NOVGO.NET Chapter 345: Warning
Chapter 345: Warning
King Julius stared at the Scales of Veridion as if they had personally betrayed him.
His lips trembled.. not from fear, but from something far more humiliating. Disbelief. Pure, naked disbelief.
The plate on his side was no longer a plate. It was a small mountain.
Treasures lay piled upon treasures: artifacts that had shaped wars, crowns that had ruled eras, relics that entire nations would have burned for. There was no more space left. Gold pressed against sapphire, divine metals tangled with ancient runes, the royal crown resting beside the treasury key, the Trident of the Sea itself lying there like a final declaration of excess.
And yet..
Nothing.
Not a shiver.
Not a tremor.
Not even the faintest downward twitch.
On the opposite side, Razeal’s plate held only that single ring.. a crimson band, modest in size, a quiet blue star embedded at its center. It rested there without radiance, without aura of any proclamation.
And still… it crushed everything.
“…This is unbelievable,” King Julius whispered.
His voice had lost its command. It sounded hollow now, as if scraped dry by reality itself.
“It’s not even… budging an inch…”
His shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of the moment finally settling in. This wasn’t just a loss. This was a verdict on his entire life.
Thousands of years of accumulated wealth. Generations of conquest, tribute, diplomacy, inheritance.. everything he had guarded, hoarded, ruled over
All of it.
Worth less.
Less than a marble-sized fragment sitting quietly inside a ring.
His chest tightened.
All my life, he thought, I gathered this. All of it. For Atlantis. For my throne. For my legacy.
And it doesn’t even come close.
For a fleeting, absurd second, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
Wait… What if I sat on the scale myself?
The King of Atlantis..his very existence should count as priceless, shouldn’t it? Combine that with these treasures… maybe then?
The thought barely finished forming before his face flushed hot with shame.
What am I thinking?
He dragged a hand down his face, fingers pressing hard against his brow.
If I did that… and it still didn’t move?
His stomach clenched.
That would be the end. Not just of his dignity.. but of the image he had spent centuries carving into the world. The King reduced to a spectacle. A joke.
His hand dropped.
He straightened, breathing out slowly, forcing the thought away.
Enough.
The arena was silent. Thousands watched. Waiting.
“…Alright,” King Julius said at last.
He lifted his head and pointed stiffly at Razeal, irritation sharp but exhausted.
“You win.”
Razeal’s smile widened immediately.. lazy, infuriating and very.. unapologetic.. But still he raised his hand.
“No, no, no,” he corrected smoothly, tilting his head. “Those are the wrong words.”
Julius’ eye twitched.
“You admitted defeat first,” Razeal continued, lips curling upward, “and then I won. Order matters.”
A vein bulged visibly along the King’s neck.
You little bastard..
The insult never left his mouth. Julius closed his eyes briefly, inhaled, then exhaled through his nose. He would not lose his temper here. Not now. Not in front of all of Atlantis atleast.
I’ll deal with you later, he promised himself darkly.
“…Yes,” he said tightly. “I admit defeat.”
His jaw clenched.
“You won. Happy now?”
Razeal didn’t answer immediately. He just smiled.. openly now, almost satisfied in a way that surprised even him.
Why does this feel so good? he wondered. Is it because he be my father-in-law now… or because knocking him down a peg is just that satisfying?
He didn’t dwell on it.
Sofia stood frozen, staring between the scale and her father as if her mind couldn’t fully process the scene.
Her father.. King Julius Atlas Neptune had admitted defeat.
Openly.
Publicly.. And that too
To a boy.
Her gaze drifted back to the Scales.
On one side: the Trident of the Sea, the Crown of Atlantis, the Royal Treasury Key, and countless priceless relics.
On the other: nothing but that ring.
And yet the verdict was absolute.
“…He really out wealthed my father,” she murmured, disbelief softening her voice.
It felt surreal.
“All right,” King Julius said, the words grinding out of him like stones. “You’ve won.”
He paused, then forced himself to continue.
“You now possess the right to marry my daughter… and to take her with you goo.”
Each word tasted bitter.
Razeal snorted lightly. “You could’ve just let me be from the start,” he said, strolling toward the scales. “You wasted everyone’s time.”
