Chapter 1004: Alternate Timeline: The Nexus Exposition (5)

Sometime later, the atmosphere inside the first-floor residence gradually loosened from stiff business discussion into something more casual, although the undercurrent of caution never truly disappeared because every person seated in that room carried either authority, secrets, or ambitions that were quite heavy enough.

At that moment, Phaethon Solaris was in the middle of narrating one of his journeys to the Dragon Empire, the colossal power that existed on the opposite side of the world beyond the Xynnar Continent.

The Dragon Empire truly deserved its terrifying reputation.

It was the strongest empire in the known world.

The largest.

The wealthiest.

A dynasty that ruled 80 million square kilometers of land without any resistance for four thousand years.

Naturally, such a place could fascinate anyone.

Anyone except Kiara.

Because while Phaethon Solaris spoke about culture, military discipline, spirit beasts, and architecture, Kiara’s thoughts only circled around one thing.

"Can I expand my business there or not?"

That alone mattered.

Everything else was decoration.

As the child king lifted the teacup toward his lips and took a slow sip, his eyes suddenly widened slightly in visible surprise before his gaze shifted toward the nearby butler robot standing silently beside the wall.

"Miss Kiara..."

He looked genuinely fascinated.

"I have seen many kinds of puppets throughout my life..."

"Battle puppets, servant puppets, mechanical constructs from ancient ruins, even spirit-infused dolls used by craftsmen from the western islands..."

"But your puppets are very unique."

Kiara immediately smiled faintly.

"Well, I prefer calling them robots. After all, they aren’t the product of magic."

Even though she had not personally created them, praise directed toward them still produced a strangely satisfying feeling inside her chest.

Still, she deliberately maintained modesty.

"They may appear impressive on the surface... But every creation has weaknesses."

Phaethon Solaris slowly nodded while continuing to observe the robot carefully.

Then, after several moments of silence, he suddenly asked something that caused Kiara’s brows to twitch slightly.

"But I suppose you are not interested in selling them?"

A faint glimmer of suspicion lingered within the child king’s eyes.

"I mean... You displayed weapons openly outside but not these robots."

"Hm?"

Kiara blinked once.

Then realization struck her.

Right.

She had completely forgotten about them because the robots had become so commonplace inside the store that she unconsciously treated them like ordinary furniture.

For half a second, her expression nearly stiffened.

Fortunately, she recovered immediately.

"Well... They cannot exactly be categorized under..."

She suddenly stopped speaking midway.

Her gaze shifted instinctively toward the corridor.

The bedroom door had opened.

And in the next moment...

Arceus Silver stepped out alongside Noah.

For a brief instant, even the conversation inside the room silently froze.

Kiara’s eyes unconsciously lingered upon Arceus.

Not because of expensive accessories.

Not because of luxurious fabric.

But because of the hair.

In this world, hairstyles rarely evolved beyond a few traditional patterns, especially for the nobles. Some of them tie their hair like ponytails, some tie it like a bun instead, while some just freely let it go, but it is common that nobles would usually keep long hair, like the women. For someone like Kiara, they are either too boring and dull or too gross to even look at. Only the warriors would cut their hair short, out of practicality as long hair would come in the way of battles.

Yet now...

Noah had transformed Arceus, creating an appearance that somehow felt both fresh and strangely gentle.

His long dark hair was cut short. It fell in soft, slightly messy waves around his face, still carrying that effortless elegance that made him look both noble and untouchable at the same time.

The white coat draped over his shoulders was embroidered with thin golden patterns that shimmered under the light, while the black vest beneath it sharpened his lean figure and made the gold chains hanging across his chest stand out even more.

He looked approachable.

Warm.

Like the kind of person someone could accidentally fall in love with after meeting every morning beneath the same rooftop.

And for reasons Kiara herself did not fully understand...

Her heartbeat stumbled briefly.

Even during their engagement ceremony, when Arceus had been dressed magnificently like a noble heir, she had remained emotionally unmoved.

Yet now...

Watching him casually walk forward while adjusting his sleeves...

Something inside her chest reacted.

Was it because of the changed hairstyle?

Or because her feelings themselves had slowly changed over time without her noticing?

Kiara genuinely did not know.

Fortunately, Noah’s own appearance has taken much of that aura from Arceus.

By the time the two entered the living room fully, Kiara had already regained composure.

She immediately rose to her feet.

Introductions followed naturally.

Meanwhile, Ares Frost quietly observed Arceus Silver with subtle surprise hidden deep beneath his calm expression.

He had not known Kiara was engaged. And Solaris was too far away from Phoenix Empire to know about the developments that happened there.

And now...

A thought quietly surfaced within his mind.

"If this is her fiancé... then he will inevitably become involved in her future plans as well."

