The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 571: Chapter 571 Leon’s Arrival 5

That alone spoke volumes.

Leon had humbled himself far more than Elric had ever expected.

Seeing that, Elric silently concluded that both sides had already taken enough steps back. There was no reason for them to keep butting heads now, not when the Alpha King’s command and the kingdom’s stability mattered far more than bruised egos or old grudges.

The Captain of the Royal Guard was the first to regain his composure.

Realizing how far he had let his emotions carry him, he straightened his back, stepped forward, and lowered his head in a respectful bow toward Leon.

”My deepest apologies for my transgression and my disrespect.”

The apology was sincere.

Leon merely glanced at him before giving a lazy wave of his hand, dismissing the matter as though it wasn’t even worth dwelling on.

”I didn’t take it personally.”

Without another word, he shifted his gaze to Archmage Elric and impatiently motioned with his fingers for the old mage to hurry.

Archmage Elric blinked, clearly not understanding the silent gesture.

Leon let out an impatient sigh.

”Old man,” he drawled, ”quit standing around and open the portal already. We can’t keep your Alpha King waiting, can we?”

His words sounded respectful enough.

But the barely concealed eagerness in his eyes betrayed him completely.

Everyone present knew he wasn’t in any rush to meet the Alpha King.

He was desperate to see Princess Addison.

Archmage Elric caught the unmistakable look in Leon’s eyes and couldn’t help rolling his own so dramatically that even the Captain of the Royal Guard almost laughed.

”What a hopeless brat...” Elric muttered under his breath as he raised his staff.

Moments later, mana surged around him, twisting the surrounding space before a shimmering portal slowly unfolded before the group, ready to carry them toward the Royal Capital.

”The portal is ready. Let’s not keep His Majesty waiting,” Archmage Elric urged.

The moment the words left his mouth, he didn’t linger for even a second.

With the speed of someone fleeing for his life, he strode through the portal first, disappearing to the other side before either Leon or the Captain of the Royal Guard could respond.

His hasty retreat left both men momentarily speechless.

The truth was, despite Leon behaving far more reasonably than during their last encounter, the memory of that meeting had left a lasting scar on the old Archmage.

He still vividly remembered the suffocating pressure Leon had released back then.

Even now, simply standing in the middle of the Tigren Clan made every instinct in his aged body scream at him to put as much distance between himself and those fierce warriors as possible.

Their untamed, predatory aura hung heavily in the air, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

To Archmage Elric, remaining among them for even a few more breaths felt no different from standing in the middle of a pack of starving beasts that could pounce at any moment.

Leaving first was undoubtedly the wisest decision.

Watching the old Archmage disappear so quickly, Leon couldn’t help the twitching of the corner of his mouth.

Soon, the Captain of the Royal Guard stepped aside, bowed respectfully to Leon, and extended an arm toward the shimmering portal.

”Please.”

Leon gave a slight nod but didn’t step through immediately.

Instead, he turned around to face the warriors who had followed him all the way from the grasslands.

His sharp gaze swept across every single one of them.

”As you’ve already heard, the Royal Guards will escort all of you to the guest villa,” he said in a firm, no-nonsense tone. ”While you’re there, keep your mouths shut, behave yourselves, and don’t go looking for trouble.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

”And don’t embarrass me.”

He paused before adding with complete seriousness,

”If word of your nonsense reaches my mate’s ears, I’ll be the one who suffers for it.”

A faint frown creased his brow.

”And if my future father-in-law ends up disliking me because of your stupidity...” he said, pointing a warning finger at every one of them, ”...I’ll personally make every single one of you regret it.”

Not a single warrior dared laugh.

Instead, they all nodded so vigorously they looked like a flock of chickens pecking at scattered grain.

”Yes, Chieftain!”

Internally, however, every one of them was crying.

Their Chieftain had repeated the exact same warning countless times since they left the grasslands. During the journey, at every stop, before every meal, before entering every city, and now again before stepping into the Royal Capital.

