A faint smirk played on his lips.

“I’m prepared to offer them a two percent increase in their share of the Holy Region.

“That should be more than enough to tempt them. Enough to make them accept… and play along, just as I need them to.”

Thinking of that, he walked out of his office and headed to a secured chamber deep within his palace.There, he activated a private communication channel—one that connected directly to his four key partners.

Within moments, the connection was accepted, and four holographic figures materialized in the room.

They were none other than:

The Dark Elven Empress of the Dark Elven Empire,

The small yet supremely authoritative Elder of the Mountain Dwarf Clan,

The Guild master of the Forgers’ Guild,

And the Master Alchemist of the Alchemy Association.

Before he could speak, a gruff voice cut through the air—It was Titan Dwarva, the guild master of the Forgers’ Guild branch in this region.

“Star Emperor, if you’ve contacted us about rushing the preparations or altering our prior agreement, let me be clear: I must refuse. We are proceeding exactly as discussed, and it cannot be expedited beyond what’s already in motion.”

With that, he folded his arms and fell silent.

The others, hearing him speak, echoed similar declarations. Each insisted that the expedition fleet preparations were already operating at their limit—they could not be sped up further.

The Star Emperor blinked, briefly stunned and left speechless—his mouth slightly ajar. Then he rolled his eyes at the four figures before him.

“You all worry too much… and think too much,” he sighed.”I didn’t contact you about that. This is about new developments—findings related to the Holy Region, discovered by my Duke, whom I’ve sent ahead with my fleets as per our agreement.”

He paused deliberately, observing their reactions.Surprise—and a touch of awkwardness—crossed each of their faces.

Especially Guild master Titan Dwarva—He stood there, clearly embarrassed, for he had been the first to jump to conclusions and speak out. The others had only followed his lead.As a result, his discomfort was far more obvious than theirs.

His broad shoulders stiffened, and he coughed awkwardly, trying to mask the awkwardness in his voice.”Ahem… My apologies, Star Emperor. I may have spoken hastily. It seems I misunderstood your intent.”

The Emperor gave a faint smile, not mocking, but certainly amused.”It’s fine, Guild master. I would have appreciated a moment to explain before being refused outright, but no harm done. At least now you’re all paying attention.”

“Haha, indeed… indeed, just as you’ve said, Star Emperor,” said Titan Dwarva, chuckling awkwardly as he tried to laugh off his embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Benjamin, the Alchemy Association Master, cleared his throat and spoke up—choosing to ignore his own discomfort. His embarrassment was lesser than Dwarva’s, as he had only followed along, not led. Still, the Star Emperor’s amused tone hadn’t gone unnoticed, and that alone made him uneasy.

“Putting that aside… Star Emperor, what were the recent findings made by your fleet?”

The Star Emperor’s demeanor shifted instantly. His playful air vanished, replaced by a calm and serious expression.

“Well,” he began, “the first and most important update is that entry into the Holy Region is still impossible.”

“There remains a vast field of spatial distortions surrounding the entire sector, along with dense mana clouds—storm like in nature. The mana storms can be navigated and aren’t much of a threat, but the spatial distortions… those are another matter entirely.”

The atmosphere in the chamber changed at once. Gone was the earlier awkwardness—now replaced by a shared tension. All four figures grew visibly serious.

The Dark Elven Empress narrowed her eyes. “Wasn’t it stated in the Minotaur reports that those distortions would have dissipated by the time this council met? That was two—no, nearly three—galactic days ago. Over ninety hours beyond what they had claimed.”

The Star Emperor sighed deeply, his tone laced with frustration. “Those lowly Minotaurs can’t be trusted. Whatever data they send is either outdated or completely wrong. This is the second time their reports have proven false.”

The others could only nod grimly in agreement. What he said was true—no one present could deny that the Minotaur delegation’s intelligence had been unreliable at best.

The Mountain Dwarf Elder spoke up, his voice stern and low.”We truly must deal with those Minotaurs… Their behavior is unacceptable. To act so unreliably in a matter of this scale—they deserve to be punished.”

