The hundred-odd super-carriers of the Roman people floated silently in the void. Every one of them had its energy shields fully deployed. Countless meteors, large and small, struck the carriers without a sound, effortlessly shattered into dust by the shields. Thousands of battleship-sized vessels, shaped like massive swords, cruised beside the carrier cluster. Their powerful radar waves swept the vacuum across tens of thousands of light-seconds, constantly churning against the solar winds that crisscrossed space, generating dazzling, strange auroras.

Within the most spacious and luxurious cabin of one of these carriers, Nanket and Porpote sat facing each other.

Porpote looked at Nanket with an embarrassed expression, while the grim-faced Nanket merely shook his head repeatedly. Father and son stared at one another, both finding themselves at a loss for words.

After a long pause, Porpote suddenly sprang up and knelt before Nanket, bowing in salute: "Lord Regent, your son was too rash."

Nanket let out a cold sigh. He touched the wound on his body that had just healed, muttering softly, "Forget it. It was just my bad luck. Hmph, I was trying to fool that despicable mongrel Dukat, but I ended up fooling you instead." He lightly pressed the still faintly visible mark on his wound and sucked in a sharp breath: "Even so, I must say, the medical equipment of our Roman ancestors really wasn't up to much. Why does this wound still hurt so much?"

Porpote gave a dry chuckle. "It’s not that the medical equipment of our Roman ancestors was poor, Father. It’s just that the Roman Knights never researched overly advanced medical technology. The combat doctrine of the Roman Knights was constant warfare and constant bloodshed. The more wounds one carried, the heavier the injuries, the greater the glory. All medical equipment was only required to save a life—nothing more, no ancillary benefits."

The father and son murmured softly for a moment, and gradually, the awkward atmosphere between them returned to normal. The harmonious feeling of filial piety and paternal love flowed back between them.

Porpote recounted his incredible adventures to Nanket in detail, proudly boasting of his glorious achievements in conquering hundreds of queens with his powerful body. He had inherited the Roman Knights, inherited that wondrous, magical power from the Roman God of War, Mailaluheng, and inherited control over every super-carrier and standard warship in the Roman Knights’ armory, along with all the military bases across one hundred and seventy-two planets.

Nanket’s face grew increasingly sullen as he grumbled out the whole story of why he had ended up in the subterranean tomb of the Pantheon.

The explanation was simple: when Gu Xichen brazenly flew a super-carrier into Paradise Star, the generals of the Roman Paradise Star Expeditionary Force immediately reported the news to Nanket. Roman reconnaissance instruments also detected Dukat and Lily sitting with Gu Xichen; without a doubt, Dukat and Lily were now Roman traitors.

Nanket, who was organizing certain confidential matters on Mars, immediately felt a stir of interest. His biological son, Porpote, was missing, which made the mixed-blood son, Dukat, suddenly seem far more important. Even more significant was the fact that Gu Xichen and his group possessed a Roman carrier. Following this, Nanket received intelligence that the Shield of Yafik had left Paradise Star but had not contacted the Earth Federation; instead, it had vanished without a trace.

As the Grand Regent of the Romans, Nanket instinctively deduced the Shield of Yafik’s destination: the tomb beneath the Pantheon. Dukat intended to retrieve his mother’s corpse.

Thus, a melodramatic scene—one that made Nanket himself feel nauseated—unfolded in the underground tomb. Nanket had deliberately waited there for Dukat’s arrival. Nanket’s only miscalculation was not anticipating that Dukat would be completely unmoved by his dramatic performance, choosing instead to beat him soundly.

Being beaten up by a mixed-blood son was one thing; Nanket knew Dukat’s nature well enough to be certain he wouldn’t commit 'patricide,' and he was sure Dukat would prevent Gu Xichen from killing him. But what truly frustrated Nanket was that his own biological son, Porpote, arrived at the exact same time and also gave him a severe beating. This left Nanket feeling utterly wronged, deeply aggrieved—so much so that he wanted to weep.

