The capital world of the Ishvara Empire, known as Bright Sun, was a celestial marvel. Situated in the heart of the Bright Sun Galaxy, it was a terrestrial giant—a 30 times the mass of Earth.
After nearly 180 years of unrelenting war, the empire, which had almost crumbled from the inside out, finally achieved total dominion over the stars. It was led by a ruler whose name was sung in every corner of the galaxy. The people of the empire praised him, while enemies who had long hidden themselves in the shadows trembled in fear at the mere mention of his name.
Inside the sprawling ancient palace, which had withstood the test of time, a council meeting was being held. At the highest seat sat Emperor Ethan Cross. Beneath him stood many others, including his ministers, several high and grand admirals, and numerous powerful nobles.
A weekly council meeting was underway and was nearing its conclusion. Everything that needed to be discussed had already been addressed.
Seeing that there was nothing left to debate, Ethan spoke.
"So that's it for today? Nothing more to be brought forward?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied the more than two hundred individuals present in the council hall.
"Good," Ethan said. His tone was unhurried and casual, yet carried a seriousness that immediately drew everyone's attention. "Hear me, my subjects. I have something to announce."
A brief silence followed.
"It has been more than two hundred years since I ascended this throne," Ethan continued. "I ruled this empire when it was on the verge of collapse and guided it to what it is now—a dominant force that none can match in this galaxy. Of course, this was only possible with your help and the efforts of many others."
He paused for a moment before going on.
"I don't know about all of you, but that is a very long time for me. I have thought about this for quite a while, and after much deliberation, I have reached a decision."
Ethan's gaze swept across the hall.
"It is time for me to hand over the throne to my brother, the Duke of the Empire and the Grand Admiral of the Phoenix Legion."
The ministers, generals, grand admirals, and nobles present were all shocked when they heard his words. Just as they were about to speak, Ethan rose from his throne and said,
"There is no need for any of you to say anything. I have made my decision, and it will stand no matter what."
He then continued, his voice calm and firm.
"Minister Wilson, I leave the preparations for the coronation to you. It will take place tomorrow.Minister Jake, I entrust you with making this imperial decree public. The people have the right to know."
Ethan looked around the hall one last time.
"That is all for now. This council meeting is adjourned."
With that, he turned and walked out of the council hall. Almost every minister, general, grand admiral, and high admiral moved to follow him. Even Duke Maximus Cross followed closely behind, urgency evident in his steps.
However, the imperial guards stopped everyone except Maximus, allowing only him to pass.
Seeing this, the others exchanged tense glances. In the end, they could only sigh and leave. Those who had been given orders departed to make the necessary preparations, even though they were deeply unsure about the entire ordeal.
This was unprecedented.Something none of them had ever expected to happen—yet it had.
Meanwhile, Ethan continued walking deeper into the palace while talking to someone, his face wearing an exaggerated expression. If anyone else were to see it, they would be shocked. This was an expression no one had ever seen on the otherwise cold and dignified emperor.
"Hey, Red Empress, how was it?" Ethan asked casually. "My performance, huh?"
At that moment, a chubby girl appeared in front of him, hovering in the air. She had red hair, red eyes, and a beautiful face that could charm anyone at first sight. Folding her arms, she replied,
"Well, it was good. But that was to be expected. You've been playing this game for almost five years without stopping, constantly acting in the role of an emperor. Of course you'd learn something. If you hadn't, that would have been questionable."
"Hey, can't you be a bit more straightforward and just praise me?" Ethan complained. "Acting like an emperor is really hard, you know. It would've been great if my character had been a normal person. At least then I wouldn't have to worry about wars and the survival of entire empires."
"Hey, quit complaining already. You're giving me a headache," she said. "You talk as if you're the only one who suffered from being an emperor. Haven't you benefited far more than others? With such a vast empire, think of all the resources you gained. And at least this way, you had something to escape the boredom of spending all your time on a world ship, with no idea when it would finally reach its destination."
"And now that you're almost at the end of this game, with the hope of getting the ultimate reward, you're still complaining," she said. "Ah, damn it. Why did I get stuck with a host like you? Someone else would've been better."
"Hey, stop that, okay?" Ethan shot back. "Why are you acting like you've suffered some huge loss, huh? Who's more powerful than you in this game? And why is that? Because of me. Don't forget the amount of resources I spent upgrading you."
"You say it as if you've done me a favor, when you haven't," she replied coldly. "Without my help, do you really think you could've reached this point so easily?" She looked at him as if he were a clown.
Seeing that expression made Ethan bristle. "Hey, what's with that look? Fine, I admit you helped me throughout this journey. But you have to accept that I helped you too." Constantly being pushed onto the back foot, he finally compromised.
The Red Empress smirked when she saw him back down and said casually, "That's what I meant from the start. For me, it's always been mutual. You helped me, and I helped you. Simple."