"Dustin, you're not joking, are you?" Grace frowned slightly.His answer had caught her completely off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless."How could I joke about something like this?" Dustin smiled faintly. He went on, "Your brothers are hopeless. They can't shoulder this burden, but you're different. You've got both brains and strength, courage and vision. And you actually care about the people. If you took the throne, you could lead Dragonmarsh to greatness.""Don't be ridiculous." Grace shook her head. "I'm merely a woman. How could I be fit to rule a nation?""What's wrong with being a woman? What makes it impossible?" Dustin countered. He continued eloquently, "Looking back over a thousand years, wasn't there a woman who became ruler? People still speak of her with admiration to this day.""That's different." She shook her head again."Don't worry about whether it's possible—just tell me if you want it. If you do, I'll help you make it happen. I believe under you

A chill crept down Matthias' spine at the thought. If the mastermind behind the purge was Grace, then the situation had taken a dire turn.As a staunch royalist, she had never involved herself in government politics. Her unexpected involvement and the massive disruption it caused raised alarming questions.What could she possibly be plotting? Had she already chosen a side? Did she know their father's days were numbered and decide to secure her future?The more Matthias pondered these possibilities, the more his heart raced with dread.Grace commanded an intelligence organization with immense resources and networks. She could easily cut off his sources and deny him access to vital information. If that happened, he would find himself at a severe disadvantage before the succession battle even began.Seamus said calmly, "Your focus has always been on your two brothers. You see them as enemies and spend all your time competing against them and trying to bring them down. "But you neve

After getting in the car, Nathaniel headed straight to the Spanner estate.His mother, Cynthia, was a direct descendant of the Spanners. Her family's influence in Oakvale rivaled that of the Moseys, perhaps even surpassing it. The patriarch of the Spanners, Conan Spanner, was Nathaniel's uncle. Two decades ago, he was renowned as a scholar and a warrior. Though he had withdrawn from the public, his legacy lived on through his children.His son Adam bore the title God of Military, while his daughter Scarlet was known as the Goddess of War. Both had achieved legendary status among their generation. They commanded large numbers of armies, and their futures seemed limitless.With such prodigious talent within their ranks, the Spanner family had risen to unprecedented heights. Their growing influence now threatened to eclipse even the mighty Moseys.It was this formidable backing that gave Nathaniel the confidence to contend for the throne. Since he was facing such momentous circumsta

Grace explained, "The Skull Covenant is pure evil. They sacrifice human lives and commune with death itself. Wherever they go, they leave nothing but ruin."It was their heyday 30 years ago. They had hundreds of core members and over 10,000 followers. They were all masters of the dark arts and posed an enormous threat. "30 years ago, they nearly conquered the entire Ashen Coast and threatened the stability of our nation. Later, my grandfather ordered my father to lead 200,000 troops in an extermination campaign. "It took three months to annihilate them. Afterward, my father established an intelligence and assassination organization to hunt down any remnants because he vowed to erase them from existence."It took several years to root out every last remnant of the Skull Covenant. I thought we'd wiped them out for good. Still, I never imagined that 30 years later, these evil monsters would return."Grace's expression grew stern as she frowned slightly. Just when she thought one cr

Ten minutes later, Dustin waved his hand. More than a dozen silver needles lifted from Callan's body and returned to his pouch in an orderly manner.His mystical pure energy instantly vaporized the contaminated blood on each needle, which essentially served as an alternative form of sterilization.As the needles were withdrawn, a peculiar suction force drew the toxins rapidly from Callan's body. Dark blood began flowing from where the needles had been applied. This thick, black liquid gave off a putrid stench, and the sight was deeply unsettling.Grace and Sadie instinctively stepped backward. They were unwilling to risk even the slightest contact with the toxic discharge. After all, this plague was unlike anything they had encountered before. Even with such a skilled doctor like Dustin present, neither woman dared take unnecessary chances.The dark blood seeping from Callan's body began to lighten and gradually turned deep red before finally returning to its usual color. His f