Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO
Chapter 2375; Emmanuel’s Plan
Everyone could see where the Great King was coming from.
At eighty, the weight of years had him staring down the inevitable. At his age, surrendering his ideas to the harsh reality of time was nothing short of survival.
What were ideals when death was already at one’s doorstep?
The Great Saintess, too, had her reasons.
Once, she had been the Saintess, even marrying the Great Saint King. As an outsider to Mysticwoord, she’d joined the order, fully believing in the dream of unifying Chanaea under one banner.
But despite Mysticwood’s resources, their talent, and their global reach, their vision had always lipped through their fingers. Decades of effort, countless failures.
Their plan to peacefully seize Chanaea’s political power with Mason had fallen apart. All the scheming had amounted to nothing. Even most patients lost their resolve in the end.
“Great Saint King, please decide,” came a voice, sharp and breaking the tense silence.
The Great Saint King didn’t hesitate. He passed the burden to his wife.
Outwardly, he was leader of the Holly Fire organization. However, behind closed doors, she held the true power.
The elders? They answered to her. It was the tragedy of a brainwashed organization.
Officially, the Saintess was the spiritual leader of thousands who followed the Holy Fire organization.
But that leadership wasn’t entirely hers. They controlled her, manipulated her with a witchcraft worm, locking her in a web of dependence. They knew that if she regained her full self-awareness, she might just tear it all down. She might even destroy the Holly Fire organization itself.
It had happened before. Mackenzie’s mother had once tried to do the same.
And so, the Great Sainess turned to the Blackshoot Princess. “Your Highness, what do you think?”
All eyes shifted to her.
Though the Blackshoot Princes was officially an apprentice of the Great Saintess, their bond was far more intimate. She was a princess of Southroyal, and the land they stood on? She had bought it for the Holy Fire organization to use as their base.
In that room, her power stood equal to that of both the Great Saint King and the Great Saintess.
“If we’re going to achieve our ideals, what does it matter how we get there?” The Blackshoot Princes’ voice cut through the air, cold and commanding, like an icy breeze. “If we’re going to destroy the Eagle Nation eventually, why not use them now and deal with them later?”
Her words struck like a blade, slicing through any doubt that remained.
Everyone in the room was swayed.
Quintus couldn’t help but admire her. Not only was she fierce in battle, but her words were weapons of their own.
The Great Saintess slammed her hand onto the table, her decision final. “Alright. We’ll ally with Eagle nation. We take Chanaea’s power first. We deal with them later.”
Her tone was resolute, hard as granite. “Otherwise, our ideals are nothing more than hollow dreams.”
Emmanuel’s boots echoed as he arrived in Tocvale, his mind sharp and focused.
The city lay in the quiet before the storm, the air heavy with anticipation.
Dragonicus had slipped away an hour before, heading into Southroyal. His timing couldn’t have been more curious.
Elric, ever the dutiful second, remained in the military zone to meet Emmanuel. He had a slight look of concern etched on his face as he approached.
“Commander Lowe, my apologies!” Elric began; his voice edged with regret. “General Sheffield-Grey, in his search for Ms. Quillen, has already taken a small group of trusted men into Southroyal.”
Emmanuel’s eyes narrowed at the news. Dragonicus wasn’t one to take orders lightly, but it was his command. Before the takedown of Ashdon Nation was over, Emmanuel was still commander, and Dragonicus was the general.
Emmanuel’s brow furrowed. “Did he enter Southroyal officially, or did he go rogue?”
The question carried weight.
Southroyal was not a place where one could walk freely without consequences.
Once fierce enemies with Chanaea, Southroyal had learned hard lessons after the Dawnbringer had brought them to their knees. For three decades, they had stayed quiet, even backing Chanaea on the international stage when needed.
Now, with Chanaea facing Ashdon Nation, Southroyal had aligned itself firmly with them, offering Chanaea’s troops safe passage. Emmanuel’s mind churned with suspicion.
