Chapter 194: Sudden Murderous Intent

Clante Hahn’s sudden revelation sent a ripple of commotion through the gathered nobles. While the high-ranking aristocrats could easily discern the absurdity of his claims, the majority, limited by their narrow horizons and lack of intelligence, took his words as gospel.

Under these circumstances, Clante did not need every noble to believe him; he only required a momentary shock, a brief window of surprise to sway their votes toward his family.

He cared little for the seats on the Council of Elders, as he was well aware that those spots were already spoken for.

As a merchant, he treated this re-election assembly merely as a stage to showcase his family and the Golden Rain Alliance.

His goal was simple: to build his alliance’s reputation, attract more investors, and thereby bolster his family’s influence.

As for invoking Wang Yu’s name? That had been planned long ago. Though Wang Yu had refused an alliance previously, it was a fact that he had visited Wang Yu’s home. Since no outsider knew what had transpired behind closed doors, he was free to spin whatever narrative he pleased.

He did not worry about the potential fallout from exploiting Wang Yu. He was certain that Wang Yu could do nothing to him. This was the Royal City, where one had to abide by the kingdom’s laws, and Wang Yu, lacking any real backing, was nothing more than a formal knight with a bit of status.

The threshold for killing a noble was the strength of a Grand Knight—like that black-smoke entity from before. Even that formidable creature had been crippled by Shuggin Smoke of the Night’s Blade. Such feats were not easily replicated.

Wang Yu lacked the raw power and the connections to exert influence on other levels; he posed no threat to the Hahn family or the Golden Rain Alliance.

Still, Clante did not mind offering Wang Yu a few crumbs, hoping the man would recognize the reality of the situation and refrain from acting irrationally.

Clante Hahn cast a glance toward Wang Yu, who remained impassive, a faint, imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

Wang Yu’s reaction was satisfying; he had not stood up to denounce the partnership, nor had he shown any sign of indignant rage.

He seemed a rational fellow, likely already contemplating how to navigate their relationship.

Clante waited for the murmurs of the lower nobles to subside, bowed, and stepped down after requesting their votes.

Then came the voting process—a simple, time-honored tradition. Royal representatives held up the crests of noble families in sequence, and the nobles below raised their hands in a show of support. It was an elementary method, yet effective and long-standing.

As crests were raised, hands went up in turn. The high nobles cast few votes, their seats already secured, while Wang Yu naturally cast his for the Ryder family.

Voting for a high noble was essentially a declaration of neutrality, a refusal to join this particular game of "aristocratic socializing."

The subsequent votes became a chaotic affair as nobles cast their lots for their preferred allies. The assembly would later allow time for these prospective partners to discuss the finer details.

The Hahn family, as expected, garnered a significant number of votes. It seemed that the prospect of partnering with the Night’s Blade—an organization that had always remained detached from the major powers—was an irresistible lure.

Wang Yu sat silently, pondering how to handle the situation, eventually concluding that he truly had no good way to deal with Clante.

His own background was effectively non-existent. Shael and Edward were friends, but as heirs yet to inherit their houses, their true influence was limited.

Zieg, Shuggin, and the Night’s Blade could not serve as his direct shield; they could only offer a modicum of protection, as the organization never involved itself in power struggles.

As for Wang Yu himself, his strength was mediocre, and his status had stalled due to his short time in the city and his lack of ambition.

"Well, there's really nothing I can do to target him. Fine, I'll be pragmatic. I'll just find a way to squeeze some benefits out of this. I can't stand this Royal City anymore. Damn it, once the war between Alastair and Sewentan ends, I’m leaving. Whoever wants to play these games can have at it. I’m done."

Wang Yu curled his lip, his anger gradually dissipating. He was a practical man; since he couldn't take Clante down, he might as well extract some compensation. If they were "partners," then they ought to show some courtesy.

As for the Council seats or the messy implications of the alliance, Wang Yu decided to ignore them. He was free, unburdened by such concerns. Once the war settled and he had his fill of the Royal City, he would simply walk away.

