Chapter 754: Cynthia [Castle Bonus Chapter]
Within the same Awakener Association Building where the Principals of the various Academies were having their own meeting, another meeting was about to take place, but this time, it was on a floor even higher than that.
Within a vast chamber, four sets of thrones could be seen arranged around a circular glass table, but the thrones themselves remained empty, as the individuals meant to occupy them hadn’t arrived yet. Soon, the door to the chamber slowly opened, and a man stepped in. He possessed brown hair and brown eyes.
Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor, Emperor of the Zarethorne Empire.
Emperor Zolthemir had also arrived the previous day. He had arrived together with Cindralis since they were both heading towards the same destination, so they had simply traveled together.
’It seems I’m the first to arrive,’ Zolthemir thought to himself before calmly walking towards one of the thrones. Finding his name engraved upon one of them, he occupied it without hesitation.
Two minutes passed before the chamber doors opened once again, a voice echoing throughout the room as the guards stationed outside announced the new arrival.
"Emperor Aetherion Khaelor Vantheos of the Vandross Empire of the East has arrived," the voice rang out loud and clear.
Emperor Aetherion Khaelor Vantheos walked in with calm ease. A crown rested atop his head while an Imperial Royal cape flowed behind him with each step he took. He possessed orange hair and red eyes, his demeanor calm and collected.
The moment he entered, his eyes shifted towards Zolthemir, who didn’t even bother acknowledging his presence at first. Emperor Aetherion merely smiled before walking towards his own throne and sitting down. The moment he sat, Emperor Zolthemir finally turned his gaze towards him.
Although neither of them spoke, a subtle tension immediately seemed to rise within the chamber.
As for why, the answer was simple. The Vandross Empire had disguised their soldiers as bandits and sent them into the Zarethorne Empire. But that had merely been bait, a calculated distraction. After all, if a force capable of attacking eight Noble Households truly invaded the Zarethorne Empire, there was absolutely no way such a mission would casually appear within the Star Academy’s Logistics and Mission Operation Hall.
So the disguised bandits had merely been bait sent to make it appear as though the Vandross Empire was simply carrying out its usual probing operations, while the true main force settled in quietly and waited patiently for the right moment to strike.
But at the end of the day, both sides had suffered losses, with the Vandross Empire suffering even greater casualties in terms of capable soldiers. Although they had failed to wipe out the eight Noble Households entirely, their own forces had eventually been annihilated by Emperor Zolthemir himself. At the time, he had simply been far too enraged and was also attempting to repair the damaged public perception surrounding the Imperial family.
"Empress Nymeria Sol Virelle of the Velkarin Empire of the South has arrived," the voice announced once more.
A woman walked in gracefully, her dark skin flawless while her composure radiated pure authority. She possessed black hair that rested upon her head like a crown itself, while her black eyes seemed no different from the endless void. She calmly walked towards her own seat before sitting down, one leg crossing over the other and revealing a glimpse of her thigh. Her hips and thighs were nothing short of bombshells.
Not even a full minute passed before the final name was announced.
"Overlord Cynthia Wrath Chillstorm of the Thalvorn Empire of the North has arrived."
A woman walked into the chamber, and the moment she did, the entire atmosphere within the room seemed to subtly change. Her purple hair flowed down her back like a river of silk, while her yellow eyes carried an indescribable pressure within them. The moment she entered, everyone’s attention instinctively gravitated towards her.
After all, among the four gathered here, she was the strongest.
When FatelessPen had once said that the Overlord’s reign over the Thalvorn Empire was the stuff of legends, he hadn’t exaggerated in the slightest.
Cynthia Wrath Chillstorm wasn’t born into power, no, she had seized it for herself with nothing but her own hands and overwhelming strength.
Her family had once been slaughtered by Nobles, and from that day onward, her fate completely changed. She personally waged war against the Thalvorn Empire’s original Imperial family by herself... and won. She took over the Thalvorn Empire, implemented the Rings formation, and established the Awakener Association itself. She had done all this in an effort to reduce the number of people who would one day suffer the same fate she once endured.
She was one of the very few individuals who had once been recognized as standing upon the same level of power as Azaron Wargrave. Some claimed she would still lose to Azaron regardless, while others insisted such claims meant nothing until the two of them actually fought one another.
But regardless of opinions, one fact remained undeniable; she existed upon the same plane of power as Azaron.
Truly, anyone who possessed a name like "Cynthia Wrath Chillstorm" was never destined to live a normal or ordinary life.
Cynthia’s existence was also one of the reasons why Zolthemir had become the man he was today. The stories surrounding how she had taken an Empire entirely for herself were also among the reasons why Zolthemir wanted to suppress the Wargrave family, fearing that such a fate could one day befall the Zarethorne Empire as well.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one who had exercised caution. Centuries ago, during Cynthia’s war, the other three Empires had also become wary so that nobody else would suddenly gain dangerous ideas and "grow wings" the same way Cynthia had.
But Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor had once been close friends with Azaron’s father and grandfather, so there had never truly been any issue on their end. No suppression of any kind had occurred, as the Wargraves genuinely didn’t care about ruling the Empire so long as their Ducal title and authority remained untouched.
With everyone finally seated, the meeting began in earnest.
"It’s been a while since we all gathered like this," Overlord Cynthia stated with a calm smile. Although she carried the title of Overlord within her name, she wasn’t some eternally stoic existence. Despite a path carved through blood and death, she still smiled and laughed whenever she pleased, never bothering to wear a permanently stone-carved expression.
"Indeed," Empress Nymeria Sol Virelle replied with a smile resting upon her face.
"Emperor Zolthemir, I hear your twins will be participating in this round of the competition. I look forward to seeing their performance," Emperor Aetherion Khaelor Vantheos stated as he sipped the tea that had been served by the maids and butlers.
"Indeed. Too bad a certain someone doesn’t possess talented children capable of representing his Bloodline," Emperor Zolthemir replied calmly without taking a single step back.
Emperor Aetherion Khaelor Vantheos froze slightly after hearing those words.
"At least I have my Empire under proper control, unlike someone whose Imperial Palace was torn down and who even lost to a Duke," he immediately shot back without missing a beat.
There was absolutely no way he intended to lose another verbal battle against Zolthemir again.
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Bonus Chapter Sponsored by Aura Nova
