Chapitre 78: The Betrayal (1)

In an instant, three days flew by. In the Sundance Capital, excitement and celebration were in the air. The day had come for the king to announce his successor and the anticipation had been building for a considerable time. People swiftly dressed up and flocked to the city square, eager to witness the live broadcast of the events unfolding in the Royal Palace. The air was filled with cheers and joy as the crowd awaited this long-awaited moment.

The entire town was adorned with flags supporting their preferred candidate for the next queen or king. With bated breath, they patiently awaited the arrival of their idol, Princess Vina, at the palace. At exactly twenty minutes past eleven, her carriage came to a halt at the entrance, and she descended gracefully. Accompanying her were a young lady and a young man, presumably her bodyguards. However, another young man emerged from the carriage, standing beside the Princess. He gallantly accepted her hand, and together they entered the palace. His distinct hair color captured everyone's attention, but the spotlight remained on the Princess.

As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, chants erupted from every direction. The crowd fervently cheered for their hero and the future queen. Despite feeling anything but happy at that moment, Rasoul had advised her to act normal. Therefore, she began waving at her fans with a fake smile plastered on her face. Though her true emotions contradicted the facade, she understood the importance of putting on a show for the greater good.

They proceeded at a measured pace into the palace, the venue for the impending main event. Numerous princes and princesses were in attendance. Upon catching sight of Princess Vina, a myriad of emotions played across their faces – hatred, admiration, jealousy, and joy. Each had their own agenda, but she harbored no trust for any of them. The only individual she confided in was currently being prepared to attend an event designed to harm her best friend.

Soon, officials began to approach the Princess, engaging in early conversations that aimed to secure their futures in the event of her becoming the Queen.

The first person to approach was a man in his forties, who introduced himself as Sir Edmond Lot, the leader of the Lot Merchant Guild. Vina politely curtsied before responding with the words the man anticipated, "I will be sure to remember your name when I become the queen."

The man beamed from ear to ear, satisfied with what he had achieved, and politely stepped back. Others followed suit with the same intention, and Princess Vina, true to her strategy, accommodated them all. She approached each interaction with a deliberate mindset, engaging in brief conversations before decisively cutting things short.

*****

As all this unfolded, a group of ten individuals convened behind closed doors to discuss the impending event.

"If our intelligence is accurate, then the white-haired youth must be the Master Realm cultivator who vanquished the Great Beast. The order we received suggests that the Supreme One won't be an ordinary cultivator. He fits the profile perfectly. To ensure we don't overlook anyone, we must eliminate him first before turning our attention to other prodigies out there," declared the leader of the group.

"But how do we plan to separate him from the Princess? He seems to be guarding her closely," another member of the group inquired.

"That won't be a problem; we'll have the perfect opportunity to eliminate both him and the Princess. I'm confident that after today, we can openly take out anyone without repercussions. Let's move quickly so we don't miss out on the thrilling part," the leader declared with an unwavering anticipation in his voice.

"This is excellent news for us. Soon, we'll be celebrated as heroes of the Kingdom. Our days of conquering the human empire are on the horizon," one of them remarked with a cheerful expression.

"I initially thought this mission would be dull, but with the way things are unfolding, it seems we'll have more fun than I anticipated," the leader added, wearing a broad smile.

Turning to Vira, he reassured, "Fear not, girl. You will be reunited with your lover very soon."

Tears streamed down Vira's face. She knew there was no one coming to rescue them. Even if Rasoul and his crew couldn't save themselves, it seemed impossible for them to save her.

*****

As time passed, the entire venue filled up, and before long, the king made his entrance.

A tall and dignified man in his early fifties, the king possessed a strong and weathered face, complemented by a well-groomed salt-and-pepper beard. His piercing blue eyes exuded wisdom, each step he took resonating with the authority befitting a king. His majestic aura unmistakably marked him as royalty, with the unmistakable presence of royal blood coursing through his veins.

Carefully advancing towards the podium, he initiated his speech.

"Good afternoon, citizens. I stand before you today as your king to announce my next successor, but before I do that, there's something else I must address," he declared, pausing for a few moments before continuing.

"What I am about to reveal may come as a shock to you all, but it is the truth," he said before continuing.

"Ten years ago, the archaeologists of this kingdom uncovered an ancient ruin that once belonged to the last emperor. For those who may not be aware, the human empire, prior to dividing into seven kingdoms, existed as a vast empire ruled by an emperor. In his era, the human empire stood as one of the most formidable races in the world. We thrived and were powerful,"

"But after the Axiom War and his fall, the empire weakened. The division into seven kingdoms further diminished its strength. It was a dark period for us. However, thanks to the protective Array guarding our borders, no external force could invade us,"

"Ten years ago, upon the discovery of this ruin, I initiated plans to explore its secrets. Regrettably, the site was sealed. After a thorough examination, it became evident that only those with Godblood flowing through their veins could gain access. Hence, I began the quest to find such an individual. I had a firm belief that if we could unlock the secrets within the ruin, we would uncover treasures that could elevate our kingdom and the entire empire to unprecedented heights," he revealed.

