In the emptied audience hall of the Palace, a series of hastened footsteps announce the arrival of Lord Yue.

Dressed in the black 2nd Class Official Robes, he walked to the centre of the grand audience hall and knelt on a knee, facing his Sovereign.

“My Emperor,” He said.

“Raise,” Emperor Galahad dismissed the formality while taking a glance at a talisman stuck to the wall at his side.

The faint glow upon it indicated that it had been activated, and a barrier now protects the room from spies.

“Yue,” The emperor spoke to his subject that was waiting after he was commanded to stand, “Have you looked into the boy?”

“I have, my Lord. He is indeed special,” Lord Yue replies, “Though he has made a mess in the Devilheart house.”

“Oh? Have you found something new?”

“The tome that the boy carried is impervious to all the elements, in fact, it seemed to have the ability to strengthen them. It caused the fire I place it in to burn brighter, and ice more freezing. So far I have not confirmed what type of artefact it is, regardless what test I put it through its pages remains empty.

Also, it disappeared when I kept it out of sight for a moment, and I suspect it has returned to the boy’s side.”

Lord Yue’s report caused a frown to appear on the Emperor’s brow. As a practitioner that has access to the best resources of this ancient empire, even Galahad could not understand what kind of treasure could have such abilities. Immunity and enhancing the elements, plus a returning spell?

He thought for a while but only became more fuddled. From his understanding, even Immortal Artefacts should not have such abilities. Maybe it is an object from the Divine Realms?

“Have you put it to the sword?” He asked.

“Sire, I have personally tried to destroy a single page within using the epitome of my ability, yet no scratch was left on it,” Lord Yue answered honestly.

This ability, what Lord Yue called The Absolution, is well-known throughout the Empire. That even the other nations fear. It could sever the strongest bonds, and not limited to physical objects, but to a certain extend even separating abstract forces. Including peoples’ minds, a person’s soul, or even energy itself.

Being born with it, this is something uniquely his. And because of this, Yue had been groomed since young to become a top practitioner, receiving the favour and resources from the throne and eventually made his family one of the top 3 noble houses of the Empire.

Though it is powerful, The Absolution is far from omnipotent. It allows him to see the weak points on his targets, as well as the amount of energy needed to destroy them, but if the amount of strength is beyond him, then his ability will fail.

However, what makes Lord Yue so dangerous is that even when his ability to sever fails, his strike will deal tremendous damage that even Triple S rankers would dread. Of course, it is a frightening ability because of how strong Lord Yue is, yet after using his skill he was unable to harm even a page from Kairos’ tome.

Suppressing his perplexity, Lord Yue added on, “My Lord, not only was I unable to damage the book, I was unable to sense how much strength I need to destroy a page.

This had never happened before.

No matter how durable something is, I could still get a rough gauge of what is needed to destroy it, even this celestial star that we are on has one. But not this book, and in fact, it appears perfect from weakness, or at least beyond my ability to see any.”

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Emperor Galahad stared at Lord Yue for a moment. Is it to say that the smelly, old, leather tome is more durable than the very star they are on? Isn’t that simply unthinkable?

As an Emperor of a state, there is a skill that was beaten into Galahad since young, which is to put up a pretence at all times and to be an excellent actor. As an added bonus, because he is a mage, Galahad has powerful control over his mind and can quickly snap himself out of overly intense emotions. A trait he found immensely useful over the years.

It is a talent commonplace among the arcane wielders and allowed him to quickly recovered his sense. The Emperor said mildly, “No matter. I trust you had aided the boy in the matter after the book’s disappearance?”

“Yes, my lord, no one knows where the tome has disappeared to, but I am carrying out a secret investigation to confirm if it has returned to the boy’s hands.

Also, I have discovered a relationship between Kairos and fifteen individual under the Devilheart’s … ‘employment’ and I had arranged for their soul slips to return from their employer’s hands and granted them safe passage to leave.”

“Yue, thank you.”

“You’re most welcome my lord. I just hope that he will be the one to stop the Devilheart.”

…..

Back in Saint City, Kairos has set off to rescue his employees who are held in the dungeon. He received the keys from the prefecture office, meeting no resistance there due to his new 3rd Class Official status.

With his illustrious Star Metal Talisman, he marched into the prison unhindered, with this token few governors could match his authority, and most couldn’t keep themselves from fawning over Kairos.

But it wasn’t to say that his enemies could not overrule him. In fact, at the time when he reaches the dungeons, quite a few of his foes were present and watched.

These high nobles have been in existence for centuries, and along the way, many of their members are awarded official rankings like what Kairos received. Of course, unlike him, their authority comes with the responsibilities and Official duties suiting their state position.

Especially the Steel Rose family, as one of the 3 Great Noble houses, they are in possession of multiple Official ranks of the 3rd and 4th Class. Moreover, the family head himself is a 2nd Class Official.

Even so, at this moment, all they could do is glare as Kairos brought his people out of jail.

It wasn’t that they feared the boy and therefore incapable of action, but they couldn’t act at all. As nobles, which of them are not perceptive of the intention of the crown?

They found out within the first hour that the Emperor had awarded Kairos with the Star Metal Talisman, fully knowing the boy’s purposes. If the nobles still go against Kairos, it would be indirectly fighting against their Emperor and a form of suicide.

Therefore, before the eyes of their foes, the employees celebrated their freedom. Every cheer was like a sharp slap to the faces of the three families.

“Young master, you really did it! We had no doubt in you, but what a miracle, haha!”

When they first saw Kairos, they felt as though he is a ray of sunlight in this dunk and chilly place. After he had promised to set them free, that ray of sunlight did not fade and it accompanied them in their isolation.

However, besides being restrained against their will, they were not similar to other prisoners in any way with Serge ensuring they have proper food and other necessities.

Truthfully, the guard’s allegiance to Kairos isn’t anything difficult to guess, having acted on the boy’s behalf several times in public already.

Calculus had rightfully assumed things would be made comfortable for the people belonging to Kairos, but he did not directly stop the city guard.

It wasn’t that Calculus could not, even with just a thousandth of his influence from his family, he could crush Serge like an ant. But as a highborn of prestige, it would be disgraceful to be found picking on a guard of the city magistrate.

It was a shame that Calculus is unwilling to bear.

Among those in the gentry, these lower ranking guards are usually little cause for attention, because they at most could cause some trouble with the peasantry by their excessive greed in tax collections. Their usual targets are merchants with a heavy purse, but trouble from them are just as easily averted with the right price.

Now that they have left their cells, these people who have worked all their lives without rest, they are excited to return to their jobs. Seeing their faces, Kairos remembered the farmers toiling the earth under the blazing sun in Rutea village, and he could understand their emotions at this moment. The excitement of being freed.

Unfortunately, the Snowdrifts’ shop is still inoperative, and they have no place for them.

With a solemn look on his face, Kairos turned to face them and sincerely asked, “Our counterattack will begin now, and I need your help.”

“Young master, just say the word, we old chaps will make sure it’s done.”

“I feel young again, and rearing to go!”

Xuan Xian nodded and placed her hand on the boy’s arm, “Do what you need, we will support your decisions.”

Kairos smiled at the trust he was given, and he nodded his thanks. “Come, let’s go to the Trade Federate, everyone is waiting for us there. Lyla, especially, will be glad to see you.”