Red Nation.
Marcus was in a meeting with the seven elders of the Smith family.
"Did you find any members of the Scarlet army?" The second elder asked with narrowed eyes.
Marcus' face grew dark when he heard that question.
He received news that the second team he sent to the capital were unreachable just like the first one.
They're the first level fighters he has under him. He was confident in their abilities. It took a lot of effort to groom them, but now..
He almost vomited blood when he thought of the possible outcomes they have faced.
Now he was sure that there's a powerful existence in the capital who's going against his forces.
He definitely eliminated the involvement of Scarlet army members. Because other than Athena no one was capable enough to fight on par with his elite team.
But Athena.. he knew for sure that she's dead in the ambush he planned meticulously.
There's no way that she's alive. She shouldn't be alive!
She's the obstacle he hated the most that was in his way of obtaining power.
This second elder, he's one of the loyal confidants of the Li family.
He still needs the Li family's support. So it's not the time to eliminate them.
"We're in search of them. You know that they are very good at concealing themselves. So it's hard to track them. We need some more time." Marcus said with a serious expression on his face as if he's trying his best.
"Yeah.. they're capable. Athena trained them herself so it's no wonder they are hard to find." Second elder nodded with pride and looked at Marcus with even more sharpness in his eyes. "But, it's almost been five years since they disappeared. And you've been saying that you need more time."
Marcus almost choked on his saliva when he heard those sentences.
"Why are you so bent on finding them? It's been five years since Athena disappeared. For all we know she might have been.." the fifth elder said with a sharp voice. He came to an abrupt stop when three pairs of eyes glared at him.
"Anyways, what I wanted to say is, it's time to elect a new King." The fifth elder concluded. He's the most against the rule under a woman.
Women are just men's accessories. However capable Athena was, she was just a little girl in his eyes. And he didn't want to work for her.
That's the sentence Marcus wanted to hear the most in the last five years.
When they heard what the first elder said, the expressions of the second, sixth and seventh elders changed.
They objected immediately.
"Athena is the heir chosen by Joseph."
"I don't think there is anyone more capable than her."
"We should wait. Unless we're sure that Athena is no more."
Their solemn expressions turned the atmosphere in the meeting room a little gloomy.
Marcus' face turned dark when he heard them speak so highly of Athena.
When he was young though he's the first child in his family, his father favored his second brother Joseph and eventually gave his throne to him too.
Now seeing them favoring that darn girl over his sons, he wanted to rip their mouths apart more than anything.
Even after they're dead, they are still his most hated obstacles in his life.
'I'm definitely going to occupy the throne. I'm the most deserving of it.' Marcus thought with an obsessed maniacal look in his eyes.