Chapter 444: A Bargaining Chip

Chapter 444: A Bargaining Chip



The Emperor and the Tower Sage stood and stared opposite each other, distanced by a hundred steps.

The air between them carried enormous tension, barely even making a single sound. The entire hall was drowned in grave silence.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Then the Emperor's voice cut through the silence like a razor snapping a thin thread.

"Guilly, we have come a long way. That future that we dreamt about as kids, the one that drove us to put an end to all the Tower seats - that future is now."

The Tower Sage had his head lowered. After a while, he raised his head and responded to the Emperor with a squared face.

"I've heard you, but leave Lady Henai and her son out of this."

The Emperor shut his eyes for a moment, nodding. "I'm sorry, Guilly, I can't do that."

"Gahalad, she is your sister. Should I even be the one suggesting this? I thought you were happy to see him; I thought you were touched?!"

"I am happy, Guillever; I am touched. Henai has had to carry too much sorrow for the loss of the child; she had suffered internally. He left a void in her."

"And you still want to do this to her?"

The Emperor gestured. "Do what exactly, Guilly? This guy is a spawn of Reimgard. He belongs with them. Have you seen how immensely strong he is? In the right environment, he is bound to blossom."

"Gahalad, they tried to kill him! You know that!"

"He will be fine."

Guillever froze in shock, blinking for a few heartbeats.

"You can't be serious right now. You are going to just displace the boy like that?!"

Emperor Gahalad took one step and appeared in front of Guillever with a blast of wind.

The Tower Sage did not flinch; he glared at the Emperor sternly.

The Emperor slowly raised his hand, then placed it on Guillever's right shoulder.

"I will give you the time you need to make your decision and choose your side. It's not like I'm trying to kill Henai's son. I'm only doing what is best for the kid's growth."

Guillever grimaced. "Is that what you're telling yourself?"

"Guilly, I need to rest. My training is not over." The Emperor let out a sigh before continuing. "With the students' return to the Central Plain, a new era will be ushered in."

"What do you mean?" the Tower Sage inquired with a frown.

"I was not the only one with something to gain from this event. In fact, that man was more crafty than I thought. If I am right, he is probably closer to becoming a Luminary than I thought.

"Moreso, all the students that are on that ship cannot be compared to the drifters that already exist in the Central Plains."

Guilly narrowed his eyes, digesting and meticulously thinking about what the Emperor was saying.

"A Master among their ranks will beat the shit out of a contemporary Master in the Central Plains. I'm sure a Sage would best even the best of Sages. That man created hordes of monsters."

The Emperor erased the small smile on his lips, looking down for a moment as his voice resonated again.

"...and out of all these hordes of monsters, it seems my cousin is the most fearsome of them all."

"No, Mariam, let him in."

She turned her head over her shoulder and scoffed at Guillever, "You won't be getting to her

without me from today."

Guillever understood her plight very well. The night Northern entered Lady Henai's quarters, Mariam had been absent and probably fast asleep in her own quarters, so she didn't know

what was going on.

After she heard of the situation, she must have been incredibly pissed.

"I don't plan to," Guillever responded and walked inside. He went on one knee and paid his

respect to the princess.

Then he stood up and started, "Lady Henai, I'm sorry, but we have to go."

Lady Henai raised her brows but frowned again. "What do you mean, Guilly?"

"I mean, we must leave as soon as possible."

"Exactly, why should I leave? Why?"

Guillever was hesitant to speak, and Lady Henai could see it.

"If you are not going to talk, Guilly, then I am not leaving this place."

He sighed and then opened his mouth. "The Emperor is having ill intentions towards your son."

"The Emperor? My own brother? What are you saying?"

"It's difficult for me to explain, and it might not be an ill intention, depending on how you

look at it. But he plans to return him to where he belongs."

Lady Henai frowned darkly. "Why would he ever do that? For what?"

"To use him as a bargaining chip," Mariam inputted, causing Lady Henai to look towards her

friend and made, paled.

"You think my brother would do that?"

Mariam shrugged. "I know the Emperor. He would do anything to have the throne. And when I

say the throne, I mean an independent nation. One he is the true ruler of."

She paused, looked softly at Lady Henai as she continued.

"You and I know your brother has always been driven towards a single goal."

"And what does that have to do with returning my son to Reimgard? A place that wants to kill

him! My brother knows that place is no place for a child like him."

Guillever sighed, with closed eyes, and opened them as he spoke. "That is the thing, Your Highness. The Emperor does not seem to think your son is a child. He, in fact, thinks he will be fine and he could use the environment to grow."