Chapter 70: Territory of the Necromancer Clan
A large group of imperial guards rushed into the kingdom's council chamber, surrounding the Third Prince, while dozens of officials retreated to the edges.
After the throne was blasted away, a pitch-black vertical shaft was revealed beneath it, cold air billowing out as an ice-blue war hammer emerged from the shaft's opening.
Joe Valentine saw this scene and instinctively sensed trouble. Coincidentally, the blasted throne landed right near him.
Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention, Joe Valentine slammed his head into the throne. He cracked his skull and bled, grimacing in pain, but his eyes rolled back as he 'fainted' on the spot.
Joe Valentine was a clever man. He understood that some secrets must never be known, like what lay beneath the throne, so he 'accidentally lost consciousness.'
The Third Prince's peripheral vision caught this. He shifted his gaze to the officials, and the imperial guard commander immediately took the hint, leading a dozen guards to 'escort' the officials out of the chamber.
Amu was the first to climb out of the vertical shaft, followed by Su Xiao carrying Alisa, with Bubu Wang right behind.
The Third Prince's expression darkened. According to the old king's letter, the Iron Hand should have died beneath the throne.
Things hadn't gone as the old king expected. Reid, who the old king had placed great hopes in, was now sent to Reincarnation Paradise to work as a blacksmith, and the battle armor spirit had perished in a sea of flames.
"Iron Hand, it seems you succeeded. Congratulations."
The Third Prince quickly stepped forward. Their cooperative relationship could still be maintained. The Third Prince hadn't fully grasped royal power yet; he had only taken the throne, still some distance from complete control.
"Just lucky."
Su Xiao didn't intend to break ties with the Third Prince. For now, he still needed to cooperate with him.
Ten minutes later, in the banquet hall, the Third Prince sat at the head of the table, while Su Xiao found a random seat. Bubu Wang and Amu were eating ravenously beside him, especially Amu, whose appetite startled the Third Prince.
The Third Prince set down his utensils and asked casually, "What exactly is beneath the throne?"
"Necromancers."
Su Xiao stopped chewing his food. He still had another deal to discuss with the Third Prince.
The Third Prince nodded at this. Now that he was the new king, he had some understanding of what lay beneath the throne. He was only asking to make conversation and avoid awkwardness.
"I plan to head to the front lines."
Su Xiao let out a long breath. Although he hadn't stayed long in the Shia Sanctum, he needed to hurry—his remaining time was limited.
"The front lines?"
The Third Prince looked at Su Xiao with interest. He hadn't expected Su Xiao to want to go to the front lines. This was good news for him. First, Su Xiao's position as Iron Hand held no authority at the front, and second, Su Xiao's combat strength was formidable, meaning he could play a significant role there.
The Third Prince's first thought was that Su Xiao wanted to pledge allegiance to him, with the real power of the Iron Hand as a token of submission.
"But before heading to the front lines, I need something."
"What?"
The Third Prince instinctively thought Su Xiao might want his life. This wasn't paranoia on the Third Prince's part, but rather a lasting impression from Su Xiao's previous actions.
"The crown."
"Hmm?"
The Third Prince's expression turned slightly grim. A crown sometimes represented royal authority.
"I want the gemstone on your crown."
"..."
The Third Prince stared at Su Xiao, unable to fathom his intentions.
"That gemstone holds no value for you. As thanks, I won't appear in the royal capital again."
Su Xiao wanted the gemstone on the Iron Crown because inside it was a smaller gem—the Law Stone.
"I'll think it over."
The Third Prince didn't agree immediately, though Su Xiao's proposal was tempting.
If Su Xiao went to the front lines, the Iron Hand's identity would pose no threat to the Third Prince. In other words, the Iron Hand's position would be rendered powerless.
Positions like the Iron Hand were necessary in any dynasty, but the person holding it must be deeply trusted by the king.
Su Xiao had been the Iron Hand under the old king, and the old king had died by his hand. This made the Third Prince somewhat wary of Su Xiao. As for turning against him, the cost was too high, and the Third Prince wasn't ready for that yet.
Su Xiao heading to the front lines was entirely beneficial to the Third Prince. First, the external threat of the Iron Hand remained, but the real power was gone. Once the Third Prince fully secured the throne, everything else would fall into place.
For the Third Prince, the throne and crown weren't that important. He valued real power, not formalities.
After weighing the pros and cons, the Third Prince sent someone to fetch the crown.
"The Iron Crown has been passed down for generations. You can take the gemstone, but don't damage the crown."
Though the Third Prince said this, he tossed the crown to Su Xiao. In his view, it was made of iron and hard to damage.
Su Xiao caught the Iron Crown. A ruby was embedded in it. He easily pried it off and returned the crown to the Third Prince.
The Third Prince waved to his trusted aide behind him. Within ten minutes, a gemstone of the same style would be set into the crown.
Su Xiao pinched the ruby between two fingers. With a crisp crack, the ruby shattered, and a small yellow gemstone the size of a fingernail fell out.
[Tip: You have obtained the Law Stone.]
[Detected that the Hunter has obtained the Annihilation Stone, Law Stone, and Shadow Stone. Do you wish to synthesize the 'Soul Severing Shadow Stone (Incomplete)'? Synthesis requires 50,000 Paradise Coins.]
...
Su Xiao naturally wouldn't synthesize it. He would need these three gemstones later when entering the Law Destroyer's ruins.
Having obtained the Law Stone, Su Xiao had no reason to stay in the palace. He stood up.
"I advise you not to let anyone go beneath the throne again, or rather, don't open that place anymore, or you'll regret it."
The cooperation with the Third Prince had been pleasant, so Su Xiao offered a 'friendly reminder.' The Shia Sanctum was now different from before; something terrifying lurked on the first floor.
Before the Third Prince could respond, Su Xiao walked out of the banquet hall. Bubu Wang and Amu immediately followed. Their destination was clear: the front lines.
It had been some time since Su Xiao last entered a battlefield. Due to his talent, he had exceptional survivability in battle, and combined with his mastery of the blade, he could cut through enemies like a one-man army.
All matters in the royal capital were settled. The naive princess returned to her seclusion. As a royal who had entered the Shia Sanctum, she was rarer than a giant panda, so the Third Prince assigned a dozen imperial guards to protect her in secret.
Su Xiao led Bubu Wang and Amu straight out of the royal capital. Before entering the Shia Sanctum, he had already obtained a map of the Saint Sordin Kingdom.
To reach the front lines, Su Xiao first needed to enter the 'Yanne Mountains,' then pass through 'Tulaner City,' turn from 'Tulaner City' toward 'Kunjibei North Forest,' cross the 'Tinsa Port Desert,' and then traverse the 'Seme Wetlands' to reach the Divine Wall.
Inside the wall was human territory; outside was the territory of the Necromancer Clan. And the ruins of the Law Destroyer's Shadow were located within the Necromancer Clan's territory.