Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill - Chapter 253

Chapter 253: 253:The Darkness Under The Lamp
“What is this?”

Ray freaked out, his voice trembling as he flipped through the file.

“Is this real?”

“Unfortunately yes,” Ethan nodded slowly.

On the desk were reports of missing people. At first glance it looked normal. It was common for people to disappear while travelling outside.

Seven out of ten were usually found by patrol guards and returned safely. The remaining few vanished without any trace. Most of the time, people assumed they had died after crossing paths with beasts outside the walls.

However now the truth was laid bare on paper. Many of them were not killed by beasts at all.

They had been kidnapped and they had been sold.

Ethan had ordered the Black Thorns to investigate and gather every piece of information they could get their hands on. They dug deeper, traced routes, cross-checked transactions and finally found the horrifying truth. Many of the missing names matched the slave lists. People who once lived freely under Blank rule now existed as property.

Ray read the number again and again.

Two hundred and eighteen.

There were two hundred and eighteen people from Blank. Two hundred and eighteen sold as slaves under their land and under their oversight. Ray slowly lifted his head and saw Ethan’s eyes.

They were cold and deadly calm. And beneath that stillness was a burning fury that shook his spine.

‘He is barely holding it together. It’s like a volcano waiting to burst.’

Ray swallowed hard.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I still need to discuss a bit. I called you for another matter.”

Ray straightened his back. His expression turned serious.

“What is it, father?”

“It’s about the heir,” Ethan said, his voice firm, as if he finally decided to clear this matter.

“You know my strength and how strong I am. Also I have several children and might have several more. But our destiny isn’t limited to here.”

Ray understood the hidden meaning. He gave a faint smile and exhaled softly.

“So you are saying I won’t be heir right?”

“You can say..When I retire,I will divide the regions and business all over so that everyone has a piece”

Before Ethan could speak, Ray laughed. “Thank God you said this to me early. I can finally relax. You don’t know how tense I was seeing everyone looking at me as if I am going to be heir. As Lord I need to maintain their trust so it has been hard for me.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I am free now. Haaa,” Ray breathed out in relief.

“Who said!”

Crack.

Ray’s smile froze.

“I have a job for you.”

“Which job?”

Ethan leaned back with a crooked smile that Ray had seen many times before.

“So will you do it?”

Ray nodded without knowing what awaited him. “Yes father, leave the work to me.”

“Good. From now on you will assist me in handling workload.”

“Huh?” Ray blinked, stunned.

He had no idea he was stepping into a deeper abyss of responsibility.

……

Duke Phillips stepped into his private chamber. The faint light coming through the window revealed his wives sitting slumped on the sofa, both looking gloomy and drained. Their posture alone told him something was weighing heavily on their minds.

He walked closer and lowered himself beside Emma, gently brushing her hair with his fingers.

“What happened? Tired from teaching the kids?” He asked with a soft chuckle, trying to ease the mood at least a little.

Emma lifted her head slowly. Her eyes were dull and tired.

“No. I just think this is too much.” Her voice trembled slightly. The frustration inside her finally surfaced. “How can the world be so unfair! That kid became a Master Mage without knowing anything, while I had to grind my way through the books.”

Her tone carried jealousy, bitterness and helplessness. She did not even try to hide it. It would not be wrong to say she was jealous, because she truly was. The talent Ethan possessed was something too overwhelming, too unreal to digest.

Duke Phillips sat still for a moment, her words pulling an old memory back to the front of his mind.

Ten years ago, when Ethan first stepped into responsibility. At that time several Baronies had rebelled, thinking they could snatch control away from an inexperienced successor, but they failed miserably.

After that conflict, Duke Phillips himself taught Ethan some basics of swordsmanship and aura. Even back then, Ethan was like an unpolished raw diamond. Rough, but bright with frightening potential. And now, after just a few years, that raw stone had become a flawless diamond. Something rare and priceless.

He never imagined that the boy would surpass him so quickly. The realization made him exhale deeply.

“Now that you said that, I am feeling sour and jealous.” He let out a short laugh, finally understanding what his wife felt. It was not hatred or resentment, just disbelief and a sting of inadequacy.

Emma turned to him again.

“So why are you here?”

His expression tightened.

“It’s because of trouble.” He reached inside his coat and pulled out a sealed message. He handed it to Emma.

She opened it and read slowly. As her eyes moved, her expression changed. Shock replaced calm, panic replaced irritation. When she reached the final line, she stood up so fast the sofa creaked beneath her.

“Whaaattt!” she screamed in disbelief. Her voice echoed through the room. “Has he gone insane? This is too much. He wants to take over the Guild Association. Has he gone crazy?”

Her hands shook. She was not angry anymore, she was scared.

Duke Phillips remained silent. His jaw tightened as he recalled the letter he had received from Central. He knew everything Ethan was doing.

He knew the risks. He even tried to stop it once, but Central itself sent him a stern message. They told him to overlook it or face consequences he could not handle.

Even if he was a Master Knight, he was still only one. There were King’s Knights above him, far beyond his level. No matter how strong people believed he was, he knew he could not do anything he pleased. Power had its limits.

“We need to stop him!” Emma shouted. She stepped forward as if she would leave right then, but Duke Phillips stood and caught her wrist firmly.

“I think we should let it happen first. He is clever enough to not act rashly. Let’s give him a chance and see how he handles it.”

“I believe he won’t just declare war rather stir it meaningfully.

Emma stared at him, breathing unsteady.

“If things get bad, we will intervene and ask him to step back. Knowing his strength, the King won’t make things difficult for him if he surrenders.”

She lowered her head slowly.

“Uhmmm…”

Her voice was quiet, uncertain.

‘Knowing him,I don’t think he would sit still.”