Chapter 224: Cousin?
"Is that all?" Caius asked calmly. The courtroom fell silent as he smiled lightly.
"Alright, I'll take my leave," he said to everyone present as he walked out.
"Hmm… you're better than I thought," Theron mused, gazing at Caius' departing back.
"Mai, summon the guards. We're moving out to survey the Federation," Caius commanded as Mai bowed.
"Let's see how the Federation truly is," Caius thought with a slight smile.
*****
In the Realm of Azerak...
Azerak watched as Dared defeated beast after beast. By the end, he stopped at the Peak of the Middle-level Planetary Realm. While that might seem low, he couldn't push further—his consciousness was drained. He disintegrated into floating pieces and reopened his eyes on his bed.
"Ah… ah… ah…"
He breathed heavily, feeling weak—not physically, but mentally. Still, he could feel it. He had broken through.
"This... this is amazing," Dared thought excitedly.
Azerak was stunned—then thrilled. If they built Dared's body using Nephem blood, then… he could see it—all races bowing before him.
"Azerak, can I enter whenever I want?" Dared asked with a smile.
"Yes, you can. But rest first and recover your mental strength. The stronger you are, the longer you'll last inside the realm," Azerak explained, and Dared nodded. Fair enough.
"The royal family… If I were strong enough, would I still be hunted by you bastards?" Dared thought with a smirk.
******
Elsewhere, far from the Federation...
On a trade planet—a designated no-fight zone where nobles and peasants could trade freely—someone moved through a dark alley.
A familiar face. A powerful aura.
Dared's father.
He took out a sacred token from his robes and flipped it.
Suddenly, space warped—and the token disintegrated.
"Fifth Generational Leader, Quin of the Assassination Organization… I, the Protector, have been summoned by you," an aged man said calmly. Though his presence held no aura, Quin was full of fear and respect. The man was a Multi-Universal Realm being—and not a weak one.
"Guardian, I have a request…" Quin said as the man smiled.
"Even as the Headquarters was being demolished, you didn't call me. Why now?" the old man asked, still smiling.
"Guardian, calling you then would've been a death sentence… We can't oppose the royal family," Quin said bitterly.
"I'm ready to lay down my life for the organization," the old man declared.
"Then be ready to lay it down to protect my son. He's my last bloodline. If he dies, the organization dies with him," Quin said, his aura turning cold and firm.
"And if he clashes with the royal family?" the Guardian asked.
"Take him away," Quin answered without hesitation.
"And if he's hunted?" the Guardian pressed.
"We go to the royal family and offer ourselves as slaves," Quin replied with a slight smile.
"Leader… if he kills a member of the royal family?" the Guardian asked, and the space around them chilled. Even he, a Multi-Universal Realm being, felt his body temperature drop.
"Then we lay down our lives and fight the royal family," Quin said coldly.
"Give the order to the Death Guards. All of you—protect him," Quin ordered as the Guardian nodded.
"I will obey your final command, Leader," the Guardian said and vanished.
"Dared… I've done everything I can for you. Be safe… please," Quin thought as he stepped out of the alley and disappeared.
*******
Back at the Federation...
Everyone was shocked. The Eldest Prince was out today, touring the Federation.
The aristocrats were in disarray. Caius saw everything—both the good and the bad—but he wasn't foolish enough to think he could erase all the corruption. Especially not from the aristocracy.
No civilization was pure. Light and darkness balanced each other. All he could do was reduce the harm.
They eventually reached a secluded area marking the edge of the Federation, near the forest.
Caius and his group disembarked from the spaceship.
"Scout the area. I want to speak to your commander," Caius said. The guards exchanged glances, then spread out.
In the center stood Caius and Mai.
"Now… who are you?" Caius asked coldly, his eyes fixed on Mai.
Her face remained emotionless as she stared back at him.
"As expected. He's not just the waste they once called him," Mai thought as she finally spoke.
"I'm your cousin. I'm here to protect you."
Caius' face shifted in surprise.
"Cousin? Wait… she's definitely not from the royal family. Then… she's from my mother's side?" he thought, shaken.
"Yes. I'm here on orders from the clan leader," Mai confirmed as Caius' expression returned to normal.
"I see. That's appreciated," Caius said with a small smile.
"Protect me? Sure… but they also want a stake in royal power. Still, it seems I've gained my first supporter. Clever. A Galaxy Realm protector is just right—not too weak, not too strong to alert the royal family. And she's my cousin… maybe I can finally ask about my mother's family," Caius thought.
"Nice to meet you, Cousin Mai," he said.
"Nice to meet you, Eldest Prince," Mai replied with a smile.
"First time smiling… hmm, my cousin's beautiful," Caius thought. Well, to the important matters.
"I want to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?"
Mai nodded.
"By all means," she said, and the two of them walked alone into the spaceship.
The guards glanced at each other and smirked.
Of course, they hadn't heard the conversation—so they assumed something else entirely.
"It's going to be a… restless few minutes," all the guards thought with wary smiles.
**********
On a Spaceship...
A spacecraft shot through galaxies at high speed.
Its destination? The Military Headquarters—located not in the Federation, but in a distant universe.
Inside was none other than the Fourth Prince. The fourth-born. The military genius.
The Blood Warlord.
Darius.
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Do you guys want to see the royal family pov
Or is it Jake pov with the demon race ??
Well alot of characters pov we can explore hehehe
I think we are picking up the pace quite nicely.
Once again thanks for the support.
Highly appreciated.