Within the audience hall of the palace, Emperor Galahad looked at Kairos atop of his Bloodgold throne.

With a bemused look on his face, he said in a booming voice, “Kairos Astroire. You have returned,” the Emperor paused, suppressing a smile that almost appeared, then continued, “We have expected to see you once again, but not this soon.

Tell us. Can you create a stronger stratagem for cultivation?”

Kairos nodded his head in response, and said honestly, “Yes your majesty, I can.”

“Good, then will you create one in the royal training grounds?” It is a rare thing to do for an Emperor to ask, instead of command, his subject. And regardless the reason, it shows favour from the crown.

Kairos knows this as well, and he too had to hide the grin that is forming on his face, for his plans are beginning to come to fruition.

“My Lord, I can craft a Stratagem which brings cultivation to around three times the usual speed with the right ingredients,” Kairos said to the Emperor.

He did not boast that he had already created an array that allows seven times the usual training efficiency, for it would amount to endangering his group in the future. Any Stratagem master that could create something like that would be vied by every superpower in the world. No nation could stop the allure of having seven times faster training speed than others, a benefit that would change the delicate power balance in just a few short years.

Many talented practitioners only require a hundred years of cultivation, to reach S ranker, but the royal family of Saint Empire does it even better. With their connection to the Immortal Realms, they have access to an exceptional training method which allows them to enter Pure Self cultivation using enough preparations, and it benefits them by increasing their training speed to a point where no other family in the Empire could match them. A staggering 1.5 times the rate of training compared to others.

But in front of Kairos, that ‘staggering speed’ has transformed into ‘merely 1.5 times’.

One can predict how much unwanted attention Kairos would receive if he reveals his Crystal Valve Stratagem. In fact, most people would be unable to accept that such a thing is even possible. Of course, this doesn’t mean that this sort of stratagem is unique but merely non-existent in the Mortal Realms.

Not only the training speed that the royal family has but even Kairos’ stratagems, is a common thing within the higher realms. Previously when Old Ye was explaining to the boys, he had told them that even without using any resources and only with the Immortal Realm’s cultivation methods, it is already possible to train at two to three times the usual speed. The reason is the cultivation methods in the Immortal Realms is far more developed than the ways of Saint Empire and the rest of the mortal world.

For Immortals who have so much more time on their hands, they could create unbelievable techniques that mere men can only dream about. A single immortal could refine a technique over and over the years until it is perfected in his hands.

Whereas, every cultivation method in Saint Empire had to be handed down through the generations, refined by different people along the way. Each change of hands inadvertently meant that a research was set back. After all, in the hands of a genius, much more could be done, but such a person in the Immortal Realm have far more time than his counterpart in the Mortal Realms.

The Emperor once again stood up from his throne from his excitement. When he first heard that Kairos created a cultivation circle that could improve training speed by two times, he knew that he had to get the boy to make one in the palace no matter the cost.

The training advantage of the Stratagem that Kairos made was so alluring that even the Emperor felt tempted to go into the city and join in the cultivators at the training hall.

He masterfully suppressed that thought, and then cried out to summon the boy, that very day. But just as his words left his lips, the Emperor laughed and stopped himself.

It had been a long while, as a monarch, that he is overly enthusiastic. In such a state, no decision could be wisely made, and therefore he pushed the summon to the next day instead.

Now, when Emperor Galahad asked if Kairos could make a stronger Stratagem, it wasn’t that he is discontent with two-times speed of cultivation, but because he supposed that Kairos might wish to claim credits and have stored better options.

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However, even though he was confident in his speculation, he believed it could only be a small improvement, of around two and a half times speed. Even that much is beneficial beyond belief.

Galahad knew he would have broken out in laughter even in a deep sleep, when Kairos proposes to triple the training rate of the stratagem.

Seeing the Emperor stood up from his throne, Kairos politely asked with a hint of humour in his voice, “Shall your subject be rewarded?”

“What? … Kairos Astroire, you dare ask to be rewarded for a service to the crown?”

“Yes Sire,” he replied truthfully. With the Emperor needing him more than ever, and for the sake of saving his friends, there is no fear to hold him back from asking. Besides, putting on a pretence before another individual is out of character for Kairos.

