Immortal Kingdoms

"It was already too late by the time everyone's attention was drawn back to the energy ore mines. The elves and beastkin had occupied quite a sizable area of land, refusing to cede any to the humans who came later on. Without warning whatsoever, the beastkin decided to sneak attack the elves during their negotiations with the humans because they didn't want both sides to join forces eventually."

"At first, the elves thought that this sneak attack would prompt the humans to join forces with them, but the humans decided to strike the elves when they were down and joined the pincer attack instead. That drew the ire of the elves, and hence they decided to retreat and bring an even bigger army."

"When the battle ended, the humans tried to communicate with the beastkin, but the beastkin refused to return the territory of the elves to the humans, resulting in yet another war with the beastkin having the advantage in numbers. The battle stretched for days until the elven army made it back with a soaring fury, and casualties began to pile up like mountains."

"It was around that time that the human reinforcements made it to Valdmor. At least, whatever was left of them after you guys killed the three divisions. Before then, the conflict involved only mortals, the human domain was the first to dispatch saints into the war for the mines. However, the elven intelligence network across the forbidden domain wasn't for show, so the elven saints were quick to intervene."

"As for the beastkin, their saints were always around, they simply didn't take action because they disdain to bully the weak and feared the strong. Thus, only when the saints of the other two domains revealed themselves did the beastkin saints join the fray."

"At first, you were the target of the human domains hate because of your scheme. Everyone kept talking about the devil businessman, traitor to the human race, and vicious scum, and the propaganda kept getting louder and louder. However, after the ravine of demise incident, these voices slowly died down to hushed whispers and ridicule for House Regalia."

"Especially me, the witch of misfortune, the bringer of calamity, the foolish woman who dragged everyone down with my stupidity. Haha, they couldn't bad mouth a vassal kingdom openly, and they were too scared to bad mouth an evil star with a death goddess by his side, so their optimal target ended up becoming me."

"At first, it started with abusive words, then taunting, then rumors of you and I deliberately colluding to harm the general interest of the three crowns and seven vassals. You're simply too handsome that my heart swayed from its original place, how laughable! Apparently, the trap you pulled us in was so simple a child could have seen through it. How curious, right? I guess no one can equate the intelligence of a child among us."

"Things got worse when I couldn't walk down the street without being a practice target for people's trash. Even the elven and beastkin began to suspect that you and I brought them into a trap so that the human experts could slaughter them."

"If it wasn't for my status as the secretary for House Regalia's representative, I might have received not a tomato to the head, but a bullet. However, it wasn't too long before bullets and knives indeed came flying. On the eve of a big battle, six saints and twenty-four mortal cultivators of unknown origins, unfathomable powers, and never before seen cruelty joined the fray."

"They indiscriminately killed beast and man alike, taking only female captives that they found pleasing to the eye for purposes you surely can imagine. All three parties did indeed practice restraint in their conduct throughout the war, but these unknown men and women shattered all conviction and struck like a bolt out of the blue."

"They declared independence and sovereignty over the region within their eyesight, killing whoever dares to invade. Not even the diplomatic ambassadors were spared, let alone the innocents who were simply passing by. In fact, it became a land of death within hundreds of miles, save for a small convicts settlement that was the little settlement representing your %1 of shares."

Azalea looked oddly at Leonardo when she mentioned this, as this was a point of contention and debate in many of the meetings between the ruling powers and their vassals.

Leonardo was also shocked to hear this, but he didn't express it on his face. It was the same mask of calm, a calm too frightening to probe through. However, his mind was racing as he thought of a few possibilities, topping them was the existence assumed to be Leona's and Kieran's father.

Leonardo now has this strange feeling that while he and Juvia were observing the settlement from the dark, they were also being observed from an even darker shadow. Perhaps, that shadow in the dark was the reason they could have left the settlement without much of a fight, to begin with.

Was that blockage a mere test of character? Leonardo was now determined to revisit that settlement and investigate its history. He has this nagging feeling that he missed something important about it and its citizens.

Of course, Azalea didn't know that perhaps a frightening existence lurked in the settlement, thus she continued with the general conclusion.

"Because of that, everyone thought that these people were a batch of experts dispatched after House Venus, House Exodia, and House Regalia made a move against you. The general conclusion is that this is your retaliation, making everyone afraid of any further transgressions against you, be it openly or secretly."

"No one dares to go after your life now, and many of the representatives were cowed into speaking up in your defense whenever House Regalia and their allies tried to breach the subject of putting your fledgling state under sanctions."

At this point, Azalea's eyes began to redden again, and her voice began to crack periodically. Leonardo assumed that this is where things grew intolerable for the woman, and indeed, this was the dawn of a dark future for Azalea.

The public opinion went from cursing Leonardo to speaking up for him, and all kinds of unremarkable ideas about patching up relations with the young prince were called into question.

Most of these ideas revolved around either offering a generous compensation of gold and jewelry, in addition to a considerable sum of energy crystals and land. Of course, Azalea was also brought up often as a bargaining chip, alive or dead.

Most people preferred offering her death as a show of sincerity and an apology, as they thought the only reason Leonardo flared up was Azalea threatening to harm his adopted children.

She was cursed for being a heartless bitch who even dared bring innocent children into a conflict of interest. One assassination attempt after another, and under the immense pressure of the public ire, even House Regalia began turning a blind eye to the abuse Azalea went through.

One day, if it wasn't for Jeffrey passing by, she would have been abducted into a silent alley by a group of horny bastards under the guise of seeking justice for Prince Leonardo. On that day, she begged Jeffery to help her out, and he arranged for her kidnapping on that same night, allowing her to leave Valdmor and the entire domain, crossing into the heart of the human domain on her own with a group of mercenaries.

Luckily, the flames of war with House Grace allowed her to slip right through unquestioned, but the journey was arduous and tiring. At the end of her story, her cheeks were already stained with tears, flushed crimson, and her shoulders quivering.

It was a very tough experience for a woman who used to live pampered in a noble house. Leonardo sighed, knowing that she needed a shoulder to cry on but he couldn't be that shoulder.

They were people from two different worlds, and Leonardo didn't feel like getting attached to people who are virtually incapable of following in his steps. The only reason he accepted Leona, Kieran, Pandora, and Juvia was their potential to become divinities in the future.

As for everyone else? Leonardo sighed, slowly standing up to leave the room.

"You can rest assured that you're now in safe hands. However, take this experience as a lesson to strengthen your will, for a day when our paths inevitably deviate from one another is on the horizon."

Leonardo's almost silent footsteps were drowned by Azalea's intermittent sobs. However, he didn't turn back as he didn't wish to provide her a false hope and an illusive sense of security. However, just as he reached out to the door, Azalea's soft cry echoed throughout the room as she crashed into his back, hugging his waist tightly while wailing away.

Feeling the soft body trembling as it clung to him, Leonardo felt helpless.

Leonardo sighed again, merely standing there and allowing her to vent it out without much of a response.