Chapter 46

Chapter 46

"Where's Ano?"

Norton rested his hand naturally on Ye Mo's shoulder, gently nudging him forward.

Ye Mo had been glancing sideways at Norton's hand on his shoulder, but upon hearing this, he promptly forgot about it and replied cautiously, "Ano is busy. It seems he has a lot of things to handle regarding the conference arrangements."

Norton didn't speak further. In the corridor, only their footsteps could be heard, almost synchronized, with just a slight lag.

After a while, Ye Mo mustered the courage to break the silence. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off."

Norton stopped walking and looked down at Ye Mo. "I'm not blaming you. There's no need to apologize to me."

Ye Mo also stopped, turning to face Norton, his head lowered so that his view was limited to the floor and Norton's boots. "I've caused a lot of trouble for you, for many people..."

Norton said, "Look up."

Ye Mo raised his head, his feet unconsciously falling into a shoulder-width stance, his hands behind his back, and his back straightened. His gaze wandered uncertainly before finally settling on the button at Norton's collar.

But Norton continued, "Meet my eyes."

Ye Mo then met Norton's eyes. He had seen Norton in recordings before. Those recordings were usually from occasions like vast armies assembled, awaiting Norton's declaration of war, or perhaps during tribunals. Therefore, in Ye Mo's impression, those eyes were always cold, even hostile, brimming with killing intent.

But now, they were still the same eyes, authoritative and intimidating, yet Ye Mo felt a subtle difference.

Ye Mo's initially anxious heart settled slightly for a moment, as if instinctively knowing that everything would be fine.

Only then did Norton begin his questioning. "What trouble do you think you've caused?"

Ye Mo thought for a moment. "I barged into the venue, disrupted their game. And you... I've caused you a lot of trouble. Ano had told me earlier to stay put, saying many people would come to test me, and Secretary-General Lin..."

Ye Mo's voice gradually faded until it disappeared.

Norton waited for a while, confirming Ye Mo had finished speaking before saying, "I don't think you were wrong for going out."

"Even if you did something wrong, taking responsibility for your mistakes is my duty as your father."

Ye Mo widened his eyes, seeming somewhat incredulous.

Sunlight streamed in from the window, striking one side of Norton's face as if gilding it with a pale gold hue.

Norton, who rarely spoke so much, said with a tone lacking much warmth, just as usual, yet it felt very weighty, "Understood? Just do whatever you want to do. I'll handle the rest."

Ye Mo instinctively began to protest, "But..."

Norton interrupted him. He drew the sword from his waist, turned it, and presented the hilt to Ye Mo. This was the sword Norton's father had given him when he first slew a King Insect alone.

The subjects of Grath understood that every sword given by a Grath signified a promise, a pardon.

Ye Mo looked at the longsword steadily presented before him, carefully grasped it, and then looked up at Norton.

Norton looked at Ye Mo, enunciating each word slowly and clearly, "I permit you to make mistakes."

...

Ano opened the door. Secretary-General Lin was reporting something to Norton and didn't stop when Ano entered, having grown accustomed to his comings and goings.

The report was nearing its end. Secretary-General Lin closed the folder.

"...It's been dealt with cleanly, and a preliminary warning has been issued as per protocol."

He nodded to Ano. "Prince Ano."

Ano also nodded with a hum of acknowledgment, walked up to Norton, and said directly, "Brother, for the first day of the conference, how should Ye Mo's seating be arranged?"

"According to protocol?"

Norton gave a nod without much thought.

Ano, however, paused to confirm again, "I mean, according to Grath's protocol?"

We all had to attend the first day when we were kids following Father to these conferences.

After receiving confirmation, Ano's spirits visibly lifted. "And about today's incident, I heard about it."

Norton nodded. He didn't need Ano to say it; he knew what his youngest brother was thinking. "First, hand off your duties to others. You'll act as his guard temporarily until Ye Mo's permanent guards are in place."