He reached down and casually picked up the ring.
The moment it left the plate..
The balance shifted violently.
Razeal’s side shot upward.
Julius’ side crashed down.
The sound echoed like a gavel striking stone.
Any lingering doubt evaporated instantly.
The scale wasn’t stuck.
It had never been stuck.
The difference in value had simply been too vast to register while the ring remained.
King Julius stared at the now-lowered plate, then slowly lifted his gaze to Razeal.
So it’s real…
His shoulders relaxed, a long breath leaving him.
This kid must be really lucky to obtain something like that. he thought.
Someone favored by something like this… maybe destiny truly is involved towards him.
His eyes softened.. just slightly.
Maybe it isn’t such a bad thing, he admitted reluctantly, for someone like this to stand beside my daughter.
Maybe… this really was meant to happen.
Razeal turned back toward him, ring now safely in hand.
Satisfied.
The crowd remained silent.. stunned into reverence.
Razeal closed his fingers around the ring once more, the crimson band still warm from his touch, the blue star at its center quiet and unassuming.. yet heavy enough to crush empires.
Then he turned.
He walked toward Sofia.
Not hurried. Not dramatic. Just steady, deliberate steps, as if the entire colosseum, the king, the scales, the treasures, and the weight of Atlantis itself had already faded into the background. When he stopped in front of her, the distance between them was barely a breath.
Sofia, who had been standing stiffly, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes, blinked once.
Then again.
“…Umm?” she let out softly, confusion flickering across her face as she looked up at him.
Before she could ask anything else, Razeal lifted his left hand and extended it toward her.. open, steady, waiting. In his right hand, held slightly higher, was the ring… Give me your had.. He said gently..
The gesture was unmistakable.
So obvious that even a child would understand it.
A wave of shock rolled through the colosseum.
The spectators froze, breaths caught in their throats.. Obiously it made everyone shocked.. Arthur stiffened where he stood. Maria’s fingers curled slowly into her palm. Even King Julius, who had just accepted a defeat that would be spoken of for generations, felt his spine straighten as his gaze locked onto the ring. Confused..?
Sofia’s eyes widened.
“That… that’s?” Her mouth opened, then closed, as if words had failed her entirely for a moment. She stared at the ring, then at Razeal’s face, then back at the ring again. “Are you… are you giving that to me?” she asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
She did not even know what the ring truly was, but after what had just happened, one thing was clear whatever that object was, it was ultimately more precious than the combined wealth of all Atlantis. Even the Trident of the Sea was worth nothing compared to him giving her something like this.
It was shocking. Unthinkable. She could not imagine anyone doing something like this.
She understood the intent.. that this was something akin to a wedding ring but it looked far too precious to be just that. Even to her, it felt that way.
“Yes,” Razeal said simply, nodding once.
No ceremony, no hesitation and no grandeur.
Just a single word.
Sofia inhaled sharply.
She was stunned by such a casual response, by how easily he said it, as though he truly did not think much of this priceless object. Still, she asked again.
“…Are you sure?” she asked, her brows knitting together as she looked back up at him. “I mean… this isn’t just expensive. This is.. this is beyond that. It’s too precious, even for a wedding ring. It’s fine, you know I don’t really care about accessories” She shook her head slightly, trying to make him understand. “And not to say.. This is yours. You got this yourself. Something like this shouldn’t just be… given away. And honestly, Me accepting it doesn’t feel right either. It just feels.. wrong. Like I’m taking too much.” She was being truthful. It would feel shameful to take something like this for free.. just because of a wedding.
She wasn’t greedy or coy.
It was honest.
Razeal listened without interrupting.
Then he shook his head slowly.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said.
His gaze didn’t waver. His voice didn’t rise.
“It doesn’t matter how precious it is.”
He took a small step closer, close enough that Sofia could see her own reflection faintly mirrored in the blue star at the center of the ring.
“Because.. As of now,” he continued, calm and certain, “you are mine.”
The words landed heavily.
Sofia froze.
Her mouth opened again, but this time no sound came out.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, warmth blooming across her face and down her neck. She lifted one hand instinctively, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear in a small, almost unconscious gesture, her eyes darting away from his for half a second before returning.
