“Did Charlotte leave the castle alone?”
Roy, who was resting in a guest room nestled in a servant’s arms, jumped up with excitement upon hearing the news.
“That’s right. The death-sworn guards my father gave me have already sent word. Prince Roy, should we call upon those two Fourth-tier Mages you’ve been training and finish him off together?” A flicker of anticipation flashed in Simon’s eyes.
“We absolutely must!” Roy burst into laughter. “Quickly! Fast, fast, fast! Do it! Do it now!”
Roy waved his hand, ordering the servant to relay the command immediately.
The servant knew nothing of the schemes and power struggles between the nobles; she only knew she had to obey Prince Roy’s orders, or her life would be forfeit…
“A King-rank swordsman and two Fourth-tier Mages against a single Third-tier Mage… No matter how much of a genius he is, he’ll lose his life here tonight!”
Roy looked out the window at the beautiful moonlight.
“The night is truly wonderful…”
Roy’s mood instantly brightened.
Once Charlotte was dead, wouldn’t those two beautiful girls, Bella and Floleen, be easy pickings?
Roy was already looking forward to his glorious future—holding a beauty in each arm, ascending the throne, and becoming the supreme ruler of the Kalishi Empire!
He had never had such a magnificent start!
“Hahahaha! Simon, once this is done, I will personally knight you! You shall be the next Duke of our Kalishi Empire!”
Simon forced a smile. “Thank you for your patronage, Second Prince.”
……
Vivian searched everywhere for Charlotte but couldn’t find him, so she decided to head outside.
She didn’t want to owe anyone favors, and she truly wanted to speak with the strongest of the younger generation.
She still had five gold coins tucked in her pocket.
Suddenly, several loud explosions echoed from the forest outside the castle.
“What happened?” Vivian sensed a ripple of magic power.
Just as she was about to investigate the situation, a flash of golden light appeared. Beccas materialized behind Vivian instantly.
“Saintess Highness, it’s dangerous ahead. Those magic fluctuations belong to at least a Fourth-tier Mage.”
“Aunt… if you keep hovering over me like this, how am I supposed to grow?”
“If I don’t keep an eye on you, you’ll just sneak out again and end up covered in wounds.” Beccas was very worried about Vivian’s health today.
Lately, Vivian’s mental state hadn’t been great. If something happened again, Beccas wouldn’t know how to answer to the Grand Archbishop back in the Holy Nation.
Vivian felt a bit helpless. For some reason, a memory remained etched in her mind, but every time she tried to speak of it, she would forget its details.
She was starting to doubt if she had simply been dreaming.
A mist-shrouded lake, a tall man, a mist blade, and a declaration that he would take her life…
That sensation of approaching death had been far too real.
And then there were the man’s words, filled with endless rage and sorrow: ‘You burn different records, you rewrite history, and the Gods you worship modify the memories of all living beings…’
It was too vivid—terrifyingly so.
Vivian didn’t want to die, so she wanted to become stronger. Recently, she had been frequently practicing swordsmanship with Beccas, hoping to deepen her bond with the Moonblade.
As for magic, she could only learn that from her mother once she returned.
“I want to get stronger. How can I grow without actual combat?” Vivian said to Beccas.
“Saintess, you are not ready yet!”
“Aunt! I am ready! I don’t need to be protected like a flower in a greenhouse!”
Vivian’s expression was resolute.
In a tone that brooked no argument, she said, “I command you in the name of the Saintess. Beccas, Commander of the Temple Knights Order, step aside now.”
“Saintess…”
Within Vivian’s olive-green eyes, a golden mist swirled, and her aura instantly transcended.
As the evening breeze blew, her golden hair shimmered under the bright moonlight. “This is an order. My word is a divine decree, Beccas.”
Beccas let out a long sigh.
She respectfully dropped to one knee. “I understand, Saintess Highness. But please, allow me to intervene if you are in danger.”
Vivian’s voice was ethereal and powerful. “Granted.”
She sounded like a true deity.
But Vivian didn’t like speaking this way; it felt cold and inhuman. However, she couldn’t suppress Beccas without it.
Vivian let out a long breath. Finally… she could make her own decision for once.
……
Vivian and Roy weren’t the only ones who noticed what was happening outside.
“Has Marquis Charlotte returned?”
Prince Gelis asked someone in the shadows.
A woman’s voice responded, “How should I know? You know my divination doesn’t work on him at all.”
“If the First Prince really wants to know, I can go take a look myself. However, once the Holy Church enters the Kalishi Empire, remember to allocate a few more cathedrals to me.”
The woman finally stepped out of the shadows.
She wore the same white robe as Beccas, indicating her status in the Holy Church was equal to, if not higher than, the Knight Commander’s.
“I’ll give you whatever you want. As long as you can put me on the throne, you can even be my Queen.”
“Hahahaha! Interesting. I’ll take this job. However, little brother, you’re a bit too young for me. I’m already an old woman. Are you sure you want me to be your Queen?”
“You are at the age where a woman is most mature and beautiful. How could you call yourself old?” Prince Gelis’s gentle voice sounded very sincere.
“I just love that sweet mouth of yours. You’re going to trick this big sister into circles, aren’t you?”
……
Charlotte walked aimlessly through the forest. He was being so blatant specifically to lure out the rats hiding in the dark.
As he passed through a patch of shrubs, he stopped. He sensed a magic fluctuation ahead.
If he took a few more steps, he would fall right into an Anti-magic Trap.
“That’s it? Are you here to catch wild rabbits?”
Suddenly, two powerful auras appeared, and beams of magic energy immediately slammed toward Charlotte.
Charlotte simply raised a hand, and a generated magic shield blocked the attack.
Very good, the magic power of two Fourth-tier Mages.
A Fourth-tier was indeed strong, but wasn’t Charlotte also a Fourth-tier Mage?
In terms of mental strength, no mage could surpass him. He was a great existence personally recognized by Aifel.
Even against two, Charlotte was confident he could kill them both in an instant.
“Marquis Charlotte, you must be joking. You’re on the verge of death, yet you can still laugh? Have you been scared witless?”
A hooded mage spoke to Charlotte with mock respect. He likely wasn’t being sincere; knowing Charlotte would die tonight, he was intentionally being sarcastic.
“Just the two of you?” Charlotte looked at the two men stepping out from the shadows. “Where is the King-rank swordsman? Aren’t you going to call him out?”
The two in front of him posed no threat at all. As long as one wasn’t a Transcendent and used magic, it was impossible to defeat Charlotte.
Right then, a sudden flash of sword light shot toward Charlotte…
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