In another place, the emperor opened the door to a grand chamber, walked in, and sighed. It was a bedroom, one that carried the old-fashioned air of an experienced explorer.
Walking in, he was immediately greeted by an old man.
The old man casually gestured towards the chair opposite his seat, across the table. It was a casual action, one not directed towards the emperor of the country, no, but toward his own son.
"Sit," the old emperor said calmly.
They sat—
Between them was a simple chessboard, and to the side, a wide window that overlooked the entire city.
It was a grand view.
The old man made the first move.
Tock!
The piece clicked against the board.
"What do you think?" he asked with a restrained tone, not bothering to look up.
The emperor frowned. "You want to know what I think about the outsiders?"
"Mm," the old man nodded.
The emperor pursed his lips, thinking for a moment, then said, "It's not difficult to tell that they have ulterior motives. Since our founding, they have never agreed to something as easily as they have this time, so I can only conclude that the calamities have changed something that we're not aware of."
Tock!
The old man, no, the previous emperor, raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have any idea what they might want?" His tone was less of a question and more of a test.
The emperor thought about his words for a long time, his gaze locked on the board.
His brows furrowed.
After a moment—
"I think we both know what they want, but…"
The old emperor shook his head. "It would be strange if they chose to come for 'that place' now."
"That's true," the emperor admitted. "Perhaps they're just looking to solidify a foothold for the future?"
"Perhaps…" the elder muttered.
But there was something off in his tone.
Tock!
Time passed.
"Little One is doing quite well. I heard that my granddaughter has assumed quite a force, haha!"
The emperor nodded. "Yes. After what happened in the west, she's been consolidating the gains and has built up quite an army." He grinned, looking up from the board. "Even I'm a little impressed at how well she's keeping up with the Heroes."
His eyes turned to the window.
"I have a good idea what that little girl wants, but I doubt she's going to get it. After all, our family still owes quite a large 'debt' to 'those people'." He frowned. "If she wants to obtain her freedom, then she has to do a lot more than simply leave the continent—"
The old man across the table slid a piece forward.
—The emperor added, "It's a shame about Lillet as well," he murmured.
The old man shook his head. "You don't need to worry about your wife. That girl is a lot smarter than she seems. Although I don't like our 'agreement' with the 'Grasswind Family', that girl is an exception."
The emperor's eyes drooped.
The old man scratched his beard and paused. "You're worried they'll change their mind and pick Rotell instead of Rolilly?"
Sigh—
"Can't be helped," the emperor replied with a frown. "Although the current arrangements were agreed upon by everyone, the connections that Rotell is making definitely tilt the scales. You know better than I do that they won't care if she already has a fiancé."
Silence.
The old man sighed.
"Recently, an old buddy of mine sent over some news. I learned that my 'daughter-in-law' is quite healthy, so you don't have to worry."
The emperor didn't see the darkness flash past the old emperor's eyes.
-
As time continued to pass, the sun slowly began to set…
Tock!
The old man chuckled. "You've changed a lot since your last visit."
The emperor laughed out loud, his face slightly red.
"Of course! Look, I've even regained my youth! Hahah!"
The old man's face fell. "Hmph. That damn granddaughter! She brought one of those gaudy roses for you, but not for me! What an unfilial grandchild! Hmph!"
The emperor shook his head.
"We both know there's one in the treasury. If you want one so badly, why don't you take it, old man?"
Tock!
The old man looked up. "Ha! You know if I wanted it, I'd have taken it already! It's the same for you, isn't it? You just like having a reason to sit around all day and act frail and useless!"
The emperor turned away.
He mumbled, "And who did I learn that from?" Then, with a scoff, he snapped back, "Hahaha, well said, old man! That's right! Like father, like son, isn't that what they say?"
"Tsk! Speaking of children," the old man snorted, "how's the third one doing? Rolilly?"
The emperor rolled his eyes. "You know what she's like. She took after her mother 'too much'! If she's not scheming, she's always looking for something to play with!"
The old man smiled slightly. "And the second one? When do you plan to bring her back?"
"Soon. After the sea is safe and the next calamity passes. Ah, but I still hope to get Rotell to take the throne. She reminds me of my childhood far too much."
The old man tapped the board. "But she's a girl!"
The emperor waved dismissively. "Ah, that reminds me. Did you hear about that alchemist from the north? The one the Barak Family is looking for? I heard she can concoct a pill that changes someone's gender! Hahaha! Not a bad idea, huh?"
The old man sneered. "That's nonsense! It's impossible to truly change one's gender, even for high-level alchemists!"
Tock!
His expression shifted. "Also… that's one good way to get stabbed by your favorite daughter!"
The emperor laughed out loud, and the old man shook his head at his ridiculous son.
In the end, he had to say it.
"You can play around all you want, but don't forget why we're here. Even though it's been a long time, we can't lower our guard."
