Reluctant but unable to resist the temptation when pressed, Sylphia finally selected equipment. The quality was simply too good to refuse.
The people watching from below were practically coughing blood, seeing their personal armor and cherished weapons being casually distributed to these strangers. It was heartbreaking, but they had absolutely no choice in the matter.
I worked decades to earn that sword... gone in seconds.
After the distribution was complete, Seraphine approached Leon and insisted that she wanted to go back inside his special space. She didnât say the full name "time dimension" out loud for obvious security reasons, but Leon immediately understood what she meant.
She also handed him back the Light Elemental technique scroll heâd let her train with for a while. She had already reached Basic level proficiency over it, but progressing further would take considerably longer without additional guidance.
"It would be much faster if I learned through your direct insight," she admitted with a slight smile. "A small perk of having such a powerful and handsome husband."
But before opening the portal to let her enter, Leon quickly transcribed a technique onto fresh parchment with remarkable speed. It was the Arcane Shackle technique up to Master rankâincluding every insight heâd gained through his own mastery. He wrote down every subtle detail carefully.
Then he handed the completed scroll to her.
Seraphine accepted it gratefully and curiously glossed over the contents. Her eyes widened dramatically in genuine surprise, recognizing immediately how exceptional this technique was for control and suppression.
"Thank you. This is perfect."
Leon gestured to the remaining pile of treasures collected from the stripped officials, which was still substantial despite the earlier distribution.
"Store everything inside your spatial pouch and use whatever you want freely."
Skills stones, treasures, potions, armor, weaponsâeverything was there except the technique scrolls, which Leon had already stored in his personal inventory for later study.
WHUMMM!
The portal opened, and Seraphine entered the time dimension smoothly.
However, before Leon could close the gateway, Lorielâs voice spoke up quietly.
"I wanted... to go too."
This wasnât the first time sheâd been inside that mysterious space. She had developed some basic understanding of what type of impossible place that endless dimension was. The notion seemed completely absurd, but that was the only logical explanation.
Leon understood her reasoning well. He wasnât worried about security. He had genuine trust in Loriel. She could be an idiot sometimes, yes, but she was absolutely trustworthy at her core.
He nodded permission, and Loriel entered happily.
But after Loriel disappeared through the portal, another voice came from behindâthe wolf demi-human Sylphia.
"Can I... go too?"
Leonâs eyes turned sharp and analytical. Did she understand what type of place that actually was on her first time briefly entering it?
Looking at her confused face, it doesnât seem to be the case yet. She hasnât fully figured it out as of right now. But I know sheâll deduce the truth soon enough. Not everyone can be as wonderfully slow as Loriel.
He asked directly, "Why?"
Sylphia answered honestly, "I donât feel safe being out here alone, and I donât dare to step out of this room."
Hmm.
Leon sort of understood her reasoning. Being in the presence of people who could easily kill her at any second would feel terrifying from her perspective. He wouldnât let that actually happen, but the fear was nonetheless valid for her, and walking out alone was practically a death wish for her.
After a few seconds of consideration, he decided to let her enter as well.
Better sheâs comfortable and safe.
The portal closed behind her, and suddenly only Leon remained in the courtroom along with his collection of thoroughly defeated hostages.
He resumed his leisurely position on the throne, waiting patiently for Amelia to return with the real treasures from the main vault.
Everything until now was just an appetizer. The main course is still coming.
An hour would pass in the outside world. During that time, Leon sat leisurely on his appropriated throne with his eyes closed, appearing to anyone watching as if he were simply resting or perhaps even napping.
However, the reality was far different.
His consciousness had entered the time dimensionâbut in a completely separate location from where Seraphine, Loriel, and Sylphia were currently residing. He intentionally avoided meeting them to maintain his training focus and other troubling explanations.
I need to maximize every moment. Out here, minutes pass. In their days of training await.
Leon dedicated himself to increasing his mastery of the new skills and techniques heâd recently acquiredâNew skill stones, various combat techniques, and refining his existing abilities to higher levels of proficiency.
