-1586- When the dust settles

On this day, a significant chapter in human history was destined to be written.

The events that unfolded in Vebel spread across all the floating cities worldwide, reaching everyone in less than a day.

Especially for the citizens of Vebel, who were at the heart of the incident, it was impossible to continue their lives as if nothing had happened after experiencing a battle of such historical magnitude.

Thus, through Annerose's declaration as the Pope, the truth was revealed.

For instance, the existence of the Armored Beetles in human form.

The true identity of Zeth Wiegert.

And the fact that the Armored Beetles came from another world.

These revelations informed the world of the actual events in Vebel.

It was a disaster that could have easily plunged humanity into an abyss of no return.

"No one could have imagined that the Chairman of the Council was an Armored Beetle in human form."

"What's more, he tried to take over humanity."

"How did someone like that infiltrate the Council?"

"The higher-ups were far too careless."

People talked about these things one by one.

By this point, no one doubted the truth anymore.

After all, during a live broadcast, people saw Zeth standing against Rozen, summoning the original Armored Beetle and its army. If it weren't for Rozen, who used his Beast Vassal to shroud Vebel in mist, allowing the city and all its inhabitants to escape, countless people would have perished.

Additionally, the non-human, ominous power displayed by Yamier Kaiser and others during the finals of the Sky Wizards Martial Arts Festival, especially their incredible regenerative abilities even after being slain, was undeniable and witnessed firsthand.

Even the staunch supporters of Zeth Wiegert were left speechless. And those who still had objections were swiftly silenced by Annerose's decisive suppression.

With Zeth, their greatest foe, gone, Annerose could finally step back into the light without fearing internal human conflicts, beginning sweeping reforms.

The reforms primarily focused on rooting out all those loyal to Zeth Wiegert.

Besides Zeth's human supporters, many Armored Beetles in human form had been sent by Zeth to various floating cities, becoming hidden threats.

These hidden dangers needed to be eradicated immediately. Otherwise, they would become deadly ticking time bombs.

If they all went on a rampage, indiscriminately slaughtering those around them, it would be disastrous.

Thus, Annerose dispatched a large force to handle this, purging Zeth's supporters in Vebel.

As a result, many members of the Floating City Alliance Council were ousted from their positions, and the Wiegert residence was thoroughly ransacked and seized.

Interestingly, during the search, they found Elis Wiegert imprisoned in the basement, barely alive. Cris personally took charge of her rescue.

"She's not inherently evil; she was simply misguided by her brother."

Cris defended Elis, vowing to bring her back onto the right path.

Of course, with the exposure of the humanoid Armored Beetles, many humans were bound to reject their existence, including the children from the underground city. Human resistance was expected.

But on this matter, Annerose and Emilie had already made a pact, promising to gradually improve the situation. They would inform the public that during the fight against Zeth's faction, humanoid Armored Beetles led by Emilie and Cris extended their help to humanity, easing much of the tension.

In the future, humans would likely coexist with these kind-hearted humanoid Armored Beetles.

However, Annerose seemed unwilling to disclose the origin of the Armored Beetles, which stemmed from human warfare centuries ago.

"Humanity has already atoned for its sins over the past 400 years. The future belongs to the people of today, and they should not bear the burden of unjust accusations."

Annerose consistently defended humanity's legitimate rights.

If it weren't for this, perhaps the humanoid Armored Beetles would have turned against humanity, sparking another war between the two species.

Not wanting to see such a scenario, Annerose chose to hide this truth. Emilie, Cris, and the others agreed, understanding that exposing this information would cause more harm than good.

However, when it came to Rozen's achievements, Annerose concealed nothing. Instead, she announced them widely.

"A true hero has emerged among humans. Not only did he destroy the evil forces within the humanoid Armored Beetles, protecting all of humanity, but he also severed the connection between the two worlds, preventing Armored Beetles from the other world from ever appearing here again."

"From now on, humanity will grow stronger and eliminate the Armored Beetles on Earth, restoring the glory of the pre-apocalypse era."

"And under the leadership of our 'Hero' and 'Mage King,' we will ultimately reach new heights of prosperity."

Annerose's words spread across the globe.

As a result, Rozen became the true hero of all humanity, a beacon of hope revered by countless people.

Rozen's fame reached its pinnacle, making him more adored and respected than even the Pope.

Rozen, however, found the situation quite strange.

After all...

"Aren't you afraid I'll become the second Zeth?"

In the Noesis Palace of Vebel, Rozen posed this question to Annerose, who sat on the throne.

At that moment, only Rozen and Annerose were present. Cris and Emilie were busy managing the future existence and operation of the humanoid Armored Beetles, leaving them no time to appear. Kanata, Chloe, Yuri, and Mena had not been summoned.

Rozen stood alone before Annerose, making a statement that would tighten anyone's chest.

"As they say, too much merit overshadows the ruler. If you keep promoting my fame, I could easily rally the masses. If I wanted to overthrow you, it wouldn't be impossible. Aren't you afraid?"

Rozen asked curiously.

"Could you not say such frightening things?"

River protested for the first time.

But Annerose remained unfazed.

"Even though the other floating cities couldn't see the full extent of what happened that day due to the mist, everyone knows you stood up to protect Vebel. There's no point in hiding it."

Annerose looked at Rozen, seemingly reminiscing about the incredible power he had displayed that day.

"Besides, if you really wanted to, you wouldn't need supporters. With your strength alone, you could easily quash any opposition and overthrow me, couldn't you?"

Rozen, who had single-handedly fought against billions of Armored Beetles and defeated the original Armored Beetle along with powerful Collapse Force users like Zeth, wouldn't need followers to stage a coup. If he showed his true strength, who could stand in his way?

Thus, worrying about such matters was pointless. It was better to publicly acknowledge Rozen's contributions and perhaps win his favor.

Annerose understood that to ensure humanity's peaceful future, she needed to maintain a good relationship with Rozen.

Otherwise, if Rozen were ever angered, there would be no saving humanity.

Furthermore...

"Even if I am overthrown, I could accept that."

Annerose surprisingly declared.