Gardener of Eden

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Emperor Aurelius

As the golden banners of House von Aetheris snapped in the arena wind, the presence of the imperial triumvirate settled over the Royal Colosseum like a physical weight.

Centered on the gilded throne sat Emperor Aurelius von Aetheris IX, the Sovereign Dragon of the Empire. His crimson robes, laced with shimmering dragon-scale threading, seemed to radiate the high-tier ambient mana of the stadium. His golden eyes swept over the fifty cadets standing in formation below, assessing the future martial and arcane strength of his realm with an unyielding, ancient gravity.

To his right, Crown Prince Julian von Aetheris—the First Blade of the Realm—sat with composed, tactical grace. His sharp, calculating gaze flicked across the ten squads, measuring their stances, weapon grips, and mana stability like an expert general evaluating a frontline division.

To the Emperor’s left sat Princess Lyra von Aetheris, the Star of the Capital. Far from maintaining the stoic stiffness of the high court, her bright, enthusiastic eyes sparkled as she leaned forward against the gilded railing. Her gaze dropped straight toward Squad 07, recognizing Rowan and his team from the previous evening’s private dinner. Catching Rowan’s eye, she offered a swift, subtle nod of encouragement before resuming her royal posture.

Down on the sand, Valen von Astra and the cadets of the Imperial Royal Academy straightened their spines even further, desperate to capture the favor of Emperor Aurelius and Crown Prince Julian. Valen cast a fleeting, razor-sharp glare toward Rowan, as if promising that the presence of the Sovereign would only make Squad 07’s defeat more absolute.

Rowan remained completely unfazed, his hand resting casually near the haft of the Hoe of the World-Tiller while his Enchanted Straw Hat shaded his eyes from the morning sun. Beside him, Caelen relaxed his shoulders into a fluid stance, Barney loosened his broad grip on the Hammer of the Sunken Bastion, Mirei adjusted her bowstring, and Seraphina kept her cold, analytical gaze fixed on the announcer’s box.

A golden wave of mana radiated from the central balcony as Emperor Aurelius raised a single, gauntleted hand, granting his sovereign permission for the grand trials to commence.

The host stepped to the edge of the broadcast platform, his voice echoing across every corner of the Colosseum and out through the continental communications network.

”By the sovereign grace of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Aurelius von Aetheris IX, the final stage of the Imperial Exhibition Tournament shall now begin!” the host bellowed. ”Ten elite squads remain! Today, to test true domain adaptivity, resource management, and tactical survival under the eyes of the throne, the arena floor shall transform into the Aetheric Gauntlet!”

As the announcement echoed across the stadium, the massive runic floor beneath the fifty cadets began to hum with deep, subterranean energy, casting a blinding lattice of emerald and amber light across the arena sand.

***

As the host began outlining the operational rules for the opening bracket, a subtle wave of golden imperial mana radiated outward from the royal balcony. The host froze mid-sentence, quickly bowing his head as Emperor Aurelius von Aetheris IX slowly rose from his gilded throne, stepping forward to stand between Crown Prince Julian and Princess Lyra.

Without the aid of a magic broadcast crystal, the Emperor’s voice resonated directly in the minds and ears of every spectator, cadet, and foreign diplomat across the Colosseum—a deep, commanding rumble laced with absolute sovereign authority.

”Cadets of the Empire,” Emperor Aurelius proclaimed, his golden eyes sweeping over the fifty competitors standing on the arena floor. ”You stand today as the absolute pinnacle of our realm’s youth. To fight under the eyes of the throne is a privilege, but extraordinary talent deserves extraordinary recognition.”

A breathless silence held the stadium captive. Foreign envoys leaned forward in their seats, and broadcast drones hovered in place, capturing every word.

”Therefore, I hereby decree an imperial addition to today’s grand honours,” the Emperor declared, a faint, formidable curve touching his lips. ”The top individual champion from each of the five competition divisions—Herbology & Terra Cultivation, Alchemy & Reagent Dispersion, Blacksmithing & Forge Artifact, Melee Combat, and Ranged Combat—shall be invited to the Royal Estate for a personal one-day private banquet hosted by the Imperial Family!”

A massive collective gasp reverberated through the grandstands, but Emperor Aurelius was not finished.

