Read Novel Full Chapter 697: Settling a Score (2)
Chapter 697: Settling a Score (2)
"Argh! Let me go!" Karakh screamed in pain.
He punched and kicked Nolan, struggling desperately to break free from his grip.
Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. The grip was unbreakable—like iron claws.
Instead of weakening, it only tightened further.
"Give up. Tonight will be your end," Nolan said coldly.
Karakh trembled in fear. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
"D-Don’t kill me! I-I was wrong! Yes, I... I did it all!" he confessed in panic and terror. "I’m the mastermind behind the chaos in the capital! I’m also the one who incited everyone out there! F-Forgive me!"
His confession stunned the ministers into silence. They had once believed Karakh was the hope that would restore their kingdom to its former glory.
But they were mistaken. This man was a traitor, a scoundrel, a despicable criminal.
He had deliberately plunged the capital into chaos, taking the lives of over a thousand innocent people.
Their expressions twisted with disgust, as though they were staring at filth itself.
Even Gulvar looked sickened by his own son. He did not deny that he himself was not entirely innocent—but to sacrifice so many lives for ambition alone was something he could never do.
Karakh felt ashamed, but he was powerless to resist it. In the end, his life mattered more to him than his pride.
"I-I’ve confessed... C-Can you forgive me?" he pleaded shakily.
Nolan merely smiled and leaned slightly closer, whispering, "Did I ever say that if you confessed, I would forgive you?"
Upon hearing that, Karakh’s eyes widened in shock. Before he could say another word, a mysterious force began draining his life force.
"Argh!"
A soul-piercing scream tore from his throat as he thrashed wildly, like a man possessed.
His fair skin drained of color almost instantly, and his youthful face began to age at a terrifying rate.
"It hurts! Help me!"
A black light radiated from his body. The sight made everyone instinctively step back in fear.
A few minutes later, his voice faded completely. Karakh stopped thrashing as well.
His body withered away until not a single ounce of flesh remained. His eyes stared upward, frozen in terror.
Nolan casually tossed the corpse aside as if discarding trash.
Not a single person dared to speak. All of them lowered their heads, terrified of becoming the next target.
"I hold no grudge against the Ancient Kingdom of Eron. So you can all relax."
His words brought immediate relief to the room. However, what came next sent a fresh wave of chills through their spines.
"By the way... there is still one person whose promise I have yet to collect."
His gaze locked onto Gulvar.
Feeling that stare, Gulvar trembled violently. Cold sweat poured down his body, and his breath came in ragged gasps.
"N-Nolan Lorian... I-I have no grudge against you! P-Please don’t hurt me!" he pleaded in fear.
"No grudge against me?" Nolan smirked as he stepped closer. "Have you forgotten what you did to me and my sister? You sent tens of thousands of troops to hunt us down. Is that what you call having no grudge?"
The soldiers holding Gulvar immediately stepped back.
Freed from their grip, Gulvar quickly stood and retreated as well.
"I-I admit I was wrong! B-But that’s a normal reaction, isn’t it? You killed my son—I had to take action!" he argued desperately.
His words sounded reasonable, but Nolan paid them no attention and continued walking forward.
"Damn it!"
Realizing words were useless, Gulvar turned and ran.
Nolan did not stop him. For a brief moment, Gulvar believed he had escaped.
But the next instant, a fireball descended from the sky and struck him directly.
"Argh!"
A piercing scream echoed through the throne room as Gulvar collapsed, writhing in agony.
"It’s hot! It’s burning me! Argh! Help me!"
No one dared to move. The ministers and soldiers could only watch in terror.
Seconds later, his screams weakened... then faded completely.
Yet the flames still consumed his body, now charred black and motionless.
Nolan turned toward the ministers, prompting them to quickly lower their heads.
"As I said before, I hold no grudge against you," he said calmly. "Nor do I intend to interfere in the affairs of this kingdom. However..."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I hope the Lyren family is not overthrown. If I recall correctly, Princess Alina is still part of the Lyren bloodline. I trust you understand what I mean."
"We understand, Your Highness Nolan!" the ministers replied immediately.
Nolan nodded in satisfaction. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the throne room, leaving behind an oppressive silence.
***
Outside the throne room doors, Alina stood with a blank expression. She had witnessed Nolan destroy both her father and her elder brother.
What should have been impossible had unfolded right before her eyes.
Nolan stepped out and met her dazed gaze.
He walked past her as if she didn’t exist. But a few meters away, he suddenly stopped.
Glancing back over his shoulder, he said calmly, "I’m not asking for your forgiveness. From the very beginning, I only intended to use you, Alina Lyren."
Those words struck her like a dagger, shattering her last remaining composure.
Her fists clenched tightly as she asked in a trembling voice, "Why are you doing this? What did I—or my family—do wrong?"
"You’re not at fault," Nolan said with a faint, mocking smile. "But your family is. I don’t know whether you’re naïve, foolish, or simply pretending not to understand, but your family has done something they should never have done."
Alina gasped. "What is it?"
"Their attempt to bind my older sister," Nolan replied sharply. "From the beginning, your father intended to use your brother, Aldrian, to tie my sister to the Lyren family. Their goal was simple: to secure the support of the Singularity of Light within the Holy Empire of Valtanir."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Did you know? The Holy Empire of Valtanir is currently preparing a plan to invade the Great Velmora Empire."
His final words made Alina’s eyes widen. She turned to him with a horrified expression and stammered, "D-Don’t tell me... you’re doing all this just to stop the Holy Empire of Valtanir from receiving help from us?"
If her father succeeded in binding Seira, the Ancient Kingdom of Eron would naturally gain the support of the Singularity of Light.
In return, Eron would assist the Holy Empire of Valtanir in the coming war.
"Exactly," Nolan admitted without hesitation. He made no attempt to hide it. "There’s a saying: ’It’s better to cut off your enemy’s right arm before it becomes the cause of your death.’ I don’t want any hidden threats that could endanger my empire."
A faint smile returned to his face.
"Honestly, if your father had simply intended to establish diplomatic ties through marriage, I wouldn’t have objected at all. It’s a shame..."
He trailed off and shook his head lightly.
Alina fell silent, gritting her teeth tightly.
"By the way," Nolan continued, narrowing his eyes, "there’s another saying: ’Failure is the beginning of a comeback.’ If you want revenge against me, then become stronger. Become someone influential enough to stand against me. If you can do that, then perhaps you’ll have a chance."
With that, he turned away and walked into the darkness of the hallway, disappearing from sight.