The silence that followed lingered, heavy and unexpected. Emperor Thalassar regarded him from the throne, fingers interlaced, his gaze unreadable.
Null's request, dismissed with measured finality, had shifted the retainers' attention away from him as though he were a resolved equation. Kouki, once more ushered forward, resumed discussions of training regimens and sacred armaments in low, reverent tones.
Then—
A single step echoed. Sora draw every eye in the hall.
"Your Majesty," she said, her voice steady, "if I may."
The Emperor did not turn to her immediately. "Speak, Saintess."
"Prior to this audience, I submitted a formal petition to the Imperial Court."
A faint murmur rippled through the semicircle of retainers.
Thalassar's eyes shifted at last. "A petition," he repeated. "So that was yours."
"Yes."
Vaelor Rynd glanced sideways. "Your Majesty, the request was logged under Divine Sanctum authority. It has not yet been acted upon."
"Because I delayed it," the Emperor said calmly, his imperial gaze returning to Sora. "You requested custodial observation of the unblessed summon."
Sora did not flinch. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Kouki's head snapped up. "What?"
One court magus frowned openly. "Saintess, surely you don't mean—"
"I do," Sora replied, cutting him off without raising her voice. "The Divine Sanctum formally requests the right to observe the second otherworlder for a fixed period. Observation only. We affirm zero intervention in Imperial operations and expressly waive all claims to invasive procedures or coercive measures."
Thalassar leaned back slightly. "And under whose will is this request made?"
Sora hesitated—just enough for the answer to carry weight. "By decree of Her Holiness, The Pontifex of the Divine Sanctum."
Several retainers stiffened. Vaelor's hand moved an inch closer to the hilt at his side, then stopped.
"The Pope," the Emperor repeated.
"Yes." Sora met his gaze evenly. "She has taken an interest in this deviation."
The word hung there. Deviation.
Thalassar exhaled slowly through his nose. "You move quickly. You prepared this before the audience concluded."
"I anticipated the outcome. The Sanctum prefers to act before assumptions harden into doctrine."
A faint, humorless smile touched the Emperor's lips. "Of course it does."
"What exactly does the Divine Sanctum propose?"
"A limited-term observation agreement," Sora said. "The subject will remain under imperial jurisdiction. However, he will be escorted to the Divine Sanctum for through assessment till the fixed period expires."
Null blinked. 'Assessment?'
"You're taking him?" Kouki scowled. "Why?"
Sora paid him no attention.
The Emperor raised a hand. "Enough."
He turned back to Sora. "And what does the Empire gain from this arrangement?"
"Transparency. And foresight." She gestured subtly toward Null. "If he is truly nothing, the Sanctum will confirm it—and return him quietly. If he is something else…"
Thalassar's eyes narrowed. "…Then?"
"Then the Empire will not be the only one blindsided by it," Sora finished.
The Emperor closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, his expression sharpened. His gaze drifted to Null. Who is still standing quietly. Without fear, protest nor ambition. Just… acceptance.
"Very well," the Emperor agreed.
"What?" Kouki's reluctance was palpable.
"Because of Grandmaster Aurelia's sacrifice," Thalassar added solemnly, "and her indispensable contribution to the success of the summoning. The Divine Sanctum has earned a measure of latitude."
"For a limited period," The emperor declared, "the Divine Sanctum will be permitted to take custody of the unblessed summon."
Sora bowed deeply. "You have my gratitude, Your Majesty."
"Do not thank me yet," the Emperor clarified. "This is not charity." He turned to Null. "You will remain in Atlantis for now. But your path will diverge from the Hero's."
While Kouki bristled on the side. Null simply nodded, his expression unreadable. "…Understood."
---
※
---
The great doors closed soundlessly. The echo of their departure faded, leaving only the vast stillness of the Imperial Hall. For several breaths, no one spoke.
Emperor Thalassar leaned back against his throne, one hand resting against the crystal armrest, deeply contemplative.
"…Well," he intoned. "That concludes the audience."
The retainers relaxed, fractionally. Whispers began almost immediately. "A Hero of that caliber…"
"Sovereign Ascension. A blessing recorded only at the Empire's founding."
"If nurtured correctly, he could become the second coming of the First Emperor."
Vaelor Rynd crossed his arms. "Kouki will be a pillar," he said. "If trained properly."
