Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 181

Chapter 181: Chapter181-Planning Before the Storm
In the grand hall.

The golden token thrown by the Pyrothrone Kingdom Emperor suddenly hovered in mid-air, and the surrounding space rippled like water. Moments later, the Melodic Academy’s dean, Rictor, appeared out of nowhere.

Rictor extended his aged hand, catching the token that signified the order to move against Owen. As he rubbed the heavy, cold token between his fingers, he sighed softly.

“Your Majesty, I urge you to reconsider taking action against Owen.”

The moment these words were spoken, everyone in the hall froze in place.

They had not expected Rictor, the dean of Melodic Academy, to personally appear here.

Even more surprising was that he had come to prevent Pyrothrone Kingdom from taking action against Owen!

Everyone in Middle Earth knew that Owen had killed the crown prince. How could such a grievous crime go unpunished?

“Dean Rictor, I respect you as the head of Melodic Academy, a man of great stature, but this is a private matter for Pyrothrone Kingdom. Even if you value that wretched Owen’s talent, you have no right to interfere here!”

The Pyrothrone King slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Rictor.

Although Melodic Academy’s power and influence exceeded that of Pyrothrone Kingdom, the death of the crown prince was like a sharp thorn lodged deep in the king’s heart. No one could plead for Owen’s life!

The other ministers in the hall, feeling the king’s anger, remained silent, though they looked at Rictor with a mix of confusion and respect.

Many of them had studied at Melodic Academy and were once Rictor’s students.

They held him in high regard and didn’t want to make things difficult for him.

However, they also couldn’t understand why Rictor would defend Owen, especially with such firm resolve.

“Your Majesty, I’m not saying you shouldn’t avenge Prince Kaldan, but I ask that you refrain from any retaliatory action against Owen for one year. After that year, Melodic Academy will not interfere,” Rictor said, addressing the enraged Pyrothrone King in a tone that, though polite, left no room for negotiation.

“Why?”

The Pyrothrone King stared intently at Rictor.

Although Pyrothrone Kingdom and Melodic Academy were both top powers in Middle Earth, there had been little conflict or interaction between them.

For Rictor to personally intervene and stop the king from avenging his son left the king utterly perplexed.

Naturally, Rictor couldn’t reveal that Owen had blackmailed him or the secret concerning Rachel. He merely responded calmly, “If Pyrothrone Kingdom takes any action against Owen within this year, it will be considered an act of war against Melodic Academy.”

At these words, the Pyrothrone King and his ministers were all stunned, their minds buzzing, unable to believe what they had just heard.

Attacking Owen would be considered a declaration of war against Melodic Academy!

If, before, Rictor’s intervention seemed like a personal favor or a recognition of Owen’s talent, this declaration changed everything.

War was a harsh and ultimate response, signaling an unresolvable conflict between two powers.

Once war broke out, regardless of who was right or wrong, the outcome would be devastating, with heavy losses on both sides.

Moreover, Melodic Academy had a deeper foundation, with alumni and influence spread throughout Middle Earth.

In a full-scale war, Pyrothrone Kingdom might not be able to hold its own.

But for Melodic Academy, which had always remained neutral and refrained from engaging in such conflicts, to now threaten war over Owen was unprecedented!

Even the enraged Pyrothrone King paused, his cold voice trembling slightly as he said, “Dean Rictor, although you are the head of the academy, this is a grave matter, and it’s not something you can decide on your own!”

The other ministers nodded in agreement. Although Rictor held a high position in Melodic Academy, dragging the academy into the quagmire of war wasn’t a decision he could make alone.

Pyrothrone Kingdom was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Middle Earth.

If they were to delay avenging the crown prince because of a threat, it would be a severe blow to the kingdom’s prestige and to the morale of its soldiers.

So, at this moment, nearly everyone in the hall sided with the king.

Rictor had anticipated this and replied calmly, “Of course, I can’t make this decision alone, but this is an order from the academy’s founder.”

An order from the academy’s founder!

