CHAPTER 216: CH 212 PREPARATION ARE COMPLETE - LAST-3

Kallus looked at the smiling Red Empress and said slowly, "I already did, so get over it. Why are you repeating yourself? I’ve heard that twice already. And what do you mean by ’what you meant’—can’t you just say why you let such a stupid structure be created in the first place? Anyway, I realized my mistake and corrected it, even if it was late. All that matters is that I realized and improved, right?" His face was losing its redness as he spoke.

"That you did," said the Red Empress, before adding, "Though it was actually a mistake on your part. At that time, your thoughts were still too inclined toward the perspective you had as a former citizen of Earth in your previous life. From that viewpoint, the decision you made wasn’t bad—it suited the mindset you still carried, even though you yourself had already changed in other ways. But, as you said, you realized and corrected what needed to be fixed, and that shows your growth and evolving perspective.

"That you did," said the Red Empress, before adding, "Though it was actually a mistake on your part. At that time, your thoughts were still too inclined toward the perspective you had as a former citizen of Earth in your previous life. From that viewpoint, the decision you made wasn’t bad—it suited the mindset you still carried, even though you yourself had already changed in other ways. But, as you said, you realized and corrected what needed to be fixed, and that shows your growth and evolving perspective.

"Still, it’s not that the previous you was wrong. There was a reason why you wanted to create such a body in the first place, right? After all, you could handle all these matters through the Imperial Command itself. But it’s imperative to have these three divisions functioning independently, without leaning on you for everything—especially the External Division, now that you’ve essentially lost the ability to use your authority directly."

"Hey it’s not as bad as you make it sound it is," Kallus said, rolling his eyebrow to show he didn’t agree with her words. "While it’s true I can’t use my authority the way I used to in the past, and there are some limitations, that’s only for a short period of time. I can still use it—just not for spying like I did before," he added with heavy disappointment.

In truth, he held a small grudge against the being that had restricted his authority—power he could have used to his advantage at this stage.

"Well, you know it’s for your own good, right?" said the Red Empress, noticing the look on his face that clearly showed his displeasure.

She didn’t stop there, continuing, "You were heavily dependent on your authority—and along with you, your subordinates were doing the same. The difference was, you relied on your authority, while your subordinate’s relied on you.

"But that wasn’t good for either you or them. As the Void Fleet grows in both number and power something that is bound to happen in future, such dependence would become a burden and lead to inefficiency. In your absence, it could even be disastrous for the Void Fleet and the empire you’ve built. An empire that, is yet to be created but you will create it eventually and with such heavy reliance and dependence, would become the perfect recipe for the collapse of everything you worked so hard to create.

And don’t say there won’t ever be a future where you’re restricted or cut off from the Void Empire—anything is possible."

"After all, there was a reason for such words of wisdom, she said as she phrased the quote: ’An empire that leans too heavily on a single pillar—even if that pillar is its own emperor—courts collapse the moment it cracks.’"

"Hey, that was a good quote. Where did you learn that from, hmm? Words of wisdom, you said, right?" Kallus remarked, raising his brows at the Red Empress with a faint smile.

She sighed in mild frustration, realizing he had seemingly ignored everything else she’d said, choosing instead to focus only on her quote—something she had come up with herself. "Don’t you dare ignore what I said, humph! And this ’words of wisdom’ is something I came up with after reading and studying the works of many great authors from Earth and other realities. I’m a fragment of creation, after all, and knowledge is something I naturally excel at."

Kallus scratched his head. "Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t ignoring that. It’s just... while I understand why that being did this, and that it was for my own good, I still remember what he was warning me about—a turbulent future. I just want to know how turbulent he meant. Something I could have learned quite easily with my authority... if only it hadn’t been locked."

He waved a hand dismissively. "But anyway, let’s forget about this for now. I understand your concerns and all. So—tell me, how much time do we have before the Grand Admirals are done with their preparations?"

The Red Empress simply shushed him for changing the topic entirely and replied, "About three hours at most—two at the least."

"About two to three hours," Kallus repeated, then suddenly rose from his seat. "Alright then... as soon as they’re done and all preparations are complete, have everyone ready for one last speech from me before we move out. I’ll make sure they’re fired up with confidence—and ready for what’s ahead."

"Okay," said the Red Empress. "I’ll have that arranged. It’s good you thought of this too."

"Right," Kallus replied, preparing to leave.

Seeing this, the Empress asked, "Where are you off to now that all the work you needed to go through is done?"

"Well, I’ll head into the universal dimension first to inform my father and mother about our moves. I also need to brief my father about the Imperial Council and its operations—that’s something I forgot to discuss with him earlier. After all, he had only recently broken through to the Genesis Law Realm and needed all the rest he could get... but now should be a good time to do it."

"And I’ve got two or three hours to spare, so I should get it done rather than waste time," he said seriously.

"Well, whatever you say," replied the Red Empress, though she added, "He might not be happy about that position, though..."

Kallus looked at her with a confused expression—or at least pretended to be confused, acting as if he had no idea what she was trying to say.

"Don’t pretend when you don’t know how to, Kallus," she said flatly. "You know exactly what I meant."

"Well, we won’t know if we don’t try, right? And it’s not like leading the Imperial Command is a restrictive position—not at all. He’ll understand, and he might even accept it. I’ve told him well enough what he needs to do. I know him well, and I won’t shy away or hesitate when I need his help. But for now, this is where I want him—to hold the fort for me," Kallus said, his voice serious, carrying emotions so well hidden that even the Empress didn’t notice them.

She simply nodded in understanding, letting him handle things as he wished. And with that, Kallus took his leave and departed from the Obliterator.

After he left, the Red Empress made her own exit as well, having her own work and tasks to attend to.

Just like that, two hours passed—during which Kallus had a bit of an argument with his father. His mother, Amelia, tried to calm things down, and with her intervention, they eventually reached an agreement that satisfied both father and son... well, not entirely for Kallus. He had no choice in the matter—the look his mother was giving him was enough to make him shiver.

That look told him that if he tried to push the argument any further, he’d be in for a thorough beating, and it wasn’t one he wanted to receive. So, he simply chickened out and agreed to his father’s demands under his mother’s watchful eye.

While he complied under the pressure of his mother, his dissatisfaction was clear—though he didn’t dare voice it. His father, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was positively beaming, his radiant smile carrying a smug edge as he looked at Kallus’s dark, sulking face, arms crossed in satisfaction. It was as if he were openly mocking him, gloating over his little victory.

That smirk practically said, "So what if you don’t agree? Do I need your permission? With your mother on my side, can you do anything she doesn’t want you to do? No—you can only chicken out even if you’re unhappy. That’s the perk of having a strong wife, little boy."

Meanwhile, outside, preparations had been completed by the seven Grand Admirals. Each of the seven battle fleets was ready to be deployed for the battle ahead. All that remained was Kallus’s speech—once delivered and given his final approval, they would depart from the Solar System and the Sol Region to carry out the missions assigned to each fleet.