Felix's identity had already been exposed to the Sankta. No one knew who had spread the news of his arrival throughout the city, but word had clearly traveled fast. Now, many young people followed him with bright, enthusiastic eyes as he walked through the streets.
In their words, this was simply too coooool!.
Of course, Felix himself was indeed… impressive.
But to the romantic-minded young Sankta, wasn't it even cooler to conquer the long-standing rival of Laterano, the Sarkaz, through sheer strength and power?
Absolutely incredible. Absolute cinema.
Explosions were their romance. Rebellion was their fashion. It was also how young Sankta expressed their emotions. Perhaps this was the truest reflection of the younger generation's spirit.
The sudden arrival of so many foreign guests in Laterano was like dangling a toy in front of a curious cat. It stirred up the Sankta's curiosity, and for a time, students even skipped classes and flooded the streets just to observe the outsiders.
Along the way, Felix saw delegations from Columbia and Bolívar.
The Columbian delegation consisted mostly of elites dressed in black suits, accompanied by several soldiers in green uniforms standing nearby. When they noticed Felix, they politely nodded in greeting. Tomorrow's Development still maintained business interests in Columbia.
As for the Bolivarian delegation…
Felix looked a little more carefully and realized that the group consisted of True Bolivarians.
He sighed inwardly.
No wonder Bolívar's current situation was such a mess. With three factions fighting internally for power, Felix even found himself thinking that it might have been easier if control had simply been handed over to Dossoles.
The members of the Bolivarian delegation were tall and powerfully built. They were clearly seasoned veterans who had experienced real battlefields. But whether they possessed any real political insight was another question entirely.
When Felix passed by the school, he noticed a crowd of students trying to squeeze their way outside.
He was speechless.
It was still class time. Wouldn't the principal be furious?
Mostima and Lemuen covered their mouths as they laughed.
"Felix, do you know something?" Mostima said. "Even after nearly ten years, the most outstanding student the principal talks about is still you."
"You're giving me too much face."
"Think about it," Lemuen added with a smile. "How could a Sankta ever stay focused long enough to master a craft during their school years?"
"And then graduate early and leave Laterano?" Mostima continued, amused. "Most Sankta wander around for two or three years after graduating. Only when they get bored do they finally decide to find a job."
Because they were bored.
As expected of Laterano.
Felix sighed softly. The miracle of Laterano could never be replicated anywhere else on Terra. It was no wonder that only one The Law existed. Having multiple ones would be far too unreasonable.
He wandered back onto the school grounds and took a slow walk around.
Nine years had passed since he left this place. It held many memories.
He remembered running into Mostima by chance at the corner of a corridor, chatting casually with her in the workshop, and the nights when Mostima would wait for him outside the school gates. The two of them would then walk together to the café near their homes to grab something to eat.
Every corner carried a memory.
Mostima held Felix's hand, smiling sweetly.
That sweetness made Lemuen feel slightly envious. Mostima had been able to experience those moments before Felix had even fully matured.
She had tasted that youthful innocence.
Unfortunately, she had met Felix too late.
The three of them went to the principal's office to visit the old man, who was still in the middle of a fit of anger.
But the moment he saw them enter, his aged face broke into a wide smile. He greeted them warmly and chatted with them for quite some time.
Eventually, he complained about the current students for a while before reluctantly saying goodbye to the three of them.
Felix, Mostima, and Lemuen were all top-tier students in their time.
The principal sighed inwardly.
Looking at the current batch of students while leaning on his desk, he could only think: You are the worst class I've ever taught. Without question.
Before lunchtime, Felix met up again with the main Kazdel group.
The moment he arrived, he saw Theresa standing there with a stunned expression, as if she still hadn't fully recovered from something.
Felix looked at Ines and Anthony with a puzzled expression.
"Your Highness…" Ines began slowly. "While we were visiting the museum just now, the church directly across the street suddenly exploded."
Anthony paused for a moment before adding his own explanation. Spreading his large, hairy hands, he made a dramatic bursting gesture.
"It was like this. Boom. Blown apart from the inside out. Turned straight into rocks and dust."
"..."
Ines took a deep breath.
"And not just the church. The kitchen of the café where we were resting… that exploded too."
"..."
The group fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at Felix.
'must be academy's gourmet research society club.'
Just as he was about to say something, another violent explosion suddenly erupted from the clock tower at the corner of the street.
Boom!
