An hour later, Vincent approached Thirteen and talked to him in private. "My father called me earlier and told me that the members of the Ashford Clan were eliminated during the night by a mysterious force," Vincent said. "Are you the one who kicked them off the tournament?" "No," Thirteen replied. "I didn’t do such a thing." Discover hidden stories at empire Vincent stared at him long and hard before nodding his head in understanding. Even though the Osborn Clan was one of the Ten Prestigious Families, they were hard-pressed in the Sirius Continent because the two Monarch Clans were allies. Knowing that they couldn’t face these two Behemoths, the Patriarch of the Osborn Clan decided to ally themselves with the Central Government. Despite needing to make concessions in order to gain Lawrence’s protection, it was still better than becoming the subordinates of the Ashford and Stallard Clans. In this dog-eat-dog world, anyone should have a dependable ally whom they could count on when things get rough. The Leventis Family had a neutral relationship with the Remington Clan, who was the Overlord of the Aldebaran Continent. Not only that, but Arthur also had a decent relationship with the Smith and Lockwood Families, who were also in the Aldebaran Continent. The Patriarch of the Leventis Clan understood that he must bide his time and sharpen his claws before he rose up to take his rightful place among the powerful people of the world. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚 But after meeting his no-good grandson, Zion, Arthur had experienced many unbelievable things that curbed up his arrogance a bit. However, it also boosted his confidence. With Zion around, he believed the rise of the Leventis Family was just around the corner. Even now, the power that was under his command wouldn’t lose to any of the Monarch Clans. Arthur also understood that the balance of the world would change after the Jinn Invasion in the Cygni Continent. Whether they manage to repel these monsters or not, the world would never be the same again. As an old fox himself, he understood that when that moment came, the Monarch Clans would finally make their move and target the Prestigious Families. The Elrod Clan and the Griffin Clan might not harm the Leventis Family because of their relationship with Zion. However, the Ashford and the Stallard Clan would definitely make a move. Arthur had already made a secret alliance with the Central Government and was even making moves on the Remington Clan. Thirteen asked him to propose a mutual cooperation and defense treaty with the Remington Clan, as well as the Smith and Lockwood Families, in case of any outside forces that would threaten the Aldebaran Continent, as well as the Families that served as its Protectors. Trevor Remington still hadn’t made a decision yet, but the Lockwood and Smith Families were very interested in this idea. Arthur had a feeling that Trevor wanted to stand on the fence and not participate in any kind of alliance for the time being. But that was fine. Even if Trevor Remington decided to join hands with the Ashford and Stallard Clan to eliminate the Leventis Family, Thirteen assured his grandfather that he had nothing to worry about. And Arthur believed him completely. Zion had given him Project Nemo, and this alone was enough to serve as a powerful deterrence against outside forces. If Nautilus was mobilized, they could also eliminate any threats that came from outside the Aldebaran Continent. For threats that were already inside the Aldebaran Continent, Thirteen wasn’t the least bit worried about them. The teenage boy had already transformed the mountain where his home was located. It was now a powerful fortress that could eliminate even Rank 9 Monsters without problems. All Thirteen needed to do was say the special command, and the world would understand that they kicked a hornet’s nest they shouldn’t have provoked. The Monarch Clans believed that no one in Pangea was their match, with the exception of Lawrence Seaton, the Grand Marshal of the Central Government, but they couldn’t be any more wrong in that line of thought. Thirteen had not only prepared a contingency plan for such things, but he was also under the protection of the Death Lord, Erasmus, who would be the first to make a move if Zion was ever in danger. Last but not the least, the Earth Dragons were also wavering if they should continue to be loyal to their Master or choose to ally with Thirteen. The battle against the Majin King had shaken them to the core. The image of the young man beating the crap out of the Ancient Eight-Headed Serpent had left a very deep and lasting impression in their hearts. They even believed that if their true Master were to fight Zion, the winner between the two of them would be hard to guess. In the end, the three Earth Dragons decided to take this matter seriously and were waiting for the outcome of the Jinn Invasion that would be happening in the Cygni Continent. Vincent drank silently on the balcony, staring at the moon in the sky. Although Zion denied that he was the one responsible for eliminating the members of the Ashford Clan in the elimination rounds, he had a feeling that the teenage boy didn’t tell him the truth. ’Maybe he still doesn’t trust me enough to be part of his inner circle,’ Vincent thought with a bitter smile on his face. ’But that is understandable. We have just met, and haven’t known each other for a long time.’ Vincent didn’t understand, but there was a strong urge that was telling him to make sure that he stayed by Zion’s side no matter what. This feeling was so strong, that the thought of not doing it made him feel heartbroken. He had never felt such strong desire and longing in his life. ’Did I perhaps owe him in my past life?’ Vincent mused with a smile on his face. ’Or did he perhaps save a universe in his past life?’ The handsome young man had a hobby of reading cultivation novels. He was quite addicted to reading them, and he could continuously read for days on end on some occasions. He would even forget to eat during those times and would only stop reading when he could no longer stand his hunger. Vincent even had a wild thought that, maybe, he did live in a cultivation world in his past life, and for some reason, he also believed that Thirteen had also been there, accompanying him in his journey to reach the pinnacle of the world.