Chapter 385 -: 384 Should I tell them?

Chapter 385: Chapter: 384 Should I tell them?

Present.

Alfred stared at the two figures sitting before him, his eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief, relief, and emotions he could hardly put into words.

Although his appearance had changed, Julius could still recognize the old man beneath those unfamiliar features. The same person who had accompanied him since childhood was now sitting across from him, looking as though he had seen a ghost.

"Young master... you..."

Alfred tried to speak, but the words seemed to get caught in his throat. He opened his mouth again, only to fall silent as he struggled to process the sight before him. There were too many questions he wanted to ask, and he didn’t even know where to begin.

"Calm down, Alfred."

Julius patted the old man’s back before settling into the seat beside him, while Rosalina took the other seat.

"We were chased into the Nightmare Forest, and as you already know, the Zlycons can’t enter that place. Fortunately, we stumbled upon a teleportation gate connected directly to this city, so we used it to get here. That’s pretty much what happened."

He explained the matter casually, leaving out the details that weren’t necessary for the moment. As he spoke, his gaze wandered toward the enormous arena surrounding them.

The coliseum was almost full, and judging by the number of spectators still making their way inside, most of the expected guests had already arrived.

Even the VIP lounge was packed with powerful Zlycons, whose presence alone was enough to make the gathering feel considerably more intimidating.

Julius observed the figures seated in the distance before turning his attention back to Alfred.

"By the way, I heard that the human executives would be arriving today for negotiations. Is that true?"

Alfred had finally recovered enough to respond properly. He nodded, although the worry on his face had yet to disappear.

"Yes, young master. I don’t know exactly who will be coming, but it’s very likely that the Patriarch and Lady Elizabeth will be among them. Knowing those two, I’m certain they’ll come looking for you as soon as they discover you’re here. So, I suggest you do this old man a favor and stay here until they arrive. At the very least, give me enough time to prepare myself before you decide to cause another headache for everyone."

Julius smiled beneath his hood.

Had Alfred been able to see his expression, the old man would probably have cursed him on the spot. After all, Julius had absolutely no intention of returning with the human representatives, regardless of who accompanied them.

He had come all this way for the 101 Treasure Tower, and he wasn’t going to leave until he had obtained what he wanted. Whatever his father or mother had to say could wait until then.

Besides, it wasn’t as though he had deliberately arranged to meet them here. He had simply followed the trail to Alfred and ended up arriving at the coliseum just in time for the tournament. If fate had brought them together, then perhaps it was better to let things unfold naturally.

At least, that was what Julius told himself as he drew a quiet breath and turned his attention toward the VIP lounge once more.

Before he could say anything else, the announcement echoing throughout the coliseum caught his attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the opening ceremony of the Grand Tournament will now continue. We have gathered here today to witness the finest talents of the Zlycon race compete for the honor of claiming our ancestor’s inheritance. However, before we proceed, there is one individual whose presence deserves a special welcome."

The announcer paused, allowing the crowd’s anticipation to build before raising his voice.

"Please welcome the Sun of our Zlycon race, Chakravartin Solarian!"

The moment those words rang across the coliseum, the entire arena erupted into deafening cheers. Thousands of Zlycons rose from their seats, shouting the name of their champion as though they were welcoming a king returning from a victorious campaign.

Even those seated in the VIP lounge turned their attention toward the entrance on the opposite side of the arena, where the enormous gates began to open.

A single man emerged from within.

Julius watched him walk into the arena, his eyes immediately drawn to the unusual attire he wore. A length of black cloth covered his lower body, arranged in an elaborate pattern that Julius couldn’t quite understand.

It wasn’t wrapped around his waist like an ordinary towel, nor did it resemble the trousers he was accustomed to seeing. Instead, the fabric fell in carefully arranged folds, with golden plates lining its edges and adding to its regal appearance.

Julius had no idea what the garment was called, but he couldn’t deny that it looked rather impressive. He even found himself wondering whether he could get something similar for himself.

After all, there was something undeniably majestic about the way the man wore it, and Julius had always appreciated a good outfit.

