Early morning light filtered through the windows of Gabi's temporary residence in Riverock.
Since Velkairos had been destroyed in the aftermath of the previous battle, she and Gustav had no choice but to settle in Riverock for the time being.
Fortunately, purchasing a new home hadn't been too stressful for them financially, but it was a shame to lose the mementos from their previous residence, especially her mother's portrait.
But what was gone was gone. One had to look forward.
"Time to head back to work," Gabi muttered with a look of resentment as she finished washing up and prepared to go downstairs for breakfast.
Now that she'd reached internship age, she naturally couldn't be as leisurely as before.
Buzz~
The subtle vibration of her phone caught her attention. She picked it up and frowned. "Who's messaging this early?"
But when Gabi glanced at the screen, her mouth instantly formed an "O" shape.
She hurried downstairs, footsteps thundering. "Dad! Have you seen the news?"
"Azrael has been promoted to Master!"
Gabi spotted her father sitting solemnly on the sofa, watching the morning news. The screen now displayed her old classmate.
Without turning back, Gustav said flatly, "You're not young anymore. Can't you be more composed?"
"Look at Azrael."
A pause. "Actually, forget it. You'd better not look."
Hearing her father's words, Gabi's face fell, and she couldn't help but groan, "Dad, you're only Emerald-level yourself, you know."
"How dare you lecture me?"
Gustav ignored her complaint, his attention fixed on the news broadcast.
[It is said that Master Azrael made outstanding contributions in our country's previous battles against the demon army, laying an important foundation for peace in the Empire of Aetherlight.]
It was easy to see from the report that the Empire's senior officials had used carefully worded techniques to obscure Azrael's true Lore Cardian rank, emphasizing instead his Master-level combat prowess.
This was understandable. After all, the reason for informing the entire Empire was to stabilize public sentiment, such technicalities were unnecessary.
Well, a minor detail.
Gabi still felt a little dazed at this moment, and anyone else would have behaved the same way.
It was like your high school deskmate suddenly telling you one day that he'd become the richest man in the world.
Gabi subconsciously stroked the fox's head in her arms and muttered with some doubt, "No, Azrael didn't seem this exaggerated when he was in school, did he?"
Well, he had been a bit exaggerated even then.
But she remembered that when she'd visited him some time ago, wasn't he still only Diamond-level?
The morning news soon moved on to the next segment, as if Azrael's promotion were just an insignificant matter.
Seeing that there was no more coverage, Gustav stood up and said expressionlessly, "All right, come and have breakfast."
Hearing this, Gabi glanced at her old father and said dryly, "Dad, you can laugh if you want to. There's no need to pretend in front of me."
With the relationship between their family and Azrael, it was fair to say that no one in the Empire of Aetherlight would dare provoke the father and daughter in the future.
However, neither Gustav nor Gabi were of that nature. They were simply genuinely happy for Azrael, as his friend and elder.
"You're not that young anymore, Gabi. When will you be as accomplished as Azrael?"
"How can I possibly compare to him?"
While the Gustavs' reaction wasn't overly exaggerated, the news of Azrael's "promotion" to Master level had already sent shockwaves through the Empire of Aetherlight.
He was a Master-level Lore Cardian, after all. If you didn't count Lord Lioren, who was Sovereign-level, there were only three Masters in the entire Empire.
And the last promotion had been Master Fujimaru's, more than a decade ago.
"Wow, this Master Azrael looks younger than my son!"
"You know, I do have some impression of Master Azrael. Let me think... He was the champion of a national competition a few years ago. So he really isn't that old after all."
As the Empire's people dug up Azrael's resume, the internet fell silent.
Looking at the young man's incredibly impressive credentials, they were at a loss for words.
Furthermore, according to the latest official news, Azrael had personally killed a military commander in a one-on-one battle against the demon army.
"This is too exaggerated. So outrageous I almost suspect it's fake."
"Don't you think twice before posting? If it's fake, how do you think we convinced Tsarist Russia to cooperate? You know the war against the demon army was a joint effort between the two countries."
