"Shouldn't you show yourselves and stop hiding, Emperor Alex and Duke Noah?"
David spoke in a cold tone while glancing at his side.
As if in response, the space began to vibrate, and two figures materialized before them: a handsome man dressed in a regal golden robe, his smile faint yet captivating, and a kind-looking middle-aged man with snow-white hair and a gentle, ever-present smile.
Arthur was surprised, and his eyes widened upon seeing them. "What! The other two figures on the throne are Emperor Balka and Duke Noah of the North," he exclaimed.
He immediately shifted his gaze toward the throne in the sky and confirmed that it was indeed empty.
"David Asvold, you're quite fierce," Emperor Alex said with a smile.
"But I'm not here to cause any trouble."
"Actually, my visit has to do with your son." He turned to Arthur with an expression that was both humorous and admiring.
Hearing this, David remained indifferent and took no further action.
After all, they were on his territory, and Emperor Alex was unlikely to cause trouble.
Furthermore, as the leader of the Empire, he had a reputation to uphold and would not engage in such behavior.
Arthur furrowed his brows slightly as he listened to their conversation, realizing that there was something he needed to understand.
"It's no wonder I feel familiar with him!" Arthur said to himself as he recognized the handsome man in front of him.
"It turns out he's the Emperor of Balka and Lucia's father!" Despite the similarities between Lucia's features and those of her father, Arthur wondered why the Emperor had come to seek him out.
"What could he possibly want from me?" he wondered inwardly.
"Have we met before?" Arthur asked, feeling a little confused.
Suddenly, he raised one eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. "Is he suspecting me of getting close to Lucia?" he silently guessed.
He was convinced that the only reason Emperor Alex would seek him out was to discuss the matter of rescuing Lucia.
Furthermore, given the Emperor's secretive nature and unexplained motives in the novel, it was possible that he had come to ensure that his plan had no loose ends.
"Very meticulous indeed, as expected from the greatest adversary in the Balka Empire arc," Arthur playfully complimented inwardly, recognizing the Emperor's cunning and intelligence.
"However, I am not the real Arthur, and in his place, I will undoubtedly become the strongest adversary throughout the entire Balka arc!" Arthur declared.
"In fact, I will even surpass the Ancient Star Empire and become the ultimate and most powerful foe for Abel in the future!" he declared silently, feeling a surge of determination.
As he turned his gaze towards Emperor Alex, he noticed that the Emperor was standing beside his father with a faint smile on his lips.
He immediately spoke in a light tone, "Arthur Asvold, you are truly a talented boy, just like your father."
"Hahaha!" Emperor Alex laughed and praised Arthur.
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty," Arthur replied with a slight bow of respect and a smile.
"You are a very handsome and intelligent boy, and a suitable heir indeed."
"David does have a perfect son and heir, which makes me a little jealous that I don't have a son like you, only a daughter." Emperor Alex chuckled and complained a little. However, Arthur, being smart, understood the underlying meaning of the emperor's sudden words.
"Indeed, Your Majesty, you have a very intelligent daughter like Princess Lucia. It is indeed your good fortune," Arthur replied, praising Lucia in front of Emperor Alex.
He did not say this without purpose; he wanted to make Emperor Alex lower his guard and stop suspecting him.
As Lucia's rescue might have raised suspicion from Emperor Alex, Arthur knew the power of the Imperial family network, which was even stronger than Duke Asvold's mansion.
He had to find a way to lower the emperor's guard because being vigilant would make his plans harder to fulfill.
It was not yet the right time to confront the Imperial family directly.
Arthur needed to first build his army and approach Emperor Alex's younger sister, who is David's first wife.
As she seemed to be close, it would be easier to attack the Balka Empire from within.
As Arthur thought to himself, Emperor Alex fell silent, and a faint smile returned to his face.
He responded, "You're right. Lucia is a beautiful and kind girl. I hope you can befriend her. However, she hasn't had anyone to talk to for a long time, and her rebellious nature has started to surface."
Upon hearing this, Arthur sighed and smiled as he replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I certainly would like to befriend her."
Arthur felt a slight sense of relief after hearing Emperor Alex's response, which proved that he did not suspect Arthur's intentions in befriending Lucia.
However, given Emperor Alex's cautious nature, it was impossible to completely evade his vigilance.
Nonetheless, Arthur could now move more freely.
Arthur thought to himself, "What a truly frightening character!"
"His sharp mind and caution are unparalleled."
Emperor Alex nodded and then turned to David beside him, saying, "Alright, I'll go first, David."
"Anyway, my business is done," he said lightly with a faint smile. Without waiting for David's reply, his body slowly blurred and disappeared before everyone's eyes.
David just nodded and immediately turned his attention to Noah, who had been smiling as if he had nothing to do and was just tagging along.
"Did you also come to meet my son?" David asked without changing his expression.
