The discussion about joining up with the Emperor’s forces was put on hold as Farah’s parents returned, having reached an agreement between themselves.

“So?” Farah asked. “What did you two decide on?”

“We’ll take you up on that offer,” her mother replied with gritted teeth.

“Excellent. My legal counsel will get in touch with you shortly to arrange the details,” Farah replied. “Bailiff, how should we proceed now?”

“Since all members of the court are here, there is no need for formality,” the bailiff replied. “The court case will be ended here, with the court noting the private settlement and the terms of it. Everyone involved, please follow me.”

Dia and the others watched on idly as Farah and her parents left the room, and Beth waddled over to…Emperor Grandis.

“What’s this little one up to?” the Emperor asked. “Oh. My clothes are very attractive, are they not? You have good, my little friend. What’s your name?”

“Bet!”

“Bet?”

“No. Bet!”

This little exchange, where Beth constantly mispronounced her name in an attempt to correct Emperor Grandis, lasted for around twenty second, before Risti cleared her throat. “Granduncle, it’s Beth.”

“Ah. Beth.”

“Wait,” Dia cut in. “Granduncle?”

“Well, he is older than my father,” Risti replied. “Why?”

“Why? You didn’t tell us about this at all!” Schwarz replied. “You’re related to His Majesty?”

“No, he just asks me to call him that,” Risti replied. “Don’t make too much of a fuss about it. I know it’s hard, but there’s really nothing to it.”

“Indeed. I am just a man that’s six millennia old,” Emperor Grandis replied, before plucking out a halo that was floating behind his back. “You can play with this if you want, Beth.”

“Rweally?”

“Of course.” The Emperor handed the halo to Beth, who clutched it in her tiny hands and began to fiddle with it.

Dia gazed at the horrifying scene of a toddler handling what was probably an important asset of the Emperor, and felt her head spin slightly. That halo was probably a weapon or something, right? Was it a good idea to give it to a child to play with?

“Want to use!” Beth pointed at the other halos floating behind Emperor Grandis.

“Oh.” The Emperor smiled, and then gestured once. “Here you go.”

Dia’s headache worsened, but at least, from the looks of it, this halo was probably not a weapon, but rather some defensive artefact. However, artefacts weren’t really meant for kids to play with, especially artefacts that belonged to Emperor Grandis of all people, and—

A hand fell on her shoulder, and Risti’s voice echoed in her ear. “Don’t worry so much. Emperor Grandis won’t give dangerous items to a kid. I know.”

“That sounds very ominous,” Schwarz chimed in.

Nero nodded. “Like you were his guinea pig for handing items to, you know. What, did he give you a sword as a child?”

“A sword’s fine,” Dia replied.

“Says the sword nut, but I wouldn’t hand a weapon to a kid,” Nero replied. “Right, Kemata?”

“Swords are bad.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

After invalidating a good part of her childhood, Kemata added, “Artefacts for children are good. Self-solving puzzles or something similar. Or homework.”

“…I do not know what possessed you to make you think that homework is fine,” Dia replied, “but it isn’t at all. Anyhow, I suppose if he’s good with children, it’s alright. I’ll just keep an eye on Beth in case she activates some hidden function of that halo or whatever.”

“Hidden functions aside, you can’t help but admit that she looks really good with that halo. The blend of cuteness and majesty produces a juxtaposition that cannot be reflected elsewhere, see?” Schwarz chuckled. “So adorable. And so shiny.”

Beth turned around to look at the halo, which was busy illuminating her surroundings with violet light, but the halo moved with her back.

“And now she’s trying to turn to face the halo,” Schwarz commented. “Like a little puppy chasing its tail, yes?”

“Aye.”

“Indeed.”

Before Dia could respond, the sounds of a heated quarrel entered the room, and the door blew open. Farah, who was at the forefront of it all, had a smug grin on her face as she took her position with Dia and the others.

“What is this ruckus?” Emperor Grandis asked, his tone mild.

Those words, however, seemed to carry some sort of silencing effect, and Farah’s parents, who were bickering with each other, fell silent. Their entourage looked at the duo curiously, uncertain of why they were quarrelling, but no one was going to open their mouths now.

“At least you people still have some respect for your sovereign.” Emperor Grandis snorted once. “Bailiff?”

“The terms have been laid out. In exchange for permanent disinheritance and severance of ties, Countess Farah will provide her mother with thirty gold every month as long as she lives, as long as she has enough money,” the bailiff replied. “The assessment of her finances can be requested upon a late or insufficient delivery of the promised reparations. If it comes to pass that reparations can no long be provided after an assessment by our auditors, the reparations will be put on hold until as such time that they can resume, but no backlog will be paid out.”

“Excellent,” Emperor Grandis replied, a smile on his face. “This matter ends here, then. The Epiekeias are not to contact Countess Farah or contact her county at all, unless there are problems with the payment.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Dia lowered her head with the others as those words rang through the room.

“Now that we’re done with this, I would like the Seekers of Life to follow me.” Emperor Grandis got up. “There are plans to be made, and the divinities are not giving us much time in this regard. And I believe you people should be very interested to learn about what is going on right now.”

His eyes lingered on Nero and Kemata. “Some of you in particular.”

“Of course,” Schwarz replied. “Right, Your Majesty, do you like very strong alcohol?”

Dia, who reacted three seconds too late to stop those words from spilling out, watched helplessly as Emperor Grandis raised an eyebrow.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Not really, but even the Blue Moon can’t handle my drinks,” Schwarz replied proudly.

“…You’re not bragging, surprisingly enough.” The Emperor of the Grandis Empire folded his arms. “Well, after we’re done with the talks, I’ll have a sample. Let’s see if your claim is really true.”

He swept out of the room. Farah, who was sticking closely to the Emperor, gestured at Dia and the others to follow along.

The faint sounds of a newly restarted quarrel lasted for only a few seconds before the door behind them closed.

“Interesting strategy,” Emperor Grandis abruptly said. “Pitting your parents against each other so that they won’t unite to somehow break the ruling. Little Farah. You’re quite the experienced politician, no?”

“My apologies for that display, Your Majesty.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Emperor Grandis replied. “You have a good head. I will watch you closely in the days, years and centuries to come. How will you re-establish your county when we enter the new world? I look forward to your performance.”

“The Cosmic Egg, Sire?”

“Indeed,” Emperor Grandis replied. “But that presumes that we are all still alive, naturally. The divinities have raised the warflags. It is hard to say whether my little city will still be standing when the dust settles.”

“You’re not confident?” Farah asked.

“We’re all just hexa- or septa-folders,” Emperor Grandis replied. “The divinities are still far stronger than us right now. The cycle is ending. It’s not our time to rise. Humanity must learn to float on their own…there is a reason why this is the Last Godsfall. When the battle ends, there will only be one group of gods to rule over the new world.”

“…And our role is to survive.”

“Which is best served by not being part of any faction until we see a winning move,” Dia muttered.

“You see very clearly, young princess.” Emperor Grandis chuckled. “Precisely. We cannot win, but we can make the king. The role of humanity is that of a kingmaker. Those who recognise this will hole up in a mighty fortress until a stalemate is forged, at which time the side we support will win.”

Beth, who still had that halo behind her, clapped her hands. “Win!”

“…Not that kind of winning you’re thinking about, little one.” Emperor Grandis smiled. “But yes. Win.”

He patted her head. “Whose child is this?”

“We adopted her,” Dia replied. “Her parents perished during a Distortion.”

“A Distortion. I see.” The Emperor shook his head. “I saw the two who solved the first Distortion. They’re part of your group too, yes?”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Grandis nodded. “I wonder what fate brought you people together…”