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Chapter 306: The Larson Family’s Confusion
The elders could only look at their family’s patriarch in silence, equally baffled by the princess’s sudden and unexpected change. The devils had assured them that once the princess announced Flamecrest as the sinner, the Larsons would deliver a fatal blow to Flamecrest. Even if Flamecrest wanted to resist the accusation, they would be powerless against the combined forces of the many nobles and the imperial family.
Once Flamecrest had no way out, it would only be a matter of time before they collapsed, and their position was taken by the Larsons. With Flamecrest gone, the only remaining threat to their family would be the imperial family. However, with the princess on their side, they would have the imperial family’s support. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the devils’ plan.
However, what they heard from Flamecrest City yesterday was truly ridiculous and had made Grand Duke Larson angrier than ever before. The first thing he heard after emerging from a week of seclusion this morning was the princess was suddenly not following the script, and there was other news that seemed utterly absurd—news that Flamecrest had attacked the Boraz Fortress and secretly destroyed it. Many were shocked upon hearing this, as the news struck like a sudden thunderclap on a sunny day.
How could a fortress that had stood for millions of years and served as an obstacle to the empire’s attacks on devil territory fall in just one day? And to think it was brought down by the Flamecrest family’s power alone! With this news coinciding with the princess’s announcement on the same day, Flamecrest was enjoying momentum like never before. Many began congratulating the Flamecrest family on their glory and success.
The Flamecrest family’s status soared, and now even the imperial family would have to step back in acknowledgment of what the Flamecrest had accomplished. After this event, there was no way the devils’ plan could work against them anymore. If they continued pushing the devils’ agenda, it might be seen as suspicious, leading the masses to speculate and create rumors that would ultimately favor the Flamecrest instead.
"How in the hell could they have destroyed the Boraz Fortress?! Do we not have any spies in the area who saw any movement from the Flamecrest forces crossing the border?"
"Our spies didn’t see any movement, my lord. We’ve already questioned all of them, and their answers are the same. Even the locals reported seeing nothing unusual," one of the elders replied.
"Then, are you telling me the Flamecrest destroyed the fortress with so few men that no one noticed even the smallest sign of their presence?!" Grand Duke Larson shouted, his voice shaking the entire room. His middle Emperor-stage cultivation aura spread, causing the elders to feel immense pressure.
Taking down a fortress that housed Emperor-stage devils and thousands of troops would require significant resources and a large number of troops. Yet, they hadn’t seen any movement like that yesterday or even in the days before. The idea that a small team of cultivators could have destroyed the fortress was dismissed, as it seemed utterly impossible.
"Useless bunch! Execute all the spies in that area. What use are they if they can’t even detect something as big as troop movements?!" Grand Duke Larson ordered. An elder stood up and rushed outside to carry out the command.
The grand duke then sent a message to his temple while deep in thought. With all the plans having failed and the Flamecrest at the peak of their momentum, he couldn’t find any opening to attack them. He gritted his teeth, realizing he needed to understand what went wrong with the plans before he could make his next move. Something strange had happened for the devil’s plan to fail, and the sudden fall of the Boraz Fortress only added to the mystery. He lacked the information he needed to piece it all together.
"Everyone, get out!" the grand duke shouted, and the elders immediately left the room in an orderly manner. Once they were gone, Grand Duke Larson leaned back in his seat and after a few moments, he took out a communication artifact.
"I need to ask something," he said. Not long after, a man entered the room. He immediately addressed the grand duke without any courtesy.
"What is it?" His tone held no respect, and his eyes glinted with slight contempt. However, Grand Duke Larson ignored this as he asked his question.
"Is there nothing from your side to explain what’s going on?"
"We still don’t know much. This matter is still under investigation, and I can’t say anything more."
"Are the devils also caught off guard by this?"
"Like I said, I don’t know. We’re still waiting for confirmation about what happened with the Flamecrest family," the man replied. They fell silent as the grand duke thought for a moment and sighed.
"Then, do the devils have another plan after this?"
"We haven’t decided yet."
Hearing this, Grand Duke Larson sighed again.
"Alright, I understand. Please let me know if there’s any development and if we need to take any action."
After that, the man left without looking back at the grand duke. The grand duke didn’t mind the lack of respect from the man. Although his cultivation was lower, the man was actually the bridge between him and the devils.
That man was the devils’ envoy, placed by their side to assist with the Larson family’s operations. Right now, many powerful devils were stationed within their territory, ready to mobilize if needed. Thanks to them, the Larson family had a hidden trump card.
However, in return, the devils demanded a base within the Vindas Empire as a hub for their operations. He was the one who had accepted the devils’ whispers and was now working with them, so he couldn’t complain about their lack of respect. After all, it was he who needed them to achieve his goals. Furthermore, because of their plan, the Larson family now had greater strength, bolstered by the support of the imperial family—something that would have been difficult to achieve alone.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sides, so he saw nothing wrong with it. In this time of prophecy, which seemed to be drawing near, he chose to side with the winner. He was one of those who feared the uncertain results of the prophecy, knowing it could be devastating for his life and family. Only after working with the devils did he finally understand why such a prophecy existed. The devils’ influence had already spread throughout the empire, and he had no doubt that other empires had been infiltrated by them as well.
If the scale of infiltration was the same as it had been in the Vindas Empire, chaos would soon spread across the continent once the time was right. It would be no surprise if darkness engulfed the land. With so many traitors and devils in each empire, it would be impossible to contain them once they began their attacks.
"Yes, I just want to survive, to ensure my family’s survival in the future," Grand Duke Larson thought.
"I will be the last one laughing in the end." His eyes gleamed with confidence, certain that his choice was the right one.
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After a few hours of conversation, Aldrian and Aldrey were finally done. Aldrey stood up, clearly ready to leave the room.
"Ah, you’d better be careful. After this, the elders will likely find out about you. I’ve already spread your face drawing to the city guard captains, which is why they can find you and report back to me. The elders will probably match your drawing with the descriptions they got from the people you saved at the Boraz and come looking for you. The only reason I’m the first one to know about you is because I saw you in the city plaza yesterday, and my instincts played a big part in this," Aldrey said to his son proudly.
"It’s okay, Father. Let them come. I think it’s also good because I can use them in the future. When your relationship with Mother comes to light, they can be useful to help you if needed," Aldrian replied.
Aldrey nodded and sighed.
"Aish, I want to talk to you more, but I’m afraid this has already gone on too long and is attracting attention from your grandfather. I can already imagine all the questions he’ll have for you. And I want to meet your group, especially my future daughter-in-law," Aldrey said with a teasing tone. He was truly amazed by Aldrian, to think he could make the princess of the Ivory Empire his woman.
Of course, he already knew about the famous Princess Sylphia of the Ivory Empire, who had attracted many men because of her beauty. Who wouldn’t want the elven princess as their wife? He had seen her a long time ago when he visited the Ivory Empire and met with their emperor. He’d heard that they were strict with outsiders, but to think that the emperor would allow his daughter to journey with his son...
Aldrey could only take pride in his son’s ability. No woman could escape his son’s handsomeness and charisma!
"It’s okay, father. There will be more chances in the future. In fact, after the issues within the empire are resolved, we can meet more freely," Aldrian said.
Aldrey sighed again and smiled at Aldrian. "Alright, take care of yourself. Remember, whatever you do, your safety is the most important."
"I will, father." Aldrian answered. After that, Aldrey left the room, leaving Aldrian alone.
Aldrian continued smiling even after his father was gone, glad that he had finally been able to meet and talk with his father face to face. After a moment of happiness, he decided to continue walking through the city. His mood was excellent, and he felt that today would bring something interesting!
