TL/Editor: raei


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    In the Desert of Pride in the demon realm''s southwest...


    Currently in that desert-


    SCREECH!


    BOOM!


    A war was raging.A massive war where blood and flesh flew and hundreds of lives vanished in an instant.


    But something was strange about this war.


    "You traitorous bastards who deserve to be torn apart! How dare you defy destiny!"


    "Kihihihi! Traitors? We''re simply following our lord''smands!"


    Both attackers and defenders were demons.


    This was a war that had never urred since the demon realm''s creation and should never have urred.


    Far from this fierce battlefield, on a distant hill-


    "I can''t believe this is actually possible..."


    ire Frosimar and her party watched the scene.


    "To think this was all Prince Zion''s n."


    "No, since we executed it directly, we deserve some credit too."


    Turzan replied gruffly beside Rain, who muttered with a disgusted expression.


    "A war of this scale will certainly keep their attention away from the empire for a while."


    "But the battlefield seems to be expanding... won''t it spread here too?"


    "Not just here - soon the entire demon realm will be consumed by war."


    ire answered Elysis''s words as she turned away.


    "We need to move quickly. There are still things to handle here before then."


    As herpanions silently followed, she let out a small internal sigh.


    Though they had sessfullypleted theirrgest mission, deep concern filled ire''s eyes.


    The time to decide was approaching along with their return to the empire.


    ''I don''t know what to do.''


    That decision was whether to enter Prince Zion''s service.


    Since it couldpletely change not just her fate but that of her entire party, her deliberation inevitably lengthened.


    ''First, let''s get the mythical-grade artifacts hidden in the demon realm.''


    With this thought, ire pushed her concerns to one corner of her mind as her pace gradually quickened.


    * * *


    The World Conference.


    The world''srgest conference where leaders of every power except the demon realm gathered.


    Befitting its magnificent scale, the World Conference ran far longer than other conferences and was divided into several types of meetings.


    The first day''s meeting was the "Rulers'' Conference."


    This highest-ranking gathering could only be attended by direct Agnes bloodline members, leaders of the Three External Worlds, and heads of the Five Great Families.


    Currently, a strange tension filled the small conference room in Baeksung Pce where this Rulers'' Conference was being held.


    The royal family members sat dividing the room into exact thirds, with their supporting factions positioned around them.


    But Fifth Princess Diana knew well that these people weren''t the source of this tension.


    ''To think he has this effect even when absent.''


    She thought this while looking at the still-empty seat at the head of the conference room.


    Zion Agnes.


    The owner of that seat and source of the tension filling the conference room.


    ''I wonder how much further he''s risen...''


    Diana slightly furrowed her brows as she recalled herst sight of Zion.


    Though not much time had passed, given Zion''s monstrous growth rate so far, she couldn''t even guess his current level.


    Moreover, his unbelievable achievements since defeating Utekan - destroying the demon realm''s facilities in the capital and saving the floating city - further fueled her anxiety.


    ''They say he even broke the Emperor''s Branch yesterday.''


    A natural result, when you thought about it.


    A mere heir had tried to test something even Diana herself wouldn''t dare attempt.


    Ilifa had simply been foolish yesterday.


    Then-


    "Calm your unease, Princess Diana. This state doesn''t suit you."


    A calm voice flowed from the fairy sitting beside her.


    A quite handsome middle-aged man who exuded an atmosphere simr to Diana''s.


    This was Halegrion, king of the fairies and First Leaf of the World Tree.


    "Though Prince Zion''s reputation certainly pierces the heavens, you haven''t been idle either, Your Highness. You''ve raised both your Heaven Opposition Power and spirit arts to new heights, and achieved remarkable results in expanding your influence. I don''t think such anxiety is necessary."


    Question filled Halegrion''s eyes as he spoke.


    He had never seen Princess Diana show such visible anxiety before.


    It waspletely unlike her usual self, who thoroughly concealed her emotions behind a smiling face.


    "He makes one feel that way."


    "What? What do you mean..."


    "You''ll understand when you see him."


    Just as Halegrion''s confusion deepened at Diana''s words-


    "His Highness Prince Zion Agnes enters!"


    The door guard''s voice rang out as the conference room door opened.


    Step.


    A deep footstep echoed in everyone''s ears.


    The moment its owner appeared-


    "...!"


    Halegrion finally understood Diana''s words.


    He couldn''t even register Bathar, chief of the Giant Colony, and the Sword King, head of the Ascalon family, entering behind Zion.


    His eyes captured only Prince Zion, who walked slowly whilepletely dominating everything with his overwhelming presence.


    ''How...''


    As the First Branch of the fairies, Halegrion possessed special senses and vision iparable to others.


    That''s why he could feel it.


    ''How can such a being exist?''


    That ominousness.


    That alienness.


    As Halegrion''s eyes shook violently at the feeling of seeing something that shouldn''t exist in this world-


    ''He''s grown even stronger than before.''


