Krrr
Peon waited as the door closed slowly, the sound dragging out for a brief mont, then turned his calm, steady gaze toward the newcor. "What brings you to , Serafina?"
"..." The newcor raised her hands in a composed motion and removed the exquisite helt from her head, revealing her face before placing it beside her waist. "We need to talk."
It was Serafina, Helen's attendant, and the current one in charge of the Bit of Destruction Empire.
"Talk about what?" Peon sat down slowly, leaning back slightly as his tone remained controlled. "Did one of your paynts get delayed?"
After Helen had left her empire in haste, without proper arrangents or transition, Serafina took over, refusing to let everything she and her mistress had painstakingly built over the years collapse so easily or fall into chaos. Things had remained stable, barely holding together, until Helen appeared for the first ti within the army in Mid Sector 101... and at that exact mont, as if waiting for such a signal, the Ghassan Empire opened full fire without restraint.
Serafina suddenly found herself facing a massive military campaign launched by that ancient empire, a campaign of a scale even her mistress had not witnessed for thousands upon thousands of years.
Yet she had spent years preparing for this inevitable war... slowly building reserves, reinforcing her forces, and anticipating the day such a confrontation would arrive.
The leaders of the Double Centennial Cradle Empire contacted her, informing her that they supported her position and wished to assist due to her previous contributions and unwavering dedication alongside them in past operations. She refused several tis because of what had happened between Caesar and her mistress, unwilling to lower herself or reopen those wounds, but in the end, she accepted... for the sake of survival, and for the sake of money.
So she halted all developnt, redirected every available resource, took on several missions from the Double Centennial Cradle Empire, and began purchasing weapons and fleets in massive quantities without hesitation. These newly acquired forces enabled her to withstand, and even push back at tis, the exhausted army of the Ghassan Empire.
As for herself, she purchased a planetary-grade weapon and used the power she drew from the Path of Destruction to confront the emperor himself along with his top commanders, standing at the very front lines without retreat.
In the end, she was forced to relinquish several planets, unable to hold every front at once, but the losses inflicted on both sides were so severe that they forced the Ghassan Empire to halt its advance... she made them withdraw and lick their wounds in humiliation.
After that, she returned once again to request more missions from the Double Centennial Cradle Empire to rebuild her army, repair the damage, and acquire even more strength... of course, she carried out those missions in complete secrecy, hidden behind masks and layers of deception.
She did not want her mistress to know that she was still serving the very sa people who had once humiliated her, nor did she want to face the consequences of that truth.
At several monts, in the quiet of her own solitude, Serafina had even broken down in tears because she was forced into this path, imagining what her mistress would say if she ever discovered the truth... the disappointnt, the anger, perhaps even rejection. But what else could she possibly do to preserve the Bit of Destruction Empire and keep it from falling apart!?
"..." In response to Peon's question, a trace of coldness appeared in Serafina's eyes, her expression tightening slightly. "No. All my dues are paid on ti." "Then what is it?" Peon settled into his seat more firmly. "It's not like you to co in person to soone in authority. You always receive your missions through the Soul Society, complete them efficiently, and then the rings are sent directly to you... and yet you ca to , the commander of the special forces, out of everyone?"
Serafina paused for a mont, her thoughts clearly weighing on her, before speaking. "...This ti, I ca to you as the son of Lord Human."
"Oh?" Peon's lips curved into a faint smile. "You still don't want to et Caesar?"
"Fine." Peon waved his hand lightly, unconcerned by her silence. "Your overall contributions as a spearhead qualify you for any reasonable request. No one surpasses you in individual combat achievents except Rinara." He leaned slightly forward. "So, what do you want?" Then he smiled again, sharper this ti. "Does this have sothing to do with your mistress's recent appearance?" Helen had appeared a few days ago, no longer the sa as before, having beco a Law Dominator of the Minor Ashification Law.
On that very sa day of her breakthrough, without hesitation or delay, she went and killed Lord Damir, the son of the Behemoth of Curses, in an event so shocking that it turned everything there completely upside down and sent ripples across countless factions.
