Ch. 671..680
Chapter 661
At the foyer of the hotel, many big shots of Cansington gathered. Some were from the corporate world, while others came from political circles. The latter was here for the Black Dragon.
News of the Black Dragon’s relationship with Thea had spread like wildfire.
They were saying that Thea divorced her husband to be together with the Black Dragon, one of the former five commanders-in-chief. Even if he had resigned from his post, he was worth getting acquainted with. Thea was wearing a low-cut dress. Her long hair was tied up, and bandages covered her face. Even so, it did not have the slightest effect on her unique charisma and demeanor. She was greeting her guests. Meanwhile, Bobby was escorting her the whole time.
Together with James, Cynthia walked over to Thea. Thea saw them approaching from afar. Upon seeing how intimate James was with another woman, she momentarily froze. Then, she smiled and greeted, “Cynthia, you’re here.”
“Mhm.”
Cynthia gently nodded. Cynthia was a member of the Dawn family. She was a big shot. Hence, she was someone Thea and the Callahans wanted to curry favor with. Thea wore a bright smile even though James was there. She greeted Cynthia. However, she completely disregarded James as if he was invisible.
“James...”
A voice came.
James turned to see where it came from.
Quincy, who was wearing a red dress, walked over to him. Looking at him with a smile, she said, “I thought you wouldn’t come.”
James joked, “I came here for the free food.”
“Thea,”
After greeting James, Quincy turned toward Thea.
“Mhm.”
Thea nodded.
Quincy pulled at James and said, “Let’s have a seat here.”
Cynthia loosened her grip and gave James a slight push. “Go on.”
James followed Quincy to a sofa not far away.
The moment James sat on the sofa, he pulled a cigarette out and lit it.
Quincy, who was sitting opposite him, stared at him and teased, “You look rather handsome in a suit. There’s a manly feel to it. Thea must be blind.”
“Really?”
James smiled slightly. He never believed himself to be a handsome man. “I’m serious,” Quincy said with a straight face. “Alright, then.”
James cut the conversation short. Although he was sitting opposite Quincy, his gaze was fixed on Thea, who was standing in the distance. Seeing this, Quincy could not help but feel sorrowful. As they said, one would only have the opportunity to steal a man’s heart when he was washed up and beaten down. However, she felt as if she could never enter James’ heart no matter what she did. That was because there was only one person in his heart, to begin with. There was no more space for anyone else. More and more people came.
Quincy went to greet some of the people she was acquainted with.
James, on the other hand, sat on the sofa in the rest area and played Plants vs. Zombies on his phone.
At the same time, a crowd gathered outside Cansington Hotel. They were ordinary citizens holding banners with words scribbled on them up high. “Is Thea Callahan here?” They spoke. After hearing of this, Thea hurriedly made her way out. Standing before the crowd, she asked, “What’s going on?”
“Thea, where is the Black Dragon? There’s an emergency at the border of the Southern Plains. We‘re here to request him to return to the battlefield.”
“This is a declaration written in blood by ten thousand men. We implore the Black Dragon to come out of retirement and return to the battlefield.”
Thea looked at the banners on which names were scribbled in blood and frowned. “How would I know where the Black Dragon is?“.
“Thea Callahan, the Black Dragon doesn’t belong to you only. Call for him. We implore him to return to the battlefield!”
Chapter 662
“Black Dragon, Sol needs you!”
“The Soleans need you!”
“Sol needs your protection!” Their voices rang in unison. Though there were many specialized police units maintaining order, they did not stop the crowd from requesting the Black Dragon to return to the battlefield.
The commotion outside attracted the attention of many.
A few big shots walked out. As did Quincy. She saw the thousands upon thousands of people holding the banners up high. There were names written in blood on them. They implored the Black Dragon to come out of retirement and return to the battlefield to stem the tide of the battle. Thea glanced at Quincy and pushed her to the front.
“I don’t know where he is. She’s the Black Dragon’s girlfriend. Ask her.” Quincy froze. Immediately, she recalled how she colluded with James by putting on an act to create the impression that she was his girlfriend. The crowd was stunned.
“Wasn’t the Black Dragon rumored to have a relationship with Thea?”
“What? The Black Dragon has a different girlfriend?”
None of them were aware of this.
