BXBX NOVEL Chapter 557: Let Them Make Noise
"Did he agree to come?" King Austen asked.
"It will be best if you read it for yourself, Your Majesty," Lord Edmond answered as he handed the paper containing Ethan\'s reply to the King\'s invitation, asking him to come and visit the Royal Palace.
King Austen read the contents and sighed, making his wife, Queen Evane, look at him askance.
"He said the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy asked him to keep a low profile," King Austen said as he handed the letter to his wife. "He also said he\'ll only agree to come on two conditions—the first condition is if Professor Rinehart agrees, and the second condition is if Edmond would personally pick him up from the academy."
"Well, at least he understands his current situation," Queen Evane commented before reading the letter in her hand. When she was done, she placed it on top of the table and smiled.
"Someone is instigating the nobles to make noise and demand that Ethan be put on trial." Lord Edmond shook his head. "They are very jealous because a \'commoner\' managed to not only get an Honorary Title, but also an Epic Legacy.
"Although I will not say that the Asta Family isn\'t involved in this incident, I\'m pretty sure that there are others who are taking advantage of the situation and pushing others to step forward."
"Like the Kerr Family, right?" Queen Evane sneered. "That Zack Kerr really knows how to ruffle some feathers. So, what are you planning to do with the boy?"
"What else?" King Austen shrugged. "Put him under protective custody. Even if the nobles demand that he be put on trial, and even if they actually succeed in indicting him, I can exercise my authority, and put him under house arrest. That way, those fools will not be able to touch him."
"Even if they can\'t touch him, the fact that his freedom is restricted is a win for them," Queen Evane insisted. "You might think that you are protecting him by putting him into house arrest, but I have a feeling that it will only make our relationship with him turn sour. What do you think, Lord Edmond?"
"This matter has truly gotten out of hand." Lord Edmond admitted. "If only Ethan destroyed the Epic Legacy, then things wouldn\'t have ended differently. It is the fear of the unknown that makes people feel paranoid."
"Fear of the unknown?" King Austen scoffed. "More like they fear his potential to become truly strong. Since he is not of noble bloodline, they believe that he isn\'t loyal to the Kingdom. At least, that\'s the excuse they made up to have him shackled and stripped of his freedom.
"No matter how I look at this, things will get ugly real fast, real soon. How are his family members? Did they get attacked as of late?"
Lord Edmond shook his head. "I don\'t know. I sent some people to check, but according to them, Ethan\'s grandparents are safe. But, I did get some news about a Viscount disappearing during one of his usual hunting trips."
"A Viscount disappeared?" King Austen frowned. "Isn\'t that bad? Who\'s the Viscount that disappeared?"
"Viscount Federick," Lord Edmond answered. "I believe that one of his sons who participated in the expedition was killed inside the Legacy Domain."
Another sigh escaped King Austen\'s lips. The latest expedition had killed a good number of prodigies who could have grown to be the Pillars of their Kingdom.
According to the report, twenty Wizards and Witches, including Vladimir and Constantine, had perished.
They were the cream of the crop, so losing them was not only a blow to their respective families, but a blow to the future powerhouses of Eastshire as well.
"Did you send people to investigate the Viscount\'s disappearance?" King Austen asked.
"I did," Lord Edmond replied. "I even asked the Magistratus to send their people."
King Austen nodded because if the Magistratus couldn\'t do anything, no one could.
They were the strongest Wizards and Witches of the Kingdom, and they served as the sword and shield that protected Eastshire from any threats, both internal and external.
"So, what are we going to do with Ethan?" Lord Edmond rested his chin on the back of his intertwined hands. "I doubt that Rinehart will allow the boy to leave the academy."
"Good question," King Austen pondered for a while. "I think it\'s fine if he stays inside the academy for a month or two. But, just to be safe, you should personally go and talk to him. At least, tell him that we are on his side. Communication is important, and this should be our top priority."
"What about the nobles who are making noise?" Lord Edmond arched an eyebrow.
"Let them make noise," Queen Evane shrugged. "It will be best to see who is riding on that bandwagon, so we know who to deal with at once. But I\'m more worried about Oscar than the other nobles. He has been quiet as of late. Too quiet, in fact, and that makes this situation troublesome."
King Austen and Lord Edmond exchanged a glance because they had been with Oscar for a very long time.
They knew his character, and they knew that the longer he was silent, the more dangerous he would be.
"I just hope he doesn\'t do anything reckless, like personally trying to deal with Ethan on his own," King Austen commented. "Knowing him, I wouldn\'t be surprised if he used the Heir Wars to hunt Ethan down. But throwing the members of his family to serve as kindles to Ethan\'s anger will definitely not bode well in the long run."
"Indeed." Queen Evande nodded. "I think the only member of the Asta Family whom Ethan wouldn\'t touch is Nicole. Everyone else is fair game to him."
A few seconds passed before a collective sigh spread in the surroundings.
The three most powerful and influential people in Eastshire felt helpless about the current situation.
Ethan was the very first person to acquire an Epic Legacy and not go mad with its power.
Still, those who hated him and his achievements wished to bring him down.
So, what better opportunity to do it than to make him Public Enemy Number One, then pushing him into a corner and making him more obedient to them.
However, they made a mistake.
A very big mistake.
All their plans and scheming relied on the assumption that Ethan was a mere country boy with no powerful backing.
They were not aware that there were two scary individuals in Eastshire waiting for them to enter the spiderweb they weaved to trap their prey before they both went in for the kill.