Yuki and Akane exchanged a glance, then shook their heads.
"Then we'll have to decline. We appreciate the offer, Second Princess."
Yuki smiled as he politely turned down Alexia's proposition.
"Huh?"
Seeing Yuki refuse, Alexia was taken aback.
"My sister Iris will be here soon! She's the Kingdom's strongest Dark Knight!"
"Aren't you afraid?"
Alexia didn't understand why the other party showed no trace of panic upon hearing her sister Iris's name.
The sister she admired was incredibly powerful.
She had always seen her sister's flawless swordsmanship as the goal to chase, the model to emulate.
Yet Yuki and Akane's reactions left her puzzled.
"Of course we're not afraid."
Yuki shook his head in reply.
After all, Iris Midgar's strength was only at the "wall-busting" level (City Level at best).
The difference in power compared to Yuki was like heaven and earth.
Moreover, the sword techniques and combat skills in this world were too crude, which was also why the original protagonist, Shadow, frequently mocked the so-called "strong" swordsmen of this world for their rough skills.
Hearing Yuki's answer, Alexia felt a strong internal turmoil. She had always regarded her sister as the supreme example, making this sudden response hard for her to accept. Intense resentment welled up in her heart.
"I don't believe it! Unless..."
Just as the girl was about to continue speaking, the study door opened, interrupting her.
Alexia turned her head and saw that the King and her sister had arrived.
"Father."
"Sister Iris."
Alexia's face instantly lit up with joy, and she quickly hurried over to them.
"It's Alexia. What are you doing here?"
Seeing his younger daughter, the King's face showed a kindly smile as he gently asked with concern.
"Alexia, why did you come here? You didn't do anything, did you?"
Afraid her sister might have done something drastic that could anger Yuki and the others, a flash of tension and urgency crossed Iris's expression as she softly turned to ask her sister.
"Sister Iris, Father."
"I also heard that two strangers had broken into the palace, so I rushed over after hearing the news. I asked the servants and learned they were in the study."
"So I came to see just what reckless fools dared to trespass in the palace."
Alexia explained the reason for her presence.
Upon hearing this, the King and Iris were both surprised at how quickly the news had spread.
"Alexia, these two are our esteemed guests, not reckless fools."
"Hurry and apologize to them."
Fearing his younger daughter's words might offend Yuki and the others, the King quickly urged her to apologize.
"My apologies to you both. My daughter is young and doesn't understand. Please allow me to apologize on her behalf."
The King's face wore an apologetic expression as he bowed his head to Yuki and the others.
Witnessing this scene, Alexia was left speechless with shock.
Her father was the King of a nation! To bow so humbly and apologize to someone...
This was utterly incomprehensible.
Just as she was about to say something more, her sister Iris placed a hand on Alexia's shoulder.
And shook her head at her.
Even if Alexia still didn't fully grasp the situation, she now realized things were far more complex than she'd imagined.
The King then had a servant escort Alexia back, while he and Iris stayed behind to discuss matters further with Yuki and the others.
Alexia had wanted to stay and listen, but the King refused.
So, reluctantly, the young girl followed the servant out of the study.
After clearing the room of other servants, only the King, Princess Iris, Yuki, and Akane remained in the study. The conversation finally began.
"Mr. Yuki, may I ask... what is the reason behind your request for our Kingdom's submission?"
The King sat across from Yuki, his eyes filled with caution and seriousness.
"Of course, you don't have to answer. This is merely to satisfy my curiosity."
The King's words were very well-put—both probing and measured.
Hearing this, Yuki chuckled lightly and replied:
"It's not something that can't be answered. What I want to do is actually quite simple."
"Unify this world."
Yuki directly gave his answer—one that the King and Princess Iris had never anticipated, leaving them utterly stunned.
"U... unify this world?!"
Iris was dumbfounded, the words stumbling out in fragments.
Even the King beside her was the same, though he remained silent. Only his shocked expression and trembling pupils revealed his current state of mind.
Yuki and Akane simply watched their stunned reactions quietly, offering no further explanation.
It took about five minutes for the two of them to finally regain their composure.
"Are you saying... to unify this world? That means all other kingdoms and regions are within your scope?"
The King quickly pressed for clarification.
Yuki simply gave a slight nod.
This completely stunned the father and daughter.
They had never imagined the other party's goal was so grand.
So their request for the Midgar Kingdom's submission was merely one small step in the process of achieving this grand objective.
The King could imagine that if they refused, for Yuki, it would simply mean wiping them out with a casual wave of his hand.
Thinking of this, the King felt a chill of fear and was also grateful no serious conflict had erupted.
"I... I think I understand now."
"Mr. Yuki, on behalf of the Midgar Kingdom, I am willing to submit to you."
"From this day forward, I will announce my abdication, and you shall assume the throne."
The King bowed his head slightly, speaking solemnly to Yuki.
Hearing this, however, Yuki furrowed his brows.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
"Huh?"
The King and Iris were thrown into confusion by Yuki's words, their faces showing puzzlement.
"While I ask for your submission, it's not to abolish your position as King."
"You will remain the King of this Kingdom. What I want is unified command."
Yuki looked at the King before him with a somewhat exasperated expression as he explained.
"Whether it's your Midgar Kingdom or any other kingdom,"
"After submitting, you will retain your former territories and administration."
"The only difference is that everyone will be united under one Alliance..."
Yuki roughly outlined his method for unifying the world.
The King quickly grasped the type of arrangement Yuki was describing.
Essentially, each nation would retain a degree of self-governance, but the ultimate authority of the state would reside with Yuki.
Yuki would then gather the highest leaders of these nations, unifying them under a single alliance or organization of some sort.
The administrators or Kings of these nations would act as stewards, managing their countries on Yuki's behalf.
Upon understanding Yuki's intent, the King's sense of resentment seemed to lessen.
Because he felt that under the protection of a powerful being like Yuki, this world might usher in a new era.
No strife, no conflicts between nations.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing.
This way, it wouldn't cause harm to the ordinary people of many nations while also ensuring the world's stability and peace.
Suddenly, the King thought of something: perhaps Yuki was a deity come to save this world.
In an instant, he felt profound respect for Yuki.