Chapter 1003: Alternate Timeline: The Nexus Exposition (4)

Once again, glowing letters formed before him instead of words.

"There is a reason the ancients say even walls possess ears. One careless word can become a blade in another person’s hand. There is no need to risk anything unless the situation becomes desperate."

Kiara stared at him for several seconds.

Honestly...

The cautious attitude felt incredibly strange coming from Wester Silver.

This was the same man who once charged into problems headfirst like a wild beast swinging swords before thoughts.

Yet now...

He behaved like someone who had finally learned what caution truly meant.

Perhaps prison, betrayal, and survival had changed him far more deeply than Kiara originally expected.

In the end, she simply shrugged and walked toward the shuttered entrance before opening it herself.

Warm sunlight immediately spilled into the store.

Outside, the streets remained lively with morning activity while distant carriage sounds echoed through the Imperial City.

Kiara quietly waited.

Soon enough...

Zion appeared in the distance while escorting two figures toward the store.

The first was naturally Ares Frost.

The second...

Was a child, dressed in royal robes.

Kiara’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Since when are minors allowed to become kings in this world? In the Phoenix Empire, children are not even qualified to hold proper official positions."

Her gaze instinctively shifted toward the holographic system screen displaying information about the boy.

The more she read...

The brighter her eyes became.

"No proper age..."

"No parents..."

"Not even first in succession..."

"And yet he became king?"

"A puppet king?"

That reminded her of Icarus Veyne, too. He wanted his nephew to sit on the throne, when they reclaim their land.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

A faint trace of satisfaction appeared deep within Kiara’s eyes.

"So Ares Frost truly holds the real authority behind the throne. That makes things easier for me."

Much easier.

The chances of carrying out her future plans quietly increased severalfold.

By the time the visitors reached the entrance, Kiara had already concealed her thoughts beneath a polite smile.

She placed her hand on her chest and bowed gracefully, "Greetings, King Phaethon Solaris. Welcome to Nexus Weapon Store."

Then she turned slightly toward Ares Frost.

"It has been a while, Lord Ares."

"Likewise, Lady Kiara."

Ares Frost maintained perfect formality while speaking.

Not even the slightest crack appeared in his expression despite their hidden family connection.

Meanwhile, the child king smiled openly.

"I have heard many things about you from Grandpa Ares, Miss Kiara."

"He wasn’t exaggerating about your beauty at all. Of course, your so-called firearms are more fascinating for me. I tried all of them and my favorite was that thing rifle we can shoot from far away."

Kiara nodded lightly. "Thank you." Inwardly, she thought, ’This boy does know what to say. Was he told to say those words, or did he come up with them on his own?’

Then she glanced toward Ares Frost.

"Did you not mention three companions earlier? There seems to be four of you."

Before the legendary expert could respond, Phaethon Solaris answered first.

"It is my adopted sister and our general who accompanied us. My sister does not care much about firearms. She merely came for sightseeing."

The moment Kiara realized the girl held no strategic value for her current objective, her interest disappeared almost instantly.

"Please, follow me upstairs."

As they walked deeper into the store, Phaethon Solaris quietly observed everything around him with visible curiosity.

The spacious interior.

The polished floors.

The refined furniture.

The cool air that was flowing through the building.

Outside, the weather carried the warmth of late morning sunlight.

Inside...

The temperature felt refreshingly cool.

To someone like Ares Frost, such environmental changes meant nothing. Whether it is 50 degrees Celcius or minus 20, there is practically no difference.

But Phaethon Solaris was only a low-star Spirit Warrior.

His body still reacted naturally to heat and cold.

Thus, the comfortable atmosphere inside the store genuinely impressed him more than the exposition tents outside.

Along the way, they passed Wester Silver.

The Black Knight rose calmly from his seat and greeted them with a bow before returning silently to his newspaper.

Kiara casually explained.

"He is a guard hired for my fiancé."

Neither Ares Frost nor Phaethon Solaris could sense Wester Silver’s cultivation because of the absolute suppression inside the store.

Thus, they simply continued walking toward the staircase.

