21st Century Necromancer
Chapter 842 - 838 Catherine's Necklace

It has to be said that the items brought forward by the Russians directly appealed to Chen Yu's tastes.

Although Chen Yu had no idea how the Russians had managed to obtain information about Jounouchi Hiromi being a Female Knight, the fact that they were able to present a set of Demigod Equipment specifically designed for a Female Knight was enough to demonstrate the sincerity of the Russians.

Moreover, on the list of items, there was a necklace labeled as a Demigod Artifact, which caught Chen Yu's attention even further.

"A Demigod Artifact necklace? This necklace is..." Chen Yu was very curious about the necklace. The term "Demigod Artifact" intrigued him, as Divine Artifacts were absolute, and there was no such term as "Demigod Artifact" in the Compendium of Multiverse Universal Spells.

Seeing that Chen Yu had highlighted this meticulously selected Demigod Artifact, the Russian Envoy's face lit up with a trace of self-satisfaction. Without haste, he handed over a detailed introduction to Belfast before explaining: "This is a Divine Artifact crafted during the era of Empress Catherine the Great. Along with the set of Demigod-level Female Knight Armor you've seen, it was initially a gift created by the Russian Demigod, His Excellency Potemkin, for Empress Catherine the Great.

In particular, this necklace was originally intended by His Excellency Potemkin to be a true Divine Artifact. However, due to his lack of sufficient strength as a Demigod during its crafting, he was forced to split his original plan for a Divine Artifact into two halves, resulting in this necklace and a ring.

The necklace became a gift he presented to Empress Catherine the Great, while the ring was bestowed upon him by the Empress as a token of affection. Unfortunately, after His Excellency the Demigod's death, the ring's whereabouts were lost, leaving only this necklace as an heirloom preserved by the Tsarist Russian Royal Family."

The Russian Envoy told a somewhat romantic story, seemingly adding a unique charm to the necklace, but Chen Yu still discerned the awkward undertones within the tale.

Empress Catherine the Great was the most renowned Female Tsar in Russian history and the only Female Tsar honored with the title of "Great." In the history of Tsarist Russia, only Empress Catherine the Great and Peter the Great, the founder of the Russian Empire, were given this title.

She was originally the wife of Tsar Peter III and later ascended to the Tsar's throne through a coup staged by the Imperial Guard.

During her reign, Empress Catherine the Great's wise governance and significant achievements made Russia the undisputed leading power in Europe at the time. Her talent and reputation were widely recognized within and beyond the borders of the Russian Empire, positioning her alongside Peter the First as one of the greatest rulers in Russian history.

Empress Catherine the Great once boastfully claimed that if she lived to be 200, the entirety of Europe would fall under her control.

However, such an ambitious ruler was perhaps marked by the lack of love from Peter III; Empress Catherine the Great had as many as 23 lovers throughout her life. Among them, a few even bore her children, with Potemkin being the most prominent and influential of her many lovers.

For the Tsarist Royal Family, having such a notoriously amorous Female Tsar brought a certain level of shame to their dignity, particularly for her successor, Paul I. Although officially recognized as the son of Empress Catherine the Great and Peter III, she hinted more than once that he was actually the child of one of her numerous lovers.

It's not difficult to imagine how the later Russian Tsars felt about such a Female Tsar, especially her grandson, Alexander I, who defeated Napoleon. Were it not for the fact that this necklace was a Demigod Artifact, it might have long been discarded by the Tsarist Russian Royal Family as an embarrassment stemming from such an indulgently romantic ruler.

Though he thought this inwardly, Chen Yu didn't reject such a gift. Instead, he nodded in approval and said, "This is truly a historically significant and precious gift. I like it very much."

Chen Yu's response was almost a clear indication of which side the Demigod's favor would lean toward. However, the Americans seemed unwilling to accept this and couldn't help but interject, "Your Excellency the Demigod, these are merely some antiques. We in the United States can provide far more precious items. Please reconsider! The United States is the world's foremost superpower, and what we can offer will not disappoint you."

Hearing the Americans' thinly veiled remarks, Chen Yu turned his gaze toward them. Suddenly, he leaned back against his chair, crossing his hands over his chest, adopting a look of interest as he asked, "Oh? Is that so? Then I shall give you a chance. You may propose three conditions to me now. If any of them interest me, I'll reconsider the United States. However, if there's nothing that catches my attention, as compensation for wasting my time, I will take your life."

Chen Yu's words caused the face of the U.S. Special Envoy to turn deathly pale. Negotiating with a Demigod inherently carried the risk of putting one's life on the line. Though he had prepared to sacrifice himself for the nation before coming here, hearing Chen Yu explicitly state he would take his life still filled him with genuine fear.

Seeing the U.S. Special Envoy too frightened to speak, Chen Yu sneered, "I thought Americans had the courage to die for their country. Turns out you're just cowards! Don't worry, I won't actually kill you. All I want is twenty years of your life."

Hearing Chen Yu say this, the U.S. Special Envoy finally felt a slight relief. Though sacrificing twenty years of his life sounded far more eerie and terrifying than simply losing his head, it was undeniably better than outright death.

After calming himself, the U.S. Special Envoy organized his thoughts, pondering what the United States could offer and what he was authorized to negotiate with. At last, he made his first proposal to Chen Yu: "Our United States is willing to provide Your Excellency the Demigod with rare minerals, including..."

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While the American Envoy was offering terms to Chen Yu, Akagi, as the envoy he had sent, also arrived in Fukuoka aboard the private plane provided by the Imperial Household Agency, specifically designed for the royal family's travels.

"Lady Akagi, would you like to rest first, or should we proceed to Tenmangu Shrine right away?" The royal attendant dispatched by the Imperial Household Agency, who was responsible for arranging all of Akagi's affairs, inquired politely.

Akagi was not one to dawdle. Though Chen Yu had mentioned before her departure that this mission was merely a formality, she responded seriously, "Let's head to Tenmangu Shrine first. I want to know what is really going on."

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