While almost everyone was convinced in the other two empires, there were a few protesting groups under Primula's rule.

"We don't want to leave!"

A group of homesick people.

"This is the rightful home of lightning elves!"

The group of most dominant elves who dominated their kin.

"The nymphs have gone nearly extinct! Travelling now is not the right thing to do!"

The poor Nymphs whose total population remained at 500.

"We belong to the cult of Konstant. Always been. How can we leave his home world?"

A group of nutjobs who used his name to commit crimes and terrorism. Heck, they even sacrificed stuff to his statue and tried to make an evil god out of him.

Looking down at the crowds from the sky, Varian first unsheathed his sword.

Click!

The cult of Konstant clutched their necks as blood spurted out and collapsed in a few seconds. Their bodies dried up and turned into ashes in seconds.

'Brother!' Primula looked at him with him sparkling eyes. 'It's my fault for just imprisoning them for their crimes and not killing them all. As expected, brother stands for justice.'

"Why are my cultists all ugly and why are they all men? I was expecting some beautiful women and stuff. Tch."

"…" Primula's eyes widened and she looked at him with an unbelievable expression.

"Primula, what's the matter?"

"Brother…"

"Hm?"

"Nevermind. You're not like that. Yes, brother is definitely not like that." Primula clenched her fists and nodded to herself.

But she subconsciously eyed the Nymph group that gathered in a district below. It was the collection of beautiful women, each better than the last.

It's not like Nymphs were unmatched beauties. The ones at the top of races with human aesthetics could match and even surpass them. But their average was beyond anyone's reach.

"Nymphs have committed a lot of corruptions in the past." Primula drew her sword. "For the betterment of the world, I will end this group of home wreckers and vixens, granting peac—"

"Let them go." Varian sighed.

"…" Primula looked at him with suspicion.

[She is really thinking you're a pervert. A teenage sister is more perceptive to these things. Haha! Serves you right!]

"They voluntarily came under my rule many years ago, didn't cause any trouble in the matters of the empire and helped as much as they could. They nearly went extinct due to their stupidity. But I don't want them to go extinct, if it's in my hands."

Primula pursed her lips and her gaze towards the Nymphs changed. Sheathing her sword, she muttered under her breath. "You're so caring, brother."

[No! He's not! He's just sad a bunch of pretty women who used to fawn over him might go extinct.]

'Logos, shut up!'

[Why should I? Tell me if what I said was a lie?]

'Absolutely! Not everyone is a pervert like you! In this bleak world, there are still gentlemen like me. That's why the world hasn't collapsed.'

[…]

Primula's voice sounded across the groups, those gathered near and those that came together at the edge of the empire.

"Hortus is going to face an invasion from enemies beyond the strength of Empress Eveline. Emperor Thomas has already fallen prey to their onslaught. No one is going to survive here.

We should leave Hortus. There is no other choice. This is the reason why I ended my hostility with Empress Eveline and am asking you to evacuate."

Primula's speech played across the empire, along with plenty of video 'evidence'.

Of course, some smart heads discovered there was something wrong but any such refutation was quickly silenced.

In four more hours, entire Hortus was nearly empty save for the 10 million stubborn people who simply didn't leave.

The ones who left scattered were headed by Eveline and some other leaders, heading to the nearby Provinces, Duchies and Kingdoms.

Genesis Empire would be more than pleased to welcome unaffiliated powerhouses ranging from rank 5 to rank 9.

The kingdoms and duchies whose position would be threatened? Not so much.

But finally, humanity and the affiliated races would truly become galactic.

Varian would've been happy…if only these 10 million also left.

"We're born here! We'll die here!"

"This is where our ancestors gained their freedoms! We'll die on this soil!"

"There is no such as cowardice in the blood of my family! I'd rather die than flee!"

These were humans, elves, sanguines and interestingly, all nymphs as well.

Varian was impressed by their loyalty but that's precisely why he couldn't allow them to stay here and risk their lives.

"You all have my blessings."

The power of slivers shot into the sky in the form of a brilliant beam of sliver and rained down on them.

He didn't raise their ranks through Hortus. Rather, he raised their talents and gave them each a protection charm.

Any blow below rank 8 would be countered and they'd be sent to a far away place, with a preference given to the location they'd sincerely hope.

With a wave of his hand, Varian opened a portal to a quiet world with a large forest. The world was as big as an entire earth and had an abundance of aura.

This life planet was recently discovered and was gifted to him by someone this morning.

Looking at the mirror which rippled with a soft light, Varian said. "Thank you, King of Pala."

Ferdinand appeared in the reflection and looked at Varian for a moment before sighing. "It's my pleasure. For the help you provided to Pala in the war a thousand years ago, this is the least I could do to repay."

"Hm."

"…And there is one thing I wish to ask, if you do not mind." Ferdinand was older and was no longer as strict as he once was. Or maybe he knew he couldn't exert any authority over Varian and spoke softly.

Either way, Varian felt like he was meeting a different person.

"If it's something I can answer, sure."

"The world believes a thousand years have passed since your disappearance but my…calculations say you haven't lived for a thousand years." Ferdinand let out a nervous smile while clenching his fist in anticipation. "I wish to know the truth. How long have your…divine paths been active?"

Varian narrowed his eyes and smirked. "A good natal treasure, you have."

"Ahaha, it's not as good as you'd think." Ferdinand shook for a moment before he laughed it off awkwardly.

"Do you really want to know the number though?" Varian asked. "It's for your own good."

Hearing those words, Ferdinand recalled the vision had that day a thousand years ago.

A hand…that hand which encompassed the entire Alliance with the power to crush everyone and everything inside, including the so-called rulers of the Alliance.

"Yes, absolutely."

"2 years."

"Huh? I'm sorry, the injuries from the last battle haven't healed yet and my hearing is a b—"

Varian nodded. "No, you heard it right. My divine paths are active for two years so far. And I'm a pseudo divine ranker. A peak ranker, actually."

"Y-You…what the hell are you…" Ferdinand's face paled and he looked at Varian like he encountered a ghost. "N-No…this is a joke…ahahah…"

"And I'll tell you something more interesting." Varian laughed. "I can enter the divine ranks anytime I can but am delaying it for the duel."

"F-Fuck!"

After making the dignified king swear, Varian headed to Nexus after bidding farewell and instructing his wives to escape if things go wrong.

The duel was long due.

To be precise, a thousand years.