NOVEL WEB Chapter 428: It Was Easy
Lionheart Family Estate
A magnificent ship slowly landed in the docking area for airships, and two figures stepped out. Naturally, those two were none other than Daniel and Andreas.
Their journey back had been quiet and uneventful. Daniel was cautious, half-expecting Mornak or his subordinates to ambush them, but thankfully his worries were unnecessary.
Without wasting time, Andreas headed straight to the Black Palace to report the details of the completed mission. This time, Daniel also had to go with him. Both of them would have preferred to rest a little before reporting, but the White Whale had even sent someone to greet them, making sure they went directly to the Black Palace.
Upon entering the Black Palace, the heavy and cold atmosphere was immediately felt. All the Elders sat above them in various grand seats. At the center of it all sat the White Whale, the temporary leader of the Lionheart Family. As always, her face was cold and devoid of emotion, but for a moment, a faint glimmer flashed in her beautiful eyes when she saw Daniel.
Andreas slightly bowed in respect, while Daniel only gave a nod and cupped his fists in front of him. The Elders, seemingly used to it, said nothing. Forcing someone from another power to bow would be disgraceful anyway.
"Was the mission completed?" The cold yet beautiful voice of the White Whale echoed.
Daniel and Andreas exchanged glances, and then Andreas stepped forward and began to recount the full details of the operation. Of course, he deliberately left out certain things, like transforming into a woman, and changed parts of that story. He spoke about their encounter with the Thousand Ice Palace, the duel of life and death, and finally, the successful conclusion of the mission.
The hall fell silent. The Elders looked surprised. They had not expected the operation to go so smoothly. They thought it would be a dangerous and difficult challenge, but from the way it was told, it almost sounded like these two had just been playing around in that city.
"Looks like we underestimated them," one Elder sighed.
"I agree. If I had known it would be this easy, I would've chosen a different mission."
"I disagree. Even if the mission seemed simple, that man was willing to pay a high price for its success. Sending these two was the right choice. In the end, we obtained the treasure as the payment ."
Such debates arose among the Elders, but none of them addressed Daniel and Andreas directly, since that was the responsibility of the White Whale.
"Interesting. So it seems the mission was far too easy for you." As expected, the White Whale's voice suddenly echoed, silencing everyone.
The Elders immediately shut their mouths, not daring to utter another word.
"The problem wasn't the mission—it was us. Any mission you gave us would have been completed just as easily," Daniel suddenly spoke before Andreas could reply.
All eyes instantly turned toward him. An invisible pressure targeted him, but it didn't seem to have any effect.
Although his words sounded arrogant, they were true. Any mission, unless it involved assassinating someone ranked S or higher, would be easily completed by them.
The expressions of the Elders shifted, and they all looked toward the White Whale, fearing her anger. Even Andreas grew nervous. But before anyone could say anything, the White Whale spoke—and shocked everyone.
"I suppose you're right. Instead of giving you a harder mission, I should've forbidden Andreas from receiving your help. But that doesn't matter now. The mission is complete, and as promised, Andreas is now officially recognized by the entire family as a candidate for succession."
Suddenly, a golden-white emblem with the engraving of a lion's head with two horns appeared before the White Whale, then floated toward Andreas and stopped in front of his face.
"This…?" Andreas stared at the emblem in disbelief. He knew exactly what it was. Excitement flashed in his eyes.
"I'm sure you recognize it. This is the official emblem of a succession candidate. Now, only you and Lioran hold one. This emblem also grants you very high status. If any of the old generation dares to attack you, it will be considered an insult and an attack on the entire Lionheart Family," the White Whale explained before continuing.
"You have two years. In two years, the successor will be chosen, naturally based on merit and achievements. If you fight each other, the victor will certainly gain an advantage. But in the end, the final decision will be the Patriarch's."
"Does anyone object?" she asked, looking at the Elders. No one did.
Andreas accepted the emblem, then cupped his fists and bowed deeply in respect.
At that moment, another emblem appeared—this time black and gold, with the same lion engraving. It floated toward Daniel and stopped in front of his face.
This time, everyone was shocked. They all knew Andreas was meant to receive his emblem, but no one had expected this young outsider to receive a black-and-gold emblem. Even Daniel himself looked at the White Whale in confusion.
"My lady, what do you mean by this?"
"You cannot just give a black-and-gold emblem to an outsider!"
"While we respect you greatly, and while this young man is indeed the ally of young master Andreas, granting him such an emblem is going too far!" the Elders protested one by one.
But before their complaints could continue, a terrifying aura erupted from the White Whale, suffocating them. For a moment, they felt as if they were going to die.
Her cold gaze swept over them, then fixed on Daniel.
"You aided in this mission. You also broke the record of the ancient Stairway. From what I've heard, in the short time you've been here, you've even trained our younger generation."
"You discovered spies hidden among us, found the descendant of a traitor, and helped reveal such an unworthy child. You cut off the arms of the Corruption Worshipers and destroyed their influence within this family."
"You even resolved a sibling conflict and turned it into a bond, strengthening the foundation of this family."
"This boy has been here only a short while, yet he's contributed more to this family than any of you. You call giving him a black-and-gold emblem excessive? From my perspective, giving him all of your positions would still not be enough!" Her voice boomed through the palace, making every Elder lower their heads in silence.
"Does anyone still object?"