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The Gamer Chapter 1602 – Lulu, my Beloved
🕑 Added 2024-01-16 11:58:16 +0000 UTCLanding an Abyssal aircraft of this size was more nerve wracking than John had given it credit for. Take off was all well and good, run down the airstrip and get into the air, nothing unusual there. For the landing, however, one had to have exact knowledge of where the airstrip was well before the Mobile Barrier melded into the Protected Space. Not quite as worrisome for normal machines as for the colossus they were currently flying.
John watched over Aclysia’s shoulder the entire time. The maid had her hands on the proverbial wheel, ready to rip it down and take them back up, should they be poorly aligned. As long as they didn’t crash, they got more than one try. They had practically infinite fuel onboard, in the shape of John.
The prismatic lights of barriers melding announced their arrival. The image of the island of Taiwan below changed rapidly; the modern buildings and skyline of Taipei were replaced with a much more sparsely populated and more natural landscape. Everything, from the ancient buildings to the airstrip, was built in a red-green, traditionally Chinese style. The air tower was a stacked Pagoda.
John caught a brief glimpse of the Triplet Palace of West, East, and Centre, then they were too low for him to see it. The wheels connected with the broad road of concrete and tar, the impact barely noticeable, and then the entire machine rolled out its remaining momentum. They came to a halt, the Gamer patted a justifiably pleased maid on the back, and they headed for the regular exit.
Another perk of magic was that the staircase could be made out of shape-shifting metals, rather than having them wait until the airport staff attached one or have the aircraft roll up to a specially made walkway of some variety. The door opened and the metal stretched and unfolded.
John could barely wait for even that much. A welcoming committee was already formed at the base of the plane. Thirty armed guards, armed with spears whose sword-like tips extended from jade ornaments in the shape of an open dragon maw, formed a corridor between the end of the stairs and a group of officials. One of them was Xi, the… rotund prime minister of the Mandate of Heaven. Behind his large form was a group of four similarly well-fed eunuchs, all of them covered in colourful clothes.
Between all of them, rolling her eyes at something whispered into her ear, the Heavenly Jade Empress stood. Unfolded fan raised, her green eyes focused on the hastily disembarking president of Fusion and his harem. Lu Zhi existed and, just by her presence, elevated all around her. The vast buildings behind her, even the landscape itself, all seemed to flow from her, as if she was not just the ruler but the cause of the land. The god of traditions swirled, a jade dragon, through the landscape inked into the stainless cloth.
The fan snapped shut with a sound much louder than it should have been. All whispering ceased, the turbines took their last cooling spin, and the world fell silent, obedient to the great sovereign’s whims. The only sound John heard was his pounding heartbeat.
In an imperial gesture, Lu Zhi extended the hand holding the fan to the right. All guards banged the brass-tipped bottom of their spears on the ground in unison, then declared, “The Mandate of Heaven greets its honoured guests.”
“And we are honoured to be guests,” John answered swiftly, his tone steady, his eyes deliberately not lingering too long nor too shortly on the swing of the empress’ wide hips. The parting of her slit skirt showed a tantalizing glimpse of thigh, courtesy of the way she balanced herself. She tugged her right arm under her left, cocked her head, and smiled confidently.
By all the gods, from God to Gaia, she was gorgeous.
John remembered to keep speaking as he approached. “We bring tribute, as is appropriate for one we owe, and we bring even greater tribute, as is appropriate when first stepping onto the soil of the Middle Empire.” He finally reached Lu Zhi and extended his hand. “If you will allow me the western gesture,” he said in a quieter tone and took her left hand, so readily presented.
Lu Zhi beheld him with quiet and amused eyes when he guided her fingers to his lips. He only bowed enough that his head was level with hers. For just a brief moment, his lips made contact with her pale skin. She smelled of sweet incense and… earthy? Like she had laid in the grass for a long while before taking part in a religious ceremony.
He straightened back up, before he could give Xi cause to clear his throat, and let go of her hand. Immediately he missed her warmth. He wanted to take that half step forwards, wrap his arm around her waist, and pull her against his chest. He wanted to do it swiftly, to see if that imperial tomboy would blush, grin, or both.
He did not do it, because it was not yet time.
“I did not expect to be received by the Heavenly Jade Empress herself,” he spoke diplomatically.
“You wouldn’t have, if anyone else had any authority over us,” Lu Zhi lazily gestured towards Xi. The eunuch puffed up his round chest and was about to say something when the empress waved off. “Spare us the boasting, minister. Do as you came to do and make your servants take your cut. We will be presented with the nation’s share afterwards.”
