A Background Character’s Path to Power Chapter 451: Let’s Go Home [2]

From the sidelines, Amaniel narrowed his eyes for a moment. He flicked his gaze sideways to Caelia, spotting the Mistress utterly motionless. She remained rooted to the spot, showing no intention at all to halt the advancing woman.

The ghostly pale hands inched nearer.

"!"

In the next instant, her smile disappeared completely, supplanted by a veil of icy chill. She gradually raised her shadowy, bottomless stare and fixed it squarely on Amaniel. Intense, searing loathing blazed in her jet-black orbs. She glared at him with utter malice, seemingly holding him responsible for the child's outright refusal.

Still, she held back from striking. Her arms stayed stiffly by her hips. The cataclysmic pressure emanating from Caelia's quiet, towering figure close by acted as a powerful restraint, compelling the ancient royal to choke down her raging fury.

"...There is nothing to explain," Caelia responded, devoid of any fear.

She drew herself up tall and delivered her verdict in a frosty tone, letting her words carry to all those gathered.

"Caelia has openly betrayed the former Crown Prince, my son. She has completely defiled our royal bloodline by consorting with this lowly human!" Her jet-black eyes slitted with ferocity. "I hereby declare the immediate seizure of these sinners. Execute the man who sullied our lineage! As for the child... she will be permanently banished here with her mother!"

He felt grateful indeed that she hadn't slain him right then. Yet, a proclaimed death warrant changed nothing!

"Indeed, I agree with the Queen Matriarch!" a voice boomed from the heavens overhead.

"Death to the sinner!"

A few others held their tongues entirely, watching the scene with keen attention.

Right then, a fierce rumble reverberated across the domain.

A casual, nearly indolent stance marked the newcomer. The youth fixed a cold stare out the broken window at the grand figures suspended beyond, silencing the whispers in an instant. His serene eyes then scanned the chamber's contents, bypassing the enraged Queen Matriarch, the shocked Amaniel, and Caelia herself.

Nearly at once, a radiant, sincere grin spread across the boy's features.

"I welcome the rightful ruler of Nemure," the boy intoned, his tone blending deep veneration and honor. "The boundless ruler of the void, the absolute apex of our bloodline, the True Nightmare Sovereign!"

The grand silhouettes outside the fractured pane went rigid. None ventured a word of dissent or assent. An oppressive quiet descended, thick enough to smother a mortal's breath. The icy hold on Amaniel's neck eased slightly amid the boy's dominating aura, yet he stayed immobile, scrutinizing the sudden reversal in forces.

Her earlier haughty, domineering mask crumbled to dust, instantly giving way to raw, unfiltered dread. Those hands that had moments ago pronounced dooms now shook openly by her flanks. She gulped deeply, her piercing command in her gaze melting into sheer alarm.

The little boy spared her not even a glance.

Cathiel fluttered her slate-gray and crimson eyes. She eyed the arrival with clear intrigue, her small fingers clutching Amaniel’s shirt firmly.

At last, he lifted his sight and met Amaniel’s gaze head-on.

"You must be the Guardian," the boy remarked evenly. His tone rang youthful but resonated with ages of unchallenged power. His jet-black eyes crinkled faintly with true interest. "To stand so close to my aunt and survive... and to hold our Sovereign safely. How absolutely fascinating."

The boy ignored his lack of reply and directed his focus to Caelia.

Caelia’s rigid stance eased somewhat. A complex feeling flashed in her crimson gaze.

The Queen Matriarch remained utterly still nearby. Her perfect complexion grew ashen moment by moment. She evidently grasped that her total dominion had been utterly eclipsed by this unexpected entrant.

"Did you just issue an execution order on the father of the True Nightmare Sovereign? The Twilight Guardian?" he inquired. His voice sank to an icy murmur. "Did you dare to declare a banishment upon the absolute apex of our bloodline?"

"I..."

One word escaped the boy’s mouth.

Boom-!

Deep fissures spiderwebbed across the sturdy stone ground beneath the Matriarch’s quaking knees. Her head stayed low, utterly crushed by the boy’s horrifying weight.

"I will uncover the full truth of these events later," the boy proclaimed, his glacial tone demanding total submission. "I will thoroughly investigate this matter and deliver the absolute judgment upon all involved parties."

The grand figures floating in the ragged tears grew taut.

"How dare you stand above the Sovereign!" he thundered, his voice booming like a thunderclap throughout the domain. "Get down!"

Boom!

All the majestic figures suspended in the sky crashed down like shattered meteors. The immense gravity utterly robbed them of their flying ability.

The boy scoffed with utter contempt toward them. He then lightly flicked his sleeves. The oppressive force disappeared just as abruptly as it had come, letting the bedroom air flow freely once more.

The icy, timeless emperor vanished, and the courteous, grinning boy reappeared. He glanced at Caelia, then Amaniel, before giving a kind, inviting gaze to young Cathiel.

"Come," he said warmly. "Let’s go back home."