Emperor's Reckoning

The attention of the onlookers immediately shifted toward the blonde young man with a charming face that made his way toward the group that made some of the Crown winners raised one of their eyebrows. 

None of them dared to approach the beautiful women that were grouping by themselves yet. Perhaps someone with his kind of status could break the tension and opened the chance. Those that were unaware which group they belonged to put up a smile as they prepared themselves to wait after Russel.

"Fancy meeting you three here, and... looks like you have brought pretty friends with you," said Russel as he faked out a smile before looking at the rest of the group. 

"Oh... looks like young noble Russel know the ladies, great!" said one of the nobles as they observed from a certain distance.

"Hahaha, we need to wait first and let him have his pick, then we joined in," said another noble.

Luna was unfazed as the man stood in front of her. Her eyes didn't even look at him but not a word was said before someone's footsteps were heard and it's coming from behind her.

"I remember you, you are the one that led the search to Lyon's body back then in Mabia," said Aelina.

Lyon's disappearance and the destroyed room with the stench of blood caused almost the whole Deo to move in unison as if they were trying to bury Mabia. Russel's sudden appearance and the proclamation to be from the Treas family aid the search only to come to a sudden conclusion with their half-assed effort before something went on inside the meeting room where Luna confront him instead of his uncle, which was the principal of that time.

"That is correct, I must be blind since I don't see a beautiful princess such as yourself at the scene," said Russel. Though he was not as gullible as his father, some of the blood still runs in his veins.

"Correct? You mean by challenging my authority Russel?" the woman's voice caught him by surprise before he glanced at her.

"Sophia," he muttered her name.

"I still have not forgiven you for what you did back in Mabia, it was the world where I was supposed to take responsibility for whatever happened to the Crown winner," said Sophia with a hint of displeasing in her eyes.

"Heh, you should thank me that I aid you for the search, my cousin," said Russel as he took a glass from the walking maid that held a tray full of wine glasses.

"Thank you? I would if you didn't have any hidden agenda," said Sophia as the tension between the two intensified. 

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"Hidden agenda? What are you talking about haha," laughed Russel.

"You want to abuse your authority, your power, your fame, to capture Luna and the other two," said Sophia.

"Hah, now that you mention it, I almost forgot, I still haven't heard an apology from these three."

Karina clenched her fist as her anti-mana surged while Ryona didn't hold back and sent out her killing intent toward the blonde young man with a grin as she prepared to hack the man in two with her ax.

"Ryona, stop."

Ryona immediately canceled her intention the moment she heard those words. She knew who it was belonged to as she immediately turned around and excused herself.

Who else could it but the one she called overseer, Kyoko. The admin of the Labyrinth of Simak. The fox woman had permeated out a mysterious aura the moment she stepped into this world. She approached the young man under everyone's eyes before crossing her arms under her breasts. The white smoke from the pipe slowly fluttered as the tobacco turned a red hue.

Russel immediately fell into the allure of the mature beauty that Kyoko exuded. The beautiful fox woman was far from standard as her azure hair could captivate attention even if she didn't want to, especially those azure and ruby eyes of hers.

"Who are you?" asked Russel as the other young nobles also wanted to know.

"My name is not that important," answered Kyoko.

Russel raised his eyebrows as he looked at her with disbelief. He didn't need to look around to see that the nobles and notable youths of his peers were muttering condescending words about him. The sudden humiliation caught his face to scorn.

"How dare—"

"The lady doesn't want to share her name with you, why are you so agitated?" said Sophia before the latter immediately turned his glare toward the former.

"You!" he raised his eyebrows before taking a deep breath. If he lost his cool, he would have lost his reputation. He was not in his own house, acting all haughty would result against his favor. He raised his glass of wine to his lips before gulping it down under their eyes. After letting out the heat from his breath did he continued his words.

"Very well, but the offense they make shall be paid sooner or later," said Russel as he put the wine glass to the tray of another maid that was happened to pass by.

"Don't push your luck, dear cousin," smirked Sophia.

Russel's forehead creased as his eyebrows slightly furrowed but he kept his chin up as if he had the upper hand in the conversation.

"True, that is true, but you have no proof instead of your death guards which god knows where their bodies are at right now, but also their testaments could also not be trusted due to lack of proof that you instigated the whole matter in the meeting room," said Sophia.

Russel was surprised by Sophia's sphinx-like words. She herself said the words that Russel had prepared for the answer, (why is she taking a neutral stance now?).

"I'm not guarding them, instead, I don't need to."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he suddenly got an uneasy feeling from the smile of this cousin of his.

"You indulged in your own debauchery for many moons that you forgot to stay up to date, don't you? The man that you thought was dead is alive and well you know, Lyon that is."

"Hah?" Russel raised one of his eyebrows before he grinned and chuckled, "What does he being alive going to do?"

"Heh," Sophia smirked before she took a wine glass from a maid that was passing by. She didn't drink it, instead, she looked at her cousin before answering, "Go ask Kaiju Loh."

"Kaiju? What does he have anything to do with Lyon? Do I need to let you know that Kaiju still revered me?" said Russel.

"Hahaha," Sophia chuckled before she gave the wine glass to Russel. The power move made him taken back before she crossed her arms, "I'm sure you notice that he didn't win the Throne despite the hype, Yunesia did. However, do you know where he is right now?"

"Dead."

The word sent a jolt to his spine as his eyes opened wide in disbelief before his mouth twitched a smile. "Wha.. what? Hah, that was the weakest lie you ever performed."

"Lie? Hahaha, you can ask around if you want, test me if you will. However, I will let you know in advance, the one that killed Kaiju is this woman's man," said Sophia while pointing at Luna whose cheeks turned a slight red hue as she looked away trying to compose herself.

"And also...." Sophia shook her head before she smiled, "he will act despite your background, not even Kaiju with his senior tagging along escaped his wrath, let's see how many armies do you hold against the monster that could compete with our oldest cousin. He is coming for your head once he heard what happened. It was not the case of these women offending you, it's the case of you offending him."

She laid down the words and left him petrified with her wine glass in his hand. However, Sophia soon glanced back before she muttered, "you can ask Lady Yunesia, you know nobody could buy her off. I mean, how Kaiju died that is."

Russel was petrified as he stood in his place. He refused to believe such intimidation words would be true. However, he had not heard a single protest from the other youths. His eyes glanced at Sophia's back that was leaving the scene before he looked at his surrounding. Kaiju was not in the vicinity at all. The thunderstruck from the sky to the sea with a big flash as he started to walk toward his father. He made a harsh gulp as his eyes kept opened wide, he hastened his steps before asking.

"Father, is Kaiju, really dead?"

Borton looked at his son with grim furrowed eyebrows before he nodded. His pupils shrunken as Sophia's words lingered in his mind. 

'He is coming for your head.'

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