The thought lingered heavily for a moment.

Then another followed immediately afterward.

"But... Does he know the truth behind Kiara’s birth?"

Ares Frost silently wondered.

Soon afterward, everyone departed together toward the Nexus Training Grounds.

Outside, the morning had already grown brighter while streams of nobles, merchants, attendants, and spirit beasts filled nearby streets with constant movement and noise.

At the registration table near the entrance, Serestia continued accompanying Alucard while the latter calmly registered incoming guests one after another with practiced efficiency.

The moment Serestia noticed Kiara approaching, she immediately brightened.

Likewise, Alucard rose respectfully.

The three guests from Solaria naturally greeted Kiara as well.

Just like nearly everyone else earlier, Serestia was also visibly surprised to see a child king wearing a royal attire with the inscriptions of the red sun. Alucard couldn’t help but look at him with envy after learning it from Serestia. This boy is younger than him and yet already a king. The difference in their background is too large.

Still...

He didn’t dare to show it on his face, as Alucard knew his position more than anyone.

Meanwhile, everyone directly proceeded toward the auction hall.

Since Phaethon Solaris had already completed the weapon tour earlier, there was no need to waste additional time.

As Kiara calmly escorted them through the hallways, her eyes briefly swept across the registration records.

Thirty-two names.

Yet strangely...

Only three tables inside the auction hall were currently occupied.

Which meant most guests were still wandering through the weapon exhibition sections outside.

Reasonable enough.

The giant war machines attracted attention far more effectively than chairs and auction tables anyway.

However, while Kiara remained calm...

Phaethon Solaris suddenly stopped walking.

Then his expression darkened instantly.

"General Harriot."

The child king’s voice rang sharply across the auction hall.

The sudden coldness within that tone caused nearby conversations to halt almost immediately.

Kiara turned slightly.

Others also looked over in confusion.

Meanwhile, General Harriot, who had been speaking with a wealthy merchant nearby, felt cold sweat form along his back the moment he heard that voice.

He immediately stood upright.

"Your Majesty?"

"Where is Sister Zoa?"

The question arrived like a blade.

Harriot’s expression stiffened immediately.

Taking a careful breath, he answered respectfully, "Your Majesty... Princess Zoa left earlier alongside Lady Syllia Wolf."

"Syllia Wolf?" Kiara frowned faintly. The name sounded familiar.

Beside her, Arceus gently touched her shoulder before speaking quietly. "She is the third daughter of Hildegard Wolf."

A trace of surprise appeared upon his face.

"So House Wolf truly sent important representatives. It seems they are taking this auction seriously."

"Ah..."

Kiara finally remembered.

"She is the woman from the Second Prince’s camp. The one with a crush on him..."

Meanwhile, Phaethon Solaris had grown visibly angrier.

"Then why are you standing here? You were assigned to protect her."

Harriot instinctively tried to defend himself.

"Yes, but..."

That hesitation only worsened matters.

Before the atmosphere escalated further, Ares Frost stepped forward.

His body blurred.

In less than a second, he appeared directly before Harriot.

The general subconsciously stepped backward from sheer instinct.

Ares Frost’s hand landed firmly upon his shoulder.

"Harriot, where is she?"

The general swallowed nervously.

"The facility two blocks away..."

Then, glancing around awkwardly, he leaned closer before lowering his voice.

"It is the public restroom. Princess Zoa was too embarrassed to let me accompany her... And too afraid to go alone."

"Ah."

Understanding immediately appeared within Ares Frost’s eyes.

Without embarrassing the princess publicly, he returned and quietly explained the matter to Phaethon Solaris.

From Harriot’s perspective, his hesitation had been understandable.

After all, noble ladies valued dignity deeply.

Especially someone of Zoa’s status.

However...

Phaethon Solaris clearly did not intend to overlook the mistake so easily.

He gestured coldly.

"Come here."

Harriot approached immediately.

The child king stared directly into his eyes.

"Tell me, General Harriot. What duty was assigned to you?"

"To protect Princess Zoa."

The answer emerged without hesitation.

"And what are you doing right now?"

Harriot’s breathing grew heavier.

Deep down...

He already understood the truth.

Perhaps somewhere within his subconscious, resentment toward Zoa’s late father had caused him to lower his guard carelessly.

Perhaps he had unconsciously become less attentive.

And that realization itself made defending his actions impossible.

Finally, he lowered his head completely.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I should have followed discreetly from a distance and continued monitoring her safety."

Since the general admitted fault honestly, Phaethon Solaris did not continue humiliating him publicly.

Instead, he delivered punishment calmly.

"After returning to Solaria... You and your subordinates will clean the barracks personally for one full day. Do you accept?"

Without resistance, General Harriot immediately dropped onto one knee.

"I accept, Your Majesty."