"So, Ancient Weapons don't actually exist?" Claudius asked after a brief silence.
"That's right." Imu admitted frankly. He had no Ancient Weapon that could be used.
Hearing this, Claudius felt an urge to laugh. It seed like the entire world had been played for fools.
Aside from Poseidon, the so-called Ancient Weapons were nothing more than myths. And even Poseidon—the easiest of them to deal with—wasn't a true weapon on its own. As long as the person wielding its power was eliminated, the threat was gone. Take Shirahoshi, for example. Despite possessing the ability to destroy the world, she could be killed by a second-rate or even third-rate fighter.
Perhaps that was why Poseidon had been allowed to exist while Uranus and Pluton had been completely destroyed.
At the sa ti, Claudius now understood why rumors of the Ancient Weapons had been allowed to persist throughout history, they were a deliberate smokescreen.
Think about it: soone who opposed the World Governnt but didn't know how to fight it directly would naturally seek out a power capable of destroying it—an Ancient Weapon.
But after wasting countless hours, manpower, and resources, they would ultimately realize the truth, Ancient Weapons didn't exist. That revelation alone was enough to drive anyone to despair.
anwhile, the World Governnt sat back and watched, letting these people exhaust themselves on a wild goose chase. They didn't even need to intervene by the ti their enemies realized the truth, they were already too weak to pose a threat.
The sense of control, the thrill of manipulating events from the shadows, it must have been exhilarating.
Claudius felt a bit fortunate that he had never been fixated on the idea of obtaining an Ancient Weapon. If he had started from scratch, like Dragon, he might have fallen into the sa trap, chasing after sothing that didn't exist.
But he had approached things from a different angle, rising from within the Celestial Dragons and driving reform from the top. He never needed Ancient Weapons. If anything, he preferred their complete destruction.
Because of this, he had managed to avoid this elaborate deception entirely, saving himself a great deal of ti and effort.
After a mont of silence, Claudius chuckled and said with so admiration, "Your sches are impressive, I have to admit that."
Imu smiled. "It seems you've figured out the full extent of it."
"Yes. The rumors about the World Governnt possessing Ancient Weapons, like Uranus serve both as a deterrent and a distraction. They waste the ti and resources of countless ambitious individuals while subtly reinforcing the World Governnt's stability."
Claudius nodded in understanding.
But then he smirked and added, "That said, the blueprints for Pluton do exist. I can get my hands on them anyti I want."
Imu looked slightly surprised, but only for a mont. Then he simply said, "That has nothing to do with ."
Claudius thought for a mont and muttered, "Depending on the situation, I might just destroy them completely."
Imu offered no response. Instead, he slowly stood up from the Empty Throne and said, "Do you want to sit and see how it feels?"
Claudius glanced at the throne, then at Imu. He hesitated for a mont before asking softly, "Does this an I've won?"
"There's no doubt about it. You've won," Imu replied with a smile.
Whether from the perspective of this so-called "trial" or his own belief in transformation, Claudius had made it here. That alone proved that the change was a success. In that sense, Claudius was indeed the victor.
Yet, for so reason, he felt no sense of joy.
Maybe because it had been too easy?
Still, there was no point in dwelling on such a trivial question.
After a brief pause, the corners of Claudius's mouth curled up. He strode forward confidently and took his seat on the Empty Throne.
Imu watched him with a smile but said nothing.
Claudius shifted slightly from side to side, adjusting his position before comnting, "This isn't quite what I expected…"
"What do you an?" Imu asked with a smirk.
"I thought the Empty Throne would be incredibly comfortable to sit on. But I don't know if it's just my imagination, it actually feels a bit stiff. The backrest is kind of hard too… Honestly, it's not that comfortable at all."
Claudius furrowed his brows and shifted again, but the feeling remained the sa.
Hearing this, Imu burst into laughter. "It's not your imagination. The Empty Throne was designed this way on purpose."
"As long as you sit on it, you'll always feel that slight discomfort. It's a constant reminder that ruling from this seat is not ant to be easy."
Claudius was montarily stunned by this revelation. Then, he chuckled in understanding. "So, it's a constant reminder to whoever sits on it, huh?"
Imu nodded. "Now, it's yours."
Claudius looked at him curiously. "What about you? After living for eight hundred years, are you finally tired of this world and ready to stop?"
Imu glanced at Claudius and replied, "When did I ever say I was tired of this world? I'm just… a little exhausted."
"Isn't there a saying that immortality is actually a curse? That those who live forever are dood to loneliness? That watching everyone around you grow old and die one by one eventually becos unbearable, leading so to take their own lives?" Claudius asked with a grin.
Imu laughed. "That's just aningless self-pity.
Yes, immortality cos with endless partings. But Claudius, if you weren't immortal, would you never experience loss? Everything has a price. Maybe this is the price of eternal life.
But the benefits are just as obvious.
I have an infinite amount of ti to do what I enjoy.
I don't have to worry about how long I'll live.
Eight hundred years ago, my interest was in ruling the World Governnt. Now that I've grown tired of it, I can simply find a new interest. With endless ti ahead, there's always sothing new to explore.
The joy of eternal life is beyond your comprehension."
Claudius thought for a mont and asked, "Eternal life might be enjoyable for a while, but can it really stay enjoyable forever?"
Imu raised an eyebrow before grinning. "Yes. I've enjoyed it forever, and I still do. Maybe soday I'll feel truly 'satisfied,' but that day hasn't co yet."
Then, after a brief pause, he glanced at Claudius again and said softly, "The Empty Throne is yours now. The World Governnt is yours.
I'll be sowhere in this world… watching you."
Claudius frowned slightly. "Watching ? That sounds a bit unsettling."
Imu chuckled and shook his head. "No, Claudius. You should know by now, I have great admiration for you.
I have complete faith in you.
This isn't surveillance. It's witnessing.
I will witness the changes you bring to this world, as an observer.
Perhaps, one day, I'll even write a book about you—an epic to sing your praises.
The Pioneer of a New Era. The King of the World. His Highness Donquixote Claudius."
Claudius t Imu's gaze. After a long silence, he finally laughed and said, "Then I wish you a pleasant journey… Donquixote Nimugal…."
Imu smiled, nodded one last ti, and turned away, walking toward the back of the hall.
Claudius briefly considered saying sothing like, "You're already surrounded, there's nowhere to run!"
But then he thought better of it.
Did soone like Imu even need his concern?
Even if he vanished into thin air right now, Claudius wouldn't be surprised.
So, he simply let it go.
Sitting on the Empty Throne, gazing at the vast, empty hall, Claudius murmured to himself:
"Am I… the king of the world?"
(To be continued.)
***
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