Chapter 1124:- The Empire in Chains
Chapter 1124: Chapter 1124:- The Empire in Chains
Despite speaking in a calm and composed manner, Aditya never allowed the hatred buried deep within his heart to appear on his face. To everyone present, he looked rational and collected.
However, only he knew the truth. Long ago, Ren had already crossed the point where forgiveness or redemption was possible. From the moment he chose ambition over family, power over morality, and the Imperial Throne over the lives of his own blood relatives, he had already sealed his own fate.
There would never be reconciliation between the two of them. There would never be mercy. When the day finally came, Ren would die by Aditya’s own hands.
Aditya could never forgive Ren for stealing his childhood. He had been born as the son of the King and Queen of the strongest Empire in the entire world. He should have grown up surrounded by the unconditional love of his parents, learning from his father, being cared for by his mother, and creating countless precious memories together with his family.
Instead, those years became filled with loneliness, betrayal, and exile. The warmth of a complete family, the guidance of a father, and the affection of a mother were all taken away before he even had the opportunity to truly experience them.
Everything that should have naturally belonged to him had slowly been stripped away because of Ren’s schemes.
Even after forcing him into exile, Ren still refused to let him live in peace. Time and time again, he sent assassins to take Aditya’s life. He orchestrated countless plots from the shadows, hoping to erase him completely.
He attacked the Harrington Family, nearly destroyed everyone Aditya cared about, and almost succeeded in killing several of his loved ones. Now, after learning everything about the Tomb of Black Tomb, there was even a strong possibility that his own parents had become victims of the organisation because of Ren’s endless greed for power. Every time Aditya thought about that possibility, the hatred buried within his heart only grew stronger.
Ren’s list of sins had become far too long. Every innocent life sacrificed for his ambition, every betrayal he committed, every crime he ordered, and every tear shed by the people around Aditya were firmly engraved into his memory.
None of it would ever be forgotten, and none of it would ever be forgiven. Ren had accumulated far too many sins to deserve redemption. One day, Aditya would make him repay every single debt. Not all at once, but little by little, until there was nothing left for Ren to repay.
"The organisation is a force that none of us can afford to underestimate."
"Its leader has been alive for more than one million years. More importantly, the process of building this organisation also began nearly one million years ago."
His words immediately caused the atmosphere inside the hall to become even heavier.
"You can all imagine what kind of hidden strength an organisation can accumulate after developing in complete secrecy for an entire million years. A force that has existed for such an unimaginable length of time would have countless hidden branches, powerful experts, secret resources, and influence spread throughout the world. We still have no idea how deep their roots truly extend."
The nobles fell silent. Just imagining an organisation that had spent one million years expanding in the shadows was enough to make their hearts grow heavy.
"One... one million years?" Ferdinand repeated in a tone filled with shock and disbelief. His eyes widened as he looked at Aditya, finding it almost impossible to accept such an absurd number.
"It is true." Before Aditya could answer, Duke William slowly nodded.
"My late brother came to the same conclusion before his death."
Everyone’s attention immediately shifted toward William.
"My brother spent years researching ancient records and forgotten historical documents. During his investigation, he noticed that several major historical events did not match one another."
"Different records described the same events differently, while some periods of history seemed to have entire sections missing. It was almost as though someone had deliberately erased parts of history to hide something from future generations."
William’s expression darkened as he recalled his brother. "Before he could fully uncover the truth or reveal his findings to anyone, he was assassinated."
He slowly lowered his gaze. "After his death, I found his personal notebook. Everything I just said came from the notes he left behind. Even then, he had not managed to finish his investigation, but it was enough to convince me that someone had been manipulating history for an incredibly long time."
Those words sent another wave of silence through the dining hall. If both Aditya’s information and William’s late brother’s investigation pointed toward the same conclusion, then the existence of an ancient organisation operating from the shadows for nearly one million years no longer sounded impossible.
Instead, it sounded terrifyingly real.
Everyone felt terrified. They did not expect the organisation’s influence to run this deep.
"The reason I am telling all of you this, even though I know many of you may still have doubts about my claims, is that I discovered something after killing one of the organisation’s members."
Aditya reached into his Storage Ring and took out a thick black notebook. "When I searched his belongings, I found this notebook. Inside it was a list containing the names of people whom the organisation had marked for elimination."
As those words left his mouth, the expressions of everyone in the hall immediately became serious. "One of the names on that list... was the former General, Nico William."
The moment those words were spoken, Cassian William slowly closed his eyes. A deep look of pain flashed across his face.
Aditya had already shown him the contents of the notebook several days ago. He knew his brother’s death was not Aditya’s fault. By the time Aditya had reached him, everything had already been over. Nico William had already been murdered by the organisation before anyone could save him.
Taking a slow breath, Cassian opened his eyes once more, silently suppressing the grief in his heart. Without saying another word, Aditya opened the notebook to the page containing the assassination list before handing it to Wahid.
"Uncle, Pass it around."
Wahid respectfully accepted the notebook and began passing it from one noble leader to another.
As each person read the page, the expressions around the dining hall gradually changed. The initial scepticism slowly faded, replaced by solemnity and unease.
Although they had not yet finished reading every name listed within the notebook, the fact that Nico William’s name appeared there exactly as Aditya claimed made the notebook’s authenticity significantly more convincing.
One after another, the nobles silently handed the notebook to the next person, while the atmosphere inside the dining hall grew heavier with every passing moment.
"To the Tomb of Black Tomb, I am one of their greatest threats." This was a fact that both parties knew.
"The reason is simple. I know too much about them. I know things that they have spent hundreds of thousands of years trying to keep hidden from the rest of the world. As long as I remain alive, there is always a possibility that more of their secrets will eventually come to light."
"Not to mention, the countless times I have gotten in their way and prevented them from succeeding."
He paused briefly before continuing. "That is also why they are determined to stop me from becoming Emperor at any cost. Whether it is through assassination, manipulation, or open war, they will not allow me to ascend the Imperial Throne if they can prevent it."
Aditya slowly looked around the hall before explaining the reason behind it.
"Once I become Emperor, not only will my personal strength increase dramatically, but the Tomb of Black Tomb will also lose the influence it has maintained over the Celestial Dragon Empire for nearly a decade. At present, they are able to manipulate many affairs from the shadows by using my cousin as their puppet. Through him, they can quietly protect their own interests while directing the Empire’s resources wherever they desire."
He gently tapped the table with his finger. "By secretly controlling the Celestial Dragon Empire, the organisation has been able to expand its influence, conceal its movements, transport resources, eliminate its enemies, and carry out countless operations without attracting unnecessary attention."
"The Empire’s enormous military strength, political influence, and vast territories have all become convenient tools for the organisation to exploit."
"That is precisely why they fear me. The moment I become Emperor, that invisible hand controlling the Empire from the shadows will be severed. Their operations throughout the Empire will become significantly more difficult, many of their hidden plans will be disrupted, and countless benefits they have enjoyed for years will disappear overnight."
Aditya’s eyes swept across every noble present. "In other words, this civil war is no longer just a battle for the Imperial Throne. It is also a battle to reclaim the Celestial Dragon Empire from the hands of the organisation that has been quietly controlling it from the shadows for years."
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