Marthion was just about to make a move when Kafka stopped him directly.

  Kafka's face was solemn as he spoke,

  "Hold on a second. Have you ever considered the possibility that your reaction was already anticipated by His Majesty the Emperor?"

  "Perhaps all of this was arranged in advance by His Majesty."

  ...

  At the same time,

  Inside the royal palace of Ilan Kingdom,

  Durin lounged idly on an opulent sofa, looking utterly frustrated.

  "Damn it! Why do things always spiral out of my control?"

  "I'm the Emperor, yet why does everything feel so off?"

  This was his private chamber, a place where no one could enter without his permission.

  Even the dukes had to obtain Durin’s approval before being allowed inside.

  "I still need to remain cautious and ensure I don't expose myself. But if this goes on for too long, I’ll inevitably slip up, won’t I?"

  "In the end, it all comes down to strength. I need to find a way to use the system to sabotage Shadewhite’s plans. Only then can I gain enough rewards to enhance my own power."

  "Once I reach the level of a demigod-rank powerhouse, I won’t have to live in fear anymore."

  Only by attaining demigod-rank strength would Durin truly have the confidence to stand his ground.

  By then, even if his identity was exposed, he would still be the Emperor.

  As for how to sabotage Shadewhite’s plans, strength didn't seem to be the decisive factor.

  After all, he had already completed several tasks successfully—proof that intelligence played a crucial role.

  "I just need to use my wits and come up with a flawless plan. If I allocate my resources wisely, dealing with Shadewhite shouldn't be too difficult."

  Durin had made up his mind—not to idle around anymore.

  Starting now, he would become a true ruler and take control of Ilan Kingdom's affairs.

  "Since I'm going to sabotage Shadewhite's plans, I need to be personally involved to earn the system's rewards."

  With this thought, Durin immediately began reviewing relevant information.

  These were valuable learning opportunities that would help him understand Ilan Kingdom and the Shadewhite clan better.

  "The best course of action for now is to find a high-level task that isn't too dangerous and handle it personally."

  Just as he was pondering this, the voices of Kafka and Marthion came from outside the door, requesting an audience.

  After receiving Durin's permission, the two entered.

  "Your Majesty, our stock of high-grade magical herbs has suffered heavy losses, and we need to purchase a new batch. Here is the list we compiled for your review!"

  Marthion respectfully handed over a list but deliberately omitted any mention of the magma element, which had been split among his four students.

  By now, he was convinced that His Majesty the Emperor was already aware of everything.

  Bringing it up now would only make him seem foolish.

  "A list of magical herbs?"

  Durin paused for a moment before realizing that the massive explosion earlier must have caused a huge loss of high-grade magical materials.

  At this realization, he felt a pang of embarrassment.

  These materials must be worth a fortune. It seemed he had caused quite a disaster.

  A wave of guilt washed over him. But then, he realized that this could actually serve as a perfect opportunity for him to gain hands-on experience.

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  After all, purchasing high-grade magical herbs shouldn’t be too dangerous.

  "Alright. Leave the list with me. I will personally oversee this purchase."

  The moment these words left his mouth, both Marthion and Kafka looked visibly stunned.

  Magical herbs, even high-grade ones, were consumables that weren’t particularly rare.

  In other words, as long as one was willing to spend money, they could be purchased at any time.

  Typically, for such transactions, His Majesty only needed to give his approval, and the matter would be handled as per usual procedures.

  There was no need for any high-ranking officials to get involved—let alone the Emperor himself.

  But now... His Majesty actually wanted to personally oversee the matter?

  Something was off. Very off.

  Kafka was startled. He had a nagging feeling that His Majesty’s grand plan was about to reveal itself, even if only the tip of the iceberg.

  In reality,

  this continent was far more vast than most people realized.

  And its inhabitants were not limited to just humans and the Shadewhite clan.

  While these two races had a deeply rooted conflict, they were not the only ones living on this land.

  There were also elves, dwarves, goblins, and even some hidden races that few had ever heard of.

  In fact, these hidden races might actually be the true rulers of the continent!

  Humans had once been dominant, ruling as the supreme force.

  But their reign was brief. After the fall of their strongest warriors, their power waned,

  and now, they teetered on the edge of extinction...

  Even during the ongoing war against the Shadewhite clan, purchasing magical herbs was not difficult.

  Countless factions were profiting from the war, after all!

  No one would object to making extra money.

  Some factions even supplied both the humans and the Shadewhite clan, selling resources to both sides.

  Everyone simply chose to remain silent about it.

  Because of this, despite the dire situation Ilan Kingdom appeared to be in, trade was still thriving.

  As for high-grade magical materials, they could be bought in any quantity as long as the money was there.

  The primary means of survival for humans was through buying raw magical materials, refining them into potions, and then selling them.

  In fact, the human race supplied at least one-third of all magical potions on the market.

  Durin casually set the list aside and began reviewing past transaction records.

  In his mind, something as crucial as resource procurement must surely require a meeting between the leaders of both factions, where they would negotiate a deal.

  He needed to prepare for such a meeting!

  However, when he saw the past transaction records and related procedures, Durin was completely dumbfounded!

  Was it really this simple?!

  All he needed to do was nod in approval—no signature required.

  The transaction was as straightforward as exchanging money for goods.

  There was no need for any leadership meeting at all!

  At that moment, Durin felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment.

  He had just declared that he would personally handle this task,

  only to realize there was nothing for him to do!

  How humiliating!

  Determined to save face, Durin cleared his throat, putting on a serious expression as he spoke:

  "Ahem... After careful consideration, I’ve decided that you should send four additional people to escort this transaction."

  "If anything unexpected happens along the way, report to me immediately."

  At the very least, he would make it look like he was doing something.

  Kafka and Marthion remained expressionless, but their minds were in turmoil.

  His Majesty predicted that there would be an incident?

  Actually, that made perfect sense.

  If nothing was going to happen, why would the Emperor himself take an interest in such a trivial matter?

  The two exchanged glances, their thoughts aligning.

  Kafka, in particular, pondered over Durin’s directive.

  Sending four additional escorts—why four, specifically?

  Under normal circumstances, this kind of transaction was important but not that important.

  Usually, at most, they would send one or two Stellar-rank Level 1 experts as escorts.

  But now, His Majesty was ordering four more to go?

  That could only mean one thing—grave danger.

  Otherwise, why would His Majesty personally oversee this?

  At the very least, they would need Stellar-rank Level 5 or higher personnel for the job!

  But doing so would leave Ilan Kingdom’s defenses vulnerable.

  Wait… Four people?

  Kafka's mind suddenly sparked with realization.

  Just earlier, the magma element had been absorbed by four elixirists!

  "Could it be... from the moment of the magma cauldron explosion to this very moment, every step His Majesty has taken was part of his plan?"

  "That explains everything! It all makes sense now!"

  Marthion was utterly shaken.

  His gaze toward Durin was filled with reverence.

  And as he recalled his previous doubts, unease crept into his heart.