Chapter 425: Making the Princess Willing to Follow (2)
Atenel Sings Like a Fish
The Fisherman Kingdom and Xebel were allied states, bound by a military covenant for over a hundred years. Atenel could die anywhere, but he absolutely could not die on Xebel soil.
Mera understood the gravity of this matter and looked at Luke Shaw anxiously.
"Since it is Your Highness's request, I naturally comply. However..." Luke Shaw changed his tone. "Some things must be clarified."
Luke Shaw squatted down, staring into Atenel's eyes. Green flames burned fiercely in his gaze; the power of fear pierced the Fish Man's soul and rooted itself in his mind. Atenel cried out in terror, scrambling backward as he screamed.
"Don't come near me! Don't come near me!"
"I swear I'll never do it again! Please let me go."
"Release me!"
...
The hoarse shouts echoed through the hall. Everyone frowned. The mighty Lord of the Fisherman Kingdom, reduced to this by fear? How embarrassing.
The Fish Man soldiers charged up in anger, only to be struck and severely wounded by the flying purple crystals.
Luke Shaw took a few steps and stepped on Atenel's chest. Feeling the emotional waves emanating from the Fish Man, he was speechless. No wonder the Fisherman Kingdom is the weakest among the seven sea nations. If the Lord is like this, let alone the soldiers.
"During the fight just now, your men tried to kill me several times."
"I don't understand. Why such deep hatred for me? Is it a personal grudge? Or just simple hatred for surface-dwellers?"
"It was Orm! Orm told me to do it! I didn't want to kill you!"
"Which Orm?"
Atenel swallowed hard. "Prince Orm of Atlantis."
After saying this, he immediately shut his eyes.
A suppressed murmur arose as everyone was shocked by the news. Even Nereus hadn't anticipated this layer of causality.
The Prince of Atlantis sanctioning the murder of a surface-dweller? That's too far-fetched!
Luke Shaw raised an eyebrow, noting to himself how cooperative the man was, but his tone remained unchanged. He continued, "I've never even met Prince Orm. Why would he try to kill me? I'll give you one more chance. Tell me, who made you do it?"
"It really was Orm! He... he..."
Atenel's face was a study in conflict, his fish features turning liver-colored. He knew that once he exposed the entire affair, the royal family would surely not spare him. But if he didn't speak now, he would definitely not survive this moment.
If only I had known this surface-dweller was a 'terrorist,' you couldn't pay me enough to offend him. The Fisherman Kingdom was a renowned nation of the arts, and they despised violence and fighting.
His thoughts spun wildly, and he grew resentful toward Orm. If Orm hadn't sent the Sea God Battlesuit, he wouldn't have even considered murder. It's all his fault.
Weighing his options, he decided to go all the way, spilling the entire sequence of events, including the royal scandal.
As the sensational details emerged, the atmosphere became extremely strange.
"This guy really has the guts to say anything."
Luke Shaw muttered quietly. He had expected the man to, at most, pin a few problems on Orm, but he never expected him to dare to slander the Queen of Atlantis as well.
He revealed everything, things he should and shouldn't have: the Queen never shared a bed with her husband, Orvax had three lovers (one of whom was a man), Orm had an illegitimate half-brother, and more.
In the end, even Luke Shaw couldn't listen anymore. He cleared his throat and asked the question he was most curious about.
"Did the Queen of Atlantis really fall in love with a surface-dweller and have a son?"
"Absolutely true. I swear by the Sea God."
"Have you ever met the child?"
Atenel shook his head repeatedly. "No one knows where he is, except the royal family."
"Interesting!"
Luke Shaw chuckled. "So, Prince Orm wanted to kill me because his father was cuckolded by a surface-dweller."
Atenel's mouth twitched. He could tell the surface-dweller was playing with him, but there was no turning back now.
"Because of Orvax, Orm has always hated surface-dwellers. He will absolutely not allow his fiancée to associate with a surface-dweller, especially a surface man." As he spoke the last part, his voice quickly diminished. Unbeknownst to him, Mera had approached the two, her pale face flushed like a tomato, her hands clenched into fists, trembling violently with anger.
"Tell Orm that I will never marry him. Never!"
Luke Shaw: "..."
Nereus: "..."
Princess Guard: "..."
The mighty and wise Prince Orm, heir to the throne of Atlantis, was secretly so narrow-minded that he would order a murder from thousands of miles away for such a baseless reason.
Thinking back to everything that had happened, everyone looked regretful.
Carol clutched her head, highly suspicious that Luke Shaw had planned all of this.
Luke Shaw tossed Atenel aside and turned to look at Mera.
"Orm is in love with you."
Mera: "..."
"He sees you as his private possession. He will stop at nothing for you, including killing me."
Mera retorted angrily, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Luke Shaw sneered, "I am a man who pays debts. If someone tries to kill me, I will retaliate, be it a prince or a king. All the same."
Mera's pupils contracted. "Don't be rash. He is..."
Luke Shaw stepped forward, looking down at her. "This matter started because of you, so it must end with you."
"Since Prince Orm is so afraid of being cuckolded by a surface-dweller, I will make his nightmare come true. From this moment on, you belong to me."
"Impudence!"
Nereus roared in rage. "Seize him!"
The guards immediately raised their weapons, and energy blasts shot in from all directions. Luke Shaw raised his hand, and a red barrier appeared around him, blocking all attacks.
"Your Highness, what do you think?"
Mera shook her head repeatedly. "Luke, you can't do this. We can talk this through."
"It seems you don't object, then. Good."
"Your Majesty, I'm taking your daughter. If you want her back, send Orm to me alone. We will have a sacred duel. If I win, Mera is mine. If I lose, I leave my life behind. If he doesn't show up, I'll make his fiancée bear me a dozen children."
Luke Shaw laughed wildly, grabbed Mera's arm, and shot upward. In mid-water, a red flash pierced the roof and disappeared into the deep sea.
Carol cursed him as a scoundrel. A dense purple light erupted from her body. The light flashed, and she, too, vanished.
Their speed was incredibly fast. The guards could only stare helplessly, utterly unable to stop them.
This scene was destined to be a momentous page in Atlantean history. The mighty Princess of Xebel was kidnapped by a surface-dweller right before their very eyes.
This wasn't just an insult; it was tantamount to defecating right on their heads.
The enraged Nereus immediately informed all military departments to search for Mera. The military alliance meeting was no longer necessary. The Fisherman Kingdom delegation, afraid to linger, immediately set off for home.
Before long, the news spread throughout the sea kingdoms.
Luke Shaw became famous as a public enemy of Atlantis. Of course, the one who became more famous was Prince Orm, after all, Mera was his fiancée. A husband whose wife is kidnapped cannot just hide like a turtle, right?
The nations at odds with Atlantis publicized the incident relentlessly. They were curious to see how the Prince would respond to the surface-dweller's challenge.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!