Chapter 499: Applause

“Well, since your life is tied to him, we have no other choice but to let him live for now…” the Twelfth Elder finally said, his voice gravelly as he cleared his throat and adjusted his posture. “After all, even if it’s to kill Dupravel, we surely can’t sacrifice the Shadow Dragon.”

A collective murmur of agreement rippled through the room, with each police captain nodding along, as if the decision had always been this obvious.

“You’ve performed most admirably under duress, Skyshard. It’s no small feat to fool a criminal like Dupravel. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded properly for this…” the Elder added, his tone shifting so smoothly it was almost comical.

Just moments ago, the man had been one sentence away from ordering Leo’s execution, but now he was smiling faintly, already envisioning the grand spectacle of a fake public execution, one that would restore faith in the Cult leadership, pacify the masses, and elevate his personal status to the moon all at once.

*Cheers*

*Claps*

The captains in the room began applauding, some even rising from their chairs as they clapped Leo on the back and offered congratulatory nods, eyes shining with relief.

Because in more ways than one, Leo was their savior as well.

The pressure to capture Dupravel had been crushing.

The media circus, the public unrest, the fear of losing face and officer lives in the process of hunting a Monarch-tier threat was enough to break lesser men.

But now, all of that had been swept off the table.

The criminal had been “caught,” the narrative was in place, and not a single officer had to risk their life to make it happen.

Sure, none of them were going to get a slice of that massive reward, but compared to what could’ve happened, this outcome was not bad at all.

“This news is not to leave this room. Do you all understand?” the Twelfth Elder barked suddenly, his voice sharp and authoritative once more. “You heard nothing here today. Not a word. Because if even a whisper of the truth leaks out, and someone, in a moment of outrage, tries to kill Dupravel, then the Shadow Dragon may die alongside him!”

His warning struck home instantly. Each security head nodded solemnly, some even placing a hand over their heart as they swore to keep the secret buried.

Leo stood there quietly, letting the applause wash over him, offering slight bows and half-smiles as the captains praised him like he’d saved the damn planet.

In truth, he’d just lied through his teeth and enslaved one of the deadliest men alive for his own personal gains, but in the Cult’s eyes, he was now a hero.

And for now, that was all that mattered.

“Wait in the lobby for a moment, Skyshard,” the Twelfth Elder said as he turned back to his desk. “I’ll inform the other Elders of Dupravel’s… apprehension.”

Leo nodded once and stepped out of the room, walking through the polished hallway as the door shut behind him.

He didn’t say a word.

Because if there’s one thing he knew, it was that every lie had a timer ticking beneath it. And his was already counting down

Sooner or later, the people of the Cult were bound to find out what truly happened here today…..

But perhaps, if it was delayed to a distant enough future, then the outrage surrounding the truth would not be as extreme.

—————

(A few hours later, Planet Tithia, The First Elder’s Chambers)

The First Elder’s brows furrowed as he finished reading the memo on his data slate, then scrolled back up and read it again. Slowly. Line by line. Just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

Dupravel Nuna…

Apprehended.

Alive.

And apparently enslaved by Leo Skyshard.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he reread the final paragraph one more time, blinking in silence.

“What in the actual hell…?”

It was hard to say whether he wanted to applaud the Twelfth Elder for resolving the biggest security threat of the century without a single casualty… or slap him for the exact same reason.

Because buried underneath all the celebration, behind all the grandstanding and fake execution planning, there was one very glaring issue—

Dupravel was not subservient to the Cult.

He was subservient to Leo.

‘Not ideal,’ the First Elder thought, clicking his tongue as he set the data slate down.

Leo had already been moving with more freedom than any Dragon Candidate ever should, being openly backed by Charles and never being held accountable for anything.

And now, with Dupravel, an actual Monarch-tier asset, bound to him through a soul contract, he was sure to become even more independent.

‘With Dupravel under his leash, his political weight increases.…’

‘Although he’s not strong enough right now, in five or seven years’ time, when he inevitably becomes a peak Transcendent himself, the boy would be far gone from our control.’

The First Elder’s fingers tapped idly against the wooden armrest of his chair.

For now, Skyshard was still manageable. Contained. Predictable, to some extent.

But if things kept progressing like this, the day would soon come where they wouldn’t be able to rein him in. Not without risking a full-blown confrontation. And that… was not a scenario the Cult was ready for.

The Twelfth Elder clearly hadn’t thought that far ahead. Too busy celebrating his “victory.” Too blinded by the theatrics of a fake execution and the sweet political capital it promised.

The First Elder sighed and leaned forward again, closing the memo.

It wasn’t ideal.

Not even remotely.

But what could he do about it now?

The decision to spare Dupravel was already made by the Twelfth Elder.

The soul contract with Leo was already signed.

The other Elders would soon follow suit.

And once the narrative settled in the public’s mind, there’d be no reversing it without sparking internal chaos.

So he exhaled, clicked his tongue once more, and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

‘One problem at a time, Mavern… Even you can’t solve everything at once.’