Yakjin bowed deeply as well: "Yes, Your Venerable Majesty, we should possess the status and power befitting our station. You must understand our meaning."

Heskjin roared: "Is it not enough? One holds the position of the First Consul of the Second Roman Empire, commanding all military authority; the other, the Second Consul, mastering all research institutions and production quotas. What more could you possibly want? What more do you demand, hmm? Do you desire my throne?"

Borjin and Yakjin prostrated themselves, kneeling with their faces to the ground. They spoke urgently: "No, we dare not covet the throne. As proud Romans, we adhere strictly to our duties. The throne is not something within our reach. Furthermore, you are our elder brother; by birthright, we are bound to uphold your position. How could we possibly covet your authority?"

Heskjin breathed a sigh of relief, panting heavily. Good... his two younger brothers still dared not defy the ancient traditions of the Romans. This was excellent news for him.

After a moment of silence, Heskjin spoke magnanimously: "Then tell me, what is it you desire? Speak plainly, what do you seek?"

Borjin slapped the ground forcefully with both hands, speaking word by word: "Father is dead, and you have successfully inherited his throne. Therefore, according to ancient Roman tradition, Yakjin and I—your full-blooded younger brothers, and your half-brothers from the same father—have the right to depart the main lineage and establish our own Houses."

Yakjin slammed his hand hard against the floor. He too spoke deliberately, word by word: "We have the right to convene any Roman clans willing to serve us. We have the right to conscript vassal warriors pledging loyalty to us, and the right to form our own private armies. We are also entitled to a territory belonging to our new House."

Borjin stated coldly: "Our names shall be inscribed upon the ancestral plaques in the Pantheon. We shall carve out the brilliant history of two new Roman Houses."

Yakjin added with chilling detachment: "We will operate entirely according to orthodox Roman rules. Our Houses will participate in the assessments of the Roman Pantheon, and we will contribute meritorious deeds to the Second Roman Kingdom. Perhaps, due to our fortune, within a few years, our Houses will become one of the elector Houses of the Second Roman Kingdom."

Heskjin’s expression grew increasingly grim. He knew the strength held by Borjin and Yakjin. With the resources currently in their hands, there was no doubt that once they established their own Houses, they would rapidly accumulate enormous merit for the Second Roman Kingdom. Their Houses would become the second and third elector Houses within a single year, neatly sidestepping the constraints of old Roman tradition.

From that moment on, they would no longer be his brothers, Heskjin’s brothers. They would be the patriarchs of two separate, noble Roman Houses. They would no longer unconditionally support Heskjin, nor would they unconditionally obey his commands. Even if they offered lip service while plotting in the shadows, Heskjin would be powerless against them.

They were certain to become the heads of new elector Houses within a year. No one knew how much ancient Roman inheritance these two had secured, nor how formidable Borjin and Yakjin truly were now. Perhaps if they carelessly discarded a few pieces of advanced technology from their Roman ancestors that they deemed beneath them, they could accumulate enough merit points to eclipse the established noble families and become the two most esteemed elector Houses of the Second Roman Kingdom.

“It can’t be that extreme, surely?” Heskjin offered a nervous, dry chuckle. “Have you forgotten? Our mother is the full sister of your mother. Though Father is gone, our mother is still alive and well. Borjin, Yakjin, are you truly unwilling to help me? Though our mothers are different, is that truly different from sharing the same mother?”

Borjin coldly raised his head, fixing Heskjin with a pitiless stare, and stated calmly: "The moment we were swept into the temporal turbulence, we ceased to be brothers."

Borjin and Yakjin clasped hands tightly, speaking in unison: "When we were nearly ground to dust, when we struggled for survival in the catastrophic spatial-temporal torrent that almost destroyed us all in subspace—at that moment, we ceased to be brothers to you!"

Heskjin roared: "You place all the blame for this upon me?"

Borjin responded with icy calm: "We have inherited the legacy of our ancient ancestors. We have also inherited the true pride and nobility of the Roman people. We respect Roman tradition, and we obey the ancient customs of Rome, which is why we will not do what you fear. We do not covet the throne. On the contrary, we will exert every effort to protect you, and the throne beneath your feet that might, perhaps, one day belong to us."

