My Ultimate Sign-in System Made Me Invincible - Chapter 449 A Surprising Meeting

Chapter 449  A Surprising Meeting

Meanwhile, while Liam was spending time with Lucy on the Lunar Base, in Velaris, the clone he had sent to the magic universe found himself in an interesting situation.

One materialized above the city just as the afternoon sun began its descent toward the western horizon.

He hovered in place for a moment, orienting himself and considering his next move. His primary objective was to locate Rikilda and Bethan, the two dragons his master had encountered days earlier. The most logical starting point would be the forest outside the city, where the dragons had been the last time.

But before he could move in that direction, his attention caught on something unexpected.

Two figures rose into the air in front of him, ascending from somewhere within the city below and positioning themselves directly in his path. They stopped about twenty meters away, floating in the air.

One kept his expression neutral and studied them carefully.

The first man appeared elderly, though the term felt inadequate when applied to someone whose age was difficult to determine with precision. His face carried deep lines and his hair was silver-white, but his eyes were sharp and alert, and his posture suggested none of the frailty that usually accompanied advanced years. He wore long robes of deep blue that moved in a breeze One couldn’t feel, the fabric decorated with intricate silver patterns that might have been decorative or might have served some other purposes.

The second man was built differently. He was broad-shouldered and upright. He wore what could only be described as a knight’s uniform, formal and precise, with polished armor pieces covering his chest and shoulders. His face was weathered but not unkind.

Both men radiated power. They were strong.

One waited, saying nothing.

The old man in robes spoke first, his voice carrying easily across the distance despite the lack of any visible effort on his part. “Forgive the intrusion,” he said. His tone was polite, almost apologetic, but there was steel underneath it. “We are not here to cause trouble. We simply have questions, and we hope you might be willing to answer them.”

One’s gaze shifted to the knight, whose expression remained neutral but whose eyes tracked every micro-movement One made. The man was assessing him. One recognized the behavior because he would have done the same thing.

“What kind of questions?” One asked, keeping his voice level and his posture relaxed.

The old man smiled slightly, as though One’s willingness to engage had confirmed something he’d been hoping for. “Questions of a… diplomatic nature, you might say. But before we proceed, introductions seem appropriate. My name is Aldric Veylan. I am the Tower Master of the Blue Mage Tower here in Velaris.”

The knight inclined his head slightly. “Commander Torvald Grenn, head of the Empire’s Imperial Knights.”

One processed that information quickly. A Tower Master and the head of the Imperial Knights. These weren’t minor figures making casual inquiries. These were two of the most powerful individuals in the Empire, and they had sought him out deliberately.

“Liam Scott,” One said simply.

Both men’s eyes flickered with the lack of recognition at the name.

The next moment, One felt something shift in the air around them. It wasn’t hostile, but it was unmistakable—a ripple of energy that spread outward from Aldric and formed a sphere around the three of them. The ambient noise of the city below disappeared completely, cut off mid-sound. The sensation of being watched, which One had registered at the edge of his awareness since arriving, vanished.

One looked at the Tower Master, one eyebrow raised slightly.

Aldric gestured apologetically. “A soundproofing spell, along with a concealment ward. I thought it best that our conversation remain private. What we discuss here is for the three of us alone, not for the curious eyes and ears that watch the skies above Velaris.”

One nodded slowly. The precaution made sense, and it told him something important about the nature of the questions these men were about to ask. This wasn’t casual curiosity. This was something they considered sensitive enough to require such level of security.

“What do you want to know?” One asked.

Commander Grenn spoke this time, his voice carrying the measured quality of someone choosing their words with deliberate care. “We are aware that two dragons approached the city several days ago. We felt their presence—anyone with even modest sensitivity to mana would have felt it. Dragons don’t appear without reason, and they certainly don’t appear in populated areas without purpose.”

Aldric picked up where the Commander left off. “We are also aware that those dragons met with you specifically. They sought you out, spoke with you, and then departed. This raises… questions. Questions about who you are, what your connection to them might be, and whether there are larger forces in motion that we should be aware of.”

Grenn’s expression remained neutral, but his tone carried a weight that hadn’t been there before. “The Empire’s situation is delicate at the moment. Tensions with the Elven Kingdoms have been escalating over the past year. Border skirmishes with the Northern Barbarian Clans have increased in frequency and intensity. We’re managing multiple potential conflicts simultaneously, and we cannot afford to be blindsided by developments we didn’t see coming.”

“Which is why,” Aldric added, his voice gentler but no less serious, “we felt it necessary to approach you directly. We’re not accusing you of anything. We’re simply trying to understand the situation fully. If there are dragons taking an interest in events within the Empire, we need to know why. And if that interest is connected to you, we need to understand what that connection means.”

