Chapter 272: Power and Social standing

Although few people in this world knew the truth, the Racial Emperors and Demon Lords were aware that Demon Lord Raze was still alive. Since they couldn’t kill him completely, they decided to seal his soul inside his own heart.

However, after sealing his soul, they were unable to take the heart away, as it disappeared before they knew what was happening.

Voren wasn’t willing to tell Nova the truth, fearing it might put his lord’s soul in danger. If only he knew that his lord was already dead, and that Nova himself had refined his soul and absorbed his heart.

Nova didn’t need them to explain what had happened afterward, as he already knew the truth from the last memory he had received from Demon Lord Raze’s soul.

Still, he admired how they had kept their lord’s heart hidden for so long, hoping for a chance to resurrect him—or, more accurately, give him a new body.

"I see... So that’s how it is. You guys have really worked hard."

Azren and Voren remained silent. Nova had initially considered turning them into Deadborns, but now he was having second thoughts.

For now, he would let them go and allow them to continue doing what they wanted.

"Your lord’s heart has been taken by the Eclipse Order. It’s with them, and they’re going to conduct experiments on it, so you should hurry and find it."

"I don’t know their exact location, as I’m searching for them myself. You’ll have to investigate every place you can."

Azren and Voren’s eyes widened in horror. Before either could say anything, Azren opened a spatial rift and disappeared inside it with Voren.

Sigh... Now they’ll be busy for a while.

{Do you feel bad for them?}

"Yes... A little. But they’ve committed too many crimes in the name of loyalty to their lord."

"They’ve taken countless innocent lives just to strengthen their lord’s soul, so they’ll have to pay for it eventually. For now, they’ll probably be busy fighting and killing Eclipse Order members wherever they find them."

{Hmm... What are you going to do now?}

"I’ll return to Frost Mansion first. Alaric and korr are still in the Royal Palace, and my Deadborn will tell me what they discuss. I don’t need to keep an eye on him constantly."

"And now that my family and I have become nobles... I couldn’t care less about the title, but I still need to discuss it with Father and Mother before leaving for the Imperial City in a week."

{Yes, you’re right. I want to see their reactions, too!}

Liya said, imagining their shocked faces.

"I also need to try the Gacha and see if I can get something good. It’s been a while, so let’s see whether my luck has improved," Nova added.

"Moonclaw, come out."

Moonclaw emerged from Nova’s shadow and waited for his orders.

"Continue your investigation. This time, head to the Imperial Capital and observe the situation there. Do everything from the shadows."

"Yes, my lord."

With that, Moonclaw disappeared into Nova’s shadow, and Nova opened a spatial rift near Frost Mansion before stepping through it.

....

Nova stepped out of the spatial rift and appeared inside the hall, where all the women were seated and chatting, including his mother.

Seeing Nova return, everyone became excited to learn what had happened at the Royal Palace. However, the fact that he had returned so soon made one thing clear: he was no longer a suspect.

After all, the Royal Palace wouldn’t have allowed him to leave so easily if they still suspected him of being the Slaughter Monarch.

Nova smiled and gestured for everyone to relax, assuring them that he would explain everything that had happened at the Royal Palace.

They all settled down, and Nova contacted Edward, who had gone outside the mansion. He asked his father to return as soon as possible.

Since Edward wasn’t far away and was already a King Realm expert, it didn’t take him long to fly back to the mansion.

After Edward arrived, Nova contacted Theodore as well. The Duke was already on his way, and Nova felt it would be better to explain everything in his presence. After all, Theodore was directly involved in the matter and would also be bringing some important documents with him.

All the women grew curious about what could be so important that Nova was taking such precautions. However, while waiting for Theodore to arrive, Nova decided to share the most important news with them.

"I’m no longer suspected of being the Slaughter Monarch. I’ve successfully proven my innocence, and the announcement will soon be made across the entire continent."

Everyone became delighted upon hearing this.

It would be wonderful to finally enjoy some peace without constantly worrying about the consequences of Nova’s suspected identity.

Although the situation might not have mattered much to them personally, considering Nova’s strength, they understood that the accusations could bring trouble to everyone associated with him.

Even though Nova was powerful, he was still far from reaching the peak of strength that existed in this world.

Nyxara had already explained many things about the world to them, broadening their horizons. As the second-oldest among the women after Velena, she possessed considerably more knowledge about the dangers that existed beyond their current understanding.

If Nova had been officially declared the Slaughter Monarch, he would have needed to worry about everyone he had ever associated with, including the people of Frostholme and Coldrock.

That would have been an enormous headache.

After all, even if the people closest to him were relatively safe for now, that didn’t mean they would remain so forever.

Although the Sovereigns feared Nova, they weren’t completely terrified of him. They knew that his current limit was only Level 1 Sovereign, and there were still existences in this world capable of surpassing him.

If someone truly wanted to deal with Nova, they could target the people he cared about instead. His acquaintances and loved ones would be easy targets for those powerful enough to act without fear of consequences.

Therefore, until Nova became strong enough that every existence in the world would think a thousand times before daring to target his loved ones, he had no intention of revealing his true identity.

He needed to become so powerful that even the mightiest beings would hesitate before provoking him.

Only then could he protect everyone close to him without constantly worrying that his identity might bring disaster upon them.

Fortunately, very few people knew the truth about him. As far as Nova was concerned, there was only one person outside his immediate circle who somehow knew—or had managed to discover—his secret.

That person was Aurora, the Spirit Queen.

It didn’t take long for Theodore to arrive at the mansion. Once he was back, he explained everything in detail to Edward and Jenna.

Both were baffled by the sudden turn of events. They had never expected something like this to happen, and now, almost out of nowhere, their family had become noble, with the title of Viscount.

Even Asia and Rieka were greatly surprised that the King would go so far in the name of compensation. Of course, they were both smart enough to understand the real reason behind his decision.

Nyxara and Velena understood it as well. Having lived as royalty themselves, they knew how important social standing was in this world.

After all, strength alone wasn’t the only thing that determined one’s position in society. Wealth, status, and lineage were equally important factors in shaping a person’s future.

Those born into noble families had access to abundant resources, powerful skills, and opportunities that ordinary people could only dream of.

Their families could nurture talented descendants for generations, allowing their lineages to produce one powerhouse after another.

**

Thanks for reading...