Chapter 978: Alternate Timeline: The Loot

Meanwhile, Xander Cross remained silent. His expression shifted repeatedly while staring between Wester, the corpses, and Kiara.

Attempted assassination alone was already a serious crime.

But colluding with the Church of Doom...

That accusation carried a far darker meaning.

For nobles, imprisonment was almost merciful compared to the punishment usually attached to such crimes.

"Death may actually be kinder," Xander thought grimly.

Then suddenly, he remembered Arceus. Turning instinctively, he glanced toward the young man.

Arceus stood motionless.

Too motionless.

His pale fingers trembled faintly beside his robes while his eyes remained fixed somewhere distant, almost empty, as though his thoughts were trapped inside a storm no one else could see.

It became impossible to understand what exactly he was feeling.

Shock?

Pain?

Disappointment?

Or simply exhaustion?

Fortunately...

Or perhaps unfortunately...

Kiara already had different plans.

The moment she accepted Arceus under her protection, she understood one unavoidable truth.

She could not kill Wester Silver.

Not because Wester deserved mercy.

But because some wounds spread beyond the person being punished.

Still...

Forgiveness did not mean freedom.

As Kiara silently considered what punishment should befall a man incapable of learning his lesson, Selene Ash finally stepped forward.

Her legs trembled slightly.

Her eyes were red.

Yet she still forced herself to stand between them.

"Please..." she pleaded softly while looking toward Kiara. "Please spare his life, Kiara. Don’t stain your hands with your blood during such an occassion. Let the law punish..."

Her voice cracked midway.

But before she could continue further, Kiara interrupted gently.

"Do not worry, Lady Selene," she said calmly. "You and your husband are still guests I personally invited. Even if your husband has crossed all the lines, I still have not forgotten my manners as a host."

Those words stunned several nearby guests.

Even now...

After the assassination...

After betrayal...

Kiara still spoke with restraint.

Then she turned toward Xander Cross. "Lord Cross."

"Y... yes?" Xander answered immediately, though nervousness was obvious in his tone.

Truthfully, the Supreme Commander himself remained deeply unsettled.

The moment those three guards released their suppressed cultivation earlier, Xander already realized something horrifying.

They were stronger than him.

Far stronger.

Then he watched Kiara swallow a potion resembling an Advancement Potion before summoning a clone powerful enough to massacre all three effortlessly.

And that frightened him more than anything else.

Because, according to common knowledge, Advancement Potions became less effective the higher one’s cultivation rose.

For example, a Low Four-star rank Spirit Warrior consuming an Intermediate Advancement Potion could temporarily reach Fifth Rank.

But a Five-star Rank expert taking the same potion would normally only rise slightly within the same realm unless extraordinary exceptions existed.

Yet the Lightning Clone earlier possessed strength approaching the Peak 8-star rank.

That meant only two possibilities existed.

Either Kiara herself already stood at the Elementary Legendary Realm...

Or she possessed some terrifying secret capable of breaking common cultivation logic entirely.

Neither possibility comforted Xander.

For the first time...

He genuinely felt helpless before Kiara.

Even wielding his Semi-Divine weapon while boosted by an Advancement Potion himself, He no longer felt confident defeating her.

That realization settled heavily inside his chest like cold iron.

Meanwhile, Kiara continued calmly.

"I will follow the law of the land," she stated while looking directly at Xander. "You are the Supreme Commander, and you are also a witness. The evidence lies right there."

She pointed calmly toward the corpses sprawled across the frozen floor.

"I want the Imperial Palace to investigate this matter impartially and determine whether my accusation regarding the Church of Doom is true."

Then her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I hope familial ties will not become an excuse to show mercy toward Wester Silver while giving injustice to me."

The hall remained silent.

Even breathing sounded loud now.

"As for their belongings..." Kiara continued evenly, "I will keep them as compensation for ruining my engagement ceremony."

After finishing her words, she turned toward Selene Ash again. "I believe this solution satisfies you, Lady Selene."

The older woman lowered her head gratefully.

"Thank you..."

Kiara simply nodded before turning away completely.

Then she walked toward Arceus.

The young man still stood there quietly like a statue forgotten beneath winter snow.

When Kiara reached him, she softened her voice considerably.

