Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1566 - 539: Final Decision Authority_2

One more royal elder, who appeared to have observed the earlier clash between Rein and Pantoscoke, ran his fingers over his whitening beard and grinned in support as well.

The others chimed in with their views too, everyone reaching the same conclusion without dissent.

Witnessing this, Everton's face grew darker by the moment.

His grandaunt stood out with her stunning looks, formidable skills, and sharp wits, and it was clear she had already won over certain royal elders.

Yet, it was obvious his grandaunt hadn't disclosed Rein's hidden flaw, which could prove deadly!

He had no alternative—if he aimed to halt things right then, exposing that secret was essential!

Even if it caused a rift with his grandaunt, he simply had to proceed!

"Hold on, I oppose Rein's promotion," Everton declared firmly.

"Hmm?" Those gathered turned puzzled gazes toward Second Prince Everton, since Rein clearly excelled in both power and mission involvement.

The evaluation for Imperial Guardian focused mainly on two aspects: personal might and engagement in imperial tasks.

Rein had risen from Imperial Swordsman rank, joining numerous missions of every scale.

To put it simply, if Rein didn't qualify, no one else on the roster did.

"Everton, decisions must prioritize the empire's welfare," Menia's lovely eyes narrowed, radiating an air of regal poise.

For she had a faint inkling of what Everton intended to reveal!

Everton's gaze sparkled as he fixed it on Menia and smirked, "Grandaunt, you surely haven't informed the elders that Rein carries not just dragon bloodline, but multi-headed dragon bloodline, right?"

"What!" Everton's revelation sparked instant chaos among the royal elders there!

As bearers of dragon bloodline themselves, they were well aware of this hidden truth.

And Princess Renala gently placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide with shock.

Ever since viewing the duel between Rein and Pantoscoke, a quiet admiration for Rein had taken root in Renala's heart.

She had encountered plenty of gifted young nobles in the Empire before, yet none had stirred her until Rein shone in the Royal Arena.

But who would have thought Rein possessed the multi-headed dragon bloodline?

Hold on, rumors say that when Grandaunt Menia was younger...

Renala shot a look at her stoic grandaunt, then a wave of sympathy hit her, "Everton, don't throw around accusations without proof."

"Proof? Do I need to summon every fighter from the Battle of Ferdinand Forest?" Everton scoffed.

Suddenly, every gaze locked onto Menia, who sat at the table's head.

For they recalled that the Empire's commander in the Ferdinand Forest battle had been 'Red Queen' Menia.

Yet right now, Menia...stayed quiet.

Since verifying such an issue was straightforward.

Unless she eliminated every Imperial expert from that fight—feasible though it might be, she clearly wouldn't.

Everyone there was sharp-minded, and Menia's quietness made the truth dawn on them at once.

Her lack of words said everything.

"I propose we vote on approving Rein as Imperial Guardian," Everton stated with a smug grin.

Right then, he lifted his right hand ahead of others, "Those against, show your hands."

True to Everton's expectations, the royal elders lifted their hands sequentially.

"Per our ancestors' rules, any heir to the cursed outsider bloodline, such as multi-headed dragon bloodline, faces extermination."

"In that light, I back the Second Prince's stance."

"..."

Everton scanned the room with pride, noting that of the four royal elders present, three had voted against—including him, totaling four out of seven.

One elder had always been close to Grandaunt Menia, so his refusal to raise a hand made sense.

As for Renala, though Everton wondered briefly why she held back, it didn't change the outcome, so he let it go.

"Four against three, Grandaunt, it looks like..." Everton remarked with a grin, eyeing Menia.

But Menia cut him off mid-sentence.

"Hold it. With His Majesty away, I hold complete control over Empire matters. I now invoke my ultimate authority to confirm Rein's rise to Imperial Guardian—debate ends here," Menia stated coolly.

"What! Grandaunt! Father would never allow this if he learned!" Everton's eyes bulged, and he shot up from his chair, cheeks flushing, shouting in protest.

"Oh? Yet at present, that power is mine, isn't it?" Menia stayed composed, giving Everton a steady look.

"You...you'll regret this!"

Seething with rage, Everton huffed like an enraged beast and stormed out of the imperial conference chamber!

...

Second Prince Mansion.

"Bang!!!"

Back in his study, Everton's fury boiled over as he hurled a prized bust sculpture to the floor, shattering it.

"Curse it! For Rein's sake, Grandaunt would clash with me directly—proves it, women stay emotional!"

Nearby, Buchanan bowed his head lower, knowing he couldn't touch such a subject.

"Fine, Buchanan, you're dismissed!"

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Once Buchanan exited, Everton willed himself to settle and drew in a long breath.

He moved to the desk, carefully turning the Crystal Ball's base on the third shelf. Moments later, the bookshelf parted down the middle and slid away, uncovering a concealed entrance.

Stepping through the secret door, he traversed a brief hallway and entered a chamber.

This compact hidden room brimmed with ordinary gold, rare gems, and old scrolls, plus at its center floor, detailed patterns of a witch array—evidently something uncommon.

As Everton whispered an incantation, a soft blue glow appeared, and he disappeared from sight.

Everton rematerialized elsewhere.

A sharp, acrid scent of potions filled his nose; he had reached the ultra-secure lair of the Dragon Scale Brotherhood—his private facility for crafting Dragon Blood compounds.

"Your Highness!" A grotesque figure advanced and bent in salute.

"Progress? The Super Evolution Potion trials aren't done yet?"

"Your Highness, the latest three subjects failed against the compound's massive power and exploded. Even those with epic specialized builds couldn't handle it."

"That said, we gained something. Testing on a juvenile dragon showed it could endure the Super Evolution Potion. Though its development seems odd."

"Oh? Let me see." Everton's face lit with interest.

"Right away, Your Highness."

They proceeded along the extended passage, where huge tanks flanked the walls, filled with unique fluid holding diverse human, dragon-man, and freakish forms.

Some breathed, others jerked faintly, and the rest's conditions remained unclear.

Deeper in, more massive tanks held assorted young dragons and... enormous mature dragon hearts...

with muscles pulsing steadily.

Groups of three robust dragon-man sentries marched vigilantly; every few dozen paces stood a powerful dragon-man like the altered Bostaf.

Going even farther, Everton and the deformed guide went past an unusual chamber.

The vast interior, spanning hundreds of square meters, featured abundant green bushes and creepers forming a tiny woodland.

Even more striking, scores of graceful, statuesque elves dwelled within.

But a closer inspection revealed their pallid skin, vacant stares in their wide eyes, frail frames compared to typical elves, and arms riddled with injection marks.

Spotting the elves stirred memories in Everton of why the Dragon Scale Brotherhood began.

"Elf Blood Essence blended with Dragon Bloodline via unique treatment to create a fresh potent material... he dubbed it the Super Evolution Potion!"

And the related potions for enhancing bloodline surges or advancement tiers stemmed from Super Evolution Potion side effects.

...