I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space

Chapter 511: Weirdness

Razeal looked at the scene before him, and for a second, a deep and tired sigh escaped from somewhere far within him. He truly didn’t understand why this world refused to let him live in peace when peace was the only thing he desired most. He wasn’t even doing anything too crazy right now. He wasn’t trying to disturb anyone’s business, wasn’t interfering in matters that had nothing to do with him, and had even been trying to avoid the kinds of things he already knew would drag more troublesome, ominous, and completely unreasonable people into his life.

Yet none of that seemed to matter. No matter how carefully he tried to avoid them, no matter how far he tried to stay from them, these people somehow always appeared directly in front of him as though the world itself was deliberately throwing them into his path.

And this time, out of every possible person who could have entered the Sovereign Hall, it had to be these two womens.

What were the chances? He was certain the World Council wasn’t some ordinary place where anyone could simply walk inside whenever they wished. It was the highest council in the world, a gathering of rulers and beings whose decisions could affect entire continents. Not everyone could appear here.

Yet somehow, not only had these two managed to come, they had arrived on the exact same day he had.

Of course they had. It could only be his accursed luck. Razeal sighed again, feeling a faint irritation beginning to rise within him as he looked toward Nova and Selena, who had suddenly appeared inside the Council Hall.

Then, after another glance, he realized there were actually three of them. Marcella stood a short distance behind Nova and Selena, both of her hands held neatly behind her back while a tired, helpless expression rested upon her face.

She quietly pushed her square glasses back into place with one index finger and looked toward Lucian without saying anything. Razeal had no idea what was going through her mind, but if he had to guess, she was probably regretting not disciplining Nova enough again.

"My lady... don’t be disrespectful," Marcella finally said in a controlled but exhausted voice.

And... Razeal had guessed correctly.

She stepped to Nova’s side and slowly placed one palm upon the flat of the sword that Nova was still pointing toward World Regent Lucian, gently lowering it before the situation could become even worse.

She was fully aware that one wrong movement or one careless word inside this hall could turn a simple confrontation into something far more serious.

Nova immediately gave her an irritated look, clearly unhappy with being stopped, but before she could raise the sword again, Selena reached out from beside her and caught her other arm. Nova turned her head and looked into Selena’s eyes.

For a few seconds, the two women silently stared at one another. Whatever Nova saw there finally made some of the anger leave her expression. She let out a sharp sigh, pulled her arm free, and returned her sword to its sheath with a hard metallic sound. Even then, however, her royal-purple eyes remained fixed upon Lucian.

"I don’t want to create trouble here," Nova said, though the sharpness in her voice made that statement difficult to believe, "and right now I am only serving as the temporary representative in my mother’s place. Because of that, I’ll let this go once." Her eyes narrowed further as she looked directly at the Continental Commander.

"But try playing games with my little brother again... and I might forget what place this is." The words were delivered like a warning, but everyone present knew perfectly well that they were only one step away from being a direct threat.

Marcella instinctively raised a hand to her forehead and sighed even more deeply, looking like she was already suffering from a headache.

Still, while doing so, she glanced toward Lucian from the corner of her eye, and that quiet look did not escape him.

Everyone in the hall already knew how strong the family bonds of the Virelans were. They were like a disturbed nest of bees. Touch one, and the others would come swarming with absolutely no concern for who had started the problem, who had been wrong, or whether the entire situation had begun because of their own stupidity in the first place. Once one Virelan believed a member of their family had been threatened, logic usually became secondary.

They were unreasonable, aggressive, and far too willing to turn small matters into large ones. Yet no one treated that craziness lightly, because they were not merely a crazy family. They were a frighteningly powerful crazy family. That was why most people had long since learned the simplest rule when dealing with them.. stay away whenever possible.

Even so, this was not the right place for such behavior. Acting like this inside the Sovereign Hall was already crossing several lines.

Nova had attacked without warning, insulted Lucian directly, and now had nearly threatened a sitting World Regent in front of the entire council. Her tone alone had been deeply disrespectful, and the meaning behind her words was even worse. Even the World Regents themselves were uncertain how Lucian would respond.