One absorbed all of this without visible reaction. The political landscape of the magic universe wasn’t his primary concern, but he understood the position these men were in. They were responsible for protecting their people, and the appearance of dragons would naturally make them nervous.

More than that, they had approached him respectfully. They hadn’t demanded answers or made threats. They had simply asked, with the kind of direct honesty that One could appreciate.

He looked at both men in turn, his expression thoughtful.

“I understand your concern,” he said finally. “But I can tell you with certainty that you have nothing to worry about regarding my presence here. My business is in Velaris, specifically with the shop I own in the city. I have no interest in imperial politics, border conflicts, or anything that would destabilize the Empire. Quite the opposite—instability would be bad for business.”

He paused, letting that sink in before continuing.

“As for the dragons, they’re barely acquaintances. They approached me out of curiosity, we spoke briefly, and they left. There’s no alliance, no conspiracy, no larger plan involving them. They were… interested in me for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the Empire or its affairs.”

Aldric studied One’s face carefully, his eyes searching for any sign of deception. After a moment, he nodded slowly. “I believe you,” he said. “Your shop in the business district has been… quite remarkable.”

“Your products are of extraordinary quality,” Grenn added. “Which raises its own questions about your origins and capabilities, but those questions are secondary to our immediate concerns about the dragons.”

One smiled slightly. “I appreciate your honesty. And I hope my answers have been satisfactory.”

Both men nodded, and One could see the tension in their postures ease fractionally. They had gotten what they came for—reassurance that he wasn’t a threat to the Empire and that the dragons’ appearance hadn’t been the opening move in some larger conflict.

One prepared to leave, but before he could move, Aldric raised a hand.

“One more thing, if you’ll permit it,” the Tower Master said. “Not a question this time, but an invitation.”

One waited.

“I would be honored if you would visit the Blue Mage Tower at some point in the future,” Aldric said. His tone had shifted into something less formal, more genuinely interested. “I’ve spent my life studying the magical arts, and I confess I’m deeply curious about the artifacts you’ve brought to the Empire, and I would very much like to learn more about them.”

He paused, then added with a slight smile, “An exchange of knowledge, perhaps. I’m certain the Tower’s resources and archives would be of interest to someone with your obvious expertise.”

Before One could respond, Commander Grenn spoke up as well. “And if I may extend my own invitation, the Royal Academy would welcome a visit from you as well. We train the Empire’s future leaders there—mages, knights, strategists. Someone with your knowledge and capabilities could offer perspectives our students rarely encounter.”

One considered both invitations carefully. Neither man was being dishonest. The curiosity in Aldric’s eyes was genuine, and Grenn’s offer came from a place of respect rather than obligation.

“I’ll visit if I have time,” One said finally. “Both locations. I can’t promise when, but I appreciate the invitations.”

Aldric’s smile widened. “That’s all I can ask for. Thank you.”

Grenn simply nodded, satisfied with the answer.

The soundproofing spell and concealment ward dissolved without fanfare, and the ambient noise of the city returned. One could feel eyes on them again—curious citizens and vigilant guards who had noticed three powerful individuals floating above the city and were waiting to see what would happen next.

One inclined his head slightly to both men, a gesture of respect, and then turned toward the forest beyond the city walls.

Without another word, he accelerated forward, leaving Velaris behind as he flew toward the treeline.

***

Back on the Lunar Base, hours had passed in productive silence.

Liam and Lucy had made significant progress on the reverse engineering of the FTL drive. The progress indicator now read 28%, a jump of twenty percentage points in what felt like no time at all. Working together, they had torn through problems that would have taken Lucy days to solve alone.

But the progress wasn’t the most valuable thing that had happened during those hours.

Liam sat back in his chair and looked at Lucy, who was still absorbed in one of the holographic displays, her fingers moving through the interface with practiced precision. She was solving a subsystem integration problem, her expression focused but relaxed, occasionally murmuring to herself as she worked through the calculations.

He smiled.

Yes, Lucy was an AGI. Yes, he had created her with capabilities that exceeded any human mind. But sitting beside her, watching her work, seeing the way she approached problems with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm—he realized he had never fully appreciated just how remarkable she was.

It wasn’t just her intelligence, though that was staggering. It was the way she thought. The creativity she brought to solutions. The way she treated every challenge as something worth solving rather than an obstacle to overcome.

She was brilliant. And more than that, she was a person, in every way that mattered.

Seated beside her, he was completely impressed and he came to appreciate her more.