In one of the secret chambers of Moskvallha Palace, Emperor Zalestino sat with a furrowed brow in front of a tall man with slightly long black hair. Since entering the room, the emperor had not spoken a word—he had simply sat there, staring at the man with a frown.
"Don't look at me like that, Your Majesty. You were the one who insisted on preserving Viertino's memories and intelligence. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself."
The black-eyed man—who was nearly three times younger than the emperor—finally broke the silence that had filled the room. His eyes, which had been fixed on the arrangement of small blocks on the table, now shifted to the palace's ruler. Despite sitting in front of an emperor, the man showed no sight of submission. It was as if the emperor was just another person to him.