With that thought, his frustration vanished completely. He would tell Zieg and the others to issue a denial on behalf of the Night’s Blade, ensuring the organization wasn't dragged into this web of aristocratic scheming.

Watching Clante chat merrily with those around him, Wang Yu remained indifferent, waiting for the assembly to conclude.

When the time came, the nobles finished their negotiations and alliances, departing the palace with varying degrees of satisfaction, regret, or fury.

Clante was no different; he had secured numerous agreements that would surely elevate his family’s influence to new heights.

With a beaming smile, he exited the hall, where his father, the current head of the Hahn family, was waiting in the corridor.

"Well done, today."

The elder Hahn patted his son’s shoulder, clearly satisfied with his performance. Clante’s cunning, boldness, and eloquence had secured many vital partnerships.

"Thank you, Father. I believe that with our combined efforts, the Hahn family will become one of the great houses of the Royal City." Clante replied with a matching smile.

"Excellent. You have ambition, but never forget how we built this family. Those things still need time to be buried. Do not be impatient, my child. After I am gone, and time has buried our past in the corners of memory, that is when you shall truly lead the Hahn family to glory."

As he draped an arm around his son, the elder’s words were whispered into Clante’s ear.

Clante shuddered, the reminder of his family’s dark history hardening his resolve to shed the shadows of the past.

For that, he would stop at nothing.

"I understand, Father. Our family will not remain on the fringes of power forever. As for the past, let it be exactly that—the past."

Clante promised firmly. His father patted his back in satisfaction, and the two walked out of the palace together.

"Wait, Father. I need to handle that member of the Night’s Blade I mentioned."

Just outside the palace, Clante spotted Wang Yu waiting in the distance with his arms crossed. Wang Yu’s gaze was fixed squarely on him, and Clante decided to see what the man wanted.

"Go ahead. I will wait for you here."

The elder nodded, watching his son approach Wang Yu. This, too, was a test.

Leveraging the name of the Night’s Blade required skill to manage. He would see if his son had the capacity to lead the Hahn family out of its cage.

Clante walked toward Wang Yu, stopping at a respectful distance. "Lord Wang Yu, you seem to have business with me, yes?"

"Yes. I think you owe me an explanation, don't you?"

Wang Yu’s tone was flat, his eyes devoid of emotion, lending his words an unexpectedly aggressive edge.

"As partners, surely we don't need to be so formal..." Clante’s heart skipped a beat. Wang Yu hadn't made a scene during the assembly, so why approach him now? He was being rather tactless.

"Indeed. So, as partners, shouldn't you show some... appreciation?"

The words were still calm, but Wang Yu held out his hand, palm upward. The meaning was unmistakable.

"That? Of course." Clante froze for a moment. As a man of the world, he immediately grasped Wang Yu’s intent.

He hadn't expected Wang Yu to approach him for this. He had feared a confrontation, but it turned out to be a simple shakedown.

This was easy. It seemed the man knew how to read the room. Clante didn't mind offering a few more benefits later on.

With a genuine smile, Clante pulled a magic crystal card from his pocket and handed it over.

"A small token of my sincerity. Please, Lord Wang Yu, accept these five thousand gold coins as a gift for our esteemed partner. I hope our cooperation will be long and prosperous."

Clante performed a polite aristocratic bow, smiling with satisfaction. Using a bit of gold to silence Wang Yu and prevent him from pursuing the matter of the misused name was a bargain.

"Hmm." Wang Yu nodded and turned to leave.

Clante didn't mind the slight rudeness; resolving what he had feared might be a troublesome issue put him in high spirits.

He hadn't expected Wang Yu to be this kind of person. Had he known, he wouldn't have bothered preparing other contingencies.

As Wang Yu walked away, he felt the weight of the crystal card. Five thousand gold coins—even to someone like him, who wasn't exactly destitute, it was a small fortune. New alchemical weapons, more potent potions—the possibilities were endless.

