The silence that followed Null's words lingered longer than expected.
Emperor Thalassar regarded him from the throne, fingers interlaced, gaze unreadable.
After Null's request had been dismissed with measured finality, the retainers shifted their attention away from him as though he were a resolved equation. Kouki was ushered forward once more, discussions of training regimens and sacred armaments resuming in low, reverent tones.
Then—
A step echoed.
Sora moved forward.
Just one pace.
It was subtle, but enough to draw every eye in the hall.
"Your Majesty," she said, her voice steady, "if I may."
The Emperor did not turn to her immediately.
"Speak, Saintess."
Sora inclined her head.
"Prior to this audience, I submitted a formal petition to the Imperial Court."
A faint murmur rippled through the semicircle of retainers.
Thalassar's eyes shifted at last.
"A petition," he repeated. "So that was yours."
"Yes."
The Commander of the Imperial Guard, Vaelor Rynd, glanced sideways.
"Your Majesty, the request was logged this prior this audience under Divine Church authority. It has not yet been acted upon."
"Because I delayed it," the Emperor said calmly.
His gaze returned to Sora.
"You requested custodial observation of the unblessed summon."
Sora did not flinch.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kouki's head snapped up.
"What?" he muttered under his breath.
One of the court magi frowned openly.
"Saintess, surely you don't mean—"
"I do," Sora replied, cutting him off without raising her voice.
She turned fully to the Emperor.
"The Divine Church formally requests the right to observe the second otherworlder for a fixed period."
Her words were precise.
Measured.
Prepared long before this moment.
"Observation only," she continued. "No experimentation. No coercion. No interference with imperial authority."
Thalassar leaned back slightly.
"And under whose will is this request made?"
Sora hesitated—just enough for the answer to carry weight.
"By decree of Her Holiness," she said.
"The Pope of the Divine Church."
The hall shifted.
Not audibly—but perceptibly.
Several retainers stiffened.
Vaelor's hand moved an inch closer to the hilt at his side before stopping.
"The Pope," the Emperor repeated.
"Yes."
Sora met his gaze evenly.
"She has taken an interest in this deviation."
The word hung there.
Deviation.
Thalassar exhaled slowly through his nose.
"You move quickly," he said. "You had this prepared before the audience concluded."
"I anticipated the outcome," Sora replied. "And the Church prefers to act before assumptions harden into doctrine."
A faint, humorless smile touched the Emperor's lips.
"Of course it does."
He drummed his fingers once against the armrest.
"What exactly does the Divine Church propose?"
"A limited-term observation agreement," Sora said. "The subject will remain under imperial jurisdiction. However, he will be escorted to the Divine Sanctum at designated intervals for assessment."
Null blinked.
Assessment?
Kouki scowled.
"You're taking him?" he said, unable to keep the edge out of his voice. "Why?"
Sora did not look at him.
The Emperor raised a hand.
"Enough."
He turned back to Sora.
"And what does the Empire gain from this arrangement?"
Sora answered without hesitation.
"Transparency," she said. "And foresight."
She gestured subtly toward Null.
"If he is truly nothing, the Church will confirm it—and return him quietly. If he is something else…"
She let the sentence trail off.
Thalassar's eyes narrowed.
"…Then?"
"Then the Empire will not be the only one blindsided by it," Sora finished.
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
The Emperor closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them, his expression had changed—not softened, but sharpened.
Then his gaze drifted—to Null.
Still standing quietly.
No fear.
No protest.
No ambition written on his face.
Just… acceptance.
"Very well " the Emperor said at last.
Kouki's eyes widened.
"What?"
"Because of Grandmaster Aurelia's sacrifice," he continued calmly,
"and her indispensable contribution to the success of the summoning—"
His voice hardened, carrying the weight of imperial authority.
"—the Divine Church has earned a measure of latitude."
He shifted his attention to Sora.
"For a limited period," Thalassar declared,
"the Divine Church will be permitted to observe the unblessed summon."
Sora bowed deeply.
"You have my gratitude, Your Majesty."
Kouki turned sharply.
"Hold on—observe him? Why?"
"Do not thank me yet," the Emperor said. "This is not charity."
He turned to Null.
"You will remain in Atlantis for now," he said. "But your path will diverge from the Hero's."
Kouki bristled.
Null simply nodded, his expression unreadable.
"…Understood."
*****
The great doors closed.
Soundlessly.
The echo of their departure faded, leaving only the vast stillness of the Imperial Hall.
For several breaths, no one spoke.
Emperor Thalassar leaned back against his throne, one hand resting against the crystal armrest. The faint shimmer of mana that had accompanied the two otherworlders was gone now—leaving behind only residue, impressions, and unanswered questions.
"…Well," he said at last. "That concludes the audience."
The retainers relaxed—only slightly.
Whispers began almost immediately.
"A Hero of that caliber…"
"Sovereign Ascension. A blessing recorded only at the Empire's founding."
"If nurtured correctly, he could become the second coming of the First Emperor."
Vaelor Rynd, Commander of the Imperial Guard, crossed his arms. His expression remained stern, but there was no denying the approval in his eyes.
