After giving it more thought, he sighed, and a smile formed on his face. He knew that, no matter what, the galaxy and all the forces within it couldn’t come at him all at once. The galaxy was home to numerous species, each with different agendas and ways of doing things. It was doubtful they could even agree to sit at the same table, let alone rise together against a common threat. Frankly, such a unified front was a very, very distant possibility.

“There is no need to worry about it, Red Empress,” he said, smiling. “I don’t believe the galaxy could ever rise up for a single cause. And even if they did, I fear no one. We are prepared, and with time, we will only become stronger. This place is the center—the foundation from which our Empire and our aspirations will rise! No one shall stand in my way. If they dare, I will crush them with forces the likes of which they have never seen or heard of!”

Clenching his fist and raising it high, he spoke with solemnity.

“Besides, that is a concern for the future. As for the immediate future… are we not prepared for that as well?” Kallus said with a smirk.

He spoke of the Outer Border, guarded by eight defensive regiments; the Inner Zone, with its four dedicated defensive star systems; and the Core Zone, which was even more heavily defended. Each star system also had its own dedicated forces patrolling it constantly.

“And beyond that… we have our seven Grand Battle Fleets currently marching and attacking the regions ruled by the Minotaurs. We are showing a fraction of our power to the wider galaxy. That should be more than enough to make others think many times before they even consider an agenda against us. Most will back off and would never dream of coming at us—alliance or not.

“And above all, isn’t this an opportunity for many to join us? A powerful faction always attracts others, and are we not exactly that?” A smile that wasn’t quite a smile appeared on his face.

“The fall of the Minotaur Clan—which is under the protection of a Major Tier One Power, along with several other powers—will be both a statement and a display of strength.” He spoke with the same overwhelming momentum, though without much excitement.

Taking down the Minotaur clan wasn’t even a big task, after all. If anything, it was just a small island in a vast ocean. Even if they fell within the sphere of a major power, it didn’t matter. Kallus didn’t think much of them. To him, they were nothing more than slightly stronger, better-armored ants than the Minotaurs themselves. Nothing more.

And if they dared to move against him, then he would move against them as well, with a force so overwhelming they had never seen anything like it in their lives—and crush them in the same fashion.

Pushing these thoughts aside, he continued in the same neutral yet overwhelming tone. “It would send a clear message to the wider galaxy that this region is ruled by a power they cannot easily move against, and that they should not interfere—holy region or not.”

“This will serve as our ‘filter’ and a solution to ensure that a ‘Grand Coalition of the Galaxy vs. Us’ never happens, hypothetical as it may be.”

Indeed, it’s all hypothetical. To form such a grand alliance, there must be a motive, no? Something that threatens the interests of all. Though conquest of the galaxy is his goal, Kallus isn’t foolish enough to believe he can control it all simply because he has the power to do so.

And even if he could, he knows the myriad races that inhabit the galaxy must continue to live and act on their own. Their existence is… necessary.

Kallus continued. “Anyway, we have talked about this much more than we should have. It’s a waste of time,”

In the end, he spoke these words from the heart: “After all, why discuss the future? When it is so far away, it is basically pointless. Perhaps I will talk about it again when I have mastered and grasped the Law of Time.

Since I haven’t done that yet, I would rather not think too much about the future and instead focus on the present.”

“You are right about that. I am indeed thinking too much about a future that is so far away, and as you said, whether it will happen or not is a question in itself!

While predictions are necessary based on data, the data is not always precise—not to mention we don’t have much data on this topic to begin with! So, yes, let’s stop talking about it for now.” The Red Empress nodded with a sigh, agreeing with him.

“Tell me about the contingent we are preparing to head toward the Asura Imperium,” Kallus said.

“As a race, they share a peculiar relationship with—well, not ‘ours’ anymore, since I am no longer a human but of the dragon race,” he said with a laugh. “But they are not far off from humans in appearance, other than their pale blue skin and their single horn.”

And on top of that, not forgetting—”As of yet, they haven’t made an appearance in the Minotaur War, but they are a warrior race with technological capabilities far beyond the Minotaurs. They exist on an entirely different level; the two can’t truly be compared at all.” He spoke with a slight shake of his head.

He continued, speaking at length about the power of the Azura Imperium compared to the Minotaurs.

“The proof lies in their extraordinary forces. Even as a Tier 2 faction, they can stand toe-to-toe with newly crowned Tier 1 powers. “

“Had it not been for their smaller numbers, the Minotaurs’ long-standing presence in this corner of the galactic rim, the threat of the Genomes, and—more importantly—the Greater Orc race, which for some reason continues to target them… the Azura would have long since been crowned rulers of this region.

And all of that is something they built on their own.” He paused briefly.

“Unlike the Minotaurs, who merely stumbled upon the inheritance of a progenitor race and grew strong from it. Even then, they can barely be considered worthy rivals to the Azura Imperium.”

As he spoke, there was a faint hint of appreciation in his eyes—for a power that had forged itself and endured, even while being constantly challenged from all sides.

And because of that appreciation, he came to see them as a worthy race. Speaking up, he said, “It would be good if they willingly became a subordinate nation under us. It would benefit us—but it would benefit the Azura Imperium even more.”

“The envoy contingent is ready to set off at any time,” the Red Empress said formally. “They will be led by your appointee, the current Lord Governor of planet Aurora, Lady Yan Shi, along with the three City Lords of Aurora. They are supported by Vice Admiral Antonio, leading the first envoy fleet for their protection.”

Kallus nodded, beckoning her to continue.

The Red Empress wasn’t surprised, but she spoke up. “One thing I am unsure about… do you really want our first contact with the Asura Imperium to involve sending an enormous fleet—one that could potentially dismantle their empire alone.” That could still be explained if we say something along the lines that the fleet is there to act as the protector and escort of the envoy.

It may be excessive, but it remains acceptable—so long as a boundary is maintained. What is not acceptable, however, is…. “On to of it asking for their servitude? Don’t you think that’s a little too much?” She asked with a hint of skepticism in her eyes.

Kallus’s mouth twitched. He slowly slammed his right hand against his face, shaking his head. “You… sometimes I really fail to understand where your intelligence went! Of course I don’t want to do that at the first meeting.

Doing that would make me an oppressor—which I don’t mind being—but for a race like the Asura, that should be avoided. They have value and could become valuable allies. After all, even a wolf has its pack.”

Hearing his last line—after all, even the wolf has its pack—she simply rolled her eyes.

Heh… so? You want a pack as well? And since when did you become a wolf? Aren’t you a dragon—an ancient one at that? Shouldn’t you be saying something more fitting… like a Red Empress? The thought crossed her mind, though outwardly, she said nothing.

She only rolled her eyes again, her gaze heavy with skepticism

He shrugged his shoulders. “Anyway, the point is I won’t be doing that. Instead, I’ll let it happen slowly. Once the Asura realize the benefits of being with us, they will want it themselves. Or, instead of that ‘old era’ style of subordination, maybe I can create a sort of alliance?…..

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