"Seraphine? Good! I’ve been trying to marry that girl off to someone for a long time! Hahahaha." The old man laughed even harder.
His reaction was certainly something no one there expected. Did Lucios really like that young man that much?
He ignored the looks he received from the other thrones, as well as the pleas for permission to punish Qingyi.
He treated them as little more than annoying ants, because, in his eyes, that was exactly what they were.
The bronze dragon in the skies roared, silencing everyone. It was better not to insist while that old man was still in a good mood.
After all, when his mood soured, no one there would want to be around him or have him angry for any reason.
’Oh... Of course, Seraphine had to be one of his granddaughters...’ Qingyi repeated in his mind.
He had already forgotten that the old man did not support the current patriarch of the draconic elves and Lord of the Grand Duchy of Vaeldrinn without reason.
Lucios was his father.
That would only make it even more difficult to get rid of that bastard.
The handsome young man gritted his teeth, remaining determined and holding his head high.
Lucios sat back down on his throne, watching Viola, Seraphine’s guard.
"Do you agree with this choice?" He asked.
Viola trembled, her knees almost giving way, but she just bowed her head thoughtfully.
"Yes, Lord Lucios!" Viola finally declared forcefully, raising her head.
So, it was decided. No one there would even dare to try to take Qingyi from her.
She just hoped that this was the right person.
"Very well, prepare for the next match." Old Lucios waved to the combatants, snapping them out of their stupor.
Qingyi nodded, stepping down from the concrete platform that soon began to recover.
He sat in a corner, ignoring all the looks of envy and greed directed at him. Any attempt at friendship was met with nothing but cold silence.
Some even seemed to have positive intentions, but Qingyi simply couldn’t be bothered to separate them from the other filthy, greedy vermin.
For some reason, his heart was beating faster than normal.
"Am I anxious about this?" Qingyi wondered.
It had been so many years since he had felt his body tingle with real anxiety that it seemed strange.
Perhaps he was just happy to know that soon he would be able to wipe away the anguish from the heart of his beloved Elize. For he knew well that on that day, the only tears she would shed would be tears of happiness, never again tears of longing.
What would be his value as a man if he couldn’t even provide that for his beloved wives?
With a sigh, Qingyi watched the fights with a bored expression.
No other fight was as interesting, not after the duel between him and Lux.
Some even raised eyebrows among the many thrones, but that was the limit.
At the end of it all, they were lined up, each throne choosing its own champion in random order.
There were some disputes over the most talented, even the unconscious Lux being the target of greed, but these fights did not escalate much under Lucios’ stern gaze.
The young men there couldn’t help but be disappointed to realize that the powerful warrior of the twelfth ring did not seem interested in taking a champion after Qingyi’s refusal.
Obviously, no one showed it.
In the end, fifty champions were quickly selected, and the rest were directed to the exit with downcast eyes.
Everyone followed their new masters, and Qingyi was no different, joining Viola.
The guard said nothing to him. Beneath her black steel mask, she seemed to have a complicated expression.
Silently, she walked to the huge platform.
With Qingyi by her side, their bodies were swallowed by a powerful spatial distortion, the mana around them changing shape immediately.
When Qingyi realized it, they were already in a completely different place. The density of mana surrounding him exploded, the air filling his lungs even purer than before.
They were right in front of a mansion surrounded by lush, well-kept gardens, even though the mansion itself had long been abandoned.
Viola would normally take him directly to the patriarch, but she took a small detour.
Immediately, Qingyi heard the unmistakable sound of steel sliding against steel. A noble and elegant elven saber appeared in his vision, pressing against his throat.
"What is your motivation with Lady Seraphine?" Viola demanded, pressing her saber a little harder, just enough to draw blood.
To her surprise, Qingyi did not move, and his skin did not yield.
It was as if the saber could not cut him.
She retreated slightly, but Qingyi did not react.
After a moment of thought, the handsome young man replied briefly, "We are old acquaintances."
"Acquaintance? With Lady Seraphine? Since when have you known each other?" Viola questioned, her face filled with even more suspicion.
How could she believe that this strange foreigner had already been in contact with her mistress?
"That is a question you should ask Lady Seraphine herself, not me. She will tell you everything that needs to be said." Qingyi’s voice hardened, slightly irritated.
He had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with whatever nonsense this woman was spouting.
Viola gritted her teeth, gripping her sword even tighter.
She held the blade to Qingyi’s neck for another moment before stepping back.
She simply couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
Snapping her fingers, the spatial arrays beneath their feet reacted, and once again, they were teleported.
This time, they appeared in a completely different location.
Surrounding them was an endless sea of concrete; mansions and fortresses, each carefully protected, with powerful guards patrolling the well-maintained streets.
Qingyi could see many pureblood nobles and even a few dragons, all flowing around a single building: a black castle.
It was large enough that its towers served as a cradle for a huge red-scaled beast. Its scales were covered in scars, its right eye replaced by a flaming void.
’This must be RedDeath...’ Qingyi repeated in his mind.
He watched as the bronze dragon landed beside the crimson dragon, the two exchanging angry roars before beginning to ignore each other’s presence.