Book 3: Chapter 21 – The Dark Empress’ Proposal

After two and a half days of non-stop sprinting, Garoa had finally made it back to the Kingdom of Heishi – the Capital of the Dark Alliance.

As a Bishop of the Cult, Garoa was very well-known by the citizens of the capital. As a result, he was able to directly enter the city without being stopped, but that didn't prevent him from receiving odd looks from those he passed.

Though he was uninjured, after running that long without taking a rest, his appearance was more than slightly dishevelled, but the main reason everyone stopped to stare as he passed them was the appearance of a young teen being held over his shoulder.

Ace had woken up several times over the last two days, but as a ninth-rank warrior, his senses were incredible. Despite Ace's best efforts, the Bishop was able to sense the moment Ace woke up and immediately knocked him unconscious.

Though he wasn't worried about Ace somehow managing to defeat him, he was well aware that with Ace's ridiculous ability to fight above his rank, the youth on his shoulder was more than capable of giving him enough trouble to slow him down and with an unknown superpower presumably backing him, he couldn't afford to slow down, even slightly. As such, the easiest thing to do was to keep him unconscious until he returned.

In the middle of the city, a giant castle stood higher than any of the buildings in the city. Despite being in the capital of a city controlled by a faction with an ominous name like 'The Cult of Darkness', the castle, which served as their main headquarters, wasn't ominous at all. In fact, it gave off an almost valiant air.

As Garoa approached, the guards bowed respectfully and moved out his way. Like everyone else he passed on his way here, he indifferently ignored them as he made his way through the castle's winding corridors until he reached the basement, where there were ten empty cells and an armoured warrior at the peak of the eighth rank who appeared to be on guard.

"Bishop Garoa," The man called out respectfully. "This is…?"

As a high-ranking member of the Cult, the man on duty 'guarding' the empty cells was aware of the Bishop's mission to hunt down the Divine Dragon that had escaped them all those years ago. So he was shocked to see him return with a boy instead of the Dragon.

"This prisoner is to be monitored as if your life depends on it," Garoa commanded as he tossed Ace inside one of the empty cells. "Is that understood, Deacon Joureil?"

Joureil couldn't help but look at Ace in shock and confusion. Each of the cells were made of Adamantium, so unless you were at the saint rank, you could forget about even attempting to use force to break out.

Garoa, of course, knew that, but as far as Ace was concerned, he wasn't willing to take any chances. Ace was the Cult's chance of rising past their rivals, the Radiant Church, and reaching the same level as the O'Brien and Yulan Empires, the only two human factions with a deity at the helm.

Even though he was shocked, the Deacon didn't dare to disobey a direct command from a Bishop.

"Yes, Bishop," Joureil answered respectfully. "I understand."

As soon as he was dropped in the cell, Ace was finally given the chance to awaken properly, and the moment he did, his eyes couldn't help but widen in surprise. He quickly spread his [Observation] to get a better idea of his current predicament, only to sense almost a dozen saint-level presences.

Aiden had already told him that at the rate of improvement of his spiritual essence when he broke through to the fifth rank, no ordinairy mortal would be able to feel his [Observation] due to the ridiculous power of his spiritual essence. Of course, that didn't include freaks like himself, Wukong or any of Arianna's disciples whose spiritual essence had long since entered the realms of saints.

It was for that reason that Garoa wasn't able to sense Ace's spirit when he locked onto them, but the saints in the castle all clearly felt Ace's [Observation] pass over them, even if only briefly.

Without hesitation, each of them stopped what they were doing and headed straight towards the source of that spirit.

Garoa, who'd only just closed the door to the dungeon, was shocked to discover so many of his superiors suddenly in front of him.

"Sirs, Madam Empress," the dishevelled Bishop hollered respectfully as he dropped to his knees.

"Bishop," A woman in the centre of the group dressed in a fitted black robe with elegant and ostentatious golden stitching that highlighted her alluring curves called out as she coldly eyed the closed door to the dungeon. "Do we have a new prisoner I don't know about?"

Her name was Shelia, and she was the Dark Empress. The leader of the Cult Darkness and ruler of the Dark Alliance.

"Yes, Empress," Garoa answered respectfully. "I was just coming to find you to report back to you."

She didn't even glance at her kneeling Bishop as she floated straight passed him and into the dungeon.

"Madam Empress," Joureil greeted respectfully as he too dropped to his knees.

