"Something else," I said evenly. "Enough to replace your young master. What could it be?"
Torace hesitated. Just for a heartbeat. Then he straightened, as if making a decision he knew would echo far beyond this hall.
"House Goldwing," he said clearly, raising his voice so the entire hall could hear, "will enter a formal contract with the Order of Absolute. When the invasion presses, when rifts threaten our territories or allies, we will answer your call. Our strength, our resources, our people, when needed."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
"And the terms?" I asked.
Torace exhaled slowly. "Those are... not matters for a celebration hall. We propose to discuss them in private. Properly."
I held his gaze.
Then I nodded once.
"Alright."
My raised hand lowered.
The pressure eased, but it did not vanish. The ancient tablet still loomed above, half-formed and immense. The violet clouds continued to churn, lightning crawling through them like veins of restrained violence. Essence began moving again but cautiously, as if afraid of drawing attention to itself.
I turned away from Torace and let my voice echo across the hall.
"My apologies," I said calmly. "I seem to have interrupted a birthday celebration."
A few nervous chuckles rippled through the guests.
"Let us enjoy the rest of Ryn’s day," I continued. "We can settle serious matters tomorrow."
With that, I walked toward one of the long tables, picked up a plate, and began eating as if nothing unusual had happened. Ragnar followed immediately, grabbing food with his usual enthusiasm. Aurora shook her head with a grin and joined us.
Above us, the storm remained.
People tried not to look at it.
They failed.
Every few seconds, eyes flicked upward toward the crackling clouds and the silent tablet, as if to confirm it was still there. It was. Patient. Watching.
A moment later, someone approached.
Slitted eyes. Subtle, shimmering scales tracing the side of her neck, catching the light when she turned her head. Otherwise, she looked human enough that most would miss the details entirely.
She inclined her head slightly.
"Igza Nag," she said. "I conduct business here in Feradros."
I finished the bite I was chewing, set the plate aside, and turned fully toward her.
"Billion Ironhart," I replied. "Leader of the Order of Absolute."
A faint curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
"So I’ve gathered," she said.
Her eyes drifted upward for a brief moment, toward the sky beyond the shattered roof, where the storm still churned and the pressure of my half-formed domain lingered like an unspoken warning.
"You certainly know how to make a night memorable," she added.
I gave a small shrug. "I try not to bore myself."
That drew a quiet laugh from her, soft and controlled. "Your group caught my attention," she said. "Humans, Elementals, an Elf, Ferans. An unusual composition. Especially considering you don’t seem to have a Naga among you."
"I’m selective," I said evenly. "So far, I haven’t met anyone from your race who fits what I’m looking for."
There was no offense in my tone. It was not in my hands which race my summons belong to. I just go for strong ones.
Igza studied me for a moment, then nodded as if she had expected that answer. "Then you should visit our capital someday," she said. "I suspect you’d find no shortage of candidates who would meet whatever standards you’ve set for yourself."
"We plan to," I replied. "But not immediately. There are a few stops we intend to make first."
"Fair enough," she said. "May I ask what brought you to Feradros in the first place? Setting aside the... dramatic demonstration."
"Rifts," I answered simply. "And whatever tends to follow them."
She didn’t press further.
"If you choose to remain here longer," she said, "Feradros offers many opportunities. Some of them quite profitable."
"I’m sure it does," I replied. "But I prefer to understand the ground I’m standing on before committing to anything permanent."
Her eyes glinted with what might have been approval. "A sensible approach."
She stepped back half a pace and inclined her head once more. "Enjoy the rest of the celebration, Billion. I have a feeling our paths will cross again."
I gave a brief nod in response.
I had no particular interest in seeing her again.
She stepped away, blending back into the crowd.
As I resumed eating, I sent a silent message outward to Kael Sharka.
’Kael, I have something to discuss. Come to the guest house.’
The acknowledgment came back almost instantly causing me to smile faintly.
I finished my meal, wiped my hands, and walked toward Shera, who stood a short distance away speaking with several Feran officials. He noticed me immediately and excused himself.
"That was... eventful," he said with a careful smile.
"I had a good time," I replied. "Met many interesting people."
He nodded. "But, you went a little too far. Threatening us within our own home won’t sit right with many people."
I ignored his statement completely.
"Let House Goldwing know," I said calmly, "that they’re welcome to visit us tomorrow morning. We’ll discuss the contract properly then."
Shera inclined his head. "I’ll inform them."
I smiled faintly. "Good. I look forward to working together."
There was a pause.
"And Shera," I added.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for hosting us."
His awkward smile didn’t linger. It collapsed, stripped away by what I just said.
We left without another word.
The carts were already waiting, white horses stamping against the stone, their wings shifting restlessly as if they could feel the pressure still hanging in the air. We climbed aboard, and the moment the wheels began to roll, the storm above the island reacted.
Before the domain could fully recede, the violet clouds churned violently one last time.
A beam descended. Violet in color and passed through the buildings and ground alike hitting the center of the island with surgical precision.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the ground split.
A sound like the world tearing itself apart rolled outward as the island fractured into four massive sections, the separation lines glowing briefly before collapsing into darkness.
Water rushed in immediately, white foam exploding upward as the sea claimed the wound. The shockwave rippled across the surrounding air, strong enough that people on the island staggered, hands flying to their ears as the thunder finally broke free.
The clouds roared in answer, lightning screaming through them one final time.
Then, slowly, they unraveled.
The violet haze thinned. The pressure eased. The silhouette of the ancient tablet broke apart into drifting motes of light, sinking back into the world as if it had never existed.
By the time our cart crossed the water, Feradros lay beneath a calm sky once more.
Four islands now stood where one had been.
As if nothing had happened.
Inside the cart, North looked at me.
"You didn’t even hesitate," she said quietly.
"There was no reason to," I said. "They needed an exit. I gave them one."
"And if they try to twist the contract?" Steve asked.
I smiled faintly, watching the island shrink in the distance.
"I don’t particularly care about their support anyway," I said quietly. "What matters is that Ryn is important enough for them to put something like that on the table."
Lyrate, who had been sitting with us, tilted her head slightly as she considered it. "That usually means one thing," she said. "He probably has someone powerful backing him. Very powerful. A Saint, maybe."
I let out a soft chuckle at that and looked past the island, out toward the distant stars scattered across the void.
"Good," I said. "I hope he does."
"But this puts us directly in conflict with the Ferans," Steve said. "They won’t take that kind of humiliation lying down."
I nodded slightly. "That’s fine. If we’re serious about taking over the Blue Spiral Galaxy, conflict was never something we could avoid. It won’t just be the Ferans either. Even the Nagas won’t simply roll over and make room for us."
"And for what it’s worth," I added, "I went to what was supposed to be a simple celebration. They tried to take advantage of us. I merely responded in kind."
The words were light, almost casual, but my thoughts were already moving far ahead.
Because if we were going to become absolute in the Blue Spiral Galaxy, then power like that was something I intended to face, sooner or later.