CHAPTER 177: ANOTHER FORCE

Ethan was visibly shaken when there was actually an invisible hand operating under their watchful eyes.

Not even the Crown Prince was able to avoid their surveillance.

So who could it possibly be?

"I-It can’t be His Majesty, right?" Ethan asked in concern.

SWOOSH!

Almost immediately, a strand of mana was launched toward him.

Ethan was incapable of reacting as the stand of mana gave a small cut on his right cheek.

Despite being attacked, he didn’t dare to utter a single sound, much less show any anger or resentment.

After all, the one who launched the strand of mana was none other than Wesley.

"Speak such nonsense again. Don’t blame me for being merciless." Wesley warned sternly.

Even if it was in a private setting, to dare to accuse the Emperor of anything was tantamount to treason.

Not to mention, if the culprit was truly the Aldros Emperor, then they would have died without even knowing why.

"I was wrong, Lord Wesley." Ethan went on his knees and apologized. The shocking news of the letter, followed by the series of incidents, had ultimately caused his judgment to crack.

"You may leave now," Wesley gestured with his fingers. His dismissal was only meant as an instruction to investigate this unknown force.

This unknown force had managed to lurk in the dark for so long.

If it weren’t for the conclusive and extensive information in the letter that came to him, then Wesley would have still been a clueless bumpkin.

Naturally, the information was all verified and confirmed to be true.

He was not someone to blindly believe in something without fact-checking.

’To be able to maneuver the Crown Prince... the other Continent’s powers are eliminated. This means it’s one of the Houses that controls Valdoria.’ The Aldros Emperor wasn’t a suspect, but the House from which he hailed was a suspect.

House Aldros, the main bloodline of the Emperor, was the most likely suspect.

For the main bloodline to lose the Crown Prince’s position to a rumored incompetent and cowardly prince.

It would be a miracle to say there were no grudges between them.

If it were anywhere else, then Wesley truly couldn’t do anything except stay his hand.

But this is Velastra!

A unique city that combined multiple trades from all continents and was freed from the laws.

Wesley refused to lose his authority and influence, even if the opposing party was the main bloodline of the Emperor.

’So what if you have the backing of the Emperor. In Velastra, even the Emperor has to think thrice.’ Wesley clenched his fist secretly.

As Wesley struggled to confront this unknown force, back at the Fragrant Garden, Marquis Darius had awoken from the shock.

BANG!

Upon learning of the nobles’ betrayal, Darius’s face twisted into an ugly expression.

"Those vermin truly deserved death!" Darius hissed. Most of his Death Guards were slain, with only a few betrayed nobles accompanying them.

What made the situation infuriating was that some even harbored thoughts of killing him amidst his unconditional state.

Had it not been for the magic contract that compelled his Death Guards to fiercely protect him, then he might have really died.

BOOM!

Engaged, Darius kicked one of the deceased, betrayed nobles, directly causing them to implode on the spot.

"Since these people dared to backstab me, I have to return the gesture."

Darius then darted to a guard and commanded, "Tell the elite death guards to commence the purge."

Unfortunately, the guard held an uneasy expression.

"Hmm, are you trying to disobey me?" Darius’s eyes narrowed. After multiple setbacks, it would be a miracle if his emotion wasn’t easily triggered.

"That’s not it, Marquis." The guard trembled slightly and relayed the recent news to him.

A few minutes later, Darius’s pupils constricted. He staggered a few steps and caused some of the glass cups to fall.

Crack!

The cracking sound of the glasses reverberated through the room. Despite the sound and glass shards scattering across the floor, Darius was still in a dazed state.

’When did I order these fools to slander the Crown Prince?’ His hands kept shaking from shock. The momentum was clearly on the Crown Prince’s side, so who in their right mind wanted to become a spearhead?

Just based on the fact that Lord Wesley had kept quiet was enough that now was the time to lie low. Even if there was a rain of curses from those lowlives, it still wouldn’t affect them.

Moreover, he fainted for quite a while.

How could it be possible for those people in his rank to receive an order to defame and slander the Crown Prince?

Suddenly, like a bolt of thunder had struck him. Darius’s expression turned cold. He figured there was indeed another force that could falsify him to give the command.

’The first Prince, Kaelric Aldros... you’ve played a good hand.’ Darius slumped into the chair and held a lifeless expression.

The betrayed nobles had all flocked to the Royal Velastra Hotel by now. To commence the purge would only push him further toward death.

"My network’s gone, my influence wiped, and my army is inferior to the Crown Prince’s." He laughed hysterically. Without any warning or signal, he managed to fall so hard from grace.

As a major force in Velastra, he had officially been eliminated.

...

Royal Velastra Hotel

Shortly after making the speech and allowing the crowd to rest, Leonard returned to his suite alongside the others for further discussion.

"Wait a second, Crown Prince. Why are you saying the Marquis is still an ignorant clown?" Mirelle raised an eyebrow.

Thanks to Elise’s intel, they had managed to eradicate almost all the private bases that harbored Darius’s Death Guards.

With such motions, the Marquis should have known it was their action.

How could he still be an ignorant clown?

"You’ve misunderstood my implication." Leonard shook his head.

"The Marquis himself probably thought he was collaborating with my first brother. But how could my first brother be so foolish as to dabble in some banned substance?"