Mine.
The word echoed in her head.
Not possessive. Not domineering.
Certain.
Unavoidable.
She didn’t know how long they stood there like that, simply looking at each other, the noise of the world fading into a distant hum. For the first time since the competition had begun, since fate had started twisting itself around her life, Sofia felt something strange settle in her chest.
Not fear.
Not resistance.
A strange, steady calm.
Far away, Arthur stared at the scene with his jaw hanging open.
“…Damn,” he breathed.
His eyes were wide, shining, his expression torn between admiration and pure, unfiltered jealousy. “That line…” he muttered, clutching at his collar like it physically hurt. “Why did I never think of something like that?” His voice cracked slightly. “Saying that while offering something like that? If I gave a ring like that to one of my wives, she’d die crying from happiness on the spot.”
His shoulders slumped.
“That kid… he’s unfair,” Arthur grumbled, biting down on the fabric of his collar like it personally offended him. “Way too good.”
Beside him, Maria stood completely still.
Her expression was unreadable.
Her eyes, however, were sharp.. too sharp as they followed the exchange between Razeal and Sofia. She watched the faint pink on Sofia’s cheeks. The way Sofia’s hand hovered uncertainly before finally beginning to move. The way Razeal stood there without doubt, without urgency, as if the outcome had never been in question.
Her fingers tightened slowly at her side.
Still she didn’t say anything.
Nor did she look away.
Finally, after a long, quiet moment, Sofia exhaled.
“…Alright,” she said softly.
Her voice was still steady, but the blush on her face hadn’t faded. “If you say so.”
She lifted her hand and placed it into Razeal’s extended palm.
Her fingers were cool. His were warm.
The contact was brief.. but unmistakably real.
The colosseum seemed to hold its breath.
And in that single, simple gesture, something far greater than wealth, power, or tradition was sealed.. quietly, undeniably, before the eyes of an entire world.
Razeal felt her hand settle into his, soft and warm against his palm. For a brief moment, the noise of the colosseum faded entirely.. the murmurs, the gasps, the weight of countless eyes all of it dulled until there was only that simple contact between them.
“Good,” he said quietly.
There was no flourish in his voice, no ceremony. Just certainty.
Keeping his hold on her, he shifted the ring into his other hand. The crimson metal caught the light, the blue star at its center glowing faintly, calmly, as if it had never just humbled a king and an entire civilization’s wealth. To Razeal, it was no longer a measure of value or power. It was simply… what came next.
He guided her hand closer, aligning the ring with her finger. In his mind, things were straightforward.. put the ring on, and that was it. They be marriage. As that was how it worked.. Atleast from what be known.. Obiously he’s not experienced in this nor does he knows much.. From his.. Point of view.. thats all what it is to.. it.
But just as the ring hovered above her finger, Sofia’s hand closed suddenly.
Her fingers curled inward, stopping him.
Razeal froze.
He looked up at her, brows knitting together in confusion as she lifted her other hand in a quick, flustered gesture. “Wait.. wait, wait,” she said, the words tumbling out faster than usual, as if she’d only just realized something crucial.
“What happened?” Razeal asked, his grip loosening slightly but not letting go. His frown deepened when she pulled her hand back just enough to keep the ring from touching her skin. “You don’t want to?” he asked bluntly, the question coming out before he could stop it.
Her eyes widened instantly. “No.. no, it’s not that,” she said, shaking her head quickly. “Don’t misunderstand.” She let out a small, awkward laugh, clearly flustered by the way his expression had changed. “It’s just… this is important, right? A wedding ring.” She gestured faintly around them, to the king, to Arthur, to the vast arena still watching. “My father is here. My brother too. And I just..”
She hesitated, then looked back at him properly.
“You should have your family here as well,” she said softly. “At least… someone. I’m sorry, I got caught up in the moment. I didn’t think about it at first.. I mean i can wait you know.. Lets wait till you get them.”
Her smile was apologetic, a little unsure. To her, it mattered. Not as a princess, not as a symbol of Atlantis, but as a woman who understood what marriage meant beyond ceremony. In-laws. Presence. Acknowledgment. These were things that lingered long after vows were spoken. She didn’t want to begin something like this by ignoring them.. especially when she didn’t even know what kind of family he had come from.
