Chapter 657 A messenger (1)  

The next day.

Rina could be seen adjusting Aron's tie, ensuring it looked dignified and matched his full black suit, as if he were heading to a funeral.

“If I didn’t have the lesson already planned, I would have come with you,” Rina said as she finished adjusting his tie and wiped the nonexistent dust off his suit, doing a couple of double takes to make sure everything was perfect.

Since she had decided to focus on magic research, and with Aron's aid, Rina had been making significant breakthroughs in the field of magic use. These advancements even surprised Aron, who already had high expectations for her. Rina’s intimate understanding of magic, being a user herself, gave her an edge in her discoveries—an advantage Aron lacked since he couldn’t use magic without runes in real life.

Although he could use magic normally in the universal simulation, Aron didn't have the luxury of time to practice it due to his numerous responsibilities. Additionally, he preferred not to use the higher time acceleration unless absolutely necessary, as the disproportionate amount of time spent in the simulation compared to real life created a disorienting disconnection from reality, a feeling he didn't enjoy.

As a result of her advancements, Rina was now delivering special lectures at various universities on topics related to mana and the use of magic to access and harness it. These lectures had been quite successful, and today was one of those days, hence her statement.

"Don't worry about it, and good luck with your lecture, Love you," Aron said, kissing her goodbye. “Love you too,” she responded, with a blush on her face, despite being married for more than a year she couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter whenever she heard him say those words.

Aron left their house with a smile on his face as he liked teasing her at every chance he got, heading to the elevator that was already waiting to take him to the roof.

As soon as the elevator door closed, Aron's smile slowly faded away. He transitioned into work mode, assuming the demeanor required for his imperial duties, which demanded a more formal and serious approach than his usual casual self.

Upon boarding the imperial shuttle, it immediately took off, having been prepared and waiting for his arrival.

"How far apart are the families we are visiting?" Aron asked, seemingly speaking to the void from his room in the shuttle. This would appear strange to an outsider, as he didn't have a human secretary.

{Two of them are in the same city, and the rest are in different cities on different continents. Taking into account travel and meeting times, it will take a few hours before today’s schedule ends,} Nova responded as she materialized from the nanomachines reservoir in the room. She was dressed appropriately for the occasion, in full black, matching Aron's attire.

"How do I approach this?" Aron asked, revealing his uncertainty as he tapped the sides of his chair.

{You can take a look at the bullet points I prepared for you,} Nova suggested. {I kept it brief because of your photographic memory. If I showed you the full version, you'd likely follow it to the letter, which wouldn’t be ideal. The rest should come from you, naturally and sincerely.} She handed him a piece of paper materialized from some of the remaining nanomachines.

Aron picked up the paper and began reading through the bullet points in silence as the shuttle continued its journey. The journey continued until the shuttle landed in the center of the city, at the government building, the tallest structure in the area. This landing spot was necessary, as the shuttle required a large open space, and Aron couldn't just land anywhere without causing disruptions—like interrupting children playing in parks. As a result, he typically landed at central government buildings. From there, he would be transported to his destination via a motorcade, which was always prepared in advance. Today's motorcade had arrived the previous night, ready to ensure smooth travel to his meetings.

Aron stepped off the shuttle and was greeted by the city's highest-ranked imperial official, who immediately extended his hand to welcome the emperor. Aron reciprocated the greeting and continued the small talk, engaging with the city leader. During their conversation, the official invited him to a banquet that had been prepared in his honor.

“Thanks for the hospitality and invitation, but unfortunately, as stated in the report sent to you, the emperor needs to be in different cities within a few hours. So, we have to decline your invitation and head to our destination as quickly as possible,” Nova intervened. She knew that Aron’s current mood wasn't really welcoming of enjoying as he was on the wat to deliver bad news to quite a few people, hence her timely interjection.

“Sorry for that, sir. Please, this way,” the city leader responded promptly, pointing in the direction of the elevator. Aron reciprocated with a polite smile and, along with his Aegis—those who had accompanied him on the shuttle—began walking toward the elevator with serious expressions, fully aware that their duties had now commenced.

A few minutes later, a modest-sized motorcade departed from one of the large gates of the massive imperial government building.

The motorcade moved swiftly through the well-connected city, and it didn’t take long before it arrived and came to a stop in front of a one-story house in a quiet neighborhood.

The security team immediately disembarked from the motorcade, joining the team that had arrived earlier to secure the perimeter with one of Aegis members approaching to open his door.

Taking a deep breath, Aron said, "Let's get to work," as he stepped out of the car and began walking towards the house. He gestured with his hand to the security members who were planning to follow him, indicating that only Nova would accompany him inside.

*Knock* *knock* *knock*

Silence fell as Aron waited for the door to be opened, and the rest of the neighborhood gathered from the distance to see what had brought a convoy of cars and heavy security to their quiet streets.

Shortly thereafter, the door was opened.