Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

”There is also a genuine gentleness to his demeanor, a kindness that makes you forget you are standing before a living myth. But above all else, he values true justice. He treats the common citizens and high nobles with the exact same fairness, which is why the people love him so much.”

”He sounds like a genuinely great man,” Soren said, a note of sincere admiration in his voice. ”It’s rare for someone with that kind of power to remain humble.”

”He truly is,” Ethea agreed, her gaze drifting back to the cup in his hands as she recalled the scale of the Paragon’s responsibilities. ”It is honestly remarkable how he remains deeply connected to his people despite everything on his plate. He actually stepped down from the throne long ago, leaving the daily administration and politics to the current ruling Emperor so he could focus entirely on the greater threats menacing our continent and the world. Yet despite facing dangers of that scale, he still makes it a point to attend important national events. He even visits Etenia Academy once or twice a year just to encourage the students and check on the next generation.”

Ethea paused for a brief moment, her expression turning slightly more pragmatic. ”But as great as he is, we have to keep in mind that he isn’t always present in the empire. Unless a true crisis emerges that threatens the nation or the world at large, he generally won’t interfere in smaller conflicts. Even so, it still remains one of our best options.”

A soft smile finally broke through her serious demeanor. ”In fact, if we choose to head there, we could even go and visit your sister.”

Soren felt a sudden pang in his chest at the mention of his sibling, but he quickly masked it. ”You’re right. We could.”

As for the promise he had made to his father about staying away from her, he didn’t give a damn anymore. The moment they had cast him aside, he was no longer a Valmere. They couldn’t dictate his choices anymore. But of course, he still had to be cautious.

’...Even if we don’t choose the Temur Empire, I still want to check on her eventually and ensure she is safe.’

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he cleared his throat to focus back on the topic. ”I also looked into the Allied Realms Alliance as a third option, considering their collective strength rivals that of Oros and the other grand kingdoms. However, I quickly ruled it out. Because the alliance is fragmented into dozens of smaller kingdoms, the internal politics are messy, and the security structure is far too decentralized.”

”I agree with you,” Ethea said simply. ”It would put them in danger too.”

”Alright,” Soren nodded, picking up the spoon again. ”There is also the Zenith Empire, but it lies on the exact opposite end of the continent. Moreover, the entire region is far too turbulent, and despite their immense strength, they maintain a highly hostile relationship with several nations, including Temur and Oros. And... Even though wars are technically forbidden by international law, the constant border friction and espionage make it a powder keg. On top of all these, the current ruler is the worst tyrant in recent history, so I ruled it out as well.”

Ethea let out a derisive breath. ”You made the right call avoiding that place. Because I utterly despise that scumbag.”

Soren offered a faint smile, knowing full well why the tyrant rubbed her the wrong way.

The man held the official title of Sovereign of Love, but behind closed doors, people truthfully called him the Sovereign of Lust.

He was notoriously lecherous, treacherous, and completely lacking in moral restraint. While polygamy was widely accepted as normal in the current era, the Zenith Emperor had crossed every reasonable boundary, boasting a harem of more than a thousand wives and consorts.

Worse still were the countless rumors regarding his questionable methods of acquiring them, often forcing noble houses and weaker territories to hand over their daughters to appease his endless desires.

And those were just the mildest rumors. The reality behind them was likely far more sickening, which was more than enough reason to stay as far away from the Zenith Empire as possible. Soren also shared her disgust because a man who abused his power to treat women like property was even worse than a monster in his eyes.

’Hm?’

Noticing the mood in the room was worsening at the mere mention of the tyrant, he quickly decided to change the subject. ”The last place on our continent I thought of was none other than the URF.”

Ethea blinked in confusion, her irritation momentarily forgotten. ”You mean the United Races Federation?”

”Yes,” Soren replied, feeding her another small spoonful of the warm meal.

”But... They are not even native to Etenia,” Ethea pointed out, her tone laced with caution. ”Historically, they were invaders.”

Soren nodded in understanding.

Under normal circumstances, the Federation would never cross his mind either. It was a massive coalition composed of entirely different species who had originally arrived from separate worlds. Some had come across the dimensional rifts centuries ago seeking a desperate refuge from their own dying realms, while others had crossed over with nothing but conquest and bloody war on their minds.

In fact, their arrival had triggered the War of Convergence, one of the bloodiest conflicts in history. The brutal war ultimately ended with neither side claiming victory, cut short by a sudden catastrophic event that forced both sides to join hands just to survive.

Because of their vital cooperation during the crisis, the federation races were finally accepted into Etenia, and following decades of shifting borders and treaties, they ended up permanently inhabiting a fifth of Meldur, carving out a massive territory on the continent.

More than a century had passed since those dark times. While the federation races were still not fully embraced by the human kingdoms, relations had steadily improved. This was especially true after they stood alongside humanity to help the world survive that catastrophe and subsequent world-ending threats, proving their alliance when it mattered most.

Since then, their cooperation has driven significant advancements worldwide.