The people in the hall widened their eyes in shock, as if they had just heard something unbelievable.

They knew that Melodic Academy was ancient, founded by a mage who had surpassed god-tier—a figure known as the first king of the academy.

However, this first king was so ancient that most mages in Middle Earth believed he had long since passed away.

But now, Rictor claimed that the founder had issued an order!

And that order was to hold back Pyrothrone Kingdom for a year!

The Pyrothrone King collapsed back into his throne, his throat working for a moment as if to argue, but the words died in his throat.

If this was an order from the first king, then it truly represented the will of the academy!

Moreover, the first king’s strength was unfathomable. In the presence of such a powerful figure, there was no room for negotiation.

“This matter… this matter is understood by Pyrothrone Kingdom. Thank you, Dean Rictor, for informing us, and may the first king live as long as the heavens and earth!”

In the end, even though the Pyrothrone King was filled with immense bitterness, he had no choice but to concede to Rictor’s demand.

“I hope you will honor your word. Just one year—after that, Melodic Academy will not interfere in this matter,” Rictor said one final time before dissipating into a cloud of smoke and vanishing.

…

“Damn it!”

“Damn Melodic Academy!”

“Damn Owen!”

After the court session ended, the Pyrothrone King, his heart seething with rage, stormed into the royal court and began smashing everything in sight.

The once luxurious and orderly hall was soon left in ruins, filled with the cold, violent aura of his fury.

“Your Majesty, Melodic Academy has gone too far this time!”

At that moment, an old man in a black skull robe appeared ghost-like within the royal court.

His face was covered with eerie black tattoos, and as he entered, everything in the hall began to decay and wither as if it had aged a thousand years in an instant, filling the air with the stench of rot.

“Bishop Taylor! You’ve returned from your travels?!”

The Pyrothrone King turned his head and, upon seeing the old man, his face lit up with joy.

This Bishop Taylor was the archbishop of Pyrothrone Kingdom’s largest religious order, the Scorched Flame Church.

He had long been the king’s right-hand man.

However, a few years ago, he had a revelation and decided to journey through the forbidden zones of Middle Earth. Now, he had finally returned!

“Yes, I have returned. Under your majesty’s rule, Pyrothrone Kingdom has flourished, and even in the forbidden zones, your renown is widely spoken of.”

Taylor bowed with clasped hands in salute.

“Heh, if my renown were truly that powerful, we wouldn’t be humiliated by Melodic Academy like this, prevented from avenging my son’s murder,” the Pyrothrone King growled, his anger flaring up again despite Taylor’s praise.

“Your Majesty, that’s precisely why I’m here!”

Taylor’s voice remained calm, but a cold glint flickered deep in his eyes, like a venomous snake, sending a chill down one’s spine.

“Do you have a way to avenge my son immediately?”

The Pyrothrone King looked at him eagerly.

Taylor paused for a moment before replying, “Your Majesty, Melodic Academy is taking this matter very seriously. We should avoid taking direct action, as it could be detrimental to the empire if discovered. However, if we cannot strike at Owen directly, we can make him come to us. We just need to kidnap the right person, and Owen will come to us on his own. At that point, even Melodic Academy won’t have anything to say.”

Upon hearing this, the Pyrothrone King’s spirits lifted.

“And who is this person we should kidnap?”

Taylor gave a mysterious smile, “I know just the right candidate.”

…

In the Kyrik kingdom, among the group of Middle Earth prodigies led by Henry.

After Owen brought Rachel back into the secret chamber, he contemplated briefly before leading her into a separate space.

This space was something Owen had created recently by drawing on his understanding of the Dark Tower.

It was his own personal domain, designed to nurture the growth of the World Tree.

Currently, this vast, white space was almost completely empty, with nothing but the small, central World Tree, standing like a blank canvas.

“Now you have two choices: either stay outside and stick close to me, even if it means getting sick of each other, or stay here and help me tend to this tree for a year. I’ll provide you with all the necessary supplies for living and training. I won’t bother you otherwise, and after a year, I’ll let you out.”