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Arc Chronicles Calixte XII
Calixte XIINo, they weren't complete traditional robes. They looked like a combination of traditional Oyashimese robes and a modern suit. It was a taste look and an interesting one. All the staff at the Oyashimese embassy in Aquroya wore modern suits and clothes, but this man was different. It wasn't a bad look honestly, but the people of Europe still tended to see Asians as backward. I know my brother Xavier did and he was the Viceroy of Vietnam. The Oyashimese seemed to want to escape that association and quickly modernized; that was to say, westernize themselves, in the same way, the Japanese did in my first world.This means clothes seemed to undermine that effort. I couldn't imagine the imperial Oyashimese authorities would let him wear something like that if he was an ambassador to a European country. He might not be an ambassador now, but his colony bordered three different colonial powers, Whoever he was, the man was obviously important, so I would assume he would uphold the
Arc Chronicles Calixte XIII
Calixte XIII"Forgive me if I presume too much, but you seem... Acquainted." They seemed more than merely acquainted, they seemed close. Very close. I hope I wasn't overstepping my boundaries and assuming. What was that saying again? Assuming makes an ass out of you and me?Thankfully my assumption paid off and I didn't come out looking like an ass. The governor smiled. "Not at all, Your Highness. I have known Princess Kaya since she was born.""May I inquire as to the nature of your relationship?" I asked in the politest way that I could."Governor Tanaka is my uncle," Kaya said. "He's my father's brother.""I was under the impression that Tanaka was a family name," I said.Governor Tanaka nodded. "It is. And a common one at that.""I... Don't understand," I admitted."I don't blame you. I'm not talking about at the court very often," the governor admitted. "You might say that I'm the emperor's dirty little secret. You see, I am no longer a member of the imperial family.""You're not
Arc Chronicles Calixte
Calixte "I can see why you'd feel that way," I said. "Your father is kind. Certainly a lot kinder than mine." "Is the Emperor of Aquitaine so unkind?" Kaya asked. "He's an emperor. By his very nature, he is unkind." Whatever the emperor chose to do was the right choice. However, how he acted was the best way to work. That was the nature of emperors. They were the highest authority and how they chose to act was the best way to go forward. "My father is a kind man and he was born to be emperor." "Your father is an enigma. A strange creature draping himself in the cloak of an emperor." "I wouldn't go that far." I shrugged. Her father was the odd one out. He didn't act how an emperor should act. "Your father is the strange one out. If I'm to be completely honest with you, Princess Kaya, I'm jealous." "Jealous? Of what? The strange father out?" "He might be the strange one out, but emperors aren't good men by nature. Absolute power absolutely corrupts, or so the saying goes." "Wh
Arc Chronicles Euphema
Euphemia"According to the rumors, and that's all that I have to work with, your highness, but the rumors say that House Frey are criminals.""Criminals?""Indeed. If you've studied the history of House Frey, the very first Frey lord was born a mere commoner. He was a privateer in our war against Britannia three hundred years ago.""He worked for the throne as a privateer. Surely that doesn't brand him as a criminal?""If that was all, I would agree with you. Though the age of privates and privateers has since passed, in his time he was answering the thrones call. The war ended a few years after that first call was put out and the first Lord Frey couldn't bear to part with his new lifestyle. When the war came to an end, the first Lord Frey became a pirate."Had it not been but for a quirk of fate, he would have lived and died as one. He was close to being captured by the Britannian authorities. It was to his fortune that the pirate captain Frey preyed on more than merchant ships. He w
Arc Chronicles Euphemia
Euphemia"May I speak you to alone, Your Highness?" Damon Frey asked. He was polite enough to Dahlia, but there was a certain contempt for Elena Ordel that I hadn't seen before. Maybe there was something to the rumors that Dahlia told me about.The contempt was mirrored in Elena Ordel's eyes, but the two appeared to be civil. "I'm sure you won't mind me sitting in on these important matters, will you lord Damon? Since this does concern the three of us."Damon Frey's smile became frosty. "Not at all, Lady Elena. I have a penthouse ready for the three of us.""But of course. Your house owns this building, don't they? You will forgive me, Lord Frey, if I ask that we attend somewhere more neutral.""We are already here, Lady Elena. Where would you have us go?"There was an underlying current between them. These two were familiar with each other."I can arrange a car ride for us. A limousine-""Affiliated with your house?""There are a few limousine operators across the city," Elena snappe
Arc Chronicles Cal - Euph
Calixte ArcThe sun was setting on Nayoshi. The lights of the city illuminated the darkness and I felt like I was watching New York City as the sun set in the 1920s. Aquroya was an ancient city and while it had its charm, this city was of the modern world. Or as modern as this world had come.Metal skyscrapers dominated the skyline, shining like beacons against the darkened sky. From the window of my hotel, I had a view from far above as the street lights came to life. The people looked like ants below.It would be my last night here for a few weeks at least. The OSI had arranged for propagandists to swarm the base, ready to capture my heroic deeds for the propaganda reels and the radio. The OSI had informed me that I would need to return earlier than expected, though, after a few weeks of content, I would be allowed to return to my future wife.Of course, the propagandists on the other side had been demanding access to my life while I spent my free time with her. I knew there would b
Arc Chronicles Cal - Euph I
Calixte ArcThe Nayoshi airport was full of planes, both commercial and military. My plane was the only foreign one among the lot that wasn't commercial. Most of the planes were from North America, but I did see a few from overseas. There was an Egyptian plane down at the end of the long runway.The OSI officers were dressed in common Aquitese military uniforms. Karafuto, wisely, didn't allow the OSI to set foot on its soil. Not that it stopped the cloak and dagger organization, there were dozens of cells active in the colony, but it was still wise to ban them officially.The OSI soldier saluted me. I offered one back. Why were they here as my escorts?"She's pretty," Princess Kaya said, pointing at Mireille. My wife was dressed in the common uniform, bearing little resemblance to the woman from my wedding photos or the film real. Did Kaya recognize her and this was her way of telling me? Or was she just making an observation? Mireille was beautiful."I'm going to miss this place," I
Arc Chronicles Perview
Chapter VIIIf you've never been to Mardale, I doubt I can truly impose upon you the size of the city. Even calling it was city didn't do it justice. Every so-called city-state was smaller than Mardale. It was like ten or twenty cities in one. A mass of cities fused by some ancient, long-forgotten race. Maybe the gods gifted it to us when they brought us to Elysium, either way, it was so vast.Scattered throughout Mardale were dozens of smaller districts. Hillside, New Port, Waterside, Old Town, Millers Way, Farm Markets, Merchants Square, and hundreds more. The districts were large enough that each had its own dedicated City Watch. For a month, I had made my home in Old Town and Millers Way. Millers Way was good for begging and Old Town had kinder watchmen.I had not only assaulted watchmen but stolen from them. My face was covered in dirt like the rest of me, but I couldn't risk being discovered as the attacker. The City Watch stuck together like mortar and bricks. They wouldn't tol