"Two what? Can you repeat that?" asked Lucian, a wide grin stretching across his lips, in sharp contrast to his narrowed eyes and the tension rippling through his face.

"Oh, my sweet little Lucian… you really should clean out your ears from time to time. It'd do you some good, hehe~"

Ria went back to swinging gently, humming a mysterious tune that only she seemed to understand, as if her casual bombshell from moments earlier had never even happened.

Lucian, meanwhile, kept the exact same expression: a frozen smile, eyes still furrowed, not moving an inch.

Ria ignored him and kept swinging for about two and a half minutes, without so much as glancing his way.

But nothing changed. Whether from shock or simply unable to process what he'd just heard, Lucian remained perfectly still, his face unreadable.

Gradually, Ria slowed her swinging, her humming fading until it stopped completely. Finally, she cast a visibly irritated look at him.

"Grrrr… are you serious? You really didn't hear me? I said my babies are coming in two weeks!"

Lucian's brain short-circuited. He was trying desperately to piece his thoughts back together, but the shock was so intense it was almost comical.

This damn girl…

"Are you insulting me in your head, kid?" Ria said casually, as if reading him like an open book, still perched on her swing.

She can read minds now?

Sigh.

Lucian let out a long sigh, rose slowly from his swing, and without saying a word, turned his back on Malveria and started walking away… but he'd barely taken a few steps when her mischievous voice called after him.

"You don't look particularly surprised… Interesting~" she said, her smile full of intrigue.

Lucian's reply came without delay.

"Should I be?"

Ria's eyes flickered for a moment, and her grin widened at his sharp retort.

Hahaha… arrogance. I love his arrogance~

"Oh ho~ absolutely not, you're completely right. There's nothing to be worried about."

At that moment, Ria couldn't see Lucian's face, since he still had his back to her.

And that was probably for the best.

Because there was nothing regal about his expression… No, it wasn't the face of a sovereign, but that of a child who'd just discovered an incredibly exciting new toy.

A glint of fear mixed with uncontrollable euphoria, all sealed beneath a newfound resolve, firmer than ever.

Yet in his voice, none of it showed.

"I'll be going now," he said simply, before heading off toward his quarters.

As Lucian walked away, Ria rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

"How strange… I could've sworn that kid didn't have any mana. Was I mistaken?"

A wicked smile curled across her lips.

No matter… things might turn out to be even more interesting than I thought. I wasn't imagining it—he was smiling… hm, hm.

He's just as crazy as little Adrien… but in a completely different way.

And so, a quiet conversation about a potential end of the world came to an end.

---

Lucian, in his office.

"Shit… shit!"

What the hell is this mess?

Two months was already an almost impossible task, with my chances of success barely scraping fifty percent… and now she just drops that on me like it's nothing:

"Seems like they'll be coming sooner."

As if we'd simply moved up a casual tea party…

I don't even know where to start anymore. They won't let me do the things I'm actually good at, and meanwhile they're asking me to protect the whole damn world—when my own empire is already teetering on the brink…

But above all… why the hell can't I wipe this smile off my face?

Despite his frustration, Lucian couldn't erase the determined smile lingering on his lips.

I've still got a plan in mind… but that plan hinges on several external factors. If even one of them falls through… we're finished.

And even if all the pieces fall into place, our odds of success will still hover under ten percent…

So why the hell are you smiling, you bastard?

Lucian closed his eyes. A memory from his time back on Earth flickered through his mind.

"Now that I think about it… what were the odds of crushing Sumsung on the global mobile market…?"

Lucian's grin widened even further. This time, he added a gesture to go with it: his usual tic, giving a thumbs-down.

"It was practically impossible too, wasn't it?"

Come on… the harder it is, the more fun it gets.

That was the kind of man Lucian was. Yes… no one could ever reach the level of Earth's Xavier Lancaster unless they were at least half insane.

"From this moment on… every second counts."

The first step of my plan is to pay a very brief courtesy visit…

…to our dear main hero: Astrid Valessia.

As he was about to step out, Lucian froze in front of the door.

"Now that I think about it… was it that dream that warned me?"