"Good point."
As the news spread, several countries surrounding the Empire of Aetherlight also learned of it.
Those with conflicts with the Empire naturally restrained their preparations, while those on friendly terms couldn't help but think, How wonderful it would be to be under the Empire's protection!
However, what was happening outside at the moment had little to do with Azrael.
He was busy dealing with the Tsarist Russians.
Looking at Petrovna before him, Azrael asked with a headache, "Your Highness, did you come here alone?"
Because he still had some unfinished business with the demon army, he had temporarily remained in the north.
So when his subordinates informed him this morning that the Tsarist princess wanted to see him, Azrael had been confused for a moment.
Petrovna ignored Azrael's words, resting her hands on the table, her eyes sparkling as she declared, "Lord Azrael, you are truly remarkable!"
As the crown princess, she had learned the details of the war shortly after it ended. Upon hearing that Catherine and Nicholas were safe, she'd breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she'd read the battle report.
Hearing Petrovna's words, Azrael sighed. "Your Highness, if you have something serious to discuss, please speak directly."
"Otherwise, I have other matters to attend to."
He didn't believe his charm was enough to win over an imperial heir, so her presence must have an ulterior motive.
Moreover, his ears were nearly callused from the constant flattery.
Seeing that the conversation had turned to business, Petrovna sank back into her chair, a tablet suddenly appearing in her hands. "Mr. Azrael, my mother asked me to give you this. It contains Master-grade materials from the Empire. You can choose one of them."
"?"
Azrael was stunned, having completely unexpectedly seen things unfold like this.
However, he didn't take the tablet. Instead, he said cautiously, "No reward without merit. I appreciate the Empire's kindness."
Azrael didn't believe that good things could just fall from the sky, let alone something as valuable as Master-grade materials.
As a vast empire that had existed since the advent of the secret realms, Tsarist Russia's accumulation of Master-level materials over the years was undoubtedly no less than that of the Empire of Aetherlight.
As an imperial state, it might even have more.
But none of this had anything to do with Azrael. Even if it was because he'd previously killed Tempest, that seemed completely unnecessary.
After all, the Empire of Aetherlight and Tsarist Russia were partners, and confronting the military commander had been Azrael's duty.
However, Petrovna seemed to have anticipated his words and immediately explained, "Lord Azrael, I won't hide it from you. The Empire simply wants to strengthen its relationship with you."
"And Lord Lioren and the others know about this."
Perhaps for an individual, a single piece of Master-level material was rare, but for a behemoth like the Empire, while not insignificant, it wouldn't make much of a difference.
It was a worthwhile investment to forge closer ties with a genius like Azrael.
However, fully embracing him like the Empire of Aetherlight did was unrealistic, unless Azrael was willing to marry into the Imperial family.
After hearing Petrovna's explanation, Azrael immediately pulled out his phone to verify with Lord Lioren.
Seeing that he didn't trust her, Petrovna couldn't help but pout.
Soon, Azrael received a positive response from Lord Lioren.
If that was the case, there was no point in refusing, it would be a waste.
He acted as though nothing had just happened and reached out his right hand to take the tablet. "Then Your Highness, please thank Her Majesty Catherine for her kindness."
With that, Azrael began flipping through the Master-level materials provided by Tsarist Russia.
Master-level [Lawless Robbery of the King] (Red), Master-level [Code of Absolution of the Gods Above Gods (Damaged)] (Red),
Admittedly, there were so many Master-level materials that Azrael felt a bit overwhelmed.
But then his eyes focused.
"[Destined Savior] (Red)?"
"If I choose this material, wouldn't that mean I've basically completed the materials for my first Master-level card?"
Azrael couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Originally, he'd planned to advance Artoria to Master rank first, but the materials required were quite numerous. After all, just like her Emerald rank upgrade, the Holy Lance Longomyniad would also need to be crafted.
Consequently, Azrael had been forced to change his plans and look elsewhere.
Coincidentally, he already had a card that was just the right fit.
