Emperor's Reckoning

Zet found himself sitting down cross-legged in front of the lady fortune-teller. He could tell from her eyes that she was giving him a genuine smile under the pink veil that she wore.

The young swordsman could feel his heart beating faster than usual. His eyes were captivated by the bearing of the woman in front of him, even the sword inside his sheathed was growing restless.

Vivi suddenly chuckled, "You were really enthusiastic just a moment ago, what happened?"

Zet smiled a fool's smile. He scratched the back of his head before saying, "Maybe it's your presence?"

"Oh my?" Vivi raised one of her eyebrows before smiling, "My presence? Do I look intimidating?"

"No! No, it's not intimidating, it's well, I don't have a word for it," said Zet as he smiled wryly. (I wish I was half as good as big brother Lyon).

"I see, then I hope that you can find the word, because I'm really interested in your thought as well," Vivi smiled.

"Y-Yes!" Zet suddenly straightened his back.

"En, en," Vivi nodded before she continued, "Is there anything that you want to ask of me?"

Zet's eyes turned sharp but Vivi suddenly warned him.

"I must warn you that you only have one chance, one question, so make sure that it is a wise one," said Vivi.

Zet nodded. "I understand."

"En," Vivi nodded.

Zet took a deep breath, "I wanted to seek my older brother."

"Hm?" Vivi raised her eyebrows, "You're older brother?"

Zet nodded, "I don't know his name, but he shares the same blood as me. I don't know where he is, but when he was a baby, my parents lost him. due to unfortunate circumstances."

"I see," Vivi nodded seemingly not judging Zet's request. "Is your brother dead, or alive?"

Zet shook his head, "I don't know, sadly. My father has been exploring Mortal World for months and years to find you, but alas he came back empty-handed. However, as luck would have it, I meet big brother Lyon and things escalated before here I am."

Vivi shook her head with a smile. "Seeking is a futile attempt. Do not even try to seek me because it will do nothing but waste your time. If fate wills it, we will meet each other. Thus, here you are."

Zet hesitantly nodded.

"Please relay my message to your father, or even to the people that you know and might want to seek my humble service."

"I will keep that in mind," Zet nodded.

"Thank you," Vivi responded. "Now, then about your brother, how old is he when your parents lost him."

Zet let out a long exhale before he answered, "It was when he was a baby."

"I see," Vivi nodded. "It is a good thing to find your long-lost family member, but I hope you are not too disappointed if you find the result quite, unpleasant."

Zet nodded, "I'm prepared for whatever result it comes out. My older brother is still my older brother, dead or alive. I can only hope for the latter though."

"That's a good approach," Vivi nodded. "So I will presume that his name is not important."

Zet furrowed his eyebrows, "Why?"

"Because he was still a baby when your parents lost him right? If your older brother grew up, I doubt that he knew what name his parents gave him," answered Vivi.

"Good point," Zet nodded. "Argonaut family should stick together."

"I understand," Vivi nodded before she give her hand.

Zet knew what Ivy had done before and followed her steps.

Vivi closed her eyes with a smile on her face. Mana gathering around her shifted once more. Zet's goosebumps rose before he could hear his beating heart directly. The chattering of the audience gradually turned void.

The shimmering glow of her red jewel made him scrunch his eyes before another world was presented to him.

A man with bright red hair was present. A giant sword sleeping on the wall. A candle lightened up by a small fire. He was sitting by the bed seeming to contemplate something. He was unaware that he was being watched.

"Lyon, huh... What a crazy fellow, snatching our princess just like that before making his name known that far," he smiled wryly before he went to bed.

*Thump!

Zet was sent back to reality with his eyes widened in disbelief. However, the lady-fortuneteller was having the exact same reaction.

(Lyon?!) the name crossed their minds.

Zet immediately looked around with his eyes but he found no presence of the guy.

"Look's like you know what must be done," said Vivi with a smile through her eyes.

