Graces smoothly signed the alliance agreement with the head of the Empire.

Once everything was finalized, the Alliance Army’s move to the Imperial Star became a certainty.

However, there were still some loose ends to tie up before they could enter the Imperial Star—namely, Lustan.

Graces had long been wary of Lustan, and as it turned out, his intuition was correct. After Admiral Snop departed, Lustan seized the opportunity to win over some of the high-ranking officers remaining at the Alliance Army base, attempting to reclaim command from Graces.

’He always knew Lustan’s ambition had never died.’

News of the unrest at the Alliance Army base reached Graces while he was already on his return journey.

Upon hearing the news, Admiral Snop contacted Graces immediately. "Are you sure you’ll be alright going back now?"

Graces wasn’t taking many people with him, and the admiral was worried he wouldn’t be able to handle the situation.

Everything was finally moving in the right direction, and he didn’t want any slip-ups at such a critical juncture.

"Don’t worry. You stay here and keep things on track. I’ll handle the base quickly. I won’t keep you waiting long."

Admiral Snop was naturally inclined to trust Graces, but he couldn’t help but worry. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "Be careful. I’ll be waiting for good news."

Before heading back, Graces sent a message to Lu Xia. This time, he wouldn’t hide his departure and leave quietly. He couldn’t make the same mistake twice. If he did, even if Lu Xia didn’t actually punish him, he’d have to punish himself.

As he disembarked from the returning Starship, he looked at the high-ranking Alliance Army officers who had come to greet him. It was as if nothing had changed. Lustar walked over with a smile, embracing him with an exaggerated sweep of his arms. "I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me, Graces! I’m proud to have a male like you."

Graces’s face revealed no emotion. He calmly raised his eyes and glanced at Kading, who stood not far away.

Leaving Kading behind when Admiral Snop left had been Graces’s idea.

Seeing the smile on his face, Graces looked away and pushed Lustan, who was still clinging to him in a show of excitement, away. "I told you a long time ago, I’m not doing any of this for you. So, Father, there’s no need for this excitement."

Hearing Graces call him "Father," Lustan’s eyes crinkled with a smile. He ignored the first half of what Graces had said. "You’re finally willing to call me Father."

Graces’s lips curled. "That’s right. If you weren’t my father, how would you dare to treat me this way?"

His voice trailed off, his eyes filled with mockery.

Lustar’s expression stiffened, but he forced himself to look natural. "What are you talking about? I don’t quite understand."

Graces walked past him, his eyes landing on the uniformed Alliance Army personnel in the distance—the ones Lustan had bought. He spoke to them directly. "I’m giving you all one last chance. Give up these fantasies. I don’t know what Lustan promised you, but I do know he will never get the chance to deliver on those promises. So give it up."

As he finished speaking, Graces shot out a hand, seizing Lustan by the neck without warning. He looked at him coldly. "I told you it would be best not to do anything foolish."

No one had expected Graces to make such a sudden move. After all, Lustar was his biological father. Moreover, they believed their actions had been carried out in utmost secrecy and that Graces knew nothing. But the reality was, he knew everything.

According to their original plan, they were to trap Graces the moment he arrived, seize his command, and have Lustan take his place to oversee the subsequent move to the Imperial Star and consolidate power.

But they never imagined Graces would give them no opening. Right in front of everyone, without a moment for them to react, he had taken down Lustan, swiftly and decisively.

As a fellow Gene Fusion Expert, Lustan was not some helpless weakling, despite his age. But now, in Graces’s grip, he seemed to have lost all ability to resist.

Lustan’s eyes were filled with disbelief. He stared at Graces, his voice a hoarse rasp. "You... How could you know?"

Graces didn’t answer. But soon, Lustar had his answer as Kading walked over. Grinning, Kading said to Graces, "I did pretty well, didn’t I? Look at them. They’re only just realizing I’m on your side."

"Yes, you performed well." Praise from Graces was rare, and Kading instantly beamed.

But the next second, Graces tossed Lustar to him, the unspoken command clear: deal with him.

Hearing the exchange between Kading and Graces, what was there for Lustan not to understand?

He twisted his head to glare at Kading. "You betrayed me."

Kading feigned surprise. "Your Excellency, wasn’t it you who told me I should obey Graces?"

Lustan still couldn’t face reality. "You... How could you become like this?"

The smile never left Kading’s face. He seemed far more patient than Graces. "Because Graces can give me something I could never get from you. This was never a multiple-choice question. It was a single-answer test."

Fear crept into the hearts of those who, after Graces’s departure, had been bought by Lustan and prepared to betray him. Even though Graces only had a small squad with him now, they had all witnessed his formidable power before.

He was, after all, an exceptionally rare Alien Gene Fusion Expert.

Graces swept a cold gaze over them. Many lowered their heads, daring not to meet his eyes. He said nothing more, simply turning to leave with his men. Kading followed, hauling the now-bound Lustan behind him.

As for the others left standing there, none of them dared to move without an order.

Back in his office, Graces first sent messages to Lu Xia and Admiral Snop to let them know he was fine. Then, he listened to Kading’s report on everything that had happened in his absence.

"Your Excellency, you truly have incredible foresight. Not long after you left, while Admiral Snop was still here, Lord Lustan began his plotting. His actions became even more brazen after the admiral’s departure. This is a list of all participants. Please review it."

Graces picked up the list, glanced at it, and tossed it back to Kading. "Deal with them," he said coldly. "Leave none of them."

Kading froze for a second, clearly surprised by Graces’s bluntness. But he quickly remembered they were at a critical juncture—the Alliance Army’s move to the Imperial Star. There could be no room for any trouble. He understood Graces’s reasoning and didn’t ask any questions. He just nodded. "Right. I understand. I’ll go take care of it immediately."

As he turned to leave, Graces spoke. "You’ve worked hard."

Kading immediately turned back, a wide smile on his face. "Hearing you say that makes it all worthwhile."

Graces gave him a small smile. After watching Kading leave, he went to the room where Lustan was being held.

Seeing him enter, Lustan laughed. "I admit, you’re even more exceptional than I imagined."

Graces walked up to him, looking down from his superior height. "Why did you have to do this?"

’He couldn’t believe Lustan didn’t understand. If he had just done nothing, he could have lived out the rest of his life in peace. And yet, he’d done this.’

Lustan smirked. "There is no why," he said, looking up at Graces. "I just couldn’t stomach it."