Hadn’t all his painstaking acting and effort been for the benefit of the Holsum family? If that mixed-blood son didn't understand him, why didn’t his own son understand him either? This beating felt utterly unwarranted! Nanket was simmering with anger. Although Porpote later learned the truth and offered Nanket apologies with frantic, contrite kowtows, it still failed to quell the fire in Nanket’s heart.

It wasn't until the captain of the Doom Guard Squadron of the Roman Knights, Yazzak, suddenly appeared and informed Nanket that his son Porpote had inherited the lineage of the Roman Knights, becoming the new "true" Knight Commander, that Nanket was overjoyed and finally accepted his son again!

Gently stroking Porpote’s soft, smooth golden hair, Nanket sighed with deep satisfaction: "Truly worthy of being the child of Nanket Holsum. You have potential."

He paused, then sneered: "You are stronger than all your brothers, a hundred times stronger than that damned mixed-blood! You are good, very good!"

Porpote knelt on one knee before Nanket, feeling as if every pore on his body had opened, his soul soaring into the heavens from his father's praise. The Romans possessed extremely conservative, insular, rigid, and stubborn traditions. Within a Roman noble family, the patriarch, the father, was the god of that lineage. Nanket’s high praise for Porpote, especially acknowledging that Porpote surpassed all his brothers, was an immense compliment that made Porpote feel dizzy with elation.

"Respected Father, I am deeply sorry for my transgression!" The more elated he felt, the more unforgivable Porpote deemed his crimes. Heavens, what had he done? He had been misled by that mixed-blood bastard Dukat and laid hands upon his dear, respected Father! Was this the action of a proper heir to a Roman noble family? It was simply unforgivable.

But in the blink of an eye, Porpote forgave himself. How could he have deliberately offended his father? It was all Dukat’s conspiracy!

It was Dukat who intentionally drove a wedge between him and the venerable Lord Father! That base, evil, scheming bastard!

Porpote swore inwardly that he would personally take Dukat’s head. That mongrel had forgotten the nurturing care of the Holsum family! He had defected to the Earthlings! He had even taken away the corpse of his equally base mother from the Pantheon! Did he know what he had done? He had stolen a slave bound for eternal servitude. He had desecrated the great deities—a sin so profound that death would be too merciful a punishment.

The air beside them suddenly fluctuated. Yazzak, his body appearing as a translucent, ashen-white shade, stepped out from the ripple in the air.

Nanket immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to Yazzak: "Senior Yazzak!"

Porpote also quickly rose and bowed deeply to Yazzak: "Senior Yazzak!"

Yazzak stood tall, accepting the homage from the father and son, before bowing to Porpote: "Commander, Lord Nanket. These are the results of our power simulation test against that Gu Xichen and those metallic puppets beside him. The margin of error is no more than five percent. This should represent their true strength."

Porpote gave a sharp hiss and muttered, "We should have eliminated him in the tomb that day."

Nanket shook his head and asked Yazzak, "If you had joined forces to attack that day, were you confident in destroying them?"

A look of shock crossed Yazzak's faint features. He shook his head forcefully and stated in a low voice, "According to this simulation data, if the members of the Doom Guard Squadron present in the tomb that day had attacked together, exhausting all the energy we have accumulated over the years in one full-force strike, at best, we could have taken down one puppet with us."

Porpote was stunned, staring at Yazzak in horror. Only he knew the immense power these members of the Doom Guard Squadron possessed after their long cultivation.

Nanket frowned, taking a storage chip from Yazzak's hand and inserting it into his personal terminal. Reading the data, a small light screen popped up, displaying a flood of unbelievably high numbers. Nanket exclaimed loudly, and Porpote’s eyelids twitched as he stared in shock at the terrifying figures on the screen.

After a long silence, Yazzak coldly analyzed the situation of that day. Gu Xichen had six Golden Armored Puppets with him, while the members of the Doom Guard Squadron Porpote brought into the tomb numbered only just over a hundred. The power contained within any single Golden Armored Puppet was enough to annihilate those hundred-plus Doom Guard members. Furthermore, near the entrance of the tunnel outside the tomb, Yazzak sensed a strange energy fluctuation, suggesting that Gu Xichen possessed far more Golden Armored Puppets than just those six.

