An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2551

Bryce burst into Nathaniel’s quarters, stumbling as he entered. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and his face was pale with fear.

At that moment, Nathaniel sat at his desk, gazing into the dim glow of a single lamp, deep in thought. He frowned and looked up at the sound of frantic footsteps.

“Y-Your Highness! Something terrible has happened,” Bryce stammered, rushing through the door, too panicked to observe proper decorum.

“What is it?” Nathaniel asked, his expression tightening with irritation.

The mansion was so vast that the earlier explosion at the main gate hadn’t reached his ears.

“Your Highness, Zeus and Hera—the royal gods from the Hall of Gods—just forced their way in and attacked. General Derin tried to stop them, but Zeus raised his hand and struck him down with a lightning bolt. General Derin… he died instantly.”

Bryce struggled to steady his breathing as he recounted the events. Though no stranger to battle, the sudden and violent death of Lycas had shaken him to the core.

In an instant, Lycas’ body exploded—completely obliterated—leaving behind only a few scorched fragments. Even his bones had turned to ash.

The horrific sight left a deep psychological scar on Bryce. Despite being a grandmaster martial artist, he had felt as powerless as an insect before Zeus. The overwhelming difference in strength shattered his confidence.

“What nonsense is this?” Nathaniel snapped. “Why would royal gods from the Hall of Gods attack my home and kill my men? You must be mistaken.”

His immediate reaction was disbelief. He had no known conflict with anyone from the Hall of Gods. In fact, they’d even engaged in some under-the-table dealings.

By any logic, the Hall of Gods had no reason to target him—let alone send two royal gods.

These divine figures were supreme warriors, capable of shifting the tides of nations. They wouldn’t act without reason, and certainly not without gain.

None of it made sense to Nathaniel, and he refused to believe it.

“Your Highness, I swear it’s true. Some of General Derin’s remains are still scattered near the gate. I wouldn’t dare lie to you,” Bryce said, his face full of anguish.

“How could this happen? I’ve never wronged them. Why would they come after me?” Nathaniel’s expression darkened.

“It’s because of Mr. Rhys,” Bryce blurted out.

He didn’t dare conceal the truth and quickly explained:

“They’re here for him. General Derin was killed just for hesitating to respond.

“If I hadn’t immediately suggested helping them track Mr. Rhys, they might have stormed the mansion and put your life in danger, Your Highness.”

“Logan?” Nathaniel’s expression grew even darker.
He had suffered significant losses just to win Dustin’s favor. Even after his vault was destroyed and the Dracan essence was stolen, he swallowed his pride. His goal was to leave a good impression on Dustin and lay the groundwork for future gains.

Nathaniel never anticipated that Dustin would be entangled in such a massive conflict—so severe that the Hall of Gods had dispatched two royal gods from across the continent to kill him.

If Nathaniel chose to protect Dustin, he would risk offending the royal gods and bringing disaster upon himself. But handing him over would mean betraying the West Lucozian monarchy and throwing away all he had invested.

No matter which path he took, neither offered a favorable outcome.

“What should we do now, Your Highness?” Bryce asked, pale and drenched in sweat. “Lord Zeus gave us one day. If we don’t deliver by sunset tomorrow, they’ll return—and next time, it won’t end well for us.”

“Damn it!” Nathaniel cursed, clenching his jaw. “How did I get dragged into this mess?”

His expression shifted between frustration and dread. One wrong move could make an already dire situation even worse.

After a long pause, he gave the order, “Prepare the car. I’m going out.”

In moments like this, there was only one person he could truly rely on—Cynthia.

Whenever he encountered a crisis, he turned to his mother. She always had a way of finding a solution, no matter how hopeless things seemed.

With royal gods now involved, the situation was far beyond his ability to handle alone. He would need to rely on his mother—and the Spanner family’s influence—to weather the storm.

As night fell, Nathaniel, accompanied by Bryce and a few trusted aides, sped toward Aylka in a car.

To avoid attracting attention, he even went in disguise. Thankfully, the journey went smoothly, and they soon arrived at Cynthia’s royal residence.

At that moment, she was reading quietly by the lamp. When she saw her son enter in such a flustered state, she looked up, puzzled.

“Nathaniel, what’s the matter? Why the urgency?” she asked.

“Mother, I’m in trouble,” he said, not holding anything back as he carefully explained the entire situation.

Cynthia’s expression grew serious as she listened. She gestured for Nathaniel to sit and ordered someone to bring tea.

After a thoughtful pause, she said, “This isn’t impossible to fix. With the right strategy, it could even turn into an opportunity.”

“Really? Do you have a plan?” Nathaniel asked, his eyes full of hope.

“You need to send someone to warn Logan. Let him know the royal gods are after him and he should be on alert. This could be our chance to do him a favor,” Cynthia said.

“Mother, if we do that, won’t the royal gods come after me too?” Nathaniel asked, frowning.

“Hold on—let me finish,” she said, smiling faintly.

“You’re offering him a favor, so he’ll owe you in the future. As for the Hall of Gods, just deflect the blame. Find a scapegoat. That way, you don’t offend the West Lucozian monarchy, and you remove yourself from the situation entirely. It’s the perfect solution, don’t you think?”