The Xianzhou Alliance, Flagship.
Escorted by the two Arbiter-Generals, Leon entered the restricted area forbidden to outsiders.
He pushed open the heavy doors.
Inside, five figures turned their gazes toward the entrance in unison.
Standing on the left were the two Arbiter-Generals of the Luofu and the Yuque.
On the right were the two Arbiter-Generals of the Xuling and the Zhuming.
After entering, Xuanquan went to the left and Yueyu to the right.
With that, the leaders of all six Xianzhou flagships were now present.
"Welcome."
Directly ahead, a woman with a neat ponytail and a valiant, heroic air spoke up.
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the silent room, it was more than enough to reach Leon's ears.
"My name is Hua, Marshal of the Xianzhou Alliance."
The woman politely introduced herself.
"Please, step forward and speak, successor to the Reignbow Arbiter."
Hua gestured with an open hand, inviting Leon, who had stopped at the doorway, to approach.
"Do I still need to tell you my name?"
Leon walked forward as she wished and asked.
"Leon."
Hua smiled. "Right?"
"You really didn't have to make such a big deal out of this."
The overly serious atmosphere made Leon a bit uncomfortable.
"I just did what I had to do. There's no need to be so dramatic. Just going through the motions is fine."
"Before my senior left, he specifically instructed me to resolve this war for the Xianzhou."
"It was a promise between men, and I'm definitely going to fulfill it."
Leon told them not to be so formal with him.
"You know, He's the one who taught me how to draw this bow. After a connection like that, a real meeting of the minds, I certainly can't fail Him."
The smile on Hua's face froze.
Aside from Xuanquan and Yueyu, who were used to it, the other four Arbiter-Generals were also stunned.
There were ten thousand proper ways to phrase that, but he just had to pick the one that would generate the most controversy.
My god, what is this, a deathbed request from a dying wife entrusting her child to him?!
Who the hell is writing this script?
Just don't get any blood on me when this goes south!
"Mr. Leon's way of speaking…"
Hua paused, choosing her words carefully.
"...is truly humorous and full of personal color."
Others had to be cautious when even mentioning an Aeon.
But Leon was different. He had no such reservations, saying whatever came to mind!
'I didn't hear a thing just now…'
The six Arbiter-Generals thought in unison.
Only Leon would dare say something so disrespectful.
And get away with it unscathed.
Anyone else would have been asking for a denunciation from the Alliance.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Leon. If you prefer to be low-key, then we will keep everything simple."
Hua quickly steered the conversation back on track.
"I heard you wish to become a Galaxy Ranger, is that correct?"
"Yes. I'm used to traveling alone. I'm not comfortable staying in one place and joining a group."
Leon nodded.
"You wouldn't be willing to stay, even if we let you command a Xianzhou ship?" Hua asked.
She certainly wasn't suggesting deposing someone, which would be unethical.
If Leon agreed to stay, the Alliance planned to recommission a Xianzhou ship from scratch.
He had more than enough power, and the Alliance was willing to stake a considerable amount on the success of this deal.
With his help, the probability of slaying Abundance would undoubtedly increase dramatically.
"I don't really have any leadership skills. That's a bit much for me."
Leon said with a hesitant sound.
"What a pity. I was planning to pass the title of Marshal to you after a few months of systematic training."
Hua shook her head, somewhat regretfully.
Although she, like him, had once been graced by the Reignbow Arbiter's gaze and was the most skilled archer among the Arbiter-Generals.
But…
Hua's gaze fell upon the cyan longbow slung across his back.
It was still no match for the blessing of the bow he had received directly.
Feeling the grim aura of The Hunt unconsciously emanating from the bow, she marveled at the depth of the Reignbow Arbiter's approval of him.
A direct disciple of The Hunt, seen today for the first time.
He truly lived up to his reputation.
If they were judged solely by their status within The Hunt, he was clearly more worthy of the Marshal title than she was.
"Then I can only say it's a good thing you didn't pass it to me."
Leon knew he wasn't cut out for that kind of role.
"I'm the type who acts on emotion, so I was never suited to be a military leader in the first place."
A commander must remain calm at all times and prioritize the bigger picture.
He, for one, couldn't do that.
If he had all this power but couldn't act as he pleased, were his stats just meant to collect dust?
No thanks, I'm allergic to responsibility!
"I'll keep the Marshal position reserved for you. If you ever have a change of heart, remember to find me."
As Hua spoke, she picked up a prepared Jade Abacus from the table.
"The Xianzhou Alliance will always be your safe harbor. That will never change, no matter what."
Hua held out the Jade Abacus.
Followers of The Hunt don't start trouble, but they don't fear it either.
Leon clearly had no intention of staying on the Xianzhou. It could only be said that their ambitions differed, and one couldn't force the issue.
"Even if all the factions in the universe become your enemy, as long as you have a clear conscience about what you've done, the Xianzhou Alliance will back you to the death."
Although it might have sounded like empty flattery, Hua was serious.
These words were not just to foster a good relationship with him, but also because she felt that the key to slaying Abundance lay with Leon.
"Wow, they even have iPhones."
Leon took the phone, which was called a Jade Abacus in this world.
"There are five million credits in here. The Xianzhou Alliance will deposit one million credits on time every month."
Hua explained after he took it.
"Honestly, there are so many things I'd like to reward you with."
The Xianzhou Alliance was, after all, a major organization renowned throughout the universe; it certainly didn't lack for things like credits.
"But the rare treasures in the national treasury are mostly ornamental. There isn't a single thing worthy of an Emanator's notice."
As Marshal, Hua was naturally well aware of the Xianzhou's inner workings.
Mundane objects are useless to an Emanator.
"So…"
Hua built the suspense as she spoke, pushing a sandalwood box on the table towards him.
"The greatest sincerity the Xianzhou Alliance can offer you is this."
Leon looked down and picked up the sandalwood box.
He opened it.
A deep blue, spiraling bullet, forever moving against the arrow of time, lay quietly inside.
"The embers of a Lord Ravager."
Seeing him open the box, Hua began her introduction.
"It is a material that can only be forged from the confluence of three things: the embers of a Lord Ravager, the despair of a dying civilization, and the final cry of a primeval beast."
"The entire Xianzhou Alliance possesses only three of these."
Hua presented her token of sincerity. "And this is one of them."
"Although there are differences in power among Emanators."
"But battles between those of the same level are often decided by those fleeting vulnerabilities that are easily overlooked."
Aside from the Plaguesoaked, this was the only other Emanator-level item the Alliance held.
"As you wander the universe, you will inevitably encounter other Emanators."
"Most of them will be foes, not friends. You must have some kind of trump card up your sleeve."
"This embers of a Lord Ravager is a conceptual product."
"It allows your arrow to directly transcend time, space, and causality, ignoring everything to act within the gap of any moment in the past or future."
Hua revealed its function, "to erase your enemy from destiny one step ahead of them."
"Its laws of operation are effective even against Emanators. It's a top-tier superweapon even when considering the entire universe."
____
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