Chapter 966: Alternate Timeline: Invitation

Inside the Imperial Palace, Emperor Alexander Phoenix publicly maintained neutrality.

But privately, he was secretly delighted.

After all, Arceus was practically family in his eyes. Arceus is the son of Western Silver, whose first cousin is Xander Cross, the brother-in-law of the Emperor. That means Kiara is also family, in the eyes of the Emperor.

As for the princes...

The Crown Prince, Darius Phoenix, no longer cared. Without House Silver’s backing, Arceus possessed little political value now.

Magnus Phoenix maintained his usual stance of noninterference.

Still, he viewed Kiara as both a valuable business partner and, to some extent, a friend.

Thus, he felt genuinely happy for Arceus.

Third Prince, Kaelan Phoenix, remained outside the Empire handling diplomatic affairs.

And the Fourth Prince Gerrad Phoenix...

He simply had no interest in either of them.

Meanwhile...

Inside Wester Silver’s residence in the Imperial City;

Morning tea was being served.

Thin steam slowly rose from porcelain cups while silence lingered heavily across the room.

Sitting opposite Wester was an elderly man named Oswin.

Before Wester’s breakthrough into the Exalt Realm, Elder Oswin had once been considered the strongest member of House Silver, excluding Vann Silver himself.

The old man calmly sipped his tea before speaking.

"If you ask me honestly, Milord..."

His tone remained slow and composed.

"You made the correct choice as leader of the House."

Then his eyes narrowed slightly as he placed the teacup down softly.

"But as a father... You performed terribly."

Wester’s expression immediately darkened. His fingers tightened around the cup hard enough to crack it slightly.

"If that damned wh*re never existed," he growled through clenched teeth, "everything would have proceeded perfectly."

Elder Oswin calmly shook his head. "You are still thinking about the wrong enemy."

The old man’s voice resembled still water.

"Right now, your greatest problem is not Kiara. It is your own house."

Those words made Wester silent briefly.

Elder Oswin continued, "You know very well your elder brother Neron Silver has coveted your position for years. When you were ill, he took over your position. You recovered, but you never reassumed the office or your house lord position officially."

A faint sneer appeared on the old man’s face.

"And neither did he step down. Now that you have entered the Exalt Realm, the elders will not openly oppose you, and Lord Neron will also step down at your order. But your brother..."

The elder slowly leaned forward.

"He will not remain obedient forever."

Then he spoke in a heavier tone.

"Before he commits some foolish act that threatens House Silver itself, you should..."

Suddenly...

A streak of lightning flashed through the open window.

Both men instantly became alert.

A tiny lightning sparrow landed beside the tea table with crackling electricity dancing around its feathers.

chirp!

The bird dropped a heavy scroll from its back. It landed directly upon the table. Then, before either man reacted further, the sparrow shot back into the sky like a bolt of lightning and vanished.

Wester frowned. "A message through familiar?"

"I suppose so," Elder Oswin muttered.

Wester opened the scroll.

Beautiful calligraphy immediately appeared before his eyes.

At first, his expression merely looked puzzled.

Then...

His face twisted violently with rage.

The scroll burst into flames within his hand.

"I WILL NOT LET HER LIVE!"

His roar exploded through the chamber. Ether pressure surged outward violently enough to shake nearby furniture.

The invitation itself had been simple.

An invitation to Kiara and Arceus’ engagement ceremony.

To Wester Silver... it felt like mockery.

Like humiliation carved into paper.

He felt as though Kiara had personally slapped his face before the entire Empire.

For a brief moment, rationality vanished completely from his mind.

Yet Elder Oswin immediately intervened.

"Stop."

His calm voice carried surprising weight. "If you lose control now, House Silver will abandon you."

Wester glared at him furiously. "Do you expect me to sit quietly and accept defeat like a coward? That woman... a mere commoner kept on poking my pride over and over again... how long should I swallow this humiliation? Let me go. Today, only one of us must live to see tomorrow..."

The elder remained entirely unoffended. "Milord, a tiger does not ram its head against a mountain simply because the mountain insults it," he replied calmly. "If it does, only the tiger bleeds while the mountain remains standing."

Wester’s breathing remained ragged. "But..."

Elder Oswin continued.

"I am not telling you to leave Kiara untouched. I am saying direct confrontation benefits you least."

Those words finally made Wester pause. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

Elder Oswin’s eyes slowly narrowed. "You are forgetting something important. The engagement annulment only happened because Lord Vann intervened. That truth is known only within House Silver."

The old man tapped the table lightly.

"But outside?"

A faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

"The Empire believes you annulled the engagement because Kiara forced your hand through strength."

Wester’s eyes slowly sharpened.

Elder Oswin continued smoothly, "If House Drake also begins believing that narrative... then matters become interesting."

Wester frowned. "House Drake alone cannot defeat Kiara."

"That is true," Elder Oswin admitted calmly.

"However..."

He slowly lifted his teacup again.

"You are forgetting the Church of Thanatos."

"You mean..."

Taking a sip, the elder smiled, "Why bother risking our lives when we have someone to fight our war..."

Oswin appeared far too calm for someone discussing matters that could potentially shake the balance of the entire Empire.

That alone made Wester Silver uncomfortable.

The old man continued sipping tea as though they were merely discussing weather and trade routes instead of involving outlawed organizations and hidden conspiracies.

For a brief moment, Wester silently stared at the wrinkled elder before him and suddenly realized something.

Perhaps the real reason Oswin came here today was never to comfort him.

Perhaps from the very beginning, the old man intended to drag the Church of Thanatos into this matter.

The thought made Wester narrow his eyes slightly.

Meanwhile, Oswin continued speaking in the same measured tone, "Kiara possesses a Beast Emperor still in its infant stage," he said slowly. "And the Church of Thanatos has always believed that Beast Emperors are omens of calamity. Those church apostles are really a bunch of hypocrites. They worship the Lord of death, and yet, they would try their best not to have mass destruction in this world."

The elder lightly tapped the tea table with one finger.

"Just like storms gather around black clouds even before thunder appears, those fanatics believe disasters naturally follow such creatures. And they would do anything to prevent it."

Wester listened silently.

His anger still burned fiercely, yet now calculation slowly began mixing into it.

Oswin continued. "The Great Dungeon Break from two and a half decades ago still remains fresh in their memories. Many among the Church continue claiming that powerful beasts attract destruction toward entire regions."

Then his gaze sharpened slightly.

"If we can properly guide House Drake’s emotions and give events a small push from behind... then the Church of Thanatos may involve itself willingly."

Wester’s eyes flickered.

That alone was already dangerous enough.

But Oswin was not finished.

"In fact," he added calmly, "there is another piece of information you may enjoy hearing even more."

Wester slowly raised his head.