Hearing Graces speak of Lu Xia, Admiral Snop’s feelings were incredibly complicated.

He looked at Graces. "Did you ever once consider Duke Lu Xia when you did this? I believe Duke Lu Xia has been extremely good to you. Have you never thought about how she would manage in the Empire if this was exposed? Don’t you realize what a dangerous position you’ve put her in, Graces?"

Faced with Admiral Snop’s questioning, Graces’s expression didn’t waver. He looked at Admiral Snop, his gaze calm.

"It’s precisely because I don’t want Xiaxia to continue suffering unfair treatment that I’ve done these things. I will personally guarantee her safety. Admiral Snop, you needn’t worry about that."

Seeing that he was completely unshaken, Admiral Snop knew that Graces had already thought everything through before taking this step.

Looking at the flames in his hand, Admiral Snop knew it was unrealistic to think they could detain Graces even if they deployed all their forces, to say nothing of the fact that he had only brought a small squad with him today.

He truly hadn’t expected that not only had Lu Xia developed gene fusion, but she could even successfully extract an Alien Gene like this. They had all underestimated her abilities.

"Admiral Snop, I need your help to investigate the authenticity of this data. I believe you will discover much more. You don’t need to give me a definitive answer today. I will await your arrival at any time. The Alliance Army will always have a place for you."

Admiral Snop heard the words "Alliance Army." He looked at Graces. "Are you planning to establish an alliance system after overthrowing the Empire’s imperial power?"

"Yes. I believe that is the only way to achieve a certain kind of balance."

Admiral Snop knew exactly what he meant by "balance." At this moment, he was indeed wavering. But as the admiral of the Imperial First Military District, he knew what it would mean if he agreed to take that step with Graces. The Empire’s current combat strength would likely collapse completely with his betrayal.

Seeing Admiral Snop fall into thought, Graces didn’t say more. He stood up. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now."

Just as he would have in the First Military District, he gave Admiral Snop a military salute before turning to leave, as if they were still subordinate and superior. The moment Graces walked out of the private room, a voice came through Admiral Snop’s earpiece: "Sir, should we act now?"

Admiral Snop immediately said, "Halt the operation. Everyone, hold your positions."

Admiral Snop was well aware that Graces, who possessed a Superpower Gene and had a gene fusion degree of 100%, was definitely not someone they could detain. There was no need to start a conflict with him at a time like this; it was a choice where the losses would far outweigh the gains.

Graces left the private room and returned to his levitating vehicle. He glanced at several potential ambush points. Seeing no movement from the people hidden in the shadows, he knew Admiral Snop had likely given up on his original plan.

Without lingering, he drove away.

When Kading saw him return, he deliberately looked behind him, then said with a hint of disappointment, "It seems you didn’t manage to persuade him."

Graces tossed his jacket to him. "He needs some time to think. It’s a huge deal. Would you be able to agree to it instantly?"

Kading said, "I agreed instantly back then."

Graces shot him a disdainful look and ignored him, walking straight toward the office.

Kading followed closely behind him. "Aren’t you going back to rest?"

"I still have things to do, so I’m not going back for now. After Cecil’s funds arrive, bring the supply list to me for review. Don’t delegate this to anyone else; handle it personally."

"I know, but such a large sum of money probably won’t be transferred so quickly."

"It won’t be long. I have faith in his abilities."

"How can you be so sure he’ll be on our side? I heard he’s a member of the Imperial Family."

"I don’t trust him. The one I’ve always trusted is my Female Master."

Hearing this, Kading thought of the Female Master Graces mentioned and found himself unable to argue.

Even though he had never personally interacted with Duke Lu Xia, he had been around Graces long enough to know that he was not only a perfect Gene Fusion Expert with a complete Beastification Form, but he also possessed a Fire Ability.

And all of this had been bestowed upon him by his Female Master. One had to ask, in the entire system of the Empire, who else could accomplish this? Only the one and only Duke Lu Xia.

’If I put myself in his shoes,’ Kading thought, ’and I had such a powerful Female Master, I’d probably be completely loyal too, not daring to have the slightest ulterior motive. After all, she’s the only Female Master this powerful in the entire galaxy.’

Thinking this, Kading couldn’t help but feel a little envious of Graces. He smiled and said, "When I finally get to meet that Female Master of yours, you have to give me a proper introduction. We’ll see if I can ask her to help me raise my gene fusion degree, too."

He wasn’t asking for an Alien Gene; becoming a perfect Gene Fusion Expert would be enough.

"Less talk, more work. Get out."

Kading couldn’t help but mumble, "Stingy. Can’t you at least promise to humor me?"

"You’re not worthy!"

Graces’s impervious demeanor infuriated Kading, who could only stomp his foot in frustration, completely helpless against him.

*

The meeting between Admiral Snop and Graces did not get out. The men Admiral Snop brought were all his own trusted confidants.

Therefore, Her Majesty Empress was still unaware that the Executive Officer of the Rebel Army was Graces.

And Admiral Snop had no intention of reporting the matter. After returning to the military district, he began to gather personnel to investigate the accuracy of the data Graces had given him.

Clearly, Graces’s words had shaken him.

Meanwhile, Graces and Admiral Snop had reached a tacit understanding to some extent. At the very least, the fighting on the front lines had ceased.

When the Imperial Family learned of this news, they deliberately had it widely publicized that the Rebel Army had been defeated by the First Military, that they had ceased fire and were avoiding a direct confrontation. They intended to use this news to quell the public’s dissatisfaction with the Imperial Family.

However, the public wasn’t buying it— 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"What’s there to publicize? Isn’t defeating the Rebel Army what they’re supposed to do?"

"Besides, the credit for this belongs to the First Military District. What does it have to do with you, the Imperial Family? Did you send anyone to the front lines? Aren’t you all just cowering and enjoying life in the Imperial Palace?"

"I don’t think this news is real at all. The Rebel Army was so fierce before, how could they suddenly be defeated by the Imperial Army? I’m more inclined to believe they’ve reached some kind of agreement and are now in a state of ceasefire negotiations."

"To the poster above, you’re not alone. I think so too. The Rebel Army’s uprising was clearly well-prepared, and I think they might actually succeed. This ceasefire is obviously a prelude to negotiating benefits. I’m wondering if that admiral from the First Military District is having second thoughts."

...