Interlude: Hero and the Song of the Sea (2)

The Empire's Second Prince, Aizen, had no interest in art.

Music? Boring and dull. I'd rather spend that time discussing future international affairs with my staff.

Theater? What was the point of that meaningless fit? I'd rather inspect military drills one more time.

Novels? If I had the spare time to read print, I'd rather spend it reading one more official document.

He had been born, in every sense, to work.

If Hwang Hui, the legendary overtime grinder, had seen him, he would have praised him: "Oh-ho, the white ox works the hardest."

Over the long years, the Empire could already be said to have been built on rock-solid foundations, but danger was always there.

First, foreign enemies.

In the north was the fanatical group called the Holy Kingdom, whose purpose no one could even begin to understand.

To the east and south, the Republic Alliance, unwilling to acknowledge even a shred of the emperor's absolute authority, was always watching for an opening...