"Oh, I know. I’ve seen your battle against the Catastrophe. Even Overlord Zarax was surprised by what you pulled off."
He paused, then added with a chuckle, "I was asking because I wanted to greet her too. As a governor, it’s part of my job to meet powerful people and keep good connections with them."
He spoke with laughter, and the sound carried easily through the hall.
Sensing his intent, Isaac finally understood why Governor Jeremy had really come.
"I would have to ask the Sword Empress if she is free to have an appointment with you," Isaac said, keeping his tone neutral.
"Then I would have to trouble Sir Isaac," Governor Jeremy replied, inclining his head slightly.
Isaac made a few calls through the city network.
The arrangements didn’t take long.
The Sword Empress was already in one of the upper offices, reviewing reports from the outer districts, and she agreed to see the governor.
Isaac stood and waved for one of the attendants waiting near the wall.
"Please guide Governor Jeremy to the Sword Empress’s office," he said.
The attendant bowed and gestured toward the door.
Jeremy thanked Isaac once more and left the room, his steps steady, his posture still relaxed despite the weight of the conversation he was about to have.
The door closed behind him.
The room went quiet.
Isaac exhaled and leaned back in his chair. He barely had time to let his thoughts settle before he felt a familiar weight land on his lap.
Catherine appeared there. She was sitting sideways across his legs. Her arms were loosely wrapped around his neck. Her long hair fell over one shoulder, and she looked at him with a small, amused smile.
"So, why do you think he asked for a meeting with my master?" she asked.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "You’re testing me?"
"Of course. I’m your professor. It’s my job to teach you, and test you."
He sighed but answered.
"He’s checking on me. My rise was too fast. A nobody to a Lord in a short time. From his perspective, that’s suspicious. He probably wants to ask the Sword Empress if I forced her to support me against the previous governor."
Catherine tilted her head slightly, encouraging him to continue.
"If she says yes, then he’ll assume I’m dangerous. That I’m not just strong, but someone who manipulated the situation to kill Governor Marcus and take his place. In that case, he would probably use some kind of method to escape with her. If he succeeds, his city would suddenly have two Overlords. Sword Empress and Zarax."
"That would shift the balance of human cities. You are correct. But..." Catherine said, urging him to continue.
"But I didn’t feel any malice from him. He is a good person. He is willing to risk his own neck to help the Sword Empress. After all, he knows I’m strong, and I would attack his city if I lose Sword Empress. Yet he is taking the risk."
"Why do you think he is ’rescuing’ her?" she asked.
"Because Overlord Zarax isn’t here. Overlord Zarax, who protects Fortified City 82 and Governor Jeremy, must’ve refused Governor Jeremy about ’rescuing’ Sword Empress.
"This is why Overlord Zarax didn’t come here. Had he agreed with Governor Jeremy in the plan of ’rescuing’ Sword Empress, he should’ve come here to protect Governor Jeremy in case something goes wrong with the plan.
"Overlord Zarax probably thought Governor Jeremy was being rash and told him to go alone with his crazy plan," Isaac said.
Catherine smiled.
"Good," she said. "You’re finally using your head."
Isaac’s lips twitched. "What do you mean, finally?"
She didn’t answer. She just smiled wider.
He shook his head.
"Anyway, this isn’t it, right? Since he asked me about my preparations for the Thousand-Year Stampede, it means...."
"Yes," Catherine said, her voice softer now. "You’re thinking in the right direction."
She leaned closer, her hand sliding towards his lower body.
"Since my little brother answered everything correctly," she whispered near his ear, "how about I give him a prize?"
Isaac groaned. "Now is really not the—"
She laughed and pushed him back into the chair.
...
While Isaac and Catherine were busy with their "training," Governor Jeremy was being guided through the upper levels of the administrative tower.
The corridors here were quieter than the ones below.
There were fewer people, thicker walls, and more guards.
He stopped in front of a simple wooden door.
The attendant knocked once and stepped back.
"Governor Jeremy Kalas," the attendant announced.
"Let him in," a calm voice replied from inside.
Jeremy took a breath and entered.
The Sword Empress stood near a large window, looking out over the city. She turned when he walked in, her presence filling the room without her needing to say a word.
"Governor Jeremy. Please, have a seat," she said.
He did.
As soon as he settled into the chair, he reached into his coat and placed a small, flat object on the table. It looked like a dull metal disk.
He pressed it.
A faint shimmer spread through the room, like a thin layer of glass settling over the walls.
"It’s an anti-eavesdropping field. I’m using it for just in case."
The Sword Empress nodded.
Jeremy leaned forward slightly.
Their discussion began.
It continued for a long while.
By the end, Governor Jeremy leaned back into the chair, massaging his brows as he sighed.
"So, you are saying that Isaac isn’t misusing his strength? That he didn’t crush Governor Marcus to take over the city, and he isn’t threatening you into supporting him?"
"Yes. In fact, Isaac had no intention of becoming a Lord. Governor Marcus forced his hand through his own paranoia. As for me, my disciple trusts Isaac, and I believe in her judgment."
"Your disciple?" Jeremy repeated. "Are you sure Evil Sword is someone we can trust to judge people?"
The Sword Empress gave him a look that made him clear his throat.
"I trust her. That is enough," she said.
Jeremy sighed.
He had expected this, but the chances had been slim.
"So, he isn’t power-hungry and a manipulative person?" Jeremy asked again.
"He is not," the Sword Empress replied.
Jeremy rubbed his brow with one hand.
For a brief moment, a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
’What if she’s lying?’
But he dismissed it almost immediately.
The Sword Empress was known as the wisest human alive. If she were being forced to speak against her will, she would find a way to signal it. A phrase. A pause. Or something else.
There was nothing.
Her answers were steady, and clear.
It meant she was speaking with her own will.
Governor Jeremy massaged his brows and sighed again.
However, this time he had a smile.
"This is good," he said.
"What is?" the Sword Empress asked.
"I was worried about my city. We don’t have a Lord. When the Thousand-Year Stampede hits, we will be crushed. The other Lords I can contact don’t really care about humans. If we merged with them, we wouldn’t become allies. We would become servants, or most probably, slaves."
The Sword Empress watched him carefully.
"And now?" she asked.
"Now I see another option. One I didn’t think I would ever seriously consider, but hoped that it was possible."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Does this what I’m thinking?"
"Yes." Governor Jeremy answered with a smile. "I am going to negotiate with Sir Isaac to merge my City with him."
"You understand what that means? You will lose a great deal of political power," she said, probing him.
"Bah, who cares about power? If my people can survive and live happily, I don’t care if I end up as a clerk stamping papers in some corner office."
He stood up and stretched his back, wincing slightly as his joints cracked.
"Also, I’ve had enough of sitting in these damned meetings and listening to dozens of pretentious people shouting at each other. It’s nice I can finally retire and live a quiet life. Maybe I’ll open a small coffee shop. It will be a good place for people like me, who are tried from work, to rest."