Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter61-The Revelation of the Incident!
“An Azure Kingdom emblem!”

Seeing the emblem in the box, the white-eyed elder’s expression grew even darker!

Although the entire scenario seemed like an obvious attempt to frame the Azure royal family, it aligned perfectly with Kyrik’s desire to wage war against the Azure Kingdom.

Moreover, Bryan was a master-tier mage. He had previously gone to the Azure Kingdom with Prince Billy, only to meet such a fate.

The number of mages capable of this was very small, likely only that ancient and formidable figure from the Azure Kingdom!

“Your Majesty, the Azure Kingdom has gone too far! This is an outrage! I suggest we immediately send troops to the Azure Kingdom and demand an explanation from their king!”

“Yes, Your Majesty, this is intolerable! The Azure Kingdom has repeatedly provoked us. If we, Kyrik, continue to tolerate this, they will only become more arrogant!”

The ministers, after regaining their composure, began to speak out angrily.

King Kyrik, also unable to bear it any longer, surveyed his furious ministers and said, “This time, King Aldric must give me an explanation!”

With a grand gesture, he commanded, “Summon the cavalry, infantry, and spellbeast corps immediately. All families with fighting capabilities in Kyrik must mobilize. Also, send word to Kyrik’s foremost general to lead 300,000 soldiers to the Azure Kingdom!”

The white-eyed elder hesitated and then asked, “Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. Shouldn’t we seek the opinion of the Emperor Dowager?”

King Kyrik remained silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly. “The Emperor Dowager has been deeply immersed in cultivation and has not concerned himself with worldly affairs for many years. There is no need to consult him.”

Seeing this, the white-eyed elder remained silent.

The ministers quickly took their orders and left.

…

In the duke’s mansion, within the courtyard.

Soft light poured down.

After a day and night of rushing around, Owen finally returned here, letting out a slight sigh of relief.

“How did it go on your end?”

Just as Owen sat down to drink a cup of hot tea and rest, Leslie’s figure appeared before him like a ghost. Her long hair fluttered, carrying a chill.

However, as she sat down on a stone bench opposite Owen, she seemed both tired and bored, lazily stretching, which accentuated her enticing curves.

Owen couldn’t help but feel that Leslie was extremely alluring at this moment, causing him to stare a bit more than usual.

Noticing Owen’s fixed gaze, Leslie asked, “What are you looking at?”

Owen coughed twice. “Nothing. The treasure map was accurate. Ninety percent of the mana stones and treasures stored in the Azure Kingdom have been looted…”

After listening to Owen, Leslie nodded in satisfaction. Although Owen sometimes seemed unserious, he handled matters very well.

She was particularly surprised to hear that Owen had eliminated Sean and Robert from House Ashbourne.

After all, these two were seasoned mages with considerable strength, reputed to possess a combined magic that was said to pose a threat even to diamond-tier mages.

After that, she composed herself and briefly recounted her actions in intercepting and killing Prince Billy and Bryan.

“At the moment, merely looting the Azure Kingdom’s royal treasury, though it greatly impacts the royal family’s foundation, isn’t enough to pose a fatal threat!”

To overthrow the Azure Kingdom within a year, the progress still seemed a bit slow.

Understanding Leslie’s thoughts, Owen said, “To threaten the royal family, we need to first clip its wings!”

“The royal family’s biggest support is the Council of Elders. If something happens in the capital, King Aldric will certainly take the entire royal family to the Council of Elders’ headquarters, which is a hundred miles from the capital…”

“Oh?” Seeing that Owen seemed to have a plan, Leslie blinked her eyes, her expression showing some confusion.

“You intend to lure them to the Council of Elders and eliminate them all at once? But the Council of Elders is filled with powerful individuals…”

Before Leslie could finish, Owen smiled and said, “That’s why the key is to ensure that when the royal family evacuates, they bring the remaining treasures to the Council of Elders’ headquarters. At that time, both the Council of Elders and all the mages will be wiped out. This step is crucial to the entire plan!”

By the end, Owen’s expression had become much more serious.

Owen was very aware of the Mini Nuke’s power; it could easily level a hill. The mages inside, no matter how powerful, wouldn’t be prepared for a nuclear explosion, as it was entirely outside the magical system and couldn’t be anticipated or defended against.

Hearing this, Leslie, although unsure of Owen’s confidence, had a vague sense that he had tampered with the treasures left behind.

But what kind of tampering could give Owen such confidence and certainty?

“So, as long as we make the royal family evacuate to the Council of Elders, bringing those treasures with them, the Council of Elders will be destroyed?”

Leslie looked seriously at Owen.

Owen nodded, “Trust me, once we achieve this, you’ll witness an unprecedentedly massive firework display!”

Leslie stared at Owen with a mixture of doubt and curiosity, while Owen’s gaze remained resolute as he met her eyes.

After a moment, Leslie slowly said, “I can leverage my network to arrange an auction in Academy City. The item to be auctioned will be the Azure Kingdom’s treasure map. The royal family will undoubtedly try to move those treasures, and the best place for them to transfer the treasures would be the Council of Elders!”

Hearing this, Owen’s eyes lit up.

Leslie was indeed a master of intrigue; she immediately came up with such a brilliant plan.

Having Academy City conduct the auction was perfect.

Academy City always remained neutral, and no one dared to question the identity of the sellers in their auctions. Their confidentiality was top-notch.

Moreover, Academy City had a vast information network across the continent, capable of spreading the news quickly.

“I’ll take care of this. I’ll ensure the auction in Academy City is widely publicized, attracting all major kingdoms and powerful individuals. This will definitely prompt the Azure royal family to move their treasures to the Council of Elders.”

“Secondly, we’ll schedule the auction for a month from now, giving us enough time to prepare and avoid any interference from other factions that might disrupt our plan during the auction…”

Leslie confidently laid out the plan, considering many details and potential changes.

Owen was impressed.

If he didn’t know Leslie’s relatively young age, her meticulous approach would have made him think she was an old mastermind, planning everything down to the last detail.

Indeed, some people were born to be schemers.

After discussing the details with Leslie and finalizing the plan, Owen prepared to leave the courtyard.

However, just as he reached the gate, he suddenly saw a delicate white hand blocking his way.

Madelyn squinted her large eyes, scrutinizing Owen as if he were a heinous criminal.

“Madelyn, is something wrong?” Owen asked, puzzled, as he looked at her.

Madelyn glanced at Leslie in the courtyard, grabbed Owen’s hand, and pulled him out of the courtyard. She then pushed him against a wall.

Feeling Madelyn’s eyes getting closer, Owen felt a bit uneasy. Could it be that Madelyn, his sister-in-law, had developed feelings for him?

Just as he was about to speak, Madelyn gritted her teeth and said, “Owen, was it you who did the Kingdom Vault job?!”

The Azure royal family had entrusted the investigation of the Kingdom Vault to the Eagle Guard, and Madelyn was the commander.

After some investigation, she quickly discovered that the box containing the Godslayer Staff fragment had been opened and immediately thought of Owen.

However, due to the duchy’s reputation and her sister’s safety, she had to suppress the matter temporarily and hurried over to confront Owen.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Owen replied coldly.

Madelyn ignored Owen’s denial, her voice rising, “Don’t play dumb. I’m trying to save you and the duchy! I’ve already discovered that the wooden box contained the handle of the Godslayer Staff! This can only be your doing!”

Owen shook his head, “What makes you think that?”

Madelyn snorted, “If you have the guts, take out the Godslayer Staff and show me.”

Owen stared at Madelyn unhurriedly, “If it was me, what would you do?”

Seeing Owen’s demeanor, Madelyn sighed and stepped back, her body slightly weak, “I knew it was you. We’re doomed. Robbing the national treasure and killing the prince—if this gets out, my sister, the duchy, and I will be ruined beyond redemption!”