Chapter 1263: Bodam Kingdom wages war

Rulman Household,

The group returned safely but the weight of what they had witnessed clung to them like a shadow.

They wasted no time.

The moment they arrived, they reported everything to the elders.

Silence fell over the hall.

As the details unfolded, the scale of destruction, the presence of multiple Seventh Shackle Realm experts, the elders’ expressions darkened. Some clenched their fists. Others lowered their heads, their faces grim.

They all understood.

This was not something that would end cleanly.

Too many factions were involved and too much power had already been unleashed.

Even without knowing the exact cause, one thing was certain...

The entire nation was about to change.

In the past, conflicts between factions had been contained to small skirmishes, controlled clashes. Rarely did they escalate to the level of Hero-rank experts.

The incident involving the Sea Fiend Cave and the Kraken Clan had already been considered catastrophic, an event that wiped out the top forces of both sides.

But this...

This was worse, far worse.

If it continued, entire factions could vanish overnight.

"Stay alert," one elder said, his voice low and tense.

"There are many who covet the Rulman Household," another added. "In this chaos, there’s a real chance we’ll be dragged into it. We can’t ignore that possibility."

"The Tarrant Nation is spiraling out of control..." someone muttered.

A heavier silence followed.

"Where is the Matriarch?" an elder suddenly asked, his voice edged with unease. "She disappeared after killing Kras’ah... Without her, we cannot handle a crisis of this scale."

No one answered.

Because no one could.

At that moment, Wresho stepped forward.

"Then we proceed with Elder Eliyo’s plan."

All eyes turned to him.

Then, slowly, toward the massive form of the Purple Lightning Eel resting nearby.

The plan was simple yet desperate.

They would pour the household’s resources into Elder Eliyo, pushing him to reach the advanced fifth stage as quickly as possible.

It was a gamble.

But they had no other choice.

Even if the others consumed those same resources, the result would be insignificant. None of them could reach Eliyo’s level in time. None of them could become the deterrent they so desperately needed.

Strength had to be concentrated. Otherwise, they would be crushed.

"...Do it," one elder finally said.

The decision was made.

Orders spread throughout the household like wildfire. Defenses were reinforced. Patrols doubled. Barriers strengthened.

The Rulman Household raised its security to the highest level.

Because beneath all their preparations... was fear.

Fear that someone would discover the truth.

Their strongest pillar, the Matriarch, was gone.

The elders didn’t stop at fortifying the household. In secret, they deployed their strongest experts to the borders of their territory.

Hidden in the shadows, these guards watched every movement, every ripple in the surrounding waters, every unfamiliar presence that dared to come close. Nothing was left to chance.

They weren’t just preparing for an attack.

They were bracing for the unknown.

Because if even a single crack formed in their defenses... the Rulman Household could be swallowed whole.

...

Inside the lodging, Souta stood by the window, gazing outside.

"The elders are afraid..." he muttered under his breath.

Their presence was unmistakable. Several elders were quietly patrolling the grounds of the Rulman Household, their auras restrained but tense.

Souta shifted his gaze to Fadu, who was practicing his swordsmanship a short distance away. Each swing carried focus, but there was unease behind it.

’Should I make a move?’ Souta thought. ’The Rulman Household has lost its pillar. Conquering them now would be far easier.’

Fadu eventually stopped, lowering his sword as he took a break. He sat on the floor, catching his breath before looking up.

"Master... what’s going to happen?" he asked.

Souta raised a brow slightly. "Seventh Shackle Realm experts have already appeared," he said calmly. "Another battle is inevitable."

"Another battle?" Fadu frowned, confusion flickering across his face.

"Of course." Souta’s tone remained steady. "A Seventh Shackle Realm expert is a cornerstone of any faction. Do you think the Rulman Household would stay quiet if Kras’ah hadn’t died? No... they would’ve—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Souta suddenly realized something.

Fadu didn’t know.

The higher-ups hadn’t told him about Freida’s disappearance. Most likely, they were waiting until her body was found... or until they had no choice but to reveal it.

"...would’ve what?" Fadu asked, tilting his head.

Souta’s eyes flickered briefly before he continued, smoothly altering his words.

"The Rulman Household won’t remain silent. If the Kraken Clan truly exists within the Tarrant Nation, they’ll try to swallow it whole."

A faint smile formed on his lips.

