The Day of the Dead came to its natural end when the moon was halfway through its journey across the sky. The people of Beast Emperor Star retreated to their homes to enjoy the peace they once took for granted, and the people of the main clan returned to the palace to begin restoration procedures to heal the world itself back to its peak.
Damien also finished his business and returned to the palace around the same time, making his way to a secluded office-like room to meet the Emperor thereafter.
"We've been having a lot of meetings these days, huh," Damien said with a smile as he sat down in the seat prepared for him.
The royal clan, including the Emperor himself, no longer cared if Damien followed the usual courtesies. After all, disregarding his achievements, his status as Astoria's teacher technically placed him equal to the Emperor in seniority!
"Indeed," the Emperor responded, passing Damien a glass and motioning for him to help himself to the few spirit liquor displayed on the table. "Though, this will be the last for a considerable period, no?"
Damien nodded. "Mm, now that I've achieved everything I set out to do, there's no point in staying. I should clear things up with the Ancient God Clan as soon as possible."
"Good. It seems you have planned your steps carefully. However, you must still be careful. There are many people after your life."
"You heard something?"
"Hmm…"
The Emperor hummed as he poured himself a glass of spirit wine. "Just a few things. There are more than a few influences trying to find your information, but you've hidden well. Most of your history is a blank slate, while a majority of the rest is being blocked by a certain influence."
Damien smiled wryly. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this newly unveiled truth.
First of all, wasn't the Emperor insinuating that he was also searching for Damien's information?
Putting aside that only slightly concerning fact, had he really been lowkey in any fashion? He almost wanted to check if someone altered his memories and made his life far more exciting than it actually was.
'I can't decide whether that would be better or worse, but for now, let's stop thinking about it. Even if it's a joke, with my luck, I'll probably end up the target of a few trickster Gods. Then again, maybe they'd teach me how to actually be lowkey…?'
Rather than saying he had hidden, it was more accurate to say that he killed everyone who would've wanted to sell his information in vengeance, and those who were left alive were simply too far apart for their accounts of his person to be assumed as the same person.
After all, other than Damien, who else could move halfway across the universe in a few weeks or less? Even spatial practitioners didn't have this kind of mobility, so his existence was conveniently kept unrecognized.
Though, he didn't doubt that if these people's memories were searched for his appearance, his entire "hidden genius" persona would die.
'I'll have to repay the Director someday.' He thought to himself.
The enemies who wanted his life at this stage were mostly Holy Land-level influences or Demigods. While his fame made him blush a little, he now had to consider the Human Domain again.
To someone like Immortal Blood Asura, making the connection would be a piece of cake as long as he had a single lead.
"Setting that aside for now, you will also be attending the Grand Assembly, no?" Damien said, returning his mind to reality.
The Emperor nodded. "Yes, the plan has not changed. I will be personally attending the Grand Assembly. Matters of the world will be left to Hedrick and Elizabeth."
Damien furrowed his brows. "Are you planning to bring Astoria?"
"Is there a problem?" the Emperor asked.
Damien nodded. "You should let her remain here. In fact, you shouldn't let her leave the world until it stabilizes."
The Emperor raised his brow curiously.
'I guess he doesn't know yet.'
Damien realized once again just how esoteric Fate was. Even at this stage, a Demigod like the Golden Dragon Emperor could only sense that Astoria had become proficient in utilizing Fate like a Golden Dragon.
Damien sighed in slight wonder and began explaining everything from the beginning. He explained what he knew about Fate, slightly embellishing the details with concepts of Universal Flow and Samsara to make it more digestible.
The Emperor made a variety of expressions as he listened to Damien's explanation and learned about what truly happened when Astoria restored the Fate Clouds and how Damien essentially enslaved and kidnapped the Black Dragons.
"Many events have been taking place outside of my perception. What a strange feeling," the Emperor said somewhat wryly as he took another sip of his drink.
Damien didn't speak further upon seeing the Emperor fall prey to his own thoughts.
There were many things for him to digest, after all.
As a Divinity, the Golden Dragon Emperor's mentality was far stronger than the average man, but he wasn't a brick wall. If he was, he wouldn't have sacrificed his future for the sake of his clan.
However, to learn that this sacrifice was the reason he was never able to achieve the goal he'd been striving towards ever since his ascension to the throne…was difficult to accept, to say the least.
And even more than that, his goal had chosen his daughter instead of him.
'So this was the meaning of that prophecy…' he thought to himself.
The great blessing fated for the Golden Dragons wasn't external. It wasn't some sort of treasure…
It was Astoria.
This girl who had only ever shown herself to be a mischievous devil somehow matured into someone grand before he even realized it.
Was this the shock every parent had to experience at some point in their life?
A smile formed on his face.
It truly did hurt, but since he never had a chance in the first place, wasn't this the best possible scenario?
'Astoria…you have finally found your place in the limelight…' the Emperor thought, his eyes half-closing as he sent his thoughts into the sky.
'Deytria, I hope you are watching over her from your place in the Heavens…'
He offered a silent prayer before opening his eyes and turning back to Damien.
"Thank you."
Damien's eyes widened.
"What'd I do?"
The Emperor smiled. It was a smile that contained warmth, something he'd never shown Damien.
"If it wasn't for your aid, would Astoria have been able to bloom into her potential? If left to others, it would have gone unnoticed until the day she died. How could I not thank you?"
Damien shook his head. "No, I only gave her the chance to grow. If she wasn't already a genius with a fiercely unyielding spirit, she would have gained nothing at all."
He finally poured himself a glass of dark spirit liquor and raised it in the air with a grin.
"She's bound to complain incessantly when she learns she has to stay home, so make sure to properly thank her for saving the world."
The Emperor's eyes widened slightly before he returned Damien's expression, flashing his sharp canines.
He raised his glass to meet the one extended to him.
Clink!
"Consider it done."