"Kouki will be a pillar," he said. "If trained properly."
Several retainers nodded.
"That much is certain," another added. "The Empire has gained a symbol. A rallying point."
The Emperor's gaze remained forward.
"And the other," Thalassar said calmly.
The murmurs stilled.
A thin-lipped noble stepped forward—Lord Carveth of the Inner Court. He adjusted his sleeves with practiced composure.
"…Frankly," he said, adjusting his sleeves, "it is fortunate the Divine Church intervened."
A few brows furrowed.
"Fortunate?" Vaelor asked.
"Yes," Carveth continued smoothly. "An unblessed summon is… inelegant. The world acknowledges power. To produce something it does not—"
He spread his hands.
"—invites doubt."
Another retainer nodded reluctantly.
"The major powers of humanity would question the ritual."
"And by extension," someone murmured, "the Empire."
Thalassar did not respond immediately.
Encouraged, Carveth continued.
"With the Divine Church assuming custody, responsibility shifts away from us. The narrative remains intact." He smiled thinly.
"Atlantis summoned a otherworldly Hero. Nothing more."
A pause.
Then, quietly—
"…There is also another solution."
The hall chilled.
Vaelor turned sharply. "Choose your words carefully."
Carveth inclined his head, unperturbed.
"Purely hypothetically, Your Majesty," he said. "An unblessed anomaly serves no purpose to the Empire. If such a being were to… disappear quietly, there would be no stain. No questions. No risk."
Silence.
Absolute.
Several retainers averted their eyes.
One clenched his jaw.
Vaelor's voice dropped. "That is not your decision to suggest."
The Emperor raised a single finger.
Vaelor stopped.
Thalassar's gaze rested on Carveth—not cold, not angry, but unbearably deep.
"You mistake silence for uncertainty," the Emperor said.
Carveth stiffened.
"The unblessed otherworlder is not ours to erase," Thalassar continued. "He was summoned through a ritual paid for in blood, life, and legacy. Grandmaster Aurelia's sacrifice binds more than mana—it binds responsibility."
His eyes narrowed.
"Atlantis does not hide its shadows by pretending they never existed."
Carveth bowed quickly. "Of course, Your Majesty. I spoke only in the interest of—"
"Order?" Thalassar finished.
Carveth hesitated. "…Stability."
The Emperor leaned forward.
"Stability bought through fear rots from within," he said. "And deviation is not inherently weakness. History has taught us that much."
He rose.
The retainers straightened as one.
"The Divine Church will observe the unblessed summon," Thalassar declared. "That alone preserves neutrality, honors Aurelia's final will, and removes immediate scrutiny from the Empire."
His gaze swept the hall.
"But do not mistake distance for dismissal."
The words settled like stone.
"If the World acknowledged him," the Emperor continued, "then he exists within its calculus—whether we understand it or not."
Carveth lowered his head, dissatisfaction concealed in his eyes.
Thalassar straightened upon his throne, the weight of deliberation settling into something final, something decided.
"Enough," he said.
The single word carried authority absolute.
Vaelor Rynd struck his armored fist against his chest and stepped back into formation. The retainers followed suit, drawing themselves upright, expressions carefully composed.
Whatever private thoughts lingered were buried beneath layers of courtly discipline.
The Emperor's gaze swept across them one last time.
"The matter of the unblessed summon is concluded—for now," he said. "The Divine Church will assume observation. Atlantis will neither interfere nor conceal."
No one objected.
Then—
His tone shifted.
Subtly.
From judgment to proclamation.
"However," Thalassar continued, rising fully from the throne, "today remains a day of triumph."
The mana sigils etched into the pillars flared faintly, responding to his intent.
"Atlantis has succeeded."
"The Empire of Atlantis has summoned an otherworldly Hero bearing an extraordinary sacred gift," he proclaimed. "A Hero-class talent who now stands within our dominion."
A murmur spread—not of doubt, but of pride.
"The sacrifice of Grandmaster Aurelia ensured this outcome," he continued solemnly. "Her name will be engraved into the Imperial Archive. Her will be honored."
"To mark this achievement and to present our Hero to the eyes of the world under proper ceremony—"
He raised one hand.
"In one month's time, Atlantis will host a grand imperial banquet."
A ripple went through the retainers.
Surprise.
Approval.
Calculation.
"This will not be mere celebration," he added. "It will be declaration."
"That the Empire remains the axis upon which this age will turn."
"A wise decision, Your Majesty."
Several retainers followed suit.
"Let the world see," one murmured, "that the tides favor Atlantis."
Thalassar lowered his hand.
"Begin preparations immediately," he ordered. "Spare no expense befitting the occasion—but no excess that invites ridicule."
A pause.
Then, almost as an afterthought—
"And ensure," he said calmly, "that the narrative is precise."
"The unblessed summon will not attend," he added calmly. "His path, for now, lies elsewhere."
Eyes flickered.
Quills would move.
Messages would fly.
History would be edited before it was written.
"The Empire summoned a Hero," Thalassar finished. "That is all the world needs to know."
He turned away from the hall, robes whispering softly as he descended from the dais.
"The council is adjourned."