The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 134: Protective Father

Chapter 134: Protective Father

Sure, he was a good friend and a great strategist... But that wasn’t the only reason he called for him. A man who never wanted to get involved in conflicts... What would he do when his daughter’s life was on the line?

The Marquess confessed about his daughter which left him in shock. It made him wonder if this was why he was so eager to deal with the Holy Temple. Either that or he was a genius who was able to predict that there were deeper problems with the Temple.

If she had the powers that his friend confessed to him... No, he would never let him use his daughter. He would never allow her to replace the healers. He would never let her exhaust herself by continuously producing holy powers.

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Things fell into place for Adeline. She wasn’t aware of the worsening situation... She wasn’t aware that there could be a war! She was just glad that her father was going to leave to meet the Emperor. She could peacefully explore the ruins!

Adeline sat in her chamber, her fingers tracing the edge of a map she’d borrowed from the library. Her frustration with Dimitri’s departure had transformed into determination. She couldn’t leave yet, but she could plan.

But for now, she’d have to wait. And while she waited, the world outside moved closer to conflict. The tension between the Empire and the Holy Temple was reaching its peak.

Unbeknownst to Adeline, her journey to the ruins would intertwine with this growing storm, thrusting her into the heart of a battle she could never have anticipated.

She dutifully kept checking the map and trying to figure out where exactly this ruin was. Unfortunately for her, there were far too many! There were many civilisations before the Lunaria Empire.

And each had its own infrastructure and secrets. How could she know which one the Goddess was talking about?! When she was reading up on ruins, she discovered that some of them were outside the Empire’s borders!

They were in the middle of the forest populated with monsters! How could she go there alone?! If she went with the knights, she would endanger both her and their life. She didn’t want to do that. She didn’t want to be a burden!

The Goddess hadn’t replied to her yet, so she didn’t know which direction she was going. All she could do was prepare a survival kit for herself. She fashioned herself a holy water bottle because why not?

It will keep her extra refreshed during the whole exploration process. She got herself a nice, sturdy satchel, a few treats that have a better shelf life and finally a small knife. She learnt a lesson the day she was thrown on the ground by the ex-Duke of the East.

A knife made of Holy Powers was as useless as the Goddess was!

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The Marquess set off as soon as he could. He told the brothers to keep an eye on her and left for the palace. This didn’t bode well for the Empire. If the Emperor was summoning him that meant that there was a big storm coming.

He was escorted to the Emperor’s study without delay. As he entered, he bowed deeply. His eyes darted around to find an aide standing to the side. He clearly looked rattled but the Emperor hasn’t dismissed him yet.

"Your Majesty," the Marquess said, his voice deep and steady. "I came as soon as I received your summons." He turned to look at the aide.

The poor man immediately flinched after realising a war hero was looking straight at him. Fortunately, the Emperor took the hint and dismissed the frightened man.

The Emperor gestured for him to sit and handed him Lord Kazamir’s report. The Marquess read it quickly, his brows furrowing as he absorbed the details. When he finished, he placed the report on the desk and met the Emperor’s gaze.

"This is troubling," He said. "If Edward has indeed orchestrated this situation, then he is not merely testing the Empire’s strength. He is baiting us into a conflict where he believes he can exploit our weaknesses."

The Emperor nodded. "Precisely. And that is why I called for you. This will not be a conventional war. We must prepare for a prolonged conflict, one that may require unconventional strategies. I need your insights, Marquess."

The Marquess leaned back, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Edward’s demands were absurd, which means he never intended for them to be accepted. His goal was likely to provoke us while buying time to strengthen his position. We should assume he has allies within the Temple and possibly beyond it. We must address this on multiple fronts."

He continued, "First, we must secure the loyalty of our people. If the Temple’s influence spreads, it could sow dissent among the populace. A propaganda campaign to highlight the Temple’s treachery might be necessary..."

The Marquess got up and walked over to the window. He slowly turned to the Emperor, rays of sunlight shadowing his silhouette. "Secondly, we will not wage a war. We will bring the temple down from the inside."

"From the inside? How would you manage that?" The Emperor smirked. He was interested in what tricks his old friend would come up with.

The Marquess however completely ignored the Emperor’s question. He wasn’t going to reveal his trade secrets!

"If it comes to war, we must strike swiftly and decisively. We must also prepare for the unexpected. Edward is a manipulator, he will attempt to divide our forces or create distractions to weaken our resolve. We must ensure our commanders are prepared to adapt to changing circumstances."

The Emperor clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze thoughtful. "And what of the healers? Their withdrawal is already affecting morale in the border regions. If this continues, it could become a significant liability."

The Marquess nodded grimly. "That is a critical issue." He looked at the Emperor, and with his eyes narrowed he spoke, "Then you must make a choice. We could eliminate the temple entirely..."

"Hah!" The Emperor scoffed, "That is something I wish too, but we cannot do it. You know better than I do how the situation is on the front lines. Healers are necessary. If we show the temple that we don’t need them... And simply threaten to eradicate them... Then maybe..."

His meaning was clear. He intended to use Adeline. The special girl who has infinite Holy Powers. Edward didn’t know that, and neither did the Holy Temple. They thought that her powers would diminish but it only grew stronger...

He thought about the possibilities, the ways he could make use of her when a loud sound interrupted him. When he looked at the origin of the sound, he saw that the chair the Marquess was sitting on was shattered to dust.

The Marquess was twisting his hands and removed the black gloves she wore. "Sorry, I couldn’t control my power."

How was he, an Emperor, this helpless in front of a Marquess. The Emperor grew frustrated but there was nothing he could do.

If he dared to give an Imperial order about Adeline, his only friend would immediately turn on him. Couldn’t control his powers, my foot! He was warning me. If I lay my hands on his precious daughter... Hah!