Chapter 39: Ch 39 A declaration of solidarity
There was a pause as those titles hung in the air, momentarily heavy with meaning. The name, the titles—they painted a far clearer picture of William than anything he had revealed to Kallus or others so far.
But then, as if acknowledging the present reality, he added with a faint smile,
"Of course, those titles have little weight here. There is no Terra Empire in this universe...."
The Grand Admiral was momentarily taken aback by the titles William had just revealed—titles he was certain had never been mentioned in Kevin’s report. If they had, Kevin would have made a note of it. And it wasn’t just him. Admiral Natasha, his wife, mirrored his stunned reaction.
There was a reason for their surprise—and it was immense.
If what this man claimed was true—if he had truly given them Tier-7 technologies and commanded the colossal vessel floating in front of them, a ship that was clearly far beyond Tier-7 in design—then that could only mean one thing: the Terra Empire was a civilization operating on a level far beyond the Federation.
The Federation, even at its peak, was a Tier-6 power. But this... this was something vastly superior.
And now, this William was revealing that he was the Supreme Commander of the Terra Empire’s naval forces, a man of royal rank second only to the Empress herself. That placed him above them not just in military power, but in hierarchy and influence as well.
Even if they weren’t citizens of the Terra Empire and had never heard of it before, they couldn’t dismiss the significance of what he had just said. The fact that William claimed to be from a different universe only deepened the weight of his presence. He was no ordinary visitor.
Their expressions grew serious. Grand Admiral John finally broke the silence.
"Mr. William," he began cautiously, "are you saying you came from a different universe? How can you be so certain? And more importantly—why are you even here? Was your arrival accidental? Or were you sent for a reason beyond your control?"