Part 3

The Asura who had been treated like air all this time started to get everyone's attention. He lowered his wine glass and raised an eyebrow, saying casually, "I will accept any task, as long as I can do it."

The Emperor had indeed decided that Asura would also take part, but the Emperor had also not left a word about what task would be assigned to him. Even a superpower Emperor couldn't think of a suitable task for this one slacker, much less people dancing under the Emperor's palms like them.

They were originally going to equate their duties with the Hereditary Princess, but after the incident where Asura mentioned the age of the Hereditary Princess, everyone agreed in their hearts that their interactions were not in harmony.

The 3rd poem is finished and the 4th poem is in the queue. The dancing girls begin to take off their 7 see-through shawls and begin to tie them in loose knots from end to end in a large circle, before snaking in sweet movements and performing another kind of dance. Now, the dance of grace has been replaced with agile and vibrant tendencies. The playing of the zithers and harp rose one tempo faster, and the previously deep voice became more lively and smoldering.

"Oh Sky, I miss the rain when it's hot, I miss the sun when it's cold. Oh Earth, I miss the blooming of flowers in autumn, but when spring comes, I never miss any other time. I want the flowers to last longer. I get greedy, I get greedy."

"The river flows, the Solace river lives in a half-strong current, and in half the time, the stones sit on the banks, the stones do not move, the stones are eroded by the water. Persistent, persistent. An angel washes a shawl on the banks of the Solace river, one of the 7 colors is carried away by the current and reaches mortal hands. What color is it? What color is it?"

Two legendary poems of their time, about people who are ungrateful and always dream of opposite things. The cursed instinct of man is to desire what he cannot have. This poem itself was written by a scholar from the imperial academy who was two generations above Vaishravana. His name is quite famous, until people call it a miracle that overtook Grand Mentor Alarik Richthofen. His name was Declan Rice, a commoner.

What distinguishes the two is that Declan likes to write poems about the meaning of life and human interaction, which are sometimes embellished with imaginary stories. While his predecessor, Grand Mentor Alarik Richthofen, preferred to write about the upheaval in war, military might, and some situations involving politics. These two people with opposite preferences are also brought together in the same stream called "poem".

Those imperial officials didn't talk much about life-and-death matters, only discussing trivial things in between. In-depth planning will be carried out within the respective institutions.

Now that everyone had confirmed their respective duties, Asura on the other hand was already getting drunk with his wine glass. The edges of his eyes and cheeks were all red. Apart from looking dazed, his own demeanor was still reasonable and calm.

The Minister of Finance spends most of his time chatting with the secretary at the Revenue Control Office, while the Minister of Rites will occasionally chat with the Minister of Household Affairs. Zachkiel would answer when he was asked, and several times, people would ask his opinion.

The two idle people at this table as big as the Emperor's mattress were Asura and Vaishravana.

Asura rubbed his forehead and stood up. The people paused their chatter for a moment before Asura explained that he wanted to get some fresh air and clear his mind. Not to forget, he also brought his ivory cigar pipe. Asura descended two floors below him and asked for a bottle of warm ginger tea to relieve his hangover. He went outside through the main door with two small bells on it. Squat in the same place as before.

The people at the banquet this time were mostly from the Crown Prince's faction. They idealize a theoretical and critical figure like the Crown Prince. On the other hand, the Emperor only had 3 sons, and 2 of them had not even received their honorary names. Even so, not a few also supported the 2nd Prince Verdian, who had his charm in the region of literature. Prince Verdian was only 11 years old and his talent for literature was already outstanding. He greatly idolized Grand Mentor Alarik Richthofen and was determined to emulate him in the future. Although Grand Mentor Alarik had been appointed Grand Mentor to Prince Kai, Prince Verdian would occasionally make personal visits to the Richthofen residence to greet and study with him. Meanwhile, his relationship with his brother was so harmonious. On the outside, they looked like a normal happy family.

However, how long would Little Verdian's white and pure heart last?

The machinations within the palace were too rotten to make it difficult for someone innocent and pure to endure.

Asura lit his tobacco in a flame ignited by the friction between the match head and the body of the package. A compound of gelatin, glass powder, manganese dioxide, potassium chlorate, potassium bichromate, zine oxide, iron oxide, and powdered sulfur burns to produce a yellow flame that reflects in his two blue zircon-like eyeballs. Asura took in one strong first puff before exhaling the smoke into the air through the corners of his mouth and nostrils.

Honestly, he's not a smoker. The thick and empty feeling that lingered after the smoke left his mouth was simply unbearable. Even with the bitterness of nicotine that caresses the tongue when the smoke accumulates in the oral cavity. A naughty and dirty image like this he only shows at certain times. Not many know what his real attitude is. Everything he did was fake. He himself could vouch for how defiled and hypocritical he was.

Asura looked up into the sky at the cluster of twinkling stars like a spoiled girl with a wink.

"Are you praying?"

A sweet voice came from behind him. Yohan didn't turn his head when he was blunt. "I don't believe in God."

"So where will you run to when you're having trouble and hardship?"

"I will run to myself."

"Mm," Vaishravana muttered in response. Then said, "Why don't you believe in God?"

"I was skeptical."

"Then who do you think created this universe?"

"Of course God."

Vaishravana raised her eyebrows. "Don't you believe in God?"

Asura said, "I really don't believe Him. But I don't deny His existence."

"You are like a child who believes that sweets and sugar are two different things, Your Majesty."

Asura laughed dryly. "So, do you believe in God?"

"Yeah. Why not. "

"Why? "

Vaishravana looked thoughtful for a while. Her gaze wandered far away like she was traveling to a different time and place, before replied, "Because the world has no justice."

"Oh?" only this time did Asura turn his head. Looking at her with a hint of enthusiasm while raising his eyebrows half high. "Why? "

"There is no such thing as justice, but why can humans still find the word justice anyway? Justice is not non-existent, its only delayed. If the whole world lacks justice, then my only hope is justice in the hands of God."

"Or you can create your own." Asura replied.

Vaishravana shook her head slightly. The shake she did was not for Asura, but rather for herself. She said, "I created justice somewhere in city A, but at the same time, haven't I also created injustice in city B? Humans have too many limitations and incompetence."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"I do." Vaishravana sighed. "In the end, the highest place a human can reach is simply being a visionary."

-0-

She doesn't know when she comes home, her father standing in front of the main gate, biting his pipe, releasing a thick smoke from his pointed nose, when his gaze sends a bitter stare.

The weather was so cold that one can die from it. But then here her father, standing without an umbrella in the open air, while snow filling his shoulders like it's nothing.

He didn't say anything as Vaishravana walked over with her head down. When the distance between them had been cut down, the only thing he asked was "Isn't it cold?"

And Vaishravana nodded, answered, "Yes, Daddy."

The 30-years-old man smiled slightly, showing his handsome face that forget to aged since he was hitting his 20s.

"Come in. "