The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1214 - 187 - The King of Bethlan (3)

"I see..."

The King slowly closed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest of his chair as if he were weighing every word he had just heard. There was a brief pause. It was long enough to feel deliberate, but not awkward. "Well, now I understand the reasoning," he continued. "I think the Bethlan Kingdom could benefit from this approach. That much is clear. But tell me... what about the otherworlder heroes?"

My mother let out a quiet breath and smiled, though it wasn’t the kind of smile meant to reassure. It was wry, edged with realism. "At this point in time, I don’t think the heroes can really be classified as part of our military units," she said. "They’re still growing stronger, and they’re improving quickly, but they need time. They need proper training. They are strong, mind you, but right now, that strength isn’t enough to crush either the Empire or the Republic."

The room fell silent for a moment.

It had only been a few months since they’d been dragged—no, transported—into this world.

A few months.

That wasn’t nearly enough time to prepare anyone for war.

They simply weren’t ready.

If the Empire decided to stall, if they played the long game instead of rushing forward, then sure—there was a real possibility the heroes could grow into something terrifying. Something refined. An extreme unit that could tilt the balance in the Kingdom’s favor.

But there was still one glaring issue.

They hated killing.

Leon had explained it to me once, in his usual blunt way. They came from a peaceful world, one where violence like this was rare and distant. Killing another person wasn’t something you trained for—it was something you read about, watched on a screen, and then forgot about.

That explained everything.

It explained why they broke down after the village attack. Why their hands shook. Why some of them couldn’t even sleep afterward. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"I see..." the King murmured again, his voice lower this time. "Then we’ll work with what we have. The Empire may be strong, but I highly doubt our kingdoms will just sit back and let that bastard walk in and take everything from us."

The way the King of Bethlan said it made it sound obvious, almost casual. Like resisting the Empire was as natural as breathing.

And honestly, the Emperor fit that description perfectly.

I’d only met him once, briefly, but that was more than enough.

Arrogant. Greedy. Obsessed with power.

I’d never met someone who wore those traits so openly and so shamelessly.

Leon could be called greedy too, sure—but Leon’s greed was for women. There was a difference. A big one. One ruined empires. And well, the other ruined bedsheets.

"Well then," the King said, pushing himself up from his chair, "I believe this meeting is over."

"So it is," my mother replied, rising as well, her smile polite but knowing.

The conversation itself hadn’t been long, but it didn’t need to be. There was a mutual understanding between them, with both spoken and unspoken. That was enough.

"Would you like me to escort you to your lounge?" my mother asked.

"No," the King said immediately. "I’m going to see my daughter."

"I see..."

The shift was instant.

The moment he mentioned his daughter, his expression hardened, darkening like a gathering storm. His posture stiffened, his jaw tightening just slightly. It was just enough to be noticeable if you were paying attention.

It was impossible to tell what was going on in his head.

But one thing was clear.

He looked like a man who could kill someone if given a reason.

***

King Bethlan’s POV

I never thought I’d set foot in this castle again.

Not after everything.

I’d been here before, long ago, when I was still young and naïve enough to believe power could be clean. My father had brought me here personally, insisting I meet the King of this kingdom.

Back then, the man had been around my father’s age. He was stern, sharp-eyed, and commanding in a way that made you straighten your back without realizing it.

By the time I ascended the throne myself, he was still ruling this land.

Despite his age and the fact that no one could deny his mind wasn’t as sharp as it once was, he remained king. That persistence was something I admired deeply.

It was also something I despised.

He clung to power with both hands and he was easily swayed by ministers who whispered sweet lies into his ears while lining their own pockets.

If I were king here, I would have dismissed them without hesitation. In severe cases, I would’ve had their heads on spikes by morning.

Then again, that exact mindset was what drove my own kingdom into chaos.

I’d done what I thought was right. I’d purged corruption, fired ministers who abused their authority, and replaced them with people who were actually competent.

They responded with a coup d’état.

Betrayal always comes dressed as loyalty.

That was why I had no choice but to send Nia away.

And now, after all this time, I’d learned she was in a relationship.

With a man.

That part didn’t bother me.

She was a grown woman.

Sh was well into her twenties by now. It was natural for her to fall in love as well as to have someone by her side.

As much as it stung to realize my little girl wasn’t a little girl anymore, I accepted it.

What I didn’t accept was the rest.

The fact that this man was involved with other women.

The fact that Nia knew—and still loved him anyway.

That was what made my blood boil.

"Shall I kill him, Your Majesty?" the knight beside me asked quietly.

He was young, but reliable. One of the knights I’d assigned to protect Nia years ago, before she stubbornly insisted she didn’t need guards and sent them all away.

"Don’t," I said after a moment. My voice was calm, but firm. "I want to see him myself first. If Nia chose him, then there must be something special about him."

Or at the very least, something worth judging with my own eyes.