21st Century Necromancer
Chapter 828 - 824 Exchange

The Emperor's banquet, though it sounds quite grand—a gesture that in the past would have been considered a very high honor and still counts as high-level treatment even now—was all just for appearance's sake.

The dishes, though sumptuous and extravagant, were still far inferior to the divine feast Chen Yu once enjoyed when invited by the Inari God.

Furthermore, while the Emperor's position may be exalted, ultimately he's merely a mortal king, and he has long since lost any real power, reduced to nothing more than a symbolic puppet. Not to mention, even in the era when imperial authority was at its zenith, no human ruler ever dared to claim they were more noble than a demigod.

Thus, even though he attended the Emperor's banquet, Chen Yu didn't feel anything particularly special about it.

However, after finishing the dinner, Emperor Reiwa took Chen Yu to the reception room and finally began discussing the main matter.

"Lord Chen Yu, might I request your protection for Japan?" After a few pleasantries, Emperor Reiwa made his request and laid out the conditions he could offer: "If you're willing to protect Japan, the Imperial Family will issue decrees ensuring the entire nation venerates your divine position, build shrines dedicated to you, provide faith to support your ascension, and even petition the Ise Grand Shrine to secure a divine position for you in Gao Tianyuan, allowing you to stand alongside the gods of Gao Tianyuan."

Upon hearing Emperor Reiwa's offer and request, Chen Yu couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Protecting Japan and letting Japan provide him with faith was indeed something worth considering—after all, Chen Yu's current source of faith originates solely from the Cat-People faith cultivated by Xiao Lan and Audis.

Although these Cat-People have begun transforming into Airou Cats, the conversion process is still rather slow, and overall, the faith they provide only barely meets the needs of a demigod. Using this alone to achieve divine enthronement would require cultivating the entire race over time.

On the other hand, if Emperor Reiwa fulfilled his promise to have all Japan venerate Chen Yu's divine position— even just as minor believers—Japan's over 80,000 shrines and population of more than a hundred million could generate immense Power of Faith, allowing Chen Yu to ignite his Divine Flame and achieve divine enthronement without any trouble.

But for a Chinese man to protect Japan? That was something that warranted serious deliberation.

Additionally, when Emperor Reiwa mentioned petitioning Gao Tianyuan for a divine position on his behalf, it amused Chen Yu greatly.

This statement from Emperor Reiwa implied not only his attempt to win Chen Yu over but also revealed the greatest reliance and latent strength of the Japanese Imperial Family.

"So the Emperor's lineage truly lives up to being the direct descendants of Amaterasu Ōmikami. To this day, you can still maintain contact with Gao Tianyuan?" Chen Yu looked at Emperor Reiwa and asked him.

Perhaps to demonstrate the heritage of the Imperial Family and guarantee the terms he proposed, Emperor Reiwa confidently replied: "The Ise Grand Shrine is fundamentally a shrine dedicated to Amaterasu Ōmikami. Every generation of the Imperial Family sends a woman to serve as a Shrine Maiden at the Ise Grand Shrine. Through specific rituals, we can naturally transmit certain messages to Amaterasu Ōmikami and Gao Tianyuan."

"I see." Chen Yu nodded slightly but then feigned curiosity and asked, "Then why were Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken only enshrined in the Meiji Shrine as ghouls guarding Tokyo, instead of joining the ranks of the gods in Gao Tianyuan? Could it be that even an Emperor doesn't enjoy such privilege?"

"Well… Emperor Meiji himself didn't wish it." Emperor Reiwa didn't elaborate much, but the expression on his face was clearly awkward.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu connected the dots to Emperor Meiji's historical abolition of Yin-Yang Dao, suppression of shrines and temples, and reverence for Western culture, which made the situation clear enough.

It wasn't a topic worth delving into further; after all, Chen Yu wasn't here to dredge up someone's dark history. Engaging in such a discussion seemed pointless.

However, regarding the matter of protecting Japan, Chen Yu presented Emperor Reiwa with the most critical reason for his stance: "Your Majesty, you should be aware that I'm Chinese, right? Given the historical connections between China and Japan, do you think I would agree to this request?"

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"Dear, where did you go tonight? Why are you back so late?" When Chen Yu returned home, Jounouchi Hiromi, who had been sitting on the couch waiting for him, quickly asked him with concern.

"I went to discuss the matter of summoning ship-girls with the Russian and American envoys after taking their warships, and later on, the Emperor invited me to a banquet, so I came back late." Chen Yu took off his coat, hung it on the rack, and joined his wife, giving her a brief explanation.

While Jounouchi Hiromi was aware of the Russian and American envoys coming to negotiate over Chen Yu taking their warships, she hadn't known about the Emperor's invitation.

So naturally, she curiously asked Chen Yu, "The Emperor invited you? What was it about? Was it to win you over?"

This wasn't a difficult answer to deduce. For Japan, securing the protection of a demigod would represent a substantial boost to the country overall, influencing all aspects of the nation— especially considering Chen Yu's ability to summon other demigods.

"Yes, Emperor Reiwa hopes that I'll protect Japan. He's even willing to have all Japan's shrines venerate me, build shrines dedicated to me, petition Gao Tianyuan for a divine position on my behalf, and offer the Imperial Family's treasured demigod equipment and divine artifacts to me." Chen Yu wrapped his arm around his wife and explained the details.

Upon hearing the conditions presented by Emperor Reiwa, Jounouchi Hiromi looked visibly astonished: "The Emperor actually made such an offer? He's practically offering everything he has, isn't he?"

Chen Yu nodded in confirmation and commented: "It seems like that's the case. Perhaps there are still mythical relics dating back to the age when the Emperor's lineage received blessings from Amaterasu Ōmikami, but those should be the Imperial Family's ultimate assets. What Emperor Reiwa offered now probably constitutes everything the Imperial Family can bring to the table."

"Will you agree to his request?" As a Japanese woman, Jounouchi Hiromi naturally hoped for her country's improvement, and having the protection of a demigod certainly fell under that category.

But she also knew that while Chen Yu might not mind living in Japan or marrying a Japanese wife, the idea of protecting Japan was likely beyond the bounds of what he would agree to.

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