The Shining Star Above The Heaven

For the next few days, the entire world was bustling with the news of Aldrian's announcement. The name Aldrian was already known by many, since it had been spread earlier through many information agencies.

Because of the information about the Barisan continent, many wanted to enter that place, but only ended up dead. Many thought that Aldrian might not know if some had infiltrated, given how vast the continent was, but they were proven wrong when not a single person survived after attempting to infiltrate it.

Now that the Barisan continent had been opened to the world, people wanted to see it for themselves. They wanted to know whether the information that had spread over the past few weeks was true.

Many began moving toward the Barisan continent using their own transportation, while transportation agencies also took advantage of the situation by offering services and opening routes to the Barisan continent with their cruisers.

The enthusiasm was at its peak as many wished to visit the new land from their own perspective. The place, long shrouded in mystery since ancient times, was far too valuable to miss, and countless people wanted to explore it.

While outside powers were on their way to visit the continent and needed time to arrive, the situation within the Barisan continent was also quite lively. With the continent opening to the world, it meant that people from outside could now come. This became the talk among the populace of the continent, alongside the excitement for the grand tournament.

They wondered why their great emperor had opened the Barisan continent so soon. Why not wait until the continent grew even stronger?

Many questions arose in their minds, yet with their emperor's announcement to the world, they felt they too could puff out their chests with pride. His declaration also ensured that outsiders would not be able to harm them without consequence. The harsh and arrogant tone of his words, as if their emperor were challenging the entire world, made them truly proud to be his subjects—proud to be the people of the Aster Empire.

But then another thought came to the populace's mind. With the tournament being held a week later, did that not mean the event might be witnessed by those outsiders?

When they considered this, many contestants felt an added pressure, for they could not afford to deliver a disappointing performance. They would be fighting before the eyes of the outside forces, who might judge not only them but also the talent of the entire Barisan continent.

Suddenly, the contestants' spirits grew more intense as they resolved to display more than their best. They wanted to show those outsiders that the talent of the Barisan continent was neither weak nor ordinary, but worthy of recognition. They would not allow themselves to bring shame upon the empire or the emperor who stood behind them with such a bold announcement.

While the entire world was in a festive atmosphere because of Aldrian's declaration, Aldrian himself remained in his private room, receiving the leaders of the major territories. They seemed to be coordinating for the events soon to come, from the grand tournament to the influx of outsiders who would soon flock to their continent.

Since a few days ago, many adjustments had already been made across the continent to prepare for the arrival of the outsiders. Special places were built along the coastline for large vessels, such as interstellar vessels, to land. They also prepared areas around the cities and towns across the continent so that cruisers could land there.

They also discussed many measures for the different possibilities that might occur once the outsiders arrived. Although Aldrian had already given his harsh warning to the entire world, they still needed clear procedures to maintain order, as no one could predict what might happen after the outsiders' arrival.

They understood that Aldrian was serious about his threats, and all the kings knew he did not truly care about the consequences. Even so, they wanted to prevent Aldrian from having to personally intervene every time a problem arose concerning the outsiders.

They did not want to depend on their emperor for every matter, as that would be inappropriate for his status and would make them, his subjects, seem useless and unreliable. They wanted to handle problems that were still within their ability to resolve, and only if an issue truly exceeded their capability would Aldrian step in to solve it.

They also discussed more details about the grand tournament that would be held the following week. At this point, the registered participants had already surpassed a hundred thousand.

They knew they had to create a phase where they could eliminate many contestants at once, leaving only the true cream of the crop to advance to the next stage. If they relied solely on battle formats, the tournament would take forever to finish.

They also understood that they could not properly assess the true worth of a participant if they simply gathered them in one place and had them all fight at once, like a swarm of gu, where only the last one standing would become the winner.

There were many issues to resolve, and the meeting only ended when the sun was close to setting. For the past few days, they had been holding meetings, and they would continue to do so every day until all of them were satisfied that no problems remained in the plan.

Aldrian sighed after all the leaders of the major territories had departed. He had been truly busy these past few days, and he felt they were the busiest days of his life. Sylphia and Baek Jimin, who had observed most of the meeting from the side, approached him. Baek Jimin sat at his left, while Sylphia stood in front of him.

Baek Jimin gave him a light massage on his arm, while Sylphia gently massaged his temples. Aldrian, of course, allowed himself to be pampered by his women. Although his strong physique and mind meant he did not feel tired from the meetings, he would never refuse their care.

"These have been the busiest days I've seen you in, my emperor," Sylphia said as she massaged his temples.

"Well, what can I do? I have to work hard for the future of my family. I have two women to take care of, after all." With his eyes closed, he replied in a joking tone, which made both women giggle. The atmosphere was warm and filled with love, with only the three of them in the room.

As Aldrian continued to be pampered by the two women, Sylphia suddenly spoke.

"My dear, I think you should begin organizing the palace. You could start by hiring employees to manage the palace, and also form your own private troops, your imperial troops, so that we don't always have to depend on the royal families under you whenever you need forces in the future."

"With the opening of the Barisan continent to the world, you will become even busier. If you establish your own troops, you can ease your burden, since you will no longer have to guard the palace or your family twenty-four hours a day. You could entrust that duty to the imperial forces."

"The imperial troops would also serve as a show of strength, a symbol of your power as the ruler of the Barisan continent. I know many already consider your very presence enough of a show of force, but with your own strong troops, the prestige of the imperial family as a whole would be elevated."

"All this time, you have been the central factor when people think of the current power of the imperial family—the Aster imperial family. Even with me as the princess of the Ivory Kingdom, Jimin as the young lady of a great sect, and your parents from noble families, all of that is still not enough to be counted as a true deterrent force, especially against the outsiders."

"But if you command strong and renowned imperial troops, then apart from you, there will be something else that stands as a deterrent. The Aster imperial family would have more than just you to rely on, and many people would take that into account."

Aldrian opened his eyes and looked at Sylphia as she continued to massage his temples, then smiled at her.

"Well, that's a good idea. Actually, I've already thought about turning the entire assassins of the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion into my formal imperial force for some time, but I never felt it was that urgent. Still, what you said is right—it seems I need to start organizing the palace structure as soon as possible."

He spoke before suddenly pulling Sylphia and Baek Jimin into his embrace. He inhaled Sylphia's fragrance for a moment, then placed a quick kiss on Baek Jimin's forehead.

"I'm glad I have both of you by my side. I can truly depend on you," he said, which made them smile. But Baek Jimin, with a slight sense of shame, replied,

"What have I done? I'm just here massaging your body, while Sister Sylphia is the one who works so hard and helps you the most. I'm not as useful as—"

"Ssh, ssh, ssh. No, my love, don't say that. Don't belittle yourself. I know you feel that what you do is not as great as Sylphia's, but that is only because she is a princess of a great empire, and she learned much from her father over the years. You, my love, have your own circumstances. In matters of the imperial family, you may not shine as brightly as Sylphia, but you have your own qualities, Jimin. So please, don't speak of yourself that way, it truly makes me feel sad."

As Aldrian said this, he tightened his embrace around Baek Jimin and kissed her forehead again.

Hearing those words, Baek Jimin could not help but feel touched. She nodded softly. Just as he said, Sylphia had her own qualities, and she herself also had her own. What mattered was finding her own way to help Aldrian with the strengths she possessed.