Xi pressed his thin lips together, but nodded and walked away, hands in his sleeves. The four other bureaucrats followed. It always was interesting to John how much corrupt officials minded being called what they were in broad daylight. He theorized that was a part of their guilty conscience reminding them that they were doing something wrong. It could also have been pure self-preservation. Who knew?
“Do you think that was wise?” John asked.
“We are beyond wisdom,” Lu Zhi answered, giving him a reprimanding tap on the forehead with her fan. “You would do well to remember your manners, guest. Our servants are ours to order as we please. Dragonspears, take us to the east wing.”
““Yes, Daughter of the Heavens!”” the guardians declared in one voice, then the twin columns moved towards the pagoda in the background, the group between them.
The way too was filled with empty chatter. John asked questions he was expected to and answered those he was expected to, while joking here and there. Lagging deliberately behind, he stared almost openly at Lu Zhi’s ass. The curtain of her skirt did much to hide it, but he knew what lay behind and those hips could not lie.
He just moved his mouth, just aware enough of what he was saying not to cause a blunder. They moved through a sizable, highly organized city. The entirety of the structures were symmetrically laid out, mirrored by the light grey, central road they were following. The palace was not even part of the actual Abyssal side of Taipei. It had been here long before that city had gained greater relevance due to events in the last century and so the two locations were separated.
The central road sloped upwards gently. The Triplet Palace stood against the backdrop of the Taiwanese mountainside. The buildings of the airport had been red and green, predominantly, while the buildings of the city populated by servants, retainers, and bureaucrats were mostly of a bright brown and deep grey. The palace, then, was once again red and green in colour. John had the feeling that those two colours were, in Mandate architecture, associated with royalty.
“I find it interesting that you even have an airstrip here,” John voiced one of his more immediate thoughts.
“Xi requested and I was just nice enough to oblige,” Lu Zhi answered and turned to him, a mischievous smile on her lips. “The architects of the Mandate of Heaven do good work, don’t you think?”
John raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder. With some distance and elevation added, he could see a line where old concrete met new concrete. The implication was that the entirety of the airstrip had been erected in the ten days since the tournament had ended. Considering the sheer size and decoration of the attached buildings, that was an enormous feat even by Abyssal standards.
The Gamer chose to let his respect show on his face, giving Lu Zhi room to giggle. About two minutes of walking later, they arrived at the main plaza of the Triple Palace. A massive symbol of overlapping geometric shapes was settled in red brick into the pale plaster. From a central square, three rectangles led up to the gates of the western, eastern, and central palaces.
By sheer area covered, the two wings were larger than the central palace, but the central palace expanded five stories up, while the side wings only got two. All of them were exceptionally orderly, the garden hedges so neatly trimmed they could be mistaken for green walls.
“I’ll show you to your room,” Lu Zhi decided and walked towards the east wing.
“Empress, I-“ one of the Dragonspears raised their voice, only to shut up when Lu Zhi demonstrably put her index finger and thumb together. The guardian let out a deep sigh, saluted, and then the guards dispersed.
“Come along,” Lu Zhi stated. John and the harem were quick to follow.
They walked through artistic corridors. It always struck John how similar and yet different Chinese and Japanese architecture were. ‘Then again, the same could be said for French and German architecture,’ the Gamer thought.
They were swiftly shown to a massive apartment complex in the depth of the eastern wing. It had clearly been outfitted recently to meet the harem’s needs. John just instinctively knew that, not because there was anything around that gave it away, but because they provided an appropriately sized bed.
A quick glance to Nightingale, a nod, and John spoke freely. “You know, it is a source of endless amusement to me that great powers have to commission absurdly sized beds because of me.”
“You are worth the trouble, Mister President,” Lu Zhi answered and gave the mattress a double tap. “Hope the bed meets your quality standards.”
John walked up to Lu Zhi. “Only one way to find out,” he purred. Then, all restraints were loosened.
The two of them were all over each other in the span of a blink. Lips mashed together with all the passion of two separated lovers. Lulu put her hands on the sides of his face, keeping him right where he was, as tongues wrestled and lustful grunts filled the room. She jumped, legs spread, and he caught her bouncy bottom even before her legs could wrap around his hips.
They dropped onto the mattress, the softness curving under them. John put the imperial tomboy into a position only he was allowed to put her in: underneath him. Their making out only grew wilder. Through their clothes, their swelling sexes rubbed against each other. A sliver of sanity made John stop at that moment.
