Chapter 546 Chapter 181 – Grand Ball (part 5)

“Look! I got breasts now!”

The one-year-younger girl exclaimed with excitement and moved her elbows towards her belly button to prove that it was not a lie.

“Congratulations!”

Zoemi cheered out smiling brightly, happy for Pattishi’s happiness.

“…”

While that happened, everyone from the group looked at Patishi’s chest too, but then for whatever reason, everyone except Zoemi got their gazes pulled over towards Miriette.

“…pffft…!”

Even the young king was the same, and as his eyes slid down from his former fiancee’s neck straight to her waist with almost no obstruction, even he couldn’t stop himself and snorted.

“If you know what’s good for you – stop right there.”

…he did so knowing full well how much it would piss off Miriette, and judging by the dark-haired girl’s reaction, he was completely right…

Miriette breathed out and relaxed the free hand that she was clenching into a fist to stop herself from covering her most modest chest and glared at the gold-haired king.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, young lady Espine.”

“You are lucky I know you so well.”

Horeo shrugged his shoulders to which Miriette immediately responded with a scoff.

“…where is the delegation from Barbariacca nation…?”

Surprisingly, Miriette used the chance to lean forwards and ask discreetly, making it look like she was embarrassed.

“…that’s the problem – they all got to their rooms to freshen up and dress for the occasion, but none of them left. When I had guards check up on them, the rooms were empty but the Barabariacca’s people belongings were still there. We are still looking for them.”

The young king reported without changing his composed, benevolent expression although the matter he was talking about was very much serious and worrisome.

“Wha…?! And you didn’t think about informing us about it?!”

Miriette straightened her back, taken aback by the carefreeness of the gold-haired youth.

“Are you sure that they didn’t run off or teleported away with the help of someone outside the place? Or were secretly disposed of?”

Elsby furrowed her brows and asked from her spot, getting the attention of others.

“They did not and were not, I’m certain. That’s why I believe the Ghosts might be involved – although I can’t really see the reason to remove someone working with them away from the castle. Unless they are trying to blow the whole things up…”

Horeo turned to the former Ghosts member and answered, watching her carefully.

“We have dealt with a whole bunch of troublesome officials back in our dutiful days – this does sound like something we would do. You set up the shadow gate under the door and the target drops at the moment they enter their room, thinking the darkness at their feet is their own shadow or whatever. Although usually, the gate would close the moment the target was shoulders-deep in the shadow gate, swiftly beheading them.”

“…”

The jet-black-haired woman revealed, looking between the king and everyone listening to her explanation.

“You know, to send a message.”

Elsby added, smiling obliviously without thinking about the weight of her words.

“This suddenly does sound a lot more like they are going to blow the entire place into smithereens…”

Horeo’s voice turned a lot more serious and he squinted his eyes, making the countless lights of the massive chandeliers up in the high ceiling flicker.

“We once wiped off an entire city like that too but it was in order to gain more mana from killing the citizens… hmm…”

The jet-black-haired woman added after a brief moment of hesitation.

“What is it?”

Zoemi furrowed his brows and asked, ticked off about the young-looking woman’s tone.

“Abduction would make sense if they wanted to drain their mana first… but… that’s stupid. They are allied with the Barbariacca nation, right…? Then why is my intuition telling me that it’s all done to make Cherro stronger…?”

Elsby tilted her head and wondered, staring right into Zoemi’s eyes.

“…almost all of my kids weren’t enough to get him to the limit…?!”

The black-haired boy tensed up and sew through his teeth, without questioning the former Ghosts’ intuition even for a moment.

“Dad, don’t do that.”

“Dad, when you are like this, your mana spews out really fast and it’s hard to absorb it all.”

Zoemi’s corpse puppet sentinels cried out in hushed voices, approaching him from both sides – Ettemi peeking over Miriette’s shoulder to have a good look at the young man’s face.

“…oh… I’m sorry…”

Zoemi bit his lip and nodded apologetically, before looking back at Horeo and realizing that even the gold-haired best friend of his had tensed up after the display of the aura.

“Since when did your eyes light up? I was aware of the opposite, actually, but this is something new…”

Horeo breathed out and relaxed as the dreadful aura dissipated and asked, motioning his chin at his best friend.

