Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 768:The Ode Of War

"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.Yet none of them actually wanted to fight the Emperors.

They had survived for centuries by avoiding unnecessary conflicts. Whether a dynasty rose or fell had never truly mattered to them.

They simply surrendered when necessary, gave away some benefits and survived.

That was how they had operated for the past few centuries.They had no desire to become rulers.They only wanted to preserve what they already had.

The Head of Devine Family finally coughed softly and spoke, breaking the silence.

"We have two options."

Everyone looked toward him.

"First let's communicate with the Empires to understand their stance. If they are willing to let us go then this would be good."

The others listened carefully.

The Devine Family Head continued.

"If they are willing to leave us alone, we will surrender and give out some benefits. We can maintain our influence quietly and continue as before."

The Ambrose Family Head slowly nodded.

"And if they refuse?"

The Devine Family Head's expression became serious.

"If they don't we will carve an independent territory."

The room became quiet again.

The Halcrest Family Head frowned.

"That would mean openly standing against the Emperors."

"I know."

"And there is no guarantee that we can survive."

"I know that too."

The Devine Family Head looked at each of them.

"The second option should only be opted in case the first fails and it's all for survival."

His words made the other three fall silent.

They understood what he meant.

They had no intention of fighting unless they were forced into it.

For the first time in centuries, however, the four ancient families were facing a situation where their usual method of survival might not be enough.

The Cravik Family Head slowly leaned back and sighed.

"Then we should contact the Emperors first."

The other three nodded.

For now, that was the safest choice.

The decision was made.

The four family heads did not waste any more time. If they wanted to survive what was coming, they needed to know the stance of the four Emperors before making any other move. The situation was changing too quickly, and every passing hour could make their position more difficult.

The Head of the Ambrose Family slowly stood from his chair and adjusted his robe. His face remained serious as he looked at the other three.

"Then we should contact them as soon as possible. We cannot afford to wait until the territory is divided."

The Head of the Halcrest Family nodded in agreement.

"Agreed. Once the division begins, it will become much harder to negotiate."

The Cravik Family Head looked toward the others and slowly placed his hands on the table.

"I will handle the Eldorian side. Since our men are already controlling the Imperial Capital, they should be willing to listen."

"Don't be too confident," the Devine Family Head warned. "Controlling the capital does not mean we control the Empire anymore."

The Cravik Family Head's expression became slightly stiff. He knew the old man was right, but hearing it aloud still made his face turn serious.

"I know."

"The moment the Emperors decide to divide the territory, those soldiers will become nothing more than a small force standing inside someone else's territory."

The room became quiet again.

Everyone understood the problem.

They had taken the Imperial Capital because the Empire was already weakened. That did not mean they could fight against an Emperor. Their current control was only possible because the Imperial Army had already suffered heavy losses and the Empire was in chaos.

The Head of the Ambrose Family slowly exhaled.

"Then we should make our position clear. We don't want the throne. We don't want to challenge the Emperors. We only want to preserve our families."

"That should be enough," Halcrest said while nodding.

"It depends on them," Devine replied.

He looked toward the closed door with a serious expression.

"If they see us as a threat, no amount of explanation will matter."

The four men exchanged glances.

They had lived for centuries by keeping their heads down whenever necessary. They knew when to advance and when to retreat. Their families had survived the rise and fall of several rulers, and they had never tried to stand above the rulers themselves.

This was a time to retreat.

The Head of the Cravik Family finally stood.

"I will send the message."

"To all four?" Ambrose asked.

"Yes. There is no reason to hide anything. If we contact only one, the others might misunderstand our intentions."

"Good."

The Cravik Family Head turned toward the door, but before he could leave, the Devine Family Head spoke again.

"One more thing."

He stopped and looked back.

"Don't mention independence."

The man's expression became serious.

"If negotiations fail, we can discuss that later. For now, we should make it clear that we are willing to surrender."

The Cravik Family Head nodded slowly.

"Understood."

He then left the room.

The heavy door closed behind him, leaving the remaining three family heads sitting around the table. For several moments, nobody spoke. The silence inside the room felt heavier than before.

Their greatest concern was not the Imperial Capital anymore.

It was what would happen after the Emperors divided the Empire.

The Head of the Halcrest Family slowly looked at Ambrose.

"Do you think they will let us remain?"

Ambrose remained silent for a few moments. His fingers slowly tapped against the table before he finally answered.

"I don't know."

He looked down at his hands.

"But if Ethan Blanks really has the strength everyone claims, then things may not be as simple as we thought."

Halcrest frowned.

"Ethan?"

"Yes."

Ambrose leaned back in his chair and looked toward the ceiling.

"If he had accepted the throne of Arcadia, we would have had another powerful ruler to worry about. But he refused."

"And?"

"That makes him difficult to understand."

Ambrose's expression became heavier.

"Someone who refuses an entire Empire even after being offered it is not someone we should underestimate."

The Devine Family Head nodded slowly.

"I heard that he also warned the Emperors not to harm the common people and he is under Queen Ophelia?"

"For now that's all the information we have."

The three exchanged looks.

There was a strange feeling in the room when Ethan's name was mentioned. None of them had personally dealt with him, but his actions had already reached their ears.

The Devine Family Head sighed.

"Then perhaps we should also understand his position before making any move."

Halcrest looked surprised.

"You want to contact him?"

"Not directly."

The old man shook his head.

"First, let's observe."

He stood up and walked toward the window. He pushed the curtain aside slightly and looked at the city outside.

"The Empire is already falling apart. Arcadia has been divided. The Imperial Capital has been seized, and the four Emperors are preparing to decide what happens next."

His eyes narrowed as he watched the distant streets.

"We should not rush into anything."We survived for centuries because we knew when to move."

He turned toward the others.

"And right now, the safest move is to wait."

...….

Crown Princess Elena and Prince Charles were still being kept inside the palace under strict watch. Their movements were limited, and guards remained outside their room at all times. The once peaceful residence had become a prison, and every passing hour made their situation feel more hopeless.

Except for ordinary servants they weren't allowed to interact with anyone at all.

Amidst all this, Prince Charles kept thinking about what they could do.

Charles was only sixteen years old, and he was the only son of Haster. He was still young, but the events of the past few days had forced him to think far beyond his age. His grandfather had died, followed by his father, and now his mother was the only family he had left.

He lowered his head and clenched his fists.

"Grandfather died followed by father."

His voice trembled as he remembered everything that had happened.

"If only they hadn't been greedy..We wouldn't have fallen this low..Why...Why can't we just rule peacefully."

Charles' emotions finally erupted and he roared and punched the wall.

BANG!

Pain spread through his fist, but he barely noticed it. He stared at the wall with red eyes before slowly lowering his hand.

He hated them.

He hated his grandfather.

He hated his father.

And more than anything, he hated the power that had driven them to this point.

They had possessed an entire Empire, yet they had wanted more.

Now everything they held dear was gone