Duke Will Heart's Palace
In a hall that embodied grandeur and splendor, several figures stood before a throne-like seat—one that was a near replica of the Emperor's own throne.
Yes, the seat was exactly like the imperial throne, placed right in the castle of a Duke. Anyone from a noble family who had ever seen the royal palace would be utterly shocked upon seeing it.
Because this hall was an exact copy of the Elthanor Imperial Throne Room.
An old man in a simple robe stood beside a beautiful young woman clad in armor. Both of them bowed deeply, not daring to lift their heads.
A little ahead of them stood two others—one, a young girl with long golden hair. It was unmistakably Lorena.
Standing before her was a middle-aged man with long blond hair. He was tall, and a terrifying yet majestic aura radiated from him. He raised his hand and gently stroked Lorena's face and hair.
"My beautiful daughter... I was really worried about you," he said. His voice was rough but manly, and his tone sounded genuinely concerned.
"If you were worried about me, you never would have done that," Lorena replied, her head still bowed.
This man was her father—Duke William de Will Heart, one of the Empire's most powerful men, both in combat and politics.
"Are you still angry with me? I told you there's no need to worry. Atlas promised me that the ceremony wouldn't harm you," the Duke said with a smile.
But Lorena pulled away from his hand, lifted her head, and looked with anger at the man she once loved more than anyone.
"How could you do this? I'm your daughter! How can you even call yourself my father?" Tears welled in her eyes, and her voice trembled with hatred.
"Lorena, you have to understand... This is my only chance to achieve my goal," William sighed.
"Your goal? What about mine?! You're destroying my future with this!" Lorena could barely believe how absurd his words sounded. She wanted to laugh at how ridiculous they were.
What kind of father destroys his daughter's future over some obsessive ambition?
"Not long ago, you were a shy and quiet girl. Now you have the guts to stand up to me... Truly, you are her daughter." William chuckled happily.
Even though she now hated him for his obsession, it didn't make William angry.
"Because of your stupid obsession, you got Mom killed too!" Lorena's voice rose as she shouted the word "mom," becoming even more furious.
"That's enough." It was clear her words had finally tested William's patience. A terrifying aura burst from him, making Lorena's spine tremble.
"I told you not to worry. Didn't you always say, even as a child, that you wanted to marry the strongest man in the future? The tournament I arranged is about to begin. After it ends—and after the ceremony—you'll be able to leave the Empire with your husband," he said in a serious tone.
"You won't even let me choose my own husband!" Lorena shouted, her eyes red.
Everyone thought this tournament was a political move—that her father wanted to sell her off to a powerful family for more influence.
But that was just a dumb rumor. Her father didn't care about political power. He just wanted to send her out of the Empire after the cursed ceremony so no one would ever know what he had done.
"Didn't you want to marry the strongest? Sure, many geniuses won't participate, but the one who wins will still be one of the strongest."
"I was a kid when I said those stupid things..." Lorena didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How did she end up with such a bastard for a father?
"That's enough. The decisions have already been made. Go to your room," William said coldly, dismissing her.
Lorena raised her middle finger at her father, then stormed out of the hall, tears still in her eyes.
William sighed, then turned his attention to Leia.
"Don't think I don't know what you did. But since you managed to save her, I'll forgive your mistake."
"Thank you, my lord," Leia said without lifting her head. When she saw the Duke was forgiving her, she sighed in relief.
But suddenly, a horrifying aura struck down on her and slammed her head against the floor, causing both internal and external bleeding.
"Don't forget—you are my dog first and her protector second. Next time you make such a mistake, I'll hand you your brother's corpse." All paternal warmth vanished from William, replaced by fear and overwhelming pressure.
"I understand, my lord! I won't make that mistake again!" Leia said, trembling in fear.
William withdrew his aura and dismissed her as well. After Leia left, he turned to Atlas and said, "You may rise."
"Is everything for the ceremony ready?"
"Yes, my lord. We can begin whenever you give the order," the Grand Mage replied respectfully.
"Good." The ceremony had been delayed due to his daughter's escape, but now it could finally proceed.
"In any case, tell me everything that happened today."
The appearance of a corruption worshiper in his city was no small matter. The capital would probably send investigation forces soon.
That made him angry. He had to finish the ceremony before they arrived.
Atlas then reported everything that had happened in the tomb—including every individual present—to the Duke.
"Daniel, huh? This is the first time I've seen you praise someone this much," the Duke said with amusement, making Atlas feel a bit embarrassed.
"My lord, I simply find it interesting that a young man at Rank D could hold his ground so well against a Corruption Worshiper at Rank B. Honestly, if he weren't an otherworldly climber, I'd have taken him in as a disciple."
"Interesting. I didn't expect such a genius. If he's as good as you say, not recruiting him would be foolish. But his origin could be troublesome," William sighed.
Unfortunately, due to all the trouble otherworldly climbers have caused, their reputation isn't exactly stellar, and hiring one could definitely damage his credibility.
"Still, that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do. Do you think he'll participate in the competition?"
"I'm not certain, my lord, but it's possible," Atlas replied after a brief pause.
"And what do you think his chances of winning are?"
"If I'm not mistaken—ninety percent. The remaining ten percent of failure would be because of Nathaniel," the Grand Mage said respectfully.
"So even Nathaniel might not be able to beat him, huh? If he's really that good, I'll start thinking of a way to recruit him," the Duke nodded, then shifted his attention back to the main matter.
"The Sea of Blood? I never expected to there be something like that in the tomb of the Founder's Father… Maybe the rumors are true, and the Corruption Worshipers' attack on Broken Valley was just a lie?"