The Emperor and Empress smiled at Lilliana; the latter clearly had a more just reason for wanting money than the others did. And so Emperor Michael said, "All right, Lilliana, you and your family get a trust fund, with enough money to set you up for life." He then turned to his wife, and said, "You know, we really should subsidize higher education more, while at the same time looking into [i]why[/i] it's more expensive in the first place."

Empress Maria nodded at that, also smiling as Lukas basically returned the stipends he had been granted back to their respective nations. A win-win situation, it seemed. But now it seemed as though the meeting was drawing to a close, and the group needed the chance to rest.

Tocsax would then smile and say to Seth, "Your request and Lilliana's are actually the most reasonable. I am sure that magic or super-science can be used to prevent one from falling to the genetic defect you mention. Very well, a cure will be formulated soon."

The Nobody continued, "Well, as we've ran out of anything important to say, I think you guys should rest and relax. There are guest lodgings near the palace gardens, after all." He then pointedly ignored Ziton's statement; it was quite clear that the Nobody distrusted the knowledge-seeking adventurer. "Either way, the maids and butlers will guide you all to your guestrooms now."

------

The guestrooms were lavish, with silk-lined furniture, desks made of Alt-Brazillian dyewood, and scented with citrus perfumes. Each also had a small backdoor that led to a garden with a fountain and bright flowers - a recent addition. And of course, there were books, plenty of books on the Original Timeline and Renovation itself.

But there was one final part of the guest quarters that was most interesting: A medium-sized training room filled with dummy weapons, where Giorgios Kyros, the young man in special forces armor who bore only a shield as his weapon, waited for anyone to approach him for training.

As for Seth, Damianos Sardis the scholar-wizard would go to his room, bringing him a blue bottle which he would say was: "Calming draught; a stop-gap solution against innate rage; if taken or injected, it would cut off the primal rage even as it builds up. In short, a pre-emptive solution that though not perfect, is still a solution. It can also revert a person who has lost himself in rage if injected."

[@Rai][@The 42nd Gecko][@Rex][@WXer][@Double][@Gentlemanvaultboy][@Drifting Pollen]