Reincarnated as the Final Villain’s Vessel

The days passed as news of the missing students’ return spread throughout the Empire... and the other Empires as well.

Even those who had not known what had happened before heard about the disappearance incident.

After all, some of the people who had disappeared were important figures... such as the princess.

Although the news spread far and wide, it did not cause much of a stir either, because the method of their disappearance or anything else had not been announced, leaving the entire incident shrouded in mystery.

And of course, there was also what they had learned there.

Things that could change humanity’s view of themselves, this world, and what lay beyond it.

Even now, no one had been informed of it except the emperor himself, who learned about it from Alicia on the day before his daughter returned to the palace.

This kind of news was too significant to put into words, and far more valuable than those ruins they had failed to obtain from within the Shard Cradle.

However, it was also not something that could be monopolized by the Empire alone, because it would lose its meaning if they did.

But if the information itself could not be monopolized, then they could take something else... the credit.

The fact that the six who returned with this information all belonged to the same Empire meant that the credit belonged to Solaria.

Yes, it was not something that would change the course of events or elevate the Empire’s status or anything like that, at least not unless it was announced in the right place.

Inside a large and beautiful study, the windows were wide open as sunlight streamed in, making the room brighter while illuminating the bookshelves and furniture.

On a wooden chair beside the window sat a man who appeared to be in his early thirties, despite having lived twice that long.

With short dark hair, red eyes, and a short beard on his sculpted face, Arkanos Asterval, the current Emperor, held a book in his hands as he flipped through its pages.

At that moment, a gentle knock echoed from the wooden door at the end of the room. Without taking his eyes off the book, he answered, his deep voice resonating through the room.

"Come in."

The doorknob turned as the door opened, and a girl with black hair and red eyes entered before closing it behind her.

Ellen stood respectfully, wearing black pants and a black shirt as she looked at the emperor.

"Is there something you wanted, Father?"

Without taking his eyes off the book, he gestured toward the other side of the table.

"Come and sit."

Ellen obeyed, walking over and sitting down, placing her hands in her lap while looking at her father, who was absorbed in his reading.

A few moments passed before he picked up the bookmark, placed it on the open page, and closed the book.

Only then did he finally look at the silent Ellen, his heavy gaze falling upon her.

"Did you rest well?"

Ellen nodded. "Yes, Father."

He stood up and placed the book on the nearby shelf.

"What have you been doing lately?"

Ellen hesitated for a moment.

"Nothing but training... and training."

His gaze returned to her once more, heavy, yet understanding.

Although her father was the emperor and one of the few at Rank 7, that did not mean he was cold or indifferent toward his family.

Even so, he was not affectionate either... he was somewhere in between.

"I’ve noticed it over the past two days. It seems you’ve changed a little, Ellen."

A puzzled expression appeared on Ellen’s face, but Arkanos continued.

"Don’t be afraid. You’re doing well... so stop comparing yourself to your brother."

Ellen’s face stiffened at those words, but it returned to normal the next moment as she answered in a calm tone. "Understood, Father."

"But was there something you called me here for?"

The emperor nodded.

"It’s about the details you told me."

She understood what he meant, because two days ago she had told him almost everything except what Caius had asked her to keep hidden.

He already knew the general outline from Alicia, but she had filled in the remaining details.

Arkanos returned to his seat in front of Ellen, his deep voice echoing through the room.

"I never imagined I would hear something like this in my lifetime, but it also makes certain things more logical."

"It’s also nice to imagine that we weren’t always like this, fleeing from another world, only to end up trapped at the edge of the continent... isn’t that right, Ellen?"

She pressed her lips together as she looked at everything except her father.

"Yeah..."

Arkanos smiled at her nervous behavior.

He raised his hand and stroked his short beard.

"You know that long ago, humans on the Ancient Earth managed to send ships into space, or at least into the small stretch of space surrounding the planet, even though they were less advanced than we are now."

Ellen nodded as Arkanos continued stroking his beard.

"But today, with all the progress we’ve achieved and the abilities we possess, we have been unable to leave beneath this sky."

’I never thought about this before.’ Ellen frowned as she only now realized this fact.

"Why do you think that is?"

She remained silent for a few moments as she thought. Arkanos did not rush her and simply continued looking at her calmly until she answered in an uncertain tone.

"Isn’t it because we can barely keep the northern border safe from monsters and creatures, and because we’ve devoted all our focus to exploring the continent and the ocean?"

Arkanos nodded. "Correct and incorrect."

"Yes, the northern border isn’t completely safe, but it also isn’t dangerously unstable. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here before you now."

"Exploring the continent still consumes much of our attention, but it also isn’t something entirely under our control."

"There are thousands of explorers, craftsmen, and curious people. Not all of them are under the Four Empires, and many of them do as they please as long as they don’t oppose the highest authority."

Ellen listened attentively to her father.

"Yes, most of them focus on the continent, but among the thousands, or even tens of thousands throughout our history here, do you think no one ever thought about going upward?"

She asked hesitantly,

"Did they?"

Arkanos nodded as he looked at the blue sky through the window. "They tried."

"But they failed."

Ellen unconsciously gripped the fabric of her sleeve. "Why?"

Arkanos’s voice rang out again as he continued staring at the sky.

"Because there is a barrier surrounding the entire world, isolating us from existence."

Ellen’s eyes widened as her breathing froze. "How... how is that possible?"

The emperor shrugged. "It exists, so it’s possible."

Some of the words Caius had spoken returned to her mind.

"Couldn’t they pass through it by manipulating space or something like that?"

Arkanos’s gaze shifted to his daughter.

"No... it’s impossible."

A cold shiver ran through her body. ’The entire world... this is insane.’

She couldn’t believe this part.

The Four Empires covered three percent of the continent, and it could be said that they were about the size of the continent of Africa on the Ancient Earth.

Even so, the waters still occupied the greater part of the planet, meaning they were much smaller in the bigger picture.

Her father’s words pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Don’t you wonder who created this? And why?"

"Is it a cage that prevents what’s outside from entering, or prevents what’s here from leaving?"

Ellen unconsciously bit her lip.

’The remains of the Great Maker.’

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