Hero of Darkness

As soon as Kassandra revealed the real reason why she was suddenly forced to act like a horny bitch in order to seduce Kahn… the latter was completely flabbergasted. 

"My clan and the entire Neutral Faction, including our faction leader, want you to join my clan and also bring the Tablet of Arcana to them." she explained. 

"In return, they'd offer you a position in the faction and full support to aid you as the sovereign of Verlassen. 

If something like what happened with the Demi-Human faction happens again, they pledge to help you out and bury everything against you throughout the empire. 

And all they want is you to become my husband and the son-in-law of the Mikealson clan." spoke Kassandra with an irritated tone. 

"What the fuck?!" exclaimed Kahn. 

"Why would they go so far? Don't they already have Celine Armitage to enter the forbidden zone?" he queried. 

"That's the main reason." responded the Raven Sorceress. 

"The Pureblood Faction and Neutral Faction are the only two factions with strong candidates who can enter that region. 

In the current situation… Victor is gone. I have lost my ability to use magic. So the neutral faction only has Celine Armitage. 

While the pureblood faction has you and Ezekiel Nabi. 

Just the two of you working together inside the forbidden zone is more than enough to ensure the success of the task and retrieve the Tablet of Arcana." revealed Kassandra. 

"But compared to everyone else. You're the strongest semi-saint of the entire Rakos Empire. 

Even both of them can't defeat you unless they join hands. Which I don't see happening because Ezekiel is part of the Pureblood faction." he elaborated. 

"But why you… why would they send you of all people?" asked Kahn. 

To his question… Kassandra felt even more depressed but controlled her urge to cry again. 

"Now that I'm no longer worthy or a genius of the clan… they said that I should make myself useful at least. 

And hence, I was forced to offer myself to you." she said with an angered tone. 

"But why would they…" just then, another realization struck Kahn. 

The incident with him flirting with Kassandra during the finale of the Emperor's Chosen competition. Where he admitted his affection towards her at the beginning of the fight. 

Although he was taunting and trying to get in his enemy's head… dumbass people would only see it as him falling head over heels for her. 

Then the incident with the Caladrius attack and his speech where he glorified Kassandra as a hero zealously in front of the whole fiefdom and through the recording that spread among the normal citizens of the empire. 

And in the end, his walk with her in the garden on the day Kassandra left… which was witnessed by the people who were part of the envoy of the Mikealson clan that came to pick her up. 

These three instances were enough to fan the flame to the assumptions of Kahn having a deep relationship with the Raven Sorceress. That at least he liked her a lot. 

So Kahn finally had the full view of the whole picture and quickly got the gist of the situation. 

After Kassandra's explanation… Kahn understood why they went to the extent of even offering the clan heiress. 

They desperately wanted the Tablet of Arcana and were willing to sacrifice Kassandra's life for the sake of it. 

[That fucking bastard! Does power and authority matter so much to him that he sent his own daughter to act like a prostitute?! 

Just so they could win my favor and have me join their side now that Kassandra was no longer useful to them?] thought Kahn as he was thoroughly infuriated. 

He tightly clenched his fist and looked at the helpless Kassandra. Even her parents abandoned and ostracized her as soon as she lost her usefulness. 

She became nothing but an offering for them to get the so-called Tablet of Arcana. 

Taking his relationship with Kassandra into account and now that she was no longer useful to them… they treated her like a means to make the desperate final attempt. 

Since it was the only way because no saint could enter inside Verlassen or force Kahn to join their side. 

"Your uncle… Stronoff Mikealson also proposed my marriage to Veronica before the finals. 

I guess he too wanted to use me for his personal gains back then." said Kahn. 

Gasp! 

"Really? But that was more than half a year ago. Did he know about you before the competition?" asked Kassandra with a surprised expression. 

But instead of replying… Kahn started connecting all the dots inside his head. 

"It's not that simple. I think it's not just your uncle… 

But even your father and Stalin Joseif, the faction leader, planned everything from the very beginning." he said. 

"What do you mean?" she asked. 

"Remember the golden envelope that your father sent me. 

Your clan allied themselves with me. 

In the letter, he said that the Mikealson clan does not wish to follow the commands and gang up with others in a vendetta against me. 

Tell me something… your clan is one of the two strongest and most prestigious clans of the Neutral faction. 

Could they really afford to become my allies without facing the wrath of the faction leader and the other powerful clans of the faction?" asked Kahn. 

"No… You're right. First, the Armitage clan would've made a big fuss over it. Because their clan leader is actually a contender for the Faction Leader's position just like my father. 

No way in hell he'd let such an opportunity go." spoke Kassandra as she too came to a realization. 

But then… her entire body froze on the spot because she came to figure out another truth. 

"Do you mean that they…" queried Kassandra with a shocked expression. 

"Yes. It was all planned by them seven months ago when I won the championship. You being present here… in these circumstances…" 

Kahn replied with a somber expression and made a revelation that shook Kassandra to her core. 

"They planned to offer you to me even if you hadn't lost your magic."