40. Voting!

(Inside the Great Dome)

Stephen calmly watched the circles in front of the voters which were glowing brightly going dim representing the have votes.

"Master!"

As Stephen was watching the voters casting their votes Joseph who stood besides him suddenly spoke.

"Lady Sarah successfully got out of coma and also have successfully awakened"

Hearing Joseph's report Stephen didn't show much of a reaction but internally was a surprise.

He looked at Ares's direction and sighed in his heart.

In truth he didn't have anything against Sarah nor did he have any enmity against his son.

After all which father would be cruel enough to hate his son.

No matter what Ares did he was still his son in the end and always wanted to support him but...just because he is his son he couldn't overlook his grandchild.

He had watched his grandson suffer in the hands of his parents though they didn't do it intentionally they were still in the wrong here.

Sarah was also like his grandson to him but growing up she became scheming and more cunning well for someone who is nurtured by the houses of elite families this should be a good thing and in his heart Stephen was also satisfied with Sarah in this point but when she started to scheme against her own brother though unrelated by blood he was still her brother and crossed the bottomline for Stephen.

He can't intervene in the matter of young ones as it is a rule and is required for their growth.

He just watched them from the sidelines... as it was all he could do as the patriarch of the family and couldn't show favour to anyone but this was a really big mistake on his part.

He forgot that he was also a grandfather and whenever he saw Lucifer suffering from loneliness he wanted to be there to support him but he failed to do so.

Until the day of trial when he saw everyone in the family against Lucifer and wanting to punish him something clicked in his mind and he lashed out at others defending his grandson.

He has had enough of the duty as a patriarch if he can't even protect his grandson what is the point of this position and defended his grandson going against everyone in the hall and even warning Ares in front of everyone.

It was impulsive of him to do so but he didn't care and doesn't have the slightest regret in his action.

He just feels guilty why he didn't lash out like this earlier and protected Lucifer's childhood.

"Sigh~gaining the seat of the patriarch and also having his beloved daughter recover on the same day. Master Ares's luck is really great today"

Joseph couldn't help but sigh looking at Ares who was patiently waiting for the first round of voting to end.

"..I'm just worried that after becoming the patriarch he won't look for trouble for the young master Lucifer"

Listening to Joseph's words Stephen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Lucifer had already suffered enough hardships on his own and he didn't want Lucifer to suffer more.

'I won't let him suffer more atleast not until I'm alive.'

With this thought in his mind Stephen opened his eyes and a cold cyan light flashed in his eyes.

He looked at Ares and others and noticed that everyone has almost finished voting and it would be soon time for the round two.

The voting for patriarch is divided into two rounds.

The round one is for the members of the voting committee to cast their votes which have already been done.

The second part is voting by the patriarch candidates in which the candidates cast their votes and if any candidates cast their votes to another candidate his all votes will also be granted to the one he had cast vote to

"Since all members of the voting committee have casted their votes it's about time the second round to begin"

"Candidates cast your votes"

Stephen spoke once again and all patriarchs began to cast their votes.

As Stephen said all lights in the great dome went dim and the golden magical circles below the silver thrones of patriarch began to glow more brightly illuminating the whole hall.

The throne in which Emma was seated started to flow brightly than other thrones and Emma stood up from the throne calmly and looked around before opening her small mouth.

"I, Emma Morrison grants my vote to myself"

She spoke in a charming yet magnetic tone and once again took her seat.

The throne below her also began to dim like other thrones and the chair in which Hermes was seated began to glow next.

Hermes also stood up and granted his vote to himself.

"I, Hermes Morrison grants my vote to myself"

Saying so Hermes also took his seat and the same process repeated once again and it was Ares's turn to grant his vote.

"I, Ares Morrison grants my vote to myself"

Ares also repeated the same and spoke in a rather arrogant tone before looking at everyone with a smug smile and taking his seat.

It was time for the final vote for today which belonged to the third candidate for the patriarch seat.

Issac whose eyes were closed opened his eyes and stood up from his seat.

"I, Issac Morrison grants my vote to....."

***

(Issac P.O.V.)

My name is Issac Morrison, a member of the great Morrison family.

I grew up in the Morrison family and had the riches from all over the world.

My talent was also topnotch making me one of the strongest in the family and the world in no time.

I married a beautiful lady whom I fell in love with with all my heart and had a beautiful daughter with her.

My life was perfect and everything was going fine until the day of the monster stampede.

My wife went to visit the Elderville city to visit her parents and got caught in a stampede led by an S-rank beast.

The city turned into a ruins in no time and my wife and daughter both were reported missing.

I led a mercenary team myself and slayed that S-rank Three Headed Crocodile and saved the city.

I also met an interesting kid over there who had powers above his grade and is very talented who helped my mercenary group in defeating that S-rank beast.

Well not deviating from the topic the search party weren't able to find my wife and daughter in the group of survivors and also decided to declare them dead but I didn't listen to them and used the resources of the Morrison family to find them both but to my bad luck I wasn't able to find them.

I was devastated but still preserved myself and kept looking for them but had to halt my search because of the crowning ceremony which was going to be held.

I didn't want to participate at first but it was a direct order from the patriarch so I wasn't able to refuse and decided to halt my search there for a few months but since the patriarch allowed the mercenary group under the Morrison family still kept their search going on.

The day I arrived at the island I received a message from an anonymous sender which turned my world upside down.

It said that he had kidnapped my wife and daughter and asked me to become the next patriarch as a ransom.

Me a patriarch?

No I can't do that.

I don't have enough influence and in truth I didn't want to compete against Ares who is also my cousin.

I was suspicious of the message before but it kept sending me the evidence enough to make me believe him.

I tried to argue with him to ask for something else but he didn't bulge.

I reasoned with him by telling of my influence and to solve this issue he sent me the evidence against the members of the Morrison family who were in the voting list.

I was shocked seeing that evidence and the records of the heinous crimes they all have committed using the name of the Morrison family as a shield and was angry at them.

I wanted to go and confront them all but I controlled myself and did as the kidnapper told me to do and use those evidences to blackmail the members of the voting committee.

I was going against my morals.

My cousin.

The rest of the family.

Should I do this?

Closing my eyes the images of Jessica and Hayley once again appeared in my mind.

I opened my eyes once again and looked at my cousins who had all votes for themselves and it was my turn to vote.

Under the eyes of everyone I got up and calmly looked at everyone.

"I, Issac Morrison grants my vote to my cousin and candidate Ares Morrison"