Chapter 912: Lord Rholthos's Ambitious Plan
After the Battle Kings under the second palace lord exclaimed, Lord Razarkan finally turned around. His gaze quickly landed on the first palace lord in the distance before his expression turned grim.
"Did you follow me here, First Brother?" Lord Razarkan questioned the first palace lord in a low tone.
"Followed you? Don't kid yourself, Second Brother. You are of no interest to me. However, I can't say the same for the Darkmoon Tribe right behind you, though," the first palace lord, Lord Reingard, grinned.
Lord Razarkan immediately glared at Lord Reingard before he spat, "Piss off! I arrived first!"
"Arrived first? You still cry like a child, Second Brother. Better yet, you still reek of your vixen mother's milk," Lord Reingard ridiculed with amusement.
"Nevertheless, I will acknowledge that you arrived before me. Thus, I will allow you the first attempt to subjugate the southern region's tribes. However, if I see you using force to subjugate them, don't say that I didn't warn you."
Although the three palace lords shared the same father, they had different mothers. Furthermore, Lord Reingard was thirty years older than Lord Razarkan.
"Don't try to sound so magnanimous, First Brother. Don't think that I don't know what you are thinking with that sly mind of yours!" Lord Razarkan snorted coldly.
Nevertheless, Lord Razarkan still flicked his wrist and returned his attention to the Darkmoon Tribe, awaiting its leaders.
Even if Lord Razarkan knew what Lord Reingard was thinking, he was unwilling to yield his chance to his first brother.
At the same time, Lord Reingard shrugged his shoulders.
Lord Reingard found himself a spot away from Lord Razarkan's group shortly after. Then, he sat down and watched Lord Razarkan closely with a leisure attitude.
Uniting the Infertile Plains was every ambitious warrior's dream.
The southern region may have fewer tribes, but it wasn't any less desirable than the other regions in his conquest.
However, there must be a reason why his third brother, Lord Rholthos, failed to bring the southern tribes under his banner and left in defeat.
As such, Lord Reingard intended to watch Lord Razarkan confront the Darkmoon Tribe's leaders first and learn their strengths and attitudes. That way, he would have better cards to play during his turn.
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Meanwhile, Lord Rholthos and his people made their way back to the Battle God Palace. Eventually, they arrived at the border that divided the Infertile Plain's southern and central regions.
Suddenly, a scout returned to them.
"My Lord, it is as you suspected; the first and second palace lord had secretly followed us to the southern region. They should have arrived at the southern region's tribes by now," the scout reported.
"Is it fine to not do anything about the first and second palace lords, my Lord? What if they succeed in getting the Demon King's demon core in Battle King One-Eye's possession?" a High-rank Battle King inquired shortly after.
Lord Rholthos paused his stepped abruptly. Then, he turned his head to look at the High-rank Battle King with a condescending look.
"Do you honestly believe my two elder brothers have better chances than me when the southern region has that 'thing' protecting them?" Lord Rholthos solemnly questioned.
Although Lord Rholthos looked seriously, his hands couldn't stop trembling with lingering fear. The 'thing' left a long-lasting impression on him. Or rather, it was fear
It's been a long time since Lord Rholthos felt genuine fear towards anything besides his father, the Battle God.
Nevertheless, the High-rank Battle King quickly apologized, "Please forgive me, my Lord. I spoke without thinking."
Naturally, the 'thing' they confronted in the Darkmoon Tribe had strength beyond their imagination. Even the Battle God wasn't so terrifying during his prime.
"What should we do now, Father?" Zion asked.
"Given first and second uncles' temperaments, they are most likely to suffer. The southern tribes won't let them get away like we did if they try to subjugate the southern tribes with force and rob the Demon King-level demon core from Battle King One-Eye."
"It'll be even better if both sides can kill each other off," Lord Rholthos said with narrowed eyes.
"However, I know that won't happen with that 'thing' around. As such, I will just settle for the first and second palace lords' deaths."
"Your illness wasn't due to Demon Possession, right?" Lord Rholthos inquired his third son shortly after.
"That's right, father," Zion nodded.
"According to Big—er, the Divine Doctor, my sickness was the result of a dark-attribute poison, masked to look like symptoms of Demon Possession."
"If that's the case, it was most likely one of my brothers' schemes to ruin your talents and remove a future threat to their throne," Lord Rholthos guessed.
Shortly after, Lord Rholthos's eyes flickered with a fierce glint.
"Since one of the two palace lords dare to lay their hands on my third son, we will make them pay! While the first and second palace lords are out, we will return to the Battle God Palace and take full control of it with force!" Lord Rholthos declared.
"Yes, my Lord!" the third palace lord's followers answered excitedly.
Without the first and second palace lords to hold the fort, it shouldn't be too difficult to sweep the first and second palace lords' people from the Battle God Palace.
"However, the elders won't just stand still and watch us spill blood in the Battle God Palace. How do we intend to deal with them, my Lord?" a Mid-rank Battle King raised his concern.
"The elders of the Elder Council are all Peak-rank Battle Kings. Furthermore, the Supreme Elder is an Extremity-rank Battle King, who rivals even you in strength, my Lord."
"You don't have to worry about that," Lord Rholthos stated coolly.
"The Supreme Elder and one-third of the Elder Council supports me. Why else do you think my older brothers would be so desperate as to use underhanded schemes like poisoning their own nephew?"
"As long as I coordinate well with the Supreme Elder, the entire Elder Council and Battle God Palace will fall into my grasp. By then, even if the first and second palace lords want to return, they won't have a place," Lord Rholthos stated.
His eyes brighten with confidence if he can foresee the future.