All the fourteen grandmasters bowed their heads, the flame’s glow flickering across their faces.
The moment stretched, broken only when Roland finally stepped forward. His expression was calm, respectful, almost eager yet there was a faint tightness around his eyes.
"Your Majesty," Roland said, his voice carrying carefully measured reverence. "Peanu stands stronger with your presence here. We are honored."
Saturn’s brown eyes swept over the gathered crowd. At last, he gave a single nod.
"This place," he said, his voice calm yet heavy, "I haven’t set foot here in a long time. I never thought it would manage to surprise me like this. You’ve done well, Roland... but you failed where it mattered most. You should have laid down your life to protect the Ferans. When this is over, we will discuss it."
His words weren’t loud, but they cut through the silence like thunder.
The factions shifted uneasily.
Mandal Moon leaned heavier on his cane, Porus adjusted the sash across his chest, and Karu kept his beard-stroking hand perfectly still.
Roland inclined his head again, careful with every word.
"Of course, Majesty. I apologize for my failure. Still, one concern arises." His eyes flicked, not at Saturn, but toward the five masked figures standing behind him. "The Black Guards are your blade and shield. Should they not remain with the capital, ensuring the empire’s heart remains untouchable? If enemies sense your absence..."
Ah. That was when I realized it. Roland hadn’t expected them. His words weren’t just strategy, they were a veiled attempt to distance the Emperor from the Black Guards, to have them removed from the board.
Saturn turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Roland. The pause was deliberate. Tense. Then the faintest trace of a smile curved his lips. "You fear my shadows, Roland?"
The air stiffened like frozen water. Several grandmasters glanced sidelong, their eyes widening. To even hint at fear before Saturn was like kneeling before a wolf while trying to hide your throat.
Roland chuckled softly, the sound carefully casual. "Fear? Never, Majesty. Only caution. With such unknowns before us, one must ensure no vulnerabilities remain behind."
Saturn studied him for a moment longer, then let the smile fade. "Your caution is noted. But no, the Black Guards remain at my side. If the empire’s heart is to be untouchable, it must be here, where this flame parts. What lies beyond can reshape the world."
He raised his greatsword slightly, the blade dragging against stone with a screech that made the air tremble. "This place will feed us power. And with it, Peanu will rise higher than any rival dares to dream."
Some nodded quickly, eager to align with the emperor’s vision. Others forced the gesture, careful not to stand out.
Mandal Moon chuckled, his voice thin yet sharp. "As expected of His Majesty. Always looking further than the rest of us."
Porus added smoothly, "With such foresight, conquest is inevitable."
Karu grunted. "Vaythos has delayed us long enough. Let us carve out its heart when this Lamp Zone yields its gift."
Saturn’s gaze shifted, scanning them one by one. He wasn’t fooled by their flattery, I could see it in his eyes. But he was enjoying making a fool out of them.
Then his focus moved to the flame wall. His hand brushed the outline of my staff.
"Fascinating," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "A weapon carved this path. It carries will. Which means it can choose again."
The grandmasters leaned in slightly, though none dared step closer.
Roland seized the chance to speak again, voice smooth, steady. "Indeed, Majesty. The path has held until now, but none of us dared risk it without you. We thought it wise to wait."
"Wise," Saturn said, lowering his hand. He chuckled. "Then we go together. We claim everything within. This Lamp Zone will be stripped bare and bent to Peanu’s will. With it, we shall crush Vaythos. Its territories, its people, its resources—all will belong to us. And we will be the strongest human world around and I will tear through the next rank."
The crowd of grandmasters bent their heads in unison.
"For the empire."
Only Roland’s bow carried the faint stiffness of a man pretending not to flinch.
I sat on the wall, dangling my feet, fighting down a smirk. Their great emperor, his shadows, his obedient flock of grandmasters—all gathered here, puffing themselves up with promises of conquest. None of them realized the butcher’s knife was already waiting.
The goat had no idea its end was already sealed.
I sent a message directly to all my summons.
"They’re here."
Ragnar, who had been sulking since our spar, suddenly brightened up, the fire in his eyes returning as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
Lyrate, who had been lounging lazily on her throne before the castle, stretched like a cat. Her throne dissolved into particles as she flashed forward in an instant.
A new one rose beneath her just outside the castle wall, its design sharper and darker than the last. She leaned back with one leg crossed and smirked in my direction.
"Well, this queen deserves the best seat to watch the drama," she said, her voice carrying deliberately so I couldn’t miss it.
Knight didn’t bother hiding anymore either. One moment he wasn’t there, the next he was standing beside Ragnar, his tail swaying slowly, his crimson eyes locked toward the flame wall where the humans gathered.
I turned my head toward Silver, who was perched quietly.
"Do you want to go ahead as well?" I asked.
He gave a small shake of his head. "No. I’ll be the surprise."
That earned a chuckle from me. "Alright. If you say so."
I shifted my gaze back toward the fort and the flame wall where the humans gathered. Even from this distance, I could see the tension in their bodies—warriors, schemers, old monsters—yet all of them were staring at the same opening my staff had carved through the devouring flames.
The air around us thickened with anticipation. My summons leaned forward slightly, their bloodlust restrained but sharp, waiting for the signal.
I waved my hand and drew out the two storage rings we had taken from the Ferans’ bodies. Inside, I found several maps, maps detailed enough to make me pause. They were fascinating, unlike anything I had seen before. Maybe this was the reason the Ferans had shown so much interest in this part of the galaxy.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I slipped the rings back into storage. The answers would come soon enough.