They had heard it so many times they could practically recite the speech word for word.

At this point, they were convinced their ears would fall off before they even reached the palace.

Still, not one of them dared complain.

After all, everyone knew Leon wasn’t worried about himself.

He was terrified of leaving a bad impression on Princess Addison... and even more terrified of earning the Alpha King’s disapproval before he had the chance to officially become part of the royal family.

Leon didn’t waste another second.

Seeing his clansmen nod in understanding, he gave a satisfied grunt before turning toward the portal. Without hesitation, he stepped through, followed closely by the Captain of the Royal Guard.

The world around him twisted.

Space folded.

For a brief instant, Leon felt as though his entire body had been pulled apart and stitched back together before solid ground returned beneath his feet.

When his vision cleared, they were already standing inside the Royal Palace.

It was Leon’s first time traveling through a spatial portal.

A wave of dizziness hit him immediately, forcing him to remain still while he steadied his breathing. The world swayed slightly before gradually settling back into place.

Neither Archmage Elric nor the Captain of the Royal Guard urged him onward.

They simply waited.

Only after Leon had completely regained his bearings did the captain continue leading the way through the palace’s long corridors.

Eventually, they stopped before a pair of towering doors.

Beyond them lay the Royal Council Chamber.

The entire room was enveloped by a powerful soundproof barrier. No matter how fierce the arguments or how loud the debates inside became, not a single sound could escape beyond those doors.

Because of that, Leon had no idea what awaited him inside.

He inhaled deeply.

His expression gradually turned solemn.

To anyone watching, he looked less like a guest arriving for an audience and more like a warrior preparing to march onto a battlefield.

The wild aura rolling off his body intensified without restraint, carrying the unmistakable pressure of a predator standing at the peak of the food chain. Even the Captain of the Royal Guard, despite his years of experience, instinctively felt his body tense under that overwhelming presence, though he stubbornly endured it without taking a step back.

Leon wasn’t trying to intimidate anyone deliberately.

In his mind, this was the proper way to meet his future father-in-law.

The stronger and fiercer he appeared, the better the Alpha King would think of him.

After all, the Tigren Clan had always lived by one simple law.

The strong were respected.

The stronger you were, the greater your right to stand proudly before everyone else.

From Leon’s perspective, showing his full strength was the highest form of sincerity and respect.

Unfortunately...

The Royal Palace didn’t operate under the same rules.

Although the Alpha King also respected strength, he ruled an entire kingdom where power alone wasn’t enough. Every decision was entangled with diplomacy, politics, noble factions, and the countless interests of influential families. Every word spoken and every action taken carried hidden meanings.

The Tigren Clan, on the other hand, lived by instinct.

They hunted when they wished to hunt.

They fought when they wished to fight.

They respected strength and despised deception.

Politics simply didn’t exist in their world.

It was precisely because of that straightforward nature that outsiders often dismissed the Tigrens as simple-minded, when in truth they were merely honest to a fault.

At that moment, the palace guard stationed outside the council chamber activated a communication token.

Unlike ordinary communication artifacts, this one only functioned within a limited range, connecting directly to its counterpart held by the guard stationed on the opposite side of the massive doors.

After receiving confirmation from within, the inner guard announced their arrival.

The towering doors slowly swung open.

Before Leon even took a single step inside, his untamed aura surged into the council chamber like a roaring tidal wave.

The suffocating pressure instantly swept across everyone present.

Several ministers and Alphas stiffened.

Some frowned.

Others instinctively released their own aura in response, their expressions darkening with displeasure.

To them, Leon’s overwhelming presence wasn’t the natural confidence of a powerful warrior.

It felt like an outright challenge.

Inside the heart of the Royal Palace...

Someone had just declared, with nothing but his presence, that he feared no one.

Completely oblivious to the storm he had just stirred, Leon strode into the council chamber with steady, confident steps before stopping in front of the massive round table.