The Betrayal (2)

CLAP! CLAP!! CLAP!!!

"That was a great performance, even for a king..." Rasoul strolled in, seemingly without a care in the world. He sported a light blue T-shirt, black jeans trousers, and a pair of sunglasses. Everyone, including the King, had their jaws drop in shock. Wasn't he the one lying on the floor with a dagger hole in his heart? How in the world was he still alive, and most importantly, where did he get those weirdly-looking clothes?

Rasoul walked casually until he reached the center of the hall, where he began to speak.

"I have to say, King, you are one hell of an actor. Who would have known the ruler of an entire kingdom had such a hidden talent?" Rasoul remarked.

"You were very convincing. Had I not known the Princess, I would have believed you. You gave your all for this performance, and I must applaud that," Rasoul said as he began clapping his hands.

Everybody just stared at him without uttering a single word. The entire capital fell into an eerie silence as they all focused on the screen projecting the unfolding events in the palace.

"You could have done this discreetly, but of course, you had to make a scene out of it. You went too far, King, and this time around, the ball will bounce back and hit you where it hurts," Rasoul declared. He then turned to the screen capturing the events and began his monologue.

"I know many of you didn't believe what this idiot of a King said earlier on, but to those who did, listen carefully. Princess Vina is not a traitor, and my friends and I are not traitors either. We are just travelers who happened to stop by and help the Princess when she needed assistance defending her hometown," Rasoul declared, glancing sideways at the Princess.

"I'm aware that many of you might question, 'Why should we trust you?'"

"Here's my straightforward response: Don't take my word for it. Instead, trust every individual in Orange Field City. Trust every soldier and adventurer who stood shoulder to shoulder with her. When we reached Orange Field City a few months ago, the Princess was ready to sacrifice her life for her hometown against a monstrous onslaught. She didn't flee, nor did she utter any excuses."

"She stood firm, fighting with every ounce of her being to protect the city she cherished from the bottom of her heart. To me, actions like that don't align with the motives of a traitor seeking the downfall of a kingdom," Rasoul declared, shaking his head.

He took a brief pause, but before he could continue, a petite lady with long, flowing blonde hair down her lower back asked,

"Why should we trust a single word you say? We don't even know who you are. For all we know, the abilities that saved you from the assassination attempt just now could be used to project her onto that battlefield...," This question though sparked murmurs, but Rasoul swiftly addressed the skepticism.

"I won't demand that you believe me. That would be imposing on you. All I request is for you to believe in the Princess. She isn't the person you all are portraying her to be."

"If you were to ask her right now to choose between an orphan and the throne, I am absolutely certain she would choose the orphan without a second thought. That's the kind of person she is."

The king and the ten sages kept their gaze fixed on the handsome boy, diligently reconstructing the Princess's tarnished reputation, one brick at a time. Although they were eager to take action, they hesitated, recognizing that any move might only escalate tensions and anger the people. At a crossroads, the one holding the reins now was Rasoul.

Rasoul cast a glance at the king before proceeding with the second part of his monologue. "While I firmly believe in the Princess's innocence, I can't extend the same assurance to the King. He is far from being innocent."

"Before delving into today's events, how about I share something that might pique your interest? Three hundred and fifty years ago, as the previous king approached the end of his reign, he selected Prince Lufy as the Crown Prince, his designated successor. Much like Princess Vina, the Prince was well-liked – gentle, kind, and loving. However, he passed away shortly after ascending to the throne."

"One might wonder, was it a natural death or a murder? The answer is murder. He was poisoned, and the one responsible, of course, is our current King. He descended into darkness, and in doing so, he killed his brother."

Upon hearing this revelation, the entire hall directed their gaze toward the fuming King. Deep in his heart, he continued to grapple with how the person before him had come to possess such a closely guarded secret. Meanwhile, Rasoul proceeded to express gratitude to the former leader of the Dark Minions. This dark secret had been extracted from the Dark Book he obtained after killing him.

"The former Queen wasn't the one who joined the mysterious Dark Order. It was our king, as these ten individuals are indeed not human. They hail not from this Kingdom nor any other kingdoms in the empire."

Gasps echoed throughout the hall as Rasoul disclosed damning information to the assembled crowd. Recognizing that this was the start of the real game, he had already devised plans. The monologue served as a strategic maneuver, allowing him to buy time until the nanites ate through the rope-binding Vira.

The nanites were deployed the moment Lara was brought into the hall, swiftly eating through the ropes that bound her.

"Tell us you're lying. There's a barrier shielding us from the other empires. None of them could have crossed over," the blonde Princess pressed again.