They might all stand at the same level, but even among them there were boundaries that could not be crossed carelessly. None of them spoke to one another in such a manner without expecting consequences. There was always a limit. If that limit was broken, then conflict could follow, and a conflict between World Regents would never remain a small personal matter. It would be devastating. No one wanted that, because fighting one World Regent did not only damage the relationship with that individual.

It also damaged the relationship with the entire continent, kingdom, army, race, or faction standing behind them. The losses that followed would be enormous, and there would be no true profit for anyone involved. Only destruction, broken alliances, wounded pride, and years of hostility. That was why, after Nova’s warning, the entire Sovereign Hall remained still..

All the World Regents remained silently seated upon their thrones, watching the scene before them and wondering what exactly was going to happen next.

Even though Nova had clearly stated that she was currently serving as a temporary representative in place of her mother, that still did not give her the right to speak in such a manner inside the Sovereign Hall.

Temporary representative or not, she had just attacked Lucian directly in front of every World Regent present, and after failing to land her strike, she had practically threatened him as well. Even with the Virelan family standing behind her, even with Merisa’s name protecting her, this was not something that could simply be ignored. Her background was powerful, yes, but it did not place her above the dignity of this hall or above the respect owed between World Regents.

Several of those seated around the ancient table had already grown serious. A few narrowed their eyes toward Nova. Others quietly looked toward Lucian, waiting for his response. No one spoke, because everyone understood how dangerous the next few seconds could become.

The girl might not have fully realized just how serious a mistake she had made. Perhaps she had acted only out of anger and instinct after seeing Lucian standing so close to Razeal with his sword drawn, but intention did not always matter.

Sometimes a single careless action was enough to create consequences far beyond what anyone expected. The atmosphere had become extremely tense, almost painfully so. It felt as though the entire hall was holding its breath. Even the followers standing behind the thrones remained completely still, afraid that the slightest movement might break the silence and push everything over the edge.

Yet the man standing at the very center of it all showed no visible reaction.

Lucian looked toward Nova first, his expression remaining completely indifferent. Then his eyes shifted briefly toward Marcella, who stood beside her with one hand still close to Nova’s lowered sword. He had clearly noticed the glance Marcella had given him from the corner of her eye, but even that did not seem to affect him.

Marcella might have been powerful, perhaps powerful enough to frighten most people in the world, but compared to Lucian, the difference between them was still enormous. He showed no anger, no offense, and no desire to punish Nova for what she had done. His face remained just as calm as before, almost as though neither the attack nor the threat had mattered to him at all. Then, unexpectedly, his gaze moved past both of them and settled upon the blonde-haired girl standing beside Nova.

Selena.

She stood there surrounded by that pure, radiant presence that seemed to naturally gather around her without any effort. Her long golden-blonde hair softly reflected the light of the hall, while the clean and sacred aura surrounding her made her appear strangely out of place within the tension filling the chamber.

One of her hands was still wrapped around Nova’s arm, gently but firmly holding her back in case she attempted to rush forward again. She had not spoken a single word since entering. She had not defended Razeal, challenged Lucian, or taken part in the argument at all. She had simply remained beside Nova, trying to stop the situation from becoming worse.

Selena noticed Lucian looking at her and slowly turned her face toward him. Confusion appeared in her eyes. She clearly did not even know who this person was not to sat why suddenly staring at her.

Their gazes met across the hall, and for several long seconds, Lucian said nothing. He simply continued looking at her with the same calm expression, as though trying to read something hidden behind her face. It was not the gaze of a man admiring her, nor did it feel like simple curiosity. It seemed heavier than that. More thoughtful. As though he had noticed something that no one else had seen, or perhaps confirmed something within his own mind.

Then, without warning, he spoke.

"I accept the new throne as well."

His words were calm and simple.

Before anyone could properly react, Lucian lowered his greatsword and slid it back into its sheath. The heavy metallic sound echoed once through the silent hall.

Then, without looking at Nova again, without saying anything to Marcella, and without even turning back toward Razeal, he calmly turned around and began walking toward his throne. His steps remained slow and steady, completely unaffected by the countless confused eyes following him. He reached his seat, turned, and sat back down as though nothing unusual had happened.

