Alaric gritted his teeth as he looked at the raised hands in the grand hall. He glanced at Aria, who wore a haughty and defiant expression. Her eyes sparkled with triumph, and it only fueled his frustration. “Fine, we shall revise our traditional rules!” His voice echoed, reverberating off the stone walls and high ceilings, a clear testament to his authority.
Soon, everyone assembled to painstakingly revise the norms and structure of their ancient traditions. It was a laborious process, filled with heated debates and reluctant agreements. The task stretched out, taking almost ten exhausting hours to complete.
Aria’s grin widened even more before she gracefully stepped down from her elevated position, “Then we will see in court…” she announced with a final, confident look. One by one, the Elders began to leave.
It was blatantly clear that no one wanted to identify the person responsible. They all understood it was part of the Emperor’s intricate plan, and thus, they didn’t dare to question him….. which only served to infuriate him further.
As the room emptied,
“Your Majesty,” Kaelen said, bowing deeply with respect. He stood waiting patiently, eager for the Emperor’s response. All he wanted was to attend the academy, nothing more.
Alaric sighed heavily, the weight of the situation pressing on him, “You will join in a month. Now leave!” He waved his hand dismissively, his face twisted in annoyance.
Kaelen bowed one more time, before hurriedly exiting the room.
As soon as the last person left, Alaric’s face contorted with rage. He released a burst of pressure so intense it almost made the palace tremble. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his expression was one of pure fury. He couldn’t believe someone had played him so expertly.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure materialized and bowed deeply before speaking, “Victor is currently staying at the Academy, Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, Alaric’s face darkened further, “I see… so it’s not Victor. Then who is it?” His mind raced with possibilities.
According to the information he had, he suspected Victor since he was the one closest to the data. But now, it seemed he had been wrong.
“I heard she came here with someone. Find out who it is,” Alaric ordered, his voice cold and menacing. The shadowy figure nodded in silent understanding before disappearing into the shadows.
“Whoever you are… I will fucking kill you,” Alaric mumbled to himself, his jaw clenched tightly, the veins on his cheeks pulsing with rage. He was beyond pissed off at this point. He needed an outlet for his seething anger.
He already knew the outcome of the court proceedings, and the thought of being outmanoeuvred by Aria…. a woman he considered nothing more than a trembling cat—drove him to the brink. The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he became, “If this is going to end in divorce, I might as well plunge both tribes into chaos…” he thought to himself, a wicked smile forming on his lips.
He decided to summon Kaelen Darkfang once again, his mind racing with new, darker plans.
…
….
Meanwhile, in a different part of the palace,
“What the hell! There is nothing here!” Maelona exclaimed, her face a mask of horror as she stared at the blank white paper in front of her. She turned to her armed guard, who stood silently as if this predicament was not his concern.
“Come on, Aether, answer me!” Maelona demanded, her voice a desperate whisper.
“… Well, it’s kind of exciting, don’t you think?” Aether replied, his voice brimming with excitement.
Maelona’s face turned even paler. Exciting? What on earth was he talking about? If Alaric were to receive this letter, she was certain their whole tribe would face dire consequences.
She was now genuinely terrified of Aether. Never in her life had she imagined that a mere boy could orchestrate such an elaborate plan and execute it with such precision that it nearly fooled her.
“What the hell has my daughter gotten into now?” Maelona thought, her mind racing with fear and confusion.
“Haha… Don’t worry, she got a perfect one!” Aether said, his tone filled with amusement and confidence.
[+100 Affection]
Maelona stared at the armoured guard, a surge of frustration rising within her. She really wanted to see his smug face and, if possible, punch it!
“How in the world did you do that?” Maelona asked, her face serious. She knew Aether had been with them the entire time, yet there was still a problem with the other tribe…. Even Aria believed her mother was the one doing everything!!
Aether glanced at his skill log. It wasn’t just modified logs but also his skills that had been updated:
[Skill: Freedom (Updated)]:
You can now extend your freedom time period by using Affection Points. The cooldown time remains unchanged, allowing you to enjoy your freedom for longer durations.
1 Minute = 1 AP
[Skill: Clone (Updated)]:
You can now alter your clone’s appearance using Affection Points, though changes cannot deviate significantly from the original form. Additionally, the clone’s duration can be extended, giving you more flexibility in its use.
