Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1574 - 543: Top Secret and Promotion

Right away, an urgent assembly was called within the Imperial Palace, bringing together Menia along with every elder from the royal family who carried dragon blood.

"I believe we should proceed with the investiture ceremony for the new Guardian in just two days."

"An excellent idea. That way, pulling most of the Imperial Guardians back to the Imperial City all of a sudden won’t appear too out of place." Elder Ivan nodded in agreement as he spoke.

"Yet, what about the drop in fighting strength across the provinces after the local Imperial Guardians depart? Those cults are bound to seize the chance to stir trouble, and the ordinary folks might end up..." A different royal elder furrowed his brow while voicing his concern.

"We have no choice but to overlook that for now; picking the smaller harm is our wisest choice." Elder Ivan let out a sigh as he replied.

"I propose we summon Crown Walker back this time as well." In that instant, Menia, seated at the head position, finally chimed in.

"Crown Walker? But if he departs, won’t Queen Trebiz of the Wind Roc launch an attack?" Yet another royal elder questioned.

"I concur; we ought to draw lessons from the previous incident. Had we brought back a Dawn Peak expert like Crown Walker back then, the outcome could have turned out entirely otherwise." Elder Ivan voiced his backing.

"...."

Thirty minutes passed before the assembly concluded.

Vibrant magical signals shot out from the Imperial Palace, spreading in every direction.

Meanwhile, to add an extra layer of caution, flocks of Blood Falcons and swift messengers bearing confidential notes departed from the palace mere moments afterward.

The secret message bore just a single line: "On the final Sunday of this month, the Empire’s new Guardian investiture ceremony shall take place..."

This served as the prime justification settled on by the royal elders to assemble the majority of Imperial Guardians in Imperial City Tamriel within two days.

Naturally, such a deception might not fool the Divine entirely, yet prolonging the secrecy of these events even slightly boosts our odds of triumph.

...

Over at the Bixiu Mechanization School grounds.

After a brief trial, Rein discovered with delight that his advancement in sketching the Fifth Layer "Steel Heart" model of the Advanced Meditation Method had surged by three will runes, hitting 395 in total.

Just as anticipated, the boost in overall spiritual power truly aided the forward momentum of the meditation method.

Several hours went by.

Rein advanced the progress to 412, though the pace of improvement began to taper off once more. He realized this stage of enhancement was approaching its peak.

Put differently, the advantages from the drug’s effects of the Extraordinary Wisdom Potion were starting to fade away now.

"Absorbing Divine Power Crystals remains the most effective approach." Rein murmured with a hint of regret.

Right then, the communication emblem on Rein’s chest suddenly started to glow.

Sensing it lightly, Rein creased his brow a bit, then promptly exited the hidden room and headed toward the palace.

Given that magical communications aren’t entirely secure, Menia waited in a remote hidden chamber of the palace at that very moment for Rein.

Before long, guided by a female servant, Rein stepped into the hidden chamber.

Once the female servant departed, Rein couldn’t resist inquiring:

"Menia, what’s so pressing?"

"Rein, you must give this your full focus. In two days..." Menia laid out the circumstances thoroughly.

Upon hearing Menia’s account, Rein’s face grew solemn.

That was when Rein learned the truth: during the emperor’s prior bid to reach Demigod status, multiple Divine Avatars had disrupted him right at the pivotal juncture, dooming the attempt and leaving him gravely wounded.

Notably, the details he’d gotten before didn’t match this version.

Apparently, to safeguard the Empire’s spirits and the royal family’s honor, the official story had been altered and polished. It claimed the Empire Emperor endured heavy wounds, yet framed his botched ascension as a victory of sorts.

"So, is there a strong chance those Divine will strike again this round?" Rein pondered briefly before posing the question.

Even though Menia’s mind had fused with his body for a short spell earlier, the limited duration meant Rein grasped only fragments of the mysteries and insights she held.

"Yes, the odds are quite high." Menia affirmed with a nod.

"Menia, isn’t two days awfully hasty? Why not have the Emperor pick a moment when he’s better ready to ascend?" Rein pressed further.

"Because the rising energy tide impacts the Divine’s resurgence far more than it does our growth in power."

"The heightened pulses from the energy tide will certainly forge additional powerhouses for the Empire, but that demands time."

"And time is exactly what we lack."

"I get it." Rein acknowledged with a nod.

"One last thing. I’ve heard the Empire’s founding Emperor Atlas achieved Demigod Level, and it looks like two other Emperors did too. Where did they go?"

This puzzle had troubled Rein for ages.

Without a doubt, given his unique bond with Menia, Rein could even broach such a topic; otherwise, he might never find the right person to seek the truth from.

"True enough, all three forebears attained Demigod Level, but that was two millennia back. It coincided with the Empire’s early days, when they detected the energy tide easing toward its trough."

"Humans aren’t built for endless years; their lives have bounds. Maybe the Divine and those Ancient Giant Beasts dodge it through hibernation, but humans can’t."

"Thus, despite their might, the forebears had to pursue alternatives. Per the royal family’s hidden annals, the forebears, alongside a handful of Full Moon Wizards from that era, ventured into other realms."