Yakjin added with equal coolness: "We no longer hold hope of becoming the King of Rome. But our children still have that chance. The children of Borjin and myself can compete to become the next generation’s King of the Second Roman Kingdom. When they expand the kingdom’s power, when their strength reaches a critical mass, two new Roman Kingdoms will emerge from the territory of the Second Roman Kingdom. Everything will accord with our traditions. Everything will accord with our customs."

Borjin declared proudly: "The children of Yakjin and myself will become Kings of two Roman Kingdoms. Their descendants will inherit the glory of our ancestors, and they will stop at nothing to restore the glory of the Roman people, bringing the true, the truly wise, courageous, fearless, and great Roman people back to this universe."

Yakjin shrieked, trembling violently: "The Roman Empire! An empire comprising one hundred seventy-two kingdoms! Our descendants will strive generation after generation, spreading throughout every corner of the cosmos! They will restore the glory of a great ancient empire and become immortal legends!"

Borjin looked down with disdain upon the ashen-faced Heskjin, letting out a pitying sigh: "Poor man. Did you truly believe we cared for that petty throne beneath your backside? While you and our deceased father were focused on the small solar system and the Thirteen Connected Stars, our gaze was already fixed upon the universe."

Yakjin shook his head dismissively as well: "Pitiable man, base man. You keep the king’s seat, while we shall become the legends remembered by future Romans!"

Heskjin suddenly leaped up hysterically, screaming madly: "Insolence! Have you forgotten? I am your King!"

Borjin and Yakjin looked upon Heskjin with cold detachment: "That is all, Your Majesty. That is all."

The two once again bowed deeply to Heskjin: "According to the glorious tradition of the Romans, we are entitled to separate and establish Houses in our own names."

Borjin stated calmly: "My House shall take my name as its surname. Henceforth, our clan shall be the Borjin House."

Yakjin also sneered: "My House shall take my name as its surname. Henceforth, our clan shall be the Yakjin House."

A squad of elite Roman warriors rushed into the rear garden, Porphyris, his face tense, leading the way. Still far from the immediate vicinity, Porphyris was already shouting at the top of his lungs: "Your Majesty! Your Royal Majesty, have they offended you? Borjin, Yakjin, if you dare touch a single hair of His Majesty's—"

Porphyris stared dumbly at Borjin and Yakjin, who were kneeling on the ground, and asked in a strange tone: "What are you doing here?"

Borjin and Yakjin glanced scornfully at Porphyris, their voices unified in a cold sneer: "The Menopoli House? Enjoy the last vestiges of your glory as the Second Elector House of the Second Roman Kingdom. It won’t be long before your House is trampled firmly underfoot by ours!"

Porphyris’s face instantly turned exceedingly ugly.

Suddenly, a high-pitched Buddhist chant echoed from outside the rear garden: "Namo Amitabha Buddha. Who dares to step upon the Menopoli House?"

A large hole appeared silently in the garden wall. The Naked Dragon King, bare-chested, wearing coarse cloth trousers and rough cloth monk boots, strode in carrying a massive string of prayer beads. His slightly manic eyes quickly swept over everyone in the garden, and the Naked Dragon King grinned menacingly as he slowly approached Borjin and Yakjin.

"Two Royal Highnesses. The mortal realm is full of suffering; it is better to achieve Nirvana and seek transcendence!" The Naked Dragon King paid no heed to anyone else, simply swinging the enormous prayer beads down upon the two brothers' heads.

Borjin sighed deeply and stood up, stating blandly: "It is not bitter. It is quite sweet. I shall live for a long time yet, and I have no desire to transcend."

Glaring at the Naked Dragon King, Borjin suddenly bellowed sharply: "The glory of Rome! The Kingship that shall never fade for ten thousand years!"

