After his meeting with Mark, Joseph and his assistant received a copy of the commercial agreements reached between both kingdoms.

And, in contrast to the way he had arrived, the emperor departed back to Eldia discreetly, no ceremonies, none of the fanfare he had shown during his arrival.

Though given what had happened during the meeting, that sudden discretion was more than understandable. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The return journey passed in relative calm.

The three vessels cut through the open sea under a clear sky, slowly moving away from the elven kingdom’s shores that were now barely visible on the horizon.

Joseph was standing on the deck of the main ship, hands resting on the railing and his gaze lost on the line where the sea met the sky.

His assistant approached him with his usual folder of scrolls under his arm.

"Your Majesty," the assistant said, stopping beside him. "What do you plan to do now?"

Joseph didn’t respond immediately.

He kept looking at the horizon for a few seconds, with a far more serious expression than any he had shown during his stay at the palace.

Until finally, he let out a heavy sigh.

"I’m still not sure..."

"Don’t you plan to report everything that happened?" the assistant asked, surprised. "I mean, we’re talking about the Grand Inquisitor and the Knight of the Dawn. Everyone believes they’re dead, imagine what people would pay to find out they’re still alive... and where to find them."

"I thought about it," Joseph admitted without looking away from the sea. "For a moment, while I was talking to that man, I thought about rushing to report everything I saw the moment I set foot in Eldia."

"And then?"

"And then, after thinking it over a little more carefully," Joseph continued with a sigh, "I reached the conclusion that the best thing for us is to act as if we never saw them."

The assistant blinked, clearly confused.

"Huh?... Act as if we never saw them? But Your Majesty, that information—"

"Think about it for a moment," Joseph interrupted, turning toward him. "How do you think the clergy and the Inquisition would react if we went to them with what we saw?"

"...They obviously wouldn’t believe us," the assistant replied after thinking for a few seconds.

"Exactly, they’d think we were crazy," Joseph said with a short laugh. "Or worse, they’d think we were making up excuses to cover up some failure. And even if we managed to convince them, it would only unleash enormous chaos with consequences that would benefit us not at all."

Joseph looked back at the horizon.

"Besides, I very much doubt the Emperor of Death would be pleased with us going around spreading information about him and those around him," he added, recalling Mark’s words.

’Ah, and one more thing. Never, ever, refer to my wives as freaks again... Understood?’

A chill ran through Joseph’s body and he continued speaking.

"A man with that kind of power and those allies is not someone you want as an enemy..."

"Your Majesty, are you really thinking of collaborating with that man?"

"...Not exactly."

"Then?"

Emperor Joseph flashed a small smile.

"For now, we’ll stay on the sidelines and observe. We’ll see how that kingdom evolves, what kind of ruler the Emperor of Death turns out to be, and how the rest of the continent reacts."

"..."

"And when the moment comes, we’ll take the side that benefits us most."

"It’s a brilliant idea, Your Majesty," the assistant said with admiration. "That way we risk nothing and ensure we always end up on the right side."

"Glad you understand," Joseph said with a short laugh.

The assistant nodded, but then something crossed his mind.

"Your Majesty, what will we do about the guards who accompanied us?" he asked with concern. "They also saw the Knight of the Dawn and the Grand Inquisitor. If you’re planning to keep all of this secret, they’re a loose end."

The emperor nodded slowly, as if he had already anticipated that question.

"I’ve already spoken personally with each one of them," Joseph replied, dismissively. "I ordered them not to breathe a word about what they saw to anyone."

"And do you trust they’ll comply?"

"No," Joseph replied calmly. "I only did it to make sure they don’t open their mouths during the return journey and start spreading rumors among the crew."

"Which means...?"

"That as soon as we arrive in Eldia, I plan to have them all executed," Joseph said, looking at the horizon with cold eyes. "Discreetly, of course."

"..."

"An accident, a sudden illness, whatever’s most convenient... Dead men don’t talk, and that way I ensure the only information about what happened in that palace stays between you and me."

"I understand..."

Joseph turned toward him and gave him a meaningful look.

"Which brings me to an important point," the emperor said. "I trust that you won’t breathe a word about any of this, correct?"

The assistant tensed instantly.

"Of course not, Your Majesty," he replied firmly. "My loyalty is absolute... I’d sooner cut out my own tongue than betray your trust."

"Good," Joseph said with a smile. "That’s the answer I was hoping for."

The emperor looked back at the sea.

"Now get back to your work," he added with a casual wave of his hand. "I want everything in order by the time we reach Eldia."

"Right away, Your Majesty," the assistant said with a bow.

And with that, he withdrew from the deck, leaving the emperor alone with his thoughts.

Joseph stood by the railing, the sea breeze ruffling his blonde hair as he looked out at the vastness of the ocean stretching before him.

His mind went over everything he had seen and heard during his brief stay in the elven kingdom.

That man’s power, his impossible allies, the ease with which he had taken an entire kingdom, and the naturalness with which two of the most feared warriors on the continent followed him.

The questions kept piling up, while the answers were getting fewer and fewer.

"What the hell are you planning, Emperor of Death?" Joseph murmured, narrowing his eyes at the horizon.