"But even as I labored to benefit my kingdom, the second queen at that time conspired with an organization known as the Dark Order to seize power from us. This secret group operates across all over the seven kingdoms.

When I discovered their treachery, I confronted her. However, before I could extract any information, she poisoned herself and perished, but not before inflicting injuries upon me in the process. Since then, I've been in seclusion,"

"The reason I bring this to light is that three days ago, we uncovered that Princess Vina and her maid were conspiring with enemy kingdoms to invade and seize the ruin from us. While we captured the maid, Princess Vina escaped with the assistance of a group of spies known only as the Supreme Nexus," he revealed.

"Naturally, she was unaware that we were privy to her plot. So, I orchestrated this event to draw her out and put an end to this once and for all. The Sundmace kingdom didn't flourish all these years only to be brought to ruin by a mere princess. The kingdom we all hold dear cannot be easily destroyed by the machinations of a princess. We are stronger than that," he asserted, his demeanor showing signs of hate toward the innocent Princess.

"I understand that many of you desired Princess Vina as your next queen, but the kingdom's well-being must take precedence. While I could entertain the belief that she could change and start anew, my doubts about her ability to do so linger. She was fully aware of her actions, yet she proceeded with her treachery. If not for the covert protectors we have within our kingdom, her actions could have led to our swift destruction at the hands of our enemies," he emphasized.

As soon as he concluded his speech, nine hooded individuals entered the hall, escorting Vira. Her hands were bound behind her back, and a gag muffled her voice. The room's temperature noticeably dropped a few degrees.

"Vira!!!" The Princess exclaimed upon seeing her maid barely holding on. She instinctively wanted to rush towards her, but Lara held her back.

The nine figures that entered the hall were all Peak Sages, emanating an aura that seemed capable of suffocating everyone present. As they took their places, the king turned back to his people and resumed speaking.

"I understand that many of you might find this hard to believe, but these individuals were trained in secret by our previous king to safeguard the kingdom from the shadows. They are the ones who uncovered this plot and brought it to my attention," the king explained.

"Princess Vina utilized her charity work as a guise to infiltrate spies from other kingdoms into ours. Her apparent mission to save all orphans in the empire was merely a front for her betrayal of the kingdom. She wasn't the virtuous figure you all believed her to be," the king disclosed.

"We will execute these traitors today to send a message to anyone harboring intentions that would harm the Kingdom. Sundance Kingdom does not tolerate traitors," the king declared sternly.

"We will also hunt down her other accomplices and eliminate them all. This time, there will be no loose ends, as was the case ten years ago. We will purge them entirely, and once that is accomplished, we will find a way to access the ruin and seize the riches and knowledge it holds," the king proclaimed with determination.

Lara, Rasoul, Princess Vina, and everyone in attendance were left in a state of disbelief. The king had woven a plot so convincingly solid that it seemed as though nothing under the heavens could save them. Rasoul, sensing the setup, began contemplating plans for retreat when a system message suddenly reached him.

Ding...

[Quest of Betrayal Recived]

[First Quest: Save the Princess Reputation and Restore her Faith in her People]

[Rewards:]

>>890,000,000 Fire Points

>>300,000 Attribute Points

>>100,000,000 Spirit Stones

>>Devil Fruit

>>4 Hidden Reward

>>2 Ability Upgrade Pass

[Second Quest: Kill The Ten Peak Sages]

[Rewards:]

>>1,000,000,000 Fire Points

>>500,000 Attribute Points

>>900,000,000 Spirt Stones

>>Legendary Rank Dual Swords

>>10 Hidden Rewards

>>5 Ability Upgrade Pass.

'Wait, did you just say ten? Where is the tenth person...' Rasoul thought inwardly, but before he could exercise caution, a figure materialized behind him and drove a dagger straight into his heart.

"Nooooooooooooo..." Lara's exclamation echoed through the hall.

The entire place fell into an eerie silence as Rasoul's lifeless body crumpled to the ground. The ten sages finally appeared and ended Rasoul's life.

The sage prepared to move and target the Princess, but before he could make a move, a series of claps echoed throughout the hall, accompanied by a voice.

CLAP! CLAP!! CLAP!!!

"That was a great performance, even for a king...

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