CHAPTER 302: A WAR ON HORIZON

The room remained silent for a few more seconds before the Emperor finally spoke.

"All of you can relax. This is just an informal meeting I called."

With a wave of his hand, drinks and food materialized on the table.

Edgar was the first to respond.

"Thank you, Emperor."

He reached for a bottle of liquor—but just as his fingers grazed it, the bottle vanished.

His smile vanished just as quickly. Jaw tightening, he grabbed another bottle without a word.

The Emperor’s voice cut in again.

"You can sit too, Dante."

A hoarse whisper answered from the corner.

"I’d rather refrain, Emperor. My hips haven’t been working properly these days."

’Dante? So that was the presence I’d felt earlier.’

No one responded to that. Cassian and Arkas quietly poured themselves drinks and began sipping.

I sat stiffly between them, surrounded by old legends, not sure where to place my hands.

Then the Emperor turned to me.

"Billion. Here."

With a gesture, a small six-inch bottle appeared on the table, filled with a sky-blue liquid. He uncorked it, poured some water into a glass, then carefully added just two drops of the liquid. The color shimmered and deepened as the mix settled.

"This liquor is a gift I reserve for those who’ve done great service for the Empire. It’s rare—brewed from seven different grains, aged for decades."

He released the glass, and it floated smoothly across the table to me.

I caught it gently and replied,

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

He nodded, then leaned back slightly, glass in hand.

"Your friend Steve informed us about the details you gathered inside that realm. We’ve since managed to confirm parts of it ourselves."

He took a slow sip, eyes still locked onto mine.

"And I can see you’re knocking on the door of Grandmaster. Dante told us you’d reached Master rank, but to already be nearing the next threshold... that truly surprised me."

’Surprised? I didn’t see any trace of it.’

All eyes turned to me, save for Arkas, who just kept drinking quietly like none of this mattered.

I smiled awkwardly and replied, "I suppose it’s just my luck."

The Emperor nodded slightly and continued.

"Our world, Vaythos, was never truly strong," the Emperor began, his tone calm but clear. "The strongest person at the present here is me. And the highest rank we’ve ever reached... was Grandmaster. Not even the First Emperor managed to go beyond that."

I nodded. That much was common knowledge, something every citizen of the Empire grew up hearing.

"But it’s not like we never tried," he went on. "The previous Emperor did everything he could to raise someone who could push past that barrier. But he failed."

That caught me off guard. I’d never heard anything about the previous Emperor trying to nurture someone like that. There was no record, no tale. Whoever it was must have disappeared into obscurity.

"And just like him," the Emperor continued, "I tried too. First, I aimed to break through myself. When I failed, I turned to others—trained them, supported them, watched them rise. But again, I failed. Even your Commander Arkas tried. He gave everything."

I glanced at Arkas, who remained silent, sipping his liquor like none of it concerned him.

"But we didn’t stop trying," the Emperor said. "Because we understood what was at stake. The threats we face aren’t temporary. They won’t go away on their own. The only lasting solution... is someone who can surpass the Grandmaster rank."

With a flick of his hand, a glowing projection appeared over the center of the table.

Three planets hovered in the air, spinning slowly.

"You already know these three worlds," the Emperor said. "Vaythos, Peanu, and Sukra. The only three human-inhabited planets in this galaxy. And they’re neighbors."

I nodded slowly, studying the holograms.

"We’ve fought wars with Peanu before. Sukra acts as a buffer state, a diplomatic bridge that keeps things from boiling over. That’s the only reason we aren’t constantly at war."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"And when our own efforts failed, we began looking outward. Searching for another way to nurture someone strong enough to break the limits. That’s when we found the Ferans."

My expression hardened. I leaned forward slightly, listening more closely.

"The transformation method of the Ferans... it increases the chance of someone breaking through. It’s dangerous, but effective. So we began negotiations. Sent gifts. Edgar even traveled to one of their worlds himself. This project—this gamble—has been in motion for nearly seven years now."

Seven years? That stunned me. I had no idea so much had already happened in the background.

"And then," he said with a quiet smile, "just when we thought there was finally hope... you sent word that the Ferans were colluding with the Holts."

I winced a little.

’Oops.’

I took a sip of the drink he’d given me. The moment the liquid touched my throat, a chill surged down into my stomach. For a second, everything around me vanished. My senses exploded outward, expanding beyond the room, beyond the walls.

And then I saw him.

An old man sitting cross-legged and drinking straight from a bottle. His skin was wrinkled and thin, his white hair fell to his shoulders, and his back was hunched with age. He looked straight at me, surprised, eyes going wide.

And then—just as suddenly as it started—everything snapped back. My senses collapsed inward. The room returned.

Everyone was still seated, watching calmly. The Emperor raised an eyebrow, curiosity gleaming in his gaze.

I coughed awkwardly and gently set the glass back on the table.

The Emperor continued, as if nothing had happened.

"After your message reached us through Steve," the Emperor said, "we moved quickly. We launched an investigation... and we confirmed it....without a doubt. The Holts are working with the Ferans."

My jaw tightened. That alone was a big deal.

But then he continued, and things got worse.

"They’re not just working with the Holts," he said. "The Ferans are coordinating with Peanu and Sukra as well."

A cold pressure sank into my chest. That meant the entire triangle of human worlds, our only neighbors, was compromised.

"There are two Feran Grandmasters hiding on our world," the Emperor added. "Two more on Peanu. Two on Sukra."

I swallowed hard. Grandmasters?

"And in ten days," he went on, "an official delegation from the Ferans is scheduled to arrive. They’re already en route. And they’re only coming to our world."

He paused, letting the weight of those words settle in.

Then he gestured toward the floating bodies of Bruno and Grey beside the table and said, "The Ferans. The worlds of Peanu and Sukra. And the Holt family. All of them... are now established enemies of the Empire."

The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. I didn’t say a word.

The Emperor turned his gaze to Cassian.

"General Cassian believes we should strike first. Take the initiative—hit hard before they can rally together and crush us in a single blow."

His eyes shifted to Arkas.

"Arkas wants us to launch a full-scale invasion on Peanu. Burn through them first. Push the younger generation to escape, survive, and then prepare for the inevitable war with the Ferans."

He turned to Edgar.

"Edgar believes we should try diplomacy. Talk to the Ferans directly. Understand what they want from our world, and see if it can be resolved peacefully."

And finally, he looked somewhere off to the right, toward empty air. I remembered the voice. Dante.

"Dante," the Emperor said, "wants chaos. Assassinate high-ranking officials. Kidnap their heirs. Invite help from forces beyond our three worlds. And strike Sukra first, burn them down completely."

He brought his hands together, fingers steepled, and leaned slightly forward. His black eyes locked with mine.

"And now, Billion Ironhart... knowing everything you know from the realm, with all the information you’ve gathered and everything you’ve seen, what do you think is the right move?"