"Are you alright?"

Arceus remained silent for several long seconds. Then finally, without mentioning the incident even once, he turned away quietly.

"I’m tired, Kiara. I’m returning home."

And with that, he began walking toward the exit without sparing another glance toward either of his parents or waiting for her.

Kiara watched him silently for a moment.

Then she turned toward the remaining guests and bowed slightly.

"I apologize for the inconvenience," she said calmly, "but I believe it is best to end the ceremony here. Please continue dining if you wish. Noah and Zion will remain to accompany you."

Her gaze shifted one final time toward Wester Silver.

Cold.

Unreadable.

Then she walked away.

The journey upstairs passed in silence.

Only the faint sounds of footsteps echoed through the corridor while distant conversations from downstairs gradually faded behind them.

When Arceus reached his room and opened the door, Kiara, who managed to catch up to him, suddenly grabbed his wrist gently.

"Wait," she said softly. "Let’s talk. I cannot allow your father to escape punishment, but if you want, I can still..."

Before she finished, Arceus interrupted quietly. "I want to be alone for a while."

His voice sounded exhausted.

Not angry.

Not emotional.

Just tired.

"I need time to organize my thoughts."

Kiara slowly loosened her grip. "Alright."

After a brief pause, she added softly, "When you’re ready, knock on my door."

Arceus nodded faintly before entering his room. The door closed behind him.

Inside, he slowly sat upon the edge of the bed while pressing both hands against his head.

A long sigh escaped his lips.

"Everything was good until a little while ago," he whispered bitterly. "Why did it have to become like this..."

Meanwhile, Kiara stood outside quietly for several moments before finally returning to her own room.

Honestly...

Her mood was not entirely ruined.

The gifts she received earlier remained extremely valuable.

The loot taken from the assassins also excited her greatly.

And after seeing Wester lose all courage, she became almost certain he would never attempt something this reckless again.

Even if he did...

Kiara already felt confident she could beat him to death personally.

That is what she wanted to tell Arceus, but she didn’t get that opportunity.

Leaving Arceus to his own thoughts, she went to her room, locked the door behind her, and opened the inventory calmly.

The first items she examined were the assassin armors.

All twelve armor pieces belonged to Gold Grade equipment.

Since their quality failed to attract much interest, Kiara dismantled them immediately without even reading their details carefully.

The process completed quickly.

The metallic fragments dissolved into light.

In total, the dismantling rewarded her with 3522 credits.

The two daggers carried by the Peak Seven-star rank assassin also belonged to Gold Grade equipment, though their superior craftsmanship granted her another 852 credits after dismantling.

Then came the final pair.

The weapons belonging to the Eigh-star rank assassins.

Platinum Grade.

Kiara paused.

For several seconds, she simply stared at them silently inside the inventory interface.

If dismantled, they could probably provide 6k-8k additional credits.

But, she shook her head lightly. "I think Noah will like these more."

As an assassin-type android, Noah specialized in stealth and close-range combat. Although the Protos daggers remained far stronger, Kiara still felt the platinum weapons suited Noah nicely as gifts.

At the very least...

He would definitely become happy receiving them.

"Alright," Kiara muttered while stretching slightly. "Let’s see whether these people carried anything useful. Hopefully, some Ether crystals."

She connected her consciousness to one of the storage rings belonging to the younger seven-star rank assassin.

Inside, she found ordinary clothing, preserved food, talismans, several potions, and various Ether crystals piled carelessly together.

But among them...

One object immediately drew her attention.

A scythe with a long handle.

And strangely ominous.

"Hm?"

Kiara narrowed her eyes before taking it out carefully.

The moment the weapon appeared in her hands, she instinctively tested its weight and was immediately surprised.

It felt absurdly light, almost feather-like.

"I wonder what kind of metal this is made from..."

But just then...

The scythe suddenly trembled violently.

Its handle shook intensely inside her grip as though the weapon itself possessed consciousness and wanted desperately to escape from her hands.

Kiara reacted instantly.

Without hesitation, she threw it into the inventory again before opening its information window carefully.

The holographic screen appeared.

Then her eyes widened sharply.

"Crystal+?" she muttered in disbelief while staring at the displayed information, her heartbeat slowly accelerating inside the silent room.