Chapter 201: Those Who Know

"Not?"

"No, Your Majesty. I don’t believe you are afraid of us. Midvern, like Lucratis, has had influence over this region because of its military power. As a citizen of Demor, I know this very well." Lisbeth paused for a moment. When she saw the pleased smile on the Emperor’s face, she continued. "But there is something no amount of power has ever proven capable of stopping."

The man on the throne frowned.

"I’m sure you’ve heard what happened in Demor’s capital. The Impure are bolder and more eager than ever."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes and muttered,

"Everyone heard something about that... But when I was told that thousands of Transcendents had gone out to defend the civilians..." He raised his voice. "I dismissed it as a sick joke!"

He paused for a moment before continuing in a serious tone.

"Besides, it is well known that the Corrosion has never affected intelligent races. So why would it happen now? Everything about this sounds far too absurd to believe."

"But it happened. Perhaps the part about the Transcendents was exaggerated, as you said, but my people made sure there were no more casualties caused by it. I believe the same thing could happen in Midvern."

"If what you say is true, I can allow you to take control of Midvern’s religion, though the ancestors will not be pleased. Regardless, these are all speculations. There has been no sign indicating that the same thing will happen here."

But a shout and the screech of a door being thrown open interrupted their conversation.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It’s urgent!"

The Emperor did not look pleased by the interruption, but he calmed the informant down and allowed him to continue.

The man’s labored breathing was the only thing that could be heard.

When he finally steadied himself, he opened his mouth and spoke.

"Your Majesty... you won’t believe this. Lucratis... Lucratis has fallen."

...

Outside the meeting room in Azure...

Lumia looked worriedly at the door as it closed, leaving her outside. She then turned her gaze toward the person who had been left behind with her and glared at him.

Cassian smiled, deliberately trying to annoy her even further, then calmly walked over and sat down on one of the sofas in the "waiting room."

"I thought you were important in these matters." His mocking voice brought the princess back to reality.

Lumia frowned and clenched her hand into a fist. She was about to retort, but the arrival of Zakaer distracted her.

"Has it started?"

The princess nodded.

The man who had just arrived turned his gaze toward the other person present. He narrowed his eyes, smiled, and approached before sitting beside him.

Cassian nodded.

Neither of them said anything.

Lumia looked uncomfortably toward the two of them, lowered her head dejectedly, and went to sit down as well.

"I expected to see you at breakfast yesterday." Zakaer’s sudden voice broke the silence. "Where were you?"

Cassian turned his head toward him.

"Sleeping."

Coincidentally, he gave the same excuse Thalassa had given.

The young dragon raised an eyebrow suspiciously, before smiling and letting out a laugh.

"You really aren’t afraid of anything. I got that feeling from you at the banquet."

"You don’t seem afraid of anything either."

"Mmm, perhaps. You can’t live with fear."

Cassian let out a sly smile, gave Lumia a brief glance—she looked uncomfortable seeing the two of them talking—and then turned his attention back to Zakaer.

"You couldn’t get in either?" He pointed toward the door as he crossed his arms, his expression clearly displeased.

The young man with snow-white hair smiled faintly before answering.

"The sea race is very particular about whom they allow to listen to their ’discussions.’ Unless you are specifically required for something, it isn’t strange that they wouldn’t let you in."

Lumia nodded several times before adding,

"Yeah, they would let me in if Thalassa weren’t there. But with her and Mireya there, my father thinks they’re enough, so he won’t let me enter..."

"Ehh, then I suppose I’ll miss the show. What a waste of time..."

Cassian stood up and began heading back toward his room.

"Wait. I think we still have something to discuss." Zakaer, who had also risen from his seat, stopped him.

Lumia, meanwhile, grabbed his hand as if to stop him from wasting his energy. The young dragon covered the princess’s hand with his own and gave it a gentle squeeze, his gaze conveying reassurance. He then released her hand and looked seriously toward Cassian.

"I really need to charge Thalassa for this..." Cassian muttered inaudibly before gesturing for Zakaer to follow him.

When they reached the room that had been assigned to Cassian and entered, the young dragon couldn’t help but be surprised.

"Did they cheat me out of my room? Why did they give a better one to someone who just arrived?"

Adela noticed that her master had returned quickly and brought someone with him.

She immediately arranged a table with snacks and offered Zakaer something to drink, but he only frowned in confusion.

Cassian noticed his reaction and glanced at Adela.

"Bring us some alcohol instead."

Adela nodded and went to get it.

"This is Adela," Cassian introduced her. "She didn’t come to dinner the other day because she was busy with other things," he explained dismissively.

The golden-eyed man nodded uncertainly and took a seat while accepting a glass of alcohol from the maid.

"Thank you."

Adela nodded toward him and stepped away with professional composure.

"What did you want?" Cassian went straight to the point.

"From our conversation the other day, it seems you know more than an ordinary human should."

"Know? I suppose you could put it that way."

"My race has been trying to stop the madness that has been haunting this world for millennia. No..." Zakaer paused. "We believe it started even further back than that, although the Corrosion itself is more recent."

"Sounds like you have very noble reasons," Cassian remarked lazily.

But the young dragon shook his head.

"Not really. At first, we fell because of greed. It’s difficult, you know? Knowing that, in the past, the dragon race had hundreds, if not thousands, of practitioners at the level of what we now call gods. But now..." He paused. "It’s as if the world itself is running out."

"Well, it is an inferior world..." Cassian whispered, though his eyes darkened, concealing a far more terrifying reality.

"Inferior? Yes, I’ve heard that from my elders. That this world is inferior garbage and that it’s normal for us to be unable to keep advancing. But why wasn’t it like this before?"

Zakaer’s expression grew more serious.

"There were people in the past who broke the ’Final Limit.’ Once you break it, you can travel to another world. So it makes sense that a lower-level world wouldn’t have many people at a higher level. But none of my ancestors have been able to break through it. Some of them are as old as the time they’ve spent trapped at the level of a god..."

Silence.

Cassian had no intention of saying anything.

"It seems that nothing I say affects you or surprises you."

"Because you haven’t said anything new, have you?"

Zakaer shook his head.

"No. But that’s why I’m here. The dragon race understands very well that something is wrong, and you seem to know it too. You came here with Thalassa despite knowing that Azure is the Impure’s next target. Although calling them that doesn’t feel right."

"No, it really isn’t a name that suits them. Though some of them may deserve it. But there are all kinds of people, aren’t there?"