The ground trembled slightly, and the crowd nearby burst into cheers.
Felix stared in disbelief.
"..."
Ines felt her eyelid twitch.
…Is this really the Sankta?
If these Sankta lived in a mobile city like Kazdel's and explosions like this happened regularly, the cost of repairs and maintenance would be astronomical.
Only a country like Laterano, where people had no real worries about survival, could tolerate such chaos.
Ines had only been in Laterano for a single morning, yet four explosions had already occurred. Her first instinct had been to suspect that Kazdel had launched an attack.
Then she quickly realized something.
Wait… aren't we from Kazdel?
What exactly would Kazdel be attacking?
Felix had many things he wanted to say, but in the end he simply coughed twice and led the group to lunch.
In Laterano, nearly every dish was sweet, no matter the cuisine. It was much like how almost every dish in Yan was spicy. Felix clearly remembered Nian once describing to him how delicious spicy ice cream was.
He still found that difficult to imagine.
If one were to compare it to real-world food styles, Laterano's cuisine was somewhat similar to Mediterranean dishes, but noticeably sweeter.
Eating like this long term might lead to diabetes or something similar. Felix wasn't entirely sure. Looking at the Sankta, who generally appeared slender and somewhat delicate, he couldn't help but wonder if they truly were an long lived race.
From a tourist's perspective, however, the members of the delegation were extremely satisfied with the meal. The food indeed carried a very distinctive Laterano flavor.
After lunch, Felix began to feel a little tired. He allowed the curious members of the delegation to continue exploring the city with their guide, while he put on a pair of sunglasses and headed toward a café, hoping to enjoy a moment of quiet alone.
But the moment he stepped inside, he realized the café was almost completely full.
Looking around, he noticed that everyone present was dressed in black and red. When he removed his sunglasses for a better look, he was immediately speechless.
Good heavens.
The entire café had been reserved by the Yan delegation.
Felix walked in. Pairs of eyes immediately turned toward him. They clearly recognized him from documents or recorded footage.
Soon, several people stood up politely and bowed slightly.
The young man returned the gesture with a small nod. His golden eyes swept across the room before stopping on a familiar figure.
He looked slightly surprised.
"Grand Tutor of Yan. I've heard that you are constantly occupied with state affairs. I never expected you would personally attend this Summit of Nations."
The description Felix had heard of the Grand Tutor matched perfectly.
According to Wei Yenwu, this elderly man was perpetually busy, carrying the affairs of the entire Yan Empire in his mind. Despite that burden, his expression rarely revealed any emotion. By all accounts, he was a highly capable politician.
He was also an elder deeply respected by many officials.
"Your Highness, please."
The Grand Tutor rose and gestured toward the seat across from him.
Felix accepted the invitation without hesitation.
The two sat facing each other.
A Sankta girl soon approached and placed a cup of black tea before the Grand Tutor, along with an astonishing pile of sugar cubes.
When her gaze fell on Felix, she suddenly gasped in surprise.
"Dawnbreaker!"
The title sounded quite cool, but hearing it spoken aloud was actually a little embarrassing.
Felix tapped the table lightly.
"A cup of hot cocoa, please."
"Right away!"
After watching the Sankta girl leave, clearly trying to contain her excitement, Felix turned his attention back to the composed Grand Tutor.
His eyes drifted toward the large pile of sugar cubes in front of the old man. The Grand Tutor seemed to be staring at them with some hesitation.
Felix's lips twitched slightly.
"The Grand Tutor still hasn't answered my question."
The old man lifted his gaze. His eyes carried the calm wisdom and long history of the Yan Empire.
"Yan is not the only powerful nation on Terra," he said evenly. "Kazdel is one. Laterano is another. As Grand Tutor, I bear an unavoidable responsibility for this mission."
"Besides," he continued, "I also wished to have a conversation with His Highness, the King of Liberation."
"And what would you like to discuss?"
"A crisis."
Felix raised an eyebrow.
The Grand Tutor took a sip of his black tea. The next moment, his brows tightened slightly, but he controlled his reaction well.
"The Tianshi of Yan once observed a strange meteor streaking across the sky before disappearing over Kazdel," he said calmly. "According to our intelligence, it was an Originium weapon from the Londinium Shard Tower, was it not?"
"That's correct," Felix replied. "However, the weapons within the Shard have already been completely destroyed, and the Shard itself is now under Princess Vina's control. I doubt Victoria will ever attempt to use such a weapon again, either on the battlefield or as a diplomatic threat."
