As the Five Elders were deep in discussion, a sudden knock sounded at the door.
They imdiately fell silent, their expressions turning sowhat helpless. There was no doubt about who was outside, it had to be Claudius. If he had simply pushed the door open and entered, they might have felt better about it. But knocking first, making them all feel like prisoners waiting for permission? That was just irritating. It wasn't as if they could refuse him entry anyway.
"Co in," Nusjuro said, his tone laced with displeasure.
The door swung open, and Claudius stepped in with a smile. As if rembering sothing, he turned back and nodded toward Lucci. Understanding the gesture, Lucci wisely remained outside, closing the door behind him.
At the World Summit just monts ago, Claudius had spoken coldly to the Five Elders, his arrogance overwhelming. His presence alone had crushed any resistance, forcing submission through sheer dominance.
But that had been a public performance, an act for the gathered royalty of the participating nations. He had to demonstrate power, instilling fear and respect. If he had shown deference to the Five Elders in that setting, those rulers might have wavered, hesitating between allegiances.
So Claudius had flipped the table, there was no seat for the Five Elders at that summit. The only one who could place bets was himself. The only ruler of the field was Claudius. They had only two choices: pledge loyalty to him, or be eliminated.
Now, however, in private, there was no need for theatrics. Claudius wasn't so petty as to put on a performance in front of them here.
As he entered, the Five Elders' faces darkened, their expressions carrying unspoken emotions.
Claudius chuckled. "Did I startle you, my lords?"
"Hmph!" Nusjuro snorted coldly, turning his head away to avoid looking at him.
Claudius casually pulled out so dicine from his coat, brewed a pot of tea, and poured each of them a cup.
After drinking it, Nusjuro's expression eased as his body returned to normal. He slowly got up from the sofa, his gaze uncertain, but ultimately, he did not speak. His pride wouldn't allow it.
He studied Claudius for a mont before finally speaking. "Given the circumstances, why bother pretending to be friendly with us prisoners?"
His tone was calm, no resentnt, no hysteria. Just a simple question, one that reflected the tolerance of the Five Elders. They had lost, and they could accept it.
Claudius poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then smiled. "My lord, if you say that, then you underestimate . Public matters are public matters. Publicly, we're on opposite sides because I seek the highest authority of the World Governnt. I want to reshape this world, guide its progress, and beco its king. Naturally, that ant taking action against you Five Elders. I won't deny that."
At this point, Claudius paused slightly, his gaze turning sowhat nostalgic.
Then, he spoke softly. "But privately, there's no need for enmity.
You five are my elders.
Throughout my journey, I have relied on your guidance.
For that, I still hold the respect I should have."
Hearing this, the Five Elders' emotions grew complicated. Claudius had beco their adversary, yet there was no hatred in his words.
And when they asked themselves, if they had won this power struggle, what would they have done to Claudius?
It only took a few seconds to reach the answer.
They would have crushed him rcilessly. That was certain.
After all, if they let Claudius go unpunished, wouldn't it set a dangerous precedent? Wouldn't others feel emboldened to rebel as well?
But would they have taken his life?
Perhaps not.
After all, they had watched Claudius grow up, step by step. There was an undeniable bond there.
If they had won, maybe they would have let him live comfortably, exiled to so island, not too remote, but not important either left to a life of quiet leisure.
"Ah..." The bearded elder had intended to reprimand Claudius, but in the end, all that ca out was a heavy sigh. It carried frustration, resignation, and a deep sense of powerlessness.
"Why, Claudius?" Nusjuro suddenly asked. "You already had everything. As a Celestial Dragon, you stood at the pinnacle of the world from birth—wealth, power, fa, status, even personal strength. Was that not enough?"
Even now, he couldn't fully understand Claudius' motives.
Claudius glanced at Nusjuro, his gaze complicated. He took another sip of tea before responding, his voice soft.
"Yes. As a Celestial Dragon, I was entitled to everything. But those who lack long-term vision will always face imdiate dangers."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"You five know this. You just refuse to admit it."
The room fell into silence.
The expressions of Nusjuro and the others shifted subtly, but none of them spoke.
"Of course you know," Claudius continued. "Half of the World Governnt's great ship has already sunk, and there's no saving it.
All of us are n of the sea.
When a storm cos, you make a choice:
Do you let the ship go under?
Or do you patch the holes?
Or—do you throw overboard the dead weight that drags us down?"
Claudius' voice was calm, but the aning was clear.
The Five Elders didn't need to think hard to understand what "dead weight" he was referring to.
It was the eighteen Celestial Dragon families he had just purged.
To be honest, the Five Elders had always known that those families were a burden, parasites feeding off the World Governnt. But what could they do?
Like Claudius said, even if they wanted to cast them aside, they lacked the resolve to do so.
Claudius, however, was different. He had the courage they lacked.
What they dared not do—he dared.
Before they could respond, Claudius continued.
"And that's just the public side of things.
I enjoy the power and status the World Governnt gives .
Naturally, I want to maintain that power and status—to keep this ship afloat.
Anyone who threatens that? I eliminate them.
So, I acted decisively. No hesitation.
Whoever dares stand in my way—I will kill them."
His words carried an unmistakable coldness.
The Five Elders knew the fate of those eighteen Celestial Dragon families was sealed. None of them would et a good end.
But then, Claudius softened his tone.
"Of course, my lords, as well as your close kin, have nothing to worry about. You are safe."
Although the Five Elders had already assud Claudius wouldn't kill them, hearing it from his own mouth brought a sense of relief.
"As for my personal reasons..." Claudius' voice grew quieter. "I simply don't want to end up like you."
Silence fell over the room again.
The Five Elders' expressions were complex. They understood what he ant. He was giving them face by not saying it outright.
But his aning was clear, he did not want to beco another one of Imu's loyal dogs.
"The king of the world, huh..." Nusjuro murmured.
For the first ti, he didn't know what to say. His thoughts were jumbled, his words unclear.
***
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