Chương 525: Chapter : 525

"Hours before the weapon was fired," the Emperor revealed, "the Bluemoon capital was invaded by a massive army of dark magic users. The Black Magicians attacked their walls. They enslaved their people. The Bluemoon grandmasters were falling." Princess Iris widened her violet eyes. She did not know the Emperor had this information.

"The other nations did absolutely nothing," the Emperor accused coldly.

"They sat behind their borders and watched. But Belmontia acted. I authorized a highly classified rescue operation. We sent our absolute strongest force to save the falling kingdom." The Emperor raised his hand and pointed a finger toward the sky.

"We sent Archduke Lancelot," the Emperor announced loudly. The name exploded through the television speakers. The massive crowd in the plaza went absolutely wild. The citizens cheered at the top of their lungs. They screamed Lancelot's name. The masked entity was a legend. He was a myth. To hear the Emperor confirm his existence on national television was a massive shock. Inside the 13th Unit living room, the reaction was just as intense. Zinia dropped her jaw.

"Lancelot? The masked god? The Emperor sent him to Bluemoon?"

"That makes perfect sense!" Laxmi shouted excitedly. She pumped her fist in the air.

"The dark mages do not stand a chance against Lancelot! He probably wiped them all out in ten seconds!" Sayma pushed her glasses up. Her eyes shined with pure awe.

"The Emperor is a brilliant tactician. By announcing Lancelot's involvement, he proves our peaceful intentions. You do not send your greatest protector to save a city if you plan to blow it up." Ken stared at the television screen. He stopped chewing his potato chip. He slouched deeper into the sofa cushions. He put on a highly exaggerated, totally goofy expression of pure amazement.

"Wow!" Ken yelled loudly. He waved his arms in the air.

"Lancelot! That guy is so incredibly cool! He wears a black cloak! He has a glowing purple eye! He is like the ultimate overpowered guest character! He definitely uses a massive substitution jutsu! I want his autograph!" Naomi smiled warmly at Ken. She found his fanboy attitude very charming. She patted his arm.

"He is very cool, Ken. He protects the entire Empire from the shadows. You should definitely look up to him. He is a true hero." Ken gave her a lazy grin.

"I will try to be exactly like him. I will start by wearing a mask when I take my naps. It will block out the sun."

"You are totally ridiculous," Naomi chuckled softly. The Emperor continued his speech. He waited for the cheering crowd to quiet down. His face turned incredibly strict and merciless. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Lancelot and his shadow army fought bravely," the Emperor stated.

"They dismantled the dark invasion. They saved the royal family and pushed the dark mages back. The city was secure. But a second group of war criminals was hiding in the shadows. They had been waiting for Lancelot to leave. The moment he withdrew, they fired the toxic weapon from our borders. The weapon destroyed everything." The Emperor slammed his fist onto the marble podium. The loud noise echoed across the entire capital.

"These war criminals murdered millions of innocent people!" the Emperor roared. His voice crackled with intense fury.

"They stole an ancient artifact! They tried to frame this great Empire for a genocide!" The Emperor looked directly into the camera. He delivered a chilling, absolute promise to the world.

"Hear my words," the Emperor commanded.

"Regardless of where these monsters are hiding on the Luminous planet. Regardless of what dark caves they crawl into. The Belmontia Empire will find them. We will hunt them across the oceans. We will hunt them across the deserts. We will drag them into the light. We will punish them with absolute, unyielding justice!" The crowd in the plaza erupted into a massive, deafening cheer. They chanted the Emperor's name. They chanted for Belmontia. The speech was a flawless political victory.

The Emperor had united the nation. He had cleared their name. He had declared a global manhunt for the true villains. The broadcast cut back to the news desk. Bob and Sarah looked completely energized.

"What an incredible speech!" Bob shouted into his microphone.

"The Emperor has set the record straight! The Belmontia Empire is innocent! The hunt for the real criminals begins today!" Princess Iris let out a long, quiet breath. She relaxed her shoulders. She looked very relieved.

"My father spoke perfectly. The international community will hear his words. The trade blockades will be lifted. The truth is out."

"We still have to find the bad guys," Zinia noted. She cracked her knuckles.

"Hunting them across the entire planet sounds like a massive job."

"We will do our part," Sayma agreed politely.

"We will analyze the remaining data. We will find out where they took the stolen artifact." Ken Eliot sat on the sofa. He reached his hand into his chip bag. His fingers scraped against the bottom of the plastic. The bag was totally empty. He frowned. He pulled his hand out.

"This is a massive tragedy," Ken complained lazily. He held the empty bag upside down. A single crumb fell out.

"I am completely out of snacks. My brain fuel is entirely depleted. The speech was too long. It drained all my calories." He grabbed his stomach with both hands. He bent over slightly. He put on a highly dramatic face of pure discomfort.

"Oh man," Ken groaned loudly. He waved his hand in the air.

"I think I ate too fast. My stomach is doing massive backflips. It feels like a washing machine is spinning inside my belly. I need to go to the bathroom immediately."

Naomi looked at him. She looked slightly worried. She placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Are you okay, Ken? You ate a lot of sour cream and onion chips. Do you want some water?"

"I just need a bathroom break," Ken lied smoothly. He stood up and hunched his shoulders.

"I will be right back. Please save my spot on the couch. If anyone steals my spot, I will be very sad."

"I will guard your spot," Naomi promised warmly. She smiled at him.

"Go take care of your stomach, slacker." Ken shuffled out of the living room. He dragged his cheap shoes on the wooden floorboards. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He walked down the hallway. He slipped into the bathroom. He locked the door with a soft click. He stood in the center of the small room. He completely dropped the goofy, lazy act. His sleepy eyes turned incredibly sharp and cold. He stood up perfectly straight. He needed to attend a very important meeting.

He knew the Emperor's speech was just the public announcement. The real decisions were about to happen in absolute secret. Ken raised his right hand. He snapped his fingers. The air shimmered. An exact magical clone appeared next to him. The clone wore the same wrinkled suit. It grabbed its stomach and made a pained face.

"Stay here and make some noise," Ken ordered quietly.

"Act like you have a stomachache. Wash your hands a few times." The clone nodded.

"You got it, boss."