In the beautiful sky, far, far away from the Sovereign continent. In an area that is not accessible by ordinary means, stood an immense structure floating in the sky.

It was a large golden city. Different kinds of buildings, from large to small, covered most of its surface. They were all unique in some way. Be it in shape, size and position. Yet they all had something in common. Gold.

All of the structures were golden, shining brilliantly in a manner that made it hard to dislike. The entire city, from top to bottom, was covered in those golden buildings, making the entire city shine, its splendour made it look like it was made by the caring hands of deities. Or rather to be more accurate, it was.

The city had many floating structures above it, giving one the impression that the city was divided into levels. Judging from the outer appearance, one could even say that the higher one went, the more lavish the sites and the more grand the surroundings.

At the highest level of the city, stood only one building. This building was the tallest and the most beautiful of them all. It stood erect, like a golden sword piercing the heavens.

In front of the building was a garden, which had many people wandering around in it. Everyone of these people were extraordinary, be it in bearing or in appearance.

With a flash, a figure appeared within the garden. No one reacted, as if this was a normal occurrence. This figure was a man. It was Li.

The same Li who had claimed to be Bastian’s Avatar.

Li was dressed in robes that seemed to be the perfect balance between lavish and simple. He walked through the garden, seemingly unnoticed.

This did not bother him at all. He simply walked on, with the same calm smile he always had. He arrived in front of the entrance to the building.

Two armored guards were standing there, fully equipped and exuding a powerful aura.

As soon as Li arrived in front of them however, they immediately kneeled and shouted out, “Minister Li!”

Li nodded his head and said, “One of you go to the Emperor and tell him that I am convening a meeting of the Investors.”

The guards opened their eyes in surprise when they heard what Li said, but they still reacted quickly. One guard’s silhouette flashed, leaving the other kneeling in front of Li.

“That will be all.” said Li as he waved his hand. Li walked into the entrance, leaving a surprised guard by the door. Although he had straightened out his expression in time, his heart was still in turmoil.

Minister Li is calling for a meeting of the Investors. That means he has finally chosen a candidate!

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The normally stoned hearted guard shivered at the effects of this event.

…

In a room were two people. They were seated and were playing a simple game of chess. One of the people was a young woman. She was incredibly beautiful. Her skin was perfect. Her eyes were enchanting and her figure was obvious even under the robes she was wearing.

The other was a middle aged man. He looked very intelligent and always seemed to have a devious smile on his handsome face. His body exuded a confidence that had a magnetic effect amongst those who observed him. The young woman included.

“Lord Filo, I am uncomfortable with the way things are at the moment.” said the young woman as she moved a piece.

“What is it Lady Maya?” said the middle aged man referred to as Lord Filo.

“The other side have been too quiet. They are not doing anything, due to their lack of activity, the other Ministers are worried.” said Maya.

Filo merely smiled and said nothing, as if he was waiting for something. And sure enough, it came.

“Especially Minister Li. These past few months he has been too quiet. Its bothering me.” said Maya.

“Maya, you are relatively new to the court, so allow me to correct you on something.” said Filo mysteriously.

Maya looked up, making sure to pay attention. Seeing this Filo continued, “Li is not with the other side.”

“Lord Filo, are you saying he is on our side? That is difficult to believe.”

“I didn’t say he is on our side.”

“Then has he joined a new coalition? I wasn’t informed of this. How can a coalition be formed so quickly.”

“He didn’t join a new coalition either.”

“Then who has he joined?”

Filo put a piece down onto the board and said “Checkmate.” Maya could care less about the game, and Filo saw that as well.

He laughed and decided to finish what he had started. “Li does not join sides. He by himself, is a force to be reckoned with.”

Maya giggled, disdain clearly visible in her eyes. “Lord Filo, Minister Li is cunning, but I assure you we have him cornered. Although his lack of activity has bothered us, it could be due to the fact that we have suppressed hi-”

“Nonsense.” said Filo in a chilling tone. Maya saw his frown and shut up. She knew that when talking to this man, there are certain times to keep quiet. Now was one of those times.

“If Li is quiet, it means one of two things: One, he is planning something and is moving cautiously. Two, his plan is already has already been put into effect.” said Filo.

Maya thought for a while, and after she could no longer bear it she spoke, “But Lord Filo, all the most impressive Mark Bearers have been taken, the ten year time period is almost up, so this next batch will effectively be the last. The previous batch has been screened thoroughly, so he must be planning something, its unlikely that he can do anything without—–”

Before Maya could finish saying her thoughts, the door was opened and a servant hurried in.

“Minister Diver and Minister Filo. A meeting of Investors has been convened by—“

“I thought I said no interruptions!” shouted Maya. She was embarrassed and feared she had lost face in front of Filo, and was planning to take it out on the servant.

The servant squealed in fright and prostrated, ” I apologize Minister Divar, but I am following your instructions!”

“Which instructions?” said Maya.

“You told me to report if Minister Li makes any movements.” said the quivering servant.

The entire time Filo had been quietly observing the servant. With a somewhat bored expression on his face, until he heard the name ‘Li’.

A loud breaking noise resounded throughout the room. Maya and the servant were surprised and looked for the source, only to find that Minister Filo, who was famous for his composure, had destroyed the armrests on his chair!

Maya knew very well why he had reacted the way he had. She had a grim expression as well. As she was about to tell the servant to explain, Filo’s chilly voice echoed through her ears, “What did he do?”

Since her birth, Maya had never thought four words could be so powerful.