Chapter 156 Ch. 156: The Western Border [3]

Graham's calm expression quickly transformed into surprise, and without hesitation, he stood up from his seat and made his way towards Arthur, who sat at the forefront of the room.

The other kings watched curiously as Graham leaned in and urgently whispered into Arthur's ear, causing a similar change in expression on Arthur's face.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Arthur stood up and addressed the other kings, informing them that something urgent had arisen.

Soon, Arthur led the way towards the entrance of the Imperial Seatbox, followed closely by Graham, Mathias, Asher, and a group of knights.

The seriousness etched on their faces was a clear indication that they were facing a dire situation.

As they approached the door, Adrian and Nathaniel immediately stepped aside, creating a path for the Emperor and their entourage.

The moment Arthur, Graham, and Mathias passed by them, Adrian and Nathaniel discreetly concealed their presence and silently followed behind, positioning themselves between the group and the knights.

The knights who walked behind the princes exchanged concerned glances, fully aware that it was against protocol to accompany the emperor without explicit permission.

However, the presence of Adrian and Nathaniel who were Princes made them hesitant to impede their path.

They valued their lives too much to challenge the decision.

Walking beside the princes, Asher felt a sense of duty to voice his concerns.

However, Adrian and Nathaniel immediately placed their index fingers on their lips, signaling Asher to remain silent.

Conflicted, Asher's face displayed his internal struggle, but ultimately, he sighed in resignation and reluctantly complied with their request.

Unable to contain his worry and frustration, Arthur questioned Mathias about the sudden turn of events.

"How could this happen? Wasn't the breeding season just over?"

Mathias promptly responded.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I'm not sure. However, the number of monsters has been increasing daily, and the status at the border is on heightened alert."

Navigating through the castle's corridors, they finally arrived at the war room, guarded by vigilant soldiers who immediately opened the doors upon seeing the Emperor and his convoy.

Mathias swiftly placed a device on the table, and a live broadcast of the situation at the Western Border filled the room.

The scene depicted a multitude of monstrous creatures amassed at the border of the Forest of Death.

Countless knights and Elementalists stood on the parapet, tirelessly launching volleys of arrows and unleashing barrages of magic upon the menacing horde below.

As the live feed played, Graham chimed in, his voice filled with astonishment.

"This is the first time I've seen such a large number of monsters." historical

Having guarded the western border for over five decades, he had never witnessed such a formidable force.

Typically, there were only a few hundred monsters to contend with, but the scene before him indicated that there were now thousands.

Despite his years of experience, Graham couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

He couldn't imagine what would happen if that number of monsters invaded the Empire.

The room fell into a heavy silence as everyone absorbed the gravity of the situation.

—Tap —Tap —Tap

Arthur tapped his fingers impatiently as his mind raced with thoughts and possibilities.

The situation at hand was a difficult one.

While the Elemental Canon was capable of eliminating the monsters in a single shot, he couldn't ignore the potential consequences.

The destructive force of the Canon was too immense, and he couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't harm innocent lives or damage the border.

The risk was simply too great.

Nevertheless, Arthur couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this situation.

This abnormal activity from the monsters seemed unusual, and he couldn't determine if it was a natural occurrence or if someone was behind it.

If it was a natural event, it might happen only once, but if there was someone manipulating the monsters, the waves would continue indefinitely, leading to an endless onslaught.

Glancing sideways, Adrian noticed Nathaniel's eyes glinting with rage, his fists clenched tightly.

It was clear that Nathaniel was furious about something, and Adrian's mind began to wander, trying to make sense of the situation.

Initially, Nathaniel had shown no reaction, but when everything was revealed, his emotions came to the surface.

Adrian concluded that it seemed this had not occurred in the previous timeline.

'So the story has changed once again, huh?'

The fact that Nathaniel displayed resentment suggested that the shitty organization was behind the accident—because that was the only thing that could make his brother's blood boil.

However, something didn't quite add up.

'How can Nathaniel know it's the shitty organization if this doesn't occur in his previous time?'

The only one that displayed on the screen was the monster—wait.

'The book!'

There was a passage in the book that mentioned a Sacred Orb, which seemed to be connected to the monsters.

Could it be that the book was telling the truth all along?

"I'll contact the Elder—"

Arthur turned around and immediately silenced himself upon spotting two familiar figures inside the war room.

His expression turned unreadable, and anger began coursing through his veins.

It was then that Graham and Mathias turned around, noticing the presence of the Princes standing not too far from the door.

Realizing their mistake, Arthur brushed his face in frustration and let out a resigned sigh.

They had been so engrossed in their own thoughts that they hadn't realized they were being trailed by the mischievous duo.

Without wasting any time, Arthur spat his mind.

"Mind explaining why you are here?"

As Arthur's voice echoed through the room, Adrian and Nathaniel snapped out of their thoughts and turned toward their father.

They could sense the displeasure emanating from him.

"..."

"..."

However, neither of them provided an answer, leaving Arthur even more frustrated.

The silence in the room was deafening, and Arthur's patience wore thin.

He turned to the knights standing behind the Princes and exclaimed.

"All of you will be punished for letting the Prince enter the war room!"

His voice carried a stern authority, making it clear that he would not tolerate such behavior from his knights.

Graham and Mathias exchanged glances but they didn't say a word.

The knights bowed respectfully and apologized.

"We sincerely apologize, Your Majesty."

Ignoring their apologies for the moment, Arthur redirected his attention to Asher, the light green-haired man standing beside his sons.

He had been silent throughout the confrontation, and Arthur couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment towards him as well.

"Asher, why didn't you say a word?"

Arthur asked, his voice exasperated but Asher bowed his head and replied.

"I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty."

Arthur sighed heavily, brushing his face in frustration once again, before turning his attention back to the mischievous duo.

"Alright, playtime is over. Now please leave this war room."

Arthur commanded sternly, however, his beloved elder son had another idea in mind.

"No, I'll go to the western border!"

Nathaniel shamelessly declared, causing Arthur's anger to flare up instantly, and he snapped at his son with frustration laced in his voice.

"Have you lost your mind?! The Western Border is currently on heightened alert! Both of you will stay here!"

"No! I'll—"

But before he could continue, Adrian pulled Nathaniel's wrist gently.

Nathaniel turned to face Adrian, and there he saw his brother shaking his head.

"I have an idea."

Adrian whispered almost inaudibly, but Nathaniel managed to catch his words.

Realizing that Adrian had a plan, Nathaniel eventually backed down and stepped aside, allowing Adrian to take charge.

"I understand. We'll head out now." Adrian said nonchalantly.

"Good."

Arthur nodded, satisfied with their response.

With that, Adrian and Nathaniel turned on their heels and exited the war room.

As the heavy door closed behind them, Nathaniel wasted no time in getting to the point.

"What's the plan?"

Adrian let out a smirk, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Follow me."

Without much thought, Nathaniel fell into step behind his younger brother, ready to embark on their secret mission.

Meanwhile, Arthur couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that his sons were up to something.

Despite their compliance with his orders, he knew their mischievous nature too well to believe they would back down so easily.

Determined to keep an eye on them, Arthur turned to his escort knight.

"Keep your eyes on those two little brats."

Asher bowed respectfully, acknowledging his command.

"As you wish."

With that, he swiftly left the room.