Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO
Chapter 2347; Experts Gather
Besides following the clues Magnus left behind, Emmanuel had ordered his men to comb through the entire Zelinsky Residence again, this time with a fine-tooth comb. He wanted to be sure, no stone unturned, no secret left hidden.
They did uncover quite a few items of interest, but Emmanuel hadn’t had time to sift though them yet.
As he stepped out of the mansion, he spotted a group heading his way, and their entrances were nothing short of theatrical.
Leading the pack was Yorick, dropping down from a higher ledge while straddling a full-grown tiger like he was born to ride it. Clinging to his back was a stunning women, her arms wrapped tightly around him. The image looked like the scene of a May-December romance.
That woman, of course was Yuna. Emmanuel had no idea what had gone down between the two while they were apart, but seeing them arrive like this left him more than a little surprised.
“Heh, Emmanuel! We’re back!” Yorick called out with a grin.
Not to be outdone, Santiago came barreling in next, riding the legendary Silver Dragon Spear like it was his personal steed, soaring over the walls of the Zelinsky Residence before landing with a flair only he could pull off.
And arriving beside him, equally poised, was non other than Xylie.
“What’s going on here?” Emmanuel chuckled, his brows arching in amusement. “Looks like I missed out on all the fun while we were apart, huh?”
“Ha! You could say that,” Santiago replied with a grin. “Didn’t find my wife, but hey-turns out I’ve got a daughter. Not a bad trade.”
That caught Emmanuel off guard in the best way. Relief bloomed in hi chest. He had always worried the old man would end up alone. But now that Xylie had stepped into his life as a daughter, that future didn’t seem to bleak anymore.
Then, just as he was soaking in the moment, another voice echoed from above.
“Emmanuel. Still breathing. I see?”
Emmanuel’s head shot up, eyes scanning the sky. The voice was unmistakable.
“Music Saint? Is that you?”
Though she didn’t appear in person. Liora’s signature long-distance voice technique carried across the sky like a whisper in the wind. “That’s right. I was the one who brought those two pairs of father and daughter together. Consider it my small way of making up for things.”
“Making up?” Emmanuel frowned. “You saved my life outside the Chapman Estate. That’s not something I could ever forget. What could you possibly owe me for?”
Liora’s voice softened. “I meant for my foolish little brother. His antics caused you and your wife more trouble than you deserved. Two whole days, gone to waste.”
Emmanuel’s eyes winded in sudden understanding. “Wait… You’re Dragonicus’ sister?”
“Bingo,” Santiago cut in with a loud laugh. “She’s Liora Sheffield-Grey! Technically my half-junior in the arts, which makes her your half-aunt or… something like that!” Emmanuel’s eyes winded. The pieces were falling into place. “No wonder Dragonicus reminded me of you.” he said, eyebrows raised. “Wait, did you actually teach him your spear technique?”
“Me? Nah,” Santiago waved it off with a smirk. “I didn’t even pass it down properly to you. Why would I hand it over to him?”
“It was me who taught him.” Liora voice floated down from the sky, cool and composed as ever. “Back in the day, when the Dawnbringer taught Santiago the spear technique. I was always nearby, watching. But I was just a girl then, long spears were a bit too clunky for me. Still, I memorized a few moves, and later, I passed them on to him.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is.” Emmanuel nodded, finally connecting the dots.
Before he could say anything more, Santiago jumped in, looking a bit defensive, “Hey, don’t take it the wrong way, I didn’t withhold the spear technique from you out of stinginess. Truth is, it might not suit you. That technique was something your grandfather invented himself. I never fully grasped the heart of it, and I was afraid if I passed it on half-baked, it might do more harm than good.”
He scratched his head before adding, “If you really wanna learn from the old godfather himself. That stubbon legend’s much better than me anyway.”
“I get it,” Emmanuel said with a small wave of his hand. “But this isn’t the time to get lost in the talk. I called you all here for a reason, and this isn’t just from me. Mr. Hale personally asked me to reach out.”
“Then, spit it out,” Yorick finally chimed in, clearly eager to rejoin the conversation before it left him completely behind. “We’ve all accepted the new president’s authority. If Chanaea needs us, we’re ready to serve.”