Noah was not angry and just smiled while looking at Arthur.
He nodded, but no one knew what he was thinking. He immediately turned to leave without saying a single word.
However, before leaving, Noah turned back and looked at David while asking, "Do you really want to start, David?"
Without waiting for David's answer, Noah disappeared into the void.
David's expression did not change, and he immediately turned his gaze toward Arthur, Runa, and Anna.
He suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the three of them. A small fireball appeared at the tip of his index finger.
The fireball split into three and quickly headed toward the hearts of the three.
Arthur tried to dodge, but his reflexes were not fast enough to keep up.
*Buk!
Arthur widened his eyes, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face as he couldn't feel the core of his heart at all!
Runa and Anna's expressions were also full of shock, and they looked at Arthur with panicked expressions.
"Take it easy; I sealed your cores because you're all still too young to use the power of the cores inside your bodies anyway."
"The seal will be opened when you turn fifteen automatically, at which point your bodies will be able to contain a large amount of mana."
"At that time, you can use elemental arts according to the elemental power contained in your core," David explained indifferently to the three.
Arthur felt relief wash over him as he remembered the explanation in the novel, which stated that the characters' cores would be sealed until they turned fifteen.
The story began ten years after this point, so his encounter with Abel had not yet happened.
"Thank you for explaining, Lord Duke," Arthur said respectfully, while Runa and Anna nodded in agreement.
David nodded and immediately looked at the butler, saying, "Send ten nine-core elementals to seal the cores of all the risen children."
"And the children who did not succeed in awakening their cores, give their parents some crystal stones."
"And please also summon all the southern Luvic nobles who are currently present, as I want to discuss something with them. Afterward, please escort Arthur back to the mansion."
"Yes, Lord Duke, as you command!" The butler nodded and said it respectfully.
Overhearing their conversation, Arthur thought to himself and guessed, "It's probably related to my official ascension as heir, which could potentially shift the power dynamics in the entire southern region."
Although this was what he had expected, he somehow felt that everything had indeed changed since his birth in this world. Whether it was his own destiny as Arthur, who died in the novel, or the destinies of others that indirectly began to change,
Just as he was lost in thought, David's voice rang in his ears, which made him immediately snap out of it.
"Arthur, choose talented children from among those ordinary people," David suggested, which immediately made Arthur's eyes light up with excitement.
He had originally planned to ask David to choose talented children as his subordinates, but he was afraid that David would refuse. However, hearing David give him permission, he felt very excited!
"Okay, thank you!" Arthur nodded excitedly, as if a child had gotten a new toy.
Arthur was excited about the prospect of building his army in both overt and covert directions, as it would provide him with significant advantages.
Suddenly, David vanished from sight without uttering another word.
Seeing this, Arthur was not surprised, as he knew that David would be very busy anyway, especially since his ascension ceremony was in just two days.
"After this, my chances will be greater!" Arthur said to himself as he retrieved a small piece of paper and a piece of chalk from his robe pocket and began to write.
Arthur always carried a small piece of paper and chalk in his robe pocket, knowing they would be invaluable for moments like this one.
Anna and Runa exchanged confused glances as they tried to figure out what Arthur was doing.
"Done!" Arthur said this with a happy smile as he handed over the paper to the butler.
"Please gather the children who wrote on this paper and have them come to me tomorrow," he added in a gentle tone.
Without looking at the contents of the paper, the butler accepted it and put it in his left pocket without saying a word.
The butler responded respectfully, saying, "As you commanded, young master."
Arthur nodded, pleased with the butler's response.
"Alright, Runa, let's head back," Arthur said, smiling at Runa.
However, before Runa could answer, Anna walked over frantically and looked at Arthur with annoyance. "Are you going to leave me?" she asked.
Arthur looked at Anna in confusion and asked, "Don't you have to go back to your father?"
"Of course, but aren't you going to say goodbye to me?" She asked with a sad expression.
"Well, we will meet often in the future," Arthur reassured Anna, giving her a gentle pat on the head.
He knew that despite her pride and arrogance, Anna still had a soft side that craved attention and affection.
Anna's face lit up at Arthur's words, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Young Master Arthur!" She exclaimed, feeling reassured and happy.
Arthur nodded and smiled gently. Soon, he turned to Runa and said, "Alright, let's go, Runa."
"Umm~" Runa nodded and walked beside Arthur.
Seeing this, Anna's eyes briefly showed jealousy, but then she quickly changed her expression to a silly smile, saying, "Hehehe, I'll be able to meet young master Arthur again~" as if she remembered Arthur's earlier gentle treatment.
The butler shook his head upon seeing Anna like this and thought to himself, "Young Master Arthur's aura and face really resemble Lady Elizabeth's, which can even make the Lord Duke become obsessed like that." He sighed in slight horror at the thought of that woman, Elizabeth.
