Chapter 306: Fate Of The Emperor
The dining room felt warmer than I remembered, maybe it was the home-cooked food, or maybe it was just the comfort of being around the people I cared about again.
The table was filled with dishes I’d grown up eating. Steve was already halfway through his second helping, mumbling something about this being the first real meal he’d had in months.
Grandma sat across from me, quiet but attentive, her eyes watching me as if trying to gauge just how much I had changed since the last time I sat here.
As we ate, I spoke, not all at once, but slowly, in between bites and memories. I told her about the strange realm I’d stumbled into.
I described how I’d met Lily, and how she’d led me to Azalea Nag—the woman who was once one of the greatest prodigy of the Nagas.
I told her how Azalea was alive. How the Ferans were connected to her past, and how her research had helped them gain their transformation techniques.
She listened without interrupting, her hands folded neatly in her lap when she wasn’t serving more food. Her gaze flicked between me and Steve, who nodded along, adding a comment here and there.
But mostly, it was me speaking and her listening.
She said she was genuinely surprised by my level and the pressure radiating from my body. It felt to her like I would soon surpass her—not just in levels, but in power too.
After we finished eating, the plates cleared and the table quiet, I leaned back in my chair and let out a slow breath. The comfort of home had dulled the sharp edges of the last few days, but the weight of the Empire’s decisions still sat heavy in my chest.
"There’s more," I said, glancing at Steve, who gave me a subtle nod. "I met with the Emperor."
Grandma looked at me straight at that. Her expression turning serious.
"It wasn’t just a report. It was a full meeting with other figures—Arkas, Cassian, Dante, even Edgar."
"And what did they want from you?" she asked softly.
"War," I said simply. "Or, at least, the beginnings of one."
I told her how I’d shared my thoughts about attacking Peanu and Sukra, how I believed this was the only window we had to strike before the Ferans arrived. I explained that while the others were cautious, some even skeptical, the Emperor had agreed with me—at least on one thing.
"We’re taking the realm back," I said. "In two days."
Her eyebrows rose slightly.
"You mean the Holt family?"
I nodded.
"Yes. It’s been long overdue. The Emperor said he’s tolerated them for too long. But it’ll be a quiet operation. No large-scale movement. No announcements. Just decisive action."
She was quiet for a moment, processing everything I’d told her.
"And after that?" she asked softly.
I hesitated.
"I’m not sure."
She nodded slowly, her expression unreadable.
"Attacking Peanu and Sukra, even with the help of the realm, isn’t something that can be taken lightly. There will be sacrifices if you want a clean, decisive victory and the Emperor knows it."
I remained silent, listening carefully.
"But—" she paused, as if weighing whether she should continue. Her gaze sharpened, and she spoke with deliberate clarity, "—even if he doesn’t attack Peanu, just the act of disturbing the Ferans’ plans is enough. That alone... will paint a target on his head."
Her words sent a chill through me.
"If he really follows through with this, if he disrupts what the Ferans have put in motion then there is only one thing waiting for him at the end of that road."
My voice came out quiet.
"What?"
She didn’t look away.
"Death. That’s the cost. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not even in this war. Maybe they will publicly execute him when their delegation arrive. Ferans will deliberately act very unreasonable."
My eyes narrowed.
"Then why would they even bother making deals with Peanu and Sukra in the first place?"
Her gaze dropped to the table as she spoke, "Because they knew Vaythos would never bend. The Rayleighs never do. That’s why."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
She looked at me again.
"Every Rayleigh ruler takes pride in one thing—that their bloodline came from the man who united all the continents and created this Empire.
And one trait has passed down every generation since then." Her voice softened. "They don’t bend. Not for peace. Not for survival. Not even for family."
I stayed still, letting the weight of her words settle.
She exhaled slowly. "In the last war, when we lost the two continents, the Emperor’s sister’s husband and her son were captured. Peanu offered them back... in exchange for half of Vaythos."
Her voice dropped.
"He refused. He chose to destroy it all instead. He wiped out those lands, along with the Peanu armies, their prisoners, even parts of his own family and the Abominations there. Because surrendering... wasn’t an option."
I felt my chest tighten, imagining the kind of man who could make that call.
She leaned forward, her voice quieter now.
"So understand this, Billion. If the Ferans discover what’s truly happening, if they learn that he dared to defy them—the very least they’ll do is wipe out the entire Rayleigh bloodline. Every single one of them."
I wasn’t sure how to feel after hearing all that. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of this new truth.
"The final choice rests with him," Grandma said, her voice calm but firm. "Whether the Emperor wants to risk everything or choose to compromise. Either way, things don’t look good for our world."
She paused, her eyes locking with mine.
"If we go to war, there will be heavy losses. We’ll gain a powerful enemy for the future, but at least we might keep our freedom for a little while longer.
And if we don’t go to war, then we’ll still have a powerful enemy at our doorstep—only this time, we might lose our freedom completely."
She took a breath, then finished in a low, steady voice.
"And in both cases, the Emperor will have to die."
My heart thudded painfully in my chest. Hearing it put so plainly shook me.
If Grandma, sitting quietly here in our house, knew this... then everyone who had been in that room with me earlier, the Emperor, Dante, Arkas—they all must have known too.
I asked the only question I could think of.
"There’s no other way?"
She looked at me for a moment before answering softly.
"There is one."
My eyes widened.
"What is it?"
"Azalea Nag," she said. "The only other race in this galaxy who might be able to push the Ferans back are the Nagas. If Azalea could convince her people to help, we might be able to avoid a war. But Nagas rarely interfere in other worlds."
She looked thoughtful for a moment, then added, "There are also the demons... but trusting them would be worse than going to war with the Ferans."
Steve leaned back in his chair and muttered, "So we’re doomed if we fight, and doomed if we don’t."
Grandma let out a light chuckle and gave him a warm smile.
"You don’t need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Steve. There are people—stronger, older, and more experienced—whose job it is to handle these kinds of decisions."
She turned to me again.
"We’ll know soon what path must be taken. But until then, your job is simple."
She reached out and lightly tapped my arm.
"Get stronger. As much as you can. That’s how you’ll be ready, no matter which path we end up on."
I nodded slowly, letting her words sink in.
I felt a growing urgency inside me, I needed to move faster, push harder. But before anything else, there was one more question I had to ask. One that had been sitting in the back of my mind for years.
I looked into her eyes and asked softly,
"Grandma... can you tell me about the mission my parents were on when they died?"