Chapter 282: A Web of Lies and Alliances
Chapter 282: A Web of Lies and Alliances
The colossal silver doors of the Vaelstrum Clan’s ancestral estate slowly closed behind them.
As Rhain stepped out onto the sprawling stone plaza, the elite Core Formation guards stationed at the entrance couldn’t help but stare at his retreating back.
Their eyes were filled with relief, awe, and terror.
The walking calamity who had dared to execute the Crown Prince’s clone had finally left their clan without causing any trouble.
Rhain, Elara, and Commander Zorak walked in silence until they had put a considerable distance between themselves and the heavily warded estate.
Once the towering silver gates were out of sight, Rhain slowed his pace.
He turned his head to look at the beautiful, blue-eyed girl walking beside him.
"I owe you a favor for your help today, Lady Elara," Rhain spoke, his tone carrying a rare, genuine sincerity.
Elara blinked, slightly surprised by his formal gratitude.
"If you had not come with me," Rhain explained, "Vaelstrum Patriarch would never have even entertained my offer. You risked your own life and your family’s neutrality by stepping into that hall by my side. I will not forget this, and I will repay this favor in the future."
Elara’s cheeks flushed with a faint pink. She offered an elegant bow.
"You are too polite, young master Rhain," Elara replied softly, "I promised that I would protect your life to the best of my abilities. I intend to see that promise through to the very end."
Commander Zorak, walking on Rhain’s other side, let out a low chuckle. He crossed his thick, muscular arms over his broad chest.
"I have to admit, Rhain... you are pretty smart," Zorak praised, his fierce eyes gleaming with approval. "You intentionally didn’t mention a single word about the Nebula Sword Sect already being ready to protect you."
Rhain’s lips curled into a smirk.
"Obviously," Rhain replied, his dark grey eyes flashing with a shrewd light. "I am not fool enough to reveal that matter right now. Vaelstrum Clan and the Nebula Sword Sect are rivals who have hated each other for a thousand years. If Vaelstrum Patriarch knew that the Nebula Sword Sect was already in my alliance, his pride alone would have forced him to reject me on the spot."
Rhain looked ahead, his voice dripping with utter pragmatism. "I will simply wait until the Vaelstrum Clan gets a taste of the profound benefits of forming an alliance with me. Once they realize that joining my side is vastly superior for their survival than simply refusing out of petty rivalry, they will swallow their pride and accept the Nebula Sword Sect’s presence."
Zorak gave a heavy nod, thoroughly impressed by the nineteen-year-old’s political ruthlessness.
But a lingering doubt still troubled him.
"But are you sure that Grandmaster Korryn will actually agree to this?" Zorak asked, his brow furrowing. "Refining an Emperor-Grade pill is no small matter."
Rhain simply smiled. He turned his gaze toward Elara with an amused glint.
"That," Rhain said, "will all depend entirely on Lady Elara’s exceptional negotiation skills."
Elara was caught completely off guard. She could only nod in awkward embarrassment, offering a strained smile to the muscular commander. "I... I will certainly try my best, Commander Zorak."
Zorak seemed satisfied with that answer, but his expression suddenly turned serious. He took a half-step closer to Rhain, lowering his voice.
"Rhain, back in the grand hall... was what you said true?" Zorak asked, his eyes filled with intense urgency. "Is the Celestial Elixir Pavilion truly considering aligning with the Second Prince? I am His Highness’s most trusted commander, yet I had no idea about this matter. It is unbelievable that His Highness would hide something so monumental from me."
Hearing Zorak’s bewildered question, Rhain sneered in his mind.
’Of course you have no idea. Even your esteemed Second Prince doesn’t know about this matter yet,’ Rhain thought coldly.
But outwardly, Rhain’s expression remained perfectly placid.
"His Highness likely didn’t tell you because it is not yet finalized," Rhain lied effortlessly, his voice smooth and convincing. "We have only heard Grandmaster Korryn speaking about this matter very subtly. He mentioned that the Pavilion needs someone to establish a firm connection with the Royal Family, and he views the Second Prince as a very suitable candidate."
Rhain paused, glancing at Zorak with his side eye. "For some reason, Grandmaster Korryn deeply dislikes Lucius. He prefers Arien."
Sure enough, the moment those words left Rhain’s mouth, Zorak’s fierce eyes lit up with unbridled excitement.
Just the mere fact that the legendary Grandmaster Korryn was even considering aligning with the Second Prince was earth-shattering news!
As of right now, Crown Prince Lucius utterly dominated the relationship with the great powers, just having the exclusive backing of the Royal Family’s only Emperor rank Alchemist was itself a massive advantage.
