"Kate, I want you to go to the Istarin Empire and give this letter to His Majesty." The expression on Kate's face changed to ugly when she was ordered to go to the surface. Kate did not look comfortable going to the surface.
As her master, Laura knew it. But this was an emergency for Laura. She had very little time. Kate was Laura's most trusted person. Laura can only send Kate to complete this task. If possible Laura would have gone to the Istarin Empire by herself but the situation didn't let her leave the Deep Sea Palace Empire anytime soon. She can only leave the Deep Sea Palace Empire after the competition ends.
Laura had met Aditya around 4 months ago. Back when she met Aditya, she nearly suffocated to death. Her sudden appearance had made Aditya mistakenly assume that Laura was an enemy. Fortunately, all the misunderstandings were quickly resolved. In the end, Aditya and Laura even have a meeting where both become allies in secret.
Laura wanted to become the new ruler of the Deep Sea Palace while Aditya at that time didn't want the Deep Sea Palace as his enemy. Both of them found a common ground. Laura needed a 5-star cultivation pill that would help her break through mid-5th order. In exchange, when Laura finally becomes the ruler of the Deep Sea Palace, she would become an ally of the Istarin Empire and work on bringing the two Empires closer.
Four months ago, the Istarin Empire had just transformed from a Kingdom to an Empire. By defeating all the other Kingdoms, and Dynasties, the Istarin Empire had almost the entire eastern region of the Dying Isle continent under its control. However, the military of the Istarin Empire wasn't strong enough to fight equally or defeat a well-established Empire like the Deep Sea Palace which had many 5th-order powerhouses. This is why Aditya chose to help Laura. Otherwise, the Istarin Empire has to remain on High alert at all times. Who knows when their sea neighbor might attack them?
If Laura becomes the Empress, there won't be any possibility of the Deep Sea Palace Empire attacking the Istarin Empire. To Aditya, investing in Laura was going to give him a big return in the future.
However, choosing to help Laura was Aditya's second option because, at the end of the day, Aditya was someone who liked his Empire to become strong and also self-reliant. Without relying on anyone, he wanted his Empire to be able to deal with any internal and external threat.
4 months later, the standings of the Istarin Empire changed. The Istarin Empire now had the backing of two strong Empires. This itself was enough to make any force think twice before they attacked the Empire. The military power of the Empire has been rapidly rising over the 4 months.
The Empire showed its strength when it managed to capture the Entire Southern Fire Dragon Empire within a week. The Black Dragon King who was said to be one of the strongest Peak 5th-order cultivator was defeated by Aditya.
This just proves that the Istarin Empire has grown into something that no other Empire can defeat on a whim.
"Milady, can't you send someone else?" Kate was reluctant to head to the surface. Whenever she visited the Surface and whenever she saw humans, Kate would recall an event that she wished to forget. The pain in her heart would haunt her like ghost. She felt afraid, terrified, and very sad.
"Kate, His Majesty knows that you're my personal maid. Normally I would have gone to the Istarin empire to call His majesty but in the current situation, I don't think it would be wise for me to leave the Empire. You can deliver this letter in my place. Sending someone else in your place would be disrespectful to His majesty." Right now the entire situation has been reserved.
4 months later, Aditya's political power has changed. He now stood above Laura in terms of political power. Aditya had the power to face the Deep Sea Palace. Before their alliance was built on mutual benefit but now Laura was going to benefit more. Aditya now can just end their alliance if he wants. In Laura's opinion, if she sent someone other than her maid to deliver the letter, this would be disrespectful. This will also show that Laura doesn't value Aditya and the Istarin Empire's alliance.
'If Aditya breaks the Alliance with me there is nothing that I can do. With his aid, my chances of becoming the Empress would increase.' Laura knew that after winning the Competition, all the obstacles from her path to the throne won't be cleared. She will face challenges and trials. If she wants to run the Empire and keep everything within the Empire in her control, Laura cannot allow this alliance to get broken.
