abcnovels
Chapter 274 - 274 Elaire
Chapter 274 - 274 Elaire
274 Elaire
Before William could give an answer over the price, the door of the hall was thrust open.
Both he and the other party turned their heads, as a well-dressed young man strode in, surrounded by guards. He was a noble from Platinum Province, with a high jaw and long hooked nose, making him look sinister. His golden hair was tied into a bun, showing off his pure Kos bloodline.
It was obvious that this was a noble from Platinum Province.
The man walked to the center of the hall, ignoring William and bowing patronizingly to Floral.
“Your Grace…”
Although he spoke respectfully, William didn’t hear any respect in his tone.
“I’m sorry for interrupting your conversation, but there are some important matters that require your attention.”
Floral replied calmly, “If you were truly sorry, you wouldn’t have barged in like this.”
She turned her gaze to the guards following the noble and added, “And there’s no need for the Obliteration Tower monks to come along. Elaire Kos, is this a threat against me?”
William was drawn to the guards following the noble.
The black-robed guards were as quiet as ghosts, making no noise as they walked. Their faces couldn’t be seen and they didn’t seem to breathe.
They were definitely not living beings, but they didn’t look like the dead.
William used a simple detection spell and came to the odd conclusion that they had no life force, but no traces of necromancy magic either.
Elaire maintained a fake smile and replied, “I heard you were in the reception room and rushed over when I couldn’t find you there. That’s the problem with magic chanters, they’re always moving.”
As he spoke, he turned to look at the black-robed guards behind him and continued,
“As for threats, I can assure you that I don’t have any such intentions. Anyway, the guards are here because Ambassador Albert was worried about my safety. He insisted they come along, and I couldn’t refuse his orders. If you want to blame someone, I can convey your intentions to him when I’m back.”
“There’s no need. Let’s get down to business. What brings you here?” Floral said coldly.
Elaire wasn’t in a hurry to bring up his business, instead turning to William.
“Although I don’t know who your guest is, can you kindly ask your guest to leave?”
“No need to hide anything from him. Speak freely,” the person on the throne replied.
William believed that Floral was showing her genuine willingness to cooperate.
However, the other party was clearly not pleased with her words.
“With all due respect, Your Grace, this goes against protocol. There’s never been a case where an outsider is allowed to…”
“First of all, he’s not an outsider. He’s a trusted consultant, someone I brought in to help with the threat from the Moon Realm,” Floral interrupted coldly. “Secondly, I am the law in Holy Tree City.”
The man’s attempts to sway Floral were unsuccessful, so he turned his attention to William.
“Sir, can you please give us some privacy during our discussion? As a citizen of the Empire, you know what this symbol represents, right?”
He tapped the emblem on his chest with his index finger.
William recognized the emblem—the pale comet—the symbol of the royal family of the Kos Empire.
According to historical records, after Terra’s conquest, the royal family of the Kos Empire was spared for various complicated reasons. Terra I even permitted them to keep their original last name and emblem when he unified the Vic Continent and became emperor. Over the eight centuries, the Kos family had grown powerful, second only to the Riel royal family in the entire empire.
Although William could hear their conversation through some means, he didn’t want to give in to such trash. Therefore, he asked provocatively, “So?”
“So?” Elaire’s gaze traveled over to William’s long, grayish-white hair.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because you have the same hair color as the royal family doesn’t make you royal, Yankee. I suggest you leave, because what we’re about to discuss won’t benefit you in the human world. And…”
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the magical medium in William’s hand.
“Even if you’re willing to stay in this primitive paradise for the rest of your life, as a magic chanter, you don’t want to be blacklisted by the Astral Council, right?”
The Kos family had always been loyal supporters of the Astral Council, with 30% of its members inextricably linked to the family. With Elaire’s connections, as long as he found the other party’s true identity, it would be easy for him to completely thwart his future in magic.
With that said, Elaire felt that his threat had an effect—the other party shook his head with a gloomy expression before turning around and walking to the side.
Upon seeing this, Elaire smiled hypocritically like a hyena again.
However, the other party only took a few steps before stopping in an empty space and tapping his magical medium. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a stunning ice crystal throne and took a seat, crossing his legs.
After doing all of this, the other party even waved at Floral, who was sitting on the Withering Throne, to continue as if he was the one in charge.
“You…”
The urge to order the guards to attack was intense, but Elaire held back. He knew it wasn’t wise to start a fight in Floral’s temple, even with the Obliteration Tower monks at his side.
“Alright, Elaire. As the ruler of Emerald Province, I don’t have time for these games. Speak now and make it quick.”
Elaire shot a fierce glare at William upon hearing Floral’s impatience.
“It’s simple. It’s about the Blind Sisters’ rebellious bastards who’ve escaped to Holy Tree City.”
“What’s the problem? I’ve already dispatched my Wild Hunt warriors to handle it. And…”
Floral paused as if she had thought of something before continuing, “Might I add, the girl that Empress Erin instructed me to capture is already in my custody. If you’d been to the reception room like you claimed, you’d already know this.”
Floral wisely kept quiet about Nizemar, knowing full well that she was the man’s subordinate.
On the other hand, the other party wasn’t harping on this matter.
“Of course I’m aware that you have the girl,” they said. “Just return her to Platinum City safely and all of this will end peacefully. But that’s the problem.”
The other party paced back and forth, looking anxious.
Floral couldn’t help but remember what she’d learned in the meeting not long ago.
“Someone told me that the child is planning to testify against someone from the empire’s embassy, who’s suspected of murder. Is that you?”
“Yes! No, no, it’s not an accusation! That blind b*tch is spreading rumors about me, saying that I ordered my subordinates to kill an innocent Forest Elf. There’s magic residue on the corpse and now your people are demanding that I participate in some public trial. What the hell, when did you become so civilized?” the other party exclaimed in agitation.
“It’s not a big deal. The empire’s courts haven’t been established in Holy Tree City and ambassadors have judicial immunity,” Floral replied.
...
“But the mob and the Oak Council don’t care about immunity. That b*tch spoke too much in the Canopy Temple and the family of the deceased made a public demand for justice in front of hundreds. Thanks to your previous policies, the hungry mob is now surrounding the embassy, waiting to tear me apart and feast on my flesh.”
“You have the Obliteration Tower’s guards, why are you afraid?” Floral asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“I’m not afraid of them. No matter how many rioters come at me head-on. But this is Ravenwood, for god’s sake. I can’t defend against every poison-tipped arrow that might be hidden in the shadows of the shrubs.” Elaire gestured dramatically, his voice rising.
“When I went to retrieve the girl from the reception room, a few members of the Oak Council stopped me. They said I had to be judged by the Matriarch before I could take the witness away…”
“So?” Floral interrupted the other party’s chatter.
“So what?” Elaire asked in confusion.
“So, did you really order those guards of yours to kill an innocent Forest Elf?”