33 Risen#re

The Emperor began to praise Lirian none stop for almost a minute straight as he remarked at all of Lirian's achievements over the years.

Contrary to the emperor's expectations Lirian face remained completely normal without even a hint of a smile to show that he was enjoying the praise.

The only response he got from Lirian was his head nodding in acknowledgement of his achievements or him shaking his head as if disagreeing with something, but he showed no pride at all in all his achievements as if him being able to do such things was Lirians lowest expectations of himself.

The Emperor couldn't help himself but internally praise Lirian for how he took the praise, if the emperor didn't know better he would have felt like he was a commoner praising a cultivator for being strong, that was the feeling he got when he praised Lirian.

It was like everything the cultivator did was extraordinary to the commoner yet to the cultivator it was an everyday occurrence.

The Emperor turned his gaze to his bowing subjects, "All of you may rise," he said plainly, "It would appear that some nuisances are coming your way," the Emperor said turning his head to look in the distance.

Milan cast her gaze over the elite's and without even uttering a word they knew what she wanted them to do, half of the elites broke away from the group and went to face the zealot's, they all felt that the ten of them would be more enough to deal with the zealots even if their numbers were to triple.

"Oh and keep that pig alive that wanted to touch my daughter!" Milan called after them, she wanted to deal with that man herself.

When Milan turned back she found that Lirian and the emperor were conversing once more and what the emperor said next made her want to curse out at the emperor but she restrained herself and controlled her emotions.

"…little light," the Emperor addressed the AI, "From now on when dealing with Lirian you will always address him as my foster son," he commanded the AI.

{This AI is a good AI and will always obey master's instructions,} the AI hummed happily.

Black lines filled Milan's face and the rest of the elites because from that exchange of the emperor it was clear that he could command the AI to address them properly yet if always referred to others as inferior beings, not even Lord Callum Eden was spared from such treatment.

Once that was finished the emperor turned back to Lirian this time his face held a trace of seriousness to it, "Lirian about your earlier concern, I don't think I need to get into the details, but they are here on my commands and I recorded their moves so you don't need to worry about anything,"

"Also it was smart of you to keep that girl alive, but honestly I wish that you kept a few of the others Telamon was controlling alive it would have added to your evidence of Telamons crime's," the Emperor said with a sigh when he mentioned Telamons crimes a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.

No matter what Telamon was someone who had contributed greatly to the stability of the empire and they had always had a good relationship, the fact that Telamon's student became his wife only made their relationship that much more extraordinary.

The Emperor hoped that his suspicions were wrong, yet now he was absolutely certain that Telamon betrayed Taliyah, the hardest part for him was that he didn't even understand why.

"Milan I want you to capture some of those zealots, I need to know how many of them belong to Telamon, and how he managed to nurture zealots for his own personal use," The emperor said solemnly as this was a serious matter.

Someone from the paragon families creating their own private force without the approval of the emperor and empress, that was undoubtedly a crime punishable by death.

"Lirian you have suffered due to my incompetence on the matter, as such I think that it's only right that you determine how we deal with Telamon and this entire issue," the Emperor said to Lirian putting all the power in his hands, in truth this was just another test from him to Lirian to see how Lirian would handle the situation.

Seeing the thoughtful look on Lirian's face the Emperor prepared to cut the call, "It should take you some time to come up with a course of action, when you done here give me a call and we can discuss the details," he said to Lirian.

"No need to waste time I already have an idea in mind," Lirian quickly stopped the emperor from ending the call.

"Oh, do tell me," the Emperor said with a raised brow.

"There are still 14 days before the expedition concludes, I want the details of what is happening here to be sealed of so that no one can learn of the events that are occurring," Lirian said quickly and began to explain his plan.

"How long will it take for the nobles of the neighbouring star zones to reach Xelia?" Lirian asked, his question wasn't to the emperor but to Milan as the chief advisor of the Eden family her knowledge would be much more reliable on the subject.

"If the noble set out immediately it will take them about 18 days for the bigger powers, as for the weaker ones it will take a little longer," Milan said confidently, she dealt a lot with the powers from other star zones and she knew more or less the period of time it would take for them to arrive.

"Can you seal of this planets portals and make it impossible for anyone to come and go for the four extra days?" Lirian asked the emperor.

"Little light," the Emperor called the AI.

[I've already begun the process master, no one will leave that outlier planet through a portal, until they beg me for mercy,} the AI hummed.

Lirian smiled pleasantly, "Your majesty is it possible for you to get mother to arrange a celebration on Xelia?" Lirian asked the Emperor but he only addressed him as your majesty, he wouldn't address him as father, because as far as fathers went it would be an insult to his real father if he used such a term for anyone else.

Also as his father was a third grade god, Lirian felt that no one else would be worthy to call themselves his father, because in his ideology a father's duty was to be powerful and a mother's duty was to be caring, and both his parents fit that criteria so he had no need for another parent.

"I see, so you want the nobles of the surrounding star zones to be present when you expose Telamon's crime's," the emperor said thoughtfully but he did frown slightly, in truth he wanted to handle Telamon with as few people present as possible, because this would have a bad impact on the reputation of the empire.

But he did hand over the rights of how to deal with Telamon to Lirian so he had to honour his word.

"That's partially true, but it's more so to put Telamon at ease, with the death's of all his zealot's he'll be panicking, but having so many people around will reassure him that no one will make a move on him, it's just as you thought when I mentioned exposing Telamon's crime's in front an audience,"

"It's a bad move to make such a betrayal public knowledge, and as one of the greatest advisors to have ever lived Telamon knows that, but this is the only way to make him let his guard down," Lirian explained.

Sometimes in a game of strategy when faced with an extremely skilled opponent the only way to win was through a bold move.

"Since this is your plan I believe that you've already come up with a decent reason for why your mother is throwing such a huge celebration on such short notice?" the emperor probed Lirian.

"I don't have an excuse for the short notice but, the reason mother will be throwing a huge celebration party is because at the end of the year she will be returning to the Clovis home world," Lirian said simply but his words took even the emperor by surprise.

But most of all Edith looked at Lirian with a strange look in her eye's, "What are you saying?" Edith asked Lirian while grabbing tightly onto his arm.

Lirian sighed, "After you and Tobias go into suspended animation I don't intend to remain on Xelia, I've been considering this for a while, but after what has happened on this expedition, I'm more certain than ever that I can't remain powerless any longer I must begin my cultivation as soon as possible, so I'll be embarking on my trial immediately after you enter suspended animation."

Edith continued to stare at Lirian with a complicated gaze, because the path that Lirian was choosing was harder than the normal 200 year trial and it might even push them apart for a very long time.

Edith didn't even realise it but her entire attitude about their relationship changed, from the day they first started dating, back then she thought that they would just be together until their time in the academy ended, but now she already made up her mind that she wanted to be with no one else besides Lirian.

As much as she wanted to follow in Lirian's footsteps, she had no confidence in passing the tests that she would have to go through to take the trial ahead of time.