Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start?

Chapter 334: Chapter331-The Joint Operation of the Four Factions



As Vanessa and the others charged at Damien, his mana had been completely suppressed by Owen, leaving him like an ordinary person with no magic.

Seeing Vanessa and the others approaching with vengeful fury, Damien's heart quaked as he cried out in terror:

"No! Don't come any closer!"

He retreated desperately, but Vanessa and the others unleashed a barrage of magic attacks, their hatred manifesting as a storm that quickly enveloped him. The relentless magic tore into his skin like blades, sending waves of pain through him.

Damien's screams of agony, which had terrified so many, gradually weakened until they finally fell silent. The aura emanating from him faded away completely.

Damien was dead.

The crowd looked at the enraged Vanessa and her allies with a mix of shock and awe, not expecting their hatred for Damien to run so deep.

Owen cast a glance at Vanessa and the others. The intense resentment they had previously harbored was noticeably diminished after avenging themselves on Damien.

"Thank you, Lord Emperor!"

Vanessa and her allies looked at Owen with deep gratitude. Without Owen's intervention, they never would have been able to avenge themselves today.

Damien's power far exceeded their own, leaving them hopeless of ever getting revenge.

Owen smiled at them, then turned to the gathered factions, his tone cold as he asked:

"While Leslie and I were in seclusion, what exactly were you all doing?"

Owen's voice resonated in the minds of the Black Iron Dwarves and others, piercing through them like sharp thorns, and their expressions shifted to one of terror.

It was clear Owen was not pleased with the current situation.

And when Owen was displeased, he was every bit as deadly as Leslie!

They had already received word from the imperial capital upon gathering here that Leslie had emerged from seclusion and had ordered the complete annihilation of Emberveil Kingdom. This showed that Owen and Leslie intended to purify Azure Kingdom thoroughly upon returning from seclusion.

Terrified, they hastily gathered around Owen and stammered nervously:

"Lord Emperor, we were entirely unaware of this. We were focused on completing the tasks you assigned us!"

"Lord Emperor, we, the Moss Giants, can swear that we have no association with Damien!"

The Black Iron Dwarves and other factions spoke up in a flurry, their faces filled with apprehension.

They knew little about the happenings within West Sanctum Academy and had not been focused there.

Though the Lord Emperor and the Empress were in seclusion, the dragon clan and Academy City were overseeing Azure Kingdom, allowing them to focus diligently on their tasks.

Little did they know that Nidhogg and Damien would go so far as to lead a rebellion against the Lord Emperor and the Empress.

While they hadn't participated, the fact that it happened within their sphere of influence meant they couldn't escape blame!

"I know you had no ties with Damien and Nidhogg. If you did, you wouldn't be standing here alive."

"But from their actions, it's evident that you do not see Azure Kingdom as a unified homeland. Otherwise, you would have either been unaware of these events or turned a blind eye, failing to take any action."

Owen scanned them with a stern gaze.

The ten years of seclusion had allowed Owen and Leslie to strengthen their powers and test the loyalty of these factions.

Owen wanted to see how Azure Kingdom would fare without him and Leslie present-who would follow him sincerely and who might harbor ulterior motives.

For this reason, he had issued secret orders to his closest allies-the Dragon Clan, Fallen Angel Clan, and Academy City-not to intervene unless a major disturbance erupted within Azure Kingdom.

It was a test to observe the reactions of the various factions.

Ultimately, Owen was mostly satisfied with the results.

Only two traitors had emerged, and the other factions had indeed joined Azure Kingdom with sincere intentions.

However, they had been overly cautious; even if they sensed dissent among others, they refrained from acting due to various reasons.

After hearing Owen's words, the other factions immediately understood his intent, quickly expressing their regret and promising such a situation would never occur again.

After reprimanding them, Owen's expression softened.

"This matter ends here for now. Tell me, what have you all achieved over the past ten years?"

The leader of the Shadow Clan grinned, revealing a set of dark teeth as he replied:

"Lord Emperor, our clan has merged with the Dark Rose under Her Majesty's direction, forming a joint force and establishing an assassination squad."

"This assassination squad can operate independently or in coordination, targeting and assassinating high-value targets!"

The Shadow Clan leader spoke with pride, as his clan's talent lay in assassination.

They had honed this skill to perfection, allowing them to play a significant role when Owen set out to conquer The Celestial.

Owen nodded. The Shadow Clan served as the eyes and blades deep within enemy territory, and their development was very much to his satisfaction.

Seeing the Shadow Clan leader speak up, the head of the White Tower Tech Guild stepped forward, adjusting his monocle with a mild smile as he said:

"Lord Emperor, over these ten years, the Tech Guild has developed powerful weapons like the Reaper Beam and mana-core missiles, along with many single-combat magic devices somewhat similar to enchanted artifacts."

As he spoke, the head of the White Tower Tech Guild opened a thick white tome, and as the pages turned, holographic projections of various devices floated above the pages in great

detail.

Though they were not present physically, the aura these projections emitted was terrifying. These magic-tech hybrids wielded formidable power.

The leader of the Black Iron Dwarves gripped his forging hammer tightly and looked up at

Owen.

"Lord Emperor, we have followed your advice and established industrial parks with assembly line production, enabling us to mass-produce low-tier enchanted items and rapidly manufacture mid- to high-tier items as well!"

The leader of the Moss Giants patted his battle armor with excitement as he added:

"Lord Emperor, we can now fully utilize the magical weapons and armor crafted by the Black

Iron Dwarves, maximizing our combat potential!"

Owen nodded slightly after listening. "This all sounds promising, but years of peace have not

tested these accomplishments."

Then, Owen looked in the direction of Emberveil Kingdom and ordered:

"You're aware of the rebellion in Emberveil Kingdom, aren't you? This time, conduct a joint operation to test the results of your work!"

The four factions exchanged glances and nodded enthusiastically, saying, "Rest assured, Lord Emperor; we won't disappoint you!"

After ten years of growth, they had been eager for a chance to test themselves in real combat but hadn't had the opportunity.

After all, aside from Azure Kingdom, most civilizations and factions of the previous era hadn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

been destroyed.

Now that Emberveil Kingdom was playing the fool, they were more than happy to oblige.

With the four factions agreeing, the deputy headmaster of the academy and others fearfully bowed before Owen, their voices tinged with pleading:

"Lord Emperor, we, too, are willing to fight against Emberveil Kingdom's traitors to atone

for our actions!"

Though they hadn't participated directly in the rebellion, they also hadn't stopped Damien.

The Lord Emperor surely held a grudge against them, and now, with him taking action against Emberveil Kingdom, they saw it as their chance to redeem themselves.

Otherwise, their fate was uncertain!

Hearing them speak, Owen finally turned his attention to them and said indifferently:

"Dismissed from your positions for investigation. Let's see how you perform in this

suppression of the rebellion."

Owen had already eliminated Damien and the four God Kings from West Sanctum Academy. Killing any more would leave the academy with few qualified mentors.

So, he didn't mind giving them a chance, as he would need plenty of talent for the future

battle against The Celestial.

Seeing Owen's nod, the deputy headmaster and others finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although they had lost their positions, at least their lives were spared.

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