The entire Sovereign Hall fell into an even deeper silence.

Most of the people present could not understand what had just happened. Only moments ago, Lucian had been questioning Razeal’s qualifications, challenging the value of his sword, and even drawing his own weapon as though preparing to test him personally. Everyone had expected some kind of confrontation to follow. Perhaps a clash of swords. Perhaps a verbal judgment. Perhaps even a punishment for Nova’s disrespect. Yet none of that happened. He simply changed his decision, accepted the Fifteenth Throne, and returned to his seat without explanation.

Razeal himself frowned.

What’s this man’s deal?

He silently looked toward Lucian, who was now seated upon his throne with the same unreadable expression as before. Nothing about the decision made sense. Lucian had been the only Regent unwilling to accept him.

He had questioned Nerrisa, challenged the importance of Razeal’s sword, and then personally stepped forward as though he intended to test his worth. Yet now, after all of that, he had suddenly accepted him without Razeal doing anything at all.

Razeal’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had not missed it.

Just before Lucian changed his decision, his gaze had remained fixed upon Selena.

Was it because of her?

The thought immediately entered Razeal’s mind, though even he found it difficult to believe. Did Lucian know Selena? It was possible, but judging by Selena’s confused expression when she looked back at him, it certainly did not seem that way. She had looked as though she had never spoken to him before in her life. If they did not know one another, then why had Lucian stared at her for so long? And more importantly, why would looking at Selena cause him to completely change his decision about Razeal?

That made even less sense.

Selena had not said anything. She had not defended him. She had not spoken in his favor or even looked toward Lucian until she noticed his gaze. She was simply standing beside Nova, holding her arm and trying to stop her from causing more trouble. Was that it? Had Lucian seen Selena standing beside Nova after Nova warned him on Razeal’s behalf and somehow decided that was enough?

That explanation made a little sense.

But at the same time, it made no sense at all.

Was Selena’s presence truly that important? Important enough that merely seeing her standing beside someone would make a World Regent abandon his argument? Razeal knew people praised Selena far too much. The Great Holy Saintess.

The beloved daughter of the Church. The symbol of purity, mercy, and light this that and whatever blah blah blah. Everywhere she went, people treated her as though she were something far beyond human. But for the love of the gods, Lucian was a World Regent. There was no possibility that he admired her so blindly that one look at her face would make him forget everything he had just said.

Not to mention what Nova had done.

She had attacked him.

She had threatened him.

And she had done it while pretending to protect Razeal.

Even Razeal himself had hated that. The moment Nova stepped forward and spoke on his behalf, a foul feeling had risen inside him. It made him feel weak. Protected. As though he needed his elder sister to stand between him and Lucian. The thought alone made him feel disgusted. If even he disliked it, then Lucian, the man who had actually been attacked and threatened, should have reacted far worse.

Yet Lucian had ignored all of it.

He had looked at Selena once.

Then changed his decision.

Razeal continued staring at him, his confusion slowly deepening.

Was he really that much of a Saintess glazer too? That gotta be a joke right?

But again.. Razeal honestly did not know. Maybe there was some other reason behind Lucian’s sudden change of decision, something Razeal had failed to notice, but for now he had no time or interest to waste while trying to understand exactly what had passed through the Continental Commander’s mind.

Whatever Lucian’s reason was, he had accepted the new throne, sheathed his sword, and returned to his seat. That was enough.

After that small and confusing scene, the Sovereign Hall slowly became silent again. The tension that had gathered only moments ago did not disappear completely, but no one spoke about what had happened. One after another, those still standing quietly returned to their proper places around the ancient table.

Nerrisa remained seated upon her majestic platinum throne at the very head, watching everything with the same calm and slightly amused expression as before, while Nova moved toward the deep-purple throne closest to hers, the first throne along that side of the table, where she would sit as the temporary representative in place of her mother, Merisa Virelan. Marcella followed and took her position behind Nova’s throne, once again standing with both hands held neatly behind her back, while Selena remained nearby with them.

Though.. As the three women had passed Razeal, their gazes naturally had moved toward him.

Nova had looked at him openly, her royal-purple eyes still carrying anger from what had just happened, but beneath that anger there was also clear worry and an expectation that he might finally say something to her.

