The battle above the central court of Grand River was no small affair; news spread like wildfire, and the entire Empire buzzed with discussion. The Empress and the Empress Dowager convened late into the night before finally settling on a strategy regarding the incident.

By the time the two Sovereigns found a moment to summon Igor, dawn was just beginning to break.

The female official sent to call Igor arrived at the side hall. Dugu Neihao had already departed. Igor followed the official to the very top of the ninety-ninth-floor garden.

"Please, have a seat. Watching the sunrise from here has a unique flavor," the Empress Dowager instructed, gesturing toward a white chair nearby, intricately carved with openwork patterns, as she addressed Igor.

When Igor entered the top garden, he saw both Sovereigns seated beside a delicate round table. There were three identical chairs around the small table; one was empty, clearly reserved for him. He scanned the area again but didn't see Baibai. This was to be expected; Baibai was too young for the two Sovereigns to involve her in such weighty matters yet.

"My deepest gratitude to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, and to Your Majesty the Empress," Igor said, taking his seat in the third chair. His demeanor was composed, neither subservient nor defiant.

The two Sovereigns seemed satisfied with Igor’s bearing, slight smiles gracing their faces. The Empress began, "Igor, Mother has informed me that you chose to cooperate with the Royal Family over Sandvohr. We are extremely pleased by this. The friction between the Royal Family and the Regent has never been revealed to the populace. Involving an innocent like yourself today must have caused you considerable distress."

Igor’s heart stirred. The Empress saying this was surely offering him an opening to request compensation. If he framed it as 'soothing his nerves' and asked for some small benefit from the Sovereigns—anything not too outrageous—they would likely consider it.

But he paused, recalling his experiences dealing with the Sovereigns through his main body: they valued sentiment highly. While they were masters of strategy, they rarely employed it against those they considered their own—a weakness, perhaps, but also the very reason Yang Ying was willing to assist them.

Yang Ying intended for Igor's persona to step onto the Imperial stage independently, so cultivating a strong relationship with the Sovereigns was far more valuable than soliciting a few material advantages.

"The conflict between the Regent and the Royal Family certainly startled me," Igor replied with a smile. "But it’s nothing insurmountable. If I couldn't handle this much, I wouldn't have dared to present the new Awakening Potion at the Alchemists' Symposium."

"Indeed. Given your capabilities, it would be impossible for you not to recognize the potential of this potion and the enormous impact it will have on the Empire," the Empress Dowager said, resting one hand on the table, supporting her chin, a subtle smile playing on her lips—partly pleased with his answer, yet seemingly holding something else back. She continued, "You seized the opportunity of the Alchemists' Symposium, canceled your originally scheduled academic report, and only presented the findings on stage without revealing a shred of forewarning. You did this to intentionally muddy the waters, preventing malicious elements from targeting you should the news leak prematurely. Is that correct?"

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager speaks truly," Igor conceded, following her line of thought. "The New Awakening Potion is a matter of great significance; caution is necessary."

"I am not suggesting you are overly cunning. Being able to devise such a method of self-protection is also part of your talent. Without that talent, perhaps you wouldn't be standing before us today," the Empress Dowager finished, looking toward her daughter.

The Empress met her mother’s gaze, nodded, and retrieved a palm-sized rhombic object from beneath the small table. From its appearance, it seemed forged from some alloy, possessing a metallic sheen of gold and crimson. The surface was utterly bare, devoid of patterns or reliefs.

Igor recognized the item instantly: it was a title deed, also functioning as a high-grade optical computer with capabilities far beyond anything available commercially. It came with numerous special functions reserved exclusively for the nobility. The gold and crimson coloring indicated the rank of an Earl.

The Empress looked at Igor, her expression solemn. "Igor, to recognize the immense contribution your potion will bring to the Empire, I hereby grant you the title of Earl."

"Yes, thank Your Majesty." Igor stood and accepted the title deed from the Empress’s hand.

Receiving the rank of Earl immediately was even better than he had anticipated. Since he was not born into hereditary nobility, jumping directly from no title to Earl—skipping Baron and Viscount entirely—was practically a three-rank promotion, an exceedingly rare occurrence in Imperial history.

At that moment, the sun crested the eastern horizon, a blazing, crimson orb unleashing torrents of light that illuminated the entire sky. The boundary between light and dark swept across the Imperial Palace from afar, moving upward from the lowest levels of the ninety-ninth-floor garden. Within three seconds, the light reached the topmost tier. Instantly, the tiny sprites resting among the flowers took flight, dancing with the blossoms in a breathtaking spectacle.

