Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 767:The Families Began To Move

"What do you want?" Prince Charles asked, roaring in anger as he struggled against the guards holding him.

The man slowly straightened himself and looked down at him.

"I want absolute obedience!" the man said.

His voice was calm, but the words carried a heavy pressure that made the room fall silent.

Prince Charles glared at him with hatred.

"Obedience? You broke into our home, killed our soldiers and locked us up like criminals, and now you want obedience?"

Elena's face became pale as she quickly grabbed her son's shoulder.

"Charles, stop..."

She knew that provoking this man any further would only make things worse.

But Prince Charles refused to lower his head. His small hands were clenched tightly, and his eyes remained fixed on the man.

The man looked at him for a few moments before smiling.

"You have quite a temper."

He slowly walked around the boy.

"But anger will not help you now. The Imperial Palace is under my control, the army is under my control, and the people outside are also under my control."

He stopped behind Charles and looked toward Elena.

"Your family has already lost."

Elena's body trembled.

"What do you want from us?"

The man turned his attention back to her.

"I already told you. Absolute obedience."

He raised one finger.

"First, the remaining members of the Royal Family will surrender without resistance."

He raised another finger.

"Second, the Imperial officials will follow my orders."

He paused and looked toward Prince Charles.

"And third, you will hand over your position."

Charles immediately struggled again.

"I am the Crown Prince!"

The man looked at him calmly.

"Not anymore."

Charles froze.

"You may still have the blood of the Royal Family flowing through your veins, but a crown means nothing without power to protect it."

The boy's face became red with anger.

"You bastard!"

Elena quickly pulled him closer.

"Charles!"

The man did not become angry. Instead, he simply looked at the boy for a moment before turning away.

"I am giving you all a chance to live."

He walked toward the door and stopped beside the guards.

"If you obey, your lives will be spared. If you resist, then I cannot promise what will happen next."

Elena lowered her head as tears continued to fall.

She knew exactly what he was doing.

He was not offering them freedom rather he was forcing them to choose between obedience and death.

Charles looked at his mother and saw the fear in her eyes. His anger slowly mixed with helplessness.

"Mother..."

Elena pulled him into her arms.

"It's alright."

Her voice trembled as she held him tightly.

"Don't be afraid."

The man glanced back at them.

"Think carefully, Crown Princess Elena. I will return soon."

With those words, he turned around and walked out of the room.

The heavy doors closed behind him.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Only Elena's quiet sobs could be heard in the room.

Charles clenched his fists while staring at the closed doors.

He hated that man.

But more than that, he hated himself for being unable to protect his mother.

...….

Deep beneath one of the old districts of the Imperial Capital, a private meeting was taking place.

The room was simple but heavily guarded. No servants were allowed inside, and several trusted guards stood outside the entrance. Around a large wooden table sat the heads of the four ancient families, Ambrose, Halcrest, Cravik and Devine.

These four families had existed for centuries. They rarely appeared in the affairs of the Empire openly, but their influence could be found almost everywhere. They controlled businesses, resources, trade routes and many important connections. Whenever the Empire changed rulers, they simply adjusted themselves and continued living.

But this time, things were different.

The Head of the Cravik Family leaned back in his chair and slowly spoke.

"Our men have taken over the Imperial Capital."

The other three remained silent for a moment.

The Head of Halcrest Family frowned and tapped his fingers against the table.

"So it has finally happened."

"Yes," the Cravik Family Head replied. "The Imperial Palace is under control, and the remaining Imperial forces have been dealt with."

The Head of Devine Family adjusted his robe and looked toward the others.

"What about the Royal Family?"

"They are alive for now. The Crown Princess and the children are under our control."

A heavy silence filled the room.

The Head of Ambrose Family lowered his gaze toward the table.

"Then what is our next move?"

"Our situation is quite dire and our survival is at stake.''

They had expected the situation to become unstable, but they had never expected the Empire to fall into such a state so quickly.

"Should we control the region ourselves?" the Halcrest Family Head asked. "Or should we let it go?"

The Ambrose Family Head slowly shook his head.

"Thats what I have been worried about. It would be one thing if it was taken by a single Empire but everything would be split. We don't know which region would fall under what."

His expression became more sombre.

The four families had secretly controlled a great part of the Empire for centuries. They had built their influence slowly and carefully while giving enough benefits to the ruling dynasty to keep everything stable.

They did not want to rule the Empire themselves.They simply wanted to remain behind the scenes.

As long as the Empire remained united, they could continue doing what they had always done. They could control businesses, influence nobles and gain benefits without openly interfering in the affairs of the throne.

But if the Empire was divided among several Emperors, everything would change.

They did not know which territory would fall under which Emperor, and they did not know whether those Emperors would allow the four families to continue operating freely.

The Halcrest Family Head folded his arms.

"If the territory is divided, the new rulers might investigate everything."

"That's what I am afraid of," the Ambrose Family Head replied.

His fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the table.

"And if they discover how much influence we have, they might decide to remove us completely."

The Cravik Family Head's expression became heavy.

"The four Emperors could even join hands to erase our influence."

That was the possibility they feared the most.

....