According to the Doom Guard’s simulations, if Gu Xichen possessed more than thirty such Golden Armored Puppets, he could destroy the entire Doom Guard Squadron. All the Doom Guard could manage was to annihilate those thirty Golden Armored Puppets in a mutual destruction scenario, while incidentally killing Gu Xichen, whose power was clearly inferior.

"The cost would be too great, so that day was not the optimal time for a decisive battle," Yazzak stated icily. "That Earthling named Gu Xichen also harbored murderous intent toward the Commander, but it’s clear he sensed our presence and detected the other Doom Guard members outside Mars’s atmosphere. That’s why his killing intent retracted immediately after I perceived it. However, it is undeniable that he has entertained the same thought of eliminating the opposition as the Commander did."

Nanket’s face darkened. He had initially assumed that with the powerful Doom Guard Squadron, he could immediately conquer the entire Earth Federation. But he hadn't expected that lucky Gu Xichen would also have a fortunate encounter, that his Golden Armored Puppets would be so incredibly strong. The energy level possessed by the Golden Armored Puppets was definitely planetary-class. Heaven knew how many Golden Armored Puppets that lucky individual possessed; if he had more than thirty, he would hold a distinct advantage against the Doom Guard Squadron.

Porpote’s face was also grim as he paced the room a few times. Finally, he suddenly laughed: "Then, let's assume he can temporarily contend with the nascent Roman Knights. Even if he can temporarily match us, we still possess one hundred super-carriers! One hundred powerful, unstoppable super-carriers!"

Stomping his foot hard, Porpote laughed wildly: "In an unconventional battlefield, we are evenly matched. Then, on a conventional battlefield, one hundred Roman super-carriers are enough to destroy their army!"

Yazzak calmly, almost ruthlessly, reminded him: "But, Commander, please note one thing: where did he acquire those super-carriers? I observed their super-carriers up close; they lacked any discernible insignia markings, which is highly irregular. Any warship built by the Romans would undoubtedly bear the crest indicating its affiliated legion. A carrier without markings has a highly suspicious origin."

"His supply of warships is definitely not limited to just one!" A clear, melodious voice sounded out of thin air.

A brilliant holy light flashed, and the Seraphim, gradually emerging from the light with six shimmering wings unfurling behind him, spoke in a low tone: "I have discovered more than thirty."

As soon as Nanket saw the Seraphim, he immediately fell to his knees, respectfully saying: "Venerable Great-Uncle, has your injury healed?"

Porpote instinctively stepped back several paces, cautiously creating distance between himself and the Seraphim. Twelve indistinct figures of Doom Guard members suddenly materialized beside Porpote, forming a wall between him and the Seraphim. Yazzak's body suddenly vanished, reappearing instantly behind the Seraphim. A grayish-white longsword was pressed tightly against the Seraphim’s spine.

Nanket’s face turned pale with fright, and he shrieked: "Do not be insolent, Porpote! He is the eldest living elder of our Holsum family."

Porpote froze, muttering, "Great-Uncle? Does the Holsum family have such an ancient being? My father’s Great-Uncle—then what is he to me?"

The Seraphim’s handsome face twitched, and he sneered: "It has been a long time since anyone dared point a weapon at me!"

With a soft thwack, Yazzak's sword plunged without hesitation into the Seraphim’s body, burying itself a full two inches deep. Yazzak spoke with cold ruthlessness: "Then I am honored to pierce your heart, strange heretic. Your power disgusts us. Do not approach the current Commander of the venerable Roman Knights under penalty of death!"

Nanket nearly fainted. The most senior elder of the Holsum family had just been wounded before him, and the assailant was a subordinate of his son, Nanket. How could this debt be settled? In the rigidly stratified Roman noble families, offending a senior relative of the Great-Uncle’s generation was an unforgivable, heaven-defying crime!

