Sylephos granted Xiao Xun the first seat to her left. The ministers, priestly elders, and generals slowly took their seats only after the Empress and Xiao Xun were seated.
In the dining hall, only the melodious sound of the violin, the clinking of cutlery, and the chewing of food could be heard. No one spoke.
Sylephos savored the food on her plate and whispered to Xiao Xun, "When this piece of music ends, the meal is over. No one is allowed to eat anymore."
Xiao Xun chewed on the food in his mouth, finding it "as tasteless as chewing wax." No wonder the other party liked his cooking so much; the food here was truly indescribable.
If this were the afterlife, it would surely be hell.
After the meal, Sylephos took Xiao Xun to a nearby elevator. Xiao Xun was stunned. Since there was an elevator, why did they have to walk down the stairs? Was it just to hear those two shouts of "Long live Her Majesty the Queen"?
Back in the room, Xiao Xun finally dared to speak, "Your Majesty, you didn't eat much of that food. Won't it be wasted?"
Mu Jiahe looked at him and asked, "What do you think?"
Faced with the rhetorical question, Xiao Xun could only shut his mouth.
Xiao Xun found it really boring here and asked her, "Then when can we go back?"
"Anytime."
Then, seeing Xiao Xun's eagerness, she added, "However, if you go back without resting well here, you'll be very tired."
After speaking, she walked to the window, "Also, there's a grand ceremony tonight. I can only return after attending it."
"Aren't you tired of shuttling between two time periods every day?"
Mu Jiahe sighed, "I am tired. But thousands of people in the company over there are waiting to be fed, and here, hundreds of millions of subjects are counting on me."
After speaking, she looked at Xiao Xun, "But it's better now. With you here, you can help me share the burden."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xun broke out in a cold sweat. "My Queen, please spare me! In that world, I was just a commoner, with no power or influence, only knowing some computer skills. Here, I understand even less."
"No one is born knowing everything. How about this? From today onwards, you will be my assistant. You are permitted to travel between the two realms to do my bidding. In return, besides your due salary, I will ensure your absolute safety. What do you say?"
Although Mu Jiahe's words were a question, they conveyed an undeniable authority.
Seeing Mu Jiahe's demeanor, Xiao Xun could only nod. "Alright, I promise. But will others talk if we are like this?"
Mu Jiahe retorted, "Do you care about what others think?"
Xiao Xun's expression changed. "I'm just a nobody, what could I possibly care about? But your reputation..."
"Since you don't care, you don't need to worry about whether I care or not. Do you have any other questions? If not, I will, in the name of the King, grant you the title of Marquess of Svein."
Xiao Xun thought about the hierarchy of nobility he knew from games. "Marquess? Is there a Duke above that?"
Mu Jiahe was displeased. "Don't push your luck. Granting you such a high title without any achievement will already cause discontent among many."
Xiao Xun knew Mu Jiahe had misunderstood and quickly said, "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. I was just asking casually. I truly have no interest in power."
Hearing Xiao Xun say this, Mu Jiahe instead lectured him, "No interest? There is no one in this world who does not crave power. From childhood to adulthood, I haven't met anyone who doesn't. They all lose themselves in positions of power."
Xiao Xun didn't know how to refute, and even if he did, he couldn't.
The evening banquet was grand, celebrating Saint Roman's foremost warrior, Vincent, who had retrieved two dragon eggs from the Dragon's Valley, which were about to hatch.
This signified that in the near future, Saint Roman would have at least two dragon riders with absolute air superiority.
Of course, Xiao Xun could only wait in the bedroom; he was not yet qualified to go out.
He quietly slipped out of the room and went to the massive balcony door. Although Mu Jiahe hadn't said whether the door could be pushed open, it was too large for him to move alone.
Therefore, he could only watch the magnificent fireworks display through the thick glass door.
As a child, during the New Year, fireworks and firecrackers were set off everywhere, creating a strong festive atmosphere. But in the big city, this atmosphere had completely vanished.
With no job, Xiao Xun was extremely resistant to returning home during the holidays.
Facing his family's questioning and lack of understanding, Xiao Xun couldn't explain his reasons for not looking for a job and could only retreat dejectedly to the big city, far from his family, and return only when his family had completely lost hope.
The fireworks faded, and his heart, along with the end of the performance and the complete disappearance of the fireworks, sank into boundless loneliness and desolation. Especially the transition from the initial liveliness to a few fireworks exploding in the sky, and then to nothing at all, was just like his state of mind when he first entered university.
His family wasn't bad, at least they could support him. But they weren't great either. His parents were honest people who ran small businesses. They had never even visited a big city much in their lives, yet they always hoped their son would achieve great things.
But Xiao Xun, who grew up in the countryside, had never experienced the power of a big city, especially since, in his dormitory, everyone except him was a local.
Soon, led by his roommates, Xiao Xun lost his way.
He wished he could be like Zhang Ming, owning a house and a car, and directly entering a good company after graduation.
He wished he could be like Wang Pinggang, driving around campus, with a different beautiful girl in the passenger seat from time to time.
He even wished he could be like Lu Qiaoya, who became the chairman of the university student union early on and was exceptionally admitted to a prestigious foreign university before graduation.
He had no prominent family background, no father who was a big boss, no grandfather who was a high-ranking official. He had to rely on himself for everything.
The only solace was that these three people didn't look down on him because of his family. Instead, they offered him considerable help, which is why, when he thought of his roommates now, he felt both envy and gratitude.
But it was also because of these three roommates that he could only gain a sense of existence and honor in the virtual world, and this virtual world did not solely refer to the game world.
The immense temptation led the immature him to commit a monstrous crime.
Nearly an hour after the banquet ended, Mu Jiahe returned to the bedroom.
Xiao Xun, bored, had already curled up on the stool and fallen asleep.
Mu Jiahe woke him up, "Why are you always asleep when I return? Are you that tired?"
Xiao Xun rubbed his eyes and yawned, "I was really bored. Should we go back?"
Mu Jiahe checked the time. "Alright! Get ready, and we'll go back."
Just then, Xiao Xun suddenly remembered something and grabbed Mu Jiahe's hand. "Right, there are assassins in the villa, they might be waiting for us in the room. Be careful."
Mu Jiahe gently patted the back of Xiao Xun's hand, "Little brother, don't be afraid. Sister will protect you. People from that world can't hurt me."