Chapter 309: Playing with words...
Chapter 309: Playing with words...
[A/N: Just a small announcement... I am publishing another Novel named:
Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey.
If you guys are interested, give it a read and support me, everyone...
And
Thank You?]
"Tsk, Sure, he messed up the plan that I had crafted with utmost precision...
Hmm, Should I lend him a hand?
Hmm...?"
"Father, we should not intervene!
I've repeatedly warned you, haven't I?
He simply isn't suitable for our intricate plan...
He has, without a doubt, irrevocably wrecked the entire strategy we had so carefully devised."
The golden-haired man fixed an enigmatic gaze upon his black-haired supposed son, a subtle blend of disappointment and contemplation playing across his features, unable to fathom the extent of the situation.
"You... just follow the plan" the golden-haired man stated with a faint smile, dismissing his son's idiotic suggestion as if it were a mere triviality.
"B-But Father, He has alread--"
"I've made myself clear... R.i.g.h.t~" the golden-haired man interrupted softly, his tone brooking no argument, causing his son's face to pale in submission.
"Yes, Father!" the black-haired man acquiesced hastily, scurrying away from the grandeur of the castle, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridors.
The golden-haired man shifted his attention to the intricacies of the live transmission playing on the expansive video screen.... a result of the surveillance Bug strategically planted within the Nex.
This surveillance 'Bug'.... wasn't a literal insect but rather an individual wielding influence just beneath the Head Master.
"Tsk, those Council Members really stabbed in our backs!" he mumbled, a mixture of frustration and annoyance etched across his face when he got the news saying Council Members changed their opinion and then he added,
"Oh well, Let's reintroduction; otherwise, they might forget about my existence!" With that, he vanished from the castle within the Dawn Kingdom, leaving behind a lingering aura of silence.
....
...
..
A golden-haired man, bedecked in jewelled ornaments, his shirtless form revealing an impressive eight-pack, descended gracefully before the Head Master, exuding a regal presence.
Witnessing the arrival of this man, the audience erupted in uncontainable excitement, their collective voice resonating through the air.
"""""""""""""LUCIAN DAWN!!!!!"""""""""""""
The exclamation was mostly fueled by the enthusiastic cheers of women, while men couldn't help but admire him from afar.
"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen~" Lucian greeted with an enigmatic smile.
"OOOOHHHHHH!"
"KKKYYYAAAAAA!"
The crowd responded, the sound reminiscent of fervent fans gazing at their idol.
Amid the clamour, Lucian raised a hand to quell the excitement.
"Calm down, everyone!"
"OKAY!!"
Obediently, the audience settled into their seats, anticipation radiating in the air.
Lucian Dawn's gaze fell upon Adriana, who, in turn, stared at him while maintaining the pressure on Carter.
Lucian's eyes twitched involuntarily, 'Damn Bastard, both him and his son are useless!' he silently lamented.
"Ahem," Lucian cleared his throat, his smile unwavering, "I see you've become even more beauti—"
"Flatteries won't get you anything, Brat!" Vampire Queen interjected with an indifferent tone.
Undeterred, Lucian responded, "I'm not flattering, Vampire Queen; I'm merely stating the truth."
"Hmmm..." Vampire Queen scrutinized Lucian with a penetrating gaze.
Aware of her telepathic abilities, Lucian deliberately avoided unnecessary thoughts, disrupting her attempts to read him.
The only way to mess up the mind readers was simple: Don't think or Think too much.
"AARRRHHHHH!"
A sudden cry pierced the air, emanating from Carter, whose hands had been broken by Vampire Queen's forceful strike. She withdrew her foot, eyeing the crying figure impassively.
Ignoring the Wiser King's cries, the Vampire Queen looked at Lucian. Moving aside, Vampire Queen inquired, "Why are you here?"
Lucian's eyebrows twitched at her lack of regard for his words before but he simply smiled and,
"Of course, like everyone else, I'm curious to witness a duel between Vampire Queen's toy-ahem I mean, disciple and the Hero of Theos Kingdom," he explained with a smirk.
Vampire Queen, wearing a sceptical expression, countered, "After everything is over?"
"..ha...haha...ha" Lucian chuckled awkwardly and said, "Well, you know, being a king comes with a lot of responsibilities. I was a little busy."
Vampire Queen stared at Lucian, finding his presence akin to a persistent annoyance and pain in the butt that she wished would disappear.
