Ten thousand points?
Aurek frowned slightly, but soon his expression eased.
Although ten thousand Emperor Points seemed like a lot, when he thought carefully about it, it actually wasn’t so hard to obtain.
Killing bandits steadily earned him more, and if he managed to slay a true powerhouse, the reward in Emperor Points was enormous.
At this moment, Aurek’s heart was filled with satisfaction.
And with such gains, he was even more eager to quickly improve his own strength.
Just as he ended his meditation, Angie’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"Your Majesty, Annie requests an audience!"
"Annie?"
Aurek froze for a moment, then immediately replied, "Let her in!"
...
Moments later, Annie appeared before Aurek.
"Your Majesty, it has been a long time."
"Mm."
Aurek nodded, his gaze sharp as he studied the young girl before him.
She wore a luxurious court gown. Her cheeks were as tender as peeled eggs, smooth and glowing with youthful vitality.
Her blue eyes seemed to carry endless warmth, yet also hid a hint of calculation beyond her age.
This girl, Aurek knew all too well.
Before his former self fell into a coma, he had once pursued Annie.
But Annie, prideful and aloof, had despised him utterly. After repeatedly rejecting him, she had poured an excessive dose of narcotic into his cup.
That very drug had indirectly caused his coma.
And now, this same girl was here of her own accord in Valoria Palace.
Her elder brother was none other than the governor of the imperial capital, who commanded all of Eryndor City’s defenses.
Yet, such a key figure had not pledged loyalty to the emperor.
For Annie to come on her own today, it was clearly at her brother’s behest.
"What is it you want from me?" Aurek asked coldly after a glance at her.
"Your Majesty, I recently learned a foreign dance. It is very beautiful and is called the Butterfly Dance. I wish to perform it for you."
As Annie spoke, she cast a subtle glance at Aurek.
That very morning, her brother had told her the emperor had changed. With the methods he now wielded, he could rank among the strongest emperors in the history of the Crossbridge Empire.
Annie didn’t fully believe such claims, but her curiosity had been stirred, and so she had come.
"Please, Your Majesty, grant me this chance. I promise not to disappoint you."
A flicker of interest passed through Aurek’s eyes.
"Very well. Perform, then. I would like to see what is so special about this Butterfly Dance."
Truth be told, Aurek had been under great pressure these past days, his mind constantly tense.
Now, with the Elemental Assassins at his command, he could finally breathe easier.
It was time for him to relax a little—let others be the anxious ones. His role now was simply to wait.
"Please, Your Majesty, enjoy it well."
At her words, a few attendants quickly brought in musical instruments, filled Aurek’s goblet with wine, and laid out food.
Aurek sipped the wine, its rich aroma spreading across his tongue.
Meanwhile, Annie prepared herself.
As the music began, her graceful figure started to sway.
Every movement was precise and elegant, highlighting her delicate frame.
Beautiful as she already was, with the Butterfly Dance her allure only deepened, like a butterfly fluttering among blossoms.
"Not bad," Aurek remarked, his eyes shining with appreciation.
This—this was what imperial privilege should feel like. This was the life of an emperor!
When the dance ended, Annie’s face was beaded with sweat, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes shimmering with moisture.
"Your Majesty, I have another dance," she said softly. "But this one is meant only for you to see."
"In that case, you shall stay here tonight."
"Everyone else, leave us."
The attendants obeyed, filing out of the chamber.
Angie, however, upon leaving, glanced back at the door with unwillingness written all over her face.
...
Troy returned home, his expression as dark as storm clouds.
Just then, Aris approached.
"What happened in the Royal Council?"
Troy’s tone was heavy with frustration.
"Aurek has decided to begin rooting out corruption. And worse, he stripped this authority from my hands and handed it to that bastard Heimerdinger."
"If I’m not mistaken, Aurek is preparing to move against us."
Most of the Empire’s officials belonged either to the Grand Marshal faction or to the Minister of Police’s faction.
That meant if Heimerdinger took the Procurator’s Office seriously, countless cases would surface—and all of them would point directly at Jacoff and Troy.
"This was to be expected."
Aris nodded calmly before continuing.
"In my estimation, the Unicorn Trading Guild’s fate was very likely Aurek’s doing as well."
"I simply hadn’t thought he could kill even an Expert Rank lv9—and silently, at that."
"This proves he holds a hidden power unknown to others. It is that power which has given him the confidence to turn against you now."
Troy’s face twisted with fury at those words.
"We absolutely cannot sit and wait for death! We must not compromise or retreat!"
"You need not worry. I already anticipated such a development," Aris replied smoothly.
"Since our Leap Mercenary Corps has chosen to support you, we will not stand idly by."
"This time, we’ve arranged for three Expert Rank lv9s, six Expert Rank lv6s, and in addition, we have a powerful artifact."
"With these reinforcements, Minister Troy, you should be able to rest easy."
"But in my opinion—perhaps it would be better to strike first."