The Seraphim roared in fury: "Nonsense! I am the last Commander of the Roman Knights! I am the Commander of the Roman Knights! During the War of '93, the Roman Knights I led fought desperately against those fanatical cultists of the Earth Federation, and every warrior perished in that battle! The Roman Knights were destroyed, but who dares to steal the honor that belongs to me?"

The Seraphim raised his hands high and shouted toward the heavens: "Great Lord..."

Stab, stab, stab—six other powerful Doom Guard Knights erupted from the air. Their longswords plunged without hesitation into the Seraphim’s shoulders, knees, and back.

The Seraphim stood frozen, looking at Nanket in disbelief: "Am I having a nightmare?"

Nanket screamed hysterically: "No! Porpote, I beg you, esteemed Doom Guard Knights, stand down! Heavens, we are all family, please, do not act rashly!"

After a full moment, Nanket nearly spat out all his saliva explaining the background of the situation.

After the War of '93, the few remaining members of the Seraphim's Roman Knights perished, and no decent fighting force could be assembled again. The lineage of the Roman Knights was thus severed. For a young Roman like Porpote, born after the War of '93, the Roman Knights were merely an antique relic, a legendary tale that elders recalled with wistful glory. The Seraphim, witnessing the mighty power of the Church during the war, had a single-track mind and became a devout believer in the Celestial Lord.

But a top-tier Roman becoming a heretic was a monumental scandal. Therefore, like the other three of the Four Dark Heavenly Kings, the Seraphim went into seclusion, and all his records were sealed. Even the combat records related to the Roman Knights were completely forbidden. The descendants of the Romans retained only the name "Roman Knights"; no one knew what kind of corps or organization it truly was.

Porpote once again knelt before the Seraphim, contrite and overwhelmed. He wept profusely, touching the wounds on the Seraphim’s legs and repenting his actions bitterly.

Poor Porpote, he had barely finished atoning for the sin of striking his father before he wounded an elder of his own family again. Having been raised on the rigid traditions of the Romans, Porpote was so distraught and fearful that he nearly contemplated suicide.

The Seraphim was equally frightened and pained. Porpote had inherited the most orthodox lineage of the Roman Knights; he was the true Commander. Without hesitation, the Seraphim performed the most orthodox knightly salute according to Roman tradition, kneeling on one knee before Porpote, swearing fealty and vowing to become the sharpest sword in Porpote’s hand.

The moment the Seraphim knelt, Nanket uttered a thud and immediately prostrated himself on the floor. If his Great-Uncle could kneel, Nanket could only press his body flat against the ground in the Five Full Prostrations.

Porpote watched his father’s Great-Uncle kneel before him, and hastily imitated his father, pressing himself flat against the floor in the Five Full Prostrations. He cried out, "Oh, no, esteemed Seraphim, you are the most venerable elder of our Holsum family! How can you salute me?"

Yazzak and the other Doom Guard Knights immediately knelt as well. If the current Knight Commander knelt, how could they not?

Consequently, the Seraphim also prostrated himself flat on the floor, urgently addressing Yazzak and the others: "Venerable Seniors, you are the most revered treasures of our Holsum family, the most precious assets of our Holsum family! Your spirit illuminates the path we must follow. How dare I accept your homage?"

In the vast room, a group of people were all prostrate on the ground, one bowing to another, their identities, seniority, and authority hopelessly entangled—a situation of extreme complexity. One kowtows to another, who then kneels on one knee in return. Decades of complex rituals—from the ancient Roman court etiquette to the Knight’s salute of the Roman Knights and the ancestral worship rites of the Holsum family—were performed flawlessly. Even the robust Porpote broke out in a cold sweat.

After struggling awkwardly for a full moment, Porpote finally panted, cautiously suggesting in a low voice, "Perhaps... we don't need so much ceremony?"

Nanket and the Seraphim both glared at Porpote, sharply admonishing him in unison: "Are you attempting to betray the proud traditions of the Romans?"