“Hmmm… In the light of your recent achievements, and the service you shall offer to the crown. I suppose you ought to be rewarded. We have already heard of your declaration during your conferment party, but we cannot aid any nobles directly in their squabbles,” The Emperor said, and then stopped his speaking here.

Kairos know the reason for his pause is to give him time to think on the words. The Emperor could not side with him directly, in his fight against the three families, but that also explicitly hints that indirect help from the throne would be fine.

Otherwise, why would the Emperor mention it together with the subject of rewarding Kairos?

The Emperor, pleased with Kairos who appears to understand the meaning behind his words, took out two insignias from his person.

The first one with the symbol of a tiger carved on it is made of Star Metal, a shiny piece of metal that sparkles in all colours when light shines upon it. The second one with the symbol of a phoenix is made of Black Jade, no form of light could reflect off its surface, causing it to be of darkest colour.

The Emperor then said, “You shall take this insignia of Star Metal for now. It will grant you all benefits a 3rd Class official has, without the responsibilities. Then, when you have proven yourself to my other subjects, you will receive the Black Jade insignia, and it will grant you the advantages of a 2nd Class official.”

The tokens made Kairos’ heart race. It is exactly what he required at this stage, and he had thought to ask for this if the Emperor had decided another form of reward.

Though 3rd Class Official sounded insignificant, he did not view it as low ranking. In fact, it is already the second highest possible official rank for him to achieve.

In Saint Empire, there are merely nine different classes of Officials. With the 9th Class at the beginning level for those who just entered state affairs, while the top level, the 1st Class Official, is reserved for the Prime Ministers.

Whereas 3rd Class Officials which the Emperor had bestowed upon Kairos, is a rank so high there are only 10,000 Officials are of his equal. For a great Empire with over a billion citizens, this is a reward that would be questioned by most people if not because of the Emperor’s absolute authority.

Needless to say, the 2nd Class official that was promised to him is even more extraordinary, with at most a hundred who holds the rank at any time.

With the emblem, he would gain access to many new powers within the Empire, including setting his employees free.

Kairos thanked the Emperor and accepted the Star Metal insignia for now. The power of a 3rd Class Official will grant him the fangs he needed for this trade war.

When the boy left the audience hall, the Emperor dismissed his courtiers for a private moment by himself. Away from every person, Emperor Galahad’s laughter resonated through the hall. He had not enjoyed meeting with a subject for centuries, but Kairos had truly delighted him.

Not only is the boy honest, a rarity the Emperor now cherishes, but he also speaks daringly unlike any other subject. Alongside, the joy brought by Kairos' numerous achievements that changed the future of Saint Empire for the better.

The Starfire array which helped the Empire's army beat back their foes.

Sealing weapons which could store Ki and release unparalleled Ki attacks, granting the commanders honour on the battlefield.

The death of the Princess, the youngest Runic Scholar of Silent Lambs Empire.

The destruction of the Phantoms organisation, the greatest military power of Silent Lambs Empire.

And privately, the Emperor credits the death of Syriong, the Guardian of the Realm, to Kairos. No matter what caused one of the three pillars of the enemy’s empire to fall, it is due to this boy who flushed Syriong out, in the first place.

Now, he has given the royal family and the city’s training hall each a cultivation circle, unmatched by any other in the world.

Fortunately, the young boy is of a commoner’s background because no matter how wise he is for his age, Kairos did not seem to notice that he had been short-changed with his rewards.

In fact, any of his achievements would warrant all the gifts the Emperor had given so far. But it wasn’t that Galahad did not want to give Kairos better rewards, with the boy’s sudden appearance, even a ruler would find it difficult to convince his loyal subjects a justification for such favour.

“Don’t worry boy. Just work hard for now, and everything you deserve will be due when you are grown,” The Emperor thought privately with a grin, “Tonight will be another peaceful rest.”

The burden on his shoulders had been collecting over the years, especially when their neighbouring Empire had been showing increasing aggression in recent times.

But now, because of a young 13-year-old, even if the enemy wishes to start a war, they couldn’t for the old fangs of the wolf that is called the Silent Lambs Empire had been plucked.

“Summon Lord Yue to court,” A voice infused with Ki boomed in the audience hall.

The attendant outside of the audience hall shouted a reply and scurried off, “As you wish, my lord!”