Amid the heavy storm, the royal palace was like a massive beast lurking within the darkness. Lamps were swaying in the strong winds, and servants pressed their bodies against the walls while walking along with difficulty, trying their best to complete their daily duties.
At this moment, on the top floor of the largest building deep within the royal palace complex, there was a figure standing before the window, looking out toward the northern region of the city.
The flickering light of the oil lamp illuminated the king’s stern face, as well as a black shadow standing behind him.
“Alex has appeared, and from his energy fluctuations, it appears that he’s no weaker than he was at his prime,” the black shadow spoke in a coarse voice that was filled with surprise.
Andre’s expression darkened slightly and his brows furrowed as he said, “So he really is alive, but how did he manage to recover? You told me that even if he wouldn’t die, he’d be a cripple for the rest of his life.”The black shadow was silent for a moment before asking, “Should I go and have a look?”
“There’s no need for that. If those idiots don’t have a backup plan and all six of their 10th-tier beings perish tonight, it’ll be a very positive outcome for us. Furthermore, they can’t afford to reveal their attempt to assassinate Irina, so they can only swallow this bitter pill.” Andre shook his head in response.
The black shadow fell silent again before musing, “But Seuss is involved in this matter as well. On top of that, if Alex really is alive and had recovered to his peak, then that could spell trouble for Josh as well.”
A cold smile appeared on Andre’s face as he said, “They deserve all of the trouble that comes to them. In their fight to inherit the throne, they’ve done a lot of shady things. They think that I’m oblivious to what they’re doing, but I’m not that senile yet! I’m still alive, and it’s necessary to teach them a lesson from time to time so they’re reminded of the fact that I’m still the king! I’ve been the king for so many years, and the Roth Empire has been steadily growing stronger under my reign. I’m not setting all of this up for them; if they want to inherit this powerful empire, they’ll have to earn that right. Besides, Alex is still a human, isn’t he? If he’s not dead, then just let him live.”
The storm seemed to have intensified, further accentuating the grim atmosphere within the palace.
The black shadow didn’t say anything, and Andre remained silent as well. He continued to cast his gaze toward the northern region of the city with his hands resting on the banister before him, looking as if he were waiting for something.
…Meanwhile, in the Wind Forest.
The normally tranquil and peaceful Tree of Life suddenly began to emit radiant green light, forming a beam of light that flashed through the air, flying into the distance toward the west.
Many elves emerged from their houses and looked on with bewilderment etched on their faces.
“Irina!”
Within a quiet hollow on a large tree, the elven queen opened her eyes, and a hint of concern and anxiety appeared on her face. In the blink of an eye, she had appeared at the top of the tree, looking on at the beam of green light hurtling toward the distance with a grave expression.
“How could this happen?”
Within the starry cave, Helena was staring at the star that had suddenly dimmed significantly, and her expression immediately changed.
Each and every star within the cave represented an elf. The brightest of those stars was the elven queen, while Irina’s was a close second.
However, the dazzling star had become extremely dim and lackluster, looking as if it were going to be snuffed out at any moment.
Helena turned her gaze toward the Tree of Life, and her brows furrowed tightly with concern.
This situation had only arisen once before three years ago, when Irina had suffered delivery complications when giving birth to Amy, resulting in a hemorrhage that had almost killed her. Thankfully, the blessings of the Tree of Life had saved her, but she still had had to rest and recuperate for three years before reemerging from the cave.
Now, Irina was situated in the faraway city of Rodu, and her star had dimmed, while the Tree of Life was also putting on a bizarre display. All of this suggested that she was in grave danger.
“That b*tch is finally going to die!”
Hetty was ecstatic as she looked up at the erratically flickering star.
Helena turned to Hetty, and a dangerous gleam flashed through her narrowed eyes as she asked in a cold voice, “What did you do?”
Hetty felt as if her entire body had been sealed in ice, and her legs gave out from under her as she knelt to the ground. Her expression was a little horrified, but also slightly deranged as she replied, “Mistress, I… I sent her a letter. That b*tch is far too abhorrent; she has no respect for you, and she killed Master Schubert; she deserves to die 1,000 deaths…”
Helena extended a hand toward Hetty, and the latter felt as if her neck had been caught in the grasp of a giant invisible hand. She was hoisted up from the ground until her feet were dangling in the air, following which Helena glared coldly at her, and asked, “You’re working with beings from foreign races to plot against Irina?”
Hetty’s face was turning pale from asphyxiation, but her eyes were still filled with a frenzied light as she said, “Mistress, I’m doing all of this for you! With Irina dead, you’ll be able to instate whomever you want as the new elven princess! When that time comes, the entire elven race will bow to you!”
“Shut up!”
A crisp slap sounded within the cave. Hetty’s head was almost detached from her neck by the force of the slap before she turned to face Helena again with an expression of horror and befuddlement.
Helena was absolutely furious as she yelled, “Do you know what Irina represents? She is the hope of our elven race for the next millennium! No elf can replace her, and no other elf can even hold a candle to her! You foolish swine, how dare you work with other races to plot against her? Are you trying to doom the entire elven race?!”
Hetty’s face had turned deathly pale, and she had almost passed out from oxygen deprivation. However, she wasn’t afraid of death; instead, she was horrified by Helena’s reaction. She was willing to die for Helena, but the last thing she wanted was to infuriate her mistress. “But… But she’s never respected you… I…”
“I want prosperity for the entire elven race; I want the entire Norland Continent to be filled with awe and veneration at the mere mention of our elven race. In comparison, whether she respects me or not is completely trivial. Even if she wants to kill me, I’ll do my best to keep her alive because she always has the best interests of the elven race at heart.” Helena glowered at Hetty before releasing her, sending her plummeting downward for over 10 meters, shattering innumerable bones amid a dull thud.
Helena looked up at the flickering star with a cold expression, and said, “If she dies, you can also die.”
…
A black shadow flashed into a tall pavilion, and informed, “Your Highness, we’ve just received further news from the fifth street: a third party has stepped in to derail our plan, and it appears to be Alex.”
Clink!
The golden goblet in Sean’s hand fell to the ground with a crisp clink.
“Are you sure it’s him?” Sean’s expression had become extremely strained, and even his voice was trembling slightly.
