Chapter 1951 Labor In Vain

The moment Rocky and Vivian returned to the leader's mansion in the Ghost Capital, they found Gilbert
looking like a cat on hot bricks. From the overwrought expression on his face, they figured he must be
in a precarious situation.

"Vivian, I'm so glad you're back! But why have you returned with Odin? And where have you been
these days? Odin, I thought Valeria had gone with you, but I don't see her. Where is she?" Gilbert
asked, looking momentarily confused. He had expected Valeria to come back together with Rocky, not
Vivian.

"I'm afraid that's a complicated story. I'll explain it later. By the way, I heard a rumor on the way back
that the royal family and Enoch are at war against each other. Is that true?" Rocky went straight to the
point.

"You heard right. The royal family and Enoch are embroiled in conflict. Honestly, I don't know what the
king was thinking when he declared war on Enoch for no reason. He also declared that Zain will be his
successor in the name of the deity. Princess Layla protested against this, but the king imprisoned her
and accused her of treason. I and several royal members who support Princess Layla went to appeal to
the king plenty of times, but he is steadfast in his decision and refused to let her go. Not only that, but
the king also asked me to surrender the Blood Fief, so I'm also exhausted now."

Rocky listened carefully as Gilbert worriedly briefed him about the current situation.

"Something must be wrong with the king," he murmured. The more he heard, the more he felt that
something was off.

In fact, it already felt somewhat strange to him when the king decided he would choose his successor
among whoever came back from the Ghostly Demon Land with the item he asked. That opened an
opportunity for a member of the demonic race to take advantage, and Phillip's soul had almost been
freed in the process. Now, the king had declared war on Enoch, appointed Zain as his successor, and



even imprisoned Layla. None of that made sense. Each decision made by the king felt like it would
ultimately lead the royal family to their doom.

"What are you going to do now?" Vivian asked Gilbert.

"I want to avoid any kind of conflict with the royal family, so we have no choice but to surrender the
Blood Fief for the time being," Gilbert answered, and the resolve on his face made it apparent that he
had already made up his mind. "As for Princess Layla, I have no idea how to save her. That's why I
was waiting for you. I thought you might be able to help me."

"You don't have to worry anymore, Leader Gilbert. I will do my best to save her," Rocky reassured him
helpfully after a short silence.

"Do you have a way to save her?" Gilbert asked as he cast a curious glance at Rocky.

"I believe our king threw Princess Layla into prison because of me. He wants me to hand over the
Purgatorial Tripod," Rocky explained. It was fairly obvious to him what the king intended to happen.

"Do you mean you're going to hand over the Purgatorial Tripod?!" Gilbert burst out in shock. The
Purgatorial Tripod was their last bargaining chip, so he couldn't help but frown in confusion.

"The Purgatorial Tripod doesn't matter anymore. We must do everything to save Princess Layla,"
Rocky answered calmly. The Purgatorial Tripod had lost its meaning to him, seeing that it didn't hold
Phillip's soul, anyway.

"You have a point. And besides, the Purgatorial Tripod is the royal family's holy treasure. It is a ticking
time bomb as long as it is in our hands." Gilbert nodded approvingly, finally satisfied by Rocky's
answers. "Well, we shouldn't delay any longer. Let's go see the king now."

After that, Rocky and Gilbert left the mansion and headed for the Royal Land.



They soon arrived at their destination and didn't waste any time, immediately heading for the palace to
meet with the king.

"Seeing as you dared to come here today, Gilbert, you must have made up your mind already," the king
greeted them coldly.

"Yes. Your Majesty, I have decided to surrender the Blood Fief," Gilbert answered as he bowed his
head and cupped his hands.

"Very good. I have high respect for those who choose their battles well. You have not disappointed me,
Gilbert!" The king nodded, looking pleased. Then he turned his attention to Rocky and asked, "What
brings you here, Odin?"

"Your Majesty, I accompanied Leader Gilbert here because I have a favor to ask of you," Rocky
answered, cupping his hands.

"What is it?"

"I would like to petition for Princess Layla's freedom," Rocky appealed to the king straightforwardly.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. She dared to rebel against me! I spared her life already, and that, in itself,
is already a big favor," the king firmly replied.

"If it pleases you, Your Majesty, I'm willing to give up the Purgatorial Tripod in exchange for her
freedom," Rocky volunteered.

"Really?" The king raised one eyebrow in astonishment. He didn't expect Rocky to willingly hand over
the Purgatorial Tripod just to save Layla. But he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I give you my word." Rocky nodded, his eyes flashing with steel resolve.



"How can I say no in the face of such sincerity? You have yourself a deal. Guards, bring Layla here!"
The king dipped his head once, and the guards immediately took the hint and headed for the holding
cells.

Before long, they were back with Layla in tow. Since she was the daughter of the former queen, she
was only placed under house arrest instead of being punished by any criminal law. However, her
haggard face made it obvious she had suffered too.

The moment she spotted Rocky and Gilbert, relief flashed in her eyes. She knew they were here to
intercede for her.

"Layla, Gilbert and Odin are here to plead for you, and Odin has even put up the Purgatorial Tripod as
a token for your freedom. So I have decided that for the sake of your mother and our last queen, I am
willing to set aside your guilt. However, in the interest of fairness and justice, I have to abolish your
royal identity and relegate you to civilian status," the king explained. This must be what he had planned
from the start. He was taking advantage of the current situation to get what he wanted.

Gilbert couldn't help but frown when he heard this. The punishment ensured that Layla would lose the
support of the royal family, and everything she had worked hard before would come to naught.

"You—" Layla's temper flared again because she felt the king's punishment wasn't fair at all.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!" Rocky spoke quickly, interrupting Layla's words as he
shook his head at her.

Seeing this, she bit her lips in an effort to stay quiet and said nothing more.

"Where is the Purgatorial Tripod, Odin?" the king asked, looking searchingly at Rocky.



Nodding, Rocky took out the Purgatorial Tripod from his Magic Spiritual Space and laid it down on the
floor in front of them.

"You can go now," the king dismissed them at once with a wave of his hand.

Then, Rocky, Gilbert, and Layla left together.

After the three of them had left, Zain showed up at the palace. He looked at the Purgatorial Tripod that
Rocky put on the floor and asked the king, "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that Layla will make a
comeback?"

"I have abolished her royal identity. She is a mere commoner now, so how can she make a comeback?
Now that we have obtained the Purgatorial Tripod, you can become the real king of the Shura Race,"
the king answered with disdain.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zain cupped his hands in return, paying homage to his father's efforts.

"But you have to lead the army personally in our battle against Enoch. Once you defeat him, no one in
the royal family can object to your ascension as king," the king craftily planned.

"I understand." Zain nodded at once.

On the flip side, Rocky, Gilbert, and Layla had gone straight to the Ghost Capital after leaving the Royal
Land, where they headed to the leader's mansion.

Once inside, Gilbert sat heavily in his chair and let out a burdened sigh.

"I'm sorry, Leader Gilbert. I let you down!" Layla cried out dejectedly. She didn't expect that everything
she had worked hard to achieve would crumble into dust just like that.


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