Chapter 141: The Elected: Shawn Thorne
The moment Cillian Forrest finished speaking, everyone in the room stared wide-eyed.
What had they just heard?!
Clear the toxins!
Shane Thorne’s face turned ashen. He recalled the news he’d heard at the matching banquet.
It was said that a Healer-class named Sophie Wexler might be able to clear Starbug toxins.
That was why he had used his hidden influence to track her location, and even sent people to intercept her after learning she’d been matched, but all his attempts had failed.
Afterward, he couldn’t find any more information about her. It wasn’t until the marriage agreement was signed two days ago that he caught wind of anything.
Even though he had been mentally prepared, the news was far worse than any outcome he had imagined.
He had speculated endlessly about who Sophie Wexler might be matched with, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would be Cillian Forrest!
Shane Thorne’s face had turned pale with fury when he heard the news.
A 3S Healer-class—and one who could clear toxins, no less—matched with Cillian Forrest. The implications were all too clear.
Just as he was seeing now, everyone wore an expression of shock.
Shane Thorne’s gaze swept over the faces around him, finally landing on Felix York.
Felix York’s expression was calm. Noticing Shane Thorne’s look, he gave him an almost imperceptible nod.
Seeing this, Shane Thorne relaxed slightly. ’So what if Shawn Thorne’s toxins are cleared?’
’The election is decided by votes, and thankfully, I anticipated this possibility and made preparations in advance.’
After so many years, he hadn’t gotten to his current position by idling around the Empire. He had built up a considerable number of supporters.
Not to mention, he had also persuaded Felix York.
’So, this time, they are the only ones who can lose.’
Shane Thorne leaned back in his chair, his face a mask of absolute certainty.
Cillian Forrest saw his expression, and a flicker of icy coldness, nearly invisible, passed through his eyes.
Once all the formalities were complete, The Council of Elders read the relevant documents and then announced,
"Please begin casting your votes now."
Everyone looked at each other, no one wanting to be the first to make a move.
After all, both factions were powerful.
At this, a soft chuckle echoed through the meeting room. Cillian Forrest nonchalantly raised his hand.
Selection: Shawn Thorne
As soon as he acted, others followed his lead. Supporters of Shawn Thorne quickly cast their votes for the Little Prince.
The other faction, after receiving a look from Shane Thorne, also began to move.
The vote counts for both sides were neck and neck, and for a moment, it seemed to be a dead heat.
Finally, only Felix York and his contingent remained. All eyes fell upon him.
The person in the main seat spoke up. "General York, it is your turn."
As he spoke, Felix York’s gaze landed on Shane Thorne.
The smile on Shane Thorne’s lips slowly widened.
"I choose..."
’Thank you, General York,’ Shane Thorne thought, feeling as if victory was already in his grasp.
But the next second, the smile froze on his face.
Felix York’s lips parted, and he slowly uttered two words: "Shawn Thorne."
As he finished speaking, the men in his contingent made their selections in unison, all choosing Shawn Thorne.
A monstrous wave of rage surged through him. Shane Thorne slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet, his face livid. "Felix York!"
Victory had been within his grasp; he had practically seen the throne beckoning to him.
He had never imagined that Felix York, who had already pledged his loyalty, would betray him at the last moment.
Shane Thorne glared at Felix York, his eyes filled with unconcealed hostility.
Felix York, however, looked baffled. "Your Excellency," he asked, looking at Shane Thorne, "is there a problem with my choice?"
Shane Thorne’s temper instantly flared. He jabbed a finger straight at Felix York. "You!"
Just then, His Majesty, seated above them all, spoke. "Shane Thorne, control your emotions."
Shane Thorne struggled to suppress his rage and sank back into his chair with a heavy thud.
Hearing this, His Majesty revealed a smile. "The results of the vote are in. The chosen successor is..." He paused for dramatic effect before continuing, "Shawn Thorne."
The moment he spoke, the expressions of everyone present changed—some were joyous, others distraught.
Some of Shane Thorne’s supporters were already scheming how to curry favor with the Little Prince.
As for Shane Thorne’s staunchest allies, their faces turned pale and a chill ran down their spines. They knew it was all over.
"I hereby appoint Shawn Thorne, son of Ian Thorne, as the new heir to the Empire, to be assisted by Marshal Cillian Forrest."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
While this was unfolding, one of Shane Thorne’s subordinates had been following his earlier orders to investigate Sophie Wexler and Cillian Forrest.
Cillian Forrest was difficult to investigate, but Sophie Wexler was another story. Still, it took a great deal of effort. The subordinate had to make a special trip to Karath just to dig up a few scraps of information.
It turned out they had known each other all along. The investigation had likely been so difficult because Cillian Forrest had ordered all information about her to be concealed.
Ordinarily, the block on information about Sophie Wexler was very effective. But she was a streamer and had shown her face in a competition. That in itself wasn’t a big deal, but the subordinate had seen a video recorded by a fan named Karina. A figure flashed past in the background—and that person was Cillian Forrest.
Moreover, members of the Seventh Legion had appeared in her livestream.
The man had a bad feeling. He had to tell Shane Thorne this news immediately. Felix York’s Seventh Legion knew Sophie Wexler and Cillian Forrest. His pledge of allegiance was very likely a sham!
As soon as he found out, he had rushed back to the Capital Planet, but by the time he arrived, the voting had already begun.
He waited outside, only to watch the group emerge. One look at his master’s livid face told him that things had gone horribly wrong.
Shane Thorne’s gaze toward Felix York was practically dripping with venom. Because of his last-minute betrayal, he had been utterly defeated.
It felt as if everyone was laughing at him.
"Felix York!" Shane Thorne forced the words out through gritted teeth. "Why!"
Everyone knew that Felix York had always maintained a neutral stance, which was precisely why Shane Thorne had tried to pull him into his camp.
’Where did it all go wrong? Why did he choose Shawn Thorne without a moment’s hesitation?’
Upon hearing this, Felix York smiled. "Your Excellency, I’m sure your subordinate will tell you the answer."
Felix York glanced at Shane Thorne’s man standing a short distance away, then turned and left without another word.
After everyone else had departed, the subordinate hesitantly stepped forward and told Shane Thorne everything he had discovered.
Then he added hesitantly, "Your Excellency, that Healer-class... she knew Felix York before all this."
After listening, Shane Thorne’s fists, clenched at his sides, trembled as his knuckles cracked.
Only now did he realize he’d been played for a fool!
"There’s one more thing," the man said, looking at Shane Thorne’s expression, hesitating over whether he should continue.
"Speak!"
"It seems Cillian Forrest deliberately concealed his identity from the Healer-class."
"And..." He leaned close and whispered something in Shane Thorne’s ear.
Shane Thorne’s expression froze for a second. Then, a slow, meaningful smile spread across his face. "Cillian Forrest..."