Even so, it wasnât as though he was being careless or negligent about his physical body remaining outside. His spatial awareness remained partially active, monitoring his surroundings constantly. If his enhanced senses picked up anything strange or threatening, he would immediately teleport back to full consciousness and deal with the situation accordingly.
Isabella stood only a couple of meters next to him, watching him with conflicted emotions roiling through her mind. Seeing him so completely relaxedâeyes closed as if taking a casual nap in her supreme leaderâs chairâfilled her with equal parts rage and calculation.
Many times during that long hour, the thought of attacking him flashed through her mind like lightning.
If I struck now, while his eyes are closed, while he seems unguarded...
But those thoughts were immediately replaced by more rational considerationsâthe thought of escaping instead, running far away from this nightmare, perhaps succeeding if she moved quickly and quietly enough.
If I had a head start, maybe... he wonât be able to catch me if I remain hidden
.
However, she was never actually able to take that desperate risk in practice. Their earlier encounter had already made her brutally aware of exactly how much of a devil this man truly was. She genuinely feared she would die in a futile attempt that accomplished nothing, after having endured this humiliation for so long already.
To throw away my life now, after surviving this far, would be the height of foolishness.
She would never be able to forgive herself if she acted so impulsively and stupidly. So she remained frozen in place, doing absolutely nothing except waiting.
Patience. Survival. Thatâs all that matters.
The council members below and the few remaining adventurers in the gallery also entertained similar thoughts of escape during that interminable hour. Their friend had died; it was horrible, but the reality of the situation was different now. The silver-white-haired monster appeared to be sleeping, after all. This might be their only chance.
But the fact that their supreme leaderâwho was vastly more powerful than any of themâwas not moving at all from her position, not even attempting to flee, made them abandon those dangerous ideas immediately.
If she wonât run, we definitely shouldnât try. She knows something we donât.
The message was clear: if the 6th Supreme Leader, with all her power and authority, chose to remain and endure rather than risk escape, then they should absolutely do the same.
About slightly more than an hour had passed in the outside world when something changed.
In Leonâs training within the time dimension, that translated to over one thousand hoursâmore than forty days of continuous practice and refinement.
WHOOSH!
Just then, his spatial awareness detected something significant in the hallways of the Supreme Court building, approaching steadily toward the courtroom.
Finally.
Leonâs eyes opened immediately, snapping back to full alertness. A slight smile of genuine delight crossed his features.
Amelia is returning. She followed instructions well.
However, one particular question remained prominently in his mind as he observed her approach through his extended senses.
What exactly is she carrying on her back? It appears shaped like... a sack of potatoes?
The form was bulky and irregular, definitely not just the spatial rings heâd provided. There was something elseâsomething large being physically transported.
Interesting. What treasure requires actual physical carrying instead of spatial storage?
His curiosity was genuinely piqued as he waited for her to arrive and reveal what sheâd brought back from the legendary Union treasury.
Ameliaâthe older, more mature version of Aria with the same distinctive red and purple mixed hair and tall, commanding figureâentered the courtroom. Along with her came a large sack slung over her back, which was wiggling noticeably and producing muffled sounds from inside.
MMPH! MMPH!
She walked with measured steps directly below the stairs to where Leon was sitting on the appropriated throne. Then she gently dumped the sack onto the marble floor.
THUD!
A white-haired bunny girl with distinctive rabbit ears wiggled out awkwardly, completely tied up with rope and her mouth sealed with tape.
MMPH! MMPH! WIGGLE!
Leon, who had been watching this scene unfold with genuine curiosity about what mysterious treasure required physical transport, suddenly facepalmed himself hard the moment he recognized the captive.
SMACK!
Bunbun. Of course itâs Bunbun.
I was expecting some interesting treasure that couldnât be stored inside a spatial ring for nothing...
The troublesome little rabbit girl had somehow gotten herself into serious trouble. Again.
How does she keep managing this?