"W-what do you mean by that, Your Majesty? War isn't something to be joking about."

Duke Mont was the first to ask. He was the ringleader of the intervention a few months back but since he was with his wife today, he couldn't do anything but be obedient.

"We mean exactly what We have said, Duke Owen. Issue a draft order and mobilize the Empire's greatest, the war can happen at anytime. We must be prepared to intercept our enemies whenever they appear."

"...?"

Everyone looked at each other confused.

"Your Majesty, who will we be going to war against?"

Duchess Mont, the one with the highest authority next to the Empress spoke as a representative of the nobles. She had her face covered by a fan and while she was already pretty old, she looked far younger than she was. The dress she was wearing was long enough to reach the floor and it was a bit puffy.

"Calm yourselves, everyone. We are not able to tell you who our foe is at the moment, but know this, if we don't gather our forces and participate in this war, the Empire will fall."

The nobles became rowdy. They immediately began talking about the possible threats that could so something at that level. After letting them talk for around a minute, Heliana silenced them.

"Please listen to what Sir Kai has to say."

The nobles all turned to Kai who was standing by the Empress' side. He stepped forward and began to explain.

"This war will engulf not just this country, but the entire continent. The other continents won't be safe either. The only thing I can guarantee is that the war won't happen within the next few months. We need to use that time to build up as much of an army as we can."

The nobles looked unconvinced.

"Heliana, would you mind calling the Empire's S-class here?"

"?!"

All of the people present began causing an uproar. Kai had just called the Empress by name, one that only her mother and a select few could do.

Heliana nodded then looked at Lucent.

"Vice-Captain Lucent, would you please? Take this with you and press it once you've had his approval."

Kai handed her a small ball containing a teleportation magic circle. Lucent looked at Kai then Heliana a few times but in the end, decided to just follow her order.

Wtih Lucent gone, the nobles all gave each other a look until finally, Viscount Roy was to be the scapegoat.

"Your Majesty, your relationship with Sir Kai is...?"

The other nobles wanted to slap him then and there. They didn't think that he would ask so openly.

"Hmmm..."

Heliana blinked and then looked at Kai. After exchanging glances, she smiled at him and then looked back to Viscount Roy.

"I'll leave that to your imagination."

"..."

The noblewomen all began to have thoughts while the noblemen were dumbfounded. Just a few months ago, did she not swear in front of them that Kai wouldn't be a candidate? No, is he? The Empress smiled at him but that didn't mean that he was his other half...

Actually, wasn't that a ring on her left hand?

While the nobles' thoughts were in disarray, a magic circle appeared at the center of the room. An old man and Lucent appeared standing next to each other.

"Lord Roderick—" Heliana called out.

THUMP

The old man beside Lucent collapsed on his knees. Everyone was alarmed. Lucent quickly tried to help him but he wouldn't budge from the ground. His body was trembling as he looked at Kai nonchalantly standing beside the Empress.

"I-I am Roderick Fowler! Might I have the honor as to know your name, o great one?!"

Roderick began prostrating himself in front of everyone. It was a shocking sight, however, what was more shocking was the target of his act. Kai looked at him and began to talk under the watchful eyes of the other nobles.

"My name is Kai, do you want to tell them as to why you're doing this?"

"C-certainly! O great one!"

Roderick stood up in a fluster and quickly began to explain.

"Other people s-shouldn't be able to tell but we S-class can... Lord Kai is far above us, he's an SS-class! The first one that humanity has had in centuries!"

The nobles began to raise a fuss and even Heliana was shocked.

"When were you able to get back to SS-class?!"

In her memories, Kai had reached SS-class after the war. But, it was far too early for that to happen and she doubted that even if he trained everyday, he would still be able to reach it this quickly.

And, accompanying her new memories, she had also gained insight to some abilities that Kai had taught her, like telepathy.

"Just a week ago. There's a way to massively boost our power but it's mostly a one-time deal. I'll have you, Lucent, and that old man get stronger as well."

Hearing Heliana's explanation, she managed to calm herself a bit more. She saw that all the nobles were looking at her with questioning gazes. She cleared her throat.

"That's right. Sir Kai here is now an SS-class at just the age of seventeen. And, he had gained a revelation after doing so. Originally, a war was supposed to happen in three years, however, that time has now been voided. It can happen for as long as the original three years or be shortened to a few months."

She spoke with a voice of dignity. It made one want to lower their heads in her presence.

"This war will be unlike humanity has ever faced. Most of us will be killed and not even someone with Sir Kai's power is guaranteed to live."

"Your Majesty, you mean to tell us that the angels and demons are going to war with humanity?!"

Duchess Mont asked in a fluster. They were the only race capable of having that much power.

"...I can't say that for sure. However, they will definitely be involved in this war, one way or another."

The angels and demons would participate, however, she didn't know if they would be on humanity's side. Kai had been sent to the past to do a number of things, and one of them was to see if the angels and demons were willing to cooperate to thwart Howard instead of needlessly thinning their own numbers.

