"I-I’M truly sorry for summoning you that way, Your Imperial Majesty..."

"It’s alright," Nero said to the shaking Dahlia, who was standing in front of him. "You said the Silver Foxes wanted to meet me, right?"

"Yes, sire," Dahlia answered politely, bowing her head. "The leader, Louran Crevan, wishes to speak with Your Imperial Majesty."

"Have the Silver Foxes calmed down? I don’t want to accidentally kill them if they suddenly attack me."

Dahlia immediately raised her head. "T-They have calmed down, sire. So p-please. Please don’t resort to violence. Please talk it out. Please."

Just how many ’pleases’ were there?

Haaah.

"I was just joking," Nero said bluntly. "I don’t know why you think I’d kill Neoma’s precious guests. Those Silver Foxes are related to Lewis Crevan, and Lewis Crevan belongs to my dear twin sister. Neoma will get mad if I touch those foxes. So, I don’t understand why you’d think I was being serious."

Dahlia only gulped and bowed her head again.

"Sire, you really don’t know why Miss Dahlia took your "joke" seriously?" Melvin Luchessi, who was standing behind Nero, whispered. "You have a very dark humor. It also doesn’t help that you have a record of going on a killing spree more than once—"

"Shut up, Melvin."

"Yes, sire."

Nero glanced at Dahlia, and he caught her nodding as if agreeing with everything that Melvin Luchessi had said.

Tsk.

He pretended not to see that, and then he started walking towards the door.

Sanford Devon and Raku opened the heavy, double doors for him.

Alucard Dionisio, on the other hand, announced her arrival.

When Nero entered the room, the Silver Foxes were already standing.

The parlor room was spacious, but with more than huge Silver Foxes in there, it suddenly looked and felt cramped.

They look different from Lewis.

Neoma’s pet— er, son was tall, just like his fellow Silver Foxes.

But Lewis is kind of on the lean side?

The Silver Foxes there were huge, even the women.

"de Moonasterio..."

Nero could hear the low growls from the Silver Foxes.

It was obvious that the foxes were holding back from attacking him.

Do I have to deal with all of them?

"You must be Louran Crevan," Nero said to the huge, middle-aged man standing at the very front, the other Silver Foxes standing one step behind him. You seem to be the leader, so I only need to talk to you. The others can scram."

The growls got louder.

It seemed like Nero’s knights couldn’t endure the foxes’ disrespect towards him.

After all, Sanford Devon and Raku— the two main fighters— stepped in front of him protectively.

"It’s alright."

As soon as Nero said that, Sanford Devon and Raku immediately fell back and returned to their positions— the positions being behind him.

He then looked at the foxes in front of him, and each was still showing hostility.

"I thought only wolves move in packs. I wasn’t aware that even foxes did that," Nero said sarcastically, earning louder growls from the Silver Foxes. "I wouldn’t know because I only knew one Silver Fox, and Lewis Crevan had been alone all his life."

At the mention of Lewis Crevan, the Silver Foxes suddenly fell silent.

Ah, it worked.

"As you already know, Lewis Crevan was the lone survivor of the purge that made your clan go extinct."

The foxes growled again when Nero mentioned the purge— the purge that his grandfather committed.

Yes, it happened a long time ago, but it didn’t happen in the Ancient Period.

Hence, the foxes’ reactions were completely normal.

Especially since they were frozen for years— everything was literally just yesterday for them.

But Nero didn’t care about the foxes’ feelings, and that was why he brought up a sensitive topic without a care in the world.

Moreover, I’m only speaking the truth.

"Lewis Crevan knew that it was my grandfather who wiped out his clan."

Louran Crevan’s face distorted in anger. "Why are you—"

"Lewis Crevan knew all of that, and yet he swore his loyalty to my dear twin sister— a de Moonasterio," Nero said, cutting off the old fox. "It’s not because Lewis Crevan has no self-respect, but because he knows that blaming the de Moonasterios, who weren’t even born at the time, was a stupid thing to do."

Some of the Silver Foxes with a conscience flinched at his words.

"Ah, but you can totally curse at my father," Nero added. "He was already alive during the purging of the Silver Foxes. But don’t be too hard on him. Father was one of the people who stopped the purging."

But Father only used that opportunity to seize the throne from my grandfather.

