The Challenge of the Masters

⊱⊰ 42: Park of Endless Caves ⊱⊰

"I hope there's a decent one that doesn't mention how great Taurus is every five minutes."

Arisa chuckled at Thelma's joke. Despite her friend exaggerating a bit, Arisa agreed with her. After disembarking at the station, every time they examined their surroundings, they would find something about the Bronze Guardian. If they mixed in the crowd and people spoke about politics, most of those people would brag about their country being the safest in the world and economically fit and praise their Great Emperor.

Arisa remembered shaking her head seeing those happy people, admiring their Emperor. She wondered how they would react if they found out that the man behind that armor was actually a monster.

Foreign voices echoed in the room as Thelma switched on the television. As soon as Arisa set her view on the large device stuck on the beige-colored wall, Thelma changed channels. For several seconds, Arisa saw Thelma surfing through channels. She would stop a bit in channels displaying shows and music.

"I see that not everything is about the Great Emperor," teased Thelma. "Thank goodness. If I saw one more thing about him, I would take a bus straight to the White House and release my frustrations on him."

Arisa laughed. "You wouldn't dare."

Thelma winked at her as she stopped on a channel broadcasting a talk show. Arisa attempted to understand what the people displayed on the screen were talking about as Thelma focused on the show.

"Ugh. Not him again," complained Thelma as the screen displayed a large white building.

Arisa frowned. "What's wrong?"

"It's Taurus," said Thelma, grabbing the remote. "Oh, so his name is Caleb Gale."

Arisa gazed back at the screen in time to see a fit man with dark hair. Arisa could see the brightness in his blue-green eyes as he smiled at the people before him. Looking at him, Arisa thought that from his appearance he looked like a caring man.

"That's Taurus?" asked Thelma, her tone surprised. "Wow, he's handsome."

As soon as she said that, Thelma covered her mouth.

"I can't believe I said that," said Thelma with a quick chuckle.

Arisa smiled and looked back at the screen. "He looks young to be an Emperor."

"Yeah," agreed Thelma. "I'm so used to seeing middle-aged men as leaders. He looks like he's in his early thirties."

Arisa agreed with Thelma. She frowned as she tried to understand what the people on the television were talking about.

"Ah, sorry," said Thelma, pressing the buttons on the remote. "I forgot to change the language since I speak English, silly me."

"It's okay," said Arisa with a quick chuckle.

As a mixture of languages filled the air for a moment, Arisa saw that the channel was displaying a video of a rocky cave with sharp shards decorating its walls. The video moved on, showing an underground river and yet another side of the cavern.

"...a new cave has been discovered," said the female announcer. "Empress Ellanie is already in Kentucky and is expected to visit the latest discovery tomorrow afternoon."

As the announcer narrated about the Empress and her love for everything historical, the screen displayed images of a woman in a long fancy dark dress. Her golden wavy hair cascaded to part of her chest as she smiled and waved at the crowd. A dark-haired little girl stood by her side, holding the woman's hand and following the lady's action. The little girl waved at the crowd with a huge smile on her face.