"This title of Earl is in recognition of the New Awakening Potion you unveiled yesterday," the Empress stated... [The original text trails off here, but based on context]: "...However, your merits are certainly worth more than just the title of Earl. It is simply due to long-standing tradition that we cannot elevate you too high all at once; you understand the reasons. For now, you will hold this Earldom. Later, when your potion is widely distributed and demonstrably benefits the Empire, I shall proceed with further promotion of your rank."

"I am deeply honored," Igor replied.

The next day, the Empress appeared in the live broadcast studio of the Royal Family's subordinate News Office and personally disclosed the news of the New Awakening Potion.

"Citizens of the Empire! We possess a glorious civilization, undisputed leaders in the Milky Way. But our ancestors did even better. Once, the entire Empire, noble and commoner alike, awakened. Their footsteps spanned the galaxy, earning the reverence and admiration of all races. The Empire's might was far greater than it is now!"

"However, due to the great catastrophe ten thousand years ago—a disaster no one wishes to mention—the Empire was gravely wounded. Vast numbers of citizens lost their spiritual power and were forced to drag their weary bodies through arduous labor."

"Today, the time has finally arrived to change all of that!"

"The Grand Alchemist, Earl Igor, recently unveiled a New Awakening Potion. Its function is identical to the highest-grade Gene-Stimulant Potion, yet it is only a Level Five, Class Two substance, entirely manufacturable on assembly lines in large factories to meet the entire Empire’s demand!"

"Now, the Royal Family has reached an agreement with Earl Igor to jointly establish an organization dedicated solely to the production and distribution of this New Awakening Potion. Imperial funds will finance the purchase of the potions, which will be distributed free of charge to every citizen! Every citizen, regardless of location or status, will enjoy this right. The Royal Family will spare no effort in striving to restore the golden age of universal awakening from the Middle Ages!"

The Empress’s speech was transmitted via the light-net across the Empire, instantly causing a sensation. Due to the deliberate downplaying by the high echelons of the Empire, most ordinary citizens did not truly understand what happened over ten millennia ago; many even failed to grasp that the sub-humans and true humans were once unified.

But after the Empress's address, they all understood, erupting with excitement like a volcano. Universal awakening—a scenario only fit for dreams. To have that dream realized overnight—how could it not cause such intense elation?

Countless citizens poured into the streets, praising the contribution of Grand Alchemist Igor and the foresight of the Royal Family in benefiting the people.

Following the Empress's broadcast, personnel from the Propaganda Department were ordered to add fuel to the fire, guiding public opinion to further elevate the image of the Royal Family. In truth, the Royal Family’s image was already strong; perhaps because the throne was occupied by a beautiful woman, Empress Alimiya enjoyed deep affection from the populace. Now, due to the potion incident, the Royal Family's prestige soared even higher, even surpassing that of Regent Sandvohr, who had just won a series of decisive battles.

"My Lord Regent, the Royal Family is aggressively pressing its advantage using the New Awakening Potion as leverage. The Empress has formally submitted a motion to the Senate to strip you of your military authority. The reason cited is that the Perseus Arm campaign has concluded, and the Empire's next focus will shift to ensuring universal awakening among the populace," Asuven reported the Senate's latest developments to Sandvohr in a magnificent palace.

"What is the Senate's reaction?" Sandvohr asked coldly, facing him.

"They are fiercely divided, arguing among themselves," Asuven replied. "The Empress timed her motion perfectly. Originally, the Senate, influenced by those five elders, had been leaning toward our side. But now, with the New Awakening Potion revealed, anxiety is rampant. Those elders foresee that in the future, the sub-humans will inevitably become an increasingly vital part of the Empire, and they fear their own influence being affected as the Empress's power base grows stronger. Many are hesitant to cross the Royal Family now, so the situation is highly unfavorable to us."

Sandvohr remained silent. Asuven knew Sandvohr was gauging the future trajectory and waited quietly.

After a moment, Sandvohr turned. "Mobilize all Senators who fully support us. Use any means necessary. We will battle the Empress in the Senate."

"Yes," Asuven responded. He paused, then asked, "My Lord, are there any other instructions?"

Sandvohr’s expression turned grim. "Based on what I foresee, things will not go smoothly. We must prepare a second line of defense. I will go speak with those other dozen old fellows again. They refused to ally with me last time, but with this New Awakening Potion, they will certainly reconsider their original stance."

"I understand," Asuven said knowingly, a smile touching his lips. "As the number of awakeners in the Empire increases, the status of the nobility will relatively decrease. Those old guard are guardians of the aristocratic bloc; they may not welcome seeing sub-humans awakened by potions overshadowing the true human nobility."