I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 357  After The Incident In Edenis Raphiel

"Princess, the Heads of the Houses are back! But something happened!"

"Something happened?" Celeste asked, a bit apprehensive.

August nodded with a frustrated look. "Y-Yes… Lady Melfina…"

"...!" Celeste widened her eyes and quickly exited the room.

I followed after her with a serious gaze.

Celeste's face was filled with worry as she hurried down the corridor. The further we advanced, the more knights and maids of the palace we saw whispering among themselves. Upon seeing Celeste, they quickly bowed, but she paid no heed to them.

What does it mean, 'Something happened'?

Did something go wrong during their meeting in Edenis Raphiel?

Did they argue with the representatives from Edenis Raphiel, and did a fight break out?

I knew that Sancta Vedelia and Edenis Raphiel had always hated each other, each side trying to prove their superiority, but this seemed a bit exaggerated…

If I recall correctly, it was supposed to be a meeting to discuss the upcoming war against Utopia. I knew from the very start that it wouldn't result in any peace since, from the game, it was meant to happen, but what else could have gone wrong?

"Q-Quickly call our best healers!!"

A mana circle?

I frowned, noticing a teleportation mana circle directly connected to the palace. Normally, they would never do that because it could be extremely dangerous. It was very risky to use such magic, especially with Celeste present, but I soon understood why they did it.

A white-haired young man, Evan, Celeste's brother, appeared in the doorway, carrying someone over his shoulder. His face was drenched in sweat and his complexion was ashen as he hurriedly brought the woman into a secluded room.

Celeste froze in place, her eyes widening in shock.

The woman, with blood streaming from a wound on her forehead and soaking her dress, was Melfina, her grandmother.

"G-Grandma…" Celeste stammered as she stepped into the room, her voice trembling.

Melfina lay on a makeshift bed, clearly in pain. How could this be? She was someone on the verge of reaching DemiGod status.

"C-Celes! Stay back! Healers! What the hell are you doing?!!" Evan growled, his voice edged with desperation.

"W-We are here!"

"Y-Yes!"

Five of their best healers rushed in, their faces pale with panic, and immediately began attending to Melfina's severe injuries.

"B-Brother, what happened?" Celeste asked, her voice quivering. Evan stepped back, allowing the healers to work.

"They were attacked during their meeting," Evan replied through gritted teeth, his frustration and anger barely contained.

"B-But… why?" Tears welled up in Celeste's eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, she will be okay," Evan said, hugging his sister gently, trying to reassure her despite his own anxiety.

When his gaze shifted to me, his expression hardened, turning even more bitter.

"You should step onto the circle, Amael," he commanded tersely, without further explanation.

My heart raced as I complied without hesitation, stepping into the circle. My vision blurred, and the world around me shifted.

***

Inside the Holy Tree of Eden, several figures were gathered.

These were the heads and representatives who had participated in the meeting in Edenis Raphiel.

-BAM!

"How did this happen?" Karl roared, punching the wall. The force of his blow caused tremors, but the damage quickly vanished, a testament to the enchanted nature of the tree. His body was covered in bruises and bandages, evidence of a recent battle.

Around them, numerous healers and high-ranking nobles whispered among themselves, the tension in the air palpable.

After the disastrous events in Edenis Raphiel, Claudia Tepes had decided to bring everyone to the Holy Tree of Eden to seriously discuss their next steps.

"How did this happen? You say? You've been weak, that's all," Lazarus Raven said with a cold chuckle.

"You weren't even there, Lazarus, so you shouldn't speak about this," Alector retorted, glaring at him.

"Yes, if I had been there, none of this would have happened," Lazarus replied, his tone dripping with arrogance.

"Even Aslan couldn't beat him. What would you have done, Lord Lazarus?" Tanya Teraquin asked, scoffing at his confidence.

"Aslan is nothing compared to me, you should know that. Besides, he didn't fight seriously. If he had, the damages would have been far greater, and there would have been many more casualties," Lazarus said dismissively.

"This isn't what we should be discussing," Jefer Moonfang interjected coldly. "He took away Alea Olphean. What do we do about it?"

The room fell silent at Jefer's words, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

The disappearance of one of the Queens and Rulers of Sancta Vedelia was undeniably a significant issue, one that demanded immediate attention and action.

"Nothing," Alector said after a moment of contemplation.

"What?" Tanya narrowed her eyes in concern.