What exactly was that? Throughout the entire journey, he'd felt a strange sensation lurking deep inside him…

But he quickly brushed aside those unnecessary thoughts. This was not the time.

"It must've just been a coincidence."

With those words, he hurriedly left the office.

---

The envoys of the Tenth Empire, numbering in the hundreds, were making their way toward the southwest of the Thirteenth Empire—a region that had now become their territory.

Traveling in about fifty official carriages of the Tenth Empire, they crossed through Lucian's realm on their way to that region. Along the route, they noted with some astonishment that the entire area was completely uninhabited.

The southwestern part of the Thirteenth Empire, after all, had escaped the sudden climate shifts that were affecting roughly a tenth of the imperial territory. Yet out of fear, the people had chosen to abandon the region, leaving behind vast tracts of empty land.

Of course, Boris Zand was well aware of the situation. The fallen cleric kept him regularly informed about the realities of the Thirteenth Empire. Still, it felt different seeing it all with his own eyes.

"Hmm… They actually gave up an entire region this vast, all because of a small zone prone to sudden climate changes?"

Slouched in his carriage seat, alone, Boris Zand stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.

No matter how I think about it… it's utterly absurd. Not knowing the full potential of one's lands is one thing—but lacking even the discernment to ensure your people's well-being… that's pure irresponsibility.

Adrian Voldreck was clearly no genius… nor was his son.

For reasons he couldn't fully explain, Zand had the persistent sense that Lucian was no ordinary young man. They'd spoken only two or three times, but for a seasoned businessman like Boris Zand, that was more than enough to gauge a person's potential.

Sigh.

"It's truly a shame… That such talent ended up in the Thirteenth Empire…"

Now that I think about it… the last Sword Goddess also came from that place. Why do the gods grant such favor to an empire with no future?

"Is it their way of balancing the scales between empires?"

A faint, sardonic smile tugged at his lips.

The foolishness of this empire is starting to rub off on me…

"Mr. Boris, I believe we're almost there," declared one of the knights escorting the carriages.

"Even if you hadn't said so, I would have figured it out myself," Boris replied calmly, his gaze still fixed on the window.

"My apologies, sir."

How could I possibly have missed that?

The crackle of thunder, the torrential rain, the fierce gusts of wind… The nighttime atmosphere was impossible to ignore.

The abandoned zone of the Thirteenth Empire now stretched before them, revealing its full, dismal splendor.

---

A man draped in a long black cloak stood in a spacious office, his face hidden beneath a hood.

He was inside the office of Duchess Selphia Voldreck.

And on the office sofas, Selphia and her brother Darius were locked in passionate kisses, as though the hooded man's presence were of no consequence.

Selphia's hand was resting on the lower part of Darius's body, while his fingers roamed over her chest.

The two siblings had been indulging in their forbidden pleasures for nearly half an hour before the hooded man's deep voice finally interrupted them.

"The Grand Masters have decreed that the time has come for Darius to undergo his initiation… to become one of us."

A fanatical smile spread across Darius's lips as he rose, pulling up his trousers.

"At last!" he exclaimed, his face alight with joy.

I'll become as powerful as they are… and this entire empire will be mine.

Selphia, too, wore a conspiratorial smile, lightly biting her lip.

"You were delicious today, my brother… It's a shame we have to stop now."

"Hahaha, my sister… Once I'm Emperor of this empire, we'll be able to do this as often as we like."

"Is that so?" Selphia murmured, a hint of regret in her voice.

"My sister?" Darius asked, puzzled.

"I mean… you're right. So make sure you perform well today," she said, beginning to dress herself.

The hooded man raised his hand. A violet doorway materialized in the air—identical to the one Darius had used to leave prison earlier.

"This way," he said, stepping through the portal first.

As the two siblings approached it, Darius asked:

"My sister… now that I think about it, you haven't taken any blood from that little girl since I came back. I'd almost forgotten."

Darius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial containing a single bead of blood.

"Mm… No, my brother. That will be part of your baptism into becoming one of us."

The blood of that girl? thought Darius, recalling the innocent face of the young child.

"But… where exactly are we going? To see the Grand Masters?"

A mischievous smile curved Selphia's lips.

"To the lair… of the Sword Gods."

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