"Do you genuinely believe that? Not long ago, a Monk saved Alchany City from 10 Great Beasts, and we all know Monks are not from the human empire," Rasoul retorted, but the Princess wasn't finished.

"That was just a rumor. Nobody could confirm he was a monk."

"Why don't we ask them to remove their hoods so we can confirm whether they're indeed human or not?" an elderly man suggested, stating the obvious.

"I think so too," another man chimed in. Soon, everybody started clamoring in unison, demanding the ten figures to remove their hoods.

Cornered and feeling the pressure, the leader of the group resorted to playing the race card.

"Filthy humans, do you think you can command us however you want?" With disdain in his voice, the leader unleashed insults, tapping into his nature as a High Elf who considered humans low-level beings. He immediately released his Peak Sage Aura, casting a hush over the entire hall. But before he could advance toward Rasoul, he spoke again...

"I wouldn't take that step if I were you, Finrod," Rasoul declared, dropping the Sage's name. The moment those words reached Finrod's ears, he froze in his steps.

"What did you just call me?" In asked, his expression questioning.

Rasoul responded with an evil grin before dismantling his entire secret life. "Finrod Gale, Age 1267, a High Elf, also an assassin, and the leader of the infamous Migos. I must say, you have quite a noteworthy track record."

**

[Name: Finrod Gale]

[Age: 1267]

[Race: High Elf]

[Class: Assassin]

[Realm: Sage]

[Rank: 9]

[STR: 96,000| AGL: 108,000| DEX: 92,000| INT: 93,000| DEF: 88,000| HEA: 102,400]

[Description: Leader of the Assassin group and associates of the Dark Order]

[Intension: Wants you dead]

**

Rasoul employed his highly enhanced Mind's Eye to scrutinize each of the assassins. He acknowledged that he wasn't a match for them individually, particularly Finrod, whose stats spoke volumes. His strongest defense right now is the support from the people, and it seemed to be effective as they all clamored to unveil the identities of the ten assassins.

The King rose abruptly, attempting to speak, but before he could utter a word, a chilling scream erupted from his mouth. Finrod, positioned behind the King, drove his dagger right through the monarch's heart.

"There's no more use for an idiot like you," Finrod declared in a cold, unforgiving tone.

The lifeless body of the king slumped onto the ground. As the guards hurried to apprehend the ten individuals, before they could approach within 3 meters, their headless bodies dropped to the ground. Fear, anger, and helplessness gripped the entire hall. They all realize the Princess was innocent from the beginning, and their King was just framing her.

Chaos erupted, and seizing the opportunity amidst the confusion, Rasoul swiftly grabbed Vira. He positioned Vira, Vina, and Lara behind him, shielding them. Then, he directed the system to teleport the three out of the hall instantly.

The system, with its flair for drama, teleported the three to the outside of the hall but ensured they had a clear line of sight to witness the events unfolding within.

Rasoul turned towards the ten Sages and spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Mind sharing why you ten traveled from the Elven Empire just to assassinate our King?"

"What you should be concerned about right now is your own life. You've bitten off more than you can chew, Human," Finrod sneered as he began to walk slowly toward Rasoul. He was confident that there was nothing Rasoul could do to stop them. He also knew the Princess wouldn't be able to escape far, as they had already placed a mark on Vira, making her easy to locate.

"So, you're the ones sent by the Dark Order. Enlighten me, why are you here? Spark my curiosity before you sever my head from my neck, at least," Rasoul uttered in a defeated tone. He wanted them to believe he was helpless.

"It was revealed that the Supreme One foretold in that so-called prophecy is here in the human empire. We came to locate and eliminate him. Since you fit the profile, we will kill you and every young prodigy in the empire until none are left," Finrod stated, finding no reason to conceal the purpose of their mission from Rasoul. After all, dead men tell no tales.

"So, why involve the King in your mission? You could have killed me anytime you wanted without setting up this whole farce," Rasoul inquired, attempting to understand the king's involvement.

"He is our link to the human empire. He needed help deceiving you idiots, so we stepped in. He helps the Order, they help him open the ancient ruin," Finrod explained as he covered more than half the distance between him and Rasoul.

"So, he was the one involved with the Dark Order and not the Princess. Some king we have. Great to know all this. It seems I have to pay a visit to the Elven Empire," Rasoul stated with a satisfied look. He then added, "You've all been of great help, but I think it's time for you all to die, don't you think?" He said with an evil smile, halting Finrod in his steps. Something compelled Finrod to either run away or rush to kill the boy in front of him as fast as he could. But before he could make a choice, a feminine voice entered his head.

"Why don't you all listen to my performance first

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