Soon, everyone reached the first-floor residence and settled into the living room.

Kiara gestured toward the nearby butler robot.

"R-114, prepare tea for our guests."

"As you wish, Master."

The robot bowed elegantly before heading toward the kitchen.

The metallic footsteps echoed softly across the floor before fading away.

Once the silence had settled again, Kiara leaned slightly forward and finally opened the real conversation.

"Before I explain why I invited you here privately... There is something I wish to ask first, King Phaethon."

Her gaze remained fixed upon the child king.

"What do you truly think about firearms? I wish to know honestly... Do you believe firearms and explosives suit your kingdom’s military?"

Ares Frost remained silent deliberately.

He wanted the young king to answer personally.

Phaethon Solaris also did not rush immediately. Instead, he lowered his eyes briefly as though organizing his thoughts carefully.

Then he finally answered.

"If I speak honestly as a king... I believe firearms are too dangerous to exist."

Kiara remained expressionless.

Meanwhile, the child king continued calmly.

"A sword requires strength."

"A bow requires training."

"A Spirit Warrior requires years of discipline."

"But a firearm..."

He slowly raised his hand as if illustrating something invisible.

"A firearm places death into the hands of a frustrated weakling. A helpless person should have defensive protection. He shouldn’t have the protection in the form of an offensive weapon..."

"When angry civilians obtain such power, they stop believing in law."

"They stop waiting for justice and begin deciding justice themselves."

His voice remained calm.

Yet every word carried surprising maturity, and he even began to use examples to state his point.

"A kingdom is like a dam holding back a violent river. If tiny cracks appear everywhere at once, eventually the entire structure collapses. These weapons can create such cracks."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"And those large machines displayed outside... If someone without proper authority obtains them... Even an insignificant man may suddenly believe himself worthy of rebellion."

Kiara silently observed him.

For a moment, she honestly forgot she was speaking with a twelve-year-old child.

Meanwhile, Phaethon Solaris finally relaxed slightly while speaking more personally.

"Still... I like the M99 weapon. The ability to eliminate enemies from over a kilometer away is extraordinary."

"But after arriving here... I realized your stronger weapons possess even greater range."

"The Tigon... 5A I think... it impressed me the most."

"I would like hidden royal guards equipped with them."

Then his gaze shifted slightly toward the displayed warship blueprint nearby.

"And that destroyer... It is something Solaria truly requires for naval defense. Our primary targets will likely be the destroyer and the Tigon-5A. Of course, we will also bid for the PzH 2000."

A bitter smile appeared on his young face.

"Though I doubt our chances are high."

Kiara remained silent for several moments afterward.

Honestly...

She did not know whether the child king had prepared this response beforehand or spoke entirely on instinct.

Either way...

The intelligence behind those answers was undeniable.

Although she disliked hearing that Solaria would never permit public firearm sales, Kiara carefully maintained calmness outwardly.

"Thank you for speaking honestly."

After that...

An awkward silence briefly settled over the room.

The tea had not even arrived yet. Yet the primary discussion already felt finished.

Even Phaethon Solaris looked slightly uncomfortable after effectively rejecting large-scale firearm expansion inside his kingdom.

Fortunately, Ares Frost smoothly shifted the topic elsewhere.

"Miss Kiara, I believe you know about the Fire Seed, right? The Imperial Family must have informed you about it."

Kiara immediately understood. "So you have heard as well."

Ares Frost nodded slowly. "According to our calculations, the elemental seed should already have been born by now. But nothing has appeared yet."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Hence, I suspect there may be more than one."

Kiara’s expression changed slightly. "Twin elemental seeds?"

"Either that... Or a stronger variant." Even Ares Frost himself did not sound completely certain.

Still...

His next words caused the atmosphere inside the room to grow heavier.

"Regardless of which possibility becomes reality... Alexander Phoenix should prepare himself carefully. Not only must he suppress the inevitable chaos caused by powerful Spirit Warriors fighting over the seed..."

"He must also remain wary of invasion from the Beast Empire."

"Beast Empire?"