If the Second Prince could secure the support of Grandmaster Korryn—a man who casually produced flawless Mystic-Grade pills—it would completely equalize their positions in the war for the throne!
Rhain observed the poorly concealed excitement on Zorak’s muscular face.
He wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of formally joining the Celestial Elixir Pavilion with the Second Prince.
Lucius was his mortal enemy.
Arien was Lucius’s mortal enemy.
Strengthening his enemy’s enemy was the easiest way to weaken Lucius’s authority.
’I will consider the full extent of this alliance later,’ Rhain concluded silently. ’First, I need to secure my life.’
The journey back to the Valdris Royal Academy was surprisingly quiet.
They were not ambushed again.
It was glaringly apparent that after the devastating clash on the avenue—where one middle-stage Domain Master lost an arm and the others were thoroughly suppressed—the remaining royal assassins simply could not muster the strength or the numbers required to launch another strike against him.
At the exact same time, the feeling of being watched vanished entirely as the trio crossed the majestic gates of the Valdris Royal Academy.
The three late-stage Domain Master Preceptors had silently withdrawn their presence, their mission complete.
Standing in the grand central hall of the Academy, pacing back and forth with deep anxiety, was Dean Qaylus.
The moment Qaylus saw Rhain return completely unharmed, a massive, visible wave of relief appeared over his sharp features.
"You are back," Qaylus exhaled, striding forward.
Rhain, Zorak, and Elara immediately bowed to Qaylus.
Qaylus turned to Commander Zorak and Elara, offering a nod. "Zorak. Elara. I have something of the utmost importance to discuss with Rhain in private. Please excuse us."
Zorak and Elara understood the dismissal.
They offered their bows and departed for the guest sector, leaving Rhain alone with the Dean.
Qaylus wasted no time.
He led Rhain out of the grand hall and deep into the heavily warded, soundproofed inner sanctums of the Academy, far away from any prying eyes or ears.
The moment the profound arrays sealed behind them, Qaylus spun around.
"Detail everything to me," Qaylus demanded, his voice tense. "What exactly happened inside the Vaelstrum Clan?"
Rhain didn’t hide anything.
He briefly and concisely recounted the entire negotiation, finishing with the Vaelstrum Patriarch’s desperate condition regarding their dying Ancestor.
When Rhain finished, Qaylus’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Vaelstrum Monarch is dying..." Qaylus muttered, his brow furrowing. But a moment later, he nodded in understanding. "It makes sense. Vaelstrum Monarch is the oldest living Monarch in all of Valdris City. It was expected that he would be reaching the very end of his lifespan soon."
Qaylus fell silent for a moment, thinking about the monumental political shift this would bring to their city.
Then, he slowly raised his head. His sharp eyes locked onto Rhain, and a sudden, burning light of sheer anticipation ignited within them.
"Rhain," Qaylus asked with hope, "Can you... can you truly refine an Emperor-Grade pill to extend the life of a Monarch?"
Old Dean also desperately needed such a pill.
In his heart, Qaylus knew that asking a nineteen-year-old boy, who had just recently stepped into the Core Formation Realm, if he could casually refine an Emperor-Grade pill was utterly preposterous.
It was a question so absurd that even a donkey might curse him for his sheer stupidity.
But Qaylus had long since stopped viewing Rhain as a normal human being.
If the dark-robed youth standing before him confidently stated that he could refine an Emperor-Grade pill right now, Qaylus would accept it as truth without a single shred of surprise.
However, Rhain simply shook his head.
"No," Rhain refused, his voice calm and pragmatic. "With my current cultivation and soul power, I am incapable of doing that right now. Refining an Emperor-Grade pill is beyond my present limits."
Qaylus’s face fell, his deep frown returning instantly.
"If you can’t," Qaylus demanded, frustration visible in his tone, "then how do you expect to get the Vaelstrum Clan to help you? You promised them a solution!"
"I will refine a Mystic-Grade pill to save the Vaelstrum Patriarch," Rhain stated flatly.
"What??? That’s impossible!" Qaylus refused immediately, shaking his head with absolute certainty. "A Mystic-Grade pill will have almost no effect on a Monarch! The qualitative gap between the Domain Master Realm and the Monarch Realm is like the gap between the earth and the heavens. Even if it is one of your flawless, one-hundred-percent purity Mystic-Grade pills, it cannot sustain a decaying Monarch’s life force!"
Rhain looked at the agitated Dean.
The corners of his lips slowly curled into a confident smile.
"You are correct, Dean Qaylus," Rhain spoke, "Perhaps a simple flawless Mystic-Grade pill will have no impact on a Monarch."
His smile widened.
"But what if it’s a Pill-Veined Mystic-Grade pill?"