"Really, Vampire Emperor? I pulled an all-nighter just to prepare this report, and you're telling me something doesn't add up? That I'm lying?" the Human Emperor sighed. "Tell me, what exactly would I gain by lying to all of you? And where, precisely, do you think I'm lying?"
"For starters," the Vampire Emperor replied, leaning forward slightly, "tell me what you did with Frederick Ravenshade's body."
"I burned it."
"And you didn't consider preserving it for research? The boy had no spiritual energy. He was a walking vacuum. Surely that alone warranted further investigation."
"Well... yes, he was an unusual anomaly. But I had no understanding of what he was. I wasn't willing to take unnecessary risks. What if he carried some unknown contamination? We're already dealing with a mysterious disease spreading through the tropical regions. We can't afford more variables."
The Vampire Emperor remained silent for a moment.
"Then where are the ashes?"
The Human Emperor hesitated.
"I sealed them in a jar and launched them into space."
Silence.
"Now that sounds a little absurd."
Another voice joined the discussion. It belonged to a woman standing an imposing eight feet, eleven inches tall. Her voice was soft yet inherently elegant—carrying the absolute weight of natural authority, like a mother gently correcting her child.
This was the Elf Empress.
With long, cascading brown hair and sharp green eyes, upon her head rested a crown woven from living vines and delicate green leaflets with a brilliant blue gemstone at its center. She radiated supreme majesty, dressed in shimmering orange silk garments intricately woven with gold thread.She carried herself with the quiet authority of someone who had ruled for centuries, every movement calm and deliberate.
"The part where you burned him, collected the ashes, and then launched them into space," she said, leaning back on her throne. One hand supported her cheek while the fingers of the other tapped rhythmically against the table. "Why?"
There were now two people openly questioning the Human Emperor.
Judging by the silence around the chamber, the others seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"Like I explained," the Human Emperor replied, "I didn't want to risk anything. Why would I lie to all of you? I live on this planet too. I care about Reya just as much as anyone here. What would I gain by endangering the world itself? I recovered the Coregnet, eliminated the threat, and secured the situation. That's all."
"And the Spiritual Pistol?" the Elf Empress asked. "You stated in your report that it became nonfunctional. Where did you dispose of it?"
"I didn't dispose of it."
Several heads turned.
"I took it with me, confirmed it no longer worked, and locked it inside a cabinet in my room."
The chamber became even quieter.
"And yet nobody is questioning the Vampire Emperor," the Human Emperor continued. "Who exactly is Carl Zeiss? How does he possess such extensive knowledge regarding the Coregnet and its mechanisms?"
The Vampire Emperor nodded.
"That is a fair point. The fact that such information reached someone outside imperial and royal circles is concerning."
After a brief pause, he added,
"But perhaps you should also investigate your black markets. How did Cedric Thornwell acquire those pages describing the tomb?"
The Human Emperor folded his arms.
"The black market doesn't exist only within Human Territory. It exists in all of yours as well. It's a problem shared by every nation. They constantly change locations, contacts, and methods."
The Vampire Emperor glanced around the chamber.
"Then perhaps we should speak directly to the people who entered the tomb. If there is any lingering threat, we can determine it ourselves."
"Why would they be a threat?" the Human Emperor asked.
"Because they were associates of Frederick Ravenshade," replied the Elf Empress. "If your account is accurate, they were forced into the situation. If your memory alteration worked as intended, they should remember only the fabricated ruins story. We merely wish to verify that. Consider it a safety inspection. Nothing personal."
The Human Emperor sighed.
"Very well. In six or seven months, I intend to hold an Imperial Banquet honoring their actions, as well as the doctors and physicians currently combating the tropical disease outbreak. All of you are invited. I'll send formal letters in due time. If you have questions, you may ask them directly then."
He paused.
"But I assure you, they know nothing about the tomb anymore. There is no threat to Reya."
The Human Emperor then turned toward the projection.
"And Moderator? You've been unusually quiet. Is your circuitry running low on spiritual current?"
"I heard everything perfectly," the Moderator replied. "And no, I am not low on spiritual current. I am conserving energy. My resources remain limited."
The artificial voice continued.
"I agree that caution is appropriate. This event is unprecedented. The more independent observers we have examining the evidence, the more reliable our conclusions will be."
A brief pause followed.
"Therefore, I request that the Human Emperor allow the other Sovereign Emperors access to the exterior of the [LH] Tomb and its surrounding zone."
The Human Emperor nodded.
"You have my permission."
The Moderator continued.
"I have already investigated the damaged machines inside the tomb. Unfortunately, I possess no data regarding Frederick Ravenshade. As the Human Emperor stated, he generated no spiritual signature. All internal monitoring systems rely upon spiritual disturbances."
"My surveillance does not extend beyond the tomb, nor was it designed to. Resources were limited. I considered physical intruders impossible and therefore invested primarily in spiritual defenses."
The Moderator paused briefly before continuing.
"I was forced to construct many of the machines using substandard wiring and components due to material shortages. Their speed and accuracy were significantly reduced as a result."
"Had adequate resources been available, the probability of detecting and intercepting the intruder would have increased substantially."
"The security of the tomb's entrance and its surrounding barrier was the responsibility of the Human Emperor, not mine. My responsibility was the interior systems."
The Human Emperor rubbed his forehead.
"Well, how many people have even reached the tomb? How many entered? How many survived longer than a second? I redirected much of the security budget toward containing the tropical disease outbreak. That decision has already saved countless lives."
The chamber fell silent.
Eventually, a consensus was reached.
Any Sovereign Emperor who wished to investigate the [LH] Tomb personally would be permitted to do so.
Not all agreed to participate. Some believed the Human Emperor's explanations were reasonable. Others simply had no desire to travel such a distance.
One by one, the Emperors rose from their thrones and departed the chamber.
The Dragon Emperor left first.
The Human Emperor and Elf Empress remained the longest, continuing their discussion in private before eventually departing as well.
The following day, only three rulers conducted the investigation:
The Vampire Emperor.
The Elf Empress.
The Dragon Emperor.
No significant anomalies were discovered.
Except for one.
Laboratory analysis of residue recovered from the primary entrance circuitry revealed that the mysterious substance coating the mechanism consisted primarily of vomit and urine. Further investigation also determined that the machine destroyed by Frederick Ravenshade had not been disabled through advanced sabotage, but through repeated exposure of its circuitry to urine.