"Anyhow..." Suddenly, his demeanour changed.
"What do you mean by 'There won't be any trace of you and your kingdom'?
.....Is that a declaration of war?" Lucian questioned.
The Vampire Queen paused, her eyes locking onto Lucian's.
"Interpret it as you see fit" she replied, her words carrying a mysterious weight.
Lucian frowned, entirely unfazed by Vampire Queen's earlier words, 'This woman is always like this,' he thought.
"I see..." Lucian nodded and redirected his attention to the Head Master,
"Head Master, it's been a long time since I saw you." Lucian expressed as he gave the Head Master a warm hug.
"Yes, it has been a long time, King Lucian," the Head Master replied.
"Oh, come on! Why the formality? Call me like you always do!"
"You know, I can't do that, right?" the Head Master replied with a serious expression.
It wasn't favouritism towards Lucian, but in the Sapien Continent, Lucian was far more renowned than other kings.
His father and forefathers' battles against the Darkness had earned the Dawn Kingdom immense respect from people of other kingdoms.
Even now, the people's shouts only heightened the aura of Lucian's greatness among them. His enigmatic smile, much like that of his father and forefather, had become a symbol of renown.
The Vampire Queen simply decided to leave as the matter was finished. However,
"I heard your disciple cornered my daughter to place her virginity as a bet?"
Hearing that, Vampire Queen halted her steps, casting a glance back at Lucian.
A small smile appeared on Lucian's face.
Carter stood up after drinking a healing potion, his smile widening as he realized what Lucian was attempting.
"You should ask your daughter about that" Vampire Queen pointed to Luna, still sitting in the audience.
"Yes, I did ask her, but she claims it was all just a mistake, and your disciple forced her to agree" Lucian said, releasing his killing intent.
"W-What?"
"I-Is King Lucian going to fight?"
"Vampire Queen vs. King of Dawn!"
Whispers and anticipatory chatter filled the air.
Lucian's eyes finally fell on Asher Eli, who was simply observing the red-blue-haired fallen woman.
'Hmm? Who is she? Have I seen her before?' Lucian wondered, feeling a sense of familiarity.
Sensing a gaze, Eli turned his head, looking at Lucian with a shocked and surprised expression.... as if noticing him for the first time.
"Hello, Asher Eli. It's been a few days sinc--"
"Who are you?" Eli asked, his expression genuinely surprised, as if the identity of Lucian had eluded him.
"Pfftt—" This time, it wasn't Lilith who burst into laughter, but Carter Theo.
Having experienced a similar humiliation, Carter felt a deep sense of relief and camaraderie with Lucian.
Lucian, though clenching his teeth momentarily, swiftly regained control of his emotions.
A smile played on his lips as he began,
"It seems you have forgotten me, Asher Eli...
Let me take a moment to reintroduce myself.
I am Lucian Dawn, The only King of—"
"My name is Asher Eli, and I'm not very fond of men. I tend to forget them immediately, whether they are a king or a commoner!" Eli interjected, not allowing Lucian to complete his introduction.
"..."
A dead silence hung in the air for a few seconds before a voice erupted from the audience.
"You dare interrupt the King of Dawn!!"
"Yes...?" Eli responded, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance. 'I mean, I had been interrupting the King of Theos before, so what gives now?' he wondered, glancing briefly at Carter.
'Those words...' Lucian wore a pensive expression as if he had already heard those exact same words, unchanged and without any alteration.
Adriana, observing Eli's audacious interruption, couldn't help but wear an amused smile for a moment. However, her countenance soon returned to one of indifferent composure.
"Anyhow, whoever you might be, the duel between me and Luna was strictly between us, so don't come barking every time!" Eli declared with an indifferent face, a nonchalant air surrounding him.
His words seemed to ripple through the arena, creating a palpable tension that mirrored the conflicting emotions on Lucian's face.... visible anger intertwined with a struggle for composure.
'Calm down, calm down, calm down...' Lucian's internal mantra echoed as he fought to rein in his emotions. Observing Eli's smirking countenance, Lucian couldn't suppress the urge to clench his fist in a silent display of frustration.
Just when he felt on the verge of losing his temper, a telepathic message cut through the turmoil.
[F-Father, Everything is prepared]
Receiving this message, Lucian calmed his anger and diverted the topic,
"Anyhow,
I was truly taken aback by your performance....
