The emperor didn't even look at Lone as he confidently strode towards his throne and sat upon it. Once there, he held his chin in his hand while his other arm laid on one of the throne's armrests.

A cold set of eyes locked onto Lone. "Speak and apologise, Foxkin, and then think carefully about your following words, as they shall be your last."

"Hahaha," Lone chuckled. "What a fucking prick. You do realise that I could kill you in less than a millisecond, right? That goes for all of you."

"I see." Emperor Sid looked almost disappointed. "It is a shame that you have been driven to lunacy, so much so that you cannot even repent in your final moments."

Raising his arm limply for a moment, he waved it dismissively. "Consul Peitmond, behead this fool then immediately call for a war conference."

Bowing very respectfully, Peitmond replied, "Of course, Sir."

Lone sighed then slowly stood up. He spread his arms wide then smiled. "Gimme your best shot. I'll be amazed if a double-X-ranker can even come close to killing me, but please, do try. I could use some more level-ups for Basic Regen."

Remembering that the sleeping Greed was still attached to his bicep, Lone added, "Right, avoid this snake," he said as he pointed at her. "You can feel that she's a double-X-ranker, right? Feel free to attack me, but I'll have to stop you if you aim for Greed."

'Greed? From the Seven Deadly Sins adventurer group? Unlikely. They tend to side with us during high-ranking quests, not ferals, and he's a Golden Foxkin, no? Then he must be employing some sort of trick or illusion. I'll end this in one attack,' Peitmond logically concluded.

He then drew his sword and, like a gust of wind, moved faster than most of the people in the chamber could physically perceive. The next moment, blood covered the floor as a massive sword wound stretching from the top of Lone's head all the way down to his hip appeared.

Oddly enough, a smile was still on his face and, while it was hard to see, Peitmond could clearly tell that he hadn't managed to cut through even a single bone. "Impossible... This sword is made from thrice-enchanted divine starlite... There's no way a mere triple-S-ranker could block it with his bones! What illusion have you trapped me in, Beast?!"

Lone grinned as he checked his skill level-ups, ignoring poor Peitmond for right now.

Congratulations! The host's passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Expert Level 8.

'Having your bones cut really fuckin' hurts, for sure. This guy's skilled with the sword if he can raise my Physical Pain Resistance,' he thought before he cracked his neck, making even more of his blood spill out all over the place.

"Divine starlite? I've only ever read about that metal. Gimme your sword, would you?" Lone asked calmly as he brought one of his palms to his chest then said, "Minor Healing. Minor Healing. Minor Healing. Minor Healing. Hmm, that's all I can heal with this skill? Oh well."

Congratulations! The host's nature magic skill [Minor Healing] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 7.

Congratulations! The host's nature magic skill [Minor Healing] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 8.

Congratulations! The host's nature magic skill [Minor Healing] has levelled up! It is now Advanced Level 9.

"Oh, just a little bit more for a rank up," he commented as he poured some mana into his Basic Regeneration to finish the job.

Like a miracle, his fatal wound closed up as if it had never even been there in the first place. The sound made everyone except for Consul Peitmond scream in pain. Lone ignored that and then used a bit of Creation magic to repair his torn clothes.

Congratulations! The host's unique skill [Basic Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 8.

'Fuck yeah! Man, I really should have taken more advantage of those idiotic seekers, but regardless, this guy is really strong. Surely he's enough to get my Basic Regen to master-level-ten, right?' Lone hoped as he smiled from ear-to-ear. "Well? Come on, attack me again!"

Consul Peitmond was being nothing but cautious. He refused to move even an inch closer to Lone until he broke the 'illusion' that he was sure he was trapped in.

Seeing this, Lone's arms flopped down to his side in frustration a bit. He turned to look at the angry emperor and said, "While that idiot makes a choice, are you willing to sign a contract to not attack the Beastman Alliance? If you say no, you'll die and I'll keep asking people until I find someone willing to rule in your place that will do as I say."

The emperor seemed to be a little bit unnerved by that frightening threat. "If you dare to kill me and put a proxy in my place, every human-run country and empire on Altros will hunt you down and kill you, not to mention you shan't be able to end my life."

"Oh? Why not?" Lone asked almost challengingly.

An average-looking and completely ordinary woman in all regards appeared out of thin air in front of Emperor Sid and immediately said, "Because of me."

One of Lone's eyebrows rose. "An I-ranker? There's no way you teleported in here if you're that weak... Who are you?"

She smiled. "I am Youngest, and this fool is my grandson-in-law."

"L-Lady Youngest?" Emperor Sid didn't understand. Why was his wisdom being put into question when she was obviously here to assist him with executing the feral foxkin?

