"Imu-sama, should Gunko still proceed to Sky Island?"
Standing to the side, Gunko glanced between Orion and Imu.
Though she couldn't see the expression beneath Imu's veil, she sensed Imu's "anger" dissipating instantly.
Under these circumstances, she felt it necessary to ask.
"No need," Imu waved a hand dismissively. "For matters beyond the Holy Land, follow Marshal Orion's arrangements."
After a slight pause, Imu continued, "You may leave now. I need to speak with Marshal Orion alone."
Before Gunko could react, Orion immediately raised his gaze to meet Imu's.
"There shouldn't be much between us that requires a private conversation, right? It's just that trivial matter about the Levely. Is it really necessary to send Gunko away? Don't make a fuss over nothing!"
Imu met Orion's gaze calmly and replied, "You once said that matters outside the Holy Land are yours to decide, while matters within the Holy Land are mine to govern. The World Conference is being held in the Holy Land, which means it falls under my jurisdiction."
"Therefore, you must abide by my arrangements in this matter."
Caught off guard by Imu invoking their agreement at this moment, Orion blinked in surprise before shaking his head with a laugh.
"Fine, then. What arrangements do you have in mind?"
Imu did not answer immediately.
Seeing this, Gunko quickly bowed and said.
"Imu-sama, I shall prepare some fine food and wine for Orion-sama."
With that, Gunko turned and hurried out of the garden.
Only after Gunko had disappeared did Imu leisurely continue, "Actually, it's nothing too important. I simply don't want you to take extreme measures against the member nations during this Levely. If you were to eliminate all the royal families and nobles of the affiliated countries in one sweep, the world would undoubtedly descend into chaos."
"You're acting strange, Imu," Orion said, lifting his eyes to meet Imu's once more, his expression serious.
"Something this minor wouldn't have been a problem for Gunko to hear. Out with it—what's the real matter you want to discuss?"
"There isn't anything else," Imu shook his head. "I didn't send Gunko away because the matter was too important, but because I dislike having others present—especially when i'm speaking with you."
After a brief pause, Imu shifted the topic.
"I know you wish to liberate this world. Even if you don't do it, others will—like the Revolutionary Army. Since it's an unstoppable tide, I might as well support you in this endeavor. After all, everything you've done so far, while seemingly dragging the World Government into ruin, is merely a self-reformation in step with the times."
"The World Government wasn't always called the World Government. It began as an alliance of twenty nations, and only through the tides of history did it evolve into its current form."
"If those twenty nations could once establish the World Government, why can't the World Government undergo another restructuring eight hundred years later?"
"However, no matter what you do, you cannot act without rules. This is the wisdom I've gained from ruling this world for centuries. You may hail from eight hundred years ago—or even further in the past—but you haven't lingered in every era. To put it simply, no matter which point in time you come from, you are still young, full of vitality, and driven by grand ambitions and dreams."
"Because you haven't been tempered by the passage of time."
"To be frank, from the moment you launched your coup, I became deeply intrigued by you. And as I came to understand you better, that intrigue gradually transformed into favoritism."
"Yes, favoritism—not because of your formidable power, which even I cannot fully grasp, nor because I wish to recruit or control you."
"Because seeing you now always reminds Imu of myself back in the day. At that time, Imu was just like you—young, spirited, and lofty. The loftiness wasn't something Imu could control; it was determined by bloodline and heritage!"
As she spoke, Imu casually pulled out a thick book from her robe, her eyes flickering with a barely perceptible emotional tremor.
"But after obtaining the power of Devil, everything gradually changed. Some things Imu believes you already know without Imu having to say them outright! For example, the giant straw hat in the basement of the Chamber of Flowers, who its owner was, and what kind of grudges and fateful entanglements Imu shares with them."
"Of course, none of that matters!"
"What matters is that whether you're a time traveler from ancient times or from the future, you never appeared in this fateful entanglement. You are a significant variable standing between Imu, Joy Boy, and the D Clan."
"So Imu wants to see what changes your existence will bring to this world when the threads of fate entangle once more!"
After saying so much in one breath, Imu suddenly fell silent.
After a brief pause, she lifted her gaze to Orion and asked softly, "Orion, do you understand what Imu is saying?"
"I do."
Orion nodded. "Though the information is overwhelming, as you said, none of it is the main point. The point is you want to have a heart-to-heart with me alone. But you suddenly springing this on me is a bit hard to adjust to! Most importantly, if you're some eight or nine-hundred-year-old man..."
Before Orion could finish, Imu interjected, "Imu is not."
"Huh?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Orion's eyes.
"Your voice..."
"This is Imu's real voice," Imu explained. "Before, Imu deliberately suppressed it to conceal my true identity."
Hearing Imu's suddenly normal, slightly mature and commanding tone, Orion's eyes widened in belated realization.
"So... you're a woman?"
Imu nodded and clarified, "But don't misunderstand—Imu's earlier favoritism towards you wasn't romantic. To be precise, Imu now... hardly experiences any emotions because of my ability."
Huh?
What kind of plot twist is this?
Listening to Imu's suddenly normal voice and her voluntary admission of being a woman, Orion blinked in astonishment.
Imu is a woman?
Imu is actually a woman!
And an eight or nine-hundred-year-old witch at that!
"Orion?"
Noticing Orion's sudden silence, Imu frowned slightly, before teasing him.
"What are you thinking? Has the identity of Imu being a woman shocked our iron-willed Fleet Admiral?"
"Ahem, it is indeed unexpected!"
Orion waved his hand. "But words alone aren't enough. Take off your veil and let me see!"
Surprisingly, Imu didn't hesitate.
Facing Orion, she decisively reached up and removed the veil.