Imperial Research Laboratory – Advanced Research Center
After the great renovation of the capital, which replaced the classical architecture of the Empire of Romerian with the standards of the Great Empire, the main cultural center of the Three States had abandoned its own identity.
Once, the great white wall—built of marble and pale stone—had shone like a sun among the mountains.
Castles that once followed the structure of ornamental pillars and temple-like entrances now adopted a style that, to Ethan, had no personality.
Gray walls, outer arches supporting pillars, exaggerated and robust details.
A gothic style that, instead of presenting the image of a citadel of hope beneath a storm, now made the castles blend into the stormy sky itself.
Not a single spark of hope.
The only place that had not surrendered to the Great Empire's architectural model was the Advanced Research Center.
It was the only place in the capital where Ethan didn't feel oppressed, because it eternally reminded him of who those people truly were.
At the mountain's base, still within the walls, the palace stretched upward through a marble staircase behind an enormous fountain. The steps curved beside flowerbeds that extended to the main gates.
"The air here is cleaner…" Ethan said, savoring the sensation.
"Definitely," Luanne replied. "And it's more beautiful. Don't you think, Sir Lincoln?"
"I agree," said the Titan—also King of Durham, one of the great kingdoms of the Great Empire.
Though the comment implicitly insulted his own culture, Lincoln fully agreed. Romerian had always been a society with its own identity and customs—until it decided to unite with the Great Empire beyond the mountain ranges.
The three admired the place as if visiting a temple of ancient gods.
The vegetation was vibrant and well maintained. No external guards existed—only a highly regulated security system.
The main gate, made of steel, could be seen in the distance. Ornamental plates highlighted the symbol carved into the entrance: roots of a tree touching the ground, its branches splitting into seven reaching the stars.
The purest representation of the World Tree—the source of all knowledge in that universe:
Yggdrasil.
Touching the lock felt like contacting one of the ten realms scattered across the cosmos.
A sensation that made a person feel as if they were floating.
Ethan felt that same sensation when he pressed the central button. It functioned like a plate, absorbing energy from the Duke and spreading it across the panels, illuminating the branches and roots of the tree.
"Energy source detected."
A voice echoed through internal channels.
"Duke Ethan Caesar, leader of Lawrence and member of the Imperial Family, recognized. Are you accompanied by additional visitors?"
"Yes… I'm with Lieutenant Luanne Owlye and Titan Lincoln Di Ham. We came to meet Masters Alexander Cosmogéno and Christopher Zivot—"
The gates opened before he finished.
A slight internal pressure escaped, stirring the trio's hair. Beyond the entrance stretched a long marble corridor lit by lamps that almost blinded them until their eyes adjusted.
Once inside, the gates sealed again. Pressure coursed through the halls—strong enough to rupture human eardrums, which was why Deviants were the palace's primary inhabitants.
They walked through the corridor while adapting to the sensation filling their ears.
Portraits lined the walls—political and intellectual figures who had contributed to the development of the world's systems.
People too small for the magnitude of what they helped create.
"Welcome. I am the assistant to Masters Cosmogéno and Zivot. Please follow me," said Dara, a woman wearing a white lab coat with brown hair tied back.
She was the same woman who had granted them access earlier—though less robotic now.
They walked until the corridor ended and opened into the Valley of Minerva, named after the goddess of wisdom.
And fittingly, it embodied that idea.
The real palace was hidden inside the mountain, built as small fortresses labeled by specialization.
But the most striking sight stood at the center of the valley.
It extended through a natural plaza like an artificial forest. The tree's trunk stretched to the top of the valley while its branches and leaves formed a natural ceiling dancing with sunlight.
Such colossal life made Ethan uneasy.
"Is that… artificial?" the Duke asked from afar.
"No," Dana replied with a smile.
It was a common question.
"It's a Deviant tree. We call it the Seed of Purity."
"A Deviant tree? That's new," Luanne commented, approaching with intrigue.
"Yes. We obtained it in the Forest of Nymphs. We extracted samples from beasts that escaped the Death Zone, then injected mana into their structure to the limit… That's how this grove was born."
"But this thing generates its own mana. I can feel it as if it had a core," Lincoln noted, touching the trunk.
"Oh? I didn't know it could form a core… Well, yes, we didn't inject mana into it. We planted it and it simply grew too much. It also doesn't share the structure of other trees. That's why we call it the first unconscious Deviant life form."
The Titan examined it carefully, feeling the steady flow of energy moving toward the center—beyond what his eyes could reach.
Frowning, he remained incredulous at the Seed of Purity's genuine activity.
"How old is this tree?" Lincoln asked.
"It was planted sixty years ago, but it's already reached its limit… a very good limit," she said jokingly, making Luanne laugh.
"It really has evolved," Luanne said. "Its roots are connected to the entire forest. It's serving as a power source."
"Exactly," said another voice, emerging from one of the forest paths. "We use the Seed of Purity's energy throughout the Valley of Minerva—from feeding plants and ecosystems to generating electricity. It's the perfect battery: natural and clean."
Two men appeared.
Dr. Alexander stood on the right—an elderly man with thinning white hair, a hunched posture, and silver eyes.
Dr. Christopher Zivot, far too young to look like a conservative politician, joined the visitors.
Alexander had spoken. He gazed at the Seed of Purity as if admiring a successful daughter.
"She has a noble attitude… an unconscious being with more nobility than many kings. You must be proud."
"Very," Christopher replied. "But I fear you didn't come here for a botany lesson."
Crossing his arms and glancing at Luanne, Ethan shifted uneasily.
Everyone understood.
Dana quickly caught the hint—the matter was confidential, and the assistant would not be welcome in the discussion.
Without hesitation, she excused herself and hurried away.
"Do you want to get straight to the point?" Lincoln asked, stepping closer to the Duke.
"What happened?" Christopher asked anxiously.
"Well…" Ethan sighed, biting his lip before forcing himself to speak. "Your sentence is about to be decreed."
Alexander and Christopher sighed together.
They knew what it meant.
They would be accused of conspiring and directly participating in the Black Cataclysm—though they were innocent.
But they did not yet know the punishment.
"The Emperor will publish it in three hours," Ethan said quietly. "But… you're both being sentenced to death."