Secretary-General Lin added at this opportune moment. "Preparations for the earlier items are already underway. We have selected the most outstanding young individuals from the Imperial Guard and among Grath's followers over the years. Playmates are also being selected. A group of suitable children, including Grindon and those from several other reliable families, have been listed as candidates."

Secretary-General Lin skipped the details, glanced at the progress, estimated the time, and then closed the relevant documents again. "Everything should be arranged properly by the time we return."

Ano looked at Norton. "What about the rest?"

Norton glanced up at Lin Huixuan.

Secretary-General Lin, understanding the cue, adjusted his glasses, reopened the folder, and pulled out the relevant information. "Prince Ano, if you are referring to formally placing the young prince's portrait in the Grath palace, that may still require some time for the portrait to be painted. However, we might first prepare the ceremony to publicly announce the young prince's name."

Every time the Grath family adds a member, a ceremony is held to inform the outside world of the new addition, and the member's gender, name, and other information are officially published on the official website.

The ceremony is broadcast live throughout the Glans Empire, witnessed by Cabinet Ministers and various Corps Commanders.

Ano and his siblings all had their ceremonies after they could walk and wield their personal swords. Ye Mo, at his age, is a first.

Ano visibly relaxed. He complained, "You didn't even tell me. I could have gone to pick a sword for Ye Mo."

"We'll talk about it after we return. The ore Mother left behind is still there."

Every Grath child receives a sword from an elder. The swords of Ano and his older siblings were all given by their mother. The material for the blades of all seven swords came from the same ore. The metal inside the ore is an extremely rare material that can easily conduct psychic energy and is tough enough to withstand the fierce psychic power of a Grath.

Norton has one more. He received his father's reward early for slaying a King Insect in his childhood.

Ano nodded. "Then I'll go discuss with Ye Mo first what style he likes."

As he spoke, he turned to leave. The door was half-open when his movement halted. He asked puzzledly, "Brother, why have you switched to this sword?"

Since Norton received the sword from his father first, he had always used it. But the one now hanging at his waist was the gift from his mother.

...

Three days later, after all participating countries had arrived and rested, the conference officially began.

The conference venue was circular. Upon entering, steps led downwards. At the very center was a circular area, the lowest point, where several rows of tables and chairs were placed. That was where the hosts were located and where the holographic projection equipment was installed. During the conference, holographic projection technology would synchronously project the entire venue's scene.

The audience's perspective was the same as the hosts', sitting at the very center of the venue. Looking up on three sides, representatives from various countries were seated. For broadcasting convenience, the final back section was not occupied.

People often joke that this perspective makes it look like one is being judged, especially since the center usually holds several major powers, with Grath always in the very center. Looking up, one could directly see Norton.

Norton usually sat at the back, at the highest point, with the Grath team seated in the row in front of him.

Once all the equipment had been adjusted and tested, and all nations were in position.

At the very center of the assembly sat an impeccably dressed elder with hair streaked with gray, accompanied by several young assistants. He straightened his posture, offered a few brief words of thanks, and then carefully turned a page of his documents.

Although it was a holographic livestream, the broadcast still reserved space for real-time chat.

"Why this angle again? His Majesty always sits at the very top, as if on a throne. Even though I know it's just a one-way transmission, I feel the urge to confess every misdeed since I was old enough to remember. I can't take it, I'm so nervous. I admit it: yesterday, I casually tossed some trash on the street and deliberately made the little robot nearby scurry half a meter to pick it up, wasting societal resources."

"I know, right? The little trash-collecting robots are so adorable. I do the same. Also, every time I sit here, I feel both terrified and honored. I can't even imagine what crime I must have committed to deserve being judged personally by His Majesty. I must be really something, huh?"

"The arrangement is pretty much the same as last year. As long as Grath follows last year's plan, there shouldn't be any issues. Grath is so straightforward. They're responsible for the largest share, yet they wrap up their part of the conference in just half an hour every year. The remaining days are spent sitting there watching everyone else argue over trivial details. I feel it's a waste of their time. They might as well discuss leaving early."

