"I request an exile."
Jules's words were like a trigger for silence throughout the hall.
The council elders all exchanged looks of confusion, aside from Freya, who watched with her lips curling down.
Everyone here expected a level of drama, but this development was not something anyone would have imagined.
Seeing their expressions, Jules wore a slightly somber look, his hands twitching slightly at his sides.
Meanwhile, he was recalling his plan. His plan to purge the wretches out of the clan and reclaim his position as the heir of Noctharis.
His plan was quite simple.
Basically, he was going to go beyond the Clan's territory to grow in a safe yet dangerous environment while investigating who the wretches were working with.
This was something Freya, a survivor of the downfall in the novel, was trying to do, but was never successful.
Freya's part of this plan was to monitor what was going on within the clan while protecting Jules's family.
The reason Jules had refrained from causing internal chaos was because he didn't want the wretches to hide amidst the chaos.
This made Freya's observation from within easier.
He had demanded exile, but there was more to his request of course.
Dean got annoyed by Jules's attitude and released an aura that sent Jules kneeling on one leg.
'Crap!'
Dean yelled:
"Do you think this is a playground? You dare play with the Clan standing on its sacred emblem?"
Raising his head up with great difficulty, Jules struggled to say, "I am…yet to finish."
Even the audience was slightly affected by this, forcing them to look down momentarily
Freya turned to Dean and let out a pressure of her own, "Stop."
"This is no time to play family favourites, Freya." Dean said, his annoyance barely concealed. "This child has been given too much freedom!"
Freya's pressure only grew heavier to suppress Dean's, a loud roar sounding from the forests beyond the town.
With an unwavering glare, she repeated, "Stop."
Standing up from his seat and breaking the tension, Zacharia said, let the boy speak.
Dean, without enough power to challenge both Zacharia and Freya, acquiesced.
As the pressure on him suddenly washed away, Jules struggled to breathe.
'That's my fault for trying to make things dramatic!'
"Jules," Zacharia's voice resounded throughout the hall, "You should know not to joke."
Letting out a huge breath, Jules slowly stood, "I apologize, but what I say is no joke."
Without stopping, Jules added in a noble tone:
"Through my shortcomings, I have not only failed to act as a proper Heir, but I have also neglected my duty since my father's death.
"Enemies who seek our downfall have used this weakness as an opportunity.
"So I request to be exiled—severing my ties to this clan—as I go beyond this land to bring down our enemies.
"When I've proven myself worthy, I will return and reclaim my honour.
"Until then, neither my sister nor I shall claim the title of heir."
Castila, watching the scene from the sidelines, could only tighten her grip on Julie's hand as she listened.
At this moment, everyone perceived Jules in different ways.
He was either a fool that's running to his death, a boy who has become a man, or a coward who is merely creating a fancy excuse to run.
But there was one common underlying belief shared by those who saw his unwavering gaze.
Whether the stories were altered or not, Jules must have stepped on death's door once more–the first being the day his father died and when he got traumatized.
Due to this, they believed he had finally broken down.
They believed he was mad!
All the people seated in the rows looked toward the high platform, curious to see the Elders' reactions.
The bald man had the funniest as his mouth was left open, while Dean seemed to somehow see Jules in a different light as his eyes twitched.
Elisa covered her mouth but her eyes displayed the smirk she was trying to hide and the long blonde haired man was nodding as if interested in these developments.
Zacharia remained indifferent, barely moved by Jules's words.
And Freya, she hid the anger of being powerless with a frown that wanted to avoid making contact with Jules.
Mark and Joel wore expressions of concealed hatred and stoicism, and confusion mixed with amusement, respectively.
'Tsk. I expected a more dramatic reaction…' Jules thought as he awaited a response.
Zacharia turned to the Elders, excluding Freya who didn't wield that much political power, and gestured to ask what they thought.
After receiving gestures of agreement with Jules's request, Zacharia walked forward.
He was dressed in a blue shirt and a white pant with a large white coat draped on his shoulders.
Walking to the edge of the platform, mana gathered underneath him and coalesced to form a flying rock.
Zacharia climbed the rock and descended to the floor, then walked towards the center of the hall.
Standing about 5 inches taller than Jules who was already six-feet, Jules felt pressured.
'Yeah… I hate staying in front of people that can easily kill me!'
Jules gulped as he looked into the man's grey eyes.
"I have a condition for your request."
Raising his brows, Jules asked, "What's your condition, sir?"
"By this time in year 243, if you're yet to return with said honour, you will be removed as a Heir candidate."
'That's two years from now when the Artifact can be accessed again… and what's with calling me the heir candidate? This man is up to something…'
Jules smirked inwardly before declaring, "I agree!"
A gasp seemed to be heard from the entire audience at that moment.
"I see you're determined," Zacharia said, a smile crossing his features.
Raising his hand and putting it on Jules's shoulder, Zacharia said aloud:
"Under the witness of Noctharis, representing the entire Council Elders, I declare Jules Evanava exiled from our noble clan.
"The opportunity to redeem himself has been granted so he can rejoin us.
"If he fails to do so before November of Year 243, he will never be given the opportunity to become a Heir Candidate.
"If he does redeem himself after, he may become a warrior of the clan."
'They're making it seem like they're having some sort of mercy. Normally, the punishment wasn't meant to be this extravagant, I would have just been suppressed a lot within the clan.'
Falling to one knee and bowing, Jules said, "Thank you for being merciful."
Then he intentionally glared at all of the Elders as he added, "I will kill all of the Noctharis Clan's enemies."
Still unfamiliar with bloodlust, a bit of it oozed out as he finished, "Mark my words."
The Elder and some warriors amongst the audience sensed it, but paid it no mind as it was still immature.
Upon this, the audience murmured with their opinions.
"Is he going to survive it though? He barely has any battle experience."
"Not only that, he lacks a skill because he avoided it for so long!"
"What is that child thinking?"
"It's obvious he has finally lost it, a mad man is what he has become."
"Does that mean the heir position is now vacant?"
Julie watched her brother get exiled and turned to cover her face with her mother's body. Her muffled tears could barely be heard under the noise of the audience.
For years now, she's worked so hard to avoid these developments, she was even working with Freya to better things…
But her heart broke when Freya told her what would happen this morning.
Jules glanced at her and saw her feeling a pang of regret.
Due to the original memories, their fate in the novel and his childhood, Jules had come to like his mother and Julie.
However, for them to live long, he had to do this. Even this wasn't enough, there were more dangers he had to worry about beyond this Clan's issues.
'Since I've decided to face what's coming, I mustn't act normally.'
Breaking him from his thoughts were Zacharia's unexpected words.
"I'd like to use this moment to declare a Clan Head Succession War."
'Ah... So that's why he was using the term Heir Candidate.'