"So, Father-do you really n to turn them into ves?" Sofina asked. Her face made her opposition unmistakably clear.


    The king let out a slow sigh. "That was the original n," he said. "The one we agreed onst year-before everything changed."


    "What changed?" Sofina pressed.


    The king waved his hand dismissively.


    The wall screen flickered to life.


    Footage from Be''sboratory filled the room-cold, sterile, and ominous. Inside, several people worked at their stations, moving with precision. Some of themughed. Others talked casually.


    "Last year," the King said, his voice rising with barely contained excitement, "they finally reached Prussia''s technological level. It was the perfect time to harvest them as ves. And from that moment on-"


    His expression shifted into something close to ecstasy.


    "—they stepped beyond us. They abandoned Prussia''s old path and broke free from its chains."


    Sofina stared at him, struggling to follow.


    "What do you mean?” she asked.


    "Prussia," Wilhelm said, "has been stagnant for decades. Advanced, yes-but unmoving. Then Alex and Be appeared. Two supergeniuses no one in Prussia could rival."


    He leaned forward, eyes burning.


    "They took a single step forward—and that step dragged technology out of Prussia''s stagnant waters and revealed heights we wouldn''t have reached in a hundred years."


    His lips trembled with exhration.


    "Three years,” he said softly. "They did it all in just three years. While we erased emotion from our lives, they kept it. They moved forward through emotion. Their technology grew with emotion. Ours stripped it away. And the result?"


    He smiled thinly.


    "They surpassed us."


    Sofina''s breath caught.


    "They even created a Mother Al," the King continued, "named Gaia. An intelligence equal to Prussia''s Mother Al-and in several areas, superior. From military systems to securityworks, they began outperforming every Prussian instation."


    "Father," Sofina said sharply, shock breaking through herposure, "you let them do all this?"


    Wilhelmughed, unconcerned.


    "Oh,e now," he said. "Prussians worship genius and knowledge. They stole our technology at first. Now I''m stealing theirs. Call it repayment."


    He shrugged casually.


    "So I let them grow. I watched them for years."


    Sofina swallowed hard.


    "Then... Alex meeting me,” she asked quickly. “Did you arrange that too?"


    The King sighed and leaned back.


    "No," he said honestly. "No matter how advanced technology bes, fate still slips beyond our grasp. Your meeting with Alex—and your marriage-I never predicted that."


    He shook his head.


    "It wasn''t a n. It simply happened. Pure coincidence."


    "Then how do you know Alex is still alive?" Sofina asked.


    Wilhelm tapped his fingers against the table again, slow and deliberate.


    "At the Winchester Tournament," he said, "when he drained Prussia of its money


    and became the richest man in the nation-I knew then."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "I had to bind him to me. The only way was to make him my son-inw. Through you."


    A smile spread across his face as he looked at Sofina.


    "And it was easy," he said. "He was already married to you. And despite everything, Alex is loyal."


    Sofina felt a chill.


    "So I gave him a dowry gift."


    "You gave him what?" Sofina blurted out, stunned.


    “A dowry—since he married you," the King repeated,ughing. “The finest gift


    possible. Something only the royal family is allowed to possess.”


    Her heart pounded.


    "What did you give him?" Sofina asked.


    "V?XEN Lucifer,” the King said, smiling faintly. “That monster was created by your grandfather. A machine only royal blood-our blood-can control."


    Sofina''s confusion deepened.


    "Father, if the V?XEN Lucifer can only be driven by royal blood like ours, how could Alex-someone from Estoria-use it?"


    Wilhelm tapped his fingers against the desk again, slow and deliberate.


    "What I am about to tell you is a secret," he said quietly. "A truth you must carry to


    your grave. Promise me you will never tell anyone."


    "Yes, Father," Sofina said without hesitation.


    "This story has been passed down from ancestor to heir," Wilhelm continued. "From one King of Prussia to the next."


    He leaned back, eyes distant.


    "In the beginning, there was only the


    Earth Empire. Later, the Earth


    Empire created six nations, each meant to master a dominant field of technology, cultivation, magic, faith, chaos, and order. They wereo founded not for the present, but for a future purpose beyond it. From them were born Prussia, devoted to technology; Xia, to cultivation; Estoria, to chaos; and three others."


    "All six nations bowed to the Earth Empire as the one true Emperor. And every king


    of those nations shared the Emperor''s blood. Family. Rtives."


    He raised a finger.


    "Blood determines royalty. The Emperor of the Earth Empire possesses the purest bloodline of all. And he is, and will always be, the supreme ruler of the six nations."


    Wilhelm''s voice hardened.


    "The V?XEN Lucifer your grandfather created uses royal blood as its key. The car can detect how much royal blood a person carries—simply by touch."


    He nced at Sofina.


    "For reference, your grandfather only had 2.5 percent royal blood. I only have 10 percent Your generation will have even less, because our blood has been diluted through marriage."


    Sofina swallowed.


    "Then... what does this have to do with Alex?"


    Wilhelm''s eyes sharpened.


    "Remember," he said, "Alex was


    determined to reach the Earth Empire He is brilliant-far more intelligent than anyone you know. And powerful enough to fight Xia''s elites."


    He paused.


    "So I wondered. Why would he want to return to the Earth Empire? Because only


    those with royal blood feel that pull.”


    "And?" Sofina pressed.


    “I contacted the V?XEN dealer,” Wilhelm said calmly. “I arranged for Alex to obtain


    the V?XEN Lucifer."


    His lips curled slightly.


    "It was a test. If he had no royal blood, the V?XEN staff could simply im the


    vehicle was malfunctioning."


    Suddenly, Wilhelm''s expression turned grim.


    With a sharp gesture, he snapped his fingers. The screen behind him lit up.


    "This," he said coldly, "is Alex''s royal blood percentage."


    Sofina stared at the disy. Her breath caught.


    "No way," she whispered. "That''s impossible."


    Wilhelm looked at the screen again, his face dark and unreadable.


    "Yes," he said quietly. "That was my reaction as well."


    "This... should be impossible."