Those words hit Emmanuel like 100 calming pills at once. “That’s perfect,” he said, visibly relieved. “Mr. Hale’s tasked me with wiping out the remnants of the Zelinsky, Tanner, and Lannister families. We need to root out their position once and for all and restore order to Chanaea. The problem is, I’m streched too thin, I need help.”
He had barely finished when Santiago gritted his teeth and growled. “Glad you asked. Even if you hadn’t, we were already planning to pay the Lannisters a little visit.”
“Oh?” Emmanuel raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“You fought that guy in black on Divine Mountain, didn’t you?” Yorick cut in, eyes narrowing, “And you still haven’t figured out who he was?”
Emmanuel blinked. A chill slid down his spine.
“I’ll be honest,” he said slowly. “I only knew one thing at the time, his martial skills were top-tier. Maybe even on your level. I hit him with my full-force Northern Region’s Reverse Dragon Palm, and it didn’t even leave a scratch. But now, hearing you talk…”
He trailed off, realization dawning in his eyes. “That guy had to be from the Lannister family. And not just any fighter, his skills are far beyond Gwain’s. Whoever he is, he’s on a whole different level.”
“That had to be Eric!” Santiago jumped in without hesitation. “Only someone mastering the art of Astral Revolution could take a full-force Reverse Dragon Palm from you and walk away. And when we chased him, he escaped using Butterfly Steps, another Lannister signature move. Slippery as an eel, that one.”
“Eric?” Emmanuel’s expression shifted. A chill ran down his spine. “From the way you talk about him, it sounds like there’s some deep, bad blood between you all.”
“I owe my years in exile to that b*stard,” Yorick mentioned darkly. “Framed me, had me thrown off a cliff with a pack of lies, and onlly now, after all this time, have I made it back to Chanaea.”
Yuna couldn’t hold back her anger either. “The Lannisters are the worst! How dare they frame my dad like that? We can’t just let them off the hook!”
Xylie pressed her lips into a thin line. She didn’t speak, not like Yuna, but the fury in her eyes said enough.
“And that’s not even all of it,” Santiago growled, his voice thick with bitterness. “The one who impresonated Yorick and knocked Jane and Xylie into sea back then, it had to be Eric. No one else fits. The guy’s martial arts chameleon, and his internal strength is through the roof. If anyone could pull that off, it’d be him.”
“In that case, I’ve still got a bit of time.” Emmanuel replied quickly. “Let’s head to the Lannister Estate now and settle this.”
A mocking voice chimed in from the Zelinsky Residence’s gates. “What, Emmanuel? Don’t tell me you’re doubting the strength of the Three Saints of Dawn?”
Two women walked in together, Isabella and Lady Rosa.
Lady Rosa’s tone dripped with playful provocation, clearly fishing for a reaction.
Emmanuel grinned, hands up in defense. “Not at all. Just trying to keep things moving. With Sage-level experts like you backing me, we’ll crush the Lannisters in no time. Then I can focus on leading the troops to wipe out Ezra and Gautier.”
“Heh, smart mouth on you,” Santiago chuckled. “Alright then, let’s get going.”
But Emmanuel didn’t move just yet. He glanced at the time. Perfect.
Right on cue, the stars of the show made their entrance. Xarri and Quell dropped in from above, landing smoothly.
Xarri gave a respectful bow to the gathered crowd. “Apologies, Emmanuel,” he said. “My cultivation level is nowhere near that of the saints here, so I was a bit slow to arrive. Hope we’re not too late?”
“Better late than never.” Emmanuel grinned. “Besides, you two are the real stars today. We’re just here to back you up.”
After all, the Lannisters weren’t quite in the same league as Ezra or Gautier. The latter were branded traitors, officially hunted. But the Lannisters hadn’t been publicly condemned yet. Storming in with soldiers would be crossing a line and giving them the excuse to play the victim.
But Xarri and Quell? They had every reason to return home and confront Gwain and the rest of their family. And today, justice was riding in with them.
opiloy