“Miss, may I know where the Black Dragon is?”
They all looked at Quincy. “I-I don’t know.”
Quincy shook her head.
James was inside the building. However, since he did not show himself, she would not dare reveal his identity.
Saying that, she turned and entered the hotel.
At a rest area of the hotel…
Quincy walked over to James, who was playing games on his phone, and said, “There are many citizens outside carrying banners. Their names are written in blood on the banners. They’re requesting that you return to the battlefield.” “Oh? Is that so?”
James put his phone down and looked at Quincy. “Names written in blood?”
“Yes.”
Quincy nodded. “The situation is grim at the border. The Southern Plains City has fallen last night. The Black Dragon army suffered many casualties and retreated three hundred kilometers inland.”
“That serious?”
James was shocked.
He had switched his phone off and went to sleep last night. He was unaware of what was going on.
Although there were many missed calls from Henry after he switched his phone on in the morning, he paid no heed to them.
He immediately tapped into a browser.
There was a dedicated page on the Southern Plains border at the top of the browser. In it, there was the latest news on the situation on the battlefield. There was even a donation page that was funding the war effort. The total sum had already reached hundreds of billions.
Scrolling through the latest developments of the war, James’ face darkened.
‘The Black Dragon army suffered a devastating defeat?’ This was the first in a decade.
“Whew!”
He took a deep breath,
“Not to worry. The Black Dragon army isn’t the only force available to the Empire of Sol. There are still the Blithe army, the Red Flame army, and others. Forces from all military regions are assembling to reinforce the Southern Plains as we speak. The twenty-eight nations are no threat to us.”
The Southern Plains and the Black Dragon army were all that were on James’ mind.
However, he was no longer the Black Dragon nor the commander-in-chief of the Black Dragon army. There was no use worrying.
He believed that Sol would send capable generals to the battlefield to turn the tides of the war.
“Will everything be fine?”
Anxious, Quincy asked, “Will the twenty-eight nations fight from the Southern Plains to beyond the borders of the country?”
“Impossible.”
James shook his head. “You’re overthinking things. The military power of Sol is unrivaled in the world. The twenty-eight nations are mere tiny, uninhabited nations. Even if they combine their forces, they are no match for us. This is, at most, an armed border engagement. It’s far from being a large-scale operation. If Sol goes all out, the twenty-eight nations will be wiped off the map.”
As the former commander-in-chief, James was well aware of Sol’s military power.
If it was not for the fact that international treaties forbade the use of weapons of mass destruction, there was no way the twenty-eight nations would dare invade Sol.
Hearing this, Quincy was relieved. Thousands of citizens knelt outside. They believed the Black Dragon was right here in Cansington Hotel. That was because they knew that he had a special relationship with Thea. There was no way he would not be here at Thea’s birthday banquet.
However, Thea really did not know where the Black Dragon was.
She had no other option.
“Please rise. The Black Dragon isn’t here. I don’t know where he is,” Thea said exasperatedly.
Chapter 663
Many reporters gathered outside Cansington Hotel.
The scene was broadcasted live.
The crowd only dispersed after Thea reiterated that the Black Dragon was not there and that she did not know of his whereabouts.
Thea and the others returned to Cansington Hotel.
More and more guests arrived.
Soon, hundreds of guests gathered in the foyer. The big shots from Cansington all presented their specially prepared gifts. However, they were only ordinary big shots. The true powerful and influential people from the Five Provinces Business Alliance or Infinity Commerce were not invited to attend. After all, they had bad blood with the Callahans. It would be inappropriate for them to come. Giving a glistening smile, Gladys received the gifts on behalf of Thea. Lex, who was wearing a red suit, was conversing with some big shots while leaning on his cane not too far away. They were discussing the development of Eternality Group. Lex, at long last, believed that the Callahans were now an influential family, one of the main pillars of Cansington.
All of this was because of Thea. Holding a mic in his hand, he said, “Quiet down, please. I‘d like to speak.”
The crowd quieted down.
Everyone fixed their gaze on Lex.
The rest of the Callahans by Lex‘s side were basking in the admiration of the crowd.
Lex scanned the crowd and said, “I‘m old. It‘s time for me to retire. I‘d like to officially announce that Thea Callahan will be the new head of the household. Under her guidance, I believe that the Callahans will reach even greater heights.”