His attention soon shifted to the rest of the man’s appearance. Light golden armor covered his upper body, leaving his arms exposed from the hands to the biceps, while the armor itself gleamed under the light pouring into the arena.

His slightly long hair fell freely around his shoulders, and his well-groomed beard gave his face a mature, dignified appearance. Yet it wasn’t his clothing or physique that made him stand out among the thousands gathered here.

It was the majesty he carried.

Every step Chakravartin took seemed to command attention without requiring any effort on his part.

He walked toward the center of the arena with his gaze fixed straight ahead, seemingly unaffected by the overwhelming cheers surrounding him.

There was no need for him to acknowledge the crowd or make any grand gestures to earn their admiration; his mere presence was enough to explain why the Zlycons regarded him as the pride of their race.

Julius followed the man’s movements with interest, then glanced toward the VIP lounge, where the gathered powerhouses were watching the proceedings.

’Should I tell them?’

The thought crossed his mind almost naturally.

’I already know that they’ll eventually become my allies, and Destiny has told me what awaits us in the future. If I simply explain everything, wouldn’t that make things considerably easier?’

For a moment, Julius seriously considered the possibility. After all, if the Zlycons knew who he was and understood his intentions, he might not even need to sneak around to enter the 101 Treasure Tower.

He could approach them openly, explain what he wanted, and perhaps secure their cooperation without wasting time on unnecessary complications.

Unfortunately, there was one problem.

Destiny had explicitly warned him against doing so.

According to her, revealing the truth at this stage would cause the future to branch into a possibility she hadn’t prepared for, ultimately leading to Julius’s death.

She hadn’t explained precisely how such a seemingly harmless decision could bring about that outcome, but she had been firm enough about the warning that he had no intention of testing her prediction.

Julius wasn’t particularly fond of blindly following instructions, especially when they came from someone who enjoyed keeping half the information to herself.

However, he had enough experience with Destiny’s abilities to understand why he shouldn’t dismiss her words so easily.

His own power allowed him to glimpse fragments of the future, but the visions he received rarely extended beyond half an hour to an hour.

Even within that limited period, a minor change in his actions could alter the outcome he had seen, sometimes producing results he hadn’t anticipated.

If his ability was already this difficult to manage over such a short span, he could hardly imagine the complexity involved in observing futures that branched into countless possibilities.

Destiny, on the other hand, had seen far more than he could. If she believed that revealing certain information would cause the future to deviate in a way that threatened his life, Julius had little reason to assume he understood the situation better than she did.

With that in mind, he suppressed his curiosity and decided to keep his mouth shut.

For now, he would simply follow the path he had already chosen and enter the 101 Treasure Tower when the opportunity presented itself. Whatever awaited him beyond its gates, he would deal with it when the time came.

Meanwhile, the Solarion Patriarch rose from his seat in the VIP lounge. He waited for the cheers to subside before clearing his throat, drawing the attention of the spectators gathered throughout the coliseum.

"My people, today is a great day for our race. Once again, we have gathered to hold the Grand Tournament, an occasion in which the finest talents among us will have the opportunity to prove their worth and compete for the inheritance left behind by our great ancestor."

His voice carried across the arena with the aid of a transmission formation, ensuring that even those seated in the furthest rows could hear him clearly.

"For those participating in the tournament, remember that this is more than an opportunity to demonstrate your strength. The inheritance you seek is a legacy entrusted to us by our ancestor, and claiming it is an honor that must be earned. I hope each of you will give your best and show us what the next generation of our race is capable of achieving."

The Patriarch paused briefly, allowing his words to settle before continuing.

"However, today’s gathering is significant for another reason. We have the honor of welcoming representatives from our great friends across the three floating continents. Their presence is a testament to the bonds we have maintained despite the difficulties of recent times, and I hope that today’s gathering will serve to strengthen those ties further."

Julius listened quietly, his attention shifting toward the entrance through which the human representatives were expected to arrive.

Given the current state of affairs between the two races, calling them great friends seemed like a rather generous description, but he supposed there was little point in openly acknowledging the hostility that had brought them to the brink of war.

The Patriarch raised one hand toward the gates.

"Without further ado, let us welcome our distinguished guest!"