Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

Back in Frostvele, the festive atmosphere had been shaken by the sudden attack of the previous night. For a short time the celebration had stopped, and many soldiers had remained on alert.

However, Ethan did not allow fear to settle inside the fortress.He openly declared that the party should not stop.

“War will always be there,” he had told them calmly. “But we can celebrate tomorrow.”

“Yeahh!”

So the next day he ordered another celebration to be held.

Large fires were lit once again across the courtyard. Barrels of beer were rolled out, and fresh meat was roasted over open flames. The smell of grilled meat and strong alcohol filled the cold winter air.

Soldiers gathered everywhere.

Many of them still carried wounds from the recent battle, but their spirits were high.

One soldier lifted his mug toward Ethan with trembling hands.

“My Lord… if not for you, Frostvele would have fallen.”

Another soldier beside him had tears in his eyes.

“We would all be dead right now.”

Several men raised their cups together.

“Long live Lord Ethan!”

“Long live Marquise Ethan!”

Some soldiers even began crying while drinking.

One of them wiped his eyes roughly and shouted.

“We will follow you anywhere, my Lord!”

Ethan raised his own mug and nodded toward them with a relaxed smile.

“Just don’t pass out before finishing your drinks.”

The soldiers laughed loudly and clashed their mugs together.

Not far away, Duke Lancelot stood with his arms behind his back while observing the lively scene.

His sharp eyes moved across the courtyard where hundreds of soldiers were eating, laughing, and singing loudly.

“That’s a good bonding you got,” Lancelot said while looking at the festive atmosphere.

Ethan stood beside him with a relaxed posture.

“Thanks for the praise, Sir.”

Lancelot snorted slightly.

“Truly humble. Unlike my girl.”

“Father, can you stop now?” Amber huffed while crossing her arms.

She stood nearby and clearly looked annoyed.

“Stop?” Lancelot raised an eyebrow.

“I will stop the day you stop giving me worry.”

“What do you mean worry?” Amber shouted with frustration.

“I am a grown woman!”

She pointed toward herself angrily.

“Most people who never awakened are already grandparents at this age, yet you are still treating me like a child.”

Lancelot snorted again.

“But the way you go around does not show enough maturity for me to trust you.”

Amber’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

Soon the two began bickering loudly.

Amber argued while Lancelot replied with equal stubbornness. Their voices grew louder until several nearby soldiers quietly pretended not to hear anything.

Ethan watched the scene for a moment before finally stepping forward.

“Cough.”

Both of them looked toward him.

“Lady Amber is just kind hearted,” Ethan said calmly.

“I think she is already mature enough.”

Amber’s expression brightened instantly.

“See? Cou— I mean, Marquise Ethan believes in me”

Lancelot snorted loudly.

“He believes shit.”

Then he suddenly said something unexpected.

“Then why don’t you just marry her and take her home?”

The moment those words left his mouth, an awkward silence fell over the area.

Amber froze completely.Her lips stopped moving and her face slowly turned red.

“Father… stop your bullshit…” she muttered while looking embarrassed.

Lancelot waved his hand dismissively.

“Okay, okay.”

Then he turned toward her again.”Now go away. I have some serious talk with Marquise Ethan.”

Amber frowned.

“What serious talk?”

But Duke Lancelot waved her away again.

“It’s talk between adults.”

Amber looked annoyed, but after a moment she huffed loudly and walked away while muttering under her breath.

After she left, Ethan slowly took a sip from his cup.

“That wasn’t just random words, right?” he asked.

Lancelot smiled slightly while taking a sip of fresh wine.

“Hmmm.”

“It’s good that you understand.”

He lowered the cup and looked directly at Ethan.

“I really want you to marry her.”

Ethan did not answer immediately.

Instead he looked around the courtyard for a moment while soldiers continued laughing and drinking nearby.

Then he asked quietly.

“Why me?”

He looked back at Lancelot.

“Why not someone else in the Empire?”

“Why you, huh?” Lancelot repeated with a small smile.

“That’s a very good question.”

He lifted his empty glass slightly.

Ethan noticed and picked up the jug nearby.

He poured fresh wine into the duke’s glass while Lancelot continued speaking.

“I used to be the right hand man of the Emperor,” Lancelot said calmly.

“Until I became sick and stepped down.”

He took a slow sip.”Because of that, everyone in the Empire knows that I am capable of many things.”

Ethan listened carefully.

“In such a situation,” Lancelot continued, “if I marry Amber into a powerful family that supports one of the princes, I will be dragged directly into political conflict.”

Ethan frowned slightly.

“Then just find someone neutral,” he said.

Lancelot looked at him for a moment.

Then a bitter smile appeared on his face.

“That’s the crux of the matter, Ethan.”

He slowly lowered his glass.

“That is the main problem.”

He looked toward the lively soldiers in the courtyard before speaking quietly.

“I don’t know if anyone in the Empire is truly neutral.”

For a few moments after Duke Lancelot’s words, neither of them spoke.

The distant noise of soldiers laughing and drinking filled the courtyard below. Someone had started singing a rough battle song near one of the large bonfires, and several men clapped loudly while stomping their boots against the frozen ground.

The celebration continued without pause.

Ethan leaned lightly against the stone railing of the wall and looked down at the soldiers below.

“I see,” he said quietly.

He understood what Lancelot meant.

In an empire, neutrality was often nothing more than an illusion. Every noble family eventually leaned toward one faction or another. No one truly stayed outside the game forever.

Ethan took another slow sip from his drink before speaking again.

“Still, there ought to be someone, right?” he asked while glancing toward Lancelot.

Duke Lancelot slowly swirled the wine inside his glass.

“Who knows?” he replied calmly.

“Every noble hides their intentions to the very end. The game of nobility is cruel and merciless. Unless you win, anything can happen.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“That is exactly why I wanted to retire here instead of staying in the mess of the capital.”

Ethan nodded slightly.

“So you believe I am neutral?” he asked with a faint smile.

“What if I have ambitions?”