Chapter 151: The Council's Judgment (2)
The fourth elder shook his head.
"You speak as though the boy will fight for us, but the Clover Clan will claim him. They will shape his beliefs and loyalty, and eventually they may turn him against the Council."
Arthur's expression remained unchanged.
"Then we make certain that does not happen. We do not need to destroy Austin to prevent that outcome. We need to give him a reason to stand with the city."
The elders exchanged another series of glances before the first elder finally responded.
"You are asking us to trust that a sixteen-year-old boy will choose the city over his own clan."
"I am asking you to give him the opportunity to prove that he will."
The fifth elder leaned back and brought his fingers together.
"Even if we agree to spare the clan, the danger remains. The patriarch continues to demand the right to become Sky King, the Clover Clan's elders continue to whisper about rebellion, and Austin's awakening has given them a symbol around which they can rally."
Ray calmly entered the discussion.
"Then remove the patriarch. Do it quietly and without drawing attention. The clan will be disoriented, and we can install a leader who is more willing to cooperate with the Council."
Arthur's red eyes shifted toward him.
"No."
Ray's expression changed for only an instant before becoming unreadable again.
"The patriarch is not the true problem," Arthur said. "The system that produced him is the problem. These clans pursue power because the Council has denied them another path toward recognition. If we create that path and make it clear that anyone can rise through strength rather than bloodline, the clans will have less reason to rebel."
The first elder released a dry, humorless laugh.
"You speak of changing the foundation upon which the Hidden City has existed for centuries. The clans have always known their place, and the Council has always ruled. Changing that structure now would invite chaos."
"Tradition is not a reason to continue repeating the same mistakes."
Silence settled over the chamber.
The elders stared at Arthur with expressions shaped by centuries of certainty, while Arthur met their gazes without hesitation. None of them seemed willing to yield, and the tension between the two sides had become too great to resolve through discussion alone.
The first elder eventually spoke again, his voice colder than before.
"You speak boldly, boy, but words are not power. If you intend to protect the Clover Clan, you will have to fight for that decision, because we will not simply stand aside."
Arthur rose from his chair.
The movement was slow and deliberate, yet the atmosphere within the chamber changed immediately. The enchanted crystals above them flickered as mana began pressing outward from Arthur's body, and the walls seemed to grow heavier beneath the invisible force.
"If you move against the Clover Clan, then I will move against you."
The elders did not flinch. They had survived countless political struggles and had faced opponents more powerful than most people could imagine.
The first elder's voice remained flat.
"Do you truly believe you can touch us? We are five Platinum stage Stage cultivators, each possessing combat power comparable to a Moon Class elite. We possess artifacts that have been passed down through generations, as well as resources accumulated over centuries."
Arthur smiled.
The expression contained none of the warmth associated with amusement. Instead, it carried the confidence of someone who had already considered the possibility of opposition and prepared himself for it.
"You think I do not know about your artifacts?" Arthur asked. "Do you think I have occupied this throne without learning what you conceal behind your walls, your seals, and your ancient treasures?"
He stepped forward, and the elders' hands immediately shifted toward the artifacts hidden beneath their robes.
"I am not my father. I am not the previous Sky King, who allowed you to pressure him into decisions he never wanted to make. I am not the king before him, who hid behind compromise and convinced himself that surrender was wisdom."
Arthur took another step.
The enchanted crystals flickered again, and the shadows gathered more heavily around the corners of the chamber.
"I am Arthur Solas Regnum, the Fourth Sky King of the Order of Light. I am the only person who has ever defeated my father in single combat, and I am the strongest Saint Class cultivator in the history of this city. If you doubt that, then I invite you to test it."
The chamber became completely still.
The elders remained seated with their hands resting against their concealed artifacts, but the confidence that had filled their expressions moments earlier had weakened beneath Arthur's pressure.
Arthur stopped at the edge of the table and looked at each elder in turn.
"You have artifacts, while I have light. You should understand better than anyone that light reveals what is hidden, burns what cannot be purified, and exposes everything that attempts to remain concealed. Unless you possess absolute darkness, you cannot simply prevent it from reaching you."
He spread his hands slightly.
"So I will ask you once more. Will you move against the Clover Clan?"
The first elder stared at Arthur for several long seconds before slowly withdrawing his hand from beneath his robes. One by one, the other elders followed his example.
"The clan will not be destroyed," the first elder said at last. His voice remained tense, and the concession clearly came against his wishes. "However, we will not accept the patriarch's demand to compete for the position of Sky King. That is our final offer."
Arthur held the elder's gaze for another moment before finally nodding and returning to his chair.
"That is acceptable."
As Arthur sat down, the oppressive tension within the chamber gradually eased. The enchanted crystals brightened again, restoring the room's previous illumination as the shadows withdrew toward the corners.
The second elder spoke, although resentment remained evident in his voice.
"The boy, Austin. What do you intend to do with him?"
Arthur leaned back and turned his attention toward the map of the continent spread across the table.
"We will watch him, guide him, and wait for the right moment to use the power he possesses."
The third elder frowned.
"Use him for what?"
Arthur's red eyes remained fixed upon the map.
"For everything he is capable of."