Just as Luca was thinking this, it seemed that the person had noticed his gaze.
Then, to his surprise, Ziegfried actually started walking toward him.
Immediately, everyone turned to look, and many people showed expressions of schadenfreude, eager to see how this imperial son would teach Luca a harsh lesson.
“You are Luca?” Ziegfried came to the table and looked down at Luca with a lofty gaze.
His indifferent expression, combined with his aura of coldness and authority, would probably make anyone with a weak heart faint on the spot.
Luca shook his head and said, “You have the wrong person. My name is Matthew.”
Everyone twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Matthew? What, does this guy think we’re idiots?
Ziegfried’s expression froze for a moment. It was the first time he had encountered someone who didn’t play by the rules.
“Pfft.” Princess Raphael couldn’t help but laugh, and next to her, Fratis’s eyes curved into a smile, clearly finding this person amusing.
At the same time, her gaze toward Luca held a trace of confusion.
She didn’t know why, but she felt a strange sense of familiarity with this young man…
Although Ziegfried was a little speechless, he didn’t press the matter with Luca.
He said, “I’m not here to cause trouble. I heard that you saved Dawn City and my sister. I just wanted to meet you.”
Upon hearing this, Luca finally looked up at him and smiled. “Yes, I saved Dawn City.”
Ziegfried felt a bit helpless at Luca’s air of self-importance. He was about to say something when his eyes suddenly caught sight of a bottle of wine on the side.
His gaze immediately sharpened.
Ziegfried’s nose twitched as his brow furrowed. Ignoring Luca for the moment, he turned to one of the nearby guards and asked in a low voice, “Didn’t a dragon just sit here?”
The guard answered respectfully, “Prince Marcel was sitting here earlier, but he just left.”
At this, Ziegfried couldn’t help but sneer. “Marcel? Hmph, looks like he was quick to run this time.”
The smile was as cold as a glacier from the northern lands, and everyone could feel a murderous intent. They couldn’t help but feel a chill in their hearts.
Rumor had it that Ziegfried and Marcel had a grudge, and it seemed to be true!
Luca thought back and suddenly remembered some rumors about the two of them.
It was said that when the Fifth Prince Ziegfried had gone incognito to the northern lands to serve as a soldier, he crossed paths with Marcel, who was passing through the border.
Whatever happened between them, no one knew for sure, but from that point on, Ziegfried and Marcel had become enemies.
Not only did Ziegfried’s cultivation soar, but he also frequently traveled with his sword to the northern borders of the All-Beings Empire. That was where the Dragon King’s territory was.
Unfortunately, Ziegfried never had the chance to seek revenge before he died.
It wasn’t until after Ziegfried’s death that Marcel paid his respects at his tomb.
At the tombstone, devastated by grief, Marcel had revealed the story of their past.
It turned out that when Marcel discovered Ziegfried’s true identity, he immediately found a low-level Slime that very day. Using a secret technique, he transformed it into a silly, beautiful woman to seduce Ziegfried.
Originally, he had only intended to prank the Fifth Prince. Experience new tales on
But what Marcel didn’t expect was that it actually worked. Rumor had it that Ziegfried was a virgin at the time!
Within a few days, news of the Fifth Prince riding a Slime spread across the borders between the All-Beings Empire and the Clinton Empire.
From that point on, the two men became locked in an Undying Feud.
As Luca thought about this, his gaze toward Ziegfried grew filled with sympathy.
The Fifth Prince’s first time was on a Slime? Now that was an impressive story.
Ziegfried glanced at him, his brow furrowing slightly.
Why did he feel like this young man was looking at him in a strange way?
At that moment, one of the nobles following behind them suddenly spoke up. “Your Highness, the banquet is about to begin. Shall we go inside?”
Luca glanced at him and realized that this man was one of the eight great dukes. He was currently standing next to the Crown Prince Leonie.
Noticing Luca’s gaze, the Crown Prince remained expressionless, while the duke next to him showed a playful smile.
It was clear that the duke didn’t want Ziegfried and him to get too close.
Luca narrowed his eyes slightly. It seemed that Matilda’s death hadn’t taught her son much of a lesson after all…
“Let’s go.” Ziegfried seemed unaware of the tension in the air, casually making his way toward the entrance.
But before he left, he gave Luca a meaningful glance.
At first, Luca didn’t understand what it meant.
Then, he noticed Evelyn raising an eyebrow at him, and she subtly gestured toward Fratis behind her.
Only then did Luca realize.
It seemed that the Fifth Prince was an ally after all.
That made things much easier for today…
As several princes and princesses entered, the banquet officially began.
The soft sound of a piano filled the hall, echoing throughout the grand space.
Sophia and Lucia separated from Fratis’s group and walked over toward Luca.
