CHAPTER 140: REACHED

It took about four hours for them to reach their destination, a quiet region surrounded by lush greenery.

The Tower stood in the middle of nowhere, but as Emma had explained earlier, the silence was deceptive. Hundreds of guards and hidden traps protected the place from the shadows.

"Paranoid?" William muttered as they passed the third security checkpoint. They were allowed through because of Emma, but even then, they were questioned thoroughly, and their carriage was inspected from top to bottom.

Emma exhaled. "The Tower holds the records of the War. In the wrong hands, those documents could be twisted for all kinds of corrupt purposes. And on top of that, this place is a center of invention and innovation. Anyone can build whatever they can imagine, but whether those creations become tools for society or weapons of destruction is decided by Father and the council. So yes... the Tower is filled with secret knowledge and hundreds of devices that could destroy the world if misused."

William finally let out a breath. Hearing so many words from his usually calm lover was surprising.

He shook his head. "Didn’t expect you to get so worked up just because I called your father paranoid."

Emma’s cheeks reddened. "Are you implying something?"

William only smiled. "What do you think?"

Emma huffed. "I was just clearing the misunderstanding. Anyway, we’re here."

He couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her reaction.

Beside her, Nana giggled as she watched her big sister blush.

"You little... are you making fun of me too?" Emma playfully glared at the girl, who only laughed harder.

Before long, William stepped out of the carriage and helped the two ladies down.

"Hmm?" William paused at the entrance of the tall building. Several other carriages were lined up outside.

"They’re from the Capital," Emma said, urging him to look at the emblem engraved on their sides.

The golden lion. The Empire’s crest.

"What are they doing here?" William asked. An unpleasant feeling crept up his spine.

Emma sighed. "People from the Empire visit Father often—some familiar, some not. Let’s just go inside for now."

William nodded and picked Nana up since the staircase was tall for her. As they climbed, a large group of guards came into view. Most of them wore the Capital’s insignia.

When Emma and William stepped forward, one of the imperial soldiers blocked them. "Wait. Where do you think you’re going?"

The Tower guards stepped in immediately and bowed. "Welcome back, Young Lady."

Hearing that, the imperial soldier realized the mistake he’d made and bowed deeply. "Forgive my rudeness, young miss. I failed to recognize you."

Emma rolled her eyes and walked on. "Let’s go, William."

William shook his head in disappointment and stepped forward—only for another imperial soldier to grab his shoulder sharply.

"Forgive me, young lady, but no one except you is allowed to enter the Tower. By ord—"

SLASH.

The world froze.

Something hit the ground with a wet thud. A severed arm. Blood sprayed across the stone like a burst pipe.

"GAAHHH!" the soldier screamed as he collapsed, pale and shaking.

William looked down at him. "Be very mindful of who you touch."

The surrounding soldiers lifted their spears instantly. Nana only stared at them, unbothered by the blood.

Before any of them could move, a cold wave of aether crashed over the group like an iceberg. A chilling voice followed behind it.

"You dare raise your weapon against my guest? Have you forgotten this is not your territory?"

Emma’s voice froze every soldier on the spot. They exchanged uneasy glances.

Then the wounded man, fueled by rage and pain, suddenly lunged at William. "You basta—!"

He never finished. An invisible force slammed into him and sent him flying toward the forest like a ragdoll, disappearing into the trees.

The soldiers finally lost their composure and charged at William—only to freeze in place.

Literally.

Thick ice crawled up their legs and locked them to the ground. They struggled, unable to take even a single step. A calm yet sharp voice cut through the tension.

"Did you not hear the girl? This is not the Capital where you can do whatever you want."

William turned toward the woman who had stepped out of the Tower. Her short red hair was tied into a neat bun, and her amber eyes burned with anger as she glared at the immobilized soldiers.

Emma’s expression softened instantly. "Aunt Ness!"

She hurried forward and wrapped her arms around the woman.

The red-haired woman—Ness—returned the hug with a gentle smile. "How have you been, little pea? You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you."

Emma chuckled as she pulled back. "You just wanted to say that, didn’t you?"

Ness scratched the back of her head, laughing. "Yeah, I did." Her gaze drifted to William and the small child in his arms.

Emma returned to William’s side. "Will, this is my dad’s personal guard, and the one who taught me sorcery when I lived here. Her name is Venessa. And Aunt Ness, this is William... my boyfriend."

Venessa’s eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him, but only for a moment. She then gestured toward the entrance.

"Well, why don’t you all come inside first?"

William stepped forward behind Emma as Venessa led them inside.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the air changed.

The interior of the Tower was nothing like its quiet, isolated exterior. The entrance hall stretched upward for several floors, the ceiling lost somewhere in the dim glow of suspended lanterns that floated like slow-moving stars. Rows of towering bookshelves lined the walls, each carved from dark, polished wood and filled with ancient tomes sealed in protective glass.

Intricate runes pulsed faintly along the marble floor, responding to the presence of newcomers with a soft blue shimmer. The entire place hummed with restrained power, as if countless spells slept beneath the surface, waiting to be awakened.

Nana’s eyes sparkled as she looked around, absorbing everything with quiet eagerness.

William could feel several noises from around, people who were quite the thinkers.

He hadn’t come across any place as lively as this one, even though around the place everyone worked quietly.

’Staying here for days would either make me a genius or crazy.’ He wryly smiled.

Just then, Venessa glanced back at them, her amber eyes warm now instead of cold.

"Come. Your father is waiting upstairs, Emma."

William took a deep breath and with Emma alongside him, they stepped toward the main hall where his future father-in-law waited.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you are enjoying the story so far.