Planet Earth.
Alexander swiftly went back home after creating the Universal Accord Commission. He didn't really care much about what the Council members were thinking. He had tried to stop its progression, but humans were complicated.
Despite the dangers still in the universe, people felt safe. The threat of void creatures could only be found outside the borders of the Empire. And there were dedicated hunters out there cleaning up those monsters if they even got close.
So the question was: why not?
Why not expand from the confined spaces they found themselves in? Why not become as free as they possibly can? Why not claim the vast resources the universe had to offer? They had a dedicated guardian watching over them; the limit was only their imagination.
Those with power could no longer sit back and watch only a few people rule over everything. As such, plans were born, alliances and deals were made, and initiatives were taken.
However, Alexander had to step in and put a restriction on their actions. They now had to do things in a certain way, fearing Alexander's power. Fortunately for them, Alexander was benevolent enough to leave enough wiggle room.
For Lord Malcolm, things were proceeding nicely until he met the Starbane forces. Knowing his situation, the Valemont head played it safe. With the leeway Alexander created, he could push his plans forward.
Unfortunately for him and those with the same thinking, they had miscalculated something. For inexplicable reasons, the people closest to Alexander were more powerful than they should have been.
They didn't have to worry about Alexander standing in their way. But it seemed Alexander had played them for fools. While he appeared benevolent on the outside, he might be secretly empowering his people, granting them the strength to bully others.
It was a breach of trust and unacceptable.
How could a boy no older than twenty-seven years old have the power of an Immortal? Reaching the Venerable level was difficult in itself, as even reaching the A-Tier was an accomplishment.
As proof, the majority of Alexander's classmates were at the C-Tier, with the most talented ones being at the B-Tier. It was that difficult. Many did not have the talent to reach the A-Tier, much less break that wall.
Moreover, people weren't that benevolent with how they achieved the S-rank. Even if they were, how they achieved that level could be slightly different from another person's. Explanations from different sources always seemed to conflict with each other.
So how did Ross achieve that level when his classmates were still biting the dust? The explanation was right in front of their eyes — Alexander Gray. Malcolm could not accept the outcome, despite the clearly stated regulations.
His petition was a simple one, and he made sure everyone heard about it. Ross might have claimed the galactic cluster as per the rules, but did he do it with his own strength? He thought not.
Even the Arkheons of the Valemonts did not cover that much ground since they began laying their claim to the cluster. How was it possible for one person, a person who was still wet behind the ears, to do the impossible?
Regardless of how the redhead did it, another question rose that needed to be addressed. One could claim a territory, no problem. However, did they have the capability to manage it effectively?
Managing was not merely about giving instructions here and there. It entailed a lot and required a mental acuity not many possessed. How could a small force, barely capable of managing a star system, be capable of managing not a galaxy, but a galactic cluster?
It was a low move on the part of the Valemont family head, but people were beginning to see his point. Perhaps Alexander was doing exactly as Malcolm claimed. After all, people knew what vassals were, so it wasn't far-fetched. In fact, it might just be the case.
Naturally, some did not see it that way. Regardless, there was a call that Alexander was taking advantage of his powers to push his agenda of slowly taking the universe for himself. How true that was, they didn't know. But based on what they were seeing, it was possible.
After all, the Universal Accord Commission that was just created was meant to control the actions of the masses. Why wouldn't they think along those lines?
"What is that man talking about?" William complained with a frown, watching the broadcast news. "The Universal Accord Commission was just created, and he is already calling foul play."
The entire family was gathered in the living space. The old couple sat together, Sarah holding onto her husband's hand. She might not show it, but she was silently pissed at the people saying vile things against her son.
The new couple, Olivia and Shawn, also sat together on one sofa, paying attention to the circulating news and agreeing with William's take on the matter. As a new mother on leave, Olivia spent most of her time attending to Axel.
As such, she was dressed comfortably and at ease. This was home, where she felt the safest. Fortunately for her and her husband, caring for Axel was going great. They precisely understood the baby's needs and met them accordingly.
Moreover, as awakened beings themselves, they were tougher than the average person and could handle the stress that came with raising a child. But what made their job so much easier was that their parents, Alexander and Aaron, liked spending time with Axel.
"Hmph! He's just being a sore loser." Aaron snorted on the side. "Who goes around claiming that capability should be considered in claiming a territory? You worry about claiming first, and then your capabilities; not the other way around."
The young Gray sat back in his sofa with his arms sprawled on the headrest of the sofa. He was almost done with the academy, and there was barely anything he could learn from there that he couldn't learn from his big brother.
Standing behind his sofa was Alexander, who had baby Axel in his arms, not particularly focused on what the family was watching. The baby boy had a feeding bottle in his mouth, eagerly sucking on the teat of the bottle. With bright and curious eyes clued to Alexander's smiling face, the baby boy drank his milk.
Julia would have typically been by his side. However, the Knight princess went home for a bit, wanting to see what her father's moves were. She had been inspired by Ross to also help with the family plans.
Unlike Ross, however, the Knight family did not have such problems. They were already a powerful family, and their connection with Alexander made things extremely easy for them.
"What are you going to do about this, son?" William looked in Alexander's direction, prompting everyone to do the same.
"While Lord Valemont's actions come from a place of hurt, his actions are also pushing the agenda of the others," Alexander explained without taking his eyes off his nephew.
"What are you talking about?" Olivia asked with a slight frown. However, with a little bit of thought, Olivia deduced Alex's words. "Are you saying they're going to use this as an excuse for whatever plans they have?"
"Exactly." Alexander nodded, finally taking his eyes off baby Axel. With a glance at the holographic screen, he added. "I will be holding a meeting with the Council members in a few minutes to address this issue."
"Really?" Aaron sat up, turning to look at his brother. "Didn't we just meet yesterday?"
"This meeting will be online, so I won't be going anywhere."
Alexander turned his attention back to the baby when he wiggled a bit, trying to see what drew his uncle's attention. As a baby born with magical energy flowing through his system before he even awakened, he developed a lot differently from others.
"Can I join?" Aaron asked hopefully. Unfortunately for him, Alexander shook his head.
"Your brother is right, Aaron," William said, seeing Aaron's fallen expression and stepping in. "You're still at the academy. You shouldn't bother yourself with such matters. Focus on your growth first, and then worry about politics; not the other way around."
Aaron turned to his father, squinting his eyes at the old man. "I see what you did there, Dad. Using my own words against me, huh. Very smooth."
"What can I say?" William smirked victoriously. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"Haha." Aaron huffed and leaned back on his sofa, crossing his arms. "Real funny."
Sarah shook her head in amusement. She liked how the family dynamics always stayed lively. Glancing at her son, who seemed unbothered by what was happening, she realised she was worrying about nothing.
[Alexander, preparations are done.] Xex's voice softly echoed around, drawing everyone's attention. [The Council is ready for you.]
"Good." Alexander moved towards Olivia, passing the baby to her. "I'll be in the basement." The family nodded as Alex left the living space.
"Xex, can you stream what they will be discussing for us?" Aaron immediately asked as soon as Alex was out of sight.
[Of course.]
Xex agreed without hesitation. Swiftly, the screen changed from the news channel and projected the meeting screen with the faces of the Council members. The family immediately turned their attention to the screen, silently waiting for the meeting to begin.
Although William said all that, he was just as curious as his son. Also, they knew that if they were watching this, then Alexander gave his silent approval.
[Alright, let's get this over with.] Alexander's voice echoed from the speakers, signalling the start of the meeting. [Lord Malcolm, please present your petition to the house.]