[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-journey-to-become-the-zenith":3,"chapter-journey-to-become-the-zenith-journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-141":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Journey to Become the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1828478,2432,"Chapter 141: The Queen’s Authority","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-141",141,"\u003Cp>The Queen’s Authority\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t wish to use this... but you people have given me no choice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl spoke without hurry. Her words came slow, steady - like a breath held too long finally let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers lifted into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he showed the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shine ran across it, thin lines catching the glow like they already knew what to say. Not loud. Nothing stretched beyond truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it meant something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something... unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet shift crossed Shawn’s face as he looked on. His gaze tightened at the edges, just a fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far off as it was, even from his spot -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something stirred inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mana within the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Royal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s real...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt certain about it. That thought never crossed his path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mark appeared on objects made for royalty - quiet, almost hidden, impossible to copy even by the most practiced hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that ring—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint breath escaped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But acknowledgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she’s backed by the Queen...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That changed things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the courtyard—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles had gone silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes locked onto the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recognition flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew what it meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ring like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was not given lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was reserved for those acknowledged by the royal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Untouchable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That must be a fake!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another noble immediately followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes—there’s no way a commoner like her could possess something like that!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More voices joined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a forgery!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A cheap trick!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trying to scare us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The denial spread quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because none of them wanted to accept the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl didn’t argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With one smooth motion, she pulled Amura from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade slid free effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She began walking toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each movement steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with every step—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That quiet pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Protect us!\" one of them shouted, instinct kicking in as their guards immediately stepped forward, forming a barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the side—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shawn’s gaze sharpened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she moved to attack—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would step in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because chaos here—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would spiral beyond control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to panic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl’s voice cut through the tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just close enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m just going to show you people... that this ring is authentic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as she said that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles didn’t relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their guards remained tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they had already seen what she was capable of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing this close—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engraving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint pulse of mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their expressions changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unmistakably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s real...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some swallowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others clenched their jaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of them spoke that truth aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because accepting it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meant surrendering everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them scoffed, forcing confidence into his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who are you trying to fool?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes flickered—just once—toward the ring before hardening again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s obviously a fake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, a fake!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A well-made one, but still fake!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They doubled down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had already crossed the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Backing down—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was no longer an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside their minds—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plans formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take the sword first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deal with the consequences later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Queen questioned them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could deny everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Say they never saw the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Say she never showed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With enough voices—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With enough pressure—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the throne couldn’t easily dismiss them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a gamble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dangerous one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the reward—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sword—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was worth everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl watched them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s your answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers tightened slightly around Amura’s hilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not enough to draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just enough to remind everyone in that room that the bladeexisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That it was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That she was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Queen also said this—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in her voice shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t sharpen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like weight pressing down on the chest. Like the quiet before a verdict is passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To me who mischief seeks...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words left her lips slowly, each syllable measured, deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air itself seemed to hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breaths were held—not consciously, not intentionally—but because something deeper told them tostop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...shall mischief fall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint tremor ran through the gathered nobles—not visible in grand gestures, but in the smallest betrayals of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tightened jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker in the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand that stilled mid-motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t fill the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let it stretch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let it sink in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There comes an hour...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not quickly. Not sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itswept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across faces lined with pride, arrogance, calculation—now touched by something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...that recompenses all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the casual kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the kind born from hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the kind thatfell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wrapped around the hall, settled into the bones of everyone present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No scoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No whispers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No clever remarks hiding behind false confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those weren’t just words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had heard them before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some in stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That phrase—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t poetry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t tradition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A declaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words the Queen spoke—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right before traitors lost their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The realization didn’t explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itcrept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like cold seeping through armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A noble near the back swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another shifted his stance, one foot sliding back half an inch—as if distance could somehow soften implication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes that once looked down on her now avoided hers entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their earlier arrogance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t shatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itcracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin lines spreading beneath polished surfaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now the equation had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they pushed further—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wouldn’t be a matter of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or insult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or politics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would cross into something far more dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wouldn’t just be challenging a student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would be standing against someonerecognizedby the Queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sanctioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in doing so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would be stepping into a line no one crossed lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A line drawn in blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because opposing that authority...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was treason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And treason—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t come with warnings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only endings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unforgiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No negotiation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shawn’s eyes flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had gone beyond a simple dispute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone acted rashly here—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would not hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because loyalty to the throne—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Came before everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles understood that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their thoughts raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some still wanted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in the open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in front of Shawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not after that warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the moment they stepped forward now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wouldn’t just face Videl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would face him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Shawn—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would kill them without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in their eyes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greed was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not here...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then somewhere else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not openly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then from the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had already made their decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would not stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not until that sword—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>",1190,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","63de2752f19078c678675fa8797406459e95858c51ec2dd103ff06dde712fe9c","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-142","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-140",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]