Chapter 364: Scrutiny

Atlas’s eyes immediately landed on the approaching figure as he recognized him, ‘The Black Arbiter…’

His mind drifted back to the Frostars’ Incident, when the man had deliberately allowed the Weimbrons to escape because of his own plans. Meanwhile, Dravia turned around and placed one hand against her chest before bowing slightly toward the Black Arbiter, “I greet the Black Arbiter. May I know what brings you here?” she asked in a calm and respectful tone.

Atlas and Seraphiel immediately understood that the Black Arbiter held a higher position than Dravia, considering that even someone like her was bowing to him. However, neither of them changed their posture or showed the slightest intention of bowing themselves, as they weren’t bound by the Conclave’s rules.

The Black Arbiter approached them before speaking, “There’s no need to be so polite, Dravia. I came to meet these two specifically after hearing from the Third Pillar.”

Dravia nodded at his words and raised her head, while Atlas immediately understood what was happening, ‘He’s an exception.’ As Dravia had mentioned earlier, there were only two others who had met the Three Pillars, and the Black Arbiter’s statement suggested that he was one of them.

“When I invited you, you rejected my offer but now you’re here. If this isn’t fate, then I don’t know what is. Haha!” Atlas remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking, “Why did you want to meet us, though?” he asked directly, keeping his earlier thoughts in mind.

The Black Arbiter paused, and his smile faded slightly before he exhaled and answered, “Well, I had something to discuss with you alone, but it seems we’ll have to do that later. The higher-ups are calling for you two.” After finishing his sentence, he glanced at Seraphiel before turning around. “I’ll see you two around in the meantime.”

Dravia turned toward them once the Black Arbiter had left, “Now that that’s settled, we should get going.” She paused briefly before tossing two small badges toward them, catching both Atlas and Seraphiel by surprise.

They quickly caught the objects, and Dravia explained, “Wear these, they’re permits that allow you to enter the Celestial Sanctum.” Atlas and Seraphiel examined the small golden and platinum-colored badges for a moment before attaching them to their respective outfits.

With that, Dravia turned toward the right and began walking, with Atlas and Seraphiel following behind her. Although both of them wondered why she hadn’t simply teleported them to their destination, neither voiced the question, as they both seemed to prefer walking over teleportation.

This also gave them an opportunity to observe the massive base and its technologically advanced equipment as they made their way through the facility. As for the others who had been escorted into the Conclave, Seraphiel already knew where they were staying, so she didn’t pay much attention to what they might be doing at the moment.

They had been placed in a secure chamber, and she had no particular reason to worry about their safety.

. . .

While Atlas and Seraphiel followed Dravia toward the Celestial Sanctum, something entirely different was happening inside the chamber itself. However, before getting into that, it was necessary to understand the Sanctum’s interior and how it functioned.

The Celestial Sanctum was an enormous circular chamber with towering walls made from an unknown material that reflected the faint light illuminating the entire space. Several massive pillars stood along the walls, their surfaces engraved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift whenever someone looked at them closely.

At the center of the chamber stood a large circular table surrounded by numerous seats, each designed to accommodate the Conclave’s highest-ranking members.

Above them, the ceiling displayed a vast projection of the galaxy, with countless stars and distant planets visible across its surface. Several translucent screens floated around the chamber, displaying information about different regions under the Conclave’s jurisdiction.

Despite the sheer size of the room, everything was arranged in an orderly manner, with enough space for the members to move around freely, and the advanced technology integrated into its structure allowed information to be displayed throughout the chamber.

The atmosphere remained quiet and composed, without unnecessary decorations or excessive displays of power. It was a place designed for discussion and decision-making, where the Conclave’s most influential members gathered to discuss matters that could affect countless worlds.

Every part of the chamber served a purpose, reflecting the organization’s preference for efficiency despite the grandeur of its headquarters. Around the circular table sat seven figures belonging to different races. Each possessed a presence of their own, even without intentionally releasing any of their power.

Their eyes remained fixed on a screen showing Seraphiel walking toward the Celestial Sanctum while following Dravia, while another screen beside it displayed Atlas’s figure as he made his way through the base.

Everyone remained silent for a long moment before the figure seated at the far left finally spoke. Her soft voice echoed through the Sanctum as she asked, “What do you all think? That girl is certainly special, but I don’t understand why the Third Pillar would mention the boy.” The others turned their attention toward her but remained silent for a moment, considering her question.

Eventually, the figure seated opposite her spoke up, “If the Third Pillar mentioned him, then we simply need to follow his orders and nurture both of them, shouldn’t we?” His words immediately drew everyone’s attention, and the woman who had spoken earlier nodded in understanding.

The others also nodded in agreement, seemingly accepting that there was little reason to question the Third Pillar’s intentions. However, the individual wearing glasses at the far end of the table, seated across from the others, remained unconvinced.

He looked directly at the screen displaying Atlas’s face before speaking up, “Still, shouldn’t we judge whether he’s worth investing those resources in? If he’s really that special…”

He paused briefly, adjusting his glasses as he continued to stare at Atlas’s image.

“…Shouldn’t he also receive ‘special’ treatment?”

The moment those words came out of his mouth, the others shifted their attention to him instantly. They looked at him with expressions that suggested as though he had said something both contradicting and convincing at the same time.