Razeal stared at her for a moment.
Then his gaze drifted back his shoulder.
He turned his head slowly, eyes scanning the space behind him.
There was no one there.
No father standing with crossed arms. No mother watching with mixed pride and worry. No siblings whispering or smirking or pretending not to care. Just open air, stone areana, and strangers who were watching him not as a son, but as a spectacle.
He was quiet for several seconds.
Then a small smile tugged at his lips.
“Ah,” he said, as if she had merely reminded him of something trivial. He turned back to her, his expression calm, almost gentle. “That.”
He tightened his hold on her hand just slightly.. not possessive, just grounding. “As you can see,” he continued, “there’s no one behind me.. I don’t have anyone.. No father. No mother or any sister.” His voice was steady, devoid of bitterness. “I just don’t have anyone I can call family.”
He paused, watching her face carefully.
“So… are you fine with that?” he asked. “Marrying like this?” His smile softened. “Because if you are… then you won’t just be my wife.” His thumb brushed lightly over her knuckles. “You’ll be my first family.”
The words landed harder than he intended.
Sofia felt her breath catch.
For the first time since she’d met him, since this absurd, overwhelming chain of events had dragged them together, she saw something raw slip through the cracks of his composure. He wasn’t sad. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t asking for pity.
He was simply stating a fact.
And somehow, that made it worse.
Her chest tightened as she looked at him more closely now.. the faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, the way he stood so straight as if he’d long since learned not to expect anyone to stand beside him. She suddenly became acutely aware of how alone he truly was, despite everything he carried.
Without meaning to, her gaze drifted upward.
Toward the VIP chamber.
She remembered Maria’s words… Remembered being told that his mother was here. And there.. seated high above, almost lost in shadow and luxury was a woman with deep purple hair, her beauty striking even at a distance.
Sofia narrowed her eyes slightly, focusing.
The woman’s posture was composed, regal even. But then Sofia noticed the subtle tremor in her shoulders. The way her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. The way her head was angled downward, eyes closed as if she..
She’d heard it.. Didn’t she?
Sofia was sure of it.
And somehow, despite the distance, despite never having met her, Sofia could feel it.. something fractured, something painful hanging in the space between mother and son. When Sofia looked at her face more carefully, she didn’t see indifference.
She saw hurt.
A deep, restrained kind of hurt..
Before Sofia could process that thought any further, Razeal’s voice cut in sharply.
“Don’t.”
His grip on her hand tightened.. not painfully, but enough to pull her attention back to him immediately. “Don’t look at her,” he said, his tone firm now, stripped of the softness it had held a moment ago.. As obviously knowing wbere she was looking.
“She’s nothing to me.”
His crimson eyes locked onto hers, intense and unwavering. Whatever flicker of vulnerability had surfaced earlier was gone, sealed away behind something colder, more resolute. It wasn’t anger that drove his words.
It was finality.
Sofia nodded slowly, a soft, quiet motion, as she met Razeal’s gaze again. There was no mistaking it now.. whatever lay beneath his calm exterior, whatever history he carried behind those crimson eyes, it was serious. Heavy. The coldness in his voice earlier had not been anger, nor irritation, but something far deeper and far more final. And somehow, that made it feel more real than any dramatic declaration ever could.
She inhaled gently, steadying herself. This is not the day to unravel such things, she told herself. This was supposed to be the beginning, not a moment to dig into wounds that clearly ran too deep for words. Whatever existed between him and the woman above.. whatever past or pain bound them it could wait.. Obiously not wanting to ruin her lifes most important day atleast..
“Alright,” she said softly, shaking her head once, as if physically setting those thoughts aside. A small smile returned to her lips, lighter, warmer. “Let’s continue then.”
She relaxed her fingers in his hand, slowly opening her palm, her movements deliberate and gentle. The gesture itself was an invitation.. clear, trusting, unquestioning.
Razeal didn’t speak.
He only smiled.