Just like with the Bishop still kneeling on the other side of the door, she proceeded to ignore the Deacon guarding the prison. Instead, all her focus was on the youth sat on the cold dungeon floor, calmly staring back at her without so much as a hint of fear.

"The boy?" Shelia asked, not seeming to mind the lack of respect she received from him. "Who is he?"

"He claims his name is Luffy, but I suspect that to be an alias of some kind," Garoa explained, his voice laced with fear and awe. "I met him whilst we were tracking the Divine Dragon…"

As Bishop Garoa explained everything about his running into Ace, the Dark Empress calmly listened. All the while, her eyes remained trained on the teen whose apparent achievements, despite her perfect concealment, thoroughly shocked her.

"… And so I hurried back here without stopping," Garoa explained, still kneeling.

"I see," Shelia replied simply. "You were right to bring the boy back. As for his ability to locate you without you discovering him, that should be because of his unique ability to spread his spirit, which has surpassed that of many ninth-rank mages. If I had to guess, that and the ability to turn his body and weapon black you mentioned is part of an original bloodline ability."

As her voice waned, both Garoa and Joureil were shocked. As far as they knew, only those descended from the four supreme warriors had bloodline abilities. For there to be another… How could they not be shocked?

"Luffy, was it?" Shelia asked as she addressed the teen before her for the first time. "How would you like to become my Son-In-Law and the crown prince of the Dark Alliance?"

Though he was looking at the Peak Saint before him, Ace was actually focused on his conversation with Leonel.

When his partner first told him of their plan to create a beast tide to attack, Ace wanted to curse. If Leonel were the leader of the Beast Tide, at most, he'd be able to elicit the support of magical beasts of the eighth rank.

Though that would be quite the fearful Beast Tide to most cities, there were at least ten saints in the castle alone. Any one of them would be able to singlehandedly deal with a beast tide of that level, but when Leonel explained the entire plan, Ace was suddenly filled with confidence.

Confidence may have been too strong of a word; maybe hope was more fitting. It was still a gamble, but it was one he was willing to make, but when he heard the proposal of the Dark Empress, one of the most powerful and influential figures on the continent, Ace couldn't help but look at the Empress in surprise.

"Not interested," Ace answered straightforwardly after quickly getting over his surprise.

"INSOLENCE!" One of the other saints shouted. "Her majesty's proposal is your great fortune. Who do you think you are to reject her goodwill?!"

Ace didn't dare spread his [Observation] again with so many saints present. Though they had correctly guessed that it was a bloodline ability, he didn't wish to do anything to antagonise the situation any more than absolutely necessary.

Still, his spirit was so strong now that he didn't need to use his [Observation] to sense the auras of those around him. He immediately recognised the loudmouthed saint from his earlier use of his [Observation].

The man was a miniature giant standing over seven feet tall and dressed in an eerie black armour somewhat similar to Bishop Garoa, but Ace could sense from the instability of his aura that he was a newly promoted Saint. His name was Sulturn, and he was an Archbishop of the Cult.

Though Ace knew he was far from a match for the man, after spending five years in the Yin-Yang Pavilion, it would take a lot more than the posturing of a man weaker than each and every one of his instructors to intimidate him.

Ace calmly glanced at the man before disregarding him altogether as he turned his attention back to the empress. "I'm not interested."

Though Ace's tone of voice couldn't be classed as actively disrespectful, that was only if he were talking to a peer. Shelia was a Peak Saint and the leader of one of the most powerful factions on the continent. Still, Ace didn't seem phased in the slightest.

The newly ascended saint was about to blow his gasket when one of the castle's guards arrived at the dungeon. Normally such a low-ranking cultist had no business being anywhere near so many of the top figures of the Cult, but this time he came with news that couldn't wait.

"Ugh…

Erm…

Excuse me…

Ma…

Madame Empress…" The man stammered, unable to keep his composure in front of so many saints. "Outside…"

"Good god, what is it?!" Sulturn snapped.

He knew it had to be important for a trivial guard to dare interrupt them, but he was too frustrated by Ace's arrogance to wait for the guard to get his words out patiently.

"A saint-level lion is outside, and with him is the princess of the Rohault Empire," The guard explained as respectfully as possible. "They have demanded to see the empress."

"I suggest you speak to them," Ace said with a calm confidence that gave birth to a faint worry for many of those present.

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Book 4 - Chapter 34