"Don't say that. Watching the empire's aloof, handsome men and beautiful women is one of my biggest joys during these conferences. I even spotted that kid sitting at the far right edge. Why is Lord Arnold sitting there too? Doesn't Lord Arnold usually sit closer to His Majesty?"

The conference was scheduled to last several days, and the live viewership was always staggering. However, viewership only peaked when Grath began their statement.

"...Then, let the conference officially begin. The floor is now open for statements on how to defend against the Insect Tide."

The first to present at the conference was Grath. Their arrangements remained the same as the previous year, with almost no changes to their areas of responsibility. Adjustments would be made on-site during the Insect Tide as needed.

The one who had the most work in the entire team was likely the person delivering the statement.

An efficient-looking woman with a ponytail seated at the far right end of the table stood up. This year, the person in charge of the report was the commander of the Second Legion—Vilera.

"Here she comes! It's the stunning Vilera this year! His Majesty will confirm later, right? I'm looking forward to hearing His Majesty's voice."

"I've already collected several versions and edited them into videos. Every year, the actions and voice are exactly the same—even robots aren't that precise."

Vilera maintained a steady gaze, reporting for over twenty minutes. "...The report is complete. Next, our representative will proceed with confirmation and handover."

A staff member was already standing before Grath's seating area, holding a tray. Wearing white gloves, he carefully cradled the tray, which was draped with red velvet cloth. At its center lay a dagger adorned with gemstones.

Everyone else looked over, waiting for Norton to give the final confirmation.

But in the midst of the silence, Ye Mo stood up, with Arnold following closely behind him.

Ye Mo walked up to the staff member and looked toward the elder presiding over the meeting.

As if only just realizing, the elder lowered his head to review the documents. He briefly reiterated the areas the Grath Empire had pledged to defend and, following procedure, asked for confirmation: "...The aforementioned areas include the star systems surrounding Grath. Does Grath confirm?"

Ye Mo picked up the dagger, twirled it once, and tucked it against his wrist. As Arnold had taught him, he replied, "Confirmed."

Then he turned to return, but this time, he bypassed his original seat and continued forward.

Only the nation's leader, the Emperor, could represent the country in giving the final confirmation. There was only one other possibility—the empire's next heir.

Those watching the live broadcast of the conference were in an uproar, with comments flooding the screen one after another.

"Who is that? How can he override His Majesty in such a setting? Could he possibly be a Grath? Or is the Grath Empire being handed over to someone else?"

"Look at the sword at his waist—doesn't it look familiar?"

"Goodness, 'familiar' is an understatement. I've looked at every photo and every video clip of His Majesty eight hundred times. I wish I could run over to His Majesty right now and compare what's hanging at his waist with the images."

A holographic live broadcast meant an immersive experience, but it wasn't without limitations, especially in such a formal setting. The viewers' range of movement was restricted to the central platform.

At that moment, countless viewers on the platform strained from every angle, trying to catch even the slightest clue from Grath's direction.

"I'm sure of it! I didn't see His Majesty, but I compared it with previous footage. It's the exact same one—not a replica. Even the signs of wear are identical."

"How favored can one be? Whose child is this? I haven't heard anything! My mother is from the Grath Empire, and she doesn't know either! She's already frantically searching through past news and video materials."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ye Mo walked all the way to the highest step and sat down beside Norton. Norton tilted his head slightly and gave Ye Mo a nod, signaling that he had done well.

By unwritten rule, in such formal occasions, the person seated beside the empire's current ruler was usually the next heir.

The outcome was already evident, and the comments scrolled rapidly.

"He looks exactly like a Grath. My goodness! That's a Little Grans! After His Majesty was so ruthless back then, I thought I'd never see a Little Grans in my lifetime."

"My Emperor! He just nodded, right? To witness such a scene in my lifetime—what does it mean? Is it encouragement? Praise?"

"But there's no movement on the Grath official website. I've checked eight times already. Has it not been officially announced yet?"