What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?

Arthur and Vivian bowed their heads slightly and performed a respectful salute.

"Greetings, Emperor Alex," they both said in unison, maintaining the formality of the situation and momentarily setting aside their family relationship.

Emperor Alex smiled warmly at their arrival and nodded.

"You may rise," he said casually.

Immediately, Arthur and Vivian raised their heads and met Emperor Alex's gaze.

"Welcome, my dear sister and heir to the Asvold family, Arthur Asvold." Emperor Alex greeted them with a joyful expression, warmly welcoming the two.

"Thank you for your gracious welcome, Emperor Alex," Arthur replied with a smile, expressing his gratitude.

After a light exchange of pleasantries, an elderly servant approached Arthur and Vivian.

"Greetings, Lady Vivian and Young Master Arthur!" The old servant saluted them while bowing slightly.

Arthur looked at the old servant, not recognizing who he was, while Vivian smiled warmly in response, clearly familiar with the servant's face.

"Butler, nice to meet you." Vivian nodded slightly towards the old maid, who turned out to be the butler.

Startled, Arthur looked at the old maid with a slight frown on his forehead.

"A Peak-Level Elemental Saint!" His heart raced, but he managed to maintain a calm expression and smile at the old servant, who served the Imperial family.

Upon hearing Vivian's greeting, the butler smiled gently and said, "Please follow me to the seats that have been prepared for the two of you."

He directed them towards the two seats that had been arranged to the right of the throne.

Arthur and Vivian nodded in understanding, and accompanied by the butler, they made their way upstairs and took their seats.

Once they were seated, the butler returned to Emperor Alex's side and stood there.

Arthur couldn't help but take a quick peek at the butler, attempting to search for relevant information in his recollections from the novel.

"It seems that this person's existence didn't appear in the novel at all during Abel's battle against Emperor Balka," Arthur thought, frowning slightly, and then retracted his gaze to avoid drawing attention to himself.

After all, a peak-level Elemental Saint was a truly formidable existence, and their perception was incredibly sharp.

Sure enough, right after Arthur withdrew his gaze, the butler glanced back at him.

"Interesting," the butler whispered, and then returned to his original position.

Meanwhile, Emperor Alex, who had been silent while observing the two, finally took a deep breath and addressed the gathered attendees.

"Everyone, I thank you for your visit today." Emperor Alex spoke with a calm tone.

Upon hearing Emperor Alex's words, the Luvic nobles present bowed their heads respectfully.

"It is our honor to come, Your Majesty." They praised each other to the Emperor and showed complete deference.

Emperor Alex nodded slightly and continued, "As you know, we have two very special guests today."

He gestured towards Arthur and Vivian, who were seated to his right.

Immediately, all those present bowed their heads slightly and said, "Greetings and welcome, Lady Vivian and Young Master Arthur Asvold."

The formal atmosphere brought back memories for Arthur, reminding him of the time when he awakened his core and the Luvic nobles did the same.

However, this time, the situation was not as intense as back then.

"All of you, please rise," Arthur commanded with a smile and an air of authority.

As they heard Arthur's commanding voice, everyone raised their heads and couldn't help but gaze at the figure that had shaken the entire Empire ten years ago.

"What an aura and authority!" As Arthur displayed his demeanor and composure, silently impressing one Luvic noble after another, the sentiment of admiration was shared among those who witnessed his presence.

Furthermore, his prominent presence left a lasting impression, especially on the young noble girls, who found themselves captivated by him like never before.

"Ahh! My young master Arthur is incredibly handsome, and his smile makes me melt!" In the corner of the Luvic noble row, a short black-haired girl, none other than Vion, bit her lower lip aggressively as she watched Arthur's charming smile.

"I can't live without seeing his smile!" Vion fixated on Arthur's face, which still radiated a gentle expression, and couldn't help but swear inwardly.

She immediately pulled Celine, who was standing beside her, away and subtly pointed towards Arthur. 𝗯𝗲𝐝𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝗹．𝐨𝗿𝗴

"Celine, look! How about it? You'll definitely be mesmerized by young master Arthur's smile!" Vion tried to coax her friend.