Several retainers nodded. "That much is certain, The Empire has gained a symbol. A rallying point."
The Emperor's gaze remained forward. "What about the other?"
The murmurs stilled.
A thin-lipped noble stepped forward—Lord Carveth of the Inner Court. He adjusted his sleeves with practiced composure.
"…Frankly," he stated, "it is fortunate the Divine Sanctum intervened."
A few brows furrowed instantly.
"Fortunate?" Vaelor questioned.
"Yes," Carveth continued smoothly. "An unblessed summon is… inelegant. The world acknowledges power. To produce something it does not—" He spread his hands. "—invites doubt."
Another retainer nodded reluctantly. "The major powers of humanity would question the ritual. And by extension the Empire."
Thalassar did not respond to their worries immediately.
This encouraged Lord Carveth further. "With the Divine Church assuming custody, responsibility shifts away from us. The narrative remains intact. Atlantis summoned an otherworldly Hero. Nothing more."
He smiled thinly. "There is also another solution."
The hall chilled.
Vaelor put a hand on his sword. "Choose your words carefully."
Carveth inclined his head, unperturbed. "Purely hypothetically, Your Majesty. An unblessed anomaly serves no purpose to the Empire. If such a being were to… disappear quietly, there would be no stain. No questions. No risk."
Several retainers averted their eyes. One clenched his jaw.
"That is not your decision to suggest." Vaelor's voice dropped.
The Emperor raised a single finger.
His deep gaze rested on Carveth. "You mistake silence for uncertainty."
Carveth stiffened.
"The unblessed otherworlder is not ours to erase. He was summoned through a ritual paid for in blood, life, and legacy. Grandmaster Aurelia's sacrifice binds more than mana—it binds responsibility." His eyes narrowed. "Atlantis does not hide its shadows by pretending they never existed."
Carveth bowed quickly. "Of course, Your Majesty. I spoke only in the interest of—"
"Order?" Thalassar finished.
Carveth hesitated. "…Stability."
The Emperor leaned forward. "Stability bought through fear rots from within. And deviation is not inherently weakness. History has taught us that much."
He rose. The retainers straightened as one.
"The Divine Sanctum will assess the value of the unblessed summon," Thalassar pronounced. "That alone preserves neutrality, honors Aurelia's final will, and removes immediate scrutiny from the Empire."
His gaze swept the hall. "But do not mistake distance for dismissal."
"If the World acknowledged him. Then he exists within its calculus—whether we understand it or not."
Carveth lowered his head further, concealing his dissatisfaction
"Enough of this," the emperor turned away.
Vaelor Rynd struck his armored fist against his chest and stepped back into formation. The retainers followed suit, drawing themselves upright, expressions carefully composed. Whatever private thoughts lingered were buried beneath layers of courtly discipline.
The Emperor's gaze swept across them one last time. "The matter of the unblessed summon is concluded—for now. The Divine Church will assume observation. Atlantis will neither interfere nor conceal."
No one objected.
Subsequently, his tone shifted. From judgment to proclamation. "However, today remains a day of triumph." The mana sigils etched into the pillars flared faintly, responding to his intent.
"Atlantis has succeeded in summoning an otherworldly Hero bearing an extraordinary sacred gift," he proudly stated. "A Hero-class talent now stands upon our dominion."
"The sacrifice of Grandmaster Aurelia ensured this outcome. Her name will be engraved into the Imperial Archive. Her will be honored. To mark this achievement and to present our Hero to the eyes of the world under proper ceremony—" He raised one hand. "In one month's time, Atlantis will host a grand imperial banquet."
A ripple went through the retainers. Surprise. Approval. Calculation.
"This will not be mere celebration," he further stated. "It will be declaration. That the Empire remains the axis upon which this age will turn."
"A wise decision, Your Majesty."
"Let the world see, that the tides favor Atlantis."
Thalassar lowered his hand. "Begin preparations immediately. Spare no expense befitting the occasion—but no excess that invites ridicule."
A pause. Then, almost as an afterthought— "And ensure that the narrative is precise."
"The unblessed summon will not attend. His path, for now, lies elsewhere." History would be edited before it was written.
"The Empire summoned a Hero," Emperor Thalassar concluded. "That is all the world needs to know." He turned away from the hall, robes whispering softly as he descended from the dais. "The council is adjourned."