Chapter 177: The World Of Loreua (2)
As the Ancestor of Loria, who in actuality was the furthest thing from an Ancestor, left the room, the women continued without pause.
Milan and the Crown Prince walked side by side through the wide corridors of the imperial palace, their footsteps echoing softly against polished stone worn smooth by eras of careful use.
Tall windows lined the passage, allowing the warm light of Loreua’s white sun to spill across the floors in long, steady bands.
Maids in neat, dark uniforms paused in their duties as the pair approached, lowering their heads with practiced respect before continuing on their way once the two had passed.
Guards spaced along the corridor straightened subtly, eyes fixed ahead, the familiar calm and order of the palace wrapping around the two imperials as it always did.
Milan broke the silence first, her tone carrying the same edge it had held in the chamber.
"About the infiltration into Kalpa," she said. "Aren’t we being pushed to move sooner than planned? I assume the meeting of the leaders is the reason."
It was common knowledge, even among the lowest ranks of the Loria Empire, that in just eighty years the entire Star System would face a challenge unlike anything it had encountered before.
In an attempt to prevent what was expected to be a catastrophic event, the Loria Empire arranged a meeting with all those who might play a part in shaping its outcome.
But the fact that they were being forced to push forward with their own secret plan far earlier than intended was a clear sign that something was already going wrong with the meeting.
Crown Prince Matt kept his gaze ahead, expression calm yet unmistakably serious.
"You’re right... they are finding it difficult to decide who will hold the rights to that world," he answered.
"The situation has become more complex since you left." He said, taking a glance at his younger sister.
Milan had been back on Loreua for close to eleven years now, but due to her nature... she took the time to celebrate her "victory" as such a thing... it only made her stronger in the end.
However, in that same case, she paid little attention to the political affairs, as she had always thought she had a few more decades to celebrate.
"Over the fifty years, you were gone... They have learned that Kalpa is the key to becoming the true rulers of this entire Star System..."
His eyes narrowed as they pressed on.
"Before, negotiations were still possible... because we all believed the Star System was broken."
When the War of Great Severance erupted, as mentioned before, it didn’t just impact individual worlds.
No, it tore through the entire Star System, causing a complete severance that disrupted the very Consciousness of the Star System— the force that determined the rank limits of powers, stars, and everything else within it.
This rupture led to a sharp decline in Above Origin Star bearers, and the birth of higher-ranked bloodlines within the system became increasingly rare.
Because of this, the Pantheons began to see the Star System as less significant, since a broken one offered little beyond its existing resources... and perhaps the potential to serve as a Supreme Divinity farm.
Now, with everyone aware that the Star System was salvageable and possibly even more unique than they had imagined, there was no chance they would be willing to settle for anything less than the Star System itself.
Matt sighed lightly as he finished his words.
"And now... the leaders are looking to become the Pantheon that replaces the Celestial Sun."
Their footsteps carried them the final distance into a smaller throne room, the heavy doors closing behind them with a low, solid sound that sealed the corridor’s noise away.
Polished stone and dark wood framed the space, the air cooler and quieter than the halls outside.
Milan moved first, her expression tightening as she spoke, eyes narrowed, and voice edged with mild anger.
"That’s.... Blasphemy," she said. "Those idiots actually believe they can move against us."
Even if the so-called "idiots" in question were actual Pantheons, the Loria Empire considered themselves their equals, which was, by all accounts, utter foolishness.
She crossed the room and settled into one of the high-backed chairs, the fabric of her robes shifting around a figure that looked no older than thirty.
Milan had pale skin, a slim waist that flared into a notably full, heavy ass, small breasts, long brown hair that fell past her shoulders, and deep brown eyes that held none of the softness the rest of her appearance might have suggested.
"Tsk, it’s fine if they think they’re so mighty... that just means we can start the preparations for Kalpa right away," she said, then stopped, the sharp edge of her anger softening into something calmer and more deliberate.
"That said... it might turn out to be a bit trickier than we originally thought."
Matt’s eyes narrowed in response.
"Milan, don’t tell me... did you somehow fuck up?"
Hearing this, Milan rolled her eyes and lifted one hand.
HUMMM!!!
Dark energy gathered at her fingertips, and a moment later a large, sealed tube of thick, cloudy semen and concentrated life force materialized in the air before them, the vessel glowing faintly with residual vitality.
Matt’s expression shifted at once into a wicked, interested smile as he looked from the tube to his sister.
"Well, you gathered the life force of the men and women of Loria on Kalpa... What exactly is the problem, then?"
She leaned back in the chair; eyes locked on the floating vial.
She had completed the mission, though not quite as it should have gone—partly her fault for not paying enough attention.
"The foolish prince of the kingdom on that world managed to piss off a rather interesting figure."
As she spoke to herself in her mind, the image of an enraged Melvin charging toward her through the carnage of the fallen Blackwood Kingdom flashed vividly before her.
She went on to explain that the Prince’s actions had never been part of her plan; from the very beginning, their goal had been to keep the Loria branch alive on Kalpa.
But by the time she learned of what had happened, certain locks of fate—beyond her ability to see—had already been woven.
With the power that had always secured her victories, she adapted.
Rather than trying to repair the situation between the Loria and Blackwood kingdoms, she turned the conflict to her advantage, creating a new catalyst and ensuring they would at least gain one army during her fifty-year tenure there.
Her voice lowered slightly. "That boy... slaughtered every Loria bloodline in the kingdom. I am certain he has continued the work across the rest of the world by now."
She paused, a rare note of consideration entering her tone.
"He is talented... Alarmingly so. In only a few years he grew far faster than anyone I’ve ever seen personally.
Matt took a moment to mull over the information in silence, the thought settling that such a setback wouldn’t pose any real danger in the long term.
’So... we’ll be down a few million during the invasion,’ he mused. ’But they were only weaklings...’
With a casual flick of his hand, he brushed the matter aside.
"We’ll deal with that later. Preparations need to start right away."
His eyes narrowed with renewed focus.
"And what about that child? Is she still alive?" he asked pointedly. "Without her... nothing else matters."
At the mention of "that child," Milan’s expression contorted with open disgust.
"Yeah...the bitch is still alive." She said with a roll of her eyes.
"Every plan and move I set in motion on Kalpa made sure her identity and ties to Loria stayed hidden and unimportant. So, I’m sure that boy hasn’t even glanced her way."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"She’s still completely clueless, just as she’s been for all fifty years of her life."
Her fingers wrapped around the cool glass of the vial.
"So, aside from a few oddities... the plan is already locked in. In ten years, we’ll have an army ready for the invasion."
With that, she began to open the seal on the tube of life force, the soft click of the lid the only sound in the quiet throne room.