From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

The strands of white in Vanessa\'s hair shone, her face full of smiles, nodding continuously.

She seemed to like that girl very much.

Perhaps the mother thought the girl was well-matched with her own family, Karno thought, even though his mother and father were not so well-matched.

Though advanced in age but still robust and healthy, Theo stood quietly behind Karno and said indifferently:

"Young Master Karno, let me introduce you."

"This Miss Sunny is a girl from the Frosac family, who enjoys painting and cooking. Her uncle is Bishop Zane, and both His Excellency Byrne and your mother hope you will take a look at her..."

He paused before continuing, "At least you should show up; otherwise, it would be very impolite."

Karno slowly shook his head, his tone very firm.

"I\'m not interested in Miss Sunny, sorry, Mr. Theo, I have no intention of making marriage arrangements with a stranger. I will discuss this matter with my mother..."

Theo fell silent on hearing this.

Karno continued in an even tone: "I feel for the girl, having traveled all the way to Nasir, such a long distance."

Suddenly, Theo spoke in an elder\'s tone, frowning: "At the end of the day, how do you view the matter of marriage? After all, both Young Master Karno and Miss Christine are of age."

"Being part of the Extraordinary nobility, marriage is something you can\'t avoid."

Karno revealed a very gentle smile, turned around, looked at the white-haired Theo, and said patiently:

"Mr. Theo, you know, Uncle Byrne once said the final decision of marriage is ultimately my freedom."

He pointed toward the ceiling and said silently, "Moreover, someone like me might never reach a higher level if bound by such ties, which would be the greatest regret for the Fischer family."

...

Theo fell into silence. Young Master Karno\'s rationale was solid because nothing was more important than reaching a higher level, a consensus of the entire Fischer family.

Nevertheless, he still hoped for Karno and Christine, the twins, to have children sooner, as each descendant was crucial for the Fischer family.

According to Lilian\'s check-up, Christine, despite having withered legs, was still capable of childbearing.

But she also repeatedly put off marriage.

Karno suddenly asked, "By the way, how old is she?"

Thinking him interested, Theo immediately answered:

"Nineteen."

Karno nodded lightly and said with a smile, "Felix is eighteen, isn\'t he? I feel they might be quite compatible."

"How about he marries into the Frosac family instead of me, hahaha, that guy would certainly not refuse!"

Theo was completely stunned, not expecting Karno to suggest his own nephew take his place!

That guy!

With a smile on his face, Karno knew very well that Felix was utterly unlike him; he was a serious, proud fellow.

Taking a deep breath to control his temper, Theo asked, "At this point, there\'s something I want to ask you, Young Master Karno."

"Is it about Sunbelle?" Karno anticipated.

Theo said with deep meaning: "Yes, what exactly is she to you now: your servant, your lover, or the one you want to marry?"

Karno replied: "That sort of thing doesn\'t matter. Right now, my relationship with her is quite pleasant. Isn\'t that enough? And no, we indeed haven\'t had any intimate relations."

Theo emphasized again, "Pardon my bluntness, Young Master Karno, but as a legitimate member of the Fischer family, you categorically cannot marry an ordinary person!"

Karno didn\'t show impatience, only burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! How amusing, Mr. Theo, the Fischer family climbed to our current position from ordinary people in just a few decades. Do we really plan to completely separate ourselves from ordinary people?"

"My mother was also an ordinary person at the beginning."

Theo fell silent for a long while.

"It\'s not about that. It\'s for the benefit of the family."

"The family\'s benefit..." Karno murmured thoughtfully and sighed. He disliked troublesome matters.

Yet in life, how could one avoid dealing with various troubles?

Leaving the corridor and entering his room, Karno was met by a worried Sunbelle, who had been waiting for him. After a long silence, she couldn\'t resist asking:

"Young Master Karno, are you getting married?"

Karno shook his head and pulled out a bottle of strong liquor hidden under his bed, taking a drink.

"No, not yet."

Sunbelle let out a sigh of relief and sat on Karno\'s bed. Yet, she soon became anxious again, gripping her hands tightly, feeling very insecure deep inside.

Finally, she mustered the courage to ask the most crucial question again!

"My Lord... Karno! Why have you always rejected me, do you truly despise me that much? After all these years, I must clarify this matter. Answer me!"

Then she saw the look in Karno\'s eyes as he turned to her, a look that was complicated as if reflecting upon many things in an instant.

"It\'s not like that, Sunbelle, I just don\'t like being bound. Maybe that\'s my biggest flaw."

He took another swig of liquor and breathed deeply, speaking sincerely: "For me, forming a close relationship is actually a curse; love is the easiest way to fall into the abyss."

"Just maintaining a relationship where both people are happy might be a relief for both parties."

Sunbelle suddenly understood.

Young Master Karno\'s heart was like a bird, flying back and forth in the sky, never willing to land.

