Chapter 351: The Undercurrent Subsides
In the study, Legate's brow was tightly furrowed. Opposite him, Rhodes sat on the sofa.
"If there are no issues, arrange it for tonight," Rhodes spoke first.
He had decided to personally handle the two troublesome Dukes. He would cut the Gordian knot and capture both of them, along with the powerful existences in their mansions.
Legate's task was to send troops to suppress any remaining guards and seize their property.
"Lord Rhodes... if possible, please spare their lives," Legate hesitated repeatedly before speaking.
"You should know that clearing out these two Grand Dukes will benefit you in strengthening your own power," Rhodes said indifferently.
There were only four Dukes in the entire Kingdom of Ersten. By helping Legate remove two, he allowed the Emperor to reclaim vast lands and authority.
"I know that naturally, but please, for the sake of their ancestors, spare their lives," Legate smiled bitterly.
These two Dukes had helped him significantly before he ascended the throne, so his heart softened.
"Very well," Rhodes agreed.
Perhaps in Legate's eyes, these two Dukes were indeed venerable figures with weighty family histories.
But before Rhodes, who had lived for a millennium and witnessed the end of the Mythical Era, the so-called seniority of families with only a dozen generations of history was nothing more than flashy decoration.
What followed was a simple purge.
Rhodes didn't mobilize the mages of the Magic Association. Instead, he arrived alone above the first Duke's mansion.
Inside, the old Duke was whispering with several confidants, discussing how to further pressure the Royal Family, use public opinion to smear the Magic Association's arrogant actions, and find an opportunity to act against Serie.
As long as they captured Serie, they could force Rhodes to hand over the immortality magic.
However, just as their discussion heated up, a figure suddenly appeared before them. It was Rhodes.
Rhodes's arrival silenced everyone instantly. The old Duke roared, summoning a large number of guards.
Because of the actions of Alvin and the others, he had arranged numerous guards and mages in the mansion just in case.
However, as soon as these people appeared, they were crushed to the ground by Rhodes's Gravity Magic, unable to move.
Some powerful warriors tried to forcibly move their bodies relying on physical strength, but they were immediately frozen in place by magic that locked space itself, unable to move even a finger.
Rhodes walked leisurely up to the old Duke. Looking at the face twisted by shock, anger, and fear, he extended a finger and tapped the wrinkled forehead.
A magic circle unfolded, and a mental attack spell acted directly on the old Duke's mind.
In the next moment, the anger in the old Duke's eyes receded like a tide, leaving only primal fear.
Rhodes's mental magic crushed his will directly and thoroughly extinguished the wildfire of his desire for immortality.
When the Gravity Magic was lifted, the old Duke slumped in his wide chair, seeming to age twenty years in an instant. His eyes were vacant, muttering to himself, having lost all fighting spirit.
His guards remained restricted in place, forced to wait for Legate's soldiers to come and arrest them.
Although Rhodes moved quickly, he still alerted the other Duke. Upon sensing something was wrong, the second Duke immediately activated the powerful barrier his family had maintained for centuries.
He also gathered all his elite guards and hired powerful mages, preparing for a desperate resistance, possibly intending to use this as leverage for negotiation.
Rhodes's method of dealing with this was even simpler.
Floating above the mansion, countless magic circles unfolded around him. Even from a distance, the mages inside the mansion could sense the destructive aura contained within.
As Rhodes completed his spell, a pillar of destructive light bombarded the barrier directly. The powerful barrier, claimed to withstand attacks from legendary mages, lasted less than a second before shattering into countless fragments.
Looking at the terrifying figure in the sky comparable to a god, all the guards and mages were stunned, unable to muster a single thought of resistance.
"Drop your weapons! Or die!" Rhodes's cold voice was transmitted to everyone's ears via magic.
Clatter!
It started with someone dropping their weapon, and the sound grew more frequent. Eventually, everyone laid down their arms and knelt voluntarily, daring not look directly at Rhodes in the sky.
Even the Duke was no exception, kneeling on the ground waiting for soldiers to bind him and escort him to the palace.
Early the next morning, the news spread through the noble circle like a plague. Instead of uniting them against a common enemy, it caused division as everyone feared for themselves.
The nobles, already full of contradictions, reacted differently. Some rushed to distance themselves, some secretly rejoiced at their rivals' downfall, and others were terrified by Rhodes's unfathomable means, daring not harbor even half a thought of opposition.
Two illustrious Duke families collapsed overnight, their honor and status vanished completely.
Titles stripped, all lands and most property confiscated, core members ordered to leave the capital within a set time for exile in the distant borders.
Rhodes had indeed spared their lives, but the condition for survival was losing all worldly status and wealth. For people who once stood at the pinnacle of power, this might be more torturous than death.
As for the lesser nobles who attached themselves to the two families and provided various support, Rhodes didn't let them off either.
Together with Legate, under the pretext of capturing demon spies, he conducted a purge.
Arrests, executions, demotions—all carried out as necessary.
Under these continuous heavy blows, the undercurrent in the capital targeting Rhodes and the Magic Association temporarily calmed down.
Standing on the terrace of the Association headquarters tower, Rhodes overlooked the capital. The night scene was as usual, as if the recent series of turbulences had never happened.
Serie appeared silently beside him. "Is this enough?" she asked softly. "As long as the temptation of immortality remains, new reckless fools will always emerge. And next time, they might be even more covert."
Rhodes didn't turn his head. "Of course it is not enough. Desire is like a weed; fire cannot burn it out completely. As long as people fear death and crave eternal life, my existence and the Association's existence will always be their target."
"Then do you have a solution? We can't have a purge every time, right? That will make you a public enemy," Serie said with worry.
"Since they want it so much, I will just give it to them."
Serie was somewhat baffled by Rhodes's answer.
She wanted to ask further, but something happened in the Association requiring her attention, so she abandoned the thought of pressing him.
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 200 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you