Chapter 86: Chapter86-Marry Becomes a Slave?
Marry and her companions stared at the huge treasure chest and wasted no time in diligently moving the mana stones and various magical artifacts into the treasury.
Of course, this included the Holy Grail, which had been “handled” by Owen.
As they transported these treasures, the despair in their hearts vanished, replaced by a newfound hope for revenge!
Previously, Leslie’s people had chased them relentlessly, making them flee in embarrassment. From now on, it would be Leslie fleeing in disgrace!
Marry, as the highest-ranking member of the royal family next to King Aldric, was specifically responsible for transporting the highest quality magical artifacts.
The Holy Grail, a symbol of the royal family, was particularly important to all the royal members.
It wasn’t until they had placed it into the treasury that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Time flew by, and half an hour later, all the items in the treasury had been moved into the chest.
Surveying the surroundings, they saw only the mottled walls, now completely empty.
Seeing this, King Aldric quickly formed a seal with his hands, preparing to store away the chest and leave as soon as possible.
After all, they were still being pursued, and this place, a mountain range teeming with spellbeasts, was dangerous. The sooner they left, the better.
However, what they feared most came to pass.
As King Aldric was about to stow away the chest, a murderous aura swept in like the edge of a blade, shattering the treasury doors in an instant.
Immediately, figures clad in black poured in from the valley outside the treasury.
They blocked King Aldric, Marry, and the other royal family members, as well as the Council of Elders’ guards at the entrance.
Seeing these cold and ruthless Nether Guards, King Aldric’s heart sank.
He knew these people well.
They were the ones who had been chasing his group before. If it hadn’t been for Principal Luna’s intervention, they wouldn’t have even made it here alive.
And now, not long after, these pursuers had caught up with them again so quickly!
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, I knew it. The royal treasure of the Azure Kingdom’s royal family is not just a mere legend,” Carlos said with a smile.
As King Aldric furrowed his brow and Marry and the others instinctively closed ranks, warily scanning their surroundings, Carlos, flanked by the Nether Guard, walked into the treasury.
His smile widened as he gazed at the mana stones and various treasures filling the vault.
“His Highness’s intuition has always been accurate. It seems he has won again this time!”
Following Carlos, an old man with sparse, snow-white hair and a gaunt frame slowly entered, leaning on a staff. His wrinkled face was etched with deep greed.
This was Alvin, the commander of this elite unit of the Nether Guard, a platinum-tier level 9 mage.
Originally, he had brought the Nether Guard to secretly protect Prince Carlos, ensuring his safety without causing unnecessary trouble.
After all, Carlos was widely recognized as the best successor to the Dark Emperor, both in terms of bloodline and talent, and he could not afford any mishap.
However, at Carlos’s request, he decided to trust the prince’s intuition.
They had been pursuing King Aldric, intending to extract the secrets of the royal treasure from him.
They hadn’t expected Principal Luna of the Academy to interfere and block their path.
After expending significant time and effort, they finally managed to shake her off.
Despite the twists and turns, the outcome was very favorable.
The sheer number of mana stones and the dazzling array of magical artifacts rivaled even the Kingdom Vault of the Nether Kingdom!
As Alvin appeared alongside Carlos, King Aldric’s already ominous premonition deepened.
Although Carlos was only a gold-tier mage, his Dark Emperor bloodline endowed him with mysterious powers, making his true combat strength comparable to that of an ordinary platinum-tier mage.
Among the royal members present, only Marry could somewhat contend with him, but she was definitely not his match.
As for Alvin, he was a platinum-tier level 9 mage, possessing combat power comparable to a diamond-tier mage, and was renowned throughout the Nether Kingdom!
Only the Principal of Luna Academy could match him, but with the Principal absent, none of them stood a chance against him in a one-on-one fight. Even together, they were no match.
Furthermore, the Nether Guard was the elite force of the Nether Kingdom, almost all of them possessing the combat power to rival gold-tier mages.
Their coordination was exceptionally seamless, comparable to the renowned Twelve Golden Mages of the Azure Kingdom.
Alvin was unbeatable for them! Carlos was equally formidable.
Even the hundreds of Nether Guards blocking the exit were on a different level altogether.
At this moment, King Aldric’s once fervent heart sank into despair, his expression aging and weakening, as if he had fallen from heaven into hell.
Marry, too, gritted her teeth, her heart filled with gloom. Both Carlos and the Nether Guard, whose auras seemed to merge into one, exuded a suffocating sense of danger.
Not to mention the greedy Alvin, a platinum-tier level 9 mage, just a step away from diamond-tier. And she was the strongest among their group!
But she couldn’t deal with Carlos and his men, let alone protect the other royal members.
Indeed, after Alvin, Carlos, and the Nether Guard surrounded them, all the royal members trembled, feeling as if they were plunged into an ice cave.
Some timid royal members even wet their pants in fear, adding a stench to the air.
At this life-and-death moment, King Aldric became increasingly calm.
His gaze flickered between the treasury and Carlos’s group, struggling for a moment before he painfully spoke:
“Carlos, between you and me, between the Azure Kingdom and the Nether Kingdom, there has never been any enmity. You can have the treasure, but we hope you will spare our lives!”
The current situation left King Aldric without even a trace of resistance, and his face bore a look of resignation and pleading.
Losing the treasure but saving their lives was a dire outcome, but it was one he could accept.
Losing both the treasure and their lives was absolutely unacceptable to King Aldric.
Marry and the other royal members understood this, but they still felt as if their hearts were bleeding.
These mana stones were the legacy left by their ancestors, the last reserve of the Azure Kingdom.
Once given away, their chances of standing against Leslie would become immensely difficult.
“Indeed, knowing the situation and acting accordingly is wise. I appreciate people like you,” Carlos said, clearly pleased with King Aldric’s reaction.
However, as he spoke, his tone shifted, and his dark, swirling eyes grew greedier. “But the treasure is not all I want!”
King Aldric’s face darkened again.
He had already given up such precious treasure, and now Carlos wanted more?
King Aldric clenched his fists in anger, but soon relaxed them. Resistance was futile in their current predicament.
Bowing his head in defeat, he asked, “What else do you want? As long as you let us leave alive, we can discuss anything.”
Carlos nodded and smiled. “Simple! Just hand over Marry to me, and I can assure you, this will be my last demand!”
To Carlos, the treasure and Marry were the most valuable assets here.
He didn’t care about King Aldric and the others.
Letting them go could even serve to distract Leslie to some extent.
“Marry?!”
The royal members’ gazes shifted from Carlos to Marry, their expressions complicated.
Although Marry was their sister and they shared a blood bond, the royal family valued blood ties the least.
For the sake of interests, anything could be compromised or sacrificed, especially when faced with life and death!
So, after a brief moment of shock, their eyes revealed a glimmer of hope. They all wished Marry would agree to Carlos’s demand.
Marry sensed the change in the royal members’ gazes.
Although she had somewhat expected it, the reality still pained her deeply.
Previously, to ensure their safe escape, she had fought bloodily at the rear of the group.
Then, as they delved into the Thousand Peaks, she had led the way to fend off spellbeast attacks.
But now, no one spoke up for her; everyone hoped she would step forward voluntarily. How heartbreaking this was!
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