Wang Yu had no interest in the power struggles of the nobles; he cared nothing for the things they coveted. If he had the power to crush a disgusting creature like Clante, he would have done so without hesitation.

But since he lacked that power for now, he would settle for this. As a practical man, turning these trivialities into tangible benefits was the best course of action.

He didn't intend to stay in the Royal City anyway. He would leave in due time. The world was vast, far greater than the small human kingdom of Alastair.

He noticed Edward and Shael jogging toward him in the distance; it seemed his two friends were quite concerned about Clante’s claims.

Behind him, Clante walked toward his father with a smile. Everything was going smoothly. Once he reached agreements with his new allies, he would...

"Hmm?" Clante suddenly felt his feet leave the ground. His father’s expression shifted from pride to sheer, petrified horror. What was happening?

Before the question could fully form in his mind, a sharp, agonizing pain and the fading of his consciousness struck simultaneously. He felt no suffering before the end.

A small, black vortex appeared in the air behind him. A hand wreathed in black smoke pierced through his torso, his heart vanishing in an instant. Before Clante could even process the event, he was dead.

The one-armed, smoke-wreathed entity stood up from behind the fallen corpse, fixing its gaze upon the current head of the Hahn family—Clante’s father—who stood frozen in absolute, trembling terror.

"How... how dare you show your face here? The royal wards are capable of obliterating you in a heartbeat. What is it you intend to do?"

Sensing he had been marked as the target, the patriarch of House Hahn was gripped by a frantic, suffocating terror. Facing this humanoid silhouette of black smoke, a creature that had already claimed the lives of several nobles, he found his mind racing with grim realizations about the entity’s true purpose.

The death of his son had not pierced the armor of his feigned affection; he was consumed only by the cold, trembling dread for his own threatened existence.

"Some things are never forgotten by time..."

For the first time since emerging within the royal capital, the black smoke figure spoke. It sounded like a gramophone with a jammed needle—a wretched, grating noise, choked with static and white noise, rendering the original timbre of the voice utterly unrecognizable.

"Do you have a death wish? This is walking straight into a snare. Your presence here—"

The patriarch stammered, his voice fracturing as he attempted to persuade the entity to let him go. But before he could finish, the figure, moving with the preternatural speed of a Great Knight, bridged the short distance in what seemed like a blink, seizing the patriarch by the throat and hoisting him into the air.

"It matters not. I have no desire to live either. Let us perish together..." The strange, toneless voice echoed, delivering the entity’s final response.

The sequence unfolded with jarring abruptness; no one had time to react. The figure had appeared, dispatched Crant in a heartbeat, and, after a single sentence, had snatched the patriarch of House Hahn.

The surrounding Great Knights surged forward with desperate speed, but distance was their enemy; the smoke-wreathed figure was swifter.

Wang Yu could only turn in astonishment, catching the sight of the patriarch being lifted into the air.

Edward and Charles stood with eyes dilated in shock, staring at the one-armed silhouette, though a flicker of complex emotion suddenly crossed Charles’s gaze, as if he had perceived something hidden.

Within Wang Yu’s field of vision, the black smoke shrouding the figure dissipated slightly, and the materialized magic circle atop the palace suddenly accelerated its rotation. A surge of mana, vast as a tidal wave, swept across the plaza—a terrifying power that even those without a shred of magical talent could feel in their marrow.

The palace’s defensive system had been triggered...

"Halt! Take him alive! Shut down the magic circle!"

"Impossible! When we commissioned the Stevenson Academy to build this, the requirement was to leave no chance for error once an intruder was confirmed—to eradicate the threat instantly. It cannot be stopped."

"Damn it!"

The two mages responsible for the array bickered in vain. The black smoke figure had stripped away the veil of concealment from its own form, forcing the palace’s formidable autonomous defense system to lock onto it. The outcome was already sealed.

Boom. A blinding, thick pillar of lightning descended from the colossal, materialized magic circle in the sky, reducing the black smoke figure and the patriarch of House Hahn in its grip to nothing but fine, drifting dust.