Reborn as a Transcendent

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The tension in the chamber remained thick, and not a single soul spared Blei a glance. There was no mockery, no sympathy—only cold indifference.

Had Richard killed Blei outright, they might have feigned sorrow for a brief moment. But the Emperor had chosen restraint—Blei was left broken but alive. This meant that Richard's wrath, for now, had its limits.

A subtle wave of relief washed over the chamber, though none dared to show it.

With agonizing effort, Blei dragged himself back to his place and knelt once more. His face was drained of color, his breath ragged—he looked like a man on the brink of death.

"It has been days, and you still have no clue?" Richard's cold voice echoed as he stared down at him.

"Y-Your Majesty… I… I do have something…" Blei forced out the words, his voice hoarse with pain. Each syllable sent sharp jolts of pain through his battered body.

"Speak," Richard ordered, his expression easing slightly.

Having such incompetent subordinates was a disgrace to his reign.

The moment Richard heard that Lili had not only remained in the city but had actively blocked Blei from capturing that damned outsider, [Princess], his fury nearly erupted. ‘Time and time again, you've defied me, Lili… Do you want to die?'

If not for their nearly equal strength, he would have ended her long ago. Regrettably, if Lili decided to fight recklessly, the battle would be evenly matched.

She would undoubtedly lose, but not before inflicting unacceptable losses upon him. This was the sole reason he had tolerated her existence thus far. But now… no matter the cost, Lili had to die.

A deafening boom shook the chamber. The walls trembled as Richard’s immense aura burst forth, surging across the inner-city district like a tidal wave.

In mere seconds, a suffocating dread gripped every soul in the district, sending shivers down their spines. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the pressure vanished.

‘She’s gone.' Richard’s frown deepened, his knuckles whitening as his fists clenched tight enough to crack. His outburst had been for nothing—like swinging a sword at empty space.

Lili had anticipated his arrival and fled well in advance. She was likely already outside Jade City’s walls.

‘That damned woman… She ran faster than a startled hare!' Richard seethed.

His cold gaze snapped back to Blei. "Issue the order—lock down the entire city. Find and capture the outsider, [Princess]."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" Blei gritted his teeth through the pain and obeyed.

As the army commander slowly exited the main chamber, Kastina’s heart tightened with anxiety and unease.

‘Lil’ Hime, get out of here now!’ She knew all too well what a citywide lockdown entailed—the activation of Jade City's protective barrier. Once activated, not even a fly would be able to slip past its defenses. ṛ𝔞ɴÒВÊs

In her lifetime, she could recall only two instances when the city had been placed under lockdown. The first was during her childhood—she had been too young to understand the reason. But whatever the cause, it had to have been something monumental.

The second had been more recent, yet the reason remained just as mysterious. And now, for the third time in history—this time, it was because of Lil’ Hime!

"I’m tired. If there’s nothing else, you’re all dismissed," Richard said with a flick of his wrist, his tone laced with exhaustion.

Now that Blei was gone, Richard wasted no time in dismissing the court.

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter," a man in his fifties, clad in traditional robes, stepped forward and bowed, his gaze dark and foreboding.

Kastina’s heart lurched the moment she recognized the man. It was Grand Duke Keene—a man who bore a longstanding grudge against her.

"Speak," Richard commanded, irritation creeping into his tone. With Alicia and Lili already causing enough trouble, his patience was wearing thin.

"Your Majesty, this is the situation…" Grand Duke Keene began, carefully recounting the details of the auction house incident. With every word Keene spoke, Richard’s expression darkened.

That outsider again! That damned [Princess] had provoked me time and time again! Worse yet, my own daughter has ties to that woman. The sheer audacity is infuriating!

"Kastina!" Richard’s voice boomed.

"I am here," Kastina responded, lifting her head with a composed expression.

The surrounding princes and princesses smirked, their thoughts practically written on their faces—‘You’re in for it now!’

Kastina’s swift rise in status had been a thorn in their sides. Now that she was on the verge of punishment, they could hardly contain their glee.

"Is this true?" Richard’s deep voice carried an unmistakable weight, his expression unreadable.

"Lord Father, Grand Duke Keene is twisting the truth. Allow me to explain…" With unwavering confidence, Kastina distanced herself from Yaeger, then systematically exposed the misdeeds of Grand Duke Keene and Viscount Yelu.

And as a final blow, she accused them of deception and plotting treason. Keene’s face twitched violently, his rage barely restrained—if looks could kill, Kastina would already be dead.

"Your Highness, Seventh Princess, you may indulge in excess, but you cannot spout baseless accusations!" Keene snapped.

"Oh? If you claim innocence, then perhaps you’d care to explain the underground auctions operating in the commoners' district? Shall I order them to be dismantled this very instant? Furthermore, you conveniently acquired the Imperial Auction House while my Lord Father was away. Suspicious timing, wouldn’t you say?" Kastina added with a smirk.

Richard had never minded the underhanded dealings of the noble class, so long as they remained within acceptable bounds. However, for Grand Duke Keene to carry out his schemes in Richard’s absence was nothing short of blatant disrespect!

"Your Majesty, this is a complete misunderstanding! I merely noticed that the auction house had been left dormant for too long, so I—"

"Enough! Stand down!" Richard snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Your Majesty…" Grand Duke Keene’s face paled, his voice trembling.

"Your audience is over!" Richard’s voice was a growl, barely stopping himself from ordering Keene’s removal by force.

Keene’s entire body stiffened as he struggled to keep his composure. "…I see. Thank you for your time, Your Majesty." Before leaving, he turned and shot a seething glare at Kastina, his frustration evident.

"Kastina," Richard called, his voice colder than before.

"I am here, Father," Kastina responded, standing firm.

"Even though you have severed ties with that outsider, [Princess], your actions have still brought disorder to Jade City," Richard stated, his tone measured. "You are sentenced to ten days of house arrest, and your assets will be frozen for the time being."

Naturally, Richard didn’t entirely trust Kastina’s account. However, as his daughter, she was still afforded leniency—he could not punish her too severely.

Kastina exhaled subtly, relief washing over her. Considering the circumstances, this punishment was surprisingly mild.

The surrounding princes and princesses, however, were visibly seething. She had clearly caused a major disturbance, yet she got off with barely a slap on the wrist! The injustice was infuriating.@@novelbin@@

If it were up to them, Kastina would have been executed on the spot. Her downfall would mean one less rival to contend with. With each passing day, Kastina’s growing influence only made them more uneasy.

Meanwhile, atop the Imperial Auction House in the outer city district, Yaeger stood tall, brushing strands of her jet-black hair back into place as the wind played with them.

"I wonder how Richard will handle this… I can’t wait to see," she murmured with amusement. Before she could finish her thought, the sky shifted ominously.

No—this wasn’t natural. It was a barrier.

The moment she recognized what was happening, her pulse quickened.

‘Damn it!’

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