"Why are you the one who keeps talking?" Louran Crevan said. "I asked the young Black Witch to summon you because we have something to say, but you’re not giving us a chance to speak."

Nero sneered at the old fox. "Who are you to summon me? I came here not to listen to whatever you want to say, but to give you a piece of my mind."

Louran Crevan and the other foxes looked shocked by his arrogance.

But he didn’t care.

"Right now, the world is about to be covered in Absolute Darkness once again."

As expected, the Silver Foxes were shocked by his revelation.

They’re foxes, but they’re still humans— and all humans are wired to fear Darkness, especially the Absolute Darkness that almost ended the world during the Ancient Period.

"The Imperial Family and our allies are doing our best to stop the Absolute Darkness. My dear twin sister is even set to fight a war with Helstor, the God of Eternal Darkness, to save the world."

Finally, the Silver Foxes seemed ready to talk properly.

"We’re recruiting as many forces as we can to help us fight Helstor and stop the Absolute Darkness from ending our world. Hence, I’m really busy right now. I’m not saying that prioritizing your personal feelings is wrong, but I really don’t have the time to listen to you curse at the Imperial Family and me," Nero said, his tone a bit more polite now. "However, if you’re willing to set aside your feelings and talk to me properly regarding the most pressing matter at the moment, then I will lend you an ear."

Louran Crevan clenched his jaw, and then he nodded— politely, not curtly. "Then we’d like to have a proper conversation with you... sire."

***

HANNA QUINZEL fainted after getting rid of the Darkness that the fake minor god released.

Nikolai caught his niece in time before she hit the ground.

And then he used his divine power to completely crush the red eye until it vanished, not even leaving a single trace.

He wasn’t a god slayer, so that shouldn’t be possible.

It just goes to show that it’s really a fake minor god.

"My love, is Hanna hurt?" Mona, who was holding Mochi in her arms while the Wind Spirit was surrounded by some rose-gold light, asked as soon as Nikolai stepped out of the room with the unconscious Hanna Quinzel in his arms. "Was it the artificial minor god?"

"No and no," Nikolai answered, just glancing at William before completely ignoring the Grand Spirit to focus on his wife. "Hanna Quinzel wasn’t hurt. She was attacked by the fake minor god, but she did well purifying it. But she used a new skill for the first time, so it drained her Mana fast. She should be fine after a little rest."

His wife looked relieved.

"Mona."

"Hmm?"

"I’ll say something as the former emperor and not as Nero’s father."

"Alright. What is it?"

"Not making Hanna Quinzel the next empress is a huge mistake that Nero committed as the new emperor," Nikolai said while looking at Hanna Quinzel. "This child will play a big role on stopping the Absolute Darkness."

"What kind of skill did Hanna create this time?" Mona asked carefully. "The Darkness that I felt earlier was different than normal."

"Apparently, the Darkness was mixed with Malice."

William, who had been listening quietly, suddenly let out a soft gasp. "Malice..."

Ah, he knows about it.

Great.

"My love, can you take care of Hanna Quinzel?" Nikolai asked, his brain already working fast. "I need to talk to Rufus Quinzel."

***

"NOONA!"

"Unnie!"

Aww.

Neoma smiled when Skylus and Monik ran towards her, and then the kids hugged her legs.

It was a heartbreaking moment because she realized that she had grown taller once again.

Please.

I don’t want to get taller than I already am!

"Noona, we’re going with you!"

Huh?

Neoma snapped out of it because of what Skylus had said.

"Me, too, Unnie!" Monik said excitedly. "I’ll go with Unnie, too!"

Aigoo.

These kids already know... ah, right— they have the gift to see the future.

Neoma’s heart broke into pieces, for real this time.

So, it’s inevitable for them to join the war.

"Uhm, Princess Neoma, what are the kids saying?"

Neoma lifted her head and met Uncle Glenn’s confused gaze.

Yes, it was the king of Hazelden who brought Skylus and Monik there.

"Skylus and Monik asked me to bring them here as soon as they woke up this morning, Princess Neoma," Uncle Glenn explained nervously. It was obvious that he could already tell that something big was happening— and it involved his very young children. "And my children keep saying that they’ll go with you. But to where, Your Royal Highness?"

"I’m sorry, Uncle Glenn," Neoma said, smiling apologetically at the king. "It seems like I’ll be forced to bring the kids with me to the Upper World."

***

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