Not long after dinner, Carl sat alone on the sofa, smoking. Olvia, wrapped in a bathrobe, walked over gracefully, carrying a crystal ashtray in her hand.
Carl glanced at it and chuckled.
"I don't actually need that."
As he spoke, he flicked the ash off his cigarette, and in an instant, a small patch of darkness absorbed it.
Olvia smiled helplessly, sat down beside him, and exuded a faint fragrance.
She had just finished bathing, her hair still damp. Carl snapped his fingers, and a small flicker of flame danced at his fingertips.
"Want me to dry your hair?"
Olvia waved her hands repeatedly, wiping her hair with a towel.
"No, no, I'm afraid you'll set it on fire!"
Carl tilted his head slightly, letting the flame dissipate into wisps of smoke. Then he asked,
"Why didn't you just wait and bathe with Robin and the others?"
Olvia's face turned slightly red.
"No, they said they wanted to… attend to you while bathing..."
Carl shrugged indifferently and pressed his cigarette into the crystal ashtray Olvia had brought. Since it was there, he might as well use it.
He looked up at Olvia.
"Let's talk about Pluton. You've read so many books—you must know something about it."
Olvia nodded and began,
"According to the records, eight hundred years ago, Pluton, along with the other two Ancient Weapons, appeared in the battle against Joy Boy."
"So, which side was Pluton on? Joy Boy's?"
"No, both Pluton and Uranus were controlled by the Twenty Kings at the time. Only Poseidon stood with Joy Boy, aligning with what is now called the Liberation Army. And Poseidon is the most unique of the Ancient Weapons—she's alive and seems to be linked to the merfolk..."
Olvia hesitated briefly before continuing.
"Carl-sama, I think that mermaid princess, Shirahoshi..."
Carl smiled faintly.
"So, you're wondering why I had her sent here years ago?"
Olvia froze, a tidal wave of shock surging in her heart.
As far as she knew, Carl had arranged for Shirahoshi to be brought here over twenty years ago. This kind of foresight was terrifying!
And with Poseidon accounted for, that meant all three Ancient Weapons were now in Carl's possession!
Carl took a sip of the red wine on the table and, without lifting his head, said,
"Go on."
Olvia took a deep breath, giving Carl a long, searching look before continuing.
"The records state that eight hundred years ago, Pluton and Poseidon clashed fiercely at sea. In the end, Poseidon was forced to retreat, and Pluton was severely damaged, its energy completely drained. After the battle, it vanished without a trace."
"And Uranus?"
"Activating Uranus is said to consume an immense amount of energy, but in terms of destructive power, it's the strongest. After Joy Boy's defeat, the Twenty Kings preserved it. It should still be in the hands of the World Government. But you, Carl-sama, should know more about that than I do."
Carl quietly watched the red wine swirl in his glass. Of course, he knew where Uranus was—it was currently in Imu's possession.
And with Vegapunk's development of the "Mother Flame," Uranus's energy consumption issue had likely been greatly improved.
(T/N: The Mother Flame is an alternative energy source created by Dr. Vegapunk. It is envisioned to be the "undying flame" that would let Vegapunk and his satellites create their own sun.)
Not just Uranus—Pluton, which also required energy to operate, could likely be powered by the Mother Flame as well. With this, the Ancient Weapons might unleash power even greater than they had eight hundred years ago.
Carl had already experienced Uranus's power firsthand. Now, his interest in Pluton was growing stronger.
Under the warm glow of the lights, Olvia gazed at Carl's profile, her heart stirring slightly. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned her eyes toward Robin, who was sweeping the floor nearby.
After a moment, Olvia asked softly,
"Carl-sama, for someone like you, is there anything left to pursue?"
Carl pondered briefly before replying in a calm voice,
"Yes. I want to be the one who sets the order of the world—and I want that order to last forever."
"Order…"
A trace of confusion flashed across Olvia's face before she suddenly smiled.
"You're right. This world needs order. Carl-sama, I look forward to the day you achieve your goal."
Carl chuckled and gestured with his hand. A wine glass from the table floated toward him before he handed it to Olvia. Raising his own glass, he said with a smile,
"Then let's drink to that."
Olvia was momentarily stunned, then returned his smile. She lifted her glass and clinked it against his.
Nearby, Sugar watched and quietly nudged Robin with her elbow, whispering,
"Robin, your mom is drinking alone with the young master. They even clinked glasses!"
Robin blinked and looked over at Carl, who happened to glance back at them.
Carl smirked at Sugar.
"Sugar, do you want to join me for a drink?"
Robin giggled, covering her mouth.
"Sugar, don't you know how sharp the young master's hearing is?"
Sugar stuck out her little pink tongue, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Sorry, young master, I didn't mean to—"
Before she could finish, Monet and Shalria walked in. Monet trailed behind Shalria, both wrapped in bathrobes. Unlike the damp-haired Shalria, Monet looked as if she hadn't even touched the water.
At that moment, Monet was glaring at Sugar.
"Sugar, what did you do this time?"
Sugar pouted, her big eyes darting around mischievously before she suddenly dashed over and clung to Carl's leg, cooing,
"Young master, she's jealous again~ Even though she's the one too shy to kiss you!"
Monet's face turned beet red. Fresh from the bath, wisps of steam still rose from her body, making her look as though she were about to boil over.
Taking a deep breath, she exhaled a cold mist, sending tiny ice crystals into the air to cool herself down.
Shalria, standing in front of her, shivered and complained,
"Monet, are you trying to freeze me to death?"
Monet offered a sheepish smile before shooting Sugar another fierce glare. Sugar just hummed and pretended not to see.
Seeing Sugar's smug expression, Monet secretly decided—tonight, she'd let her experience the full effects of an ice bath.
Pressing her lips together, Monet then softened her expression and smiled sweetly at Carl.
"Young master, it's time for your bath."
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