"Then what am I?"

She suddenly felt an unprecedented surge of anger, her whole body unable to stop trembling.

"All those things I\'ve longed for, Karno, do you absolutely refuse to give them to me?"

"Is it impossible to become your lover because you don\'t want any responsibilities, you don\'t want a close relationship? You don\'t need the societal norms and constraints, because you consider them all a curse!"

"You are a free-spirited philosopher, and I am but a vulgar wretch, so it\'s no wonder I can\'t understand you, is it? I\'m just a part of your \'happy life,\' nothing more?"

Karno was silent for a long time.

To be fair, he indeed never wanted to respond to Sunbelle.

At the beginning, Sunbelle approached him purely out of self-interest, and he was content, thinking that as long as they were comfortable together, being happy was all that mattered.

But after years of companionship, the feelings and the relationship between the two had changed from what they once were.

Karno looked at Sunbelle, the girl who had accompanied him all these years and had truly fallen in love with him.

Yes, things were different now.

Suddenly, he exhaled, reached out, and grabbed Sunbelle\'s hand, as if to cry, his emotional barrier completely breaking down.

Sunbelle was stunned. It was the first time Karno had ever reached out to hold her hand on his own initiative.

The man looked calmly at the girl and continued,

"I suddenly realize that the \'curse\' has already taken shape in the little things of life; I don\'t need to care about it anymore. Sunbelle, forgive me for not realizing this earlier."

Karno realized that he had fully mastered the power of the "Prophet" at the 3rd Rank.

He had thought that his choices would hinder the advancement on the Path of Revelation.

Was it true freedom to not resist after all?

He couldn\'t help but think of the name of the 4th Rank on the Path of Revelation.

"Unpredictable Sorcerer"

——

The new sea war finally began again.

After many years, the Cyart people were now the ones initiating the war, and the leaders were the Fischer family.

Now Chris had been appointed Earl Fisher by the Cyart King. The four towns of East Coast Province rightfully belonged to the Fischer family.

In fact, the entire East Coast Province was already under the de facto control of the Fischer family.

But it wasn\'t enough. The Fischers, seeking expansion, began to eye overseas territories.

After all, within the continent, certain actions always ran the risk of being detected, unlike on isolated islands, where they could commit the most outrageous acts without fear of discovery.

The Fischer family coveted the land overseas and a certain treasure that the Lord of the Lost had long desired to obtain.

The White Sea was vast, and what the Fischer family sought to devour was just the territory occupied by the Sea God Cult.

Moreover, they knew that in recent years the Sea God Cult had been struck another heavy blow, nearly collapsing and dissolving.

With such an easy target next door, why wait any longer to strike?

However, the Fischer family had several important problems to resolve before they could eliminate the Sea God Cult.

At that moment, a steamship floated on the sea.

Darren stood calmly on deck, gazing at the sky, then suddenly burst out excitedly,

"They\'re coming!"

A black dot appeared in the sky, drawing the crew\'s attention; it was a winged male of the Winged Folk!

The sight of the Winged Folk amazed everyone, as they were a tribe known to live on the eastern side of the White Sea and had never appeared on the Ouden Continent.

At least some of the older, experienced sailors had genuinely witnessed them before.

Before reigniting the war, the Fischer family decided to enlist the support of the great enemy of the Sea God Cult in hope of completely resolving the issue of the White Sea through one war.

With his wings fluttering, the Winged Folk seemed averse to the billowing smoke of the steamship but finally landed on deck, staring at Darren.

He asked calmly, albeit with difficulty and a stuttering voice,

"You, are, Cyart people?"

"Yes, and we seek an alliance!"

As soon as Darren replied, the Winged Folk asked again,

"So you, eliminate, Sea God Cult?"

"Indeed, but we need your help to force them out."

"Hmm..." The Winged Folk nodded, deep in thought.

Darren raised a finger and said with a smile, "Hey, those bastards always hide in the water, and when they can\'t win, they refuse to come out. Therefore every force fails to annihilate them. It\'s quite a headache for you too, right?"

"Yes." The Winged Folk nodded repeatedly.

Everyone was very aware that in terms of raw power, the Sea God Cult was undoubtedly the weakest compared to the Cyart and the Winged Folk among others.

However, they were allied with the sea tribe, and if overpowered, they could retreat to the depths of the ocean, leaving their pursuers without recourse.

A grin plastered on his face and a terrifying malice in his eyes, Darren said,

"In fact, it\'s neither realistic nor necessary to eradicate the Sea God Cult."

"We just need to find a way to completely deal with their leader, the High Priest Sky Blue. The rest will be scattered and soon unable to resist."

"This guy, he must die!"

He paused, then clapped his hands, "Without a doubt, the Cyart people need your cooperation to draw out the High Priest Sky Blue."

The Winged Folk fell into deep contemplation and finally nodded.

"Okay."