"WILLIAM!!" x 2

The two voices rang out at exactly the same moment. The shout was so loud and so synchronized that even the Eternal Sovereign felt his soul tremble for a brief second.

<"Hahaha! This guy is finished. I already told you, Tammy, not to let the mating process delay things. Look where that got him now. Hahaha!">

[Fuck... stop pouring fuel on the fire.]

William’s concentration broke immediately.

He turned toward the two women who were walking straight toward him.

Completely unaware of what was going through their minds, he simply smiled at them as though nothing unusual had happened.

"Haha... now that the two of you have finally caught up with each other, come over here. I want to show you something."

His voice carried a hint of excitement. He was already thinking about the enormous tree standing behind him. Since both Seraphine and Tamasya were present, he had hoped they would help him come up with a fitting name for the new World Tree.

Instead of sharing his enthusiasm, both of them looked strangely upset.

Their expressions immediately made him pause.

Seraphine stepped forward first.

There was sadness in her eyes, mixed with hesitation, as she quietly asked,

"You... never told me there was a third one."

William blinked.

"Oh, no. This is the second one."

"What?"

Her eyes widened in complete disbelief.

William frowned in confusion.

"Wait a minute... I’m talking about the World Tree. Why are you so distressed about it?"

"World Tree?"

Seraphine repeated the words with a blank expression.

She clearly had no idea what he was talking about.

William simply raised a finger and pointed behind her.

Following the direction of his hand, Seraphine slowly turned around.

The moment her eyes landed on the colossal tree, she froze.

Towering high into the sky stood another World Tree.

Its immense trunk stretched upward like an ancient pillar supporting heaven itself, while countless luminous branches spread across the horizon. Every leaf shimmered with an ethereal radiance, and an indescribable life force flowed from it in gentle waves.

It looked remarkably similar to the sacred World Tree that stood within the Sylvaris Empire.

For several long moments, Seraphine simply stared.

The surprise that had been written all over her face gradually replaced the confusion that had filled her heart just moments ago.

She unconsciously glanced toward Tamasya.

Unlike herself, Tamasya’s attention was completely fixed on the World Tree.

Her expression was far more complicated.

No one present could hear the frantic voice echoing inside her mind.

<"Impossible!!">

Shadow’s cry was filled with genuine shock.

<"How can he grow a World Tree in a place like this? That shouldn’t even be possible!">

For the first time since meeting William, Shadow felt that everything she understood about him was beginning to crumble.

She had always believed she had a reasonable grasp of what kind of person he was and what his limits were.

Now those assumptions were being overturned one after another.

Tamasya swallowed nervously.

Hearing Shadow become this shaken was something she had never expected.

Shadow was normally calm, calculating, and difficult to surprise.

Yet now she sounded completely overwhelmed.

Tamasya had absolutely no idea what she should say.

The entire situation had become far too difficult to understand.

Meanwhile, William gently released Lia’s hand.

Orion had already completed his analysis, and there was no reason to continue holding her for the moment.

He decided to put those matters aside and slowly walked toward Seraphine.

She still stood motionless before the magnificent World Tree, unable to take her eyes away from it.

William quietly stepped behind her.

He leaned forward and softly kissed the back of her head.

Then his hands rested gently upon her shoulders.

"This tree is my creation," he said softly.

"I would like you to give this World Tree its name."

Seraphine slowly turned around.

The emotions that had burst out of her only moments earlier had already settled considerably.

The breathtaking sight of the World Tree had calmed her restless heart.

Now, as she looked into William’s eyes, countless emotions mixed together within her expression.

She slowly lifted both hands and gently cupped his face.

"When I saw you holding that girl’s hand..."

She hesitated.

"I don’t know..."

A faint smile of embarrassment appeared on her face.

"Maybe... I became a little jealous."

William stared at her for several quiet seconds.

Finally, he let out a slow breath.

"So that’s what those restless expressions were trying to tell me."

Seraphine looked at him nervously.

"Do you..."

Before she could finish speaking, William gently placed a finger against her lips.

"I don’t." He spoke calmly.

"I don’t want to explain myself."

Seraphine looked at him in surprise.

"If I start explaining every little thing, it would mean I don’t trust the faith you’ve placed in me."

He smiled gently.

"Of course, I won’t always be beyond questioning. I’m not someone who expects blind faith for everything I do."

"But right now..."

He held her gaze steadily. "I feel that explaining myself would only diminish the trust we’ve built together."

Seraphine quietly listened.

William continued in the same calm tone.

"People who love each other hold hands."

He smiled slightly.

"But not everyone who holds hands is in love."

