Of course, Richard could not claim he could become one with the world in a short time.

He didn't know whether the System would help him in this matter, but this was probably the same as gathering the Aether Bones—he would have to struggle on his own, since it wasn't something included in the System's statistics.

For Richard, who wasn't even accustomed to using his own talents, he truly had no confidence.

If he were to be stuck in this Realm forever, then he would become the laughingstock of the entire world.

He looked at Lilith again and gave her a faint smile.

"Boy, don't get too full of yourself yet. Your path is still long, and right now I can still cripple you with a single move," Lilith said.

Perhaps she took Richard's smile as arrogance.

But Richard simply kept smiling.

At least for now, the world was still spinning around him—why shouldn't he be proud?

Casually, he picked up an apple from the table and bit into it.

It turned out to be incredibly sweet, filled with thick, rich juice.

It was the most delicious apple he had ever eaten.

By the time he finished the apple, the carriage finally came to a halt.

"Let's go!"

Lilith waved her hand and stepped out first.

When Richard followed her out of the carriage, he was slightly surprised to see that the ground below was covered in neatly trimmed grass—like a soccer field.

Then he was left in awe as his eyes fell on the massive silver palace not far ahead, the same one he had seen the previous night from inside the Flying Magic Vehicle.

From a distance, it looked grand, but from up close, Richard could only say the palace was beyond massive.

It had hundreds of huge gates, each guarded by tall and imposing Sky Armor Knights.

In the courtyard, Richard saw all kinds of horses—white ones, red ones, and even some with wings.

They weren't fed grass, but rather fruits like grapes and apples.

They were tended by beautiful women with gentle demeanors.

Richard doubted those horses could ever be used in battle. They were likely only for decoration, befitting the grandeur of the palace.

Lilith led Richard toward the main entrance of the palace, where an elderly servant with neatly combed white hair, still quite handsome despite his age, was waiting.

"Your Highness Lilith!" The old servant greeted respectfully.

He looked at Richard and gave him a smile along with a light nod.

"Your Highness, the King is waiting in the palace hall. Please, enter," he said.

Lilith said nothing and simply continued forward.

Even Lisa, who was an old friend of Lilith's, was clearly entering the palace for the very first time. She couldn't stop looking around at its splendor, gazing up and down in awe.

The marble floors seemed as though they were made of glass, and countless crystals lined the walls in the shape of constellations.

They passed through the entrance and arrived in the hall.

But the hall was not as large as Richard had imagined. It stretched about fifty meters in length and twenty-five in width.

Though not massive, it was extremely tall.

A giant star-shaped crystal hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire hall so brightly that windows were unnecessary.

Richard couldn't help but wonder how the palace was divided into rooms if the main hall was this size, despite the overall building being so colossal.

His gaze quickly fell upon the grand throne at the far end of the hall.

Seated there was a middle-aged man with blond hair, radiating authority.

His presence was imposing, with sharp eyes that seemed to blink rarely.

Yet his clothing wasn't extravagant. He wore no crown, only a plain white robe embroidered with a few star patterns.

This was undoubtedly the King of the Holy Star Kingdom, Enzo Holystar.

Of course, he had not attained his position simply by being the son of the previous king.

He had many brothers, each one a rival.

In the end, it was he who claimed the throne. That fact alone proved he was stronger than all his brothers.

And he was not alone.

Richard saw a stunningly beautiful, middle-aged woman with curly red hair standing beside him, accompanied by a young boy of seven or eight years with the same red hair.

They stood beside the King's throne.

'The Red Star Empress!' Richard guessed her identity.

She, too, was a member of the royal family.

The King may have had many women, but she was the only official queen. She wielded great influence in the kingdom, her power nearly equal to her husband's.

Richard glanced at Lilith, curious to see her reaction upon meeting them.

But, to his surprise, she seemed relaxed.

He had thought she might hold a grudge, considering she had been cast out as a child and forced to grow up far from the capital.

Richard knew it was impossible that the King and Empress hadn't played a part in that.

Then he turned his attention to the red-haired boy.

He was the same age as Richard, and so Richard suspected he was the little prince Lilith wanted dead.

Though still young, Richard realized the boy was already in the Aether Will Realm, though likely only at the beginning stage.

This meant he was of high talent.

For the kingdom, filling his Aether would not be difficult. The true challenge would be mastering a Codex—especially if it was a Tier 3 Codex.

Aside from his realm, there wasn't much else unusual about the boy. His eyes still held innocence, and he simply looked curious as he gazed at Richard, another boy of his age.

Unlike Grace, who had been harshly trained, this boy was clearly raised gently.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the Empress!"

Lisa suddenly gave a respectful bow, placing a hand over her chest—something expected of every subject in the kingdom.

Richard was a bit late to realize he was supposed to do the same unless he wanted to be branded rebellious.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," he also said softly, mimicking Lisa's gesture.

Both the King and the Empress studied him from head to toe, then from the bottom back up again.

They even seemed to examine his fingers and toes.

Their curiosity toward him was far too obvious.

Richard couldn't help but feel like some rare beast under their gaze.

"So, you are Richard. But is Richard your only name?" the King finally spoke.

His voice carried such authority that Richard felt an instinctive urge to kneel.

It was clearly pure, without any magical force behind it. Perhaps years of commanding others had imbued his voice with majesty of its own.

Richard drew in a deep breath to steady himself before nodding.

"Yes, I am Richard, and that is my only name, as I grew up in an orphanage," he replied.

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