Chapter 50: The Emperor's Palace

Ever since I entered this vestige, this was the first time I took a good look at our surroundings. I had been so preoccupied with the Vein Sproadic spell that it escaped my mind to observe our immediate environment.

Although from the outside, the entrance of this place looked like the entrance to a cave, the interior didn't resemble a cave at all. It was incredibly vast, as big as a football field, and at the far end, a towering door gate blocked any further progress.

Without hesitation, all of us moved toward the door gate. As I stood right in front of it, I suddenly realized how small I was in comparison. The door's size was almost as tall as a three-story building. Examining it closely, I noticed that it wasn't inscribed with any spells or magic circles.

This aspect alone confused me. How did they expect someone to move this door gate? I was about to ask Sarah about it when Thomas came to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. He pointed his finger toward Sarah, and that's when I saw her take out an object that looked like a key from her storage ring.

Sarah used the key to touch the door gate. As if a mechanism inside the door gate had reacted to the key, it started moving little by little until finally opening its way for us.

I had many guesses about what lay behind the gate, but when I saw it for myself, I was truly amazed. I had anticipated a passageway or even a formidable boss monster, but I never expected to find myself in a grand hall.

The hall was immense, supported by eight giant white pillars, with four pillars on each side. In the center stood a majestic stone statue. Carved from white stone, it depicted a man standing upright, holding a sword directly in front of him.

To me, the statue resembled more of a warrior than a mage. The chiseled physique and the grand broadsword spoke of a skilled swordsman. However, what stood out the most was the lifelike presence the statue emanated. It felt as if a master swordsman stood right in front of me.

Alongside the central statue, there were eight more statues placed in front of each pillar. Each statue wielded a different weapon, and among them, I even spotted a statue of a mage. Taking in the overall arrangement, it was clear that the man in the middle was the leader, while the other eight statues represented his followers.

"Incredible! I never thought it was real!" Anna exclaimed with excitement.

"Me neither. Even though I knew Miss Sarah had done thorough research, I still held some skepticism. But now, seeing it with my own eyes, I have to admit, Miss Sarah, you were right," I chimed in.

"Agreed," Captain Garz and Thomas voiced their agreement, their shock clearly visible.

While everyone marveled at this amazing place, I couldn't help but notice Sarah's eyes turning red, as if she was holding back tears.

"Are you alright?" I walked toward her, trying to provide some comfort. While the others were amazed by the place, Sarah seemed to be the only one not sharing their excitement.

"I'm fine. Thank you, William," she replied, regaining her composure. I wanted to ask her about her emotional reaction, but I refrained from prying further.

It was her personal matter, and although we were friends, we weren't close enough to share our deepest secrets. Curiosity lingered, but I chose to remain silent.

"What is this place, actually? Why are you all so excited?" I changed the topic, wanting to know more. This place couldn't be ordinary, and asking Sarah seemed like the quickest way to unravel its mysteries.

Sarah took a moment before answering, "Well, I don't blame you for not knowing about this place. Information regarding it is strictly controlled by the upper society."

She looked at me and continued, "Do you know the story of Emperor Alexander?"

Her question came as no surprise. Of course, I knew about him. He was once the greatest emperor of a magical kingdom, and his tales of a brilliant reign were still circulated to this day. But why did she ask me that? She should have known the answer herself without having to inquire. Unless...

Glancing at Sarah, a possibility crossed my mind. It couldn't be true, could it?

Sarah smiled at me, seemingly aware of my thoughts. As if confirming my suspicions, she replied, "It's exactly as you think. This is part of the Emperor Alexander's palace."