After all, Velkairos had previously witnessed the appearance of a Master-level demon, the Nation-Destroying Fox. Furthermore, Master Tempest had obtained a Master-level [Immortal Path Origin] (Red) after slaying the white-robed leader of the demon army.
That meant he already had two suitable materials. And just as luck would have it, Tsarist Russia had presented him with the final ingredient today.
Azrael would be completely out of his mind if he didn't choose it.
But before that, there was another crucial issue: He hadn't even reached Master rank yet!
Azrael felt like a thousand kittens were constantly tickling him, making him itch unbearably.
"Master and Diamond are indeed a watershed," he sighed silently. "But if I successfully reach Master, I should be able to connect with the world consciousness."
Azrael, already aware of his significant differences from ordinary Lore Cardians, felt that when that day came, his countless doubts would be answered.
With this thought, he composed himself and said to Petrovna, "Your Highness, I'll choose this material."
"Oh, okay." Petrovna took the tablet, glanced at it, and nodded. "Grand Duke Nicholas will deliver it in a few days, so please be patient, Lord Azrael."
"Then I'll be leaving first."
After the war with the demon army ended, Grand Duke Nicholas had returned to Tsarist Russia to take charge of the situation.
After all, leaving Petrovna, a Diamond-level Lore Cardian, to handle everything alone would have been asking too much.
Watching the girl leave, Azrael couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
He could see that she had matured somewhat since the time they'd previously dealt with the demon army attacks. While she still displayed a touch of youthfulness at times, she was generally less naive than before.
As the days passed, the shock of the Empire's newest Master gradually subsided.
After all, such matters were of little concern to most people.
And without the demon army, the Northern Defense Army's vast number of Lore Cardians could significantly alleviate the pressure felt across the Empire.
Azrael, enjoying some free time, chose to rest up in Pixar for a while.
He rested his head on his senior sister's plump thighs, staring blankly at the half-visible ceiling.
"Senior Sister, why do you think people live?"
"It's not nighttime yet."
"?"
Hearing Alice's response, Azrael couldn't help but curl his lips.
Meanwhile, on the other sofa in the living room, Amina was no longer surprised by this exchange.
She was curious whether the King of Great Britain was as unconventional in private as her own master.
Amina, already somewhat familiar with Lore Cardians, naturally knew that Azrael was as important as the King.
Unaware of Amina's strange thoughts, Azrael straightened up and looked at Alice sternly. "Senior Sister, you've changed."
Alice remained expressionless, simply bending down to pick up a book from the coffee table and flipping through it. "Junior Brother, it's time for you to leave."
"Okay, so you're taking advantage of me and denying it. Senior Sister, are you starting to dislike me?"
Azrael fumed.
Seeing his expression, Alice pursed her lips and said seriously, "I'm not."
"I was joking, Senior Sister," Azrael chuckled, changing the subject. "I understand. I'll be leaving for Velkairos in the next couple of days."
Although the demon army had been eliminated, the Master-level Lore Cardians in the City-within-a-City who were hostile to the Empire of Aetherlight were still alive.
Not to mention the two Master-level secret realms on the coast of Velkairos. Add to that the disappearance of the Nation-Destroying demon fox, and the Empire's current situation was only slightly better, but not completely secure.
However, Azrael hadn't been idle during his rest period.
The destruction of the demon army had undoubtedly greatly enriched the Empire's stockpile of materials, from Iron-grade to Diamond-grade.
This was also how Azrael had been able to supplement the materials that Aizen lacked.
Diamond-level [Lonely Seeker] (Red), Diamond-level [Essence of Manifestation] (Red).
Unfortunately, the final venue material was still missing, even after Azrael had inquired with Tsarist Russia.
However, if venue materials were scarce enough that Master Fujimaru was the only Master-level Lore Cardian Azrael knew who possessed a venue card, he shouldn't feel too discouraged.
Thinking of this, Azrael breathed a sigh of relief. "Before then, Senior Sister, please let me rest for two more days."
"Yes."