Free Web NovelChapter 270: I’m Leaving
Contrary to what one might expect, when the members of the Royal Council heard this mocking voice, none of them became angry or upset.
In fact, the instant this uninvited guest made his presence known inside the hall, everyone, including the reigning monarch, stood up, turned towards the doors, and bowed deeply.
"""Greetings! Lord Overseer!"""
Rafael Jeremiah strode into the Council Chambers leisurely, making his way to the head of the hall where he ascended its steps and casually sat down on the throne.
Even though the Imperial Overseer had taken a seat, no one from the Rockwell Kingdom dared to sit, or even to stand up straight. But who could blame them? Anyone who lifted their head right now might just lose it.
After spending a few seconds getting comfortable on the throne, Lord Jeremiah finally seemed to recall that there were others around him and waved his hand flippantly, "You may rise."
With permission being given, the men and women inside the hall finally stood back up, though they all kept their heads down as a show of deference.
These people, the Ministers, Generals, high-ranking Nobles, the King and Queens themselves, were the most powerful people in the Rockwell Kingdom, able to decide the life-or-death of every citizen of the nation, but before the Imperial Overseer, they were all just as insignificant as the common farmers they normally lorded over.
Carefully observing Lord Jeremiah for the first time since he appeared, the Rockwell Kingdom’s leaders noticed that the Imperial Overseer was actually barefoot, wearing nothing more than a loose robe, his chest exposed and hair still wet.
Obviously, this man had just been bathing and had come here without even bothering to get properly dressed.
This could only mean one of two things; either what he had to say was so important it couldn’t wait, or Lord Jeremiah simple didn’t consider the opinions of weaklings like them to be important.
To everyone present, it was fairly obvious which of these was the real case.
Still, no one made any mention of this, no matter how disrespectful Lord Jeremiah was being. Even if he wished to parade around naked, they would still need to bow down respectfully to him.
Awkward silence filled the hall, with no one from the Rockwell Kingdom’s side willing to speak first, and Lord Jeremiah clearly having no interest in explaining himself.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Nathanial Rockwell, as King, determined that he would have to step up here, so with great trepidation, he asked, "Lord Overseer, may I inquire as to the reason you have decided to grace us with your presence today?"
"Hm?" Rafael looked up from his nails and tilted his head for a moment before a light went off in his head, "Oh, right. I’m leaving."
"Huh?" Nathanial, who was closest to the man, looked up and muttered dumbly, confused by what he just heard.
However, upon meeting the indifferent eyes of the Imperial Overseer, the King realized his mistake and quickly lowered his head again, "Forgive me, my Lord, but did you just say you were... leaving?"
"En, your ears are working properly," Rafael nodded, "I am indeed leaving, along with most of my subordinates."
"This is all so sudden, Lord Overseer," the word ’most’ caught Nathanial’s attention quite sharply, but he didn’t dwell on that detail right now as there was a far more important question, "Might I ask why you have decided to depart from our humble kingdom?"
"More like pathetic," Lord Jeremiah snickered, clearly looking down on the Rockwell Kingdom and everyone in it.
Still, perhaps because he was finally able to leave this backwater slum of a nation, Rafael was in a good mood, so he decided to humour the young King, "My mission here is complete, so naturally I am preparing to depart." freewebnovёl.ƈom
Pausing here, Lord Jeremiah flashed a harmless smile, "Unless, of course, you wish for me to remain. If that is the case, I believe I can spare another month or two to patronize your quaint little country."
Damn it, Nathanial, couldn’t you have phrased your question better, the King cursed silently while keeping a straight face and declaring, "We dare not delay the Lord Overseer’s important business. If my Lord has decided that it is time to depart, we shall arrange for a sendoff worthy of your august status."
"No need," Rafael yawned, "Nothing your poverty-stricken kingdom has to offer is of any interest to me."
A few faces in the crowd twitched when they heard this blatant insult, especially when it was delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner, but everyone kept their heads down, knowing there was nothing they could say or do right now.
Instead of leaving right away, however, Rafael flicked his wrist and drew over the crumpled letter on the floor, unfolding it with his powerful Soul Sense and reading through it.
Less than a minute later, he snickered, "Heh, Celestina Balfour... I hear she is both a great beauty and a rare cultivation talent... such a pity she was born in this worthless place..."
Incinerating the letter with a flame condensed from his Spirit Qi, Lord Jeremiah stood up from the throne, lifted the sealed box from the nearby table and cracked it open.
Instantly, a wild and rich Spirit Qi aura filled the Royal Council Chambers, one that caused all the member of the Rockwell Kingdom to shudder slightly.
None of them could see what was in the box, but whatever it was, it was obviously incredibly valuable.
Nodding faintly, Rafael sealed the box again and stuffed it into his Space Ring, "I’ll be taking this. That’s not a problem, is it?"
"Not at all, not at all!" King Nathanial swiftly acquiesced, "Feel free to take whatever you desire, My Lord."
