Mercedes left the great hall after receiving the emperor’s command. 

“Your Majesty! Are you okay?” The other Five Pillars, apart from Bain and Goldhit who were guarding the emperor and the indisposed Kyle, came running belatedly.

They were Grandmaster Zikfrector and Armored Cavalryman Chensler. Zikfrector looked at the traces of the battle, while Chensler examined the emperor’s body. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” the emperor gave a brief answer, but he didn’t rebuke Zikfrector and Chensler for not coming sooner. In the first place, they had been outside the imperial palace. This was actually a fast arrival time.

“You must’ve destroyed the thunder stone,” Zikfrector opened his mouth as he realized Astaroth’s death. “It looks like an overwhelming battle... The fact that you can overcome the situation meant there was an extra variable?”

Goldhit nodded. “That’s right. I was able to overcome the crisis by ordering my disciples to destroy the thunder stone.”

Clearly, Goldhit didn’t intend to announce that it was Grid who destroyed the thunder stone. She had already...