If Dragonicus wasn’t respecting his command, it could mean trouble. He couldn’t afford insubordination, especially not from a 6-Star war god. The thought of Dragonicus acting on his own made Emmanuel uneasy. Why would such a powerful figure, one who held rank above Emmanuel, listen to him?
Elric seemed to catch the tension in the air. “Commander Lowe don’t worry. General Sheffield-Grey might have a bit of temper, but he’s always thinking big. He knows that taking care of Ashdon Nation is your job. He’s only in Southroyal for personal business, he’s not messing with state matters. He’s just looking for people, not stirring up trouble.”
Emmanuel’s breath caught in his throat. That did ease his mind somewhat. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of Dragonicus being a child at heart, despite his power.
A 6-Star War God acting like a stubborn teenager was, frankly, frustrating, but maybe it was better this way. At least with Dragonicus not stirring the pot, Emmanuel could focus on the bigger picture without worrying about internal squabbles.
Then, Elric spoke again, his tone more serious.
“Commander Lowe, Ashdon Nation is being clever. They’ve sent soldiers disguised as civilians, fishing boats to provoke us in our own waters. If we retaliate with military force, the international community could turn against us.”
“Petty tricks,” Emmanuel muttered, the edge of his voice barely contained. Did Ashdon Nation think they could play these games and escape without repercussions?
It was naïve, and Emmanuel was done playing.
Ashdon Nation had already crossed a line with Chanaea, so it was just a matter of time before they paid the price.
Emmanuel’s eyes hardened. “Elric, you know what to do. Do it now.” He leaned in close, his voice low, just above a whisper, as he gave Elric the plan.
Elric’s eyes widened in shock, after which a grin spread across his face. He gave Emmanuel a swift thump-up impressed by his boldness. This was the kind of decisiveness they needed.
No wonder Ethan had put Emmanuel in charge. If it had been Commander Sheffield-Grey, he’d likely have charged in recklessly, all fire and no strategy. But Emmanuel? He always thought things through.
After sending Elric on his way, Sage arrived in the Tocvale military zone, ready to report.
“Commander,” Sage began, kneeling on one knee before Emmanuel.
“I’ve failed in my mission. I haven’t found Mackenzie yet. I’m ready for whatever punishment you think I deserve.”
Emmanuel exhaled slowly, walking over to lift Sage back to his feet. “This isn’t on you, Sage. Don’t carry that burden alone.”
The words felt like a weight lifting off Sage’s shoulders. He almost found himself choking up.
Emmanuel’s voice softened, steady. “I trust you, my brother.”
He turned toward the window, his gaze distant as he looked out, his brow furrowing. “If Rhett trusted Quintus with the Holy Guardian’s legacy, then I trust he’ll find Mackenzie and protect her.”
Emmanuel didn’t place his faith blindly. He knew Quintus and even understood the man.
If Quintus hadn’t found Mackenzie yet, it wasn’t because he’d given up, That man wasn’t one to sit idle by.
In fact, Emmanuel suspected Quintus had already found her, but the communication lines had been severed.
For now, with everything on the line, he had to trust him.
“Sage,” Emmanuel continued, his voice firm. “Contact Eve, Get 10,000 elite troops from Northern Region here by tomorrow morning.”
Sage didn’t hesitate. “Got it, Commander.”
But a thought crossed his mind. “Commander, the Fierce Claw Army already follows your command. Why do we need the Northern Region’s elites?”
A smile curled on Emmanuel’s lips. A look of sharp determination flashed in his eyes. “The Fierce Claw Army has other tasks. We’re about to launch an assault on Forland. You and the Northern Region troops will come with me. We’re going deep into Ashdon Nation to deal with the real enemy.”
Sage didn’t quite understand all the details, but I didn’t matter.
He’d follow Emmanuel into battle, whatever the cost. Victory or death, it was an honor either way.
The next morning, everything was set. Elric and Sage had done their part.
Emmanuel boarded a warship, setting sail southward from Chanaea’s waters, headed straight into the heart of the conflict between the two nations.