Draconia Offline vol. 2

91.3. Decision - Part 3

"Start packing, we're going," I announce when we finally emerge from our bedroom and find our maids and guards nervously stepping in front of the door, anxiously waiting for our decision.

"Today?!" the maids get startled by the sudden urgency.

"Would tomorrow be any better?" I shrug. "Besides, the Divementis are hovering above the mansion already and don't seem to have any intention of leaving. We'd just be unnecessarily prolonging the inevitable and if what my father said is true, we should hurry."

"We still have to decide who comes with us," Gotrid reminds me.

"Riiight," I chew my lip. This will undoubtedly make some Celestials unhappy if they aren't picked, but my father said that forty is the limit. Wait, what?! I have to facepalm myself in my mind. When did I start thinking that forty is too few when it comes to my entourage?

"Your Majesty, the Celestial Council is waiting for your decision," Vermiel comes to pick me up and he's extremely tense.

"Okay, let's...," I don't get to finish that sentence, though, Ayala interrupts me.

"His Majesty will come in half an hour," she says uncompromisingly.

"Eh? Why? It's not like I have to change my clothes," I tilt my head.

"Maybe because it's three o'clock already and you still haven't had lunch?" Ayala raises her eyebrows.

"We have more important things to attend to," I take a step towards Vermiel, but both Gotrid and Erik grab my sleeves and stop me.

"Love, don't forget that the Emperor's health is the Celestial priority," Gotrid has to be strict with me. "You have to eat properly no matter the circumstances."

"I'm not... hungry," I murmur. Why is it that every time I get stressed over something, my appetite disappears? Is it a Divementis thing? I'll have to ask my father about it when I have a chance.

"Honestly? We don't care," Erik pushes me down on a pillow in our living room and the maids quickly serve us a Japanese full-course.

"We saw the Divementis today and while they were all super slim, you were the thinnest among them," Gotrid laments. "We can't have you skipping meals."

"Okay, okay," I take a bowl of rice with vegetable curry and start gobbling it quickly.

It's obvious that my caretakers aren't happy about my speed, but at least I'm eating without protests. I know that they are right; my eating habits are horrible. It got significantly better over the last few months, but it's still far from ideal. I might sometimes act annoyed, but I'm actually grateful that they are watching over my diet and nagging me about it.

After the late lunch, we get to the throne room which is packed with high-ranking seraphs. Evidently, they worry that if I don't see them in person, I will forget to include them.

"I started with the pre-selection process already, my Emperor," Liana informs me. "This is the list of candidates I recommend to take with us."

"You didn't wait for me to announce if we're going?" I'm surprised.

"Nah, there was no doubt," she waves her hand. "Sure, we're scared whether we will be able to protect our embodiment of magic, but there's a fucking spaceship hovering above us, aliens claiming that they are barely suppressing the rifts and calling you their Crown Prince. I don't see in which alternative universe we could stop you."

"I also decided that, for the sake of convenience, we will accept the Divementis offer and use their spaceship," I add slowly.

"Figured as much," Liana nods without any complaints. "Please, choose your entourage."