“I’ve been meeting to meet you,” said Delilah, sipping on her tea.

“Oh, why? I don’t think I have anything worthy of being noticed by the Gods.”

“You know, sometimes, modesty appears as hypocrisy.”

Edward paused briefly, “True. But, I’m genuinely surprised you know of me.”

In less than a hundred years, you develop the Arcane Empire from a technological Tier 5 world to a Tier 9 Magical Civilization,” calmly said Delilah. “Such an act can be said to be the story of myths and legends.”

“Hahaha, you have no idea how much your words have boosted my ego,” replied Edward with a brilliant smile. However, Delilah did not take his words seriously.

“At first, I thought such a thing was impossible, that there might be some error in the information.’ She was in charge of the Universe Web, so she scoffed at the news for many years after reading it, believing there must be an explanation for such a grand scale of development.

“And now?”

“Now, I believe it.”

“Oh, why?”

“Because I can tell you’re older than a hundred years,” said Delilah, her eyes deeper than the abyss, containing the most profound truth in the universe. For a moment, Edward was fascinated as he felt she could answer all the answers he wished to know about the universe.

Luckily, his Willpower is unmatched, and he knew a mere Tier 10 Gods could never give him all the answers and truths he pursued.

“I guess you acquired one of the Magus Race’s inheritance, including a Time Magical Artifact. After studying it, you also absorbed their spirit of pursuing magic and the truth, thus creating the Arcane Empire.

“And with the technology civilization already on Earth, you decided to fuse magic and technology, thus bringing the Empire to an incredible height in a very short period.

“Am I right?”

Delilah gazed at him as if trying to pierce through the secrets of his soul. However, all she saw was calmness and a hint of flirtation.

‘He’s not just some wizard enthralled with magic and research; he’s a true Emperor with political skills.’

The Arcane Emperor rarely showed up during the war, mostly hiding behind the scenes. As such, the Gods analyzed the information and believed he was primarily a political figure–albeit one with a lot of power.

As such, their profile of him was a man addicted to magic and the pursuit of knowledge. Hence, he left his Empire to be run by others, only keeping military power.

However, Delilah discovered today they might have been wrong about the Emperor.

“You can think so,” replied Edward calmly.

“Is that so?” muttered Delilah with squinted eyes, making her even more alluring.

“Do you know what fate awaits you?”

“Please, tell.”

She did not immediately speak, somewhat baffled by his calm demeanor. She could tell he was genuinely calm and not putting on a facade for their negotiation.

“We will never allow such an Empire with your specific ideals and potential to develop. And once Guzznad cannot protect this galaxy, our first act will be to liquidate the Empire, killing or enslaving everyone.

‘This is your unavoidable fate.”

“And so?” asked Edward, making Delilah frown with slight displeasure. Regardless, she knew how to control herself and continued:

“Your only hope of saving yourself and your family is if you surrender.”

“Let me guess,” added Edward. “You want me to become your follower, no, your Divine Mercenary. As long as I give you all the Empire’s knowledge and technology–especially the one I used to block the Mana Grid–you can intercept with the others to keep me safe.

‘Am I correct?”

Delilah looked at him, his eyes focused intensely.

“Don’t worry, I can’t read your mind. You’re just easy to read–easier than I anticipated.”

“Are you calling me a simpleton?”

“I would not dare,” replied Edward casually. “Let’s not talk about some unknown future. You’re the Goddess of Magic, correct?”

“Yes, and what of it?”

“Then, you must be the powerful God in this plane?”

“Although I am powerful, I would not say to this extent,” replied Delilah, wondering where this conversation was going.”

“One of my philosophers excellently summarized magic. He said: ‘Magic is omnipotent, but the user is not.’”

“It’s a great quote,” nodded Delilah. “Magic can do anything; its only limitation is the mage controlling it.”

“I feel the same way. Imagine how powerful a person would be if they controlled the [Magic Authority]. They could topple the God Civilization on their own.”

“You’re…exaggerating things.”

“No, I’m not. The core of the Gods’s Civilization is the faith of their followers. So, if someone could develop a spell to block their connection to their followers–even for a moment–such a person could kill any Gods and easily topple their civilization.”

Delilah's face changed for the first time since this conversation–albeit the process was very brief. But, it was long enough for someone like Edward. So, with a smile, he continued:

“Creating such a spell is quite arduous, even beyond the limit of what I could do. However, If I had the [Magic Authority] and with enough time, it’s not out of the realm of impossibility.”

“Such a spell is impossible,” said Delilah, with a dangerous light in her eyes. “And your attempt to sow dissonance amongst us is futile.”

“Impossible? You’re right, but it’s not the reason, I think, isn’t it?” asked Edward, his eyes as profound as hers, peeping deep into her soul.

“The Gods are not stupid. So, how could they allow such a dangerous bomb among them? How could they allow anyone with the [Magic Authority] to exist and thrive in the universe?”

Small ripples appeared in Delilah’s tea; however, her face remained the same.

“I have a theory to explain such an anomaly,” said Edward. “My theory is that these Gods banded together to place some restrictions on the [Magic Authority]. They limited or even completely removed your ability to innovate and create new spells.

“I guess that they made it so that if you want to learn new spells, your followers must create it–without your aid–before sacrificing it to you.

“Am I correct?”

Boom!

The tea in Delilah’s hand evaporated, and the surrounding space trembled. However, Edward continued to sip his tea.

“I’m guessing that period was the darkest in your life. If things proceeded normally, you would have become one of the weakest Gods in the universe, always suppressed.

“However, you’re a wise woman, a woman of action. So, you somehow found a way to control the Mana Grid, thus elevating your strength and status.”

Delilah somewhat calmed down since Edward was wrong. To deal with that situation, she acquired the [Knowledge Authority], thus blessing her followers to create better spells and magical knowledge.

Her control of the Mana Grid and Universe Web placed her in the highest league among the Gods, preventing them from putting more limitations on her.

“Arcane Emperor, are you trying to annoy me?”

“Of course, I would never.”

“Enough with this charade,” said Delilah coldly. “Although you tried to hide, I can sense your contempt for me, for the Gods.”

“I apologize for that,” he said, sounding very sincere. “I do disdain you lots, thinking you’re only parasites that prey on the minds of the weak, less fortunate, or people in misery. However, I do wish to have a sincere conversation with you.”

“What do you want?” she continued, not hiding her anger and indifference. “State your purpose.”

“Very well.”