“Won’t it be noticed if you go back all dishevelled?” John asked.
“I have spare clothes here,” Lulu whispered back. “Plus, we’re doing this here because no one is going to ask if your quarters smell like sex.”
That was true enough and John was all too eager to continue where they had left off. Their lips met again, underlined by the passionate grunt of burning need.
“Tiger.”
The single word was laden with urgency. John pulled back to look at his first fiancée. The expression on her face said it all. “I’m hearing footsteps.”
Groaning, John and Lulu separated. The imperial tomboy pulled her clothes taut and they returned to the living room. Mimicking a professional gathering, they sat down on opposite sides of the long table. Aclysia checked the stores provided for its tea blends.
Two knocks. “Enter,” Lu Zhi allowed, before John could. The door opened and Absalm rushed inside.
“You’re wreathed in treachery… even more than the last time I saw you,” Ehtra growled, just as the small ‘Chinese’ man was about to pass her. “What did you do this time, little man?”
Absalm took another step, did a double take, then blinked. “Ehtra?” Tilted his head. Shook his head. Then turned his attention back to the Heavenly Jade Empress. “I apologize most profusely for the interruption of these most important discussions!”
“You should… but your tone tells me you actually have a good reason besides Xi wanting to annoy me.” Lu Zhi gestured for him to approach. Absalm swiftly did and, behind raised a hand and raised magic, whispered just a few words.
Lu Zhi’s eyes widened. Then narrowed. A little smile played around her lips. Then it died. Her face became a solemn mask. She tilted away from Absalm. The Second of Darkness stood there, equally stone faced. He did not put up any of his usual pathetic acts and left as soon as the Heavenly Jade Empress gestured for him to.
The Gamer could imagine what news she had just gotten, but he waited for her to say. A full minute passed in silence, after Absalm had left. Then, she said it.
“Josef Mengele is dead.”
Despite being the cause of that news, John could not help but feel the relief at those words wash through him as if he heard them for the first time. It was like cold water rushing through his veins. His lips slowly spread into a wide smile. Elsewhere in the room, Eliana giggled. She giggled, then she cackled, then she laughed. She howled with glee, her amusement bouncing off the walls of the vast room.
“Is that so?” John asked, the broad smile still on his face. Aclysia placed a glass of orange juice in front of him and he gladly took a sip. “What wonderful news.”
“Did you do it?” Lu Zhi asked, purely inquisitive.
“Yes,” John answered, certain that he could trust the imperial tomboy with this and that Nightingale’s protection held as strong as Lorelei’s ability to spot any potential spies. “I arranged it. We humbled him. Eliana crushed his head under her heel.”
“It was the BEST,” the failed goddess declared.
“I can’t say I’m totally happy with this murderous glee you’re taking with that, but given the history and how adorable Eliana is, I can’t judge,” Lu Zhi stated, her fingers drumming on the tabletop. “Although this does complicate matters on the global stage… and it just started to look like things were stabilizing with your official joining of the Divided Gates… We must contemplate this.”
“So, you’ll retreat to your chambers?” Disappointment snuck into the Gamer’s voice.
“I am perfectly capable of formulating a plan while we talk,” Lulu purred and got up. “Besides, I think this might be a good opportunity for our nations to have similar stances.” She shot him an apologetic gaze. “I don’t have as much time as I thought, however, so we’ll have to leave… diplomacy for later. My spymaster will demand we form a policy on influencing the succession war of the Purest Front. Doubtlessly several of the higher-ups will brawl it out amongst each other.”
“And the potential clones of himself that Mengele had lying around,” John agreed.
“You knew of this and still chose to kill him?” Lulu wondered.
“It won’t be him. They may have his genes and they may even have his memories transplanted, but neither in power nor in reality will there be the individual that tortured and abused my Eliana. Justice was done. That is what mattered.”
“Was it justice or vengeance?”
“Sounds like there was no difference in this case,” Ehtra chimed in.
“Right, you should also tell me where you picked this cutie up!” Lulu declared and stepped up to Ehtra. “Another Metracana, hm? First of Hatred. I guess we knew you had her. I am Lu Zhi, Heavenly Jade Empress, trial haremette of your Master.”
‘Master,’ Ehtra mouthed the word to herself, then raised an eyebrow. “He really does get around.”
“It’s sexy, isn’t it?” Lulu hummed, then tapped her chin with her spontaneously manifesting fan. “Let’s talk in the gardens. If we’re not going to screw the brains out of each other, we might as well have some fresh air.”
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