Selena’s gaze was much softer, filled with quiet sadness as she looked toward him, while Marcella watched him carefully through her square glasses, perhaps all expecting something to happen or him to atleast say something.

Razeal, however, did not acknowledge any of them. He didn’t look toward Nova, didn’t meet Selena’s eyes, and didn’t react to Marcella’s silent observation. He simply walked past them with the same cold expression, treating them as though they did not exist at all.

That complete lack of reaction visibly hurt both Nova and Selena more than any harsh words might have, but for some reason neither of them tried to stop him or create another scene.

Razeal had honestly expected at least one of them to do something troublesome, but they remained silent.

Still, he noticed the brief looks the three exchanged with one another before taking their places, as though they had already decided something among themselves. Whatever plan they might have been forming, Razeal had no interest in knowing.

He continued toward the far end of the World Table, directly opposite Nerrisa’s platinum throne.

Since no throne had yet been prepared for him, he simply created one himself. Shadows gathered beneath his feet and slowly rose from the floor, twisting together before becoming solid under his control. Within moments, they formed a dark throne made entirely from his shadows simple but strangely imposing, with its surface quietly shifting like living darkness. It was only temporary.

Razeal did not possess any proper throne fitting for the Sovereign Hall yet, so until one was made, this would be enough. He calmly sat upon it at the very end of the table, directly facing Nerrisa across its full length, the platinum throne of the Empress standing opposite the black throne formed from his own shadows.

The unusual sight immediately caught the attention of several World Regents. A few raised their eyebrows while others quietly studied the darkness beneath him, their curiosity rising because none of them recognized the element or technique he had used. It did not feel entirely like ordinary shadow magic, nor did it resemble any art they had seen before.

Still, no one asked him about it. They simply observed for a few moments before allowing the hall to return to silence. Nova and Selena also looked toward him after reaching their place, and the sight of him sitting so far away while refusing even to acknowledge them made their expressions grow quieter and more saddened, but they still did nothing.

Now every World Regent had taken their seat. Nova sat upon Merisa’s throne as her temporary representative, Razeal sat upon the throne he had created from shadows, and all the others rested upon their own ancient seats around the table.

Only one throne remained empty.. That strange throne made from charred, blackened material, as though it had been burned by flames capable of destroying even the substance from which it had been created. No one spoke about the empty throne or questioned why its owner had not appeared.

Just as the hall settled completely and it seemed the true meeting was finally about to begin, the elderly man seated upon the radiant golden throne suddenly rose to his feet.

His movement immediately attracted the attention of everyone present. He was an elderly and imposing man with a stern, weathered face, deep-set dark eyes, and a short grey beard. Heavy lines had been carved across his brow and around his mouth by age, duty, and countless years of authority, giving him a naturally severe expression.

A tall ceremonial mitre rested upon his head, decorated with detailed golden patterns, while layered robes of ivory and faded white covered his body, richly embroidered with gold along the sleeves, collar, and long flowing mantle. Heavy chains, sacred medallions, and ornate symbols of the Church of Light rested across his chest. In one hand, he held a long golden staff crowned with an elaborate cross. Despite his age, he stood perfectly straight, his posture carrying rigid dignity and the unquestionable authority of someone who had spent his entire life being obeyed. He appeared solemn, powerful, and nearly impossible to approach, and that was exactly what most people believed him to be which actually he was..

After all, he was the Pope of the Church of Light, His Holiness Lucius IX. He was normally an extremely serious and stern man whose expression rarely softened for anyone, yet now, as he stood from his radiant throne, the severity upon his face slowly began to fade.

His dark eyes became gentler with each passing second, and a deep, unmistakable respect appeared in them. Every World Regent turned toward him, curious about what had caused the Pope himself to stand so suddenly, but Lucius ignored all of their gazes. He was looking toward nova.. well no not looking at Nova upon the purple throne. He was looking beyond that throne, directly toward the golden-haired young woman standing nearby, the one surrounded by a pure and radiant aura.

Selena.

"Your Grace," Pope Lucius IX said, his voice carrying a level of respect so deep that it made several people around the table look toward him with renewed surprise.

——