the city’s residents even understand who the “Amazons” were?

The memorial hall’s ground floor served as a public exhibition area, displaying numerous artifacts and historical records of the Amazons. The second floor was reserved for private use, housing the public activity room of the Amazon Association.

Bessalia and other association members were gathered in the meeting room on the second floor. Though termed a meeting, it resembled more a salon gathering of noblewomen. Indeed, Raine had already seen attendants carrying a lavish afternoon tea being served.

As a male guest, Raine was guided by the museum staff to wait in the adjacent small garden.

Seated in the pavilion at the garden’s center, Raine sipped the red tea brought to him by an attendant.

“You don’t seem nervous at all,” a strange female voice came from behind. Raine turned to see a court noblewoman with brown curls, flanked by two royal guards, regarding him with a cold and distant gaze.

Without hesitation, Raine rose swiftly, knelt on one knee in the courtly manner, and said solemnly, “Raine Fahrel, humbly presenting myself before Her Majesty the Great Empress. May your virtues be sung by the people of the empire like a timeless poem.”

“Raine Fahrel,” the empress said indifferently, “you are the first noble who praises me not for my beauty, but for my virtue.”

Because your beauty is indeed lacking... Raine forced himself to keep a neutral expression.

By most standards of beauty, Margrina was considered a gracefully mature woman. Yet in terms of delicate features, she could not compare to Elrina; in terms of alluring figure, not to Bessalia; and in youthful vitality, not to Daya the maid.

What troubled Raine even more was that this so-called “virtuous” empress had countless lovers behind the scenes, and no one knew how many times she had cuckolded the emperor.

Of course, the Western courts were notoriously indulgent, and such royal affairs were hardly unforgivable sins. It was said among players that the empress had suffered from syphilis later on and even assigned secret quests to buy medicine.

Raine did not wish to verify the forum rumors with his own body, so he merely feigned a wry smile and said:

“Your Majesty’s beauty is so overwhelming I dare not even raise my eyes to you.”

“No matter,” Margrina’s voice softened swiftly as she reached out delicate hands to lift his face. “Child, look at me closely.”

Raine forced a look of being deeply honored, his eyes sparkling with sincere admiration, gazing at Margrina like a devoted child.

Margrina looked at him in surprise.

She had seen men look at her many times before, but always with eyes filled with lust, no matter how well they tried to conceal it. After all, she was no conservative maiden and had openly advocated that marriage should not bind a woman’s autonomy over her body—a fact well known in the noble circles of the imperial city.

However, Margrina had already investigated beforehand. The Fahrel family hailed from Riverview Province, a remote borderland south of the Fertile Lands and near the Wilderness Mountains—essentially the rural outskirts.

Raine Fahrel had left home early to seek his fortune, inevitably lacking experience dealing with nobles. He had heard none of the rumors circulating in the imperial noble circles and viewed the empress only with the pure, youthful admiration of a boy imagining the glory of the empire’s sovereign. This was plainly evident.

With that in mind, Margrina’s initial suspicion and wariness towards the stranger had largely dissipated.

What a charming child.

“Raine Fahrel,” Margrina said kindly, “the Fahrel ancestors once drove out the wild elves from the empire’s border to protect the Fertile Lands of Riverview Province, for which they were granted the title Lords of Ravenhold by Emperor Nerva.”

“However, Ravenhold lies too far from the capital. Subsequent Fahrels rarely had the chance to visit the royal court, and naturally, relations grew distant.”

“The reason I summoned you here is to rekindle the honor and faith your ancestors held in serving the royal family, for truly loyal subjects to the crown are becoming increasingly rare.”

Raine smiled inwardly.

Historically, the Fahrel ancestor had not been personally ennobled by Emperor Nerva but by the then Grand Duke Malorne—a military knight of the Malorne family. Yet, Nerva had required all border marquess titles to be ratified in the capital to weaken the power of the border dukes. So Margrina’s claim that the emperor had granted his ancestor’s title was not entirely baseless, though somewhat tenuous.

“Your Majesty!” Raine’s face showed tears of gratitude, his voice trembling with emotion. “The Fahrels have guarded Riverview Province for generations, ever eager to serve the crown. We have awaited this moment for so long… (wiping tears) Please forgive my lapse in decorum before Your Majesty; it is difficult to contain my overwhelming emotions. I apologize.”

“It’s quite alright, child.” Margrina was genuinely moved. As she produced a handkerchief to dab her own eyes, her mind quietly calculated.

She suddenly realized that borderland military nobles like the Fahrels, long neglected by the royal family and fully dependent on the border dukes for their futures, must be constantly striving to improve their standing.

At the same time, they were excluded from the empire’s mainstream noble circles—plain country folk, whose straightforward, earnest, and combative nature was both a strength and a blessing, since naturally they could not ally with the border nobles.

They were perfect as the royal family’s sharp sword, a cutting edge against the border nobles. Moreover, with no roots within the inner territories, they posed no threat of turning against the crown.

With this thought, Margrina’s gaze upon Raine grew warmer and more approving.

The main reason she summoned Raine was due to his generous donation of 200 gold crowns to the Amazon Association. She had also heard rumors that the Fahrels were generally coarse and ugly, with Raine alone possessing unparalleled handsomeness—an intriguing curiosity.

Now it seemed this boy was not only handsome but also someone she could use.

“Child, I do not doubt your loyalty to the crown,” Margrina said softly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Here now lies an opportunity; let us see if you have the courage to take the next step.”

“Your Majesty, your command is my honor,” Raine said solemnly, placing a hand over his heart. “For a man who loses honor and duty is as if stripped of life and soul.”

Margrina liked this phrase very much.

She knew well that honor and duty were a man’s greatest vulnerabilities, like the bit and saddle that restrained a spirited steed.

“Raine Fahrel, I hereby appoint you as Commander of the Imperial Capital Guard,” Margrina whispered.

Raine’s eyes suddenly widened, as if overwhelmed by this earth-shattering news. Soon he bowed his head and wept uncontrollably.

“I swear to protect Her Majesty the Empress with my life, to pledge unwavering loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor, and to defend the honor of the empire to my last breath!”

He placed “Her Majesty the Empress” before “His Majesty the Emperor” and “the empire’s honor,” a detail that did not escape Margrina’s keen appreciation.