She turned around and glared dangerously towards the middle-aged man. "Decora has already told me what she knows, and I have locked her away in the Prison of Nothingness. You shall join her for twenty years, and not a day less."

"B-But why?" Emperor Sid yelped slightly upon seeing his grandmother-in-law's eyebrows arch down menacingly. "I will do as you say, of course... but... May I please receive an explanation?"

Youngest sighed then held her forehead. "I care not for your discriminatory ways, I stated as such when you took the imperial throne, but for you to offend the man that almost single-handedly killed the Ancient Darkness Dragon Ythmagobla, as well as offend a true Ascending at the same time..."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

A deep rage filled her eyes as massive waves of power rolled forth from the woman's small frame. Everyone except for Lone fell to the floor like a wet sack of potatoes.

"Do you wish to see my homeland be turned into nothing but ruins?! How dare you, you ingracious cur! Spend the next two decades teaching yourself to know when to bow your head and when to hold it up high!" With that powerful yell, she waved her hand, resulting in Emperor Sid Mon Rator the Seventh's body disappearing entirely.

Lone wore an amazed expression. "You're a Divine, aren't you?"

Returning to her unimposing atmosphere, the woman turned to face Lone again with a smile on her face. "Indeed, I am. Would you care to have a chat in my personal domain? I trust the people present in this room will do as you wished and make arrangements to cancel any and all war efforts against the Beastman Alliance in the meantime."

Lone shook his head. "I'm fine having a chat with you, but I need the person in charge of this empire to sign a contract of my own creation. Assuming you stand behind whoever rules this place, are you fine with signing it in the next ruler's place?"

Youngest nodded. "Yes, I do not mind. Come, we can do that in my domain, I trust?"

"Sure," Lone said with a relaxed shrug. He wasn't worried in the slightest about the possibility of this being a trap. "Ah, but first," he said before approaching Consul Peitmond and then held his hand out. "Sword. Gimme. Also, how much is it worth?"

Peitmond looked incredibly confused as well as unwilling. He looked to Youngest for advice. She simply nodded her head, so he slowly passed his divine starlite sword over to the foxkin. "The market value for such a weapon varies from 1,000 to 10,000 ruby-gold coins. H-However, that sword is very dear to me, so if at all possible, could you please not take it from me?"

Youngest frowned deeply at Peitmond's bold words, but Lone happily nodded. "I'll bring it back, don't worry. I just wanna study it. Here," he replied as he took out an item bag from within his Dimensional Storage and passed it to the XX-ranker. "There're 25,000 ruby gold coins in there. Use 'em for whatever the fuck you like."

Peitmond froze as he checked the content of the item bag. Lone ignored him and moved away from him after he had stored the divine starlite sword, he then glanced at Youngest. "Well?"

As powerful as a Divine was, Lone was confident that he could kill her at any moment if he unloaded every single daily use of Mental Destruction that he had left, which would total nine since had used two on the uncooperative representatives back at Castle Hrogar, so he was perfectly fine with going to her' domain' or wherever else.

Of course, he wasn't overconfident and he was honestly a little bit apprehensive to fight someone so strong, but should push come to shove... well, Lone would most certainly shove back.

With a pleased expression on her face, Youngest gave her attention to the stunned Consul Peitmond first. "You, you are the wisest in this palace. I entrust you to set up a regency council and begin work on hashing out the details with the Beastman Alliance as well as finding Sid's younger brother who is living in the Ranto Region. He shall be the new emperor. Use those funds to aid you in these matters. Make sure to invest at least 10,000 of those coins back into the empire, after which, you may use the rest as you so please."

"To think a lowly servant of the empire such as myself was able to meet our patron Divine..." Consul Peitmond was lost for words, but he quickly collected himself and got onto all fours before he pressed his head against the ground. "I shall do as you command, Ancestor Youngest!"

"Excellent." With that, she walked up to Lone and put a hand on his shoulder, the next moment, the two of them and the snake wrapped around the foxkin's arm disappeared from the imperial courtroom.

----------------------------------------

Lone raised his hand to block the sun that threatened to blind him. "Where is this?"

Youngest chuckled. "My domain," she said as she waved her hand gracefully, resulting in a small table and two cushions appearing. "Please, sit."

Lone gave her a mildly sceptical look as he did what she requested. Now comfortable, he asked again, "Where is this?"

She held her hands out, and in response, a teapot appeared in them while two teacups made themselves known on top of the table. "I see you want a more in-depth answer. To be more specific, we are in a hidden layer of the Endless Abyss. It belongs to me and is under my full control. I shan't speak any more of this. We have more important things to discuss, don't we?"