Clap! Clap! Clap! The crowd gave a round of applause. Lex handed the mic to Thea. “The floor is yours.”
Taking the mic, Thea said smilingly, “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come to my birthday banquet. I‘m deeply honored.”
She bowed deeply
Janes was watching her silently from afar.
Cynthia and Quincy were beside him They sat there and accompanied him as they were worried James would be crestfallen after divorcing Thea
James was only here to give his wishes to Thea. He stood up and headed in Thea‘s direction. Seeing James walking over to them, the Callahans‘ faces darkened. “Isn‘t he James, the son–in–law of the Callahans?” “Didn‘t he divorce Thea already? Why is he here?”
“I don‘t know.”
The crowd whispered. Under the crowd‘s gaze, James walked over to Thea. The smile on Thea‘s face froze.She said coldly, “Why are you here? Get lost. I don‘t want to see you.”
Meanwhile, Bobby looked at James with a mischievous grin. “Thea has divorced you. Why are you still pestering her?”
James looked at Bobby and grunted. Then, he turned to face Thea. “I‘m here to wish you a happy birthday.” “No need for that.” Her expression was ice cold. Even Quincy could no longer stand her aloofness. She stepped forward and said coldly, “What‘s wrong with you, Thea? Have you forgotten it was James who gave you the ten billion dollars? Without him, where would the Callahans be now?”
“Quincy, the Callahans‘ affairs have nothing to do with you,” Gladys reproached her. “It was Zane Dawn who gave the money to James as thanks for saving his daughter. It was the Callahans who made this possible. If he hadn‘t married into the Callahans, he wouldn‘t have saved Cynthia. Everything was given to him by us.” “Preposterous!” Quincy had long been displeased with Thea and the Callahans. “What fine men and women you all are! And you! Are you dumb? Why did you give ten billion to Thea for nothing? James gently pulled at Quincy and said, “Enough. Knock it off.”
“No, I refuse.”
Chapter 664
Quincy was unrelenting. She pointed at Thea and rebuked her, “Are you a fool? What kind of man would give a woman ten billion dollars? And do you seriously think it was Zane who gave him that?”
Being rebuked in public, Thea was displeased. She said coldly, “Quincy, this has nothing to do with you. Knock it off. Otherwise, don‘t blame me if I turn against you.” “You idiot! Such a fine man, and you threw him away just like that. You will regret this!”
“Enough!”
James roared.
Quincy turned to look at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and cried out, “You‘re an idiot too!”
Saying that, she ran away sobbing. The crowd was witnessing this spectacle. Everyone knew that James was trash. News of Thea‘s divorce from James and her intimate relationship with the Black Dragon had spread like wildfire. However, as these were their private affairs, not many knew of the specifics. Cynthia gently tugged at James and whispered, “Are you alright?” James smiled and said, “Of course I am.” Then, he turned toward Thea. “What a shame that I couldn‘t stay by your side till the end. In any case, I wish you find someone you truly love.”
“I don‘t need your wishes.”
Thea‘s face darkened.
Quincy had humiliated her in front of the crowd. From Thea‘s perspective, it had to be James who instructed her to do this.
She was bewildered.
‘When did Quincy get so close with James? I thought she detested him.‘
Yesterday, Quincy had stood up for James. Today, in front of the crowd, she had a falling out with Thea. Was it worth it for this piece of trash?
“Get lost, James. We don‘t welcome you here.” Gladys pointed at the door and cried out, “Thea has divorced you. You have nothing to do with her anymore.”
Lex looked at James and sighed. “James, ever since you married into the Callahans, I know that you‘ve been working tirelessly. Now that you‘ve divorced Thea, I have to at least show my appreciation, lest the public accuses me of mistreating you. Give me your bank account number. I‘ll transfer ten million to you. With that amount of money, you won‘t have to worry about anything else for the rest of your life.”
Cynthia could no longer stand this.
“‘Lex, do you seriously think James needs the ten million? If money is what he wanted, he wouldn‘t have given ten billion to Thea for nothing.”
“It‘s okay, Cynthia. Say no more.” James lightly waved.
Meanwhile, the bystanders were puzzled.
Quincy had said something about‘ten billion dollars.
