He said Narquion, resting his chin on his hand:
— “Go ahead. What is the reason for your visit?”
Dastan gave no introduction.
— “We want authorization and information.”
Then he added coldly:
— “And if fighting is necessary… we are ready.”
Narquion’s smile widened slightly.
— “Straight to the point… I like that.”
He slowly stood up from his chair.
Even his movement alone felt infuriatingly elegant.
Then he suddenly said:
— “Give me a way to make money that I don’t know, and I’ll help you as much as I can.”
Silence fell.
The three of them looked at each other.
Then Lucian said hesitantly:
— “…How do we even make money?”
He thought for a few seconds.
Then sighed:
— “We’ve always relied on the grandfather.”
Genica placed her hand on her chin as if she had just discovered the greatest idea in history.
Then she slammed her fist into her palm.
— “I got it!”
Everyone looked at her.
She smiled with full confidence and said:
— “Build an orphanage… and take the donation money for yourself.”
…
A terrifying silence.
Even Lucian slowly opened his eyes.
As for Dastan, he stared at her as if seriously considering killing her.
— “One day… I will use darkness to permanently shut your mouth.”
But suddenly—
Narquion burst into laughter.
He laughed hysterically, even having to hold onto the desk.
— “S-sorry… I’m really sorry…”
He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.
— “I haven’t heard anything this bad in years.”
Genica puffed her cheeks in annoyance:
— “I was serious, by the way.”
— “And that’s what makes it terrifying.”
Narquion sat back down, still smiling.
Then he extended his hand.
— “Show me the permits you’ve collected.”
Dastan calmly handed them over.
Narquion began flipping through them without real interest.
19…
17…
12…
But…
The moment the fourth permit appeared—
The smile disappeared from his face.
Silence filled the hall.
Then he said slowly:
— “…What is Cloud planning?”
Genica flinched slightly.
Then crossed her arms and said:
— “You’re exaggerating too much with this Cloud thing.”
She sighed.
— “The man we met was actually kind.”
She paused for a second, then added:
— “Though his sister was a bit scary…”
And in the next moment…
Her mind suddenly imagined Photon and Leviathan harassing her from both sides.
Her entire body trembled.
— “No… no no no… immoral thoughts…”
Lucian looked at her worriedly:
— “Are you okay?”
— “Don’t ask.”
Silence fell for a few seconds inside the golden hall.
Narquion was still staring at the fourth permit as if it contained a written disaster.
Then he slowly raised his eyes toward them.
And his smile completely vanished.
— “Simply put… Cloud is a monster.”
The air froze slightly.
Even Genica, who usually complained nonstop, felt that his tone was not a joke.
Narquion stood and walked toward the massive window behind his desk.
The golden city stretched beneath them like a sea of light.
He said calmly:
— “His eyes alone are enough to make people collapse.”
Then he added:
— “Wherever a strong battle happens… he appears.”
He tilted his head slightly.
— “And the ending is always the same. His opponent lies on the ground… dead.”
Genica swallowed, but her stubbornness didn’t fade.
— “The Cloud we met isn’t like that.”
She replied confidently:
— “He was kind to us.”
Narquion closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to process what he had just heard.
— “Kind…?”
He laughed softly in disbelief.
Then said:
— “So even monsters might have a human side.”
Dastan stepped forward:
— “Who is the Master?”
Silence fell again.
Even Narquion’s aura became more serious.
He returned to his chair and sat slowly.
— “In the conferences held by the Master… there are four people who almost never speak.”
He raised one finger.
— “The first… Number 1. Lilas.”
Seriousness appeared in his eyes.
— “All she does is look at the Master. Nothing else.”
He raised a second finger.
— “Number 2… Zero Time.”
Even his name made the atmosphere colder.
— “He wears a helmet covering his entire face. No one has ever seen his features… not even us.”
He continued in a low voice:
— “He doesn’t eat in front of anyone. Doesn’t drink. Doesn’t remove his coat even in extreme heat.”
Then he smiled faintly in sarcasm.
— “And his personality is worse than his appearance. If you forget to praise the Master in front of him… he may take it as an insult.”
Genica raised an eyebrow.
— “So, a fanatic.”
— “Worse than that.”
He raised a third finger.
— “Number 3… Julia.”
And for the first time since the beginning of the conversation…
A real sense of fear appeared in Narquion’s voice.
— “The Master’s wife.”
Silence fell.
— “Her aura is gentle… warm… calm.”
Then he slowly raised his eyes.
— “But if you get close to her… you will wither.”
The three of them froze.
He continued:
— “And if she hugs you… your very soul will wither.”
Even Lucian felt a slight chill run down his back.
— “Even an immortal would die.”
Genica whispered:
— “That’s terrifying…”
Narquion nodded calmly.
— “And the most terrifying part… is that she is Lilas’s sister.”
Then…
Silence fell again.
But this time, Narquion did not raise a finger.
He simply looked directly at the fourth permit.
— “As for the last one…”
Even the light in the hall seemed to quiet down.
— “He is the person you must never oppose, no matter what.”
He said the name slowly:
— “Cloud.”
“Is Cloud really as they say?”