”Furthermore,” the Sovereign Dragon continued, raising a gauntleted hand, ”during this private gathering, I shall personally grant each division champion an item or resource of their choosing, drawn directly from the Vaults of the Imperial Treasury!”

The Colosseum erupted into a deafening storm of cheers, roars, and stunned exclamations! An invitation to the royal estate was an unthinkable honor, but access to the legendary Imperial Treasury was a reward beyond measure. Items within those vaults were national treasures—ancient artifacts, high-grade sovereign materials, and lost skill books that could alter the fate of an entire house or catapult an Awakener into the continent’s top ranks.

High above, Princess Lyra beamed with delight as she looked down at the arena, while Crown Prince Julian offered a sharp, approving nod. Down on the sand, Valen von Astra and the capital cadets of the Imperial Royal Academy stood with chests puffed out, their eyes burning with intense greed and ambition as they assumed the capital would sweep every single prize.

Down at Squad 07’s position, the mood was equally electric.

”An item straight out of the Imperial Treasury...” Barney whispered in awe, his calloused hands flexing as he imagined the divine smithing ores, ancient runic hammers, and legendary schematics resting inside the sovereign vaults.

”And a private meal with the Imperial Family,” Seraphina added softly, her analytical mind instantly calculating the political clout and alchemical resources such favor would grant. ”That isn’t just a reward—it’s a royal endorsement.”

Caelen loosened his blade in its scabbard with a sharp, lethal grin, while Mirei quietly adjusted the grip on her bow, her gaze locking onto the high targets with renewed focus.

Rowan looked across at his four squadmates: Caelen dominating melee, Mirei covering ranged, Barney anchoring the forge, Seraphina mastering alchemy, and himself leading terra cultivation. Their team aligned perfectly with the Emperor’s five division categories.

Adjusting the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, Rowan rested a hand against the Hoe of the World-Tiller with a calm, amused smile.

”Looks like His Majesty just set a table for five,” Rowan said softly, his voice full of quiet confidence. ”Let’s go take every single seat.”

***

With the opening horn ringing out across the Royal Colosseum, the arena evaluators signaled for the Melee Combat Category competitors to take their positions on the arena sand.

Caelen unclasped his silver-hilted blade, letting the pommel rest comfortably beneath his palm as he stepped to the center of the trial ring. Rowan gave him a firm nod, while Barney slapped Caelen’s shoulder with a wide grin.

”Go get that treasury reward, swordsman,” Rowan said smoothly.

”Don’t leave a single target construct intact,” Barney added.

”I’ll make sure His Majesty remembers my name before the first round even ends,” Caelen replied with a sharp, confident smirk, unearthing his weapon with fluid grace.

Leaving Caelen on the sands alongside Valen von Astra and the elite vanguard specialists of the other nine squads, Rowan led Seraphina, Barney, and Mirei up the marble stairwell to Squad 07’s private viewing suite.

Located in the mid-tier gallery reserved for championship finalists, the private section offered an unobstructed, bird’s-eye view of the entire central arena floor. A reinforced runic barrier protected the seating area from lingering shockwaves, while floating tactical projection slates hovered beside each seat, displaying real-time bio-metrics, impact force, and mana outputs for every competitor below.

Rowan took a seat at the front of the balcony, resting the Hoe of the World-Tiller against the railing and tipping up the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat. Beside him, Barney leaned his heavy forearms over the gilded barrier, his eyes locked on Caelen’s stance. Seraphina tapped the tactical slate to sync her spectrographic analysis with Caelen’s mana signature, while Mirei leaned back in her chair with her bow across her lap, quietly watching the movement patterns of the competing marksmen and vanguards.

High above in the imperial booth, Emperor Aurelius von Aetheris IX leaned back on his throne, his golden eyes sweeping over the melee contestants taking their positions on the sand below. Beside him, Crown Prince Julian watched with a critical, tactical gaze, while Princess Lyra glanced up toward Squad 07’s private balcony, noticing Rowan and his squad taking their places to support their frontliner.

Down on the floor, heavy subterranean gears rumbled as high-density iron constructs and enchanted barrier arrays materialized around Caelen and his opponents, signaling the immediate start of the championship melee trials.