Emperor's Reckoning

Ivy let out a chilling sigh, as she lightly muttered, "Pretty rare of her getting late over this event, considering that we are going to go to that place."

Porealus lightly laughed, "She might be over-excited last night and couldn't sleep."

Zet smiled an adolescent smile, "She travels a lot so who knows she might end up being stranded somewhere in the corner of the world."

"Her being stranded? If that ever happens, then the world is ending," said Ivy.

She had the tallest pillar of the three and her vanity sure showed as she looked over the two. There was not a hint of interest nor excitement behind that pale ice eyes of hers. 

"Has anyone heard about Treas?" said Porealus as he casually raised the topic whilst looking at his expensive spatial ring. 

The onlookers immediately furrowed their eyebrows as their eyes turned sharp and their hearing capabilities heightened. The entire scene suddenly turned silent and only the river of the pond was heard.. 

"I've heard they lost miserably, haha," Zet laughed.

Ivy shook her head without adding a comment. She knew that it was more complicated than that. She didn't show her worries but her thought was on it. (The spies that I sent, all came back with pale faces, Cecile was also on the opposing side, in fact, most of the family members were. Then the return of Noark, the true heir of the Treas's grand treasures).

"Ho, what is it Ice Queen, you seem to have something on your mind?" Porealus lightly said with a smirk on his end. 

She didn't answer the bait question and instead admit it with her silence.

"How cold," he smirked before shaking his head. He leaned back with his legs crossed.

"Their destruction was sudden and unpredictable. Who would have thought that they would lose the battle in that manner? I've heard from a report that their auction houses were destroyed thoroughly. Man, talk about brutal and not giving any face," said Porealus as he let out a sigh of disappointment.

His words only cemented the floating rumors to a fact. His opinion was highly valued by the commoners and even the experts. They would have thought that the rumors were exaggerating and the exact number was being hidden on purpose to create tension on the normal cultivators but it seemed unlikely. The three great families won't praise the other without a hint of sarcasm somewhere in their words. After all, the seat of ruling the entire Mortal World is coveted by many.

"It just to show that they didn't show any mercy and not playing games, haha," Zet laughed merrily.

Porealus shook his head, "Well, I never thought that they would be so stupid as to destroy their auction houses, they could have kept it and let it generate some income. I mean, the ties inside Treas are as thin as a strand of hair. They are nothing but business."

"Now you dare to mock them?" smirked Ivy Yuki.

"Why wouldn't I dare? They are already gone and become powerless, even their own family fight against that greedy old bone, heh, not like your family was having a good term with them," said Porealus.

"That's true but powerless? I doubt. She is still alive," commented Ivy before she raised her hand.

One of the women hovering in the air suddenly moved in and brought a cup of warm tea. The light evaporation from the tea showed a white hue of heat before Ivy looked at her own reflection on it. She lightly blew it with her breath before she took a sip.

"Ah, the Empress, I really want to meet her. I heard that she is as beautiful as she is strong. I wish to cross blade with her," muttered Zet.

Of course, everyone knew who 'she' referred to. Her prowess had brought attention that she didn't need across the Mortal World.

"Beautiful yes, but she is haughty. Not even once did she come for this meeting," said Porealus with a smile.

"Zet," called out Porealus suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Who do you think is more beautiful, the Ice Queen or her?"

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows before she let out a glare toward Porealus. However, the latter didn't pay any heed to it. He was looking at Zet with a smile.

"Miss Ivy is definitely better," one of the women hovering around said so before the rest nodded.

"Heh, like your opinions mattered at all," smirked Porealus.

"What did you say?!" the women turned hostile at the second before the Arunga side also let out their weapons.

The atmosphere suddenly caught the onlooker's words in their throats. The sudden tension was turning heavy as some of them began to produce cold sweat on their forehead. 

The two sides were glaring at each other before the swordsmen and swordswomen on Zet's side touch their hilt with their index and middle finger.

"Young master, Porealus of the Arunga family. Please refrain from trapping our young master for such difficult questions," said one of the swordsmen from Argonout's family.

Porealus raised both of his hands and showed his wrist under the sleeves as he closed his eyes in surrender, "Alright, alright, let's get back to the main topic."

Both sides refrained their glares.

"In regards to the destruction of Treas, I'm sure you both know a recent name has been popping up everywhere," said Porealus with a little grim in his eyes.

The atmosphere suddenly turned silent but the tension only grew higher.

Ivy gradually closed her eyes before looking at him with the narrow of her eyes as she sipped her tea. It appeared that she wanted to listen to what he was about to say next.

"Sorry, I'm late," the three of them had their eyes turned sharp in an instant before looking at a figure walking with her boots. 

Her purple lips smiled before she courted all of the attention.

"Yunesia!"

"The mage genius is here!"

The onlookers were excited from the toes up. She was walking casually forward but Ivy was furrowing her eyebrows.

(Where did she come from? I've not seen nor felt anything in the vicinity) thought Ivy as she looked around and used her eyes instead. There was not a hint of transportation either. The sky was only filled with those things that she knew.

Yunesia knelt before touching the plateau below with her palm. The pillar was erected and brought astounding awe from the people.

"I, I couldn't see the difference between her pillar and Ice Queen's pillar!"

"The same height!"

"Unbelievable."

Yunesia leaped before sitting on her seat. She had no backings behind her like the other three but her presence was powerful enough.

"Long time no see, big sister Yunesia!" greeted Zet as he looked up with a grin.

"Long time no see, little Zet, or should I say grown Zet? You have grown taller since I've seen you."

"Miss Yunesia, sorry to interrupt our reunion but we are currently discussing the matter about Treas's fall, your input is surely welcome!" greeted Porealus before he muttered, "Since you were there at the time."

"As always, you didn't beat around the bush didn't you, Porealus."

Ivy shook her head, "I never thought that you would ever side in a battle. Didn't you say that you would rather spend your time traveling than fighting?"

"Ah, I see, so you guys stopped pretending to not even having a spy there now?" smiled Yunesia as she brought out their shameless act.

However, who would in their right mind disdain them? They would only be wishing for death then. Perhaps only Yunesia was daring enough to make such a statement since she was one of the participants in the Summit of Geniuses.

"I do have fond of traveling but this one piqued my interest," she puckered up her purple intoxicating smile.

"This one?" Ivy furrowed her eyebrows.

"You might have heard of him, I mean, the fact that your spies are alive was because of his will," Yunesia smiled.

The three of them furrowed their eyebrows. They definitely who 'he' was referring to. The man had been the talk of the Mortal World in a single night.

*Rattle!

*Rattle!

The Argonauts family raised their eyebrows as they saw their sentient swords rattled out of their wills. Zet had his eyes turned sharp before he muttered, "What's wrong."

"Hahaha! You are slower than before!" laughter suddenly filled the wrenching atmosphere before a silhouette pierced through the thick clouds from below. Her auburn hair was stark to their eyes before the figure landed right on the center of the plateau.

The three geniuses suddenly sat at the edge of their seats as their eyes stared in disbelief, especially the Ice Queen. Her lips trembled as she accidentally dropped her tea.

"She?!"

"She is here!"

"Empress Cecile!!"

"Heh," She gave them a lazy look as she crossed her arms with a smirk on her face. 

(I see! So that's why) thought Zet as he excitedly looked at the symbol epitome of woman below him.

Cecile raised one of her eyebrows before looking at Zet clinging to his weapon as he invited her to fight with his gaze.