Now, Cynthia of the Dawn family was saying the same thing too. Did James the trash really give ten billion dollars to Thea? If that was the case, Thea was too much.
Cynthia reluctantly shut her mouth.
Meanwhile, James took a deep sigh.
“I wanted to hold a wedding and watch the fireworks with you when everything was over. It‘s a shame that that day would never come. In any case, I wish you all the best.”
At the same time, armed forces had appeared outside Cansington Hotel. The leader was a middle–aged man in military uniform with a five–star badge. He was the Blithe King, commander–in–chief of the five armies.
He had hastily made his way to the Capital last night.
After a long meeting, he had successfully convinced his higher–ups to restore James‘ position as the commander–in–chief of the Black Dragon army and send him back to the Southern Plains to take control of the situation.
Ronald and the rest of the Black Dragon army were there too. They were also wearing military uniforms on which a lifelike Black Dragon was depicted.
Even Henry had left the military hospital. Now, he was wearing a military uniform with a one star badge. Thousands of the Black Dragon army knelt outside Cansington Hotel.
“All hail the Dragon General.”
Their voices rang in unison.
Chapter 665
Thousands of the Black Dragon army knelt outside Cansington Hotel. At the very front was Henry. In his hands was a military uniform. The Blithe King stood by the side holding a red document. “All hail the Dragon General!” Their voices rang in unison. This attracted the attention of passers–by. Even the police in charge of maintaining public order were dumbfounded. What was going on? The crowd with banners had only just left. Now, even the Black Dragon army and the Blithe King were here.
Could it be that the Black Dragon was really in the hotel?
In the hotel...
Tommy hurriedly ran toward the Callahans while yelling, “Grandpa... Thea, something is going on outside!”
Lex chided, “How outrageous! Where are your manners?”
“No, grandpa. Something‘s going on. The Black Dragon army and the Blithe King are yelling All hail the Dragon General‘ outside.”
Upon hearing this, everyone froze. The Dragon General?
“Is the Black Dragon in the hotel?”
The crowd scanned their surroundings but found no trace of the Black Dragon.
Thea looked around too but could not find him. She frowned and muttered, “What‘s going on?”
“Let‘s have a look outside.”
Lex got up and headed toward the door.
Thea and the rest of the Callahans followed close behind.
The guests also followed them out.
Only James remained rooted to the spot. He scratched his nose and murmured silently,” What‘s going on?”
Puzzled, he walked out of the hotel.
Outside the hotel…
The Black Dragon army was still kneeling.
Henry was at the very front with the Black Dragon robe in his hands.
The Callahans exited the hotel. Upon seeing this, they froze.
Thea walked over to the Black Dragon army and sighed, “What are you doing? The Black Dragon really isn‘t here. Besides, I‘m not in a relationship with him whatsoever. Why are you guys here?”
“All hail the Black Dragon!” “All hail the Black Dragon!” “All hail the Black Dragon!” The hundred–strong Black Dragon army that was brought to Cansington by James cried out in unison.
“Is he really in the hotel?” Gladys scanned her surroundings. As she had seen him on TV before, she knew what he looked like. After all, his appearance was broadcasted live when he helped Thea obtain the title of Asclepius. However, after looking around, she found no traces of him. Everyone was puzzled. The Black Dragon could not be found.
Upon noticing the Blithe King, Henry, and the thousand–strong Black Dragon army, James frowned slightly. Then, he made his over through the crowd.
“What are you doing?” He had accidentally pushed Tommy. Tommy rebuked him, “Can‘t you see that they‘re welcoming the Dragon General? What‘s a piece of trash like you doing here?” Gladys joined in, “What‘s wrong with you, James? Are you tired of living? If you cross any of the big shots here, you‘ll be dead.” James made his way to the front. Looking at Henry, Ronald, and the others kneeling on the ground, he sighed, “What are you guys doing?” Henry stood up and approached James, “Commander–in–chief, the higher–ups have agreed to restore you to your position. Here‘s your Black Dragon robe. We need you in the Southern Plains.”
Only then did Thea notice Henry. She was acquainted with him. She knew he was the owner of Common Clinic.
She was there for a few days, after all, Seeing the one–star badge on Henry‘s military uniform and the way he spoke to James was like a bolt from the blue. Her mind blank, she remained rooted to the spot. The Callahans were dumbfounded. “Commander–in–chief?”