"Alright. I will head to the Istarin Empire to deliver the letter." Though Kate hated humans she wasn't stupid. She understood how politics worked.
"Thank you Kate." Laura smiled and then hugged her personal Maid. Laura did not treat Kate like a regular servant or a Maid. To Laura, Kate is her only remaining family member. She treated Kate more like a sister than a servant.
Scene change
The very same day, Kate returned to Laura with a very distressful news.
"What? Kate, are you sure that this news is true?" Laura asked her personal maid with a disbelieved look.
"Milady, I am not lying. I met the former acting prime Minister, Watson. Sir Watson told me that His Majesty had entered into seclusion and was in a critical stage of his cultivation. Disturbing His majesty at this point would only harm him.
Scene change___
"How many days ago did the competition start?" Standing before Kate, Aditya asked.
"The Competition was supposed to start 20 days ago. But Milady used her connections and her resources to push the competition by a month. The competition is going to start 6 days later."
Aditya met Kate and learned everything from her. As for his disappearance, Aditya clarified everything. He gave Kate a simple explanation of the whole story regarding his disappearance.
Kate then proceeded to tell him about the things that he needed to know before he came to the Deep Sea Palace. As of right now, because Aditya had killed half a million of deep Sea Palace troops and their Emperor, the people of the Deep Sea Palace hated him and he wasn't welcome to their Empire. Before coming to the Deep Sea Palace, Aditya would need to change his appearance so that no one can recognize the Istarin Emperor.
"The location of the Competition has been revealed. This time, all the participants are going to face each other in a battle royal. The last one standing will become the new Ruler of the Deep Sea Palace."
"A battle royal huh!" Aditya remembered some old memories.
A battle royal is a barbarous place with no escape. Once someone has entered the battle royal, the only way of getting out of that hell would be to either kill everyone or get killed by someone else.
When Aditya was still the prince, he had seen numerous battle royals in the capital. Battle Royal is a competition that some nobles host for the sake of enjoyment and pleasure. The nobles would use slaves and let the slaves fight each other to death. Of course, independent people were also allowed to join as long as the participant passed the required criteria. While the slaves bleed, the nobles laughed and celebrated. The worse thing about the Battle Royal is the number of lives that it takes.
Some poor cultivators would see Battle Royals as a way of making quick money. These cultivators underestimate the risks involved in the process. As a result, all of these cultivators end up dying. A single Battle Royal with 10,000 participants can last from 3 days to 7 days. By the end of the battle Royal, the whole ground is filled with corpses and the earth would be dyed in blood.
The young Aditya was never fond of such a form of entertainment. He felt disgusted watching some fat noble make a profit from this kind of fight.
Around an hour later, Kate left. After Kate left, Aditya continued his meeting with Spencer and Watson for another 5 hours before having lunch with everyone. At the dining table, Aditya learned that it will take Julia a while before she can find out what kind of illness has turned Lara this weak. This mysterious illness wasn't something that the Goddess of Alchemy and The goddess of Nature has ever seen or heard of.
Riya even sent a letter to her mother asking her if she or the elders knows anything about this illness.
After lunch, Alicia had to leave as she had work. Riya accompanied Julia as she checked Lara's body.
After Lunch, Aditya had gone out of the Dragon Palace for a little walk. Little did anyone know that his little walk was about to send shockwaves throughout the continent.
Really Thank you very much to all those who sends support with valuable golden tickets. I hope we can keep it up!!!
Sorry for not uploading any chapters the last two days. I am really sorry. I will try to make it up within tomorrow or day after tomorrow. Yesterday I wanted to write But I had no internet. When my internet was restored, it was too late to write a chapter.
I know this chapter might feel a little bit boring but the real fun is about to come. The upcoming arc is not just some useless arc. I am not writing Laura's arc just to fill more chapters. Her story will be connected to the bigger picture.
I have taught of this novel's ending. I have start preparing the stage for the epic ending of this novel. I am not going to drag this novel with useless and boring plot. I don't want to rush things.
Peace out!