“Wait… my eyes do what now…?”

Zoemi blink a few times, taken aback by the observation, and glanced over the rest of his group – especially his two corpse puppet sentinels.

“They sure did just now.”

“They definitely did have this ominous gleam about them when you pushed my sh… snow in.”

Horeo confirmed and Metavicero stepped closer and vigorously confirmed the king’s words by adding her own experience.

“They do, dad.”

“Yeah, and it’s always when you use you move your mana around a lot!”

Oemir and Ettemi also joined in, nodding their heads all serious.

“…is that so…?”

The black-haired boy bit his lip and fell deep in thoughts…

“Master, lord Arisu showed up together with his wife – should I tell the guards to…?”

Still, it was not the perfect time for that at all, Veo moved forward and informed Horeo while gently putting her hand on the gold-haired young man’s side while looking towards the entrance.

“Representing the Lazaram family! Arisu Karde Lazaram and his wife Ehmi Gamemi Lazaram!”

The herald did his job and announced the new arrivals properly introducing the pair. The tall and handsome Arisu was wearing a splendid white tuxedo with black lining while Ehmi, only slightly shorter than her husband, had her long crimson hair hanging loosely all the way to her knees encompassing her curvacious figure far better than the far too skimpy red dress she was wearing.

Despite looking the part, the white-haired youngster certainly didn’t feel like waiting to get attention.

As it turned out he was the type to try and get things himself first because he immediately descended the staircase and was basically pulling Ehmi together with him, beelining it for the king and the group greeting him.

“…”

Horeo squinted his eyes to hide the murderous glare he was sending his step-brother, but Zoemi wasn’t as calm and moved in front of Miriette, shielding her from even the gaze of the approaching potential threat.

“Young Horeo, fancy meeting you here!”

Arisu tried to sneak a glance at Miriette, but gave up immediately and faced the young king the moment he saw Zoemi.

“Nothing changed then – you are as rude as you are stupid, mister Lazaram. Unless you believe I am really into collecting g and wearing fancy hats, you should recognize the object on my head – not to mention you should be aware of the reason that the party you accepted the invitation and showed up for is happening?”

Seeing Zoemi not holding back all that much, Horeo also stopped carrying and straight up said his thoughts to Arisu out loud.

“Now, now – that was a little slip of the tongue – insignificant mistake. Although to my memory, as the head of the Lazaram family, I never approved of your ascension to the throne.”

“Only insignificant mistake here is you being born – which truth be told can be arranged to be corrected fast enough.”

Horeo definitely went overboard and broke a few rules of polite speech, but truth be told, he already hated Arisu with all of his heart and now he was taunted by him to boot…

“I only jest. Your Highness. Together with my lovely partner, we brought you some gifts… please receive them and forgive my misbehavior from just now.”

Arisu merely laughed it off and waved his hand dismissively while glancing over at Ehmi by his side who was tensely observing the entire ballroom as if in anticipation of something.

“…?”

Horeo didn’t say a thing and only raised his brow, allowing himself a quick glance at Zoemi and Miriette who exchanged suspicious looks with him.

“I believe that seeing them will alleviate some of the worries you carry with you.”

Arisu smiled, putting his hand forward and opening his palm towards the floor.

*plop* *smack* *plap*

The next moment his eyes and hair became jet black and a small circular shadow gate opened under his arm and three objects fell out and rolled under Horeo’s feet.

…the severed heads of the former king, queen, and the royal magician…

“Do you li…?”

*BOOOOOOOOOM*

“…!”

The moment that Arisu opened his mouth and spoke a ray of light shot out from the golden sphere that appeared next to Horeo’s shoulder, just materializing in the air and hitting the young man before his hair and eyes could get back to normal, leaving Ehmi completely stunned and wide eyed as her husband was thrown all across the ballroom and smashed against the opposite wall.

Truly – attacks done with the light magic were the fastest – and it was nigh impossible to dodge them point-blank.

“Whoa… hit hard! You might be tougher than I anticipated!”

At first, the aristocrats present could not even comprehend what has happened – only after seeing the white-haired young man stand up from the rubble and dust off his tuxedo with a mocking smile did they look back at the young king… and noticed the severed heads…