“What’s your plan now, Archbishop Luca?” Lucia asked teasingly as she approached, holding two glasses of red wine.
The news of Luca’s plans to establish a new church had already spread throughout Dawn City.
Including Lucia herself, many people were surprised to learn that such an extraordinary-looking young man harbored such grand ambitions.
For the aristocracy, the state church was a forbidden zone, something they wouldn’t dare touch. Yet Luca had boldly stepped right into that territory, and he had done it so skillfully that even Fratis and the royal family hadn’t pursued the matter. This had caused many to envy him intensely.
“Naturally, it’s to wait for Her Majesty the Queen to ascend the throne,” Luca replied as he took the glass from her and took a small sip. The taste was tangy at first, but the texture was delicate, with the distinctive aroma of wine. However, it was far less potent than the liquor Matilda had brought with her.
Sophia shook her head. “If you involve yourself in royal affairs, regardless of whether Fratis is successful in ascending to the throne or not, neither the royal family nor the nobility will let it slide easily.”
Luca was different from the other nobles. He had essentially no foundation, not even a domain he could call his own. If he simply focused on managing his domain and his church, with the reputation of a hero of the Empire to back him, no one would say anything.
However, if he intended to interfere with the plans of the princes, he would inevitably be targeted. Everything he had could go up in smoke.
Unless, of course, he could somehow ascend to the Divine Realm again, overpowering everyone once more.
But could he still do that? Others might not see it, but Sophia—Zenobia, rather—could. She could see that Luca’s exterior strength was a facade. The battle with the Ancient Gods had already forced him to reveal his last remaining trump cards. Now, even a Transcendent-level powerhouse could easily crush him.
“Senior, this is not a multiple-choice question,” Luca said, raising his eyes toward Fratis, who was being adored like a queen among the crowd. He spoke calmly, his gaze focused. Fratis had not yet donned her royal robes; today, she wore a simple white princess dress. The unease on her face had lessened compared to before, but she still appeared slightly out of place.
Though Luca had never wanted Fratis to become a mere tool for Alfred to maintain the Clinton monarchy, it was pointless to dwell on that now. What mattered was that, before leaving, he needed to step forward and clear away any obstacles in Fratis’s path. Even if it cost him something, it was the right thing to do.
Of course, Luca also had other options. For example, he could pretend that nothing had ever happened that night, becoming a completely heartless man. He could watch as Fratis struggled, trapped in the mire of the royal family, surrounded on all sides, with no help from him. He could choose to turn a blind eye, and enjoy the comforts that power and wealth brought him, using those resources to steadily improve himself. After all, without morals, one would be free from any constraints, and thus, wouldn’t have to take responsibility or suffer any losses to their own interests.
But could such a person still be called human?
Luca believed that strength was paramount because only with enough strength could one shoulder their responsibilities in an apocalyptic world and protect the people they cared about.
It wasn’t about gaining power for the sake of power.
For example, if he ever had to choose between becoming a god or saving the world, he would unhesitatingly choose his family.
It wasn’t a choice, because Luca had always believed that while one’s moral bottom line could be low, it shouldn’t be nonexistent. A person with no morals was no different from an animal.
And right now, Fratis was undeniably being eyed by such animals.
Sophia and Lucia naturally didn’t understand Luca’s thoughts.
They exchanged a glance, both of them somewhat curious—was Fratis truly worth all of this effort?
After all, they hadn’t known each other for long, and right now, Fratis’s mind was damaged. She couldn’t even remember who Luca was.
While they suspected that the relationship between the two was unusual.
They probably never imagined that Luca and Fratis would have the courage to go this far…
At that moment, a disturbance suddenly arose from the crowd of nobles and royals.
A group of people surrounded Fratis, talking among themselves, and Augustine and the others had expressions of anger on their faces.
It seemed that the main event of the evening was beginning.
Luca’s gaze flickered for a moment, and he stood up, striding toward the scene.
“This guy really knows how to cause trouble,” Lucia sighed, following him.
Sophia didn’t move.
She watched Luca walk away, taking a small sip of her wine, and silently asked herself, Can you still use your power?
“Of course,” Zenobia’s voice responded, almost laced with some kind of magic. “But this time, it’s not just about half a body like before.”
Sophia asked, “What do you want?”
Zenobia didn’t answer immediately, instead sneering. “What a fool. You should be grateful that I’m not interested in you right now, or you’d have died countless times already.”
Sophia furrowed her brow, seemingly a bit irritated.
“Don’t worry about them,” Zenobia said lazily. “This time, you’re lucky. That girl has the divine rank and blood of the Goddess of Dawn within her. Though she hasn’t learned how to use it yet, she’s not someone ordinary mortals can handle. And…”
There was a pause, and then Zenobia suddenly chuckled. “And that boy still has a trump card he hasn’t used.”