Without hesitation, he brought his other hand forward, the crimson ring resting against his fingers. As he guided it toward her, his control over blood and form stirred silently. The ring responded to his will as if alive.. its structure subtly shifting, refining itself, thinning just enough to suit her finger perfectly. The crimson band became more elegant, more slender, the metal smoothing into a flawless shape. At its center, the deep blue marble no, the star glimmered softly, its light restrained yet impossibly vivid, like a fragment of the night sky bound in crystal.
When the ring slid onto her finger, it fit as though it had always belonged there.
The moment itself was brief.. barely a second but to Sofia, time seemed to stretch unnaturally thin. Her breath hitched. Her heart raced. It felt as if something irrevocable had settled into place, something far heavier than a ceremony or a tradition. Butterflies exploded in her stomach, sudden and overwhelming, and she couldn’t stop the delighted smile that spread across her face.
“Hahaha… I’m married now,” she said, the words slipping out with a soft, bright laugh, pure excitement lacing her voice.
She stared at her hand, eyes shimmering as she took in the sight of the ring resting against her finger. The glow of the blue star reflected faintly in her eyes, making them sparkle even more brightly.
Razeal released her hand slowly, watching her reaction without interrupting it. He could feel her excitement even without words.. it radiated from her in waves.
Sofia lifted her other hand, touching the ring lightly with her fingertips, as if to confirm it was real. “I’m really married…” she murmured, almost to herself. “And.. It looks beautiful on me.”
She raised her hand toward him, palm angled just enough to show the ring clearly, her smile widening. “How do I look?” she asked, eyes shining as she looked up at him. “Husband.. does it look beautiful on me?”
Razeal’s gaze traveled over her without haste.
The royal blue of her dress flowed like calm ocean water around her form. Her long, deep-blue hair framed her face perfectly, catching the light as it moved. Her eyes.. clear, oceanic, impossibly vivid met his without fear. And then his gaze settled on the ring, the blue star glowing softly against her skin.
It suited her.
More than that.. it looked like it.. always belonged to her.
And she looked… beautiful.
Not in an abstract, distant way, but in a way that felt real, present, undeniable.
When his eyes returned to her face, he found her watching him closely, waiting..just a little for his response.
He smiled.
“You look like something,” he said calmly as he pointed at her.. without flourish or hesitation, “that is mine.”
The words left him naturally, unfiltered.
The effect was immediate.
Sofia froze.
Her face flushed violently, heat rushing to her cheeks so fast it felt like steam might rise from her skin. Her mouth fell open, but no sound came out. Her thoughts scattered, completely undone by the simplicity.. and intensity of his words.
She turned her face away abruptly, one hand lifting instinctively as if to shield herself, her ears burning.
Arthur, watching from a short distance away, looked like his soul had just been crushed and reborn at the same time.
“DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!” he shouted, clutching his chest dramatically. “He’s just natural at this!”
His jaw nearly hit the floor as he stared at Razeal in disbelief. “That definitely wasn’t practiced or even forced!! That was instinct!” He slapped a hand over his face, groaning. “I should’ve known. That line..while giving something that priceless? That’s illegal. Absolutely illegal.”
He glanced down at himself with deep regret. “I’m stealing that. I don’t care. I’m using it next timeee.”
Maria, standing nearby, said nothing.
Her expression was unreadable.. cold, restrained but her eyes told a different story. They lingered on Sofia’s flushed face. On the ring. On the way Razeal stood so calmly beside her, as if the entire world hadn’t just shifted around them.
Her fingers clenched slowly at her side.
She didn’t speak.
Though suddenly..
Inside Razeal’s mind, a familiar presence stirred.
[Host… It’s fine that you’re doing this. Truly… But remember your fifth character trait.
Absolute Love:
– Feelings persist indefinitely, unshaken by time or reason
– Boundless affection; immune to limits or restraint
– Deep attachment may evolve into fixation or obsession
Playing and..Acting is acceptable. But if you truly fall in love..even slightly it will be dangerous. Not for others. For you.
But if you really fall in love.. even a little it will be dangerous for you. It will be nothing but your demise. So I am warning you.
Even though I know you are fully aware of this, I am reminding you anyway.. just in case. Don’t destroy yourself. You should know what to do and what not to do. Don’t let anyone get close to your feelings. It has always ended in betrayal for you.]
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