100X Returns System: I Dominate the Age of Gods - Chapter 378. Scheme against the Eternal Sun - 2
William placed the list of assassin guilds back into his inventory before turning his attention toward the next matter at hand.
“Ronin.”
The moment his voice echoed through the room, the space distorted slightly.
The elf Ronin appeared out of thin air and immediately dropped to one knee in front of William. His head remained lowered respectfully, but despite the calm posture, there was visible tension in his expression.
“My lord,” Ronin said in a steady voice, “I apologize for my incompetence. I was unable to follow your orders. I am ready to face any punishment.”
William looked at him for a moment before casually waving his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine,” he said. “Relax and tell me what happened first.”
Ronin kept his gaze lowered as he began explaining the situation.
“When we arrived near the Crimson Wolves’ base last night, we discovered that their headquarters was hidden deep within an isolated region of no man’s land.” His tone remained calm and professional throughout the report. “The location was extremely secluded and difficult to approach without being detected.”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“I ordered my men to stop several miles away from the base while I infiltrated the area alone first.”
William listened silently.
“The moment I entered a certain range around the base,” Ronin continued, “my senses immediately warned me that an extremely powerful individual had locked onto my presence.”
For the first time, a slight seriousness appeared in his voice.
“It happened almost instantly. Before I could risk being fully exposed, I immediately retreated by warping myself and my men back into the Infinite Domain.”
Ronin lowered his head slightly further.
“My lord, for failing the mission, I am ready to face any punishment.”
William stared at him quietly for a few seconds.
What caught his attention was not the failed infiltration itself but rather Ronin’s behavior.
Back when William had first met him, Ronin had never seemed like the type of person who would prioritize the safety of his subordinates over himself. Nor did he appear like someone who would willingly accept responsibility in such a straightforward manner.
The personality change was strange. It was subtle, but William could clearly feel it.
The former Ronin seemed a bit of a bootlicker, but this was completely different. The current Ronin had become noticeably more disciplined and loyal, almost like a commander who genuinely cared about the people serving under him.
William was not entirely sure whether the Slave mark was changing him from within or from Ronin’s own personal growth; the difference was still undeniable.
William chose not to dwell on it.
“There’s nothing wrong with retreating,” William said calmly. “You made the correct decision.”
Ronin slightly raised his head after hearing that.
William leaned back against the sofa before continuing to order both Ronin and Barash.
“For now, both of you should continue infiltrating demonic cults the same way you did during the past few months.”
His expression gradually turned colder. “I want more cultists converted to my slaves, I need to expand the Dawn Legion”
A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes.
“Soon, I intend to clean out all those trash cults in a single sweep.” He paused briefly before adding, “And I’ll also need more spies working directly under me when that time comes.”
Both Barash and Ronin bowed respectfully before disappearing to continue their assignments.
Once they left, William remained seated only briefly before standing up himself.
He still had plenty of things to handle today.
Leaving his room, the first person he decided to visit was his mother.
Meanwhile, inside the royal study, Anastasia was buried beneath an overwhelming pile of documents.
“Come in.”
She spoke absentmindedly without even looking toward the entrance.
No matter how much she tried to avoid it, the workload caused by the recent upheavals only continued to increase endlessly.
Every few minutes, Anastasia would click her tongue irritably while signing another stack of papers.
It was all because William declared her to be the empress.
She had already decided that the next time she saw him, she would properly scold him for throwing so much responsibility onto his mother without considering her opinion at all.
The study’s door slowly opened without a knock.
William stepped inside casually; she was his mum after all, he did not need to knock.
Unfortunately for him, Anastasia happened to look up at exactly that moment.
Their eyes met.
The expression on Anastasia’s face instantly resembled that of an angry mother discovering her ten-year-old son eating dirt behind the house.
William froze mid-step.
For a brief moment, genuine caution appeared on his face.
“…Mom,” he said carefully, “are you alright?”
Anastasia’s eye twitched slightly.
“No,” she replied flatly. “I’m perfectly fine.”
William immediately understood that her mood was terrible.
Still, he assumed her irritation was probably related to politics or administrative problems rather than himself specifically. Because of that misunderstanding, he failed to realize the danger he was currently standing in.
Choosing to ignore the ominous atmosphere, he simply brought up the matter he came here for.
“The Ashfall Emperor sent a letter,” William said while taking out the scroll. “I think you should join the council he’s proposing.”
Anastasia frowned immediately.
“Why?” she asked. “It sounds like an obvious trap.”
William nodded calmly.
“Yes,” he admitted without hesitation. “It is a trap. Most likely one aimed directly at us.”
That answer only deepened Anastasia’s frown.
“Then why would we walk into it willingly?”
“Because sometimes,” William said simply, “you need to step into a trap to understand what the enemy is actually planning.”
Anastasia stared at him with wide eyes and a frown, looking as though she found his logic completely ridiculous.
William sighed softly after seeing her expression.
“Mom,” he said patiently, “my long-term goal is to take control of all of Aris eventually.”
His voice carried absolute certainty.
“At that point, Cindros’ schemes won’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. In fact, if we truly wanted to, we could simply capture the leaders of every race and force them into submission directly. You know it too that we have that kind of power, plus I managed to bring Edmund Harrowgate on our side.”
Anastasia’s brows rose slightly in amusement.
“Oh?” she said while leaning back in her chair. “Then why don’t you do it?”
William sighed again before answering. “Because controlling leaders alone will solve nothing.”
He walked toward the large window nearby before continuing.
“Over thirty billion people are living across this continent. Even if we force their rulers to obey us, the hatred, fear, and division between races would remain.”
William deliberately avoided revealing his true objective regarding the future invasion from the outer world. Instead, he carefully adjusted the explanation into something more acceptable.
“The fate of Aris is uncertain,” he said quietly. “There are demons in the Abyss and gods in the higher realms who view this world as insignificant.”
“If the races continue fighting among themselves endlessly, this land will eventually collapse the moment a true external threat arrives.”
Anastasia listened silently now.
“That’s why the races need unity,” William continued. “But unity created through brute force alone would never last.”
“We need to become the strongest and most developed nation on the continent—not merely through military power, but through influence, stability, and ideals.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“And that’s exactly why the Phoenix Empire matters.”
Anastasia narrowed her eyes slightly.
“You intend to make an example out of them.”
William nodded.
Anastasia remained thoughtful for several moments before finally speaking again.
“And joining this council helps us achieve that?”
William smiled faintly.
“Yes, deception and trickery only work as long as the target remains unaware of them.”
