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“Huh,” said Hector, feeling abruptly like he might need to elaborate. “But, uh... Nykeir seemed kinda amused by the giant tentacle. Like more amused than worried. He just... sort of stood there and took it. Then it gooped him up and yoinked him away.”

‘“Gooped him up and yoinked him away.” Once again, your word choice continues to impress.’

“Look, I don’t how else to describe it. It was really fucking weird-looking, man.”

‘No, no, I wasn’t saying I didn’t understand. If anything, I’d say you’ve painted quite the picture for me. I’m imagining it very clearly.’

“Oh. Well, good. But anyway, my point was that maybe the Yigorosk wasn’t actually that powerful. Y’know? Considering how unbothered he seemed when it happened? Maybe he survived. In... another dimension or something.”

‘Given everything else we’ve seen lately, I suppose that’s possible. But it’s also been well over two millennia since his disappearance. If he really did live through that, then he probably got killed some other way, else he would’ve almost certainly returned by now.’

“You sound confident about that. Did you... know him personally?”

Garovel allowed that question to breathe. ‘As a matter of fact, yes, I did.’

“Why’d you never mention that you knew an ancient emperor?”

‘Why should I have? He’s far from the only one I’ve ever encountered.’

“Really? How many past emperors have you met?”

‘Oh, I don’t know. A lot. You have to understand: things weren’t always like the stalemate that we have with our current four emperors. There’ve been many times throughout history when the term “emperor” barely even applied, because they were popping up like weeds and dropping like flies. And many, despite how fleeting their time was, still managed to leave quite an impact on the world. In fact, I suspect that was all some of them cared about. Going out with a bang.’

Hector thought a moment. “You’ve really known lots of emperors-class servants?”

‘Okay, first off, you’re making it sound a bit more grandiose than it really was. And secondly, it’s not like I was intimately familiar with them all during the height of their power. Most of them, I met when they were younger. Once they got all high-and-mighty, they were usually out of my reach.’

“Usually? But not always.”

‘...No, not always.’

“So you have known some at their strongest.”

‘Yes. And Nykeir, I’d say... hmm. I knew him when he was quite powerful but not at his strongest, probably.’

“And he didn’t leave a favorable impression, from the sound of it.”

‘He did not.’