"Step… step… step…"
Imu did not respond immediately. Instead, she turned and walked back up the steps, returning to the top before sitting once more upon the Empty Throne.
"The World Government has stood for eight hundred years without falling. Do you know why?"
"It is because of one principle—those who are not of our kind cannot be trusted."
"We have always kept the core of power firmly in our own hands… in the hands of the Celestial Dragons."
Imu was not wrong.
For eight hundred years, true authority had always remained with the Celestial Dragons.
Outsiders—no matter how great their achievements or contributions—would always face a ceiling when it came to power.
This was one of the key reasons the World Government had endured for so long.
After a brief pause, Imu's voice echoed through the hall once more.
"And now, you come to ask me this?"
"What is it—have you grown old and muddle-headed?"
Each word carried an invisible pressure that made the Five Elders tremble.
"We apologize, Lord Imu! That was not our intention."
The five elders lowered their heads, not daring to meet Imu's gaze.
"I don't care what your intention was. As always, I only care about results."
That statement alone made her stance clear—
she had approved their proposal.
"Yes, Lord Imu. We will not disappoint you. In the future, besides us, there will be one more who serves you directly—Aurelius D. Virel Is," the bald elder said calmly.
"If he only has strength but lacks intelligence, then he is not qualified to serve me directly. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"You may leave."
"Yes!"
The Five Elders slowly stood up, but they did not straighten their backs. Instead, they retreated while bowing, only turning around after reaching a certain distance. Then, they closed the doors behind them.
Watching their departing figures, Imu murmured softly:
"Aurelius D. Virel Is… hm… it has been a long time since I've heard of someone like this."
…
Meanwhile, on Is's side—
The spar between Is and Acnologia had come to an end.
If they continued, the entire backyard would be completely destroyed.
"You two… honestly, I don't even know what to say anymore. You're not kids—can't you be a little less troublesome?"
Tatsumaki looked at the cratered ground and the cracks spreading along the walls, unable to hold back her complaints.
"Damn it, this is definitely a construction issue. Don't you think so, Acnologia?" Is said, turning to him.
"Mm… mm, Is is right. If we hadn't sparred, we wouldn't have discovered that our castle has structural problems. This needs to be investigated—thoroughly," Acnologia added quickly.
Tatsumaki and Madara both looked at the two of them in silence.
"So what you're saying is… we should praise you?" Tatsumaki crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
"That won't be necessary. It's only natural," Is replied with a faint smile.
"IS!!!"
If she hadn't been floating in midair, Tatsumaki would probably have stomped her feet in frustration.
Seeing her like this, Is only laughed more, then added, "Alright, I'll have someone come fix it later."
Just as he finished speaking, Roz Minian walked out from the castle. She approached Is and spoke gently:
"Master, Saint Dorac has come to visit."
"Dorac?"
Is paused for a moment.
If that guy came looking for him, it was probably because the auction house had received something interesting.
"Yes, Master. If you do not wish to see him, I can refuse on your behalf," Roz Minian replied.
"No, I'll go meet him."
He then turned to the others.
"Madara, Tatsumaki, Acnologia—go change your clothes. Let's head out for a walk."
The main reason was simple—
the backyard was already too damaged to continue training.
Since staying in the castle was pointless, he might as well go out.
At the mention of going out, Tatsumaki's irritation instantly vanished, replaced by a bright smile.
"Lady Tatsumaki, Lord Acnologia, as per your previous request, your outfits have been tailored. Please follow me," Roz Minian reminded them.
"Alright. Is, wait for us at the entrance."
With that, Tatsumaki and Acnologia followed Roz Minian to change.
As for Madara—
he was far more casual and hadn't bothered getting custom clothes. He remained in his usual suit.
…
When Is arrived at the entrance, he was slightly surprised.
He had expected only Dorac—
but there were several other Celestial Dragons as well.
Their procession was quite extravagant.
Each of them rode on a slave, with several more trailing behind—both men and women.
In addition, every Celestial Dragon was accompanied by a World Government official and several bodyguards recruited through official channels.
Of course, these guards weren't standard issue—they had been personally arranged.
"Saint Is, long time no see!"
Dorac grinned widely the moment he saw him.
Ignoring the others, Is smiled faintly.
"Something good arrived at the auction house again?"
"Hahaha! As expected of you, Saint Is—you understand me well."
"I heard this batch is even better than the last. I've already grown bored of my current ones, so I'm thinking of switching things up."
"Care to join me? I assume you won't refuse?"
Just as he finished speaking—
Tatsumaki, Acnologia, and Madara walked out.
Tatsumaki's outfit was similar to what she wore before—a long dress—but this time without the slit.
From Is's perspective, she looked even better than before—
even a bit more adorable.
He had specifically instructed that her clothes should not be too revealing.
As for Acnologia—
Is had given no such instructions.
The moment Acnologia walked out, Is almost burst out laughing.
He had changed back into the exact same outfit he wore when he first arrived in this world.
The only difference—
this one looked newer.
"This outfit is still the most comfortable," Acnologia said casually.
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