"Such a picture of fatherly love and brotherly harmony!"
Inside the council hall, the Winged officials were all staring wide-eyed in disbelief.
However, Jano found himself puzzled.
Amigul, despite his old injuries, was still a demigod! How could he die so easily?
The Seventeenth Prince who entered the palace surely didn't have the strength to kill him.
So, who killed Emperor Amigul?
Jano was deeply troubled.
After the initial shock, several Winged officials' faces broke into expressions of joy.
Under Emperor Amigul's rule, the Goblin Empire had dominated the continent, suppressing all other races with the weight of a mountain.
Now that he was dead, it seemed everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Soon after, ideas that had never surfaced before began to appear.
The officials eagerly suggested:
"Your Majesty, now that Amigul is dead, will the Goblin Empire collapse?"
"Amigul, as a demigod, was the stabilizing force of the Goblin Empire! Now that he's gone, the Empire will undoubtedly fall into chaos. Why not seize this opportunity to expand westward and secure more land for our people?"
"Yes, Losendas is large, but it's still just a small part of Feland. We need more resources and land!"
"Without a demigod to rule the Goblin Empire, the other races will surely not miss this chance to strike. We could easily join the fray!"
"Your Majesty, with our legends and the strength of our army, we might even rival the Goblins!"
"Your Majesty..."
Jano, sitting at the head of the table, looked down at the Winged officials as they each voiced their opinions, and a sense of pride welled up in him.
It was a good sign that his people were thinking boldly and not afraid to speak their minds, even in front of the current rulers of the continent, the Goblins.
But Jano knew deep down that now was not the time to fight for resources.
In the future, as recorded in the Elven Kingdom's historical texts of the Fifth Era, the Goblin Empire lasted for three thousand years!
And during those three thousand years, the most influential figure in the Goblin Empire wasn't its first emperor, Amigul, but the great sage of the Goblin race, Azeba!
The records of Azeba's life were sparse, but a few mentions described him as:
"Azeba was born in a small mountain village in central Feland. From a young age, he was extraordinarily talented and was sent to the Goblin royal court, where he became an apprentice to the great Goblin sage, Arigo."
"Azeba was known for his kindness, wisdom, strategic mind, and unparalleled foresight."
"When Emperor Amigul was still a young man, Azeba took notice of him and gave him his support."
"The records become vague after that, but there's one exciting detail—before the Goblin Empire was founded, Azeba discovered vast amounts of knowledge and treasure in a secret northern location!"
"The Goblin Empire's rise began thanks to Azeba's discoveries."
"This great sage, Azeba, lived through the entire reign of the Goblin Empire, and whenever the empire faced a crisis, Azeba would come forward and restore stability, guiding the empire through tough times."
"Without a doubt, after Amigul's death, Azeba would become the true ruler of the Goblin Empire, even though he wore no crown!"
The mere fact that Azeba had lived for three thousand years was enough to raise suspicions.
With the Goblins' lifespan, a legend could not possibly live for three thousand years!
Jano snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the officials before him, meeting their eager eyes. He nodded, then shook his head with a smile.
"Edward, Milander, Shaman, Wayne, Limiel... what you've all said is insightful, and I'm glad to see you all thinking ahead."
"But the timing is wrong!"
"The Goblin Empire is not as simple as it seems. There are still many hidden depths, and I suspect they may have another demigod working behind the scenes!"
"So, for now, we remain still."
The officials, deep in thought, pondered Jano's words. He then turned to one of the male Winged officials and commanded,
"Gomora!"
"You are to send agents to Proadas to gather information for us, day and night."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
Gomora left the council hall to carry out his orders.
The remaining officials continued their work.
Jano stood up from his seat in The White Bastion and was about to leave the room when he turned back to address the female Winged official, Limiel.
"By the way, Limiel, where is your sister Sophia?"
Sophia was the Winged genius who had pioneered the Light Swordsman's progression to the Hero tier as the Light Messenger.
"Your Majesty, a few months ago, Sophia went to the southern Fairy Forest to celebrate the 1,500th birthday of her friend, the Light Fairy!"
"1,500 years old?!"
Jano blinked in surprise.
The Fairies certainly had long lifespans...
"Alright, Limiel, Sophia is one of the most important seeds of our clan's future. Make sure she's safe!"
Jano waved his hand as he spoke.
He always took special care of his clan's geniuses.
The Winged clan, having evolved from the Hawkmen Clan only a few hundred years ago, possessed extraordinary potential, even though their legendary figures were still rare.
Compared to the Goblins, whose population of fifty million had produced only a handful of Legends, the Winged clan, with only five hundred thousand, still had a long way to go.
Sophia held Jano's hopes for the future!
Turning his attention back to the young male official sitting in the center, Jano asked,
"Wayne, have there been any new exceptional talents in the clan?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Oh? Who?"
"Well, it's Limiel and Sophia's younger sister, Aveyta!"
Wayne smiled as he spoke.
"Aveyta has an incredibly strong affinity for Light, and her talent and comprehension are exceptional. At only thirteen, she's already a practitioner!"
Jano's eyes turned to Limiel, who wore a proud expression, and he praised her.
"Three geniuses in one family! Limiel, well done! Keep up the good work, all of you. I hope that the first legend of our Winged clan, apart from myself, will come from your family."
"Limiel, your full name is Limiel Lie, right?"
"Your Majesty has a good memory!"
"Ah, so you are descendants of Alie! Time has passed, and now there are so many of your generation."
Jano sighed with nostalgia.