Rebirth of the Prime Dragon Master
Chapter 734 Weakness Lends Wings To Rumors

"Even if we believe that Rocky is innocent, we don't have any evidence to prove our claim. I hope he can come forth and prove himself. But no one has heard from him for a long time. I'm afraid something bad must have happened to him. For now, we will investigate and check into the incident thoroughly. And of course, we have to find out where he is. Let us keep our fingers crossed that he is safe and well,” Lance said thoughtfully.

"That's right,” Allen agreed with a nod

"I agree with you. I heard that His Majesty was furious when he heard the news of Rocky's treachery. He plans to punish him. If they accuse Rocky of treason before he comes back, he will suffer injustice,” Isis said, concern written all over her face. Rocky's betrayal had been a hot topic ever since the news broke out and spread throughout the Imperial City. There were several allegations, and people had rumored about it incessantly. However, she remained clueless on what really happened, so it was pointless to see the emperor at this point. What she did heard from various sources was that Alston had summoned several officials to discuss with them about Rocky's treachery. This alone made her worry and had given her sleepless nights.

"I cannot just sit here and do nothing. I have to meet His Majesty right away and explain the situation. I think His Majesty is also waiting for me to explain everything to him,” Lance said with a worried look on his face. After all, Rocky was his son-in-law. The emperor would not punish him just like that. What worried Lance was the fact that there were people who hated Rocky. The people who held a grudge against him would grab this opportunity to add fuel to the fire and sway the emperor. It was not surprising to see such things happen in the court.

Much as Lance was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, and also one pillar of the Holy Dragon Empire, he could not ignore the words that had spread against Rocky. The news that Rocky had betrayed the Holy Dragon Empire had already circulated to the entire empire. Lance had to explain everything to the emperor as soon as possible. Otherwise, the emperor might give in to the pressure around him and convict Rocky of treason. If that happened, Lance could do nothing to turn the tables in favor of Rocky.

"I will go with you, Father," Isis said firmly. She would not sit around and do nothing. Besides, Rocky was her husband. Much as the relationship between them was fake, her feelings for him were real. If she knew that something like this would happen, she would never leave his side. Even now, she grieved that she did not accompany Rocky and allowed him to take the risk by himself. Of course, she had her own reasons. As soon as she finished speaking, she touched her belly affectionately. Not wanting to waste any more time, Lance, Isis, Allen and Marin rushed to the Palace City to meet the emperor.

Inside the Grand Holy Hall, the emperor gathered the ministers together to discuss Rocky's betrayal. When the news reached the Imperial City, the emperor sent people to find out the truth right away. The issue was a matter of great importance, because the person involved was not an ordinary citizen. Rocky was not just Lance's son-in-law. He was an important figure to the Holy Dragon Empire. His sudden deceitfulness was out of character and puzzled everyone to no end. The emperor could not figure out Rocky's actions.

The emperor was an upright ruler and would not resort to hasty decisions. He needed to find out the truth before he decided on Rocky's fate. However, his search for answers yielded no result. For now, the only thing he was sure of was Rocky's disappearance. Alston, who had just returned to the Holy Dragon Empire, had confirmed the information.

Today, Alston was also inside the Grand Holy Hall. He wore a glove on his right hand, while his limp right arm was hanging to his side. He tried hard to conceal this, but people still noticed that something was wrong. In truth, his right hand was crippled due to severe injuries to the muscles and vessels.

During his battle against Rocky, Alston sacrificed his right hand to gain an advantage. He was confident that the person they were all looking for was dead. There was no way Rocky survived.

If Alston knew that Rocky was alive, he would explode in anger. He sacrificed his right hand and yet failed to kill Rocky. More so, if Rocky was alive, Alston's treachery would come to light, eventually. For now, Alston was in high spirits. He was convinced that Rocky was gone for good, and from now on, no one could prevent him from becoming the next emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. His damaged hand was a collateral damage, and it was all worth it.

As the ministers expressed their views on the matter of Rocky's betrayal in front of the emperor, a loud voice came from outside the hall. "General Lance, please come in!"

Lance was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire. This entitled him to freely enter and exit the Grand Holy Hall even without prior notification to the emperor. As soon as his name was announced, the four promptly marched in. Everyone inside the hall turned to look at them and whispered among themselves.

Alston sneered the minute he saw them. He knew Lance and his companions came to plead in behalf of Rocky. But it was pointless, because Rocky was dead and unable to prove his innocence. No one knew that Rocky was dead, and he would be charged for treason.

"Your Majesty!" The four people bowed to honor the emperor.

"General Lance, you're back just in time. I was supposed to send someone to get you. I'm glad you're here.” Looking at Lance and his companions, the emperor remained calm, but failed to hide his anger. In his eyes, the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army had become a traitor to the Holy Dragon Empire, and even joined the Timber Deity Empire. This humiliated the emperor and the entire Holy Dragon Empire.

"I received a report about Commander in Chief Rocky's treachery. Knowing it is of great importance, I came back as soon as possible,” answered Lance. His voice was calm, and his face showed no emotion.

"General Lance, please enlighten us. Why did this Rocky betray our Holy Dragon Empire and join the Timber Deity Empire? Is it true?" the emperor demanded. He wanted to know the truth once and for all.

"Your Majesty, I can assure you that Commander in Chief Rocky will never betray us. There is no proof, and we cannot believe distorted rumors. Based on my investigation, the Timber Deity Empire released this information. That alone made the rumor extremely untrustworthy. I highly suspect that this is one of their evil schemes." Lance stepped forward and explained to the emperor.

"Weakness lends wings to rumors. General Lance, we have no news about Rocky. He left without a trace. How do you explain this?" Alston asked immediately. He could not let Lance influence the emperor.

"Your Majesty, there must be a reason behind Commander in Chief Rocky's disappearance. I have ordered the Elite Regiment to search for him far and wide. I believe we will get some news soon. Please give me more time," Lance replied and saluted immediately.

The emperor hesitated and felt inclined to believe Lance. After all, the people of the Timber Deity Empire never confirmed the information that Rocky had betrayed the country. His disappearance explained nothing either.

For now, the truth remained hidden and elusive.