Porpote fell silent. Nanket and the Seraphim exchanged a look, then simultaneously closed their mouths. After a long wait, Yazzak hesitantly proposed, "How about we... temporarily set aside our status? What we need to discuss now is what we should do next!"

The Seraphim, Nanket, and Porpote all snorted coldly. The three exchanged glances, and slowly, with some hesitation, they straightened up.

The three men, deferring to one another, sat down on three sofas arranged in an equilateral triangle. They looked at each other. Nanket, judging himself to be the lowest in rank and least consequential, kept his mouth tightly shut.

But adhering to Roman tradition, Yazzak tentatively sought instruction from Nanket: "Venerable Lord Regent, please inform us of the current situation in the Roman Kingdom."

Nanket nearly jumped up. He suddenly remembered his position as the Grand Executor of the Roman Kingdom. He coughed dryly, looked at Porpote and then at the Seraphim, before finally recounting the current state of the Roman Kingdom in a low voice.

The former King of Roman had the backing of the Red Dragon King and the Night Stalker; together, they wiped out the Roman elites who might have contested the throne with Hexogin. They also helped Hexogin conquer several planets in the Thirteen Star Cluster, and the accumulated merits allowed Hexogin to smoothly succeed the late Roman King, who died of natural causes, becoming the new King of Roman.

The Mad Angel pulled out a battlefield recording chip and played some of the video information contained within.

The first was a scene of the Night Stalker fighting the Siren. However, the Night Stalker was seriously wounded in this battle, leaving the Siren with lingering fear. Although the two fought for a long time, neither managed to inflict a fatal blow on the other. The Mad Angel seized the opportunity and attacked suddenly, severely wounding both the Night Stalker and the Siren, though he too sustained significant injuries.

The second was Hexogin’s coronation ceremony. The Mad Angel led his direct forces to cause chaos in the venue, but he was simultaneously attacked by the Red Dragon King, the Night Stalker, and even the Grand Priest of Roman. In the end, he was powerless to change the reality of Hexogin's succession; Hexogin became the recognized King of Roman. The Mad Angel reluctantly led his trusted troops away.

"Hexogin, this good-for-nothing who has always hidden behind his two brothers, actually became the new King."

Borbot frowned. He grumbled in a low voice, "Must I submit to such an incompetent and treacherous fellow? If it weren't for his father's machinations, the King of Roman should be me now! I am the most qualified person to be the King of Roman!"

The Mad Angel shook his head repeatedly, "The Roman Chivalric Order is the most formidable fighting body in the Roman Kingdom, the true main legion of the Roman Kingdom. The Roman Chivalric Order must be loyal to the King of Roman!"

Nankut also shook his head, "House Holsom is loyal to the Roman Kingdom, and House Holsom is loyal to the King of Roman. Even if the former King used conspiracy, but—"

Borbot roared angrily in a low voice, "They nearly killed me! I finally achieved the strength and power I have now—must I still obey that bastard Hexogin?"

"Silence!" Nankut and the Mad Angel roared together, "Do not show disrespect to the King! Before his ascension, you could use all sorts of schemes against him, but after he takes the throne, you are forbidden from showing him the slightest disrespect! He is the King of Roman!"

Under the stern gazes of Nankut and the Mad Angel, Borbot humiliatingly lowered his head. He was truly unwilling, but—

He was a Roman!

Yazak looked deeply at Borbot. After hesitating for a moment, Yazak straightened his body and said solemnly, "Esteemed Commander, esteemed 'former' Commander, esteemed High Praetor, I have heard from the Commander about the bitter history of our wandering Roman people over the years. I understand that the Romans of today have lost much of the true heritage belonging to them."

"What are you trying to say?" Borbot looked at Yazak with the joy of a drowning man who has grasped a lifeline.

Yazak spoke word by word, "The Roman people are not just a kingdom. Long, long ago, when our great Roman people ruled everything, when our territory stretched from one end of time to the other, when our dominion covered from one end of space to the other, our great Roman people established an incomparably powerful Empire!"