To think a mere mortal could emerge victorious against the Hero of Theos Kingdom.... A testament to a will against the world's order... Hmm...." Lucian's words carried a reflective tone as his gaze subtly shifted toward the enigmatic Vampire Queen.
"Or perhaps," he continued, maintaining an air of contemplation, "...Vampire Queen's powerful attack weakened the Hero?"
The question hung in the air, prompting a collective pondering from the attentive audience.
'Yes, that might be the reason!' Murmured the crowd, their recollection of Kayden's fall and the subsequent oozing of blood increasing their inner doubt and possibilities.
Despite Kayden's remarkablely healed by healers, the pain and residual effects of being targeted by the Emperor's power undoubtedly had a lasting impact on his mental stability.
'Tsk,' Eli clicked his tongue in irritation, discerning Lucian's attempt to manipulate the narrative. As the crowd mulled over Lucian's words, Eli's annoyance manifested in yet another tongue click.
"What are you trying to say now?" Vampire Queen inquired, her discerning gaze locking onto Lucian. She grasped the subtle undercurrent of his strategic maneuvering. 'Why is he getting involved?' she wondered, contemplating the unexpected turn of events.
While she had received reports about Eli and Lucian's initial encounter, she assumed Lucian would disregard Eli, given the prior warning from the Sentinel of Dawn Kingdom.
'Tsk, just like his father.... scheming as always...' Vampire Queen clicked her tongue.
Hearing that, Lucian smiled, though reluctant to get involved in the unfolding events.
Despite his reservations, he had prepared for every contingency, and wasting those preparations would only result in more significant losses.
"Vampire Queen, your disciple was truly able to defy the world's will embodied by the Hero, or was it merely a fluke due to the Hero being weakened by the Emperor's attack?
Why not put it to the test?" Lucian proposed with a seemingly innocent smile, his inner thoughts concealing a triumphant smirk.
Vampire Queen stared at Lucian, recognizing the skillful manipulation of his words.
She wanted to reject the proposal, but the doubtful expressions from the audience made it clear that Eli's perceived victory rested on the validity of Lucian's argument.
Sensing escalating tension and an unwanted test on the horizon, the Head Master intervened, "I am sorry to say this, King Lucian, but we already—"
"You mean... him," Lucian interrupted, pointing directly at Eli. He continued, "Standing for ten minutes and engaging in combat without weapons...
Oh, come on, Kayden, the Hero of Theos Kingdom, was attacked by an Emperor-ranked spell!
Do you truly believe a mere Domain rank can survive such an onslaught?"
Lucian's words sealed the Head Master's lips, leaving the audience to contemplate the potential disparities in the power scale.
"Head Master, you're well aware of how an Emperor Ranker fights, aren't you?
There wouldn't be a patch of land left standing..." Lucian continued, using his silver tongue to sway public opinion with a twist of words.
"Even if Asher Eli stood for an entire day, it wouldn't compare to the attack that Kayden suffered....
And of course, it was Kayden's mistake to play a video, but once the duel began, he merely sought to reveal the true nature of Asher Eli to the world.
So why target Kayden if there's no truth to it?
Even then, if it is true, why did Vampire Queen directly attack a Domain-ranked Hero instead of questioning the Head Master who leaked the video like a responsible ruler?" Lucian further spun his narrative, fostering doubt in the minds of the onlookers.
A collective frown settled over the audience, directed at Eli and Adriana.
Vampire Queen inwardly sighed, 'If she just had controlled her emotions better, the situation might not have escalated to this extent.... Sigh... Every Dog is barking at me now!!'
"What do you want, Lucian?" Vampire Queen asked, her patience wearing thin.
"Oh! Now you're looking at me correctly. It is simp—" Lucian began, intending to wrap his hands around Vampire Queen's neck, when,
"Hey!" Eli swiftly caught Lucian's hand and,
'Crack, Crack'
The bone-cracking sound reverberated through the silent arena, amplifying the already tense atmosphere.
Eli's red eyes transformed into a reddish-black hue..... revealing a glimpse of his true nature.
"DON'T. TOUCH. HER."
Eli's words echoed, and Adriana involuntarily flinched, recognizing the possessive gaze she had witnessed before.
'This is it!' Lilith screamed inwardly, sensing the strong surge of possessiveness from her husband she had yearned for.
Despite everything no one cared about the King of Theos Kingdom, Carter Theo's humiliation. Even he didn't care as if humiliation was nothing to him if it was Vampire Queen.