The elevator finally stopped, and Julian stepped off. However, instead of the bottom, he was back at the top.
Unlike his previous appearance, Julian now stood tall, his hair clean and proper. He also wore the fancy uniform, including leather boots. It was much more comfortable than his last get-up.
'Still, I did manage to get a bit of information out of that guy before killing him,' Julian thought, recalling a few details.
The uniform was called the Saharan Regalia, and the only ones who wore it were the captains of the Saharan Empire military. The other ranks had similar uniforms, but each had different embroideries.
Not only that, today was apparently a special day. The imperial family was hosting a week-long party, and the whole empire was lax. That was why this military captain, Sebastian, was allowed to play around with the slaves here without any issues.
But it seemed like Sebastian was part of a group that was going to start a rebellion in just a few days.
It had something to do with one of the imperials and a decision they had made. Julian couldn't get more information out of him before he died, but at least for the time being, it was plenty.
Julian walked along the cobblestone pathway as he approached the final checkpoint. It was refreshing not to walk like an idiot, and clearly, when he arrived at the gate, the guards took him seriously as well.
"Welcome back, sir." A guard bowed. "May I please get your name?"
"Sebastian," Julian replied coldly.
The guard flinched, but after giving one more nod, he suddenly pulled out a book.
Julian raised his brow in interest and then spotted the contents of the book.
On each page were names and rough sketches of people. Coincidentally, right below the names was their rank.
And just as he made that observation, the guard began flipping the pages. Julian spotted Sebastian on one of them, and even a blind person could tell that Julian and Sebastian didn't look alike.
'Shit...'
"Hey." Julian called out, cocking his head back. "I'm fucking drunk and tired. Are you going to keep wasting my time with all these stupid formalities? You do know who I am, don't you?"
The guard's hand stopped mid page-turn.
"...Sir?"
"What's your name?" Julian asked, stepping closer. "Would you rather spend the next few minutes turning pages, or would you rather accept a kind donation from me, a hard-working guard?"
The guard's eyes widened, and although he seemed hesitant, he soon closed the book and flashed a smile at Julian.
"Sir Sebastian, my name is Girard. I will happily accept your kind donation."
"You'll be hearing from me very soon then." Julian walked past him, waving slightly. "To that end, I wish you a pleasant night."
With those final words, Julian managed to pass the final checkpoint easily. The guards bowed to him, while some asked for pointers. Obviously, he ignored most of them, claiming they were wasting his time.
Still, it was the polar opposite of how he was treated as a slave.
Shaking his head, Julian stopped thinking about the past, and after passing through the gate, he found himself in the city of the Saharan Empire.
The city of the Saharan Empire was large and orderly, filled with stone buildings, banners, and busy streets. Guards stood at every corner, and merchants shouted from their stalls even though it was nighttime. The air carried the smell of metal and dust, but also booze.
It was just like in reality, except the bloodstains on the ground meant that the laws here were much more lax.
Still, because of his uniform, Julian earned envious gazes and respect no matter where he went.
On that note, Julian spotted three castles in the far corner of the city near a mountain. According to Sebastian, the one in the middle belonged to the imperial family, and the other two belonged to the influential nobles who would begin the uprising.
But in the end, Julian took his gaze off the castles and walked into a nearby inn. The reason he had come here in the first place was to find Aliyah, and after that, he would get back on track to become stronger.
And the first thing he heard upon entering the inn was gossip.
"Did you hear? Princess Diana is apparently inviting all of us to her coming-of-age ceremony!"
"Haaa? Are you crazy? Why would an imperial invite commoners? I'm not speaking for myself, but most of us hate the imperial family, don't we?"
"So what? Free food is free food. I might actually land a wife this time."
"Yeah, and then she'll take half your inheritance and run away. How many would this be again? Five women? Do you still have an inheritance left?"
The people continued bickering amongst themselves, and as for Julian, he walked to a table in the far end of the inn, right where it was darkest.
After sitting down, he nodded at the waitress across the room and fell into thought.
'Princess Diana and commoners, huh? Sebastian mentioned something about an imperial's decision, so this is what he meant?'
Obviously, an imperial was a huge deal. Even setting eyes on them was considered an honor for most, but now this young imperial was trying to mingle with commoners?
'Seems a little off to me,' Julian thought. 'What could be the ulterior motive? Or maybe she's just naive...? I need more information.'
So while the waitress slowly made her way to Julian, he continued listening for more gossip. That was when a certain piece of news caught his attention.
"Though, the Imperial Mage sure is fucking hot, isn't she?"
"I know, right? Her hair is as white as snow, and those eyes..."
They continued on with a few lewd words, which made Julian's brows twitch. However, regardless of what they said, they painted a clear picture of the Imperial Mage.
It was Aliyah. He was sure of it.
'So now I just have to find a way into the palace, huh?' Julian leaned back. 'Though, it would be a lot easier if I knew just when she's hosting this coming-of-age ceremony.'
And almost as if on cue, the waitress arrived. Spotting his uniform, she gasped. But just as she was about to make his identity clear, Julian put a finger up to his mouth and then patted the seat beside him.
"I have a few questions I need answered. Sit down."