Chapter 209: Aftermath of One Death

"The king is dead."

Seraphina stared at him in disbelief, while Elira’s face immediately lost its color.

The cheerful atmosphere that had disappeared completely.

"How..." Seraphina swallowed nervously. "How could that happen?"

Elira clutched the books against her chest, her amber eyes trembling as she looked toward the distant palace.

Amon understood her reaction.

The king’s health had been deteriorating for some time, but everyone had expected him to survive a little longer.

More importantly, he hadn’t officially appointed his successor, leaving the question of who would inherit the throne unanswered.

With the king dead, a civil war was practically inevitable. ’Most noble families have already chosen their factions, while the others have decided to remain neutral until they see which side has the advantage.’

Amon’s expression became increasingly serious as he considered the situation.

The Crown Prince and Queen Eleanor both had supporters among the powerful families, and neither faction would willingly surrender its claim to the throne.

The problem was that the situation had become much more complicated.

’Those vampires and elves are lurking like hyenas as well.’

Amon had a bad feeling that the kingdom was about to experience something far worse than a civil war.

His gaze gradually shifted toward Elira.

The young woman was currently speaking on her phone, her expression tense as she tried to contact her family.

’If her mother was an elf, then Elira might be a half-elf.’

Amon wanted to ask her about it, especially after seeing the fairy that only he seemed capable of noticing, but this clearly wasn’t the right moment.

He would have to wait until things calmed down.

Seraphina ended her call first and immediately turned toward them.

"Aunt Marielle is waiting for us at the university’s outer post. She said we should leave as soon as possible."

Amon nodded. "We should get out of here now."

He looked toward the main road beyond the university gates.

Where the number of people moving through the streets seemed to increase with every passing minute.

Seraphina glanced at Elira, who was still talking on her phone. "You can come with us if you want."

Elira nodded gratefully. "Thank you. My ride should be waiting outside the university soon."

The three of them began walking toward the outer post.

The atmosphere across the campus had changed completely.

Students hurried between buildings while professors tried to contact their colleagues.

Some students were crying, others were arguing about the succession.

Nobody knew what would happen next.

The little fairy flew around Elira’s head, looking increasingly confused.

"Why is everyone acting like the sky is falling? Someone died, right? People die all the time."

Nobody answered her.

She drifted closer to Amon and whispered, "Hey, handsome, why is everyone so frightened? Is this human royalty thing really that important?"

Amon ignored her and continued walking.

The fairy puffed out her cheeks. "You’re ignoring me too? What a terrible world."

Amon almost smiled, but his expression quickly returned to normal when an unfamiliar smell reached his nose.

..Iron.

It was faint at first, barely noticeable but his enhanced senses immediately picked it out.

’Blood?’ His eyes wandered slightly. ’Vampire?’

Amon glanced around, trying to identify the source, but there were too many people moving through the area.

He could pursue it, but doing so would mean leaving Seraphina and Elira behind during a situation that was already spiraling out of control.

After a moment’s hesitation, he decided against it. ’I’ll deal with it later.’

Eventually, they reached the university’s outer post.

Marielle was standing beside the car, repeatedly checking her phone while looking toward the entrance.

The moment she noticed them, she waved them over with urgency.

Elira looked around and spotted a vehicle waiting farther down the road. "That’s my ride."

She turned toward Seraphina and gave her a quick hug. "Please be careful. I’ll contact you once I get home."

"You too," Seraphina replied, hugging her back.

Elira waved goodbye before hurrying toward her vehicle, the little fairy following close behind while continuing to complain about being ignored.

Amon watched them leave for a moment before turning toward Marielle.

She opened the front passenger door. "Get inside. We need to leave."

Amon climbed into the seat beside her while Seraphina settled into the back.

Marielle immediately started the engine and pulled away from the university, her hands gripping the steering wheel more tightly than usual.

For several minutes, nobody spoke before Marielle let out a frustrated breath. "This wasn’t supposed to happen."

Amon turned toward her. "What exactly happened? I thought the king was supposed to live a little longer."

Marielle shot him an irritated glance.

"How should I know? I’ve been trying to contact people since the bell rang, but nobody seems to have any reliable information."

She returned her attention to the road, her expression growing darker. "He was also supposed to appoint the next king today."

Amon’s face immediately turned serious.

He stared through the windshield as the pieces began falling into place. "Maybe that’s exactly why he died."

Marielle didn’t respond, but the silence that followed suggested she had considered the same possibility.

Seraphina sat quietly in the back seat, her hands resting tightly in her lap.

The car continued through the streets of Meeren, but their progress soon slowed as they approached a major intersection.

Vehicles crowded the road, horns blared from every direction, and frightened citizens poured out of nearby buildings as they tried to return to their homes.

Within minutes, traffic had become nearly unbearable.

Marielle struck the steering wheel lightly with her palm. "At this rate, the government will shut down most of its operations. Everything will start falling apart."

Seraphina leaned forward between the seats. "Why would the government dissolve just because the king died?"

Amon answered before Marielle could speak. "It’s a safety measure. When a king dies and a new monarch takes the throne, the government usually has to be reorganized to ensure the previous administration can’t undermine the new ruler."

He glanced toward the crowded road.

"Unfortunately, we don’t have a clear successor this time."

"If the Crown Prince and the Queen both refuse to back down, the government could split between their factions before anyone manages to establish control."

Marielle nodded grimly. "Which means a civil war between the Queen and the Crown Prince is becoming increasingly likely."

Amon fell silent.

Outside the car, the crowd continued growing.

Some people were trying to reach the palace, while others were desperately attempting to leave the capital.

Amon watched them through the window, his thoughts drifting toward the vampires and elves hidden beneath the city.

If the kingdom descended into civil war now, its enemies would have the perfect opportunity to strike.

If the vampires were already controlling important figures within the government, the king’s death might have been only the beginning.

Amon slowly turned his head. "Can you hear that sound?"

Marielle glanced at him. "What sound?"

"...It’s a ticking sound, can you not hear it?"

"...No."

"I can’t."

"....."

Amon heard something unusual beneath the blaring horns and the endless noise of the crowd.

It was faint, repetitive, and distinctly different from the sounds of an ordinary vehicle.

His skin prickled.

A wave of goosebumps spread across his arms as he looked toward the car ahead of them.

There was a small electronic device near its rear bumper. A red light blinked steadily.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Amon’s eyes widened. "There’s a bomb--"

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion swallowed his voice.

A tremendous wave of heat and force tore through the street, throwing their car sideways as the windows shattered into countless fragments.

Marielle’s hands slipped from the steering wheel.

For one terrible instant, Amon saw nothing but flying debris, and the silhouettes of people thrown into the air.

The car slammed into something with a deafening crash.