Raised From The Wild-Chapter 413: King Ralden’s Gambit

After Erick left, King Ralden sat on his throne for some time deep in thought.

Erick, brimming with youthful energy and passion, embodied the spirit of idealism. His unwavering patriotism was clearly evident in the diligence he showed in his work as he invented things that could help spur the country’s economic growth.

He was still pure, neither his mind nor his heart had been clouded by the allure of power or the insatiable hunger for wealth; instead, they remained untainted and vibrant, reflecting a deep-rooted desire to contribute positively to his country and to the father whom he thought has embraced him as son wholeheartedly.

Ralden had once been similar to him. He did everything to earn his father’s recognition, but no matter how much he accomplished, his father only had eyes for his mediocre firstborn. Eventually, Ralden snapped; he pushed aside his ideal self and allowed his darker side to take control. He sought power so that no one could look down on him, the son of a lowly palace maid.

King Ralden stood from his throne and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window. He pushed a button, and the thick curtain parted. His throneroom was located at the highest point of the palace, and he had a good view of the bustling capital of Ra-Iya.

Ra-Iya has improved significantly in the last two years and Erick and his team of young entrepreneurs and scientists were a contributing factor.

He understood Erick too well, so he could not assign him to work on his dirty things. Erick would be the face of the modern and progressive Ra-Iya, a country that would soon overtake Albanya and then Lireya.

The young lad hesitated the first time he asked Erick to do hacking jobs, but when he understood that it was needed for Ra-Iya’s future, he did not hesitate anymore. Besides, stealing information was not like killing people.

King Ralden was unlike the fallen supreme leader of the Dark Phoenix, Adolf Black. Whereas Black wanted to pursue supreme power through ruthless usurpation and domination, he harbored a more insidious ambition. His goal was not to seize control outright but to orchestrate a grand chaos that would leave society teetering on the brink of despair.

He envisioned a world plunged into turmoil, where people would feel utterly powerless and hopeless in the face of overwhelming adversity. In the wake of the anarchy, he planned to emerge as a beacon of hope, presenting himself as the peacemaker who could restore order to the chaos. He sought to position himself as the savior in their darkest hour, ensuring that when all seemed lost, the people would look to him for solace and redemption.

To succeed, he used his right hand to do good and moral deeds and his left hand to do his dark secrets.

King Ralden turned away from the window and proceeded to the door located at the left of his throne. He pressed a series of keys on the almost invisible panel, and the door of an elevator opened.

The elevator descended a few floors, and when it opened, the man who came out of the elevator was wearing a red hood.

"Emperor!" Two men in black hoods bowed down and greeted King Ralden politely.

"Have you arranged the meeting with the twelve elders?"

"Yes, Emperor. They are already waiting in the throne room. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

One of the men opened a black sports car parked at the side, and the emperor went inside and buckled his seatbelt.

As the black sports car revved, the wall to their right suddenly parted, revealing a tunnel. In a flash, the car disappeared into the tunnel, and the wall was restored to its original appearance.

The sports car stopped at a dead end. King Ralden got out of the car, and when he stood in front of a black wall, it parted, and a glass door appeared, which automatically opened after an infrared scan.

King Ralden walked with a powerful aura to where the golden throne was perched atop an elevated platform. He sat languidly as gazed moved across the room where twelve men in black hoods remained standing.

"Uno, what’s the update on Mount Paraiso?"

"Emperor, the laboratory is doing well. We have full control of all the animals there, including the mythical ones. We also have recouped our losses when we lost the base in Mount Verde Island."

"Hmm! That’s good!" King Ralden’s pleasant voice sounded like music to Uno’s ears. It was good to be praised by the emperor.

"It is a collaborative effort among the six of us, Your Majesty. Dos, Tres, Quatro, Cinco, and Saiz worked together to subdue those animals."

"How about those nosey foreign scientists and mountaineers? Do they still camp at the foot of Mount Paraiso?"

"They left when they felt the tremor and saw that the fog at the peak of Mount Paraiso thickened."

"That’s good!"

"Since the Octa Virus is now useless, have you considered an alternative?" The emperor’s gaze fell on the 12th man from the left.

"Forgive our incompetence, Emperor. No matter what virus we use, the immune booster from Lireya seemed to kill it in three days. We cannot exactly identify which specific active ingredient is countering the effect of the virus."

"Then, how about the people you sent to spy on Maharlika palace? Any news from them?"

"She has given us a small seedling of the plant known as Milagrosa. She explained that this plant is a vital ingredient in the immune booster. However, despite our best efforts and numerous attempts to cultivate it, we have been unable to propagate it." Doce’s voice trembled slightly, revealing a mix of reverence and frustration.

"Then, can’t you poach someone working with the Princess?" The emperor paused as if a thought had struck him. "Wait, I know what to do."

He needed to get his hands on Princess Amaya, not only for the knowledge of the miracle plant Milagrosa but also for that unknown rare metal that Ibrahim cataloged as XX99, a very precious metal that could be an almost infinite source of power.