Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1566 - 539: Final Decision Authority_2

A different royal elder, who appeared to have observed the earlier clash between Rein and Pantoscoke, rubbed his whitening beard while grinning in support.

The rest of the attendees chimed in with their views too, everyone fully in consensus.

Witnessing this, Everton's expression grew darker by the moment.

His grandaunt stood out with her stunning looks, mighty skills, and sharp wits, and clearly, she had already won over certain royal elders.

Yet, it was obvious his grandaunt hadn't disclosed Rein's hidden flaw, that deadly vulnerability!

No alternative existed—if he aimed to halt things right then, exposing this secret was essential!

Even if it caused a rift with his grandaunt, he simply had no option!

"Hold on, I oppose elevating Rein," Everton declared firmly.

"Hmm?" Those gathered turned puzzled gazes toward Second Prince Everton, since Rein clearly topped the list in power and mission involvement.

The evaluation for Imperial Guardian focused mainly on two aspects: personal might and engagement in empire tasks.

Rein had risen from Imperial Swordsman rank, joining numerous missions of all scales.

Put simply, if Rein didn't qualify, no one else on the roster did.

"Everton, decisions must benefit the empire as a whole," Menia's lovely eyes narrowed, radiating an air of regal poise.

She had a faint inkling of what Everton intended to reveal!

A spark lit in Everton's eyes as he fixed his gaze on Menia and smirked, "Grandaunt, you haven't mentioned to the elders that Rein carries not the standard dragon bloodline, but the multi-headed dragon bloodline, right?"

"What!" Everton's revelation sparked instant chaos among the royal elders there!

As dragon bloodline bearers themselves, they were well aware of this hidden truth.

Princess Renala gently placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide with shock.

Ever since viewing the bout between Rein and Pantoscoke, a quiet respect for Rein had started to grow in Renala's heart.

Before that, she'd encountered plenty of gifted youths in the Empire, yet none had stirred her until Rein's display in the Royal Arena.

But who'd have thought Rein possessed the multi-headed dragon bloodline?

Hold on, rumors say that back when Grandaunt Menia was young...

Renala shot a look at her stoic grandaunt, then a wave of sympathy hit her, "Everton, don't throw around claims without proof."

"Proof? Should I summon every fighter from the Battle of Ferdinand Forest?" Everton scoffed.

Suddenly, every gaze locked onto Menia, who sat at the table's head.

They recalled how the Empire's command in the Ferdinand Forest battle fell to 'Red Queen' Menia personally.

Yet right then, Menia...stayed quiet.

Since such a fact could be verified with ease.

Unless she eliminated all the Imperial warriors from that fight—which, though feasible, she clearly wouldn't attempt.

Everyone there was sharp-minded, and Menia's quietness let them grasp the situation at once.

Her lack of words said it all.

"I propose we vote on approving Rein as Imperial Guardian," Everton stated, beaming with assurance.

Right after, he lifted his right hand ahead of others, "Anyone against, please raise your hand."

Just as Everton anticipated, the royal elders lifted their hands sequentially.

"Per our ancestors' rules, descendants of cursed outsider bloodlines, such as the multi-headed dragon bloodline, face total elimination."

"With that in mind, I back the Second Prince's stance."

"..."

Everton scanned the room smugly, noting that of the four royal elders present, three had voted against, plus his own, totaling four no's out of seven.

One elder had always been close to Grandaunt Menia, so his refusal to vote against made sense.

Regarding Renala, though Everton wondered briefly why she abstained, it didn't change the outcome, so he let it slide.

"Four against three, Grandaunt, it looks like..." Everton remarked with a grin toward Menia.

But Menia cut him off mid-sentence.

"Hold, with His Majesty away, I hold complete control over Empire matters. I now use my ultimate veto to confirm Rein's rise to Imperial Guardian—no more debate," Menia stated coolly.

"What! Grandaunt! Father would never allow this if he learned!" Everton's eyes bulged, and he shot up from his chair, cheeks flushing, shouting in protest.

"Oh? Yet right now, that power is mine, isn't it?" Menia stayed composed, giving Everton a steady look.

"You...you'll rue this day!"

Seething with rage, Everton huffed like an enraged beast and stormed out of the imperial meeting hall!

...

Second Prince Mansion.

"Bang!!!"

Back in his study, Everton's fury boiled over as he hurled a prized bust sculpture to the floor in a crash.

"Curse it! For Rein's sake, Grandaunt chooses to clash with me directly—proves it, women stay women!"

Buchanan, standing close by, bowed his head lower, knowing he couldn't touch such a subject.

"Fine, Buchanan, you're dismissed!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Once Buchanan exited, Everton willed himself to settle and drew in a long breath.

He moved to the desk, carefully turning the Crystal Ball's stand on the third shelf. Moments later, the bookshelf parted down the middle and slid away, uncovering a concealed entrance.

Stepping through the secret door, after a brief hallway, he reached an inner chamber.

This compact hidden room brimmed with typical treasures like gold, rare gems, and old scrolls, plus in the middle of the floor, detailed patterns of a witch array, one of an uncommon type.

Everton whispered an incantation, a soft blue glow appeared, and he disappeared from sight.

Everton rematerialized elsewhere.

A sharp, acrid scent of potions filled his nose; he'd reached the ultra-secure lair of the Dragon Scale Brotherhood—his private facility for crafting Dragon Blood compounds.

"Your Highness!" A grotesque figure advanced and bent in salute.

"Progress? The Super Evolution Potion trials aren't done yet?"

"Your Highness, the latest three subjects failed to handle the massive power from the mixture and exploded. Even those with epic-tier unique builds couldn't take it."

"That said, we gained something. Testing on a juvenile dragon showed it could endure the Super Evolution Potion. Its development seems a bit odd, though."

"Oh? Let me see." Everton's face lit with interest.

"At once, Your Highness."

They traversed the extended passage, where huge tanks flanked the walls, filled with unique fluid that submerged assorted human, dragon-man, and bizarre creature forms.

Some remained alive, others jerked faintly, and the rest's conditions stayed unclear.

Deeper in, more massive tanks held assorted young dragons and... enormous mature dragon hearts...

still pulsing with life.

Squads of three robust dragon-man sentries marched vigilantly to and fro; every few dozen paces, a imposing dragon-man like the altered Bostaf stood watch.

Venturing even further, Everton and the deformed guide bypassed an unusual chamber.

The vast interior, spanning hundreds of square meters at least, featured abundant green bushes and creepers forming a tiny woodland setting.

Even more shocking, scores of graceful, tall elves dwelled within.

But a nearer inspection revealed these elves looked ashen, their striking eyes oversized but dull, their frames frailer than normal elves, with arms showing thick clusters of injection marks.

Spotting the elves stirred Everton's memory of why the Dragon Scale Brotherhood began.

"Blending Elf Blood Essence with Dragon Bloodline via unique treatment enables merging into a fresh potent material... he dubbed it the Super Evolution Potion!"

Those offshoot potions meant to trigger bloodline surges or advancement tiers came as side results of the Super Evolution Potion.

...