The villainess shall be mine

After Caroline and Joshua left, the room became silent, and Adam, Liu, and Zax didn't say anything to each other.

Of course, they were being recorded, and from what those who observed could see, there was this kind of tension between Liu and Adam.

However, Zax and Liu began to talk to each other after two hours, but Adam didn't join the conversation, and his eyes were still closed.

Adam acted arrogantly, but Liu wasn't concerned about his attitude at all and ignored him.

Some interpreted Adam's attitude as something that a person who had a cheap sense of pride would adopt.

They took Liu's side even though there was nothing, in particular, happening between Adam and her. 'She is a woman', those people thought, 'but she is stronger than him, that's why this cheeky brat act like this.

Nonetheless, there was no way for them to know what exactly Adam and Liu thought of each other, so they were just theorizing and gossiping as if they had nothing else better to do.

After that, Adam and the girls had to wait almost half a day before someone finally opened the door again.

"Sorry for the wait. Please follow me, it's time for you to go back to your family," Joshua said.

"Tsk… What did take you so long?" Adam complained arrogantly and walked toward the door.

Liu and Zax also stood and followed Adam without saying anything.

"These two gentlemen will accompany you during your trip to the Empire, and we have already made sure that your ship, the one that rides here, will be able to bring you to your destination without any issue," Joshua continued.

From what Joshua said, the empire's leaders didn't think that Adam and the others' stories would create a problem even if we were to be released to the public.

It was even something that everyone in the Empire, those who believed that were at the top of this world, found rather exciting. The Emperor had already declared that the monsters would make a move, and this incident appeared to have proven the authenticity of his claim, giving another reason for the platinum generation to show their potential.

"Also, your family will update you about everything that you have missed, and we have already sent them details about your arrival. Thus, you should take a good rest from here," Joshua added.

"Thank you," Liu said, then they followed the two imperial soldiers tasked to escort them back home.

Haozu and his crew were also released and they set off along with Liu and the others.

Before Adam left, Joshua handed him something. "Take this, you will need it soon."

Adam didn't say anything and just tool the item, but after seeing him doing so, a faint smile appeared on Joshua's face.

The journey to the Empire would take a few days even if the ships across the vast galaxy used hyper-speed.

Adam knew that a new journey was about to begin from here, but he wasn't sure where it would lead him.

*****

:::[Adam's POV]:::

I didn't expect things to go that smoothly, and I felt like there were a lot of variables that I didn't take into account but ended up making things easier.

For example, I never expected to see Joshua and Caroline there. However, I was sure that they did something to make the process simpler than how it was normally done.

Apart from that, Liu's acting was so good that sometimes I get the feeling that she wasn't acting at all.

Nevertheless, seeing her talk like that made me doubt that she was the girl that I met a few weeks ago.

Maybe, by acting like that, she discovered that she was actually more competent than she thought she was.

Well, I was glad if it helped for the better… But we were about to return to Empire, and I wouldn't see her for a while, so I was worried about how she would change during that time.

'I am sure she will be fine,' I thought to myself. Despite everything that had happened, I knew that her true nature didn't change.

In addition to that, I was also sure that Zax would improve her skill from there. I knew that she was frustrated when she was not able to fight alongside Liu, but she should not think about what she couldn't do.

I also wouldn't meet her again for a while, so I was looking forward to seeing how much she would improve when we meet again.

After all, I had to attend the Holy Academy, and I wouldn't be even surprised if it would be more of a bad experience than being chased by dragons.

Moreover, I had to maintain this character that I just created. People would think that I was smart a little bit but had a bad attitude and was just a little bit stronger than the average. In other words, someone funny to look at and nothing more.

I was not sure if I would be able to play this character the way I imagined it though, but being at the center of the attention for the wrong reasons would be the best way to hide my real goals.

'There's a lot of things to do, to think about… I need to begin my preparations as soon as I can…' I thought to myself because at that moment, I was still worried about my parents.

I just wanted to relax for a bit and close my eyes, but when I did, my mind would be always filled with various thoughts.

'Well, this is what it means to be intelligent, isn't it?' So I told myself, trying to not think about it in a bad way. After all, my imagination was one of my most powerful weapons.

My knowledge, my strength, and everything else about we're still limited, so I could never let my guard down because I couldn't even yet predict the outcomes of my decision.

'It's not enough… I need to reach the next level…'

*****

:::[Third Person POV]:::

While Adam was on his way to where his parents were, things were already moving in a particular direction in the Empire.

"It has begun. Finally, we can proceed to the next step, Mother." A man wearing a platinum set of armors covered with a white robe on his body spoke. He had silver hair and a handsome face as if he was the decedent of an angel. His voice was calm and extremely pleasant to hear, almost as if every time he muttered a word, his pitch, tone, and intonation would be perfect.

On his hips, a sword which also had a platinum color was attached, and one of his hands held the handle of this sword so that it wouldn't hinder him while he was kneeling.

He kneeled on one of his knees and looked at a woman who was also kneeling in front of a majestic throne.

"Indeed, the time has come, and the harvest is upon us," the woman who was known as the Holy mother said.

"What should we do about the chosen ones? Shall I proceed to the next step with them too," the man asked.

"Those children are not yet ready, our Lord knows. We shall wait for the right time, but some things can only be done during these last moments of peace," the Holy mother said as if she was talking prophetically.

"Are you referring to the young people who awakened extraordinary gifts?" The man asked.

"That is correct. I will leave this task to you, Saint Fineas," the Holy mother said.

"Your words are my will," Fleas said, then he stood dignifiedly and left the room.

After Fineas left, the Holy mother continued to kneel in front of the majestic throne as if she was prying, waiting for someone to answer her.

"Mother, I heard you wanted to see me," a young girl spoke. Her hair was as white as snow, and her eyes, lips that were as red as blood adorned. Her name was Neige.

"Yes, my child. I have something to discuss with you," the Holy mother said.

Neige was the apprentice of the Holy Mother, but she was also the Emperor's daughter, thus, she had a lot of duty despite her young age.

However, whenever the Holy Mother summoned her, she would always come to this room immediately.

Neige kneeled beside the Holy Mother despite the expensive red dress that she was wearing. Normally, she should be wearing a nun's outfit, but because of her standing, an exception was made.

"In a week, you will be attending the Holy Academy. Do you remember everything that I instructed you about?" The Holy mother asked.

"Yes, Mother," Neige answered.

"Wonderful. I am sure you would not have any difficulty. Our Lord doesn't tolerate any failure, so everything should be done perfectly," the Holy mother continued.

According to the teaching of the Holy Mother, Neige should be always at the top in everything she was doing. Of course, it wasn't like she asked to do something that she didn't want to do, but on the other hand, she must be perfect in her duties and everything she liked to do because only such a person could become a Saint.