Yazak held his head high and declared proudly, "One Supreme Emperor, one hundred and seventy-two glorious and immortal Kings! The Holy Roman Empire ruled one hundred and seventy-two mighty kingdoms, from the First Roman Kingdom to the One Hundred and Seventy-Second Roman Kingdom. One Emperor, one hundred and seventy-two Kings—this is us, the Roman!"

Borbot leaped up in ecstatic joy, "You mean?"

Nankut and the Mad Angel exchanged glances rapidly; Nankut could barely contain his excitement. As for the Mad Angel, the color of the magic markings under his skin deepened slightly.

Yazak reported deferentially, "Judging by the power and status held by His Majesty Hexogin, he can only be considered a Roman King; he is not yet qualified to be the Roman Emperor. Judging by the power and status currently held by High Praetor Nankut, he is qualified to become another Roman King."

Yazak, with a self-satisfied smile, said confidently, "It is time to rebuild the orthodox Roman civilizational structure. High Praetor Nankut can ascend to the position of King of the First Roman Kingdom, while His Majesty Hexogin, with his strength, can only become the King of the Second Roman Kingdom."

Borbot sneered sinisterly, "Both have equal authority; neither can command the other!"

Yazak nodded slowly, "When all one hundred and seventy-two Roman Kings are gathered, they can elect a Supreme Roman Emperor. The Roman Emperor appoints the Nine Elector Families, who are separately responsible for the overall affairs of the one hundred and seventy-two Roman Kingdoms. This is the most orthodox power structure of our Roman people: one Emperor, Nine Elector Families; one hundred and seventy-two Kingdoms, and each Kingdom further has nine Elector Families—this is what constitutes our mighty Roman Empire!"

The Mad Angel let out a few cold laughs.

Nankut looked at Borbot.

Borbot clenched his fist forcefully. He said in a low voice, "We Romans are a race that respects ancient tradition. One hundred and seventy-two Roman Kingdoms? Why has the Grand Priest never told us about these things? He should know about them, shouldn't he?"

Pausing, Borbot looked at Nankut, "Esteemed Father, are you willing to become the King of the First Roman Kingdom?"

Nankut looked at the Mad Angel, "Esteemed Great-Uncle, would you condescend to become the High Praetor of the First Roman Kingdom?"

Borbot puffed out his chest, "Of course! I am the only suitable candidate for the Commander of the Roman Chivalric Order!"

The three looked at each other and smiled, finally bursting into mad laughter.

Three days later, Borujin and Yakjin led a large fleet to the Thirteen Star Cluster. However, facing the much stronger forces under Borbot's command, Hexogin, Borujin, and Yakjin chose to retreat.

The Romans issued a joint declaration via the public channel to the Earth Federation, the Papal State, and the Federation of the Gods: the First Roman Kingdom and the Second Roman Kingdom were established on this day.

The moment King Nankut of the First Roman Kingdom ascended the throne, the combined fleet of the First and Second Roman Kingdoms threatened the Papal State and the Federation of the Gods in the Thirteen Star Cluster, demanding that the two nations surrender the territories they occupied. Having lost most of their core leadership on Earth, the Papal State and the Federation of the Gods were powerless to resist and were on the verge of being annexed by the two Roman Kingdoms.

Ducat led an equally massive fleet composed of super-motherships, tearing through the void to assist the Papal State and the Federation of the Gods in countering the fleets of the two Roman Kingdoms.

After tense negotiations, the Papal State pitifully retained the first and second planets of the Thirteen Star Cluster. The Federation of the Gods retained the third and fourth planets. The First Roman Kingdom held the fifth, sixth, and seventh planets. The Second Roman Kingdom secured the eighth, ninth, and tenth planets. The Earth Federation occupied the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth planets.

Toxic Wolf, Chairman of the Earth Federation Military Department, issued a general order to all nations: Ducat was promoted to Federation General, exclusively responsible for the defense of the Thirteen Star Cluster region.

Another appointment from the Earth Federation drew less attention:

Former Federation Major General and Director of Special Operations, Gu Xiechen, was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for all external communication matters for the Earth Federation.