Benjamin, the High Elf and the regional Master of the Alchemy Association, nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Elder. They should be dealt with—but that’s for later. Right now, we should focus on the matter at hand. It’s far too important to be distracted by that… lousy race.”

Turning to the Star Emperor, Benjamin continued, “Tell us, Your Majesty—what estimates has your fleet provided regarding the duration of the spatial barrier? That’s the main issue, after all. The mana clouds can be bypassed, even if they damage our shields a little. But the distortions… they’re the real obstacle.”

He had voiced the question that was on everyone’s mind.The Star Emperor was pleased—not just by the question itself, but by how closely Benjamin’s thoughts mirrored his own.

He had used almost the same words when discussing the matter with Duke Flexy earlier. A faint, inward smile formed as he thought, “Outstanding minds do think alike.”

Pleased, he began explaining.”According to Duke Flexy’s reports, the spatial distortions could persist anywhere from 14 to 15 days at the longest. That’s our current estimate.”

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of those words settle in the room. The expressions of those before him turned even more serious—some growing visibly concerned.

Then, with perfect timing, he added,”But—keep in mind, that’s an overestimation. We deliberately based our projections on the worst-case scenario. It’s always better to be over-prepared than caught off guard, wouldn’t you agree?”

Relief rippled across the group. The tension in their postures eased slightly as they nodded in agreement.”Yes… it’s best to be prepared for the worst,” murmured the Dwarf Elder.

Seeing them ease up—hooked, as he saw it—on what was technically not a lie, though not quite the truth either, the Star Emperor gave them the true estimate. “Realistically, we believe the distortions will subside in eight to ten days.”

Hearing this, all four were visibly relieved.

Even though eight to ten days was by no means a short wait, it felt far more acceptable than the previously stated fourteen to fifteen days. The earlier estimate had bordered on unacceptable—too risky, too uncertain. But now, with a more manageable window, they were able to accept it with relative ease.

Meanwhile, the Star Emperor—watching the relief spread across their faces—felt a subtle wave of relief himself.He knew he was playing with fire.

But what choice did he have?He needed the support of these four powers more than anything right now.Had they been told the truth from the start—that the delay might stretch to fifteen days—there was a high risk they would have reconsidered their involvement altogether.

And if they pulled out now, after investing so much already, it would hurt them as much as it would hurt him.But more importantly—it would leave the Holy Region vulnerable to outside forces.

He couldn’t let that happen.

Still, the relief among the four wasn’t absolute.

The Dark Elven Empress narrowed her eyes slightly and said,”This puts us in a difficult position, doesn’t it? Eight to ten days may not seem much on paper, but for those who have even a basic understanding of our actions… it’s more than enough time to grow suspicious.”

The Mountain Dwarf Elder nodded grimly, adding,”Indeed. It could put our entire plan in jeopardy. Once our fleets begin gathering—within a week at most—it will draw attention. Many factions who were previously uninterested may suddenly take notice.”

Then Guildmaster Titan Dwarva spoke, arms crossed tightly across his chest,”Both of you are absolutely right. Even the Tier-One Super States will notice us—especially when my Forgers’ Guild and the Alchemy Association start moving openly. They might hesitate at first, but once they realize the significance of the Holy Region, they’ll pull out all stops and dive in without hesitation.”

The High Elven Alchemy Association Master, Benjamin, nodded thoughtfully.”Indeed… we must begin thinking of countermeasures—solutions to manage this situation before it escalates.”

The Star Emperor, listening to them speak and raise concerns he had already considered with Duke Flexy just moments earlier, straightened slightly—his eyes glinting with purpose.

“Gentlemen,” he said, his voice calm but confident, “I believe I may have a solution. Or at least… something close to one.”

Immediately, the room shifted. All eyes turned toward him with renewed interest.

Benjamin, raising a brow, leaned forward slightly and said,”Speak your mind, Star Emperor. We’re listening.”

He was intrigued. If the solution was viable, then he was more than willing to support its implementation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep