Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Chapter97-Under the Royal Authority
At the Council of Elders, built atop the thousand-blade-high peak, the atmosphere was solemn.

The current chief elder, and diamond-tier powerhouse, Otto, was looking down with an expression of grief and indignation at the gathered members of the Council of Elders.

“Owen, this vile creature, has gone too far! He has insulted the royal family and killed my son. Such blood feuds are irreconcilable!”

“Fellow colleagues, are you willing to join me in slaying this villain and exterminating his entire clan?”

Otto’s cold, ruthless voice echoed. His already tall figure, standing on the high platform, seemed like a small giant. The luxurious mage robe on his body fluttered.

His pale golden eyes appeared to contain endless fury, stirring the void.

Below, the members of the Council of Elders were incited, shouting in unison, “Kill Owen, exterminate his clan!”

“Kill Leslie, annihilate the Duke’s household!”

Their combined voices echoed like rolling thunder. Their faces showed anger and resentment, as if they wanted to devour Owen and Leslie alive.

The Council of Elders was established to protect the royal family, and now it was their time to act!

Soon, after the end of this swearing-in assembly, under Otto’s leadership, the group from the Council of Elders marched grandly towards the imperial capital.

Although Owen and Leslie had formidable combat strength, the Council of Elders was no pushover!

At the same time, as Otto led the Council of Elders towards the capital, General Stanley, stationed at the frontier, also led his elite troops back to the capital.

King Aldric had been his close friend since childhood. Without King Aldric’s help and trust from a young age, Stanley would not be where he was today.

Now, Owen and Leslie had committed treason, being the chief culprits. The chief culprits must be dealt with!

Only with the heads and blood of these two could King Aldric’s shame be washed away!

Stanley was bare-chested, his skin a deep bronze, resembling forged brass. His bulging muscles emitted a faint glow, filled with explosive power.

Years of military life had not only increased his proficiency in white magic but also continually enhanced his dark magic, reaching a point where he mastered both.

Compared to a master-tier mage, he was only lacking an opportunity!

He believed that eliminating Owen and Leslie might be the moment when that opportunity would come!

As General Stanley and Chief Elder Otto set out for the imperial capital together, the news spread like a sweeping whirlwind.

Along the way, citizens and mages of the Azure Kingdom discussed it fervently, and even the neighboring kingdoms focused their attention on the Azure Kingdom’s capital.

Both Stanley and Otto were renowned powerhouses, holding high prestige in the Azure Kingdom, and were among the kingdom’s top-tier strength.

Their joint journey to the capital to campaign against Owen and Leslie was undoubtedly an event that shook the continent.

Such an act of rebellion and usurpation hadn’t occurred in a long time. Crucially, Leslie and Owen had almost succeeded!

At the center of this storm, the citizens and mages of the capital were all discussing the matter.

“Chief Elder Otto and General Stanley, they are both the elite among diamond-tier mages. Coming together to the capital, who can stop them?”

“Indeed, a single diamond-tier powerhouse is already terrifying enough to dominate a city. Two diamond-tier mages, especially the most elite ones comparable to master-tier, I feel like Owen and Leslie are facing an unprecedented defeat this time.”

“Conquering a kingdom is easy, but keeping it is hard. Now I can only pray that after Owen and Leslie’s inevitable defeat, the Chief Elder and General Stanley won’t trouble us common folk.”

“I heard that the General and the Chief Elder are both top-tier powerhouses, especially the Chief Elder who is known for his ruthlessness. If they defeat Owen and Leslie, the Chief Elder might massacre the city to vent his anger!”

For the common people, when titans clash, they are the ones who suffer the consequences.

The aggressive approach of Otto and Stanley left them with little confidence in Owen and Leslie, increasing their fear and anxiety.

Besides the commoners, the major families in the capital and the various powers within the Azure Kingdom were also deeply concerned about this matter.

The impact was far-reaching.

If Owen and Leslie couldn’t withstand the assault from the Chief Elder and Stanley, a thorough purge within the capital would be inevitable!

Under the royal authority, everything else is insignificant!

Should the restoration succeed, King Aldric would value his throne even more, and his inherently suspicious and paranoid nature would reach its peak.

Returning to the previous state of affairs would be extremely difficult, affecting everyone from high-ranking officials and major families to commoners and traders.

If Owen and Leslie managed to withstand the attack, those who sided with the General and the Chief Elder would undoubtedly face Leslie’s purge afterward.

They had witnessed Leslie’s ruthless methods firsthand.

Moreover, their understanding of Leslie was limited.

Given her ability to endure for so many years and then succeed in one fell swoop, she was undoubtedly not an easy ruler to deal with.

Everyone needed to prepare in advance.

If the situation became a deadlock with mutual destruction, could they seize the opportunity and become the final winner?

Various forces harbored different thoughts. However, most chose the safest approach: sit back and watch the fight unfold, waiting for the outcome before making their move.

Other kingdoms were even more attentive to this matter.

After all, the Azure Kingdom was neither too large nor too small.

A change in its regime would significantly impact the surrounding kingdoms’ balance of power.

Everyone grew increasingly anxious and worried.

At this moment, Owen was hosting a banquet in the palace, inviting the young elites from various powers.

These elites were individuals of special status and exceptional talent within their respective forces and kingdoms.

For Owen, winning them over and signaling to the powers behind them was crucial.

At the very least, he needed to stabilize them during this period.

These elites, whether voluntarily or due to requests from their families, powers, or kingdoms, were keen to participate in the banquet.

In the luxurious hall, young men and women held wine glasses, mingling and conversing with acquaintances.

Owen stood at the center of the hall, looking more handsome and upright in his formal tailcoat, exuding maturity and steadiness.

“Owen, with your talent and strength, your future is limitless. I, Andre, greatly admire and respect you! With Otto and Stanley coming on strong, you should avoid direct confrontation and stall them. The longer you drag it out, the more advantageous it will be for you!”

At this moment, Andre, a burly man, downed a glass of red wine and handed a special token to Owen, looking at him earnestly:

“If they push you too hard, come find me. This is my token. Although the Sahano Church I belong to isn’t a major power, we have many followers, enough to keep you safe for a while.”

Owen smiled faintly and patted Andre’s broad shoulder, not taking the token,

“I appreciate your kindness, but it should be them who are running.”

Compared to the ambiguous attitudes of other elites, Andre’s support was clear and unwavering. Owen already had a good impression of this straightforward elite.

Now, with Andre offering him a way out, Owen felt even more touched.

After all, it’s easy to add flowers to a brocade, but providing help in times of need is much harder.

Owen was confident that if he defeated Otto and Stanley, the many elites with ambiguous attitudes present would be the first to congratulate him and bring valuable gifts.

However, once Otto and Stanley were defeated, the overall situation would be settled, making their flattery and gifts unimportant.

This also showed that Andre was genuinely thinking about Owen’s well-being, without many ulterior motives.

Seeing Owen’s firm attitude, Andre did not insist and went off to drink on his own, appearing quite carefree.

After Andre left, Davis, the eldest son of the Prime Minister of the Cloud Empire, also approached Owen.

Owen had a profound impression of Davis, as the Cloud Empire was undoubtedly a behemoth, and Davis, being the eldest son of the Prime Minister, held a high status and exceptional talent.

Even Owen valued someone like him greatly.