1303 Their True Purpose

Tall and intimidating.

These were the first few words that came to mind when many spotted the giant descending the stairs.

And as he moved, his men all bowed deeply towards their master. But William and his men didn't even flinch a muscle at his show of power.

How foolish.

Did these people think they would bow to them because of all this? Moreover, he, Willaim, was a Monarch. And in the best, there have been countless Pyno rulers who bowed their heads to other influential foreigners. But he would never be one of them... Especially after they have done nothing but disrespect him all through the night.

What a joke!

~Din. Din. Din. Din.

The towering burly man descended onto the scene, taking his place on what looked like a built-in throne for him on the deck that stood on a rectangular podium.

The man sat his massive self on the seat, positioned himself like a king before gesturing for his to finally allow William and the rest to approach his vicinity.

"The Marquess will see you now!" One of the men said to William before leading the way, giving him no time to respond.

Tsk!... Rude much?

William squinted his eyes coldly, counting all their crimes against him in this head.

Well, he wanted to play a pig to eat a hangol. So until he knew their purpose, only then would he show his claws to the enemy.

.

"Sit." The burly man commanded. And William did precisely as he was told, sitting on a stool they had just brought in for him.

You look at me, I look at you.

The duo maintained a fierce staring competition, observing and analyzing each other from head to toe thoughtfully. And soon enough, William broke his eye contact in defeat.

Marquees Rudolf sneered inwardly.

'Lowly Trash! Dare to compete with me? Heh... Weakling!'

Rudolf stared at the anxious William with disgust. He knew that these people were trash. But how could they be so bad? It looks as though apart from the late Alec Barn, no one in this shitty continent had the guts to stare him deeply in the eye for so long.

There was a reason why he was nicknamed 'the Abyss.'

He had med many go numb with terror with just a single glance alone. Well, at least even though the boy before him was trash, he was still better than many others since he could maintain a stare with him for these many breaths.

It was a minute and a few seconds before William broke off.

A broad smile was now plastered on Marquees Rudolf's face after giving his targets something to fear.

"William Barn... A lucky survivor who managed to trick and take down his Uncle, Alec Barn, from within the shadows... You, I've heard a great deal about. And though your beginning is somewhat impressive, it's a far cry from being capable and acceptable to be a ruler of this vast empire." Rudolf said cheekily before biting into a tasty grape laid out before him.

His tone and demeanor seemed relaxed. But his abyss eyes were something else!

They were cold, ruthless and told a lot of what would happen to William if he didn't follow along.

.

Bubuum. Bubuum.

Adrenaline rushed through the veins of the Arcadinians as their hearts continuously speeded up with uneasiness.

WHAT DID HE MEAN?

Rudolf glanced at the tensed Arcadinians and chuckled: "What? Did you think that your uncle had sat on the throne without the help of others?"

The T.O.E.P! T.O.E.P!

Were they meeting a T.O.E P member in the flesh?

Everyone swallowed dryly with enlarged eyes, looking at Rudolf more instantly as though they wanted to burn his entire image in their minds.

William was greatly shocked, to say the least.

A real T.O.E.P ranked never, and not a subordinate!

Damn!... He never thought he would be seeing them this soon.

Marquees Rudolf saw their expression and only thought they were shocked from his words alone, not knowing that his T.O.E.P status had been uncovered.

The Marquees licked his lips, enjoying the sweetness and flavour of the grapes. He did love to torture his targets mentally. Oh, what fun it was!

William glanced at him with a mix of uncertainty and fear of his face: "F-forgive me, your lordship. But you said that I'm not suitable for Ruling Arcadina. Then might I ask who has the power to decide such things?"

Instantly, Rudolf's face turned cold. "Boy, you're unworthy of knowing who the real decision-makers are. But like I said. My people placed your uncle on the throne years back. And long ago before his demise, a chosen successor was already placed should in case he died. Of course, based on the agreement we had, your uncle's first and only choice was his first son, Prince Eli. And the second choice was one that we, the decision-makers, had long chosen for him. That person had been groomed in the empire of Lingingburg, Veinitta, and will soon come over to take his rightful place as her to the throne. Yes! That person does have Arcadinian royal blood running through his body. His Grandfather was your grandfather's brother!"

Boom!

William couldn't believe what he was hearing.

He had another relative alive somewhere hidden in the shadows?

.

Blink. Blink.

The information was too shocking. So, this long-distant cousin of his was coming back for the throne?

From the looks of things, this cousin should've been living well in Lingingburg and might even have a grand title.

Then didn't this mean that this person would be approaching with a man army soon?

Rudolf grinned: "Normally, we would've just assassinated you in the dark. But that cousin was so nice that he decided to give you a heads up on the matter. So, you might as well enjoy your last ruling period as Arcadina's Monarch. Because soon, the real heir to the throne will arrive... William Barn, your ruling days are numbered!"