Underground City, Aries Palace.
When Rozen once again arrived at the Pope's sleeping quarters, entering the audience hall, the atmosphere was no longer nonsensical but instead exceedingly solemn.
Annerose was sitting on the throne, looking at Rozen, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.
Cris and Emilie were also present, and upon seeing Rozen arrive, they both greeted him.
"Rorelai Arneet."
"Long time no see, little Rozen."
Cris and Emilie both spoke to Rozen simultaneously.
"We meet again, Chief Executive." Rozen nodded to Cris and then looked at Emilie, speaking in exasperation, "As for Miss Emilie, didn't we have a fight here two days ago? That's not very long, is it?"
"Is that so?" Emilie chuckled, "Then why does it feel like I haven't seen you for a long time?"
"Probably because you've been staying here all the time," Rozen shrugged and said, "No matter how you look at it, this is an underground city. Anyone would feel bored if they stayed here without going outside for too long. It's natural to feel like time drags on."
"That's true," Emilie nodded in agreement, "Seems like I should find a chance to go outside and take a look around."
Upon hearing this, Cris was the first to offer a warning.
"You better not act recklessly, Miss Emilie," Cris sighed, "You're still a traitor to the Armored Beetles' faction, and Zeth's bounty on you hasn't been lifted. If you go outside carelessly and get spotted by Zeth's people, it won't end well."
"That's right," River also chimed in, "You're the only Collapse Force user on our side, a very valuable combat power. Please take care of yourself."
"Ah, it's that talk again," Emilie replied with apparent boredom, "Every time I mention going out, you guys say the same thing. It's a bit of a buzzkill, honestly."
However, Emilie knew very well that she couldn't move freely outside for now. For the sake of her own life, being cautious was the wiser choice.
So, Emilie didn't continue to push the topic.
"Anyway, I'm not really bored, thanks to those kids."
Saying this, Emilie smiled.
But it wasn't the usual big and brash grin; it was a gentle, kind, and caring smile.
The "kids" she mentioned must have referred to the humanoid Armored Beetles in the underground city, right?
It was for their sake that Emilie betrayed the Armored Beetles' faction. To her, those children were naturally her emotional support.
Thus, Emilie's words were genuine.
The group chatted casually for a while.
Until...
"Alright, there will be time to chat later. For now, let's get down to business."
Annerose, who had remained silent, finally spoke.
Everyone present immediately fell silent.
In an instant, all eyes turned toward Rozen.
"Rorelai Arneet," Annerose gazed at Rozen, without beating around the bush, and asked directly, "I've heard that you summoned a Dragon Legion on the Ninth Artificial Island. Is this true?"
From the start, Annerose went straight to the point.
Moreover, her expression was more severe and stern than ever before.
Faintly, Rozen could even see a trace of fear in Annerose's eyes.
Yes.
Fear.
The Pope, who had lived for countless years, was afraid—afraid of the dragons Rozen had summoned.
Rozen looked squarely at Annerose.
"If I say no, would you believe me?"
Rozen simply responded with such a light statement.
However, Annerose's emotions grew more agitated.
"Please, take this seriously!" Annerose exclaimed loudly, "This is a matter that could very well determine the survival of humanity!"
This one sentence left Emilie, Cris, and River stunned.
"A matter that could determine the survival of humanity?"
The three of them turned pale.
Clearly, they had not expected Annerose to consider this issue so gravely.
While those in the know were all shocked and surprised by the event, to say that it was a matter of humanity's survival seemed too exaggerated, right?
That's what the three of them thought.
Only Rozen understood that Annerose's agitation was not unwarranted.
The reason was simple.
Are you afraid?"
Rozen directly exposed Annerose's inner thoughts.
"You fear that the dragons might become another Armored Beetle, threatening the future of humanity, don't you?"
These words sent a jolt through everyone present.
Annerose's expression also darkened.
On closer consideration, the sudden appearance of dragons, creatures of myth, was indeed a matter of great importance.
Others might see it as something fascinating, but upon deeper reflection, it was a terrifyingly serious development.
"Back then, the Armored Beetles didn't exist in this world. Yet, one day, four hundred years ago, they suddenly appeared and launched an assault on humanity, leading to the current state of the world."
Rozen spoke without emotion.
"Now, just like the Armored Beetles, dragons, which should not exist in this world, have suddenly appeared."
If one truly thought deeply about it, someone might inevitably think of this:
"Could these dragons, like the Armored Beetles, become humanity's natural enemy, slaughtering humans?"
Rozen's voice rang out.
"That's what you're worried about, isn't it, Your Holiness?"
Perhaps others wouldn't come to such a conclusion.
But as someone who had lived for at least several hundred years and likely witnessed the initial appearance of the Armored Beetles and their devastation of the world, Annerose could not help but react strongly to this.
That was why she felt fear.
That was why she was so agitated.
This was the real reason, as River had said, why she had never been like this before.
Simply put...
"You're wondering if..."
Rozen locked eyes with Annerose and suddenly smiled.
"Whether I, as the 'Mage King,' might have unintentionally opened a 'gate' and summoned creatures from another world."
"Am I right?"
As soon as Rozen said this...
"You...!"
Annerose's expression changed dramatically.
"...!"
Emilie, Cris, and River also looked at Rozen with new eyes.
Bearing the weight of everyone's reactions, Rozen spoke softly.
"Over a year ago, after I had read all the books in Vebel's central library, I realized that there was no traceable sign leading up to the appearance of the Armored Beetles."
"It didn't seem to be the result of some secret experiment, nor did it look like a sudden biological mutation. All records of the Armored Beetles' origin seemed to have been intentionally erased."
"So, I analyzed various historical documents and reports on the Armored Beetles and reached one conclusion."
Rozen's voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Armored Beetles are creatures from another world."
"They're not life forms of this world but beings that crossed over from another dimension four hundred years ago."
"That's the reason for their appearance in this world."