“I–Is the general addressing James as the commander–in–chief?” Everyone was dumbfounded.
“H–How can that be?”
“James has been the Black Dragon all this while?” The Blithe King walked over to James and handed him a red document. “The higher–ups have agreed to restore your position as the commander–in–chief of the Black Dragon army. The Southern Plains need you.”
James knew he had to go. After all, there was nothing left for him to do in Cansington. He took the document and the military uniform and returned to the hotel. He went to a rest area and got changed. Everyone was at a loss.
Chapter 666
The Callahans, in particular, were petrified. They could not believe that James, the useless son–in–law of the Callahans, would be the world – renowned Black Dragon, the guardian of Sol. They found it hard to connect the two.
Time passed.
Clack! Clack! Clack! The sound of leather boots could be heard inside the hotel.
A man in the Black Dragon robe walked out.
The Black Dragon robe was pitch black. A lifelike black dragon was carved on it, and there was a five–star badge on its shoulder area.
There were only five people in Sol that wore a five–star badge.
Wearing the Black Dragon robe, his face was stern, and he exuded a commanding presence.
The moment he walked out of the hotel, the crowd could feel the strong aura he exuded. It was suffocating
“All hail the Dragon General!”
Their voices rang in unison.
Quincy was watching James from afar. At that moment, James was the most handsome man on earth to her. Her eyes were brimming with tears that flowed down her cheeks.
“James, you‘re finally yourself again. You should have done this a long time ago. Why did you have to marry into the Callahans and get mistreated by Thea and the others?”
“Thea, I told you you‘d regret this.”
Quincy cried tears of joy. Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, James slowly walked toward his men.
The crowd unconsciously made way for him.
Only Thea remained rooted to her spot.
Her eyes were brimming with tears. Looking at James, who was in the Black Dragon robe, tears flowed down her cheeks.
She burst into tears,
“Why?!”
She bellowed.
James remained silent. He had said everything he wanted to say; he had done everything he
could. Now, he and Thea were nothing more than strangers.
He did not belong to Cansington. He did not belong to the peaceful metropolis. He belonged to the Southern Plains.
He needed to protect Sol and defend its borders.
“All hail the Dragon General!”
The thousand–strong Black Dragon army chanted. Their voices drowned out Thea‘s wails. Tens of thousands gathered outside the hotel. Seeing James, who was in military uniform with a five–star badge on his shoulder, tears flowed down their cheeks.
“This is our God of War.”
“This is our guardian.” Now that his country required his service, he did not shirk his responsibilities. James got around Thea and stood before the Black Dragon army. He raised his hand. The chanting stopped.
“Rise.”
The thousand–strong Black Dragon army rose, their actions in sync with one another. “My comrades–in–arm! The situation is dire at the border. We do not belong here at Cansington. Let us return to the Southern Plains and meet our enemies in battle.”
“Kill! Kill!”
“Defend Sol! Protect our motherland!”
The Black Dragon army was in high spirits.
At that moment, thousands of jeeps arrived.
“Let‘s move!”
James yelled.
Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, the Black Dragon army got on the jeeps. Henry stood beside James and gently tugged at him. “James, what about your wife?” James momentarily froze. Then, he left. This time, he did not look back.
Chapter 667
Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, James got on a jeep and left. Thea burst into tears.
She crouched down. Looking at the jeep now far away, she covered her mouth while tears flowed down her cheeks.
At that moment, she knew she had forever lost a man who deeply loved and cared for her.
“Farewell, God of War.”
“We‘ll await your triumphant rețurn.” Only after the jeeps left did the crowd cheer. The commotion outside Cansington Hotel only stopped after ten minutes.
Everyone‘s gaze was fixed on the Callahans.
The Callahans‘ faces were pale..
They never thought that the son–in–law of the Callahans would be the Black Dragon. If they had known, they would have buttered him up.
“What‘s going on, Thea?” Gladys questioned. She was still confused and had yet to recollect herself. “How did James turn out to be the Black Dragon?” Thea was crying her eyes out. “Thea, what‘s going on? J–James is the Black Dragon?” Tommy asked puzzledly. “Say something.” “Stop crying already.” The Callahans pestered her. “I–I don‘t know. I don‘t know anything at all.” Thea was at a loss. Her thoughts were disorderly and all over the place. She was in a state of mental confusion.
