Chapter 269: Actions of 3 Contenders for the Crown
In a certain town in Brawlmanica, a huge military presence could be felt as soldiers moved about. In a certain hall, Jumanga Helmsley sat with various other noble officials, his expression stern. His father, Jabok, had been out of sorts, going back and forth attempting to mend the many cracks within the Helmsley dukedom and its allies, all due to Jerome's actions six days ago.
On top of that, the Michaels family had rapidly rallied a large amount of power. From an outsider's point of view, it appeared that Brawlmanica had reached some sort of tipping point. If it were not for the overwhelming appearance of Prince Hunter as a very young Mortal Lord, widely loved by the people and supported by a larger network of allies, the current situation would have been far more dire. In addition, the grand displays of power produced by the White Corrosive Flame Empress, along with experts related to the White Star Radiance and the Soloman clan, only added to the mounting pressure.
Recently, however, another piece of news surfaced that caused many to sweat, especially during a time when the most powerful experts from the major sects were all engaged on the continental battlefield across the ocean.
"Sir Jumanga and other noble guests, I've received what is likely credible news that the White Star Radiance's Black Reaper Corps are on the move within Brawlmanica's vicinity. There was originally no trace of them appearing anywhere else. It's as if they suddenly appeared out of thin air." A figure draped in robes that covered his entire body, wearing a dark mask, reported while kneeling and extending a slip of information in his hand.
Jumanga waved his hand, and the slip floated toward him as he began reading it in detail. From what he could surmise, various groups from within and outside of Brawlmanica had suddenly made attempts at attacks and assassinations targeting the White Corrosive Flame Empress. It was also around that time that the Black Reaper Corps seemed to appear out of nowhere. Whether demonic beast, demon, human, or otherwise, nearly all enemies were slaughtered, with very few managing to escape.
With slightly furrowed brows, Jumanga asked a question. "Was there any mention or word of Black Devil Blades, Zoro Tatsumaki, appearing?"
The robed man shook his head as he replied. "No. There has yet to be any news of him or most of his top subordinates. The very few reports involving the Black Reaper Corps only mentioned small groups of fewer than five individuals appearing in certain locations, wearing their signature black masks with white and gold stars, along with the small sash signifying their allegiance."
The room fell quiet as the various nobles wore grim expressions.
One noblewoman eventually spoke, shaking her head. "We are being invaded from multiple sides, not only by demonic beasts but also by various hostile forces. The Night's Light Devouring Church has certainly already set its sights on this place and has likely begun moving, even though alot of their forces were also forcefully conscripted into the continental war. Our country right now is—"
"Lady Shugaram, enough." A nobleman cut in sharply. "For the sake of survival, for our families and our power, we must do what is necessary to remove these obstacles. The White Star Radiance is a thorn in the side of a new age of progress, and with Sir Jumanga as King, we may be able to turn things around!" He declared with a righteous gaze and clenched teeth. A few others nodded in agreement.
There were also those who remained silent, filled with doubt, some harboring an extremely bad feeling about the future regardless of how events unfolded from this point onward.
Jumanga was not foolish. He could clearly see the intentions behind many of their words, even when they made such declarations. Nobles, politicians, cult leaders—no matter how he looked at them, most shared similar dispositions, and he himself was not entirely different. He was simply more honest with himself than most.
"...Let's adopt a new objective for now. It's best to deal with these irritating obstacles before attempting to fight for any crown at this stage." Jumanga said with an authoritative tone, though several people present felt unease at the way he phrased it.
…
Shaunem Michaels currently sat in a room with a darkened expression as he looked at the figure before him. The man was none other than an individual who had once been considered eligible to vie for the crown of Brawlmanica.
For the past few years, the names Shaunem, Hunter, and Jerome had remained in the limelight, yet this man was certainly not someone to be looked down upon.
Bronson Hoover, son of a Marquis and child of the late First Princess of Brawlmanica, who had died on the battlefield. He was, in fact, Prince Hunter Helmsley's nephew and had recently officially taken over his father's position as Marquis due to his father's age and the crippling injuries he sustained during the war well over 10 years ago. The old Marquis' cultivation had been damaged and slowly dissipated until stabilizing at Gold tier 2, a far cry from his former peak Golden Lord strength.
Bronson Hoover was a young man of thirty with Golden Lord cultivation. Although he strongly resembled his father, the Helmsley bloodline within him was unmistakable through his mother's features and the aura flowing around his body.
"Sir Bronson Hoover of the Hoover March territory, I will ask you again. Just as your father once decided to back my cause, you should do the same." Shaunem said with a sharp gaze as his Mortal Lord aura faintly pressed down on Bronson. "The Hoovers were once one of the five proud vassal families of my Michaels family's Brawlman Kingdom centuries ago, before the Helmsleys wrested power from us and turned our nation on its head, transforming it into Brawlmanica."
"Hahaha… How strange." Bronson chuckled lightly. "Why do your words and actions feel more like a threat than a choice? And in the first place, based on the records preserved by my family, the Michaels family of that era and the Brawlman Kingdom were—"
Before Bronson could finish, he paused as a faint killing intent erupted from Shaunem, whose expression grew even gloomier.
"It would be best for you to watch your words, Sir Hoover." Shaunem said coldly. "I've already given you a very generous offer, have I not?"
"Haah…" Bronson sighed. "Seriously, how is it that you resort to such forceful methods when our country is already in turmoil? You want to stage a rebellion in the middle of an increasingly dire war against demonic beasts, and likely even third parties." He shook his head mockingly. "That reminds me, from the looks of it, you've completely lost control over the Leon clan, haven't you? They were once one of the five as well. Hahahaha! Whatever small leverage you had was destroyed by your own grandfather when he tried to 'nerf' their power out of spite Many years ago. Now look at them. Even I don't want to provoke that clan with that monster in their ranks."
Shaunem stared at him with a blank, gloomy glare. His patience was thinning rapidly, irritation boiling beneath the surface.
"Oh, are you still waiting for my answer?" Bronson continued calmly. "Very well. I might have been somewhat open to aligning with you before my young uncle, Prince Hunter, broke through into the Mortal Shedding Realm. And perhaps I would have still considered it slightly, if not for Jerome Helmsley's unexpected turn." His expression hardened. "Most of all, I would rather not make enemies of the Leon clan, the Soloman clan, the Aka Boshi no Tengan clan, and… the Tatsumaki family."
The air seemed to freeze.
Shaunem subconsciously clenched his fist as his heart thumped heavily in his chest. An unexpected pressure rippled through his mind, disturbing even his Mortal Lord psyche. He was not foolish. He had already considered these implications. His plan had been to use other houses and experts indirectly to eliminate certain individuals without tying himself to them, but the situation was clearly spiraling beyond his and the Michaels family's control.
Bronson rose from his seat, noticing Shaunem drifting into his thoughts. As he turned to leave, he sighed with faint pity.
"Sir Shaunem, I understand that everything you're doing stems from the desperate desire of the Michaels family to once again stand as the true rulers of this country." He paused briefly. "But that opportunity was lost the moment you all failed to act decisively after my late grandfather, King Jean-Paul Helmsley, made his sacrifice. Heh. And judging by how things have turned out, it seems he knew you would fail."
Shaunem's head snapped up, fury flashing across his face, a storm of conflicting emotions surging through him. After a moment, he forced himself to calm down.
"I, Shaunem Michaels, for the sake of the Michaels royal family…" he muttered to himself. "It is my destiny to walk this path of thorns, whether I live or die."