    Diana watched Zion take the head seat while dismissing Halegrion''s familiar reaction.


    She could tell instantly.


    The current Zion was iparably beyond when she hadst seen him.


    "..."


    Zion''s indifferent eyes met Diana''s.


    She disliked that gaze.


    Those eyes said they no longer considered her apetitor.


    A gaze looking down from an unreachable height, as if considering how to deal with her.


    ''Let''s see how long you can keep that look.''


    Grinding her teeth internally while forcefully suppressing her shrinking heart, Diana began coldly analyzing the strength of herpetitors gathered here.


    ''First, Evelyn''s side...''


    Though the Second Princess had full support from the Levathein Iron Blood Family, one of the Five Great Families, and the knights, her overall influence wasn''t particrlyrge.


    While herbat ability was arguably the strongest, her political ability wasn''t particrly good.


    Moreover, her subordinate forces were far from that level.


    Still, the reason Evelyn had been called a likely imperial candidate until now was primarily due to the empire''s tradition of valuing martial power above all.


    ''Though troublesome, she''s not an opponent I can''t ovee.''


    After finishing her assessment of Evelyn, Diana''s eyes turned to Rubrious beside her.


    ''He can be excluded from thepetition.''


    Though his innate ability was excellent, his long absence had left his power base too weak.


    Even with the Order of Light, the world''srgest religious organization, backing him, they were still ultimately a religion with limits on political intervention.


    Moreover, she knew his rtionship with the Ozlima family had grown distanttely.


    ''This is the real problem.''


    With this thought, Diana''s eyes returned to Zion.


    Even excludingbat ability and looking only at his power base, it was iparably greater than the other two.


    ''First, those two sitting beside him.''


    Bathar representing the Giant Colony and Ludwig Ascalon, head of the Ascalon family.


    Those two alone matched Evelyn''s entire power base.


    And Diana knew these two weren''t the extent of Zion''s forces.


    ''Part of the military including the Border Corps. And that top-tier intelligence organization of unknown identity.''


    The scale was truly unbelievable.


    Even more amazing was that he had built all this within a year.


    While Zion''s influence was certainly jaw-dropping-


    ''It''s not enough to make me give up and submitpletely.''


    As Halegrion had said earlier, Diana hadn''t been idle either.


    Her Heaven Opposition Power had already reached the early stages of six stars, and her influence had grown iparably from before.


    She hadpletely secured the Fairy Forest and the empire''s main administrative organs, plus drawn in two of the Five Great Families - the Silent House Hainis and the Radiant House Arcline.


    So while disadvantaged, the bnce hadn''tpletely copsed.


    ''Though there is one concerning point...''


    How closely both Rubrious and the Order of Light treated Zion.


    While the First Prince had always been that way, the Order of Light''s behavior was an unexpected variable.


    ''Still, they don''t seem to havepletely joined forces, so there''s still hope.''


    Diana muttered this internally, as if brainwashing herself.


    ''The question is how to reverse this precarious bnce...''


    Then-


    ''Hm?''


    She noticed Zion watching her.


    His eyes curved as if smiling.


    Diana felt those eyes piercing deep into her heart.


    "Why are you smiling?"


    "I can hear the sound of your mind working from here."


    "What nonsense..."


    As Diana answered while hiding her anxiety, her eyes suddenly filled with question.


    She had noticed something strange about the current situation.


    ''Come to think of it, why haven''t we started the conference?''


    All attendees were present after Zion''s entrance.


    Given Zion''s personality of preferring to get straight to the point, it was strange he hadn''t started yet.


    "Why haven''t we started the conference?"


    Finally, this question left Diana''s lips.


    "Because not everyone has arrived yet."


    "...What?"


    At Zion''s answer, everyone''s eyes filled with question.


    Surely only those present were qualified to attend this "Rulers'' Conference."


    Yet he said not everyone had arrived.


    Then-


    "There''s one condition for attending the Rulers'' Conference."


    Zion''s quiet voice reached their ears.


    "Even without being part of the Agnes family, Three External Worlds, or Five Great Families - if one leads a forceparable to or greater than them in power and scale, they can attend the Rulers'' Conference."


    Everyone knew this condition.


    But it was simultaneously a meaningless one.


    In the hundreds of years since the empire''s founding, not a single force had ever met this condition.


    "Where could such a force..."


    Just as Halegrion was about to object-


    CLANG!


    The conference room door opened again.


    Everyone''s heads naturally turned.


    Their eyes fell upon a dragon-kin wearing a robe embroidered with golden clouds.


    "Ackendelt, Acting Mayor of the floating city Adegrifa, attending the Rulers'' Conference."


    The dragon-kin, eyes filled with wisdom and mystery, walked past the stunned onlookers toward Zion while speaking calmly.


    "I apologize for beingte, Prince Zion."


    As the dragon-kin deeply bowed his head toward Zion- CRACK!


    Diana heard the sound of the power bncepletely shattering.Toggle New Ads


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