Elegantly, he gave a slight bow. Though his smile was warm as spring, the arrogance of a superior being lingered unmistakably. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," he said. "I am Norris, current honorary vice president of the Magic Association. I sincerely invite you both to my humble abode for a chat."

"And if we refuse?" Valen's hand silently rested on his sword hilt. His instincts screamed in warning. The old man before him was extremely dangerous!

Flames of terrifying heat swirled around Norris. Without hesitation, he flung out two fiery chains. "I'm sorry, but you have no other choice!"

"Girl, run now! I'll hold him off here..." Valen shouted, forcefully slashing at the incoming fiery chains.

He didn't say this out of nobility. He knew... if the girl died, he'd be doomed too. But if she lived, there might still be hope for him.

After all, her elusive master was their only hope for rescue.

Staring in surprise at the broken chains, a sharp gleam flashed in Norris's eyes. "Oh? You can't even wield battle aura, yet you shattered elemental chains with sheer strength... Impressive. It seems you gained much within the Tower of Babel!"

"So what if we did? So what if we didn't?" Valen asked heavily, scalding blisters covering his palms, barely able to hold his sword.

Norris shook his head dismissively, as easily as crushing two ants. "True enough," he replied flatly. "Whether you did or not... you die today!"

"Why? We don't even know each other. From the moment we met... you've tried to kill us?" Lily questioned, bewildered. Her eyes shimmered with deep confusion as she gazed at the old man who had been hostile since their first encounter.

Norris snorted coldly, looking at the naive girl. "Ridiculous," he said casually. "Don't you grasp the simple truth: the innocent suffer for holding treasures they can't defend?... Little girl, blame yourself for lacking the power to match your burden."

"The weak can protect nothing, and have no right to bargain!"

Having deeply experienced the benefits of power, Norris ruthlessly exposed society's harsh reality.

The confusion on her face deepened. She had pondered this question for a long time—perhaps since birth, it was etched into her very bloodline.

The bloodline of kings must bear the responsibility of kingship!

"There are so many weak people in this world, and so few truly powerful... then why—"

"Those with power stand by and do nothing, while the powerless are slaughtered. This world is wrong. I want... to change it!"

"Hah! Equal exchange between strong and weak? A daydream... Tell me, would you befriend an ant?"

"If we could communicate... I think I would. I know it's laughable to dream of changing the world... but I always wonder: can I change this town, this region, even... this country?"

Clutching her burning chest, she felt her whole body ablaze. The girl, her brow relaxing, suddenly exuded a faint trace of peculiar aura. Just that insignificant wisp made Valen willingly drop to one knee beside her.

"What we lack is simply an equal environment, an atmosphere of equality..."

"What are you trying to say?!" Norris shouted in shock, suppressing the deep-seated fear urging him to submit.

Her hand reached toward the sky, as if to grasp the blazing sun. Her bright eyes gleamed with unprecedented radiance. Then, the girl sighed softly.

"So this is my true dream all along. I want... to become the king who leads everyone!"