[Hahaha! She’s so clueless. She’s practically like a child.]

William ignored the teasing voice.

Instead, he looked at both Seraphine and Tamasya.

"Whether it’s me, Tamasya, or Seraphine..."

"We’re all inexperienced when it comes to love."

"We’re bound to make mistakes."

"We’re bound to misunderstand each other."

"There will probably be moments where we behave like children."

He smiled warmly.

"But that’s alright."

"The important thing isn’t whether we’re perfect."

"The important thing is that we keep growing together."

As he finished speaking, William gently pulled Seraphine into his embrace.

She quietly rested against his chest.

Tamasya, who had been standing nearby, silently walked over as well.

Without saying a word, William extended his other arm and pulled her into the hug too.

Both women remained close to him.

William looked at the two of them with genuine contentment.

"See?"

A relaxed smile appeared on his face.

"It’s really not that bad."

Not far away, Rah and Lia silently watched the scene unfold.

Rah simply observed without interrupting.

Lia, however, remained completely still.

As she watched William embracing the two women, several painful memories surfaced inside her mind.

Every memory revolved around one person.

Maximus.

She remembered the warmth of his embrace.

She remembered his smile. She remembered the safety she had once felt by his side. A dull ache spread through her heart.

Longing slowly surfaced alongside it. Yet something else also resisted those emotions.

It was subtle.

Almost impossible to describe.

It felt as though another instinct buried deep inside her body was quietly rejecting those old feelings.

She could not understand why.

The contradiction only made her more confused.

After a few moments, William finally turned toward everyone and calmly explained everything that had happened with Lia.

He described the changes in her body, the strange transformation of her DNA, and the mysterious abilities she had awakened.

When he finished, Tamasya looked at Lia with obvious curiosity.

"So you’re saying her DNA has changed... and she’s awakened abilities similar to a Vyker’s?"

William nodded.

"That’s what Orion’s analysis suggests."

He folded his arms thoughtfully.

"Now I’m wondering whether we should let her meet Maximus."

His eyes shifted between Tamasya and Seraphine.

"What do you both think?"

"Yes."

"No."

The answers came at exactly the same time.

William blinked.

He slowly looked from one woman to the other.

Seraphine wanted Lia to leave.

Tamasya clearly opposed the idea.

The two women awkwardly looked at each other for a brief moment.

After a short silence, Tamasya spoke first.

"I don’t think we should rush this."

Her voice remained calm and practical.

"We still don’t understand what the genetic alteration has done to her brain."

"She may not even be thinking normally."

William quietly listened.

"She’s half Vyker now."

Tamasya glanced toward Rah.

"And trust me..."

"I’ve seen Rah terrify the souls out of his enemies."

"Vyker instincts aren’t something ordinary people can understand."

She looked back toward Lia.

"According to your analysis, she’s developed powers similar to theirs."

"We have no idea how much control she actually has."

"If she loses control, even unintentionally, innocent people could get hurt."

Tamasya slowly shook her head.

"I don’t think we should let her roam freely until we’re certain she’s stable."

"We shouldn’t take unnecessary risks."

William silently nodded.

Everything she said made perfect sense.

Then Seraphine quietly spoke.

Her voice was much softer.

"I know my opinion might sound unrealistic..."

She lowered her eyes slightly.

"But... I’ve lived as a slave."

Her expression gradually became more distant.

"I know what it feels like to be trapped."

"I know what it feels like to live without safety."

"Without hope."

She took a slow breath before continuing.

"Lia wasn’t simply another subject in Clayman’s experiments."

"She disappeared for a very long time."

"We don’t know what happened to her."

"We don’t know what she suffered."

Seraphine looked toward Lia with sympathy.

"If we force her to remain here..."

"In a place she doesn’t know..."

"Surrounded by strangers..."

"It would only become another prison."

Her voice remained calm throughout.

She understood very well how dangerous the situation could become.

She knew Tamasya’s concerns were completely reasonable.

Even so...

She couldn’t ignore what Lia must have endured.

The thought of making her continue living like a captive made Seraphine’s heart ache.

Finally, she slowly raised her head.

Only then did she notice both William and Tamasya staring at her.

Their expressions were filled with quiet surprise.

William looked toward Tamasya.

Tamasya looked back at him.

Without saying a single word, both of them understood exactly what Seraphine was trying to express.

She wasn’t ignoring the danger.

She simply didn’t want fear alone to decide another person’s fate.

A gentle smile appeared on William’s face.

Tamasya smiled as well.

Neither of them argued with her.

Instead, they simply appreciated the kindness that had guided her words.