Everyone watched Elo's expression. At first, his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were grappling with a thorny problem.

  But as his thoughts drifted away, his brows gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even lifted slightly, as though he had stumbled upon something amusing.

  The cabinet members were utterly baffled, exchanging confused glances.

  Vian was speechless. She realized her brother had zoned out again, most likely lost in his own world.

  Feeling a bit annoyed, Vian thought it was inappropriate for him to daydream in such a serious setting.

  She nudged Elo with her elbow, reminding him it was time to snap out of it.

  Elo was brought back to reality in an instant. He looked around and saw seven elders, all in their sixties, staring at him with puzzled expressions.

  Feeling a little awkward, Elo couldn't help but cough lightly, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

  "Well... I understand all of this."

  The Prime Minister, his tone filled with respect and caution, asked,

  "Your Majesty, you seemed to be deep in thought just now. Forgive my boldness, but is there something we should pay attention to?"

  Elo had no intention of answering. His gaze wavered slightly, and he was just about to come up with an excuse to brush the question off when his mother's voice chimed in at just the right moment.

  Her tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable authority:

  "If there's something bothering you, just say it.

  If you stay silent and let others guess, what if they get it wrong?

  A kind intention turned into a blunder—wouldn't that make things even more troublesome?"

  Elo understood the philosophy behind his mother's words—a classic strategy of rulers:

  A monarch maintains a certain distance from their ministers, allowing the ministers to interpret the monarch's intentions on their own.

  The ministers' successes become the monarch's triumphs, while their failures do not affect the monarch's authority.

  This is a sophisticated process where a monarch strategically uses wisdom, power dynamics, and careful planning to navigate and maintain authority.

  Elo wasn’t surprised that his mother understood this.

  Though she hadn't even graduated from elementary school, her abilities and insight far surpassed his own.

  Elo was well aware that a piece of academic qualification was not enough to prove a person's abilities—his mother was a perfect example.

  Elo showed a helpless expression and said,

  "I was just curious about the current situation of that fragment of Earth called 'Tokyo' and what might happen if we were to leave the Ark directly.

  I accidentally zoned out, that’s all—don’t overthink it."

  Everyone couldn't help but laugh at his words, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

  Elo smiled as well before steering the conversation back on track: "I’ve already got a grasp of the basic situation."

  After a brief pause, he continued,

  "Although the problems are numerous and important, they ultimately boil down to a matter of resources, which isn’t an insurmountable issue.

  The world is vast, and there are plenty of places suitable for survival.

  Once I’ve dealt with the internal affairs of the Ark, I will embark on my journey.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  By then, the resource problem will naturally be resolved."

  Hearing this, everyone remained calm, clearly having expected Elo to possess such capabilities.

  The Prime Minister hesitated, as though wanting to voice his concerns, but Elo cut him off:

  "There’s no need to worry that my departure from the Ark will lead me directly to Tokyo, nor that I might stray into the cosmic spaces of extreme environments.

  I’ve already begun searching for a suitable world. Once I find one, I will open the 'Space-Time Gate' and head straight to that world."

  This statement left everyone stunned—it was something they had never anticipated.

  Vian’s face showed an expression of disbelief, her eyes widening slightly as she exclaimed in a tone filled with surprise, “You have this kind of ability?”

  Elo shook his head and calmly replied, “It’s not my ability; it’s the system’s ability.”

  The moment Vian heard the word “system,” her expression changed instantly.

  As someone who had read countless novels of this type, she immediately grasped its implications.

  Almost in an instant, she realized that the existence of the system was the family’s most closely guarded secret, one that must never be revealed to outsiders.

  And as for those who knew about it, there was only one answer—elimination was necessary!

  Unable to suppress her inner tension and anger, she hastily refuted,

  “What nonsense are you talking about? What system? Such a thing doesn’t exist!”

  At the mention of the word “system,” the originally composed expressions of the cabinet members showed subtle changes.

  Although they tried hard to maintain their calm, their faint physical reactions betrayed their inner shock.