She was in shock She never thought that the man who had been by her side was the Black Dragon.
She could not understand.
If James was the Black Dragon, who was the James from Majestic Corporation?
In that case, who was the other James?
At that moment, Quincy walked over to her.
Thea stood up. Tears brimming in her eyes, she looked Quincy in the eye, hoping she would explain
“You knew, didn‘t you?”
Quincy wore a cold expression. James was a national hero. To protect Sol against external threats, he stared death in the face many times. Despite this, Thea had broken his heart.
“Yes, I knew.”
“Why didn‘t you tell me?”
Thea grabbed Quincy and shook her. Her emotions burst forth, and she bellowed with rage, “I treated you like a sister. Why did you hide this from me? Why didn‘t you tell me James was the Black Dragon all along? Are you playing me for a fool?”. Quincy looked at Thea and said, “What‘s the point? Who do you love, James or the Black Dragon? Neither, I‘d say. You‘re in love with the title of the Black Dragon. No matter who the Black Dragon was, you‘d still be in love with him. James told me that he could be his true self around you. If you can‘t even accept James for who he truly is, what‘s the point in telling you?” Quincy took a deep breath. “Do you think James needs money? “All this while, how many crises have you and the Callahans gone through?
“Every time, the crises would be averted.
“Why? That‘s because the God of War of Sol is by your side. James was watching over you. “Just because you saved him ten years ago, he silently watched over you to repay your kindness.
“And you...” Quincy looked at the Callahans. “Though James helped you out, each of you continued to mistreat him. “Is he trash just because he married into your family?
“Who do you think you are? Why do you think James married into the Callahans?
“Who do you think you are, Thea Callahan? Why do you think James stayed by your side? “You‘re just a nobody. Tons of women would love to marry the Black Dragon. He can get himself a wife anytime he wants.” Her every word pierced through Thea‘s heart. Tommy muttered under his breath, “Why didn‘t he just say so? If he had told us he was the Black Dragon, we wouldn‘t have mistreated him in the first place….”
He trailed off.
He was reminded of the times when he insulted and humiliated James.
It turned out James was being magnanimous,
If he had wanted to settle the score with him, he would have been dead a long time ago
Chapter 668
“M–My son–in–law was the Black Dragon?” Wearing a remorseful expression, Gladys slapped her forehead. “Gladys Hill, how foolish of you. You chased away the best son–in–law in the world.”
Quincy looked at Thea and said, “You‘re on your own.” After leaving this cold remark, she turned to leave. “Sigh...” Seeing the remorseful look on Thea‘s face, Cynthia sighed deeply. She looked at Zane and grabbed his hand. “Dad, let‘s go home. We‘ll return to the north. Since James doesn‘t belong here, I don‘t belong here either.”
“Mhm.”
Zane nodded. Then, together with Cynthia, they left Cansington Hotel.
Seeing that Quincy was about to leave, Thea hurriedly stopped her. “D-Don‘t go! Tell me, please! What should I do now?”
Quincy turned and looked at the sobbing Thea and said, “You shouldn‘t have treated him like that from the very beginning. It was you who drove James away. There‘s not much I can help you out with. To be honest, I have feelings for him too. I love him. But, since he was your husband, I couldn‘t steal him away from you. “When the two of you got divorced, I thought my time had come. However, to my dismay, he only has you on his mind. There‘s no space for me.
“The Southern Plains is in chaos, and he has to return to take charge of the situation on the battlefield. The battlefield is a treacherous place. There‘s no guarantee that he would return alive.”
Saying that, Quincy turned to leave. The Callahans were remorseful. They regretted mistreating James.
Meanwhile, Thea cried her eyes out.
She reminisced about everything related to James, from the time at the House of Royals, to the Black Dragon card she tossed into the trash can, and to the Blithe King‘s succession ceremony. Not only that, she thought of his unrivaled medical skills and his unparalleled mastery of martial arts. “I should‘ve known. How dumb of you, Thea.”
Thea cried out.
At the same time...
James was heading toward the military region to get on a private plane to the Southern Plains.
Henry was sitting beside him,
“Are we returning just like that?”
