Inside the Tower of Conve''s conference room, Malek and the rest of the Conve council members gathered for an emergency meeting. Because more people were present for the meeting, Sigma created additional chairs to amodate everyone.


    Seven chairs had been added around the table, and the council members pushed their chairs to make room. With the addition of these chairs, the usually spacious table appeared crowded.


    An awkward tension also hung in the air as most of the people at the table— specifically, Malek and his side— looked at the people upying the seats opposite the head seat, where Ste was.


    These people were none other than Euan, Mannick and five aides under thetter''s leadership.


    On the other hand, Ste looked at them with a calm yet unreadable expression. Her attitude had been the same even when Euan and Mannick arrived with thousands of soldiers at such short notice.


    Although Malek was the only one who received Euan, while the rest of the council members handled the rest of the aides and soldiers, Ste had made sure to let her presence known.


    Nevertheless, only Euan and Mannick knew who she was, so her presence only made the others wonder who she was.


    Euan was also calm and wore an unreadable expression. His attitude came naturally because of his upbringing.


    "I apologize for not providing a much better ce for your people to stay," Ste said with an amiable smile. "We''ll find a suitable ce for them as soon as possible."


    The rest of the army soldiers were currently staying at an encampment the council members had prepared at the location Kyran and True Void warped them. It was located thirty meters away from the northeast entrance of the Tower of Conve.


    Since Kyran had already told Malek about them, they agreed on where the former would warp them. After that, Malek asked Noir and Sigma to make a concealment array around that area to ensure that no people spying on the Tower of Conve would see them.


    Euan shook his head with a simrly calm smile, "It is more than enough, to be honest. It is I who should apologize for inconveniencing your people."


    "If there is anyone who should apologize, it''s that rascal Kyran," Malek quipped, his disdain evident from the tone of his voice.


    "Malek," Ste warned, ncing at him from the corner of her eyes.


    ? Malek responded with a slight shrug before leaning back in his chair.


    Mannick''s eyes flickered slightly at Malek''s attitude but did not say anything.


    "Let us address the current situation," Ste started the meeting immediately.


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Rivka, one of the five aides Mannick took to the meeting, was the one who recounted the events of what happened that led them here.


    Throughout Rivka''s exnation, the council members'' expressions made several changes. From looking confused to feeling indignant, then finally concerned.


    Kyran already hinted that Emperor Euan''s and the Crown Princess''s objectives might differ. When the council members heard it, some hoped it was all his spections and that he was only overthinking. But now that it was confirmed, they could not help but be concerned for the empire''s future.


    "There are still things that we don''t understand, which I hope you can exin," Euan said after Rivka finished exining. "Mannick already exined some, but Kyran said there are still things he isn''t aware of."


    Ste could not help but smile bitterly. Malek already told her that Kyran had asked him to exin what they could to Euan. However, Kyran did not tell them how much they were allowed to say.


    Although Ste immediately concealed her bitter smile, Euan and Mannick had seen it. Euan immediately said, "There is no pressure when answering my questions. Just tell me what you can, and I will ept it."


    "Your Majesty," Ste replied, carefully choosing her words, "Do not misunderstand. It is not that we are unwilling to provide the answers. We just don''t know how much we can tell."


    She looked at Mannick as if asking for his opinion.


    Seeing Ste''s imploring look, Mannick smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Thest few times I spoke my mind, things had escted."


    What he said was not without basis. After all, if he did not show Kyran the situation at the Regis Estate, Kyran would not have been forced to change his ns. If he did not speak with Euan, Euan would not have changed his mind about going to Noser. Ultimately, they went to the Regis Estate, which resulted in Lira going after them.


    Honestly, Mannick was still confused about how his meddling could affect the Human ne. He only had a vague sense that the Fates were watching his every action and might be influencing the cause and effect of everything.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Ste looked at Mannick in confusion. However, Mannick remained tight-lipped and did not borate on his words.