However, to her surprise, Celine was frozen like an ice sculpture, her gaze fixated on Arthur.

"Celine, are you okay?" Vion became very worried and couldn't help but ask.

Celine, lost in her thoughts, did not hear Vion's words and continued to stare at Arthur, who was sitting near the throne, with an expression of surprise and wonder.

"How could it be?" She murmured to herself while holding her rapidly beating heart.

"Those violet eyes are really very similar to my hero!" Celine took a deep breath and gasped in surprise as Vion, beside her, pinched her cheek.

"What are you doing?" Celine looked at Vion in confusion and didn't understand her friend's behavior.

However, Vion puffed up her cheeks and pointed at Arthur with a smug expression.

"See, isn't my young master Arthur more handsome than any man, hump!" Vion crossed her arms over her ample chest, as if any compliment to Arthur was praising her as well!

Celine, who overheard this, did not reply directly and simply gave a small nod.

"Yes, you're right," she whispered softly, her attention still fixed on Arthur in front of her.

Vion felt a bit annoyed by Celine's indifferent reply, but she decided not to press the matter further and instead kept her focus on Arthur, allowing herself to be completely captivated by his strikingly handsome face.

Meanwhile, Arthur felt an intense gaze fixed on him and instinctively searched for the source.

However, the vast number of people in the throne room made it difficult for him to identify the individual responsible for the scrutiny.

After the Luvic nobles exchanged brief greetings, Emperor Alex resumed speaking.

"I have gathered you all here for a reason that I believe has already spread throughout the Empire, and I assume you have received relevant information as well," he said, closing his eyes slightly and observing the reactions of the Luvic nobles in attendance.

As expected, the nobles appeared surprised and nodded in agreement, eagerly awaiting Emperor Alex's next words.

"As you are already aware, the border has been experiencing escalating tensions with the Savaran Empire," he said, fixing his gaze upon the Luvic nobles.

"And the current situation remains secure due to the personal leadership of Duke Asvold, the head of the Asvold family, who commands the border troops to thwart any sudden attacks by the Savaran Empire," he continued, resting his head in his palm as he spoke.

However, just as he was about to proceed, someone from the honorable seat where the imperial ministers were seated abruptly stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Forgive me for interrupting your conversation, Your Majesty," said an old man exuding an air of authority, cutting off Emperor Alex's speech.

Arthur, witnessing this, felt a twinge of surprise and curiosity, wondering who this man was to dare interrupt an Emperor.

Noticing Arthur's inquisitiveness, Vivian, seated to his left, softly whispered.

"Perhaps you are unaware, but he holds a significant position within the empire and harbors strong animosity towards my older brother," Vivian elucidated, delving into the intricate structure of the empire and then explaining the detail to Arthur.

Upon hearing this, Arthur's eyes widened in utter disbelief.

"Damn! How could they dare form a faction opposed to Emperor Alex?" Arthur sighed, feeling a pang of sympathy for these misguided individuals.

As Vivian had mentioned, the Balka Empire was under the rule of Emperor Alex and the Balka family.

However, it seemed that some ministers and traitors still lurked in the shadows, eagerly awaiting Emperor Alex's downfall.

In a way, they were dissatisfied with Emperor Alex's authoritarian rule and had become agents of discord within the empire.

"Are they willing to share the same fate as their predecessors, whom Emperor Alex executed upon ascending to power?" Arthur chuckled, sensing that the situation was becoming increasingly intriguing.

He was certain that there had to be a reason why Emperor Alex allowed them to live comfortably while they nurtured rebellious intentions against him.

"While I cannot be entirely certain, there must be some connection to his master plan, which was left unexplained in the novel," Arthur pondered, glancing at Emperor Alex with deep curiosity, eager to see how events would unfold.

Meanwhile, Emperor Alex, upon hearing this, remained composed and merely cast a slight glance at the old man, who served as a minister of the Empire.

"Oh, is there something troubling you, Minister Julius?" His tone, void of anger or impatience, elicited an inward chuckle from Arthur, who had the ability to discern emotions.

"This guy truly lacks restraint," Arthur observed, shaking his head in pity as he looked at the old man.