In the future, Howard would succeed because of the angels and demons fighting a war against each other and humans. If they had focused all of their power into fighting with Howard's forces instead, then things might have turned out differently.

Unfortunately, the memories that Kai gave her weren't her own. It was his memories of her along with some of the things she needed to know. In the end, she still had to ask Kai about the more concrete details, and that was why they had taken two hours after receiving the memories.

With the S-class, Roderick on board, the nobles became a lot more obedient and soon enough, a draft order was issued all around the country.

In the end, Kai stayed until the night at the Empire. They had come to an agreement with the nobles and the various factions around the Empire.

Meanwhile, in Heliana's room, Kai was sitting on top of her bed. The owner of the room, on the other hand, was fidgeting beside him.

Kai sighed and stretched out his arm to stroke her hair.

"I don't plan to do anything tonight, so you can calm down."

Being caught in her thoughts, Heliana blushed furiously. The memories she saw felt like she was watching a play as they were from the eyes of another person and not her own. To experience it herself was still another matter altogether.

"After alerting every country for the immediate threat, I'll have to go the demon continent. It's best that I go alone, but... I'd probably be bringing everyone with me."

"...Can I come with you?"

As the Empress of her country, she had an obligation to follow. However, as a person, her own entity, she didn't want to part with Kai even for a little bit.

"We both know that isn't possible."

"..."

Heliana looked disappointed, but she already knew that she couldn't come with him. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"It's times like this that I wish I wasn't the Empress. Though, if I wasn't, would we still have met?"

"Probably not."

"Then being the Empress was definitely the second greatest thing to happen to me."

"The first being?"

"Meeting you."

Kai chuckled at the cheesy line. Heliana opened her eyes and pushed him down the bed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You were just too cute."

"Jeez..."

Heliana leaned closer and gave him a light kiss.

"We did... much bolder things before. It makes me wonder if I'd become that shameless..."

She was red from the neck up.

"...Do you have to go tonight?"

"Yeah, I need to handle negotiations with everyone else soon. I don't have as tight a leash on the other countries as I do Alteria and the Empire."

"You say that as if you control the Empire..."

"You trust in me completely and you control the Empire, doesn't that make me the real mastermind?"

Heliana laughed a bit.

"Even though you would sacrifice yourself so that harm wouldn't befall this place, you still try and act like a villain."

She got down from on top of Kai and moved to lay down beside him.

"Kai, have you heard about the heroes?"

"...Yeah, I've heard they've been quite the problem lately."

"We actually have one present in the country currently."

"There is? Which one is it?"

"The fire hero, Rob Johnson, I believe was his name."

Kai began to think for a little.

"I have to return tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"Back home."

"Then... can you bring me along?"

"Are you sure?"

With his memories, Heliana should be more than aware of Kai's relationship with Erina and Amelia. There was also the fact that the two of them did not get along well with her in the other timeline.

"Nn. It's about time I greeted them after all."

Heliana raised her hand to show Kai the ring he put on her earlier.

"..."

Seeing the ring, Kai had a thought. He had given Heliana a ring before anyone else, would they be mad? Erina was a given, but would Amelia and Yoko also express their displeasure?

"Can you hide your ring for—"

"No."

Kai groaned. There was a huge smile on Heliana's face and after a few minutes, he gave up. They informed Lucent about their relationship and that they were going to go to Kai's home.

"B-but, Hel..."

Lucent pleadingly held Heliana's hands. She looked like a little girl begging her mother for something she wanted. Kai couldn't help but smile seeing them being so close.

"Lu, you know that I can't be unwed forever. It just so happened that the man I chose was..."

Heliana took a glance at Kai then back to Lucent.

"Fairly strange."

"Hey..."

Kai called her out but was ignored.

"I know... He's also really strong so you won't be in any danger, but..."

She was just reluctant to see her best friend go away. Knowing that, Heliana had a warm smile on her face and squeezed Lucent.

"A bird has to leave their nest soon enough. I love you just as much as I love Kai, I won't leave you or anything, we'll always stay best friends."

"Nn..."

Lucent was a bit teary but she accepted it in the end. She looked at Kai with a pleading gaze—one that probably was telling him to leave her behind.

"Then, we'll be going now."

Kai ignored her gaze and then took her back to her room so they could go ahead and teleport.

"Do you want to take her as your wife too?"

"What made you think that?"

"Well, you were staring at her pretty intently earlier. And, she's pretty good-looking."

"You know, I've always wondered this but what do you actually think of me as?"

"...A womanizer?"

"It's not like I actively pursue women with every chance I get."

"Then, can you give me the number of women you plan to make your wives right now?"

"..."

Kai couldn't help but shut his mouth. He was already at seven. Heliana laughed as she saw Kai's face and he did everything he could to speed up their teleportation.