  They understood exactly what Elo was referring to by “system.”

  In their earlier analyses, they had noticed Elo’s interest in certain novels with fantastical system settings, which they had dismissed as fictional creations.

  But now, the existence of such a system—previously confined to the realm of imagination—had manifested in reality, granting Elo such extraordinary power.

  This realization initially left them astonished, but soon, a deeper thought took its place:

  Elo wasn’t truly powerful; it was the system that was powerful.

  This discovery caused several members to unconsciously lower their heads, attempting to conceal the complex emotions and faint unease brewing within them.

  Elo’s gaze swept over the cabinet members, keenly noting their reactions.

  Then, he turned his eyes to Vian and spoke in a calm yet resolute tone:

  “It doesn’t matter. Whether the system is revealed or not is irrelevant.

  It is absolutely loyal to me and will never betray me.

  Its sole purpose is to serve my true will.”

  Vian stared intently at Elo, her brows slightly furrowed, clearly displeased by his words and actions.

  She fully understood the significance of the system—this was something that must never be disclosed to outsiders.

  She attempted to use her piercing gaze to compel Elo to take back what he had said, but Elo simply shook his head gently, his resolve unwavering.

  Seeing this, Vian said nothing more.

  However, her eyes turned toward the seven cabinet members, and within her gaze lingered a faint, chilling hint of murderous intent.

  Their mother’s face was filled with worry—it was evident she also understood what the “system” was.

  Yet she remained silent, refraining from offering any comment.

  Elo once again surveyed the cabinet members, whose expressions were tense and uneasy.

  They were acutely aware that Vian’s current gaze was not an empty threat, and they knew full well that Vian had the authority to decide their fates.

  Elo smiled, attempting to use his expression to ease everyone’s concerns, and began speaking:

  “The concept of the system is quite simple. You can think of it as resembling the systems often described in internet novels.

  However, the difference lies in this: the systems in those novels are fictional, whereas my system is real.

  As I mentioned earlier, the system’s purpose and value are to serve my will.

  Although some of its decisions may superficially appear to go against my intentions, at a deeper level, they actually align with my innermost desires.”

  He paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts to make his explanation clearer:

  “Let me give you an example.

  It wasn’t me who actively permitted Alaya to observe me; it was the system that allowed Alaya to do so, which is why Alaya could observe me.

  The same principle also applies to life-sharing, the creation of the Ark Little World, and Alaya’s selection of you.

  On the surface, these things seem to contradict my will.

  To be honest, I personally don’t like these troubles.

  However, why does the system make such decisions?

  Because these actions ultimately contribute to fulfilling the deepest wishes within me.

  Therefore, I hope you can understand this:

  The system’s decisions, my current will, and my deepest desires are not completely aligned, but they are fundamentally interconnected.

  I trust that you should be able to understand what I mean—it’s not that complicated.”

  The Prime Minister’s expression grew complicated upon hearing Elo’s words. “Your Majesty, you shouldn’t have shared this secret with us.”

  Elo shook his head slightly and countered, “Do you think I’m stupid?”

  The Prime Minister immediately shook his head. He knew full well that Elo wasn’t stupid.

  Although his personality is somewhat lazy, Elo is always able to clearly grasp the essence of any issue.

  Elo turned to Vian. “And you? Do you think I’m stupid?”

  Vian didn’t answer his question directly but instead stated bluntly,

  “The system is critical—it’s the foundation of our survival.

  No matter how loyal someone may be, even if it’s me or Mom, we’re not qualified to know something like this!”

  Elo nodded, his tone calm: "Do you think I don’t understand the reasoning behind what you said?"

  Vian stared at him and asked directly, “Then what exactly are you thinking?”

  Elo replied,

  “Since discovering the existence of the system, what I care about the most is this:

  Why me? What is the system? What is its purpose? Am I just its puppet?

  Is its loyalty genuine or fake? Are the abilities it granted me real?

  And if I lose the system, will those abilities disappear?”