    The other council members looked at Mannick with aplicated expressions.


    The first time they met, Mannick came with the other Deputy Marshals and appeared unbridled. He and Sigma almost ended up shing. Then the next time was when True Void introduced him to them. They were all blown away by the reveal of Mannick''s real identity. While they did not doubt True Void''s words, they had not fully digested the truth. Even when Mannick healed Hugh, they still had reservations.


    Mannick knew this; thus, he decided to be a bystander this time.


    "If you don''t mind, milord, allow me to answer his Majesty''s questions," Malek proposed.


    "Very well," Ste agreed almost at once. After all,pared to her, Malek had a better understanding of the current situation. Kyran did talk to him and the others before he left. It pained her a little that he did not ask for her, but after what happened with Cyneah, she knew it was her fault.


    Euan''s and Malek''s voices were the only ones heard inside the conference room as they continued the discussion for the next few minutes.


    Malek answered most of Euan''s questions. The only ones he refrained frommenting on were the things he had little knowledge of. Kyran might have spoken to him and the others before he left, but he did not reveal many new things.


    Euan finally had a better grasp of what happened that led to Kyran''s situation and fumed inwardly. He did not expect people from the army and the Royal Family to scheme behind his back.


    What angered Euan the most was how Haylee covered for Gael while thetter swore his allegiance to her. Finally, there was the matter of Kyran''s bounty and the reappearance of ''Gray.''


    Euan was shocked to learn everything he knew about ''Gray'' was wrong.


    Honestly, he already knew Gray''s rtionship with the Regis n. He discovered it recently and admitted feeling angry about it. It was one of the reasons he wanted to meet with the Regis Family and demand to know why they hid this fact.


    But after talking to Iulia, Euan calmed down and tried to change his perspective. He came up with a few conjectures, but ultimately, he could only meet with Patriarch Aron to find out the truth.


    After talking to Malek, however, Euan inadvertently found the answers he was looking for. Malek offered to show him the Conve''s findings of Gray''s supposed murder and theft, but Euan declined and encouraged Malek to tell him.


    The truth made Euan despise his father to his very core.


    Though Gray did kill someone, he did not do so intentionally. He did not even steal the artifact which that person possessed.


    The truth was that Gray''s matter became sensational because the person he killed was a man who received the Royal Family''s Legendary tinum Badge. Thetter was awarded the badge after discovering an artifact on which the emperor ced great importance.


    Thete emperor believed that the artifact held great knowledge and, when deciphered, would assert the Royal Family''s rule over the empire for the next thousand years.


    For this reason, when the artifact got stolen by Gray, the emperor was enraged and ordered an extensive manhunt.


    After several years, they failed to find Gray, and the artifact remained lost. Even when they finally discovered Gray''s ''corpse,'' they did not discover any clues on where he had hidden the artifact. In the end, thete emperor died, and when Euan seeded to the throne, he ordered the matter closed.


    But now, Malek actually confirmed that Gray had never stolen the artifact. ording to their investigation, before the night of the murder, thete emperor visited the victim. After that, the emperor left the victim''s house with a very expensive antique.


    The Conve spected that the artifact might be hidden in that antique.


    From this information, Euan more or less guessed that the man might have been murdered by his father and that Gray was only a scapegoat. Of course, this wouldn''t have happened if Gray did not go into the man''s house.


    s, Malek could not tell Euan Gray''s reason. Euan did not insist on it, but that did not mean he had given up. He only decided to put aside the matter about Gray for now and focus on what was most important: how they should proceed from here.


    However, Mannick abruptly stood up before they could continue their discussion. His action immediately drew everyone''s attention to him.


    Mannick stood up because he sensed the Sovereign''s Cradle activated. If its scale had been simr to the ones during the Beast Huntpetition, or the one at Noser, Mannick would not react. However, the scale of the cradle was enormous.


    With a grim expression, Mannick said to no one in particr, "We have visitors."