Just as the two were about to clash, the sound of a throat clearing broke through the tension, followed by a sword light blooming in the air.
Swish!
The sword light was entrancing, and as it swept by, everyone seemed to fall into an illusion, frozen in their tracks.
An old man with a hunched back and long beards reaching the ground quietly approached, his face sullen as he gazed at the group.
In his hand was an extended walking stick, faint wisps of green light receding inward.
As everyone recovered, they turned their attention to the old man, their faces filled with a mixture of emotions.
"Father!" Uthur called out.
"Grandfather…" Arthur said in a grave voice.
The old man glanced at everyone, then sighed.
"Uthur, you will step down as acting king, and Arthur will take the place of his father. Anyone who disobeys this law will be killed. And if I hear any news of the new king being killed overnight…"
He left his words hanging, but everyone could feel a chill run down their spines.
It was said that at the old man's peak, he had cleared countless B-ranked dungeons!
Moreover, he was one of the few who had stepped into the deadly A-rank dungeon and managed to come out alive.
In short, he was a living legend and the reason the Pendragon family still stood among the top families of the United States.
Arthur glanced at his grandfather, his emotions complex.
The towering golden knight appeared tense, its grip firm on its golden sword, as though prepared for battle at any moment.
It was as if the knight could sense the terrifyingly oppressive might emanating from the hunched old man.
The old man glanced at the dragon knight for a moment, then a smile — one that made his face look uglier — formed on his wrinkled face.
"You have an interesting fighting spirit…"
Leaving those words behind, he turned and gradually departed from the crowd.
The elders were stunned, their gazes shifting back to the knight, faces filled with apprehension.
They knew this reclusive old man never interfered with royal family matters. Aside from striving to increase his strength, he never cared about anything else — and now he had made a passing comment on the knight?
Who the hell was that knight?
They tried to peer beyond the completely covered helmet, but the only thing that met their gaze were the cold golden eyes that seemed to bore into them.
Watching the old man depart, and seeing that no one harbored any fighting intent toward the main character, Titan retrieved his sword, slinging it onto his shoulder. The thunderous sound echoed through the surroundings, bringing everyone to the realization of what had just transpired.
It was only at that moment that the old man's words replayed in everyone's mind.
Those who had previously hung their heads low now raised their glowing eyes, staring intently at Arthur.
"Greetings, Your Highness…"
"We greet the new king!"
The loud shouts of the elders echoed faintly through the hall, causing Uthur's face to darken with each greeting spoken.
He took note of the elders who spoke, clenching his fists tightly.
'I can only agree to their demands then. Old man, don't blame me for the destruction of the Pendragon royal family!'
Flicking his robe, he turned around and walked away, a few loyal elders following behind him.
Soon, there would be bloodshed — and it wouldn't be long.
Meanwhile, Arthur rubbed his head awkwardly.
'I became king just like that? What happened?' He was stupefied, and in a daze, he walked toward the king's seat and sat down.
Leaning back slightly, he spoke up, "You may begin the discussion."
Some of the elders still wore awkward expressions — it was obvious they couldn't easily accept Arthur's sudden ascension. However, they decided not to overthink it.
Since it was an order from the old man, they couldn't take it lightly.
…
Meanwhile, Mordred clenched his fists tightly until blood dripped to the ground as he walked.
Only after entering his chamber did he glare fiercely at nothing in particular, struggling to suppress his rage.
Searching his cupboard, he took out a communication device.
He hesitated for only an instant before steeling his resolve and speaking into it.
"I accept your conditions."
The other end was silent for a moment before a deep, masculine voice echoed.
"That's good. We'll send the Netherworld Empress to swiftly deal with the old man, while you eliminate everyone else. Expect her arrival within a few hours so everything can be dealt with swiftly. I want to absorb the family's resources before morning comes."
Hearing those words, Uthur clenched his fists before making his decision.
"Yes, master."
The communication device remained silent for a moment before the deep voice resounded again.
"Uthur. You did the right thing. Your family was destined for destruction anyway…"
Uthur bowed once more toward the device.
'That's right. If it wasn't for the old man maintaining his grip on everything, the Pendragon family would've long since been destroyed. I'm doing the right thing by preserving the family line!'
Resolving himself, he paced silently, waiting for the arrival of the Netherworld Empress.
…
Unaware of the coming crisis, Arthur settled back in his room and sighed after the long, tedious meeting.
Due to his mana running low, he had already unsummoned the knight, yet the elders still treated him with the same respect — some even offered to escort him back.
Arthur thought about everything that had happened so far.
It all felt like it was happening too fast.
'Is this a good thing or a bad thing?' He didn't know what to think.
He could only hope to grow stronger, clear more dungeons, and… well, he had no plans beyond that.
Since arriving in this world, he'd always harbored a faint sense of unease — as though he needed to grow stronger no matter what.
Sighing lightly, he tossed around in bed for a while before drifting off to sleep.
Arthur expected the night to pass peacefully as always, but after a few hours, his dream was shattered by a loud sound that echoed through the entire Pendragon household.
Arthur jolted awake in shock.
Around him, the surroundings were filled with fire, and even the ceiling above threatened to collapse, a large chunk of rock poised to crush him to death.
In panic, Arthur hastily summoned the dragon knight…
...
Author's Note: when are your thoughts on this chapter? In what way do you think it can be improved further?
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