Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World - Chapter 687

Chapter 687: Troublesome Nobles [1]
The attendant unrolled the scroll.

The hall leaned forward.

Michael, however, stayed relaxed, feeling the stem of the glass between his fingers.

He already had a rough idea of what would happen.

Some names would be called.

Some people would be pleased.

Others would be offended.

And somewhere in that list was his own name.

He was starting to wonder what the reaction would be.

The Second Prince lifted his chin slightly, signaling for silence.

“We will begin with the royal family,” he said.

A perfectly normal starting point. Expected, even.

The hall’s reaction reflected that.

It was the royal family. Of course they would have a slot.

Michael nodded to himself.

Reasonable enough.

The Second Prince continued.

“The first name on the original list is His Highness the Tenth Prince.”

A small stir rolled through the hall, though much quieter than before.

Michael blinked.

Tenth?

He could not stop his immediate thought.

Just how many children did the old king give birth to?

He mentally counted the princes he had met or heard about.

Second Prince.

Seventh Prince.

Ninth Prince.

Now Tenth Prince.

And there were still more he had not seen.

Arianne had once mentioned that the old king was “vigorous.”

Michael now suspected “vigorous” was the polite version.

But something else pulled his attention.

The hall did not react.

At all.

Many nobles simply nodded, as if they had been expecting it. Some even looked bored.

Michael turned his head toward Seria.

Before he could speak, Arianne tapped his shoulder.

Her voice cut him off softly, without looking at him.

“Sir Mic,” she murmured, “am I the only one here who is quietly praying you do not ask something obvious?”

Michael blinked.

Seria choked.

He stared between the two.

“Of course the Tenth Prince would be selected,” she sighed. “He is the only direct royal heir among the younger generation whose talent is comparable to Princess Priscilla.”

Comparable to Princess Priscilla.

Arianne had mentioned something that caught his attention.

Michael’s eyes narrowed a little.

Of course he knew of Princess Priscilla.

She was not only the first Rank Three human he had met in the Land of Origin, she was also the only person who had come close to discovering his identity as someone not native to this world.

More importantly, he understood her strength.

It was said she reached that level before the age of seventy.

Michael knew what that meant.

He knew because he was stuck at that threshold himself.

Reaching Rank Three was not something one accomplished easily. The law comprehension required for that step was a blockade that turned countless prodigies into lifelong second-raters.

If he had not been stubborn about finding the perfect law to fit him, if he had just taken an easier, more generic law like others, he would have already stepped into Rank Three by now.

It was not as simple as that, of course, but it was not far from the truth either.

Michael refused to weaken himself just to rise quickly.

He could accept speed.

He could accept struggle.

But the law he anchored himself to would shape the rest of his path.

That was why others spent decades searching for the law that resonated with them. There were certainly those talented enough to break through early with a lesser law, but they still chose the harder road to avoid crippling their futures.

Princess Priscilla’s accomplishment proved her monstrous talent.

To reach Rank Three early meant something whether she took an easy path or not.

For a prince to have a talent described as comparable to hers…

“That is remarkable,” he muttered under his breath.

“Yes,” Arianne said softly. “The Tenth Prince is considered the shining star of our generation among the royal family.”

The Second Prince waited for the whispers to settle.

He looked composed again.

“Let us proceed,” he said.

The hall quieted once more.

Michael shifted his grip on the wine glass.

The next names would be from the academies.

From the academies, three prodigies were named in succession.

One from the Royal Academy.

One from the Mage Academy.

One from the Warrior Academy.

Each name carried weight. Their reputations were solid enough that the hall stirred with noise, but it never turned into chaos.

With the Tenth Prince included earlier, that made four names announced.

Six remained.

And now it was time for the major families.

Three names were mentioned but perhaps due to their status, no one spoke.

However, when Arianne’s name was mentioned, Michael noticed a lot of people with disagreement on their faces, but none dared to speak out.

In the end there was one duke, one marquis, and one count.

From the set up and everything he had been hearing, Michael could tell that the kingdom truly chose the first ten slots with clear intention.

Either they were the most talented in the kingdom or they had some connection to beast taming.

The kingdom was not taking chances. They wanted to gain the maximum benefit from the legendary ruin.

At this point, there had been no real conflict.

Michael wondered briefly if that would remain true when the final three names were announced.

Because he already knew which names were next.

The Second Prince did not pause or adjust. He simply continued, voice smooth and steady as ever.

“The next name,” he said, “is Renn Noah.”

A ripple of confusion swept through the hall.

Renn Noah?

Who?

Only a handful of nobles even recognized the surname, and most of them wore blank expressions.

The Second Prince, expecting confusion, immediately followed with clarification.

“Renn Noah, son of Baron Noah.”

The stir intensified.

A baron’s son?

Among the original ten?

A place meant for the strongest youths of the kingdom?

The hall did not erupt, but it was close.

People exchanged looks, eyes sharp with suspicion and disbelief.

Then the Second Prince spoke again, and the atmosphere snapped still.

“He is also the first, and currently the sole, disciple of Grand Knight Verren.”

Silence.

Complete, crushing silence.