"…Your Highness has misunderstood me."
The Grand Tutor spoke in a steady voice.
"Kazdel has just suffered an attack from an Originium weapon. I simply hope that the lives of Kazdel's people have not been greatly affected."
Felix smiled faintly.
Whether the Grand Tutor's concern was genuine or merely diplomatic courtesy did not matter. As a person, he still deserved respect.
"The people are safe."
Considering the special nature of Yan, Felix pondered for a long time. After the hot cocoa was served, he turned to the Sankta girl and smiled.
"Next, this grandfather and I will be discussing a serious and confidential matter. You and the boss might as well take a break for a while."
Seeing this, the Grand Tutor also glanced around the room. Two guards immediately stood up.
"Grand Tutor, His Majesty ordered us to remain by your side."
The Grand Tutor waved his hand dismissively.
"Can you protect me from His Highness, the King of Liberation?"
"…We cannot win."
"Then step outside."
At those words, the remaining members of the delegation quietly filed out of the café and onto the street for some fresh air. Among them, Felix even noticed a familiar figure.
Liang Xun stood there with his usual stern expression. Beside him was a woman who seemed to be Miss Ning, the one who had managed to keep Liang Xun silent all this time.
Felix glanced outside again.
"I didn't see Young Master Zuo this time," he said with a hint of disappointment.
The Grand Tutor took a sip of his tea.
"As the Candleholder of the Imperial Sui Regulator, Zuo Le truly has no time to participate in diplomatic missions," he said calmly. "Your Highness has already interacted with him, have you not? That was because you had dealings with Yan's agents."
Felix nodded slowly.
"I have a piece of advice."
"I am listening."
"The Sui and the gods may harbor hostility toward this land, but they are not the same." Felix spoke in a relaxed tone. "I am not a citizen of Yan. You may say I am meddling in another nation's affairs. But as someone living on Terra, I can see their affection for this land, their dedication to Yan, and their willingness to sacrifice for it."
He paused slightly.
"Moreover, their existence will be necessary for the future."
The Grand Tutor hesitated.
It was not Felix's earlier words that troubled him. As an ordinary person, his own thoughts on those matters were actually quite similar.
The problem was that he was not merely an individual. He was the Grand Tutor, and every opinion he expressed represented the stance of Yan.
What truly made him fall silent was the final phrase.
Necessary for the future.
Seeing his reaction, Felix revealed some of the information he possessed.
He spoke about many things, including the true nature of the Starpod, the real crisis Terra was facing, and what existed beyond the Starpod.
The flood of information made the Grand Tutor's pupils contract. His throat felt dry, and cold sweat began to form on his back.
He had no reason to believe Felix was lying.
After all, he knew what race stood before him.
Teekaz.
The most ancient race on Terra.
And perhaps the only surviving Teekaz in the modern era.
The Grand Tutor took a deep breath.
Hearing that such a crisis was approaching, he suddenly found the previously tolerable behavior of certain corrupt officials in the imperial court unbearable.
If Terra truly faced destruction in the near future, then those officials who obsessed over reputation, wealth, and salaries while forming petty factions were simply courting death.
"I will report everything you've said to His Majesty without alteration," the Grand Tutor said after a moment. "However, I still require concrete evidence that what you say is true."
"If it's evidence you need… then take a look."
A small smart device slowly rose into the air. It projected the latest data reports from the Kazdel Laboratory Observatory, along with a series of observational images taken at different times.
From those images alone, the Grand Tutor could immediately recognize something impossible.
They showed two entirely different starry skies.
For a moment, his worldview nearly collapsed.
But he did not remain stunned for long.
"I'll send you a detailed copy of the data later," Felix said calmly. "What we should be doing now is not fighting among ourselves or preparing for wars against each other. We should be discussing how to face this crisis together."
"If what you say is true," the Grand Tutor replied slowly, "then Terra will undergo a complete reshuffling within the next three years."
He looked directly at Felix.
"Terra must face this crisis as one."
"That's right, as a United Terra"
Felix paused briefly before continuing.
"We are already researching a fleet capable of breaking through the Starpod… a space fleet. When facing an unknown crisis, it's better to prepare in advance, isn't it?"
The Grand Tutor nodded slowly and studied Felix carefully.
"After this conference," he said, "I would like to visit Kazdel."
"You will be most welcome."