Looking at the buildings disappearing into the distance, James could not help but feel a little wistful. “I didn‘t belong here in the first place. I returned to Cansington to avenge my family and to repay Thea‘s act of kindness. Think of it as some kind of closure.” “But, Thea and you...” Henry opened and shut his mouth. In the end, he said, “Is there no way around this? You love her so very much. How did it turn out like this?”
James sighed dejectedly. He never thought his relationship with Thea would turn out this way.
Perhaps this was fate.
Suddenly, the car stopped. A soldier got off the car and hurriedly reported to James, “Sir, someone is blocking the path.” Henry ordered, “Shoo them off. Will you bear responsibility if we‘re late?” “Understood.”
Just as the soldier turned to leave, James stopped him. “I‘ll have a look.”
He got off the car.
A woman was standing in the middle of the road.
Around twenty years of age, the woman was dressed casually. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her facial features were delicate and exquisite. “It‘s her.”
James knew that woman.
It was Tiara Youngblood.
Back then, in order to frame him, Jonathan Harris had set him up. In the end, James had sexual intercourse with Tiara.
Tiara stood in the middle of the road to block the vehicles from leaving. James, in his Black Dragon robe, walked over to her and asked, “Why are you here?” Tiara lifted her head to look at him.
“W–Why can‘t I be here? I‘m going to the Southern Plains with you.”
Tiara was courageous.
She had returned to pursue her happiness.
She knew she would lose the opportunity forever if she continued to stand idly by.
James momentarily froze. Immediately, he said, “Although I was being framed, the fact remains that I‘ve done something horrible to you. I shall bear the consequences of it. However, now‘s not the time. Once I pacify the Southern Plains, and if I‘m still alive at that point, I promise to marry you. Is that alright?” James apologized.
He did not know how to compensate for the anguish Tiara had suffered.
He could only make such a promise.
Chapter 669
Ten years ago, Thea got completely disfigured while trying to save him from the flames.
He had repaid her for saving his life by giving her ten billion dollars. He no longer owed her anything Now, however, he owed another young maiden, As a man, it was only right for him to admit his mistakes. Back then, he was still married to Thea. Therefore, he could not make any promises. Now, after having divorced Thea, he had to return to the battlefield to take charge of the situation.
Looking at Tiara, the young maiden who had experienced fate‘s cruel joke, James gave his assurance.
With his promise, Tiara was now at ease. She knew that James, as the guardian of Sol, would keep his word. “I will wait for you in Cansington. I await your safe return.” James did not stay for a chat. Immediately, he turned to leave and got back into the car. Tiara got off the road, and the jeep continued on its journey. Soon, they arrived at the military region of Cansington. A helicopter was on standby on an empty plot of land.
The Blithe King personally came to see James off.
He patted James‘ back and said, “James, I‘ll leave the Southern Plains to you. I await your triumphant return. We haven‘t been able to have a drink together despite knowing each other for so long. Let‘s drink to our heart‘s content once you get back.”
“Sure thing.”
James said smilingly. Then, he got on the helicopter. “Goodbye, sir!” The soldiers‘ voices rang in unison. “We wish you the best on the battlefield and await your triumphant return.”
The helicopter lifted off. Looking at the city beneath him, James felt wistful. “I wonder if I can return alive.”
He murmured silently.
The situation at the Southern Plains was much worse than he anticipated. It was the most critical it had been in decades.
The three million–strong army of the twenty–eight nations had broken through Southern Plains City. It would be rather difficult to retake the conquered lands and expel the enemy forces.
The war could rage on for years. Looking at the city landscape slowly disappearing from his view, James was lost in contemplation.
Soon, the helicopter arrived in Lavender Town at the Southern Plains.
This was a city on the border. Now that the Black Dragon army had retreated from Southern Plains City, it entrenched itself in Lavender Town to redeploy and reorganize its fighting force.
In the military region of Lavender Town... “Welcome back, commander–in–chief!” The moment James got off the plane, a sonorous voice boomed in unison. James lightly waved and immediately ordered, “All one–star generals and above... we‘ll convene a meeting immediately.” The moment James arrived at the Southern Plains, he convened an emergency meeting.
A dozen generals gathered in the conference room.
Levi reported the current situation at the Southern Plains to James.
