Chapter 273: Aligning Interests
Chapter 272: Aligning Interests
Rhain looked at Arien’s eager smile.
He knew perfectly well that Arien was just as venomous, scheming, and untrustworthy as Lucius.
The moment Rhain outlived his usefulness, Arien would undoubtedly try to stab him in the back.
’But does it matter?’ Rhain thought coldly.
He had already obliterated the Crown Prince’s clone and dragged the wrath of the entire Solathane Dynasty upon his shoulders.
He was already a wanted man marked by a Royal Decree.
If Arien eventually betrayed him, Rhain would simply kill him too. Slaughtering a second prince wouldn’t make his current, perilous situation any worse than it already was.
An enemy of an enemy was a convenient weapon.
And right now, Rhain needed every weapon he could grasp.
Rhain slowly reached out his hand.
He clasped Arien’s palm firmly.
"We have a deal," Rhain stated, his voice flat and devoid of any grand emotion.
Arien’s smile widened into a brilliant, victorious grin.
"Excellent!" Arien laughed, shaking Rhain’s hand enthusiastically. "I knew you were a man of exceptional vision, Rhain! Together, we will ensure that my dear brother never sits on the throne."
Arien withdrew his hand and adjusted his robes, his demeanor shifting back to that of a calculating royal. "I will handle the Nebula Sword Sect. You do not need to worry about them. However, winning over the Vaelstrum Clan will be your task. I will send you the necessary intelligence regarding them soon."
"Understood, I will be waiting," Rhain replied indifferently.
Without exchanging another word of pleasantries, Rhain turned his back and walked out of the luxurious pavilion.
When Rhain pushed open the gates to his pavilion, two figures practically leaped out of their seats at the stone table.
"Husband!" Seris rushed forward, her pale purple eyes frantically scanning him for any signs of injury or battle.
Liana followed closely behind, clutching the fabric of her emerald dress. "Rhain, are you alright? What did Lucuis say?"
"I am fine, and It wasn’t Lucuis," Rhain said, gently catching Seris’s hands to calm her down. "The person who wanted to meet me was Arien, the Second Prince of the Solathane Dynasty."
"The Second Prince?" Liana gasped, utterly bewildered. "Why would another prince come to see you?"
Rhain led them to the stone table and sat down, briefly recounting the conversation that had taken place inside the pavilion.
He explained Arien’s ambition to usurp the throne, his secret alliance with the Nebula Sword Sect, and the grand plan to unite the three pillars of Valdris City to completely nullify the Emperor’s Royal Decree.
As Rhain finished, the two girls exchanged stunned glances.
Seris’s delicate brows knitted together in deep worry.
"Husband..." Seris asked softly, her voice laced with unease. "Do you truly trust him? He is Lucius’s brother. He belongs to the same Royal Family that wants you dead. What if this is all a massive trap to lure you out of the Royal Academy?"
Rhain let out a low, amused scoff.
"Trust him?" Rhain shook his head, his dark grey eyes flashing with a chilling light. "I do not trust a single word that comes out of the mouth of anyone from that Royal Family. Arien is a venomous snake, just like his brother."
He leaned back in his chair, his expression turning pragmatic and ruthless.
"But right now, I belive our immediate goals align perfectly. Arien wants to eliminate Lucius so he can clear his path to becoming the next Emperor. I just want to sever Lucius’s head from his neck. I couldn’t care less about who sits on their golden throne. As long as Arien is useful in helping me buy some time, I will use him."
Hearing his calm, calculated reasoning, Seris and Liana finally let out sighs of relief. As long as Rhain was aware of the dangers and wasn’t blindly trusting the Second Prince, they felt secure.
Seris knew perfectly how ruthless, and calculating her husband could be when it requires.
"I need to make some arrangements," Rhain told them, standing up from the table. "I will be in the inner chamber."
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Entering his cultivation room, Rhain sealed the doors behind him.
With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved a glowing transmission talisman from his spatial ring and channeled a thread of his dark essence into it.
Buzz!
The connection was established almost instantly.
"Master!" Vulcan’s deep, intensely respectful voice resonated from the talisman.
"Vulcan," Rhain spoke, his tone strictly business. "Give me a progress report. How are the tasks I assigned you coming along?"
"We have been moving at maximum speed, Master," Vulcan reported eagerly, pride evident in his rough voice. "Luka and Dex led separate teams to establish discreet trade routes. We have successfully opened communications with nearly ten major cities surrounding Stormveil. By leveraging the reputation of our flawless pills, we managed to secure exclusive supply contracts with more than a dozen major regional powers."
Vulcan paused, verifying his ledger. "Securing Epic-Grade herbs has been relatively simple with our massive capital. Mystic-Grade herbs are much harder to pry from the hands of the old noble clans, but we still managed to acquire a very good quantity of them."
Rhain gave a satisfied nod. "Excellent. And the recruitment?"
"That is where we encountered the most overwhelming response," Vulcan chuckled darkly. "The offer of ten flawless Mystic-Grade pills a month drove the rogue experts into a frenzy. We have officially recruited four early-stage Domain Masters and two mid-stage Domain Masters to act as guest elders for the Pavilion."
Six Domain Masters!
It was a terrifying accumulation of military might.
Even a great Noble Family would have to think twice before casually provoking a faction backed by six Domain Masters.
"However, Master," Vulcan’s tone grew slightly hesitant. "These are rogue Domain Masters. They are arrogant and highly suspicious. While the promise of the pills brought them to our doors, they are demanding to see ’Grandmaster Korryn’ in person. They want absolute verification that the backer of the Pavilion truly possesses the ability to supply them long-term before they formally swear their oaths."
Rhain’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he completely understood their logic.
No Domain Master would sell their life to a faceless promise.
"They will see me soon enough," Rhain stated decisively. "It is time to make our next major move."
"Master?"
"Leave the daily operations of the Stormveil Pavilion in the hands of Luka and Dex," Rhain commanded. "I want you to personally come to Valdris City. We are going to establish our first official branch pavilion right here. And you will bring one mid-stage Domain Master and two early-stage Domain Masters with you as your escort."
Vulcan inhaled sharply.
"I understand, Master! I will prepare for departure immediately."
"There is one more thing," Rhain interjected, his voice turning incredibly solemn. "This is your highest priority."
Vulcan’s breathing steadied. "Your orders, Master."
"I need a method to completely conceal my realm and identity," Rhain instructed. "I don’t care if it is an obscuring technique, or an ancient artifact. I don’t care how astronomical the price is. Dig through the underground black markets of every city you have contacted. Find me a method capable of hiding my true self from a Monarch’s eyes. You find the method; I will handle the rest."
"Understood, Master!" Vulcan swore fervently. "I will turn the black markets upside down to find what you need. I will see you soon in Valdris City!"
The talisman’s glow faded, and Rhain slowly lowered his hand.
The talisman’s glow faded, and Rhain slowly lowered his hand.
The chessboard was finally being set.
With Arien moving the Nebula Sword Sect, the Celestial Elixir Pavilion sinking its roots into the Valdris economy, and his own raw power advancing by the day, the foundation of his counterattack against the Royal Court was taking shape.
Now, all he had to do was find a way to conquer the Vaelstrum Clan.