"I know, there is no mistaking it, he shares the same red hair that I have, and I was able to see a sword, though, it's not the same as the ones that our family use," Zet smiled wryly. He looked at the curved sword that he was carrying, Irae. The size of the two was incomparable. The one in the vision had a greatsword. A two-handed type sword, perfect for butchering enemy lines without premise.

"Do you still want his exact location?" asked Vivi.

"En, absolutely," nodded Zet.

Vivi flicked her finger before a sheet of paper was present in her hand. She closed her eyes before mana started to gather on top of the paper. With a slight blow of dust, the paper had letters written in it.

She looked at the paper before she is reading it calmly to him, "Location, The Phantera Kingdom, Continent Deo, err... The Mortal World."

Zet overlooked her hesitation as he nodded, "I see, thank you." (I will ask big brother Lyon for further information about this kingdom).

"Your welcome, but you know," Vivi smiled.

"Hm? What is it? Is there something that I can help you with?" asked Zet with a glimmer in his eyes. Gaining favor from a king is one thing, but gaining favor from a fortune-teller than he had struck diamonds.

"You can let go of my hand," said Vivi as she nodded.

"Hm?" He glanced down before his pupils shrunk. He quickly pulled his hand off of her as he bowed, "I'm sorry!"

Vivi chuckled seeing him flustered over such banal things. "It's alright, no need to overthink it."

"Ah, Thank you!" Zet bowed one last time before he stood up and left.

Vivi looked at him with a smile before her eyebrows furrowed. (I cannot believe it, to think that your name would pop up).

She still had not figured out Cecile and Lyon's mysteries even though she was the one that was supposed to be able to read fate. Now, someone had a linked past with him.

Zet immediately approached Tael who was smiling from the beginning of the ceremony.

"How did it go? What did you ask?" asked Tael as he grabbed both of his grandson's shoulders. "If you need to ask about cultivation, you should ask me instead, but I won't blame you though, hahaha!"

Zet smiled before he shook his head. "I asked about older brother."

The festive atmosphere between the two suddenly dropped as Tael's eyes widened. His pupils trembled as his lips followed, "Y-Y-You did?"

"I did," nodded Zet, "He is still alive."

"What?! He is?! Where?!" Tael immediately got impatient as he shook his grandson back and forth.

"He is in the Mortal World, a place called Continent Deo, he currently lived in The Phantera Kingdom."

"He is in the Mortal World?!" exclaimed Tael. (He has been living under our nose the whole time?!). "Let's go see your father, he would be over the moon to hear this."

"Hm?" Zet raised his eyebrows, "Where is father anyway?"

"He is still inside the inn, let's go!" said Tael before he grabbed his wrist.

"W-Wait, grandfather," said Zet as he put on brakes with his two feet.

Tael furrowed his eyebrows, "What is it?"

"I need to meet big brother Lyon first," said Zet as he nodded.

"Why?" Tael asked, "Does this have something to do with young master Lyon?"

Zet blinked in disbelief as he heard what his grandfather had just said, "Young master?"

"Yes, young master," Tael nodded without any further explanation.

"O-Okay?" Zet furrowed his eyebrows. "But, yes, this has something to do with big brother Lyon. In fact, he might have met him before."

"What?! He had met young master Lyon you say?!" exclaimed Tael.

"Yes, I saw him muttering his name in the vision that lady fortune-teller had shown me," nodded Zet. "He might even know where the exact place is."

---

"Achoo~"

Lyon chuckled as he saw Lumina sneezing cutely.

"What?" she furrowed her eyebrows as she squinted her eyes in a silent glare.

"Nothing, I just thought that a dragon would go like—" his eyes opened wide before his nose shrunk with a twitch as it faced the sky. Tears escaped the edges of his eyes before he pushed the two ladies standing in front of him away with the last of his strength.

"Ha—"

---

"Please let the next cul—" Vivi's eyes turned sharp before a loud sound was heard.

"CHO!!!"

The cultivators inside the broken arena were dumbfounded as they could feel their hearts almost jump out of their ribs.

"Wha- What was that?!"

"Are we under attack?!"

"Was that a sneeze?"

Only one of the cultivators guessed it right.