"Whatever I desire, you say?" A smirk appeared on Lord Jeremiah’s face when he heard this, lifting his hand to stroke his chin as he mused, "Now that you mention it, although the food and women here are mostly sub-par at best, your nations Third Queen is decently attractive... I wondering if you’d be willing to gift her to me?"
Third Queen Cynthia Morgan, was in the room and instantly went pale when she heard these words spoken. What’s more, she could feel the Overseer’s lustful gaze sweep over her body as the man went so far as to openly use his Soul Sense to fully examine her.
Still, through incredible force-of-will, knowing what the consequences of defiance here would be, Cynthia somehow managed to stay on her feet and keep her mouth shut.
Nathanial, on the other hand, wasn’t able to remain so calm when another man was eyeing his wife like some piece of meat.
He knew that challenging the Lord Overseer here, even in a seemingly minor, polite way, may result in his death, but even so, to Nathanial Rockwell, some things were more important than his life.
So, fists clenched so tightly his nails drew blood, the King summoned his courage and lifted his head, preparing to forcefully object, only to be greeted by the shit-eating grin on Rafael Jeremiah’s face.
"Bahahah! Good good!" Seeing the young King actually dare to oppose him, instead of becoming offended, the Lord Overseer burst into laughter and patted Nathanial on the shoulder, using enough force to cause him to wince, "Very good! You have balls, Boy. More than any these other boring cowards!"
For a moment, Nathanial wondered if he was perhaps just being tested somehow, but then Rafael followed up, "Well, you’re still trying to defy me, so I guess some punishment is in order."
*Slap!~*
Feeling the room spin, Nathanial struggled, and failed, to stay on his feet after he was struck across his face.
Everyone in the room was indignant, even those who weren’t necessarily on the best of terms with the royal family, but none could say anything under the indifferent gaze of the tyrannical Lord before them.
"Hmph, just as I thought, cowards," Rafael snickered coldly before turning to the kneeling King before him, "Consider yourself lucky that I am in a good mood today, Boy, or your life, and your wife, would both have been mine." freёweɓnovel.com
A somber silence filled the hall when such horrifying words were spoken so casually, before the Lord Jeremiah burst into laughter again, "Hahahaha! Just kidding! Lighten up, all of you, can’t you take a little joke?"
Again, silence.
Seemingly finished with what he had come to do, or simply just bored with the show, Lord Jeremiah cracked his neck and strutted towards the exit, only to stop at the door and say, "Oh right, one more thing. Who is Colton Mace?"
When his name was called by the Lord Overseer, the Rockwell Kingdom’s Minister of Traditions shivered visibly. He had no idea why Lord Jeremiah was interested in him, but whatever the reason, he dared not keep the man waiting.
Shuffling forward, Colton Mace lifted his head just enough to meet eyes with the Lord Overseer and answered, "Colton Mace greets the Lord Overseer. What may this humble one do for you, My Lord?"
Looking over the middle-aged High-Rank Soul Initiate once, Rafael suddenly flashed a warm smile and declared, "So, you are little Hannah’s father? I see I see, there is indeed a slight resemblance between you two."
Sweat dripping down his bent back, Minister Mace hesitantly asked, "L-L-Lord Overseer, has m-m-my daughter done something to displease you?"
"Displease me?" Lord Jeremiah chuckled, "Nothing of the sort! Of all the toys you lot sent to amuse me, Hannah has been the most attentive. As such, I have decided to take her with me."
As if ascending to Heaven after being dropped into Hell, Colton Mace’s heart surged with joy!
When he first learned that Lord Jeremiah had arrived in the capital, Colton had immediately sent orders for his daughter to be brought over to serve the Imperial Overseer.
Hannah Mace had relatively poor Innate Talent for the daughter of a Count, and she showed no outstanding skill in any profession or the realm of politics, but she was quite pretty, so the wily old minister had always been looking for an appropriate man to marry her off to in order to gain some value for his family.
Colton Mace had no hopes that his daughter would actually be able to marry Lord Jeremiah, but having his daughter become the maid of an Imperial Overseer would surely bring the Mace Family far more benefits than pawning Hannah off to some minor noble in the South-Central Region.
The Minister of Traditions was not the only one who was thinking along these lines, but it seemed, in the end, he was the one who ultimately won!
Hurriedly dropping to his knees, Colton Mace kowtowed deeply and shouted, "It is Hannah’s greatest honour to serve the glorious Lord Overseer!"
"Indeed, it is," Rafael nodded, meaning every word he said as he too believed it was the greatest reward a lowly woman from the Rockwell Kingdom could receive to warm his bed.
"As a reward for pleasing me, I offered to grant one wish for my new maid, and she made a rather interesting request," Lord Jeremiah mused, a glint of humour flashing across his eyes, "If you are willing, Colton Mace, I will now deliver that gift to you."
Lifting his head from the floor, Colton Mace bathed in the envious gazes of all his colleagues as he shouted, "Your humble servant is willing!"
"Good!" Rafael grinned, lifting his hand and pointing a finger at the kneeling man.
In the next second, a bolt of Fire Attribute Spirit Qi shot out and burned a hole straight through Colton Mace’s head, extinguishing his Soul and killing him instantly.