According to the latest reports, she disappeared imdiately after the battle, vanishing without a trace. Her pursuers claid she was badly injured from her fight with Lord Damir...
Yet her injury did not halt everything else that was unfolding. The entire sector was currently revolving around the movents of the Six Great Powers, and the destruction unleashed by the offspring of the Behemoth of Curses had multiplied dangerously, escalating in a reckless act of vengeance that threatened to destabilize the balance even further.
"...No, the situation isn't directly related to what my mistress is doing" Serafina lifted her head slightly, her voice calm yet firm despite the weight behind her words. "I always knew my mistress would beco a Monarch. That was sothing natural, sothing expected from the very beginning. There's no need for to change my plans or fear her reaction toward now... I will accept her judgnt, whatever it may be."
Then she looked at Peon with a trace of confusion and quiet curiosity. "But... don't you care?"
The issues between Helen and the Double Centennial Cradle Empire were deeply personal, yet they had already escalated into sothing far more dangerous. After those reports about her mistress spread across the sector, Serafina had co here expecting to see Peon unsettled, perhaps even shaken
to his core.
"..." Peon showed a wide smile, one that seed almost amused, then nodded slightly upward toward her. "What is your request?"
"...I've received a new mission," Serafina spoke after a brief pause, as if weighing her words carefully before releasing them. "A very large one."
"I see. Does this mission have sothing to do with the war against the Empire of Seven Thrones?" Peon nodded knowingly, already anticipating her answer. "Yes, we're preparing to launch a massive assault on their final stronghold. If you co to assist, your reward will be substantial."
"I've read the reward. It's tempting" Serafina shook her head slowly, her gaze steady. "But I want sothing else."
"Not enough?" Peon frowned slightly, his expression tightening just a bit. "We offered you fifty million pearls just for participation, and tens of millions more for every World Cataclysm or Nexus State you kill. Isn't that sufficient?" He waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing aside the matter. "You can refuse if you want. I won't increase anything just because I'm the son of His Majesty." "I don't want pearls." Serafina shook her head firmly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I will participate, and I will kill at least two Nexus States and five World Cataclysms... but I want sothing else." Then she fixed her gaze directly into Peon's eyes, unflinching. "I want the Silent Emperor."
"...?" Peon was clearly surprised this ti, his brows lifting slightly. "Hmm, I've
received reports that you try to see him whenever you get the chance, bringing him food and books as if we were depriving him of them or sothing..." He tilted his head faintly, studying her. "Did his looks captivate you to that extent?" "...I have my own reasons." Serafina clenched her hands tightly, her fingers digging into her palms as if suppressing sothing deeper beneath the surface. "Your reasons aren't enough," Peon shook his head without hesitation. "Two Nexus States and five World Cataclysms... how much are their heads worth? Two hundred million pearls, perhaps?" He extended his hand casually, as if stating sothing obvious. "We bought the Silent Empire for six billion pearls. Bring six billion, and take him."
"You know I don't have that kind of money!" Serafina raised her voice, the frustration she had been holding back finally surfacing.
In contrast, Peon bared his teeth in a grin, almost entertained by her reaction.
"Then keep working hard."
"....." Serafina lowered her gaze to the ground, her shoulders tensing slightly. "At the very least, I want your word that you won't kill him by sending him into battles... and that you won't sell him to anyone else."
"I'll think about it." Peon chuckled lightly, his tone casual, almost indifferent.
"...Can I see him today?" Serafina insisted, her voice softer now, but carrying a clear urgency. Her eyes trembled slightly with unease, as if she was already preparing herself for rejection.
"..." Peon stared into her eyes for a mont, as if trying to read through her intentions, asuring her resolve and the weight behind her request. Then he smiled with quiet confidence. "I don't see a problem."
"Thank you." Serafina turned without hesitation and began walking toward the
door, her steps steady despite the storm within her. "I will gather the required
amount... soday."
Kraash
After she left, Peon kept his gaze fixed on the door for a long mont, his expression gradually returning to calm neutrality. Then he sent his spiritual sense into his ring, his voice turning cold and precise. "Tighten surveillance on
Hydras."
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