Hearing his report, James frowned. On the way here, he had been mulling over the allied army of the twenty–eight nations. Although there had always been minor clashes at the border, they were almost always small in scale. Such a large battle had never broken out before. Something was not quite right here. James still found it hard to believe that the twenty–eight nations would unanimously agree to invade sol.
Besides, after their last debacle, their National Treasury should be running short of funds after paying the hefty amount of compensation.
Chapter 670
Now that war had broken out once more, their people‘s livelihoods must have suffered tremendously. “Henry, what‘s your take on this? Why did the twenty–eight nations attack Sol?” James looked at Henry.
Although Henry‘s injuries had not recovered fully, he was now able to walk. With war breaking out in the Southern Plains, he followed Jaines here.
Henry thought long and hard about this. After a while, he said, “I think something‘s amiss. They justified their war goal by pointing to the lives that were lost in the hijacking incident. I think someone must have arranged for it.”
James nodded.
Henry‘s analysis was spot on. “Who do you think it is, then? What‘s their objective?” James questioned. “The one behind the scenes should know that, despite entering into an alliance, the military power of the twenty–eight nations combined is no match for Sol. They should understand that once Sol gets its act together, crushing the twenty–eight nations is but a piece of cake.”
Saying that, he gazed at the generals “Don‘t just stand there. Share your thoughts.”
Hearing this, the generals looked at one another. They remained silent as they believed they were not in the position to comment on the matter, given its severity. Henry continued, “Since it all began with the hijacking incident, I suggest getting to the bottom of it. Once we understand the chain of events that led to the incident and the identity of the one behind the scenes, solving the current border crisis should be much easier.”
James looked at Levi and asked, “So, have you got to the bottom of this?”
Levi nodded. “Yes. After receiving orders from the higher–ups, I personally conducted an investigation into the matter. However, there were no survivors. Not only that, many among the dead were influential people from the enemy‘s nations.”
Saying that, he handed a file to James. “These are the findings of the investigation.” James opened the file. Then, he frowned. “You didn‘t find out who was behind it?” Levi shook his head. “Not yet.” James took a deep breath and put the file down. Looking at the generals in the conference room, he said in an air of finality, “Sol is not afraid of war. However, that doesn‘t mean we‘ll be manipulated and used as pawns. Find out the whole truth about the hijacking incident as soon as possible. You can start with investigating the background of the deceased.”
Levi sald dejectedly, “But, these are people from the enemy nations. This constitutes transnational law enforcement. Under current circumstances, all nations have canceled their international lines to Sol.”
Hearing this, James was lost in contemplation.
After some time, he stood up and left the conference room.
Then, he pulled his phone out and called May. “James, aren‘t you at the Southern Plains right now? Is there anything I can help you with?”
James instructed, “Order the ones who are in charge of protecting Thea to abort their mission and make their way to the Southern Plains immediately. I have other missions for them.” “Understood.”
May hung up the phone and contacted the other assassins. James returned to the conference room and continued the meeting. The situation on the battlefield was critical. Last night, the Southern Plains City had fallen to the allied forces of the twenty–eight nations. The Black Dragon army suffered huge casualties and was forced to retreat. After occupying the city, the enemy forces did not pursue them any further. James had decided it would be best to not act rashly at the moment. They would hold down the fort in Lavender Town. If the allied forces of the twenty–eight nations continued their assault, they would meet them in battle. At the same time, James had ordered his men to swiftly conduct a thorough investigation into the hijacking incident to find out the identity of the one behind the scenes.
May and the others soon arrived. They reached Lavender Town in just a few hours. In the military region... The assassins stood before James, who was in his Black Dragon robe with a five–star badge on it. They looked at him in awe and admiration. Although they were assassins, they deeply admired James.
May asked, “James, what are your orders?”
James handed them some documents. They opened them. They were photos of the deceased in the hijacking incident. James instructed, “The deceased in the photos belong to the enemy nations. I want you to find a way to sneak into the enemy nations and find out who they were in contact with before they visited Sol. This is of utmost priority.” May looked at James and asked, “James, are you officially recruiting us into the Black Dragon army?”
James gave a slight smile. “If the mission becomes a resounding success, why not? Get going now and investigate the matter. However, remember that surviving is the most important thing of all.”
“Understood.”
“We‘ll accomplish the mission.”