1 Minute = 1 AP
[Skill: Eternal Seal (Updated)]:
Error! This function cannot be used as your current level is insufficient. Please level up to unlock this feature.
“That’s a secret~ My mother-in-law~” Aether replied, his tone laced with playful mystery.
[+100 Affection]
Maelona’s lips twitched even more, her irritation palpable. She was just about to retort when,
“I never thought you would be able to pull this stunt,” Liora said, her face lit up with amusement as she approached Maelona.
“What do you mean?” Maelona asked with a frown, quickly hiding the blank paper behind her back, her heart pounding with apprehension.
“Oh~ come on, Elona. You know exactly what you did, don’t you? Creating chaos just to save your daughter… Amazing, isn’t it?” Liora’s voice was light and teasing, which only served to irk Maelona even more.
“I didn’t do anything, Liora,” Maelona denied the accusation firmly, deciding to walk away to avoid further confrontation.
Liora shook her head in growing amusement, her smile widening with every passing second. She then glanced at the armed guard who was trailing Maelona, “I am surprised you brought a guard with you all of a sudden.”
Maelona didn’t respond; she simply walked faster, her heart beating rapidly.
“Hmm…” Liora frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes at the guard before moving closer to Maelona. She leaned in and whispered, “I see… you got someone… ah, all the best then!” This caused Maelona to stumble, but Liora caught her hand and added with an amused smile, “Well, since the law changed, you can do whatever you want.”
Maelona’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger. She glared at Liora, thinking furiously, ‘He is my son-in-law, bitch!!’ She immediately resumed her pace, the guard following closely behind.
“Hmm… interesting,” Liora mumbled to herself as she watched Maelona leave. She looked down at her own hand, which was holding a crushed piece of paper.
“Mother!” Kaelen’s urgent voice broke through her reverie. He arrived, his face serious and determined. He looked at Liora and said, “I have an idea to defeat the High Elf tribe.”
“Hmm? What is it? Another underhanded technique?” Liora asked, rubbing the paper between her fingers thoughtfully, her eyes never leaving her son’s face.
“M-Mother, p-please give me this chance. I would never do that again—”
“Enough, my child,” Liora interrupted, her voice cold and stern. She glared at her son, who flinched in fear, “You not only failed against a stranger but also worked under someone like a pawn… like a use-and-throw pawn! That’s utterly disgusting and a black mark on our family.” She placed her hand on her son’s shoulder, her grip tightening.
Crack, Crack
“Arrhhh!!”
“You know, when I heard you got suspended from the Academy… to be honest, I almost thought of ending you right then and there… if not for you being the chosen one.” Liora’s voice was icy, and her eyes were filled with disappointment.
Kaelen sweated profusely, his fear evident as he avoided his mother’s intense gaze. Liora felt even more annoyance at her son’s cowardice. “Kaelen.”
“Y-Yes, Mother,” Kaelen stammered, trying to withstand the pain but still unable to look at her.
“Let me warn you, our tribe lives with pride. No matter who the enemy is, we should always hold our heads high and face them head-on, not like weaklings who need to hide their fangs. The next time I hear of you working under anyone or acting like a coward,” she leaned close to his ear and dangerously whispered, “I won’t hesitate to end my own blood…”
Kaelen’s tail stiffened in fear, his entire body rigid.
“Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes Mother!”
Liora patted her son’s shoulder, her eyes still cold. She looked at the blank paper in her hand, her lips curling up in a sinister smile, ‘Looks like we have something interesting…’
“M-Mother, could you please trust me this time? Please!!” Kaelen pleaded, desperation clear in his eyes and voice.
Liora glanced at her son, her expression thoughtful and scrutinizing. “What is it?”
“Today, the Emperor will get the divorce, so…” He began to explain his plan in detail, his voice trembling slightly.
As he spoke, Liora’s frown deepened. She listened carefully, her mind processing his words. “You thought of this?”
“Y-Yes, Mother”
“Really, You?”
“… Y-Yes, Mother, I am the one who thought of this.”
“I see…” Liora said, her voice trailing off as she contemplated his words.
Meanwhile,
“FUCK!! That bitch!!” Maelona screamed, her voice echoing through the corridors as she stormed down the hall.