"The entire Tarrant Nation is about to fall into chaos."

At that moment, Souta’s expression shifted. He turned his head slightly, his senses catching something unusual.

Several presences had just entered the Rulman Household’s territory.

They were quickly intercepted by the patrolling elders.

Souta narrowed his eyes.

’Scouts...? Gathering information about the battle?’

...

It didn’t take long for news of the battle at the dungeon’s entrance to spread.

Within a day, the entire Tarrant Nation was shaken. The clash had involved multiple high-level experts, an event that could not be ignored.

A battle between Hero-rank individuals was never a trivial matter, no matter the setting, be it a Holy Land, a Large Country, or even a Great Country. This was especially true for factions lacking the protection of God-rank beings.

Experts of such caliber did not act lightly.

Yet five of them had clashed openly at the entrance of a newly discovered dungeon.

The implications were terrifying.

Every major faction within the Tarrant Nation was thrown into turmoil. Forces were immediately dispatched, scouts and elites alike, all racing to uncover the truth behind the incident.

It didn’t take long.

Within a day or two, the reason spread like wildfire.

The Crown Prince of the Bodam Kingdom had secretly infiltrated the Tarrant Nation and entered the newly discovered dungeon.

By itself, such an act wouldn’t have sparked a full-scale confrontation.

But inside that dungeon...

He found something.

A universal-grade artifact.

Silence fell across the land as the truth became known.

A universal-grade artifact.

In the entire Depths of Banquet, not a single artifact of that level had ever been confirmed to exist.

Its value was beyond measure.

What followed was inevitable.

The experts of the surrounding factions tore off their masks of restraint. Alliances meant nothing. Appearances meant nothing.

War erupted.

No one would allow the Crown Prince of a rival nation to walk away with such a treasure, especially not from a dungeon within their own territory.

The artifact had to remain in the hands of the Tarrant Nation.

At any cost.

They could not allow the Crown Prince to return with power that could tip the balance of nations.

The situation was far worse than anything the factions within the Tarrant Nation had anticipated.

...

Bodam Kingdom, Imperial Palace.

Inside the palace, Erlius sat upon his throne, his expression twisted with fury. A violent aura surged from his body, shaking the entire hall as if the air itself were trembling in fear.

"What?!" His voice thundered across the chamber. "What do you mean?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm yourself!" the ministers and generals pleaded in unison, their voices strained.

"Calm down?" Erlius rose abruptly, his killing intent spilling uncontrollably. "My son is dead and you dare tell me to calm down?!"

The suffocating pressure bore down on everyone present. Faces turned pale, bodies stiffened as no one dared to meet his gaze.

The report was clear.

The Crown Prince had fallen in battle.

And the universal-grade artifact... had been seized by the forces of the Tarrant Nation.

Given such losses, the king’s fury was inevitable.

Erlius slowly sat back down, forcing himself to breathe. The violent tremor in the hall subsided, though the tension remained suffocating.

Then, in a cold and decisive tone, he spoke:

"Prepare for war."

The entire hall froze.

"We will invade the Tarrant Nation."

Gasps echoed throughout the chamber. Though many had expected this outcome, hearing it declared so plainly still sent a chill down their spines.

This would not be a minor conflict.

It would be a full-scale war, one that would engulf two of the three nations within the Depths of Banquet. A war that would shatter the current balance of power... and bury countless forces in its wake.

"But, Your Majesty... we just lost Kras’ah," one official said cautiously.

He was cut off instantly.

"Kras’ah?" Erlius’ gaze turned frigid. "I allowed you to devour the resources of the Kraken Clan."

He paused, his voice dropping into something colder, far more dangerous.

"I even granted you the Secret of Immortality."

The room fell silent.

"It is time you repay that generosity," he continued. "We have long prepared to swallow the Tarrant Nation whole. Now... the time has come."

A heavy silence lingered before another voice spoke.

"What about the Tidal Merchant Group, Your Majesty?"

Erlius narrowed his eyes slightly.

"The Tidal Merchant Group..." he murmured. "Even with the Secret of Immortality, Kras’ah still failed to defeat Freida."

He leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly against the armrest as he thought.

"However... one of their three ruling families resides within our Bodam Kingdom."

His gaze drifted toward the palace windows.

"My father will personally negotiate with the Waterfield Clan."

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