Chapter 498: Chapter 498: Gathering and Dining Together (2)

Malverna, Arnold, and Eira began eating the food in front of them.

Since Eira still couldn’t take human form, Nolan prepared a special plate for her and placed the little dragon’s favorite food on it.

"Thank you, Master," Eira said sweetly.

Nolan smiled and gave a small nod.

Malverna glanced at the little dragon with a gentle gaze. Nolan’s kindness toward Eira reminded her of the first time she met him.

Back then, unlike how he treated Eira, Nolan had been cruel and rude to her.

This made Malverna wonder whether Nolan truly preferred cute creatures like Eira or if there was another reason.

Pushing the thought aside, she picked up a chicken thigh and took a bite.

"Delicious!" Her eyes sparkled. She took another bite, the rich flavor spreading across her tongue once more.

Without realizing it, her eyes curved into crescents as she devoured the chicken thigh until nothing remained.

Still not satisfied, she grabbed another one and continued eating with enthusiasm.

Arnold was no different. He especially enjoyed the stir-fried minced beef cooked with sweet soy sauce and salted soy sauce.

The perfect balance between the two created a unique and unforgettable taste.

Watching their reactions, Nolan felt deeply satisfied.

It had been a long time since he last cooked, and he had worried that his skills had dulled.

But it seemed he had been overthinking it.

He began eating as well. Coincidentally, his stomach was already empty, since he hadn’t eaten anything since noon.

No one spoke, as if they were savoring every bite.

Suddenly, Arnold recalled something and looked at Nolan with a serious expression.

"My lord, have you heard the news about Prince Cassian?"

Nolan chewed for a moment before giving a slight nod.

"I heard it from Malverna. About him turning into a demon?"

Arnold let out a breath and nodded heavily.

"Yes, that. However, the Demon Emperor didn’t stop there. A few weeks ago, he launched an attack on a border city of the empire. After that, he even struck cities in other kingdoms, including the Holy Empire of Valtanir," he said in a grave voice. "This makes me deeply suspicious. The city attacked within the Holy Empire of Valtanir is under the supervision of the Singularity of Light. Under normal circumstances, the Demon Emperor should never have been able to act so recklessly. And yet..."

Arnold’s expression darkened as he continued, "Half of the city’s population vanished after the attack. For some reason, I suspect the Singularity of Light deliberately allowed it to happen."

The Singularity of Light was a powerful existence, equal to—no, perhaps only slightly weaker than—his lord.

He was one of the Seven Singularities, tasked with maintaining peace across the continent.

Yet in reality, the old man had allowed hundreds of thousands of human lives to be lost at the hands of the Demon Emperor.

Worse still, those lives were taken to restore the Demon Emperor’s former power, making it seem as though the Singularity of Light had indirectly aided his return.

Come to think of it, those actions were completely contrary to the morals a Singularity should uphold.

Malverna, who was seated beside him, shared the same doubts.

On the night of the party, she was certain that the Singularity of Light had been aware of Igris’s presence within Cassian’s body.

Moreover, during his battle with Igris, the old man had deliberately created an opening, allowing him to escape.

Inevitably, Malverna reached a bold conclusion—the old man had intentionally allowed Igris to rise and become the source of chaos and fear he was today.

As for his true goal, she couldn’t be certain, but it was undoubtedly tied to the hostility between the Great Velmora Empire and the Holy Empire of Valtanir.

Nolan remained calm as he listened to Arnold’s analysis. He picked up a beef rib and ate it.

"Your suspicion isn’t wrong. From the very beginning, the old man did it on purpose. He intended to destroy the Great Velmora Empire and make it despised by the other kingdoms," he said casually. "You should remember what Elina and I did to him at my father’s birthday banquet, right? From that moment on, he began to hate us and this empire. And that’s not all..."

A faint smile appeared on Nolan’s face as he continued indifferently. "When I destroyed the capital of the Holy Empire of Valtanir with my own hands, his hatred reached its peak. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t dare act recklessly after I beat him badly. So instead, he chose to take revenge by using the Demon Emperor Zerathos."

Ever since Malverna explained what happened at the empire’s anniversary banquet, Nolan had not been surprised by the old man’s actions.

Morality? Protecting the continent?

All of it was nothing but nonsense.

At the very least, among the Seven Singularities, only the Singularity of Light had strayed so far from those two principles.

He lived for his empire alone—not for the continent nor for the safety of other living beings.

Even if it meant sacrificing his own people, as long as it could harm the Great Velmora Empire, the old man would still do it.

This alone showed how terrifying his ambition to overthrow the empire truly was.

However, as long as Nolan remained, the old man would not dare take direct action—especially after being beaten by him and having his imperial capital reduced to ashes.

"Then what action will you take, my lord? Will you confront him directly?" Arnold asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

Malverna, and even Eira beside Nolan, turned their gazes toward him.

Although the little dragon didn’t understand what they were discussing, she could tell it was something exciting.

"Nothing." Nolan shook his head. "For now, let the old man do as he pleases. The more openly he allows the Demon Emperor to roam free, the stronger the evidence I’ll have to use against him at the Singularity Trial later. Besides, my father hasn’t acted yet, which means he already has a way to deal with the Demon Emperor."

Hearing this, Arnold simply nodded and said nothing more.

Nolan then glanced at Malverna and warned, "Don’t kill that Demon Emperor yet, okay? Hold back until I give you permission. Do you understand?"

Malverna snorted coldly, stabbed a piece of pork with oyster sauce, and put it into her mouth.

"I know. Don’t worry."

Nolan nodded in satisfaction. Soon after, he and the others continued their meal.

Once they were finished, Nolan left the dirty plates on the table.

He would leave the cleanup to the servants.

"All right," Nolan said as he carried Eira in his arms. "You can go back and rest."

Malverna and Arnold nodded slightly. Malverna vanished from the spot, and just as Arnold was about to leave, Nolan stopped him.

"Wait, Arnold. There’s something I want to talk to you about."