A beam of intense light roared down from a super-mothership suspended high above the planet, striking directly into Borjin’s body. A magnificent suit of armor, shining with a golden brilliance so intense it was painful to behold, enveloped Borjin. In his left hand, he gripped a massive power-scepter nearly five meters long, and floating above his head was a crown radiating light like a miniature sun. A massive, indistinct figure shimmered behind Borjin, radiating an aura of majesty so profound it compelled involuntary kneeling and worship, like a monarch who ruled the entire cosmos.

The prayer beads the Naked Dragon King hurled down were caught solidly by Borjin with his bare hand. Borjin roared: "Without invoking the power of the Divine, you are no match for me! Begone!"

With a snap of his wrist, the prayer beads—cast from special alloys and refined over centuries of the Naked Dragon King’s cultivation of the Jìmie Zen technique—shattered instantly. The Naked Dragon King staggered back dozens of paces, roaring fiercely: "Whose power have you inherited? What power is this?"

Borjin shouted back sharply: "I have inherited the power of the God of Roman Royalty, the deity worshipped for generations by the lineage of Bocanfilte, the last Emperor of the Great Roman Empire!"

"You!" Heskjin's face instantly turned ashen white; he stared at Borjin in utter horror.

Borjin looked upon Heskjin with cold eyes and stated matter-of-factly: "Just as you suspected. The super-mothership I brought back belongs to the Imperial Guard of the former Roman Empire!"

"Hmph! And what of it?" A hoarse, unpleasant voice drifted in from outside the rear garden, followed instantly by towering black flames surging toward Borjin. Nightwalker screamed within the black flames: "Naked Dragon King, destroy them! Help me destroy them! The God of Royalty? Its power smells so intoxicatingly sweet! Let it become a part of me!"

Nightwalker howled toward the sky: "Diablo, Chief of the Three Dark Gods of Destruction! Grant me your endless power of ruin!"

A black light descended from the sky, merging seamlessly into Nightwalker's body. The black flames erupting from within him nearly engulfed the entire palace.

The Naked Dragon King roared: "Then, teacher and preacher, destroy these two fools who dared to offend His Majesty the King! Let the trash behind them all be annihilated! In this cycle of extinction, embracing the manifestation of the Buddha, the King of World-Ending Wisdom, this humble monk shall today commit great slaughter!" A ghostly black Buddha image circled behind the Naked Dragon King. The Monk’s physical body rapidly swelled to ten meters in height, and he grasped a massive cleaver, bringing it down forcefully toward Yakjin, who stood calmly to the side.

Yakjin smiled faintly, speaking with gentle composure: "Wisdom is the strongest force in the universe. With infinite wisdom, we possess limitless possibilities! All material things can be destroyed, but the light of wisdom can never be extinguished. Only wisdom can transcend space and time, spreading through the ages!"

Another beam of intense light shot out from the super-mothership hanging in space, enveloping Yakjin in a suit of intricate, semi-transparent white battle armor. A silver book, nearly a meter long, a meter wide, and a foot thick, floated before Yakjin. He lightly turned a page and smiled softly: "All matter can be broken down, provided one understands its fundamental mechanism of material composition and possesses sufficient power!"

A beam of white light shot out from the book, striking the Naked Dragon King’s great cleaver. With a loud crash, the weapon disintegrated into fine metallic atoms, which, along with the white light, vanished into a wisp of green smoke.

The Naked Dragon King froze rigid, staring at Yakjin in horror: "This is..."

Yakjin bowed gently: "The Royal Academy of the Roman Empire believes in the God of Ultimate Universal Wisdom. Inheriting their power, I comprehend nearly all the principles of this universe!"

Looking confidently at the Naked Dragon King, Yakjin smiled faintly: "In my eyes, you hold no secrets."

He paused, then looked at the Naked Dragon King with a hint of hesitation: "No, perhaps there is one small aspect I do not yet fully grasp. The Buddha you worship possesses some peculiar characteristics under the gaze of my eyes of wisdom. However, that is unimportant. I estimate my probability of defeating you exceeds fifty percent."

Nightwalker let out an enraged roar, screaming: "You two—"