“...You’re back…”

  In the heart of the tus Empire, a rge, medium, and small figure, along with one exceptionally small person, stood oeleportation array square.

  Having already received the Demon Lord Zilliane’s promised support, and with little left to do in the demoory, they had decided to return.

  Of course, there was another reason for their decision.

  “Everyone, I’ve been waiting for you,” said Momo, dressed in a maid’s outfit, stepping forward to hand a letter to Misako and the others.

  “All the details are in this letter. You decide when to go.”

  The envelope was ed in high-quality material, and judging by the faint magical aura it emitted, it was likely crafted using magical engineering. The wax seal bore a finely detailed insignia, and when pared to the empire’s fg, it was identical.

  Misako opehe envelope and sed the letter inside.

  “…The Emperor of this Empire is quideed.”

  The letter revealed that the Emperor had learned about their iions and the assistahey had already secured, and he wished to ihem to the pace for a more thh discussion.

  To think, they had only retly received Zilliane’s promise—barely two days had passed—ahe Emperor had already sent a letter. sidering the time it took to write ahe letter, the Emperor must have known about them by yesterday at the test.

  “Perhaps Miss Lucciliaio?” Misako mused.

  Lucciliane was the sister of the tus Emperor, and sihe two could unicate, the Emperor likely learned of their as through her.

  However, they didn’t think Lucciliane was betraying them, as they had e to uand her character iime together. She was not someone who would engage in such as. Moreover, this worked in their favor.

  “The’s go see him.”

  ...

  The tus Empire's pace was situated in the ter of the capital. pared to the grand paces of other races—like the imposing Demon King’s castle or the majestic Elven halls—the imperial pace appeared rather modest.

  This was due to the i disparities between humans and other races, which reflected in their national strength. Although the human-led empire had achieved a certain level of promihanks to magical engineering, expanding the pad the capital would be too difficult in the short term.

  Another reason for the pace's modesty was the Emperor’s reluce to spend funds on such matters. Instead, he focused on national development. Both the current and previous emperors shared this philosophy, resulting in the Emperor enjoying great popurity among the people.

  “This is the first time we’re meeting like this,” said the handsome man sitting fortably in a luxurious chair, a smile on his face that could likely make tless women swoon.

  “You must be the Emperor? May I ask why you’ve called us here?” Misako inquired.

  “It’s nothing too important, just…” The man suddenly stood up, surprising the guards who were watg in stunned silence, and desded the stairs to stand before Misako and the others.

  “My name is Lucrux tus. My sister has spoken highly of you and... thank you for taking care of her.”

  Lucrux gave a slight bow before tinuing.

  “…Uh…o thank us?” Misako was caught off guard by the ued gratitude and the sudden shift in the Emperor’s demeanor—from a ruler to a brotherly figure.

  It seemed that nowadays, even the monarchs were a bit unusual—one posedly soft-spoken girl who went mad in battle, another was a little girl who acted as both a student and an idol, and now there was this person who seemed to have a bit of a sister plex.

  “Now the’s discuss the alliance,” Lucrux quickly switched back to his emperor persona.

  “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already secured itments from the Elves and the Demons. Though our tribution may be small in parison, the tus Empire is also willing to assist.”

  “This is certainly good news, but may I ask why?” Misako questioned.

  “You are the ones who exposed the vilinous as of that former baron, correct? Thanks to you, we obtained a great deal of information, which allowed us to up the corrupt elements within the Empire.”

  “The Empire advocates for peaceful coexistence among races, which is why I secretly unicate with the ‘Alliance of All Living Things’ and offer aid. Yoals align with what the Empire stands for.”

  In short, it was a reward for helping the Emperor rid the Empire of its rot, as well as a shared i in promoting peace.

  “…There’s another reason, isn’t there?” Misako, with her deep uanding of the mind, sehat Lucrux was hiding something.

  “…You are friends of Lucciliane.”

  ‘So he really is a sis!?’

  This was a matter of national importance, and the true reason the Emperor was willing to assist them was simply because they were friends with his sister!?

  “…Regardless, I must thank you for your willio offer assistance.” Misako said with a sigh.

  “Mm, the details be discussed when you’re ready,” Lucrux replied.

  The meeting ended quickly, with little more than a few exged words. Misako and her group left the pa less than half an hour.

  ...

  “...Shulker, you’re here, aren’t you?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  After the group departed, an elderly man with long white hair and a flowing beard stepped forward.

  “How did it go?” Lucrux asked.

  “To be ho, the intelligence regarding those individuals is accurate… but it’s only the tip of the iceberg,” the elder replied gravely.

  “How so?”

  “The green-haired child’s strength is indeed as reported by the Adventurer’s Guild—level six. But the other two…”

  Shulker’s expressioense.

  “The oh the small frame is slightly strohan me. But the other—the mature-looking one—is far beyond my power. No… far beyond my limits to tend with.”

  “Far beyond your limits? Impossible!” Lucrux excimed, his voice ced with disbelief. “Someorohan you, a tenth-tier sage?”

  Shulker, the most powerful known sage of the human race sihe great war over two decades ago, nodded solemnly. The war had cimed tless sages, leaving him as a peerless figure among humans. Yet now, even he seemed shaken.

  “I could pare myself to a small mountain, Your Majesty—a solid, immovable yet mediocre mountain. But that mature ohey are like a t mountain. No, more than that—a mountain as vast and unreachable as Mount Olympus itself.”

  “Mount Olympus?” Lucrux repeated, stunned. “A mountain so grand it spans aire ti… Legends cim that only gods have ever reached its peak. Are you saying this person is parable to such beings? Surely you exaggerate.”

  “I am not, Your Majesty,” Shulker replied firmly.

  “To enter someone of this magnitude… It would mean they are on par with even gods themselves,” Lucrux murmured. His thoughts turo the windows, the nds where only the kings of higher-tier species—beings of superior races—could possibly surpass sutities.

  “You mentiohree individuals,” Lucrux suddenly recalled. “But weren’t there four in total? What of the fourth?”

  Shulker hesitated. “…I…ot detect her,” he admitted, his voice tinged with unease.

  “What!?” Lucrux excimed, incredulous. “As the cellor of the Empire’s highest academy, and with your abilities, you should be able to sense everength of a peak tenth-tier existence!”

  Lucrux’s mind reeled, and a chilling realization dawned upon him.

  “If I were to stand at the base of that ‘mountain,’ no matter how much I ed my neck, I wouldn’t be able to see its peak nor its expahat’s how vast and overwhelming she is.”

  Shulker’s mind wandered back to that moment, to the overwhelming presehat made him feel utterly insignifit. The memory, though fleeting and almost illusory, humbled him to his very core. He had no choice but to kneel, in awe and surrender.

  “I’ve only entered this kind of situation twi my life,” Shulker said quietly. “Both times, Your Majesty, you were aware of. But today, I’ve entered it once again.”

  “That girl…” Lucrux said, his voice barely above a whisper. “She is likely aen par with them.”