There were seven people inside a humongous hall that looked like a cave.
This was King Skythunder's throne room.
At the moment, the five members of the main Council, the Archduke, and King Skythunder were waiting for the meeting to begin.
The five members of the Council were not happy to be there.
They had a war to fight, and every second they were away from the frontline was endangering the Skythunder Kingdom.
Yet, King Skythunder had still called them all to gather here today.
It wasn't possible to refuse an order given by King Skythunder.
Even more, the five members of the Council didn't even know why they had been called. They only knew that this was a meeting.
They waited in this place for several minutes. No one dared to speak up or ask.
Eventually, the five members of the Council looked toward the south simultaneously.
Their eyes narrowed, and their brows furrowed.
Someone they didn't want to see at all had just entered their Spirit Senses.
King Skythunder only remained sitting on his throne, a small smirk on his face.
About a minute later, the door to the hall opened…
And Jerald stepped in.
As soon as they saw Jerald, the Council realized that his aura had changed significantly.
Not only was he far more powerful, but the friendly and polite aura around him had turned into cold apathy.
The only thing that confirmed to them that this was indeed Duke Whirlwind was his appearance and his incredible power.
When they felt his sheer power, they had to take deep breaths.
In the past, Jerald had been about equal to the Council, but that was because he was more powerful than four of the five members.
But now, Jerald's power was truly equal to the entire Council.
If all five of the Council members combined their powers and attacked Jerald at the same time, the outcome would be uncertain.
Jerald could fight the entire Council on his own, and this thought terrified them.
However, when they shot a glance at King Skythunder and the Archduke, their emotions calmed down.
Yes, Jerald could rival the Council, but the Archduke was just as powerful. Just like Jerald, she could rival the entire Council on her own.
And then there was King Skythunder.
In front of King Skythunder, Jerald didn't count for anything.
Jerald slowly stepped into the middle of the hall and stopped.
"Are you here to negotiate a peaceful resolution after everything you have done to us?" one of the Council members asked with a cold voice.
Jerald didn't even acknowledge the Council member.
Instead, he looked at the King and bowed politely. "My King, may I start?" he asked.
King Skythunder's smirk widened a bit. "Everyone," he said as he looked at the Council and the Archduke. "I called you all today because Jerald has something to tell us. Jerald, you may begin."
Jerald nodded once, and his eyes traveled over the eyes of the Council members until they landed on the Council Head.
Jerald looked at the dark-haired Council Head for a couple of seconds.
"I've had enough," Jerald said.
The Council didn't react.
"I've had enough of this stupid and idiotic political game."
One of the Council members snorted. "You call this a game? We are running a Kingdom here, and we are doing our best to keep it prosperous and alive. This is not a game, Whirlwind."
Jerald looked at the Council member that had just spoken up.
"Yes, this is a game. You either refuse to acknowledge it because you like playing it so much, or you truly have lost your connection to reality."
"Get your head out of your ass."
After Jerald said that, the entire room fell silent.
Four of the Council members were shocked when they heard that, while the Council Head narrowed her eyes.
The Archduke only smiled in embarrassment as she scratched the side of her head with her right index finger.
No one had ever spoken like that in these halls!
Insulting people like this and using such crass language was not becoming of a leader of this Kingdom!
Yet, Jerald had insulted them like this was some mere pub!
"Whirlwind! Do you realize how heavy the punishment is for disrespecting the leaders of this Kingdom?!" another Council member shouted with an accusatory voice.
Jerald snorted in disgust. "You are delusional. You are so used to everyone playing your little game that you believe everyone has to follow it, if they like it or not."
"You want to punish me? Fine! Go ahead! Try it!" Jerald said with narrowed eyes.
At that moment, Jerald's cold aura expanded until it enveloped the entire throne room.
This was even more disrespectful than the words he had said before!
By expanding his aura like this, Jerald was essentially telling everyone that he was the one in charge.
He was doing that in front of King Skythunder!
"Heresy! Blasphemy!" another member of the Council shouted as he pointed at Jerald. "You are disrespecting our King! For this offense, you will be put to death!"
Jerald's eyes focused on the person. "Do it."
The Council member's eyes narrowed, but his nervousness grew as he kept looking into Jerald's eyes.
He looked at the other members, and they were just as nervous.
"Come on!" Jerald shouted. "Do it! I'm standing right here!"
At that moment, a terrifying storm cloud appeared in Jerald's right hand. It was small, but the Mana inside of it was terrifying!
The Council activated their Mana Shields, but they didn't step forward.
They only looked at Jerald with narrowed eyes.
Several seconds of silence passed.
Then, Jerald dismissed the storm cloud.
"Look at you," he said with disdain. "You shout orders and judge everyone, but you don't realize that there isn't anyone here to carry out your orders."
"If not even you dare to carry out your own orders, who can?" Jerald asked.
The members of the Council were enraged and frustrated as never before.
They wanted to do nothing but just attack and kill him.
But they couldn't!
They could die!
"My King," one of the Council members said as he bowed in front of King Skythunder. "We fear that we are not powerful enough to handle this rebellion. If you don't do something, the Skythunder Kingdom might be doomed."
The Council Head furrowed her brows, but the other members also bowed politely to King Skythunder.
King Skythunder only cleaned the underside of his nails with a smirk.
"Then what's the point of having you?"
The emotions of the Council underwent another upheaval.
"But, my King, he had disrespected you by enveloping the entire throne room with his aura!" one of them argued.
King Skythunder stopped cleaning his nails and looked at the person that had just spoken without any amusement.
"Do you think I'm blind?" he asked.
The Council member went white in the face. "No! No, I would never!"
"Then, do you think I'm stupid?"
"No! Never!" the Council member shouted in absolute horror.
"Then why are you telling me about things that happened mere seconds ago directly in front of me?" He asked with an uncaring voice.
"I must apologize, my King!" the Council member shouted. "I should have never questioned your judgment!"
King Skythunder looked at the Council member for a couple of seconds more before he went back to focusing on his nails.
The Council member released a deep sigh.
"Jerald," King Skythunder said. "I don't like waiting. Tell us what you want to tell us."
Jerald nodded.
Then, he looked at the Head of the Council with a cold gaze.
"The Storm Eagle Zone is officially declaring war on the Skythunder Kingdom."
