Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 574: Neither Dragon… nor Phoenix.... It’s Draconyx

Nobles and high-ranking officers sat tensely around the round table before the throne, their faces etched with fear and unease.

Just yesterday, they had witnessed something terrifying unfold above the castle. It was unlike anything they had ever encountered.

They knew, deep down, that something was wrong with their new Emperor. Now, summoned abruptly to the throne room, an ominous sense of dread hung over them.

”Does anyone know why His Majesty has called us here?” one of the nobles asked, his voice trembling as his eyes darted nervously around the room.

”N-No,” another stammered, clutching the arms of his chair as though holding on for dear life. ”I-I just pray he doesn’t... execute us.”

”Execute us?!” a third noble exclaimed, his voice cracking with panic. ”W-Why in the heavens would he do that?”

”I-I don’t know,” the first replied, his hands trembling. ”But I have this horrible feeling... like something terrible is about to happen.”

They continued to whisper amongst themselves, their speculation growing wilder with each passing moment.

Then, the doors to the chamber swung open, and the room fell deathly quiet.

Victor entered with a commanding presence, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor. All eyes turned to him, and a collective gasp escaped the group.

”Who... who is that?” one noble whispered, his voice barely audible.

Victor smirked, the kind of smirk that sent shivers down their spines. Without a word, he walked to the throne with an air of grace and authority. The way he carried himself was almost otherworldly especially after his mutated body... As he reached the throne, he lowered himself into it with a fluid, confident motion. His gaze swept over the room,

”You may sit down,” he said, his tone calm yet commanding.

It was as though his words bypassed their minds and spoke directly to their bodies; they all sat immediately, some not even realizing they had done so.

Victor gestured toward Lyirrs, who stood beside Drakhairs. She stepped forward and began distributing documents to the nobles. As each person glanced at the papers before them, their eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

”This... this can’t be true,”

”W-What is the meaning of this, Sir?” another noble asked, desperation creeping into his tone.

”T-There’s no way... Surely, this must be some mistake...”

Victor let out a small sigh, leaning forward slightly as he rested his chin on his hand. ”I assure you, this is no mistake,” he said, his voice carrying an unsettling calm. ”The collapse of our empire was always destined to happen. It was inevitable. That is why we must act now to save ourselves. Even the Sovereign... will not be able to stop this.”

”W-What?! Not even the Sovereign can stop it?”

”A-Are we all going to die?”

One of the nobles began to scream, ”NOOO—!” but his outburst was abruptly silenced when Drakhairs fixed him with a menacing glare. The man snapped his mouth shut and cowed into silence.

Drakhairs turned to Victor. ”May I, Sir?”

Victor gave a small nod.

Drakhairs stepped forward, He took a deep breath before speaking. ”According to His Majesty’s calculations, the collision is imminent. However, we do have some time to act—”

”How much time?” someone interjected hurriedly, their voice laced with panic.

Drakhairs hesitated for a brief moment before answering, ”Roughly two or three months.” though in reality, they weren’t sure, Victor roughly calculated his own time.

A collective gasp swept through the room. Their faces turned pale as the weight of his words sank in.

”No... this can’t be happening...”

”Only two or three months?!”

Drakhairs cleared his throat, ”That is why Our Mighty Emperor has presented us with two options,” he said. ”The first is to gather the people of your domains and teleport them to another empire as refugees.”

The room fell silent. The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, some nodding hesitantly as if they could see no other choice.

”But,” Drakhairs continued, his voice growing firmer, ”if you choose to stay in this empire—the empire that has nurtured you, given you power, and provided for you—then you must help us.”

”Help you?” one noble spat, his fear giving way to anger. ”How could we possibly help? Even the Sovereign couldn’t do anything! And you expect us to succeed?”

”Calm yourself,” Lyirrs interjected, her voice sharp but controlled. She gestured toward another set of documents on the table. ”Please, take a look at these.”