'The Endless Abyss? That place where dying adventurers and the hopeless go for one last chance? It's on an island to the far north of the Monster Continent, isn't it? The books about it mention that it seals all skills and your true rank while you're inside of it, but not much else...' Lone held his chin in thought. 'Is that why she felt like an I-ranker? Can she, what, borrow the Endless Abyss' ability to seal or something?'

"I see that you're an intellectual who enjoys thinking, Ascending Ninetails," Youngest said happily as she poured Lone and herself a cup of the very nicely-scented tea. "Please, enjoy."

Lone picked up his cup and sipped it. The taste wasn't anything special when compared to what his creation magic could make, so he didn't offer any praise. Instead, he asked, "So skills are sealed here? All skills?"

"More or less, yes. The only exceptions are world skills and unique skills. Right now, however, you can use all of your skills. It's rather costly for me to allow you to do this since I'm used to sealing and weaving the seals themselves, not restricting them. I didn't want you to feel threatened, so please, be at ease. I can sense that you're on edge," Youngest responded with a warm smile on her face as she sipped her drink.

"Huh." Lone didn't really have a good response for that. Instead, he brought out the scroll he'd prepared earlier and placed in on the table. "Please sign at the bottom there with your own blood. Do that, and I'll trust you to handle everything on your own."

"Of course." Not hesitating for even a moment, the woman bit her finger and signed her name as 'Youngest'.

The parchment disappeared in a flash of light before Lone wore an interested expression. "Your name is literally 'Youngest'? I assumed that was just a title."

The completely average lady sat across from him nodded. "It was just a title. It was granted to me by the House of Divines in response to my divinity. I adopted it as my real name a few thousand years later, and so the system adjusted my status accordingly."

Lone stroked his chin. "Interesting. Can you tell me anything else about Divines?"

She chuckled faintly. "I'm afraid not. You shall learn in due time. As an Ascending, I have full confidence that you will break the Divine barrier with ease, unlike your little friend there who still has a very long journey ahead of her," Youngest said as she gestured to the meditating Greed.

"What even is an Ascending? I know it gives me a really useful aura, but beyond that, I'm clueless," Lone said as he scratched his neck a little bit.

"I'm not rightly sure myself. I would suggest researching the subject. There have been Ascendings in the past, and each and every single one of them have been incredible people that have changed Altros. As an example, if history is to be believed, it was an Ascending High Elf that both planted and cultivated the four world trees," Youngest said as she finished her tea and merrily refilled her cup.

"Huh... Why're you being so... Uh, cooperative? Is it because I'm an Ascending then?" Lone asked.

The Youngest smiled mysteriously. "Partly, yes. I shall keep my other reasons to myself for now as they are very selfish and not overly important. In fact, they may even be pointless worries and I could very well be humbling myself to you needlessly."

Lone laughed at that. "Hahaha, you're very honest, aren't you?"

"Yes, or a compulsive liar. It's sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two." She savoured her tea once more before she set her cup down and rested her chin in both of her hands. "Well, Ascending Ninetails, have you any further questions for me, or are we done here? I'm rather intimidated by your calmness despite the difference in our perceived strength, so personally, I would greatly enjoy it were you to leave now."

'Ouch. That, uh, that kinda hurts when it sounds so sincere,' Lone complained mentally. "Well, I guess all I wanna ask is if you know about the gods?"

"The Primals, yes? I know of them, but I am not religious. I acknowledge that they exist and are heavily involved with several demi species and monster species, but no, I do not know much about them." She didn't seem to be very happy to be discussing the Primals, which Lone could wholeheartedly support.

"Nah, not them. Oh well. I didn't expect much. On the off chance that you've heard of them, do the names 'Clicker', 'Tapper', or 'Flicker' mean anything to you?" Lone questioned with some hope in his voice.

Youngest held her chin for a moment in contemplation before she shook her head. "No, I can't say that they do. I'm sorry, I don't really leave this place very often."

Lone got up and smiled. "It's fine. Thanks for your time."

"I shall return you to the Aymtar Empire's southern border if we're finished here," Youngest said as she got up herself.

"Ah, that's fine. Just keep drinking your tea," Lone said politely as he opened The Glade and asked Soph to come out via The Summoning Room's telepathy. Once the small blonde-haired girl was in Youngest's domain, Lone kissed her on the top of her head. "Bring us back to that castle, please, Soph."

"Mmm," hiding behind a tail or two, the girl used her Remembrance Teleportation.

Youngest's hands trembled as her eyes widened. "I didn't restrict the seals on her... but she managed to teleport out of the Endless Abyss so effortlessly? And with another two people? I know of no world skills that allow such an absurd thing, so a unique skill then? What an incredibly powerful skill to allow one to escape the Endless Abyss..."