"Where's little Muria? Can anyone tell me where he is now?" A stunning blonde girl sat lazily on a crystal throne, gazing down at the Synapse administrators below. Her expression was inscrutable, showing no signs of anger or joy.
"Mistress Atris, Young Master Muria is currently not in Synapse. He left us a message saying he needed to leave for a while to handle something very important. He didn't mention where he was going." Mia stepped forward, responding nervously.
Muria's sudden disappearance left Mia, the chief steward of Synapse, somewhat bewildered. It was one thing for Muria to usually stay out of affairs and just suppress everything from his throne, but she hadn't expected him to vanish without a word, leaving only a brief note.
This troubled Mia greatly. She was nominally in charge, managing all Synapse's affairs, but in reality, her authority was only as strong as Muria's presence. If Muria was absent for too long, she risked becoming a mere figurehead, an ornamental presence. After all, she was just a dragonborn, with little advantage compared to Synapse's other power holders. They were loyal to Muria but wouldn't obey the chief steward without his backing.
"Leaving for a while?" Atris's face curved into an intriguing smile as she turned her gaze to Ansel, standing by her side. "What did you say to Muria that scared him so much he abandoned such a big responsibility and ran off?"
"I merely informed him," Ansel furrowed his brows, looking displeased. "There's nothing to run away from."
"What do you plan to do now?" Atris asked, amused as she looked at her husband. "If you want to find Muria, I can track him down in no time. After all, I am his mother."
To Atris, Muria's behavior was foolish. She was a legendary mage and his direct blood relative. Given his limited abilities, he had nowhere to hide from her; finding him would be just a matter of time.
"Forget it. His reaction is clear. Since he doesn't want to, there's no point in forcing him." Ansel thought for a moment, the tension on his face easing. He hadn't expected Muria's reaction to be so extreme.
"So we're just letting him go?" Atris asked with a smile. She had already expressed her reluctance to chase after Muria. If she truly wanted to act, she wouldn't be asking Ansel's opinion.
"What else? Drag him back, find him a partner, and then what? If he refuses, what can we do? Drug him?" Ansel retorted.
"No need for drugs. There are plenty of other methods. I could develop a spell or create a magic array just for him. Even if he doesn't want to, I can still make him give me a cute granddaughter," Atris mused, rubbing her chin with interest. "What do you think? Just say the word, and I'll start immediately."
"Hmph, I'm not lowering myself to that level." Ansel snorted. "If he's unwilling, then so be it. When I achieve my epic form, I'll just give him a sibling instead."
"Such confidence. But I want a daughter. One son is enough," Atris suggested.
"As you wish," Ansel glanced at Mia and raised his hand, sending a spark of lightning into the blonde maid's palm. Seeing Mia's puzzled expression, he explained, "This is a communication mark. If there's any movement from the egg below the castle, you can use it to contact me."
With that, Ansel tore open a portal and left. Atris chuckled softly at his demeanor. "A cold exterior but a warm heart. Mia, if you face an unbeatable foe in Synapse while Muria is away, you can also use that lightning mark to reach Ansel."
...
"Still have to wait, huh?" In a manor at the headquarters of the Deep Blue Trading Company in the Uranus Empire, Muria looked at the twenty-four black-armored warriors before him, scratching his chin.
He had already discussed with the Seventh Princess Gladys, who, after returning, would send an invitation to the Dragon Princess for a banquet. However, Gladys couldn't guarantee the timing. As an imperial princess, she had numerous responsibilities and wasn't exactly free. But she wouldn't delay too long either; after all, even the Dragon Princess had to show some respect to the heir of the Uranus Empire.
In the meantime, Muria had nothing to do. He had no intention of returning to Synapse at this stage, so he needed something to keep him entertained and pass the time.
Muria chose to study the twenty-four Apocalypse Black Knights gifted by Gladys.
"Judging by their aura, they're somewhat similar to natural beings, but they're definitely constructs. This armor and flesh are fused as one... Interesting... No reproductive system, so they can't reproduce... Their organs seem designed solely for combat. With such design, they likely wear out quickly... Their lifespan can't match that of normal beings."
Muria examined the black knights, using his mental power to probe every part of their bodies. He confirmed that, currently, the alchemists under his command couldn't create such constructs that combined flesh and metal so perfectly.
"Sharp eyes, Your Highness. Only the royal family knows how to create these Apocalypse Black Knights. Gold-level knights can live for ten years, soul-intent level ones for thirty, and legendary ones for a hundred years," Andrew explained beside him.
"That's too short," Muria said in surprise. A legendary construct could only exist for a century, less than a mortal's lifespan.
"That's quite long, Your Highness. These constructs are made solely for war and slaughter. Most of them are destroyed in battle long before reaching their lifespan limit," Andrew clarified.
"If there's no war for a long time, would these constructs just sit there, gradually deteriorating?" Muria asked.
"Your Highness, beyond this world, the empire's conquest never stops. All black knights nearing the end of their lifespan are sent to the most intense battlefields, and within a month, they're used up," Andrew revealed, shocking Muria with the scale and relentlessness of their military campaigns.
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