"To develop a civilization capable of navigating and waging war across the void, using only resources from a barely mid-tier world? Impressive. You have an excellent civilization," Muria praised, his spiritual senses sweeping across the vast landscape below, already grasping the general situation.
"Of course!"
Hearing Muria's commendation, the reluctant yet compliant guide, Zomari, puffed out his chest with pride.
"But hey, isn't this your turf? Aren't you someone of high status in your society? Why the need to skulk around like a thief?" Arina, looking around the colossal facilities now sealed by the Luminous race, asked curiously, her gaze falling on Zomari. The fleet commander had concealed his identity with a combat suit and fully enclosed helmet.
"Look, even if I have a distinguished status, it doesn't matter. If I run away from a battlefield, I'm still a deserter, and deserters get executed. What I'm doing now is even worse," Zomari replied bitterly. He fidgeted anxiously, clearly on edge. "Sneaking you two into our empire's most sacred ground to see Princess Astia is high treason. If I'm caught, it's not just me—they'll come after my entire family."
"Dammit! What am I even doing? Why did I agree to this? I must be out of my mind. If anyone spots us..." Zomari muttered to himself in frustration.
"Wow, already regretting it? Didn't take long. You're really not good under pressure, huh?" Arina raised an eyebrow in amusement as she watched his internal struggle.
"Of course, I regret it!" Zomari glared at the short, unimposing child floating beside him—Muria. His voice dropped to a grumble. "I should've said no from the start. But you two forced me. This isn't fair."
"Quit whining," Muria shot back, his voice cold. "You're in too deep now. You have no choice but to see this through."
"Wait a second... what should I call you, anyway?" Zomari finally asked, realizing he didn't know Muria's name.
"You may address me as Your Eminence," Muria replied, his voice calm yet commanding.
"Your Eminence?" Zomari blinked, baffled. He instinctively hesitated, sensing the gravity of the title. "I admit you're powerful, but... do you realize that title is reserved for true gods? If you make me use it, you'll offend some very high beings."
Muria tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "Oh? Does your civilization have gods watching over it?"
"Gods watching over us? Hah! Not a chance," Zomari scoffed bitterly. "Plenty of our leaders dream of gaining divine power, but it's no secret—we're at odds with the gods. Many deities would love nothing more than to see our empire crushed and enslaved."
"But you've chosen to fight back instead of submitting to them, right?" Arina asked, her curiosity piqued. "That's pretty bold. Must make for an interesting story."
"Of course! The Luminous Empire will never submit to anyone—not even the gods!" Zomari proclaimed with pride.
"Still, many of your people must be tempted by the promises of divine power and immortality," Muria remarked thoughtfully. "How does your empire resist that kind of allure?"
Zomari's expression grew tense. "How... how do you know so much about gods?" His voice quivered with fear. "This is classified information... only a few people in the empire are privy to such knowledge."
"It's not hard to guess," Muria replied with a faint smirk. "You suppress information about gods from the general populace and paint them as cruel oppressors. But censorship only works for so long."
Zomari sighed heavily. "You're not wrong. We keep a tight lid on anything related to gods. If word spreads, defections are inevitable. I mean... I'm young now, and I don't believe in gods. But who knows how I'll feel when I'm old and facing death?"
"Oh, that's easy," Arina chimed in with a teasing grin. "You'll probably throw your lot in with the gods the moment you start feeling your mortality creeping in."
"That's ridiculous!" Zomari's face flushed with indignation. "I'm loyal to my empire. I'd give my life for it!"
"Please. If you were that loyal, you wouldn't be sneaking us around right now," Arina pointed out, crossing her arms smugly.
"This is different! I'm doing this for Princess Astia!" Zomari retorted.
"Sure, sure," Arina drawled sarcastically. "But you have no idea how we're planning to stop the engagement. What if our methods end up hurting your entire civilization?"
"Enough, Arina." Muria intervened with a firm tone, stopping the escalating argument. Zomari may have been spineless, but provoking him too much could make things messy.
"Just show us the way," Muria commanded. "Tell me the shortest route to reach Princess Astia."
"I'll take you there, but you have to swear not to harm her," Zomari insisted.
"Even if your entire civilization crumbles, she won't be harmed," Muria replied coldly.
"Whoa! A floating city! That's incredible!" Arina gasped as they approached a massive, airborne metropolis. The artificial marvel left her wide-eyed with wonder.
"Ptolemy—the City That Never Falls," Zomari said with pride. "It's the political and cultural heart of our empire."
Muria showed little reaction to the spectacle. In his homeland of Erathia, floating cities were commonplace. However, he did take note of the technological feat before him.
"Not bad. No special terrain, no rare materials—just pure technology and abundant energy keeping this city afloat. Your civilization has done well for itself," he remarked.
"Your Eminence, Princess Astia resides within this city," Zomari informed him. "What's your next move?"
"You said this is the political center of your empire. Does that mean your highest ruler is also here?"
"You mean Her Majesty the Empress? Yes, she rarely leaves the capital unless absolutely necessary."
"Perfect. I'll speak with her directly," Muria decided.
Zomari stared at him, flabbergasted. "Wait... what? I thought you were here to stop the engagement! Why do you suddenly want to meet our empress?"
"I've changed my mind," Muria answered nonchalantly. "Since your civilization operates under a monarchy, it's more efficient to negotiate with your ruler."
"That's impossible! You can't just walk in and meet the empress!" Zomari protested. "Not without her approval!"
"Impossible for mortals, maybe," Muria said with a smirk. "But not for me."
In the imperial council chamber, Empress Irelinis Vikmanis sat at a large, modestly decorated desk. Her face was clouded with worry.
"Space rifts... peace was finally within our grasp, and now this. Just when I thought our empire could focus on development..." she muttered to herself.
"Your Majesty, this may seem like a threat now, but rifts like these can also bring tremendous opportunities," her advisor suggested.
Before the empress could respond, a calm yet commanding voice echoed through the chamber.
"Opportunities indeed. And perhaps the chance to form an alliance—with a god."
The empress froze, eyes widening in shock as Muria materialized before her.
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