"Don't glare at me like that. We're not in a position to search for Alea or devise a plan to confront whatever Kleines has become. Need I remind you all that a war is on the horizon?" Alector's tone was stern, emphasizing the urgency of their situation.

"I concur," Karl nodded. "Edenis Raphiel has made it clear they won't support our cause. While they may not side with Utopia, we can't afford to divert our resources to rescue Alea."

"Divert our resources? We're talking about Alea here. And the Olphean Kingdom may prioritize her recovery over our impending war," Jefer said.

"Alea can wait. She's not as weak as her sisters," Lazarus said with a mocking smile, earning disapproving glares from the others. "Besides, if Kleines is truly the culprit, he wouldn't harm his wife, right?"

His words hung heavily in the air, prompting a somber silence. They were all certain it was Kleines behind Alea's disappearance, and his lingering affection for her offered a glimmer of hope. Yet, they couldn't shake the uncertainty of how long her safety would last.

"What do we do about her Kingdom? Do you think they will sit idle or heed any of our counsel?" Jefer asked, voicing their concerns.

"Since Connor's passing, Christina Olphean is the one in charge. She's level-headed and will understand the precariousness of our situation. Unlike Alea, she won't rush into any decisions," Alector reassured them, drawing from his knowledge of Christina's character.

At the mention of Connor Olphean, several figures reacted oddly...

Lazarus Raven wore a smirk, exchanging glances with Jefer Moonfang.

Jefer, however, seemed oblivious to Lazarus's expression.

Karl Dolphis's gaze shifted to Alector, who maintained his stern demeanor as he mentioned Connor.

Meanwhile, Claudia's eyes darted between Lazarus and Jefer.

"Christina Olphean. Is she even in any condition to govern a Kingdom?" Tanya asked, subtly averting her gaze.

In another part of the room, two individuals stood apart from the group.

Christina was visibly distraught, her hands covering her face and tears, while another beautiful woman, Myrcella, offered comfort, gently embracing her.

"She just needs time, but she will manage. It's not her first time facing adversity," Alector stated, acknowledging the bitter truth.

Seeing Christina in such distress stirred something within Alector. He had known her since childhood, and witnessing her frequent bouts of sorrow over the years had left a mark on him.

The tragedies that befell the Olphean House seemed relentless. First, the loss of her younger brother, Amael, followed by her Aunt Thelma, her father, her Aunt Oryanna, then her brother Connor, and now her mother.

Fate appeared to have a cruel hold on the Olphean lineage, but Alector couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more at play.

"Regarding Kleines, I demand an explanation from the Falkrona House and from Waylen in person. No one else. I refuse to believe he's ignorant of the situation. Silas also seemed to be aware of something. We will issue a royal demand, bearing all our signatures, and seek answers from the Falkrona House," Alector declared, and the Heads of the Houses nodded in agreement.

"It will pose a challenge for Reiner, though. It seems he's also met his match while we were away," Lazarus said amused.

They had received news of the events unfolding in the capital of Dolphian shortly after their return, but amidst everything else that had occurred, they had yet to fully process the implications.

"Behemoth, Utopia, and Kleines, this is getting out of hand," Karl said, shaking his head in exhaustion. "Utopia is our priority. Strengthen your respective territories, and we'll convene for another urgent meeting in the coming weeks. Inform Christina that she will represent her Kingdom," Alector instructed.

"Ask Myrcella to convey the message and provide support to Christina. Jefer, you should speak to her as a fellow monarch," Alector added, to which Jefer nodded in acknowledgment.

"What is the Rhedorah Princess doing here?" Lazarus questioned, his narrowed gaze fixed on the white-haired woman.

"She was raised by Kleines and Alea. What did you expect?" Tanya retorted.

"Hmm," Lazarus murmured thoughtfully.

"In any case, let's proceed with the vote. Who votes to postpone Alea's matter to prioritize the upcoming war?" Alector asked.

Lazarus, Karl, and Alector raised their hands first.

Tanya hesitated for a moment before also raising her hand.

Claudia and Jefer followed suit, concluding the vote.

"Then we don't need to consider Namys' and Melfina's votes. We have the majority in any case of their decisions," Alector declared, his gaze drifting toward the silver-haired woman being attended to by several healers.

"Then that's all," Alector nodded to the other heads as they prepared to leave. However, just as they were about to depart...

"May I vote as well?" A voice rang out, capturing everyone's attention.

Turning around, they saw a white-haired man with a smile on his lips, but his amber eyes held no emotions at all.