Chapter 2551
An Understated Dominance
Bryce rushed into Nathanielâs quarter and stumbled as he went. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his face still wore the pallor of fear.
At that moment, Nathaniel was seated at his desk. He stared into the dim glow of a single lamp, lost in thought. Upon hearing the sound of frantic footsteps, he frowned and looked up.
âY-Your Highness! Something terrible has happened,â Bryce stammered. He burst through the door and was too panicked to bother with formalities.
âWhatâs wrong?â Nathaniel asked with a frown, and he looked annoyed.
The mansion was so large that the explosion of the main gate earlier hadnât alerted him.
âYour Highness, Zeus and Hera, the royal gods from the Hall of Gods, just barged in and attacked us. General Derin tried to stop them, but Zeus raised his hand and struck him with a lightning bolt. General Derin⦠He was killed on the spot.â
Bryce forced himself to calm his nerves and quickly recounted what had happened earlier. He had seen his share of battles, so he wasnât easily frightened. However, Lycasâ sudden end had shaken him to his core.
In the blink of an eye, Lycasâ body exploded. He was obliterated, with only a few charred scraps remaining-his bones had completely turned into ash.
The brutal scene left a deep psychological scar on Bryce. He was a powerful grandmaster martial artist, but he was as helpless as an insect in front of Zeus. The overwhelming gap in strength shattered Bryceâs confidence.
âWhat nonsense are you talking about?â Nathaniel snapped. âWhy would the royal gods of the Hall of Gods come to my mansion and kill my men? Youâve got to be mistaken.â
His first instinct was to dismiss it as impossible. He had no personal conflict with anyone from the Hall of Gods. Theyâd even done some shady deals behind closed doors. 1
No matter how he looked at it, the Hall of Gods had no reason to target him. They even sent two royal gods his way.
These royal gods from the Hall of Gods were supreme fighters with the power to change the course of a nation. They wouldnât act unless necessary, and certainly wouldnât eliminate someone without some benefit to gain.
None of this made any sense to Nathaniel, nor could he believe it.
âYour Highness, I swear itâs true. Some of General Derinâs remains are still scattered outside the gates. I wouldnât dare lie to you, âBryce said. His face was full of distress.
âHow could this happen? Iâve never crossed them. Why would they come after me?â Nathanielâs expression turned grim.
âItâs because of Mr. Rhys,â Bryce blurted.
He didnât dare to hide it and explained, â
The royal gods are here for him. General Derin was killed simply for not responding quickly enough.
âIf I hadnât quickly suggested we help them track down Mr. Rhys, they might have stormed the mansion and threatened your safety, Your Highness.â
âLogan?â Nathanielâs expression darkened even further.
Heâd suffered heavy losses just to win Dustinâs favor. Even though his vault was destroyed and the Dracan essence was stolen, he swallowed his pride. He wanted to leave a good impression on Dustin and set the stage for the future.
Nathaniel never imagined Dustin tangled up in such a huge mess. It was so serious that the Hall of Gods dispatched two royal gods from across the continent to kill him.
If Nathaniel protected him, heâd offend two royal gods and bring trouble upon himself. But turning him over meant betraying the West Lucozian monarchy and throwing away everything heâd invested.
No matter which option Nathaniel chose, neither was a favorable one.
âWhat should we do now, Your Highness?â Bryce asked, pale and sweating. âLord Zeus has given us one day. If we donât deliver by sunset tomorrow, theyâll be back-and this time, it wonât end well for us.â
âDamn it!â Nathaniel cursed, gritting his teeth. âHow did I end up in this mess?â
His expression shifted between frustration and anxiety. In this situation, one wrong move could make everything worse.
After thinking for a while, he ordered, â Prepare the car. Iâm going out.â
At times like this, the only person who could offer him genuine advice was Cynthia.
Whenever he faced a major crisis, he always turned to his mother. She was the one who could always come up with a solution, no matter how impossible the situation seemed.
With the royal gods from the Hall of Gods involved, things were far beyond his ability to handle alone. He would have to rely on his mother and the Spanner familyâs influence to navigate this crisis.
As night fell, Nathaniel, accompanied by Bryce and a few trusted aides, sped toward Aylka in a car.
To avoid drawing attention, he even disguised himself. Fortunately, the journey was smooth, and they soon arrived at Cynthiaâs royal residence.
At that moment, she was sitting by the lamp and reading a book. When she saw her son arrive in such a hurried state, she couldnât help but feel puzzled.
âNathaniel, whatâs going on? Why such urgency?â she asked.
âMother, Iâve run into some trouble,â he replied. He didnât hide the truth and carefully explained the situation to her.
After hearing his story, Cynthiaâs expression turned serious. She motioned for Nathaniel to sit, then ordered someone to pour tea for him.
After a moment of thought, she said, âThis isnât unsolvable. With the right approach, it might even turn into an opportunity.â
âReally? Do you have a plan?â Nathaniel asked, eyes filled with anticipation.
âYou need to send someone to warn Logan. Let him know that the royal gods from the Hall of Gods are coming for him, and he should be cautious. We can use this chance to return a favor,â Cynthia said.
âMother, if thatâs the case, wouldnât the royal gods also come after me?â Nathaniel asked with a frown.
âHold on. Let me finish,â she said with a faint smile.
She added, âYouâre investing in a favor, so Logan will owe you later. As for the Hall of Gods, just shift the blame. Find a scapegoat. That way, you wonât anger the West Lucozian monarchy. Youâll wash your hands of the matter completely. Itâs the perfect solution, donât you think?â