Let's list what Burn and Man decided to do in this loop.

  Enlighte and transformation, check. Okay, this was basically what Burn wao do the momeurned, after his intimate business with Man, of course.

  Then, he wao meet with Finn and secure his family. This was the absolute priority now, even though the others might have the same weight as this one.

  Because, yes, the elven unity's problem was important. Yes, the Junior Fleet Admiral problem was important. And yes, Inkia’s political problem was important.

  But, this would be the base of everything, all at once.

  "I received your letter currently with the unfortunate report of the attempt on your life by the assassin of Inkia. Additionally, news of your decision to postpohe impending war due to your wife's dition reached me," Finn articuted, mindful of the de befitting his address to Emperor Burn.

  “But today,” he paused, “you seem fine. Your dy seems pleasantly healthy too."

  Well, after what he withis m, as Burn absorbed 8% of the heat energy of a dying sun—

  “That’s not what I announced. I said I want to postpohe war because my wife is unwell and needs my undivided care,” Burn said, opening his mouth as Man stuffed him with grilled mb ed in fresh lettuce.

  “Mm, that’s good,” he put more meat ihe lettud helped himself. He sighed in te now that his taste buds had perfected themselves with his desiguran, asking, “It tastes different. What did you put in it before?”

  “Just a drop of honey,” Man answered, as she was about to feed him more.

  “Master, I wanna try too!” Yvain stood from Burn’s other side and wedged himself between them. Man ughed and fed him a bite. Yvain hadn’t even finished chewing when he said, “I wamt ome mowe!”

  Finn massaged his temples. "Even though that wasn't your explicit annou, the world has interpreted it in one of two ways…”

  “The specution is rife—either you were the one injured in the assassination attempt and are now making excuses for your recovery, or Her Majesty was stabbed in your pce. Both sarios, Your Majesty, are deeply troubling," Finn remarked with a sigh, feeling a sense of relief at the unfoldis of the day.

  Of course, who would have thought that the man who annouo postpohe war after getting stabbed was just here, eating mb meat after a chug of sun for breakfast, piic style?

  “Let them specute. My or my wife’s dition is not the real reason why I decided to postpo,” Burn said.

  Gahad’s expression ged after he said it, clearly ed. They did offer their Force essen the Holy Grail Ceremony this loop too. Apparently, the shock of Burn’s pint for pain AND his love fession was even more spectacur than the previous loop.

  After all, people started to ge at the end of their lives, right?

  Who would’ve imagihat the Absolute Emperor would suddenly fall for a woman mid-stab? Well, of course not suddenly. Just the decision for a love fession in that situation was enough to give the Round Table the idea of impending doom.

  After all, what he did today by transf his body to an insane level of Force mastery could be seen as him attempting to sustain his life despite his crumbling soul.

  Well, look at him go. He was just trying his hardest to keep himself tig along, soul be damned. His soul might be in tatters, but hey, at least his body's reag peak performance.

  “At least, now they wouldn’t force you to go to war and take your family as hostages, right?” Burn asked as he rediscovered sweetness, saltiness, and sourness once more through his taste buds.

  “How did you know that it’s going to happen?” Finn asked.

  “You came here. Which means you sidered the possibility,” Burn said.

  No, Finn didn’t even sider this possibility if Burn didn’t send him the letter. He was still very much loyal to Inkia and wouldn’t betray them now, but no matter how much he shrugged it off, his letter gave him sleepless nights.

  After all, it was Emperor Burn himself who told him.

  "Well, it’s not pletely guarahat your family will be taken as hostages, forced to bee sves if you fail to stop me in the war. But if I tih my march, and if their assassination attempts after the first stabbing 't scratch me, they will possibly turn and pressure you," Burn said.

  "You, knowing that you’ll certainly die against me, will in turn lobby as many houses as possible to lend you part of their military might, which I will destroy pletely too,” Burn said, popping a grape into his mouth. “Just a guess, but I know you’re clever enough for that.”

  Finn hadn’t e to that clusion, but it did sound like something he would do. “Because I want to weaken Inkia enough for you to be able to finish them quicker.”

  As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the once desote pin transformed into a temporary oasis for everyone present. The stubbrass bowed its heads in surreo the warmth, and a gentle breeze swept through, carrying whispers of fotten dreams and fleeting hope.

  And perhaps, dying loyalties and patriotism.

  Finn's family and panions, a motley crew of warriors and advisathered around a makeshift table atop a b den with humble food.

  His wife, a woman of grad determination, presided over the se with a regal air even in the simplicity of their piic. Their two small children, oblivious to the political intrigue unfolding, chased each other around with ughter that echoed across the pin.

  While Finn, their stalwart household head with a mind as sharp as his sword, found himself in the midst of an ued tête-à-tête with the emperor of their enemy empire, there wasn’t much to say.

  “Why ’t we sit with Daddy, Mommy?” one of his children asked ily.

  “We ’t, darling. They’re having important discussions.”

  “But there’s a boy there too!”

  “He’s not a boy. He’s a king,” it was uandable for Finn’s wife to be guarded against even Yvain after seeing him using his Vision to shield them from Burn’s explosive experiment this m.

  Not to mention… even though the boy looked i enough, eating his way through the discussion, and with the woman beside the emperor helping to serve them food in such a natural way that it looked like a normal pii the outside, they were still part of the discussion itself.

  Their eyes followed Burn’s every a, whether it was subtle or btant, hyper aware of the situation around them. At first gnce, people might see them as just a normal noble family, father, mother and son, but experienced eyes would know—that they were dangerous.

  One word from Burn, and the two would be ready to throw hands.

  Overall, the air between them crackled with tension, veiled threats hiddeh polite smiles and courteous nods. Finn's closest aides and servants exged knowing gnces but held their tongues, uanding the delicate dance of diplomacy, or possibly, rebellion, unfolding before them.

  Even the birds above, having abaheir mog calls, watched with curious eyes from a safe distance, as if sensing the shift in the winds of fate.

  But suddenly, the boy sprang to his feet. He looked angry, but more sad and afraid. "Why?! A-are you getting rid of me?!"

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  I enjoyed writing the 20 chapters. Finally we're back to the more a/politic/scheming part of the story.

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