Joseph’s smile widened at hearing that.

"Ah, I knew we’d understand each other!" the emperor said with enthusiasm. "I knew it from the moment I saw you. Two practical men who understand how the world really works."

"Exactly," Mark said, forcing every word. "So let’s skip the roundabout and get straight to the point. What is it you really came to propose to me, Joseph?"

The emperor leaned forward with a conspiratorial smile.

"You see... what I don’t understand, and what’s truly been confusing me, is why I wasn’t included in the plans."

Mark frowned slightly, but before he could say anything, Joseph continued.

"I was always loyal to the clergy and the Inquisition," the emperor said, bringing a hand to his chest. "I supported their operations, financed their expeditions, and backed their policies."

"Huh?"

"I always knew they had something big planned, some scheme to put the demi-humans in their place once and for all... But never, not in my most ambitious dreams, did I imagine something like this."

"Wait, no—"

"Taking an entire kingdom!" Joseph continued, his eyes glowing with excitement. "And not just any kingdom, the elven one! Infiltrating someone and installing a puppet government under human control... it’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

"Joseph—"

"And to think everyone believed the Knight of the Dawn and the Grand Inquisitor had disappeared," the emperor said, almost laughing at himself. "Everyone had written them off as dead... And it turns out they’ve been here all along, executing this masterful plan."

"Hey, that—"

"But it doesn’t matter, there’s no point dwelling on it anymore," the emperor said, waving a hand. "The important thing is that I’m now in the know and I want you to know that Eldia stands with you. If the Inquisition needs anything, it’ll have it. Troops, resources, information—"

"Joseph," Mark said, raising his voice just enough to finally cut him off. "I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about."

The emperor stopped.

"...What?"

"I said I don’t know what you’re talking about," Mark repeated calmly. "And to be clear, I don’t work for anyone."

"I... I don’t understand," Joseph replied, clearly thrown off. "What are you—?"

"I don’t know where you got the idea that I work for the clergy or the Inquisition," Mark continued, clearly tired. "But it couldn’t be further from the truth. I answer to no one."

Joseph stayed quiet for a few seconds, looking at him with growing bewilderment, until something seemed to click in his head.

"But... but if that’s the case," he said, speaking slowly, as if piecing together a puzzle in real time, "then... what are Elyndra Ashford and Alice Valthyra doing here?"

Mark raised an eyebrow and took a second to realize who those names referred to.

"Ah... you mean my dear subordinates."

"Subordinates?" Joseph repeated, his voice cracking slightly.

"That’s right, Ely and Alice chose to serve me of their own free will," Mark replied, leaning back in his chair with calm. "They’re not here under anyone’s orders."

The emperor couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

And the smile he had maintained until then slowly faded from his face, replaced by an increasingly pale expression as he began to understand the situation he was in.

Because if the Knight of the Dawn and the Grand Inquisitor, two of the most powerful and feared figures in all of humanity, weren’t there as part of a secret operation, but were voluntarily serving that man...

That could only mean one thing.

The human sitting before him possessed power so absurd it was completely beyond his comprehension.

Mark, for his part, watched the emperor’s face lose color and couldn’t help enjoying the reaction a little.

"Is something wrong, Joseph?" he asked with a satisfied smile. "You’ve gone pale all of a sudden. You look like you just saw a ghost."

"..."

"Tell me," Mark continued, tilting his head slightly, "does what I just told you change anything between us?"

It was a question loaded with double meaning, and they both knew it.

Mark was testing the emperor, seeing how he would react now that he knew he wasn’t dealing with a puppet, but with someone who had real power of his own.

For a moment, Mark expected the emperor to panic, to stammer, to try to take back everything he had said.

But to his surprise, Joseph recovered with remarkable speed.

The color returned to his face, the smile came back to his lips, and his posture regained its former confidence, as if the last few seconds of panic had never happened.

"No, not at all," the emperor said with surprising calm. "I simply formed an incorrect idea of the situation, that’s all... A simple misunderstanding on my part."

"Really?"

"Of course, in fact, this makes things even more interesting," Joseph replied, nodding. "That you achieved all of this through your own means, without anyone’s backing... that makes you a far more valuable ally."

Mark looked at him for a second, wondering if he was being sincere or just trying to save face. In the end he decided that, for now, it didn’t matter.

"I hope so..." he said with a smile as he got to his feet. "Because you’re clearly a smart man, Joseph. And a smart man always knows what’s in his best interest."

"Without a doubt..." the emperor replied with a nod and a smile.

Mark headed toward the room’s door.

But just before stepping out, he stopped with his hand on the handle and turned his head slightly back.

"Ah, and one more thing..." he said, and his tone changed completely, all the cordiality gone, his voice turning sharp. "Never, ever, refer to my wives as ’freaks’ again... Understood?"

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly.

Joseph felt a chill run down his spine at the sudden change in Mark’s voice, and for the first time since arriving at the palace, the smile disappeared from his face completely, genuinely this time.

"...Understood," the emperor said, swallowing. "It won’t happen again. You have my word."

"Good."

And with that, Mark opened the door and left the room, leaving the Emperor of Eldia completely alone in the chamber.