The emperor tilted his head. "I know. How could I forget? You forced me and my brother to study that story so many times it practically burned into my dreams."
He looked at the board.
He was crushed.
He sighed.
With a twitching eye, the emperor asked, "But is it really that bad? The north, I mean. Although I've heard the story of that disaster, I still can't imagine it."
The old man smiled wryly. "Remember it well. We were entrusted with watching that place. It's the only reason we can still be where we are today."
The emperor sighed again. "We both know when and why it'll happen. What's the point of being watchdogs? Can't we just—"
Tock.
The old man shook his head, his eyes flickering with cold light. "No. Even if we can't enter that place like before, we still need to watch over it. That's the reason the four families were put under our command in the first place."
He paused.
"Actually…"
Just then—
Fwoosh! Tonk-tonk-tonk
A large bird landed on the windowsill. It pecked the glass.
The old man's eyes flashed.
His wrinkled hands pushed open the window and let it in.
He continued, "Actually, did you hear about the changes to the Mercenary Alliance? I hear you have quite the grudge against them. That's why you banned them from the southern region, isn't it?"
The emperor pressed his lips together.
If only he knew back then…
Damn old man, keeping such an 'important secret' from him after so long!
The old man chuckled. "If your daughters knew, what would they think?"
"Tsk." The emperor clicked his tongue. "I don't understand why you insist on defending them. So what if 'he' was one of the original members? That still doesn't make what their current generation did acceptable!"
"Hahaha. Don't worry. If those old guys are still around, they won't blame you! The only reason I didn't stop you back then was because I didn't think 'that brat' (Hexfill) had it in him! I still don't know how he passed the White Wolf Trial, but it seems like that prediction was a complete dud! Fu-haha!"
The bird gave the two shameless old men a look, then dropped a letter onto the table and flew off. From the side, the Royal Knight, Theo, who had been silently waiting, stepped forward.
He picked up the letter, unsealed it, checked it, and handed it over.
The two old foxes read it.
"Oh?" The retired emperor's expression shifted into amused surprise. But the current emperor's face darkened. "Those people really treat the continent as their own," he gritted his teeth.
"Haha. It was originally meant to be that way. What a shame." The old emperor leaned back, laughing loudly. "Still, things are finally starting to look up for them. I can't even begin to imagine what star blessed them for things to end up like this! Hahahahaha!"
His loud laughter echoed through the palace!
* * *
After the sun had set, the room was dark, and the emperor was gone.
The old man sat alone, looking at the board with a lazy expression.
There were no servants.
It was quiet and serene…
The wind blew through the open window, swaying the curtains gently.
The old man lowered his head.
He smiled.
"I didn't think I'd see you again so soon. Did you come back to see why your son is still alive?"
Within the dark room, a tall figure had suddenly appeared behind the seated old man.
There was a moment of silence.
After a pause—
A deep voice rolled out from the darkness. "Do you know why? There's no way 'that person's' divination could be wrong."
The old emperor didn't bother trying to see the cloaked figure's face. He spoke calmly. "I do know why. Your son has met the 'Child of the End.'"
"The Child of End? So it's true…"
The old man chuckled. "Not only is it true, but that little brat has already gained the attention of the Old Humans. It won't be long before they try something stupid and cause a disaster."
The cloaked figure twitched.
"I see. So, she is the one who was immediately approved for the title of a 'World Criminal'?"
The old man nodded. "That's right. What will you do?"
There was a pause.
"How bad was it? My son's original crime?"
The old man shook his head. "Although Hexfill has his own misfortunes, he's not a bad person. I only learned about it recently, but both the Red Hand and the Tibon Family are tendrils of that disgusting power. Your son was tricked."
"...I see. That's good…"
Another long pause came.
The cloaked figure turned slightly. "Then I owe that little girl quite a bit of karma."
"Pfft!" The old man couldn't hold it back. "You don't have to pay it back, you know! After all, she's the Child of End, things like karma and fate don't work the same way on her at all!"
The figure shifted on the spot. "No. It's a personal matter. I'll repay what I owe her. And… Just because those transcendental powers don't matter, that doesn't mean she won't care if she finds out one day…"
The old emperor rubbed his chin. "If I remember correctly, when we came over to the continent, the seven Arcanists who came with us built seven treasures. But with what happened in the eastern region, and now the western region, three of the seven treasures left behind by them are inaccessible to us."
He hummed.
"Why not go and get that dumb door for her? That should be about the same value as your son's 'freedom', right?"
There was a pause.
"Yes, you're right. It will take some time, but… Hm, no, thank you…"
"It's no problem. It's nice knowing that you're still doing well, 'Rofill'."
The old man turned…
Mm—Swoosh! But 'he' was already gone.
Silence returned to the dark room, leaving the old man with a strange smile on his face. "So 'they're' already here? Then… It's not just for a foothold, but… Mm, could it be? Interesting…"
* * *