163th Chapter
Mardonis sat on a chair in the manor hall, gazing at the scene outside the door.
Knights who had seemed as immovable as boulders were now rolling around covered in blood, and their once glossy armors had been torn apart like paper, embedding into the ground.
“…”
With so many nobles gathered here, the might of the forces assembled to guard them was formidable.
Not all were top-tier elites, but still, there were over a hundred knights who prided themselves on their strength.
There were also soldiers, mages, and clerics.
However, when the Royal Guards activated their Absolute Domain, the soldiers wielding spears and shields could not resist and immediately fell to their knees.
The high-tier units capable of moving within the Absolute Domain were already more than seventy percent annihilated, reduced to mere decorations inside the manor.
Even if the remaining troops were to charge all at once, the outcome wouldn’t change.
Perhaps with a stroke of luck, one might manage to sever Ernst’s arm, but what would that accomplish?
Moreover, Ernst certainly didn’t come alone. There were undoubtedly some Graduates and high-ranking mages accompanying him.
If the situation took an unexpected turn, they would join the fight too.
Thud… Thud…
Ernst walked alone through the ranks of soldiers who dared not approach further.
Mardonis raised his glass and took a sip.
Only now did he truly grasp the imposing presence of a Swordmaster, something difficult to comprehend merely from records.
He fully understood why even the Emperor of the Empire felt uneasy about Swordmasters.
Swallowing the drink, Mardonis stood up from his seat.
What more was there to endure in such a situation?
“It wasn’t my intention to defy His Majesty the Emperor. There were circumstances that delayed my departure. Since Sir Ernst has kindly taken the trouble to travel this far…”
Let’s return to the Imperial Capital together.
That’s what Mardonis intended to say.
However, before he could finish his sentence, Ernst swung his sword.
Slash!
Mardonis’ head separated from his body and fell.
Ernst caught the bewildered face of Mardonis’ severed head, then swung his sword again while Mardonis’ body lay prone.
Krrk!
Blood gushed out from the split chest.
Ernst’s hand, which had pierced through the chest, grabbed hold of the Dragonheart.
Placing the Dragonheart into a prepared box, Ernst turned to see Duke Matthias approaching with a grimace.
“Was this the Emperor’s will?”
“Yes.”
Duke Matthias glanced around.
Though the walls had collapsed in chaos, no one had actually died—at least not yet. Time might bring casualties or severely wounded individuals, but Ernst himself had only killed Mardonis.
Should this be called an assassination?
Muttering internally, Duke Matthias violently swept the bottle off the table.
As the sound of breaking glass filled the air, Matthias tried to calm himself.
If this was indeed the Emperor’s will, it was essentially saying:
“I’ll overlook your tricks for now, but you must actively cooperate with my succession plans.”
The Emperor sent a Swordmaster to swiftly resolve matters with minimal bloodshed.
The Emperor had no time to let the empire fragment and fall into chaos due to struggles for imperial authority.
Thus, he only targeted the royal family members central to the power struggle, leaving the nobles untouched.
Or rather, mostly untouched—but at least everyone’s lives were spared.
Had the nobility been decimated in this clash, it might have led to something akin to a civil war unrelated to the issue of imperial succession. But the Emperor made no such foolish choice.
Duke Matthias surveyed the crumbled walls and incapacitated forces.
The damage was extensive.
However, defying the royal family any further would yield nothing.
An old emperor had extended an olive branch, suggesting to quietly resolve the matter without escalating it further. To reject this would mean real war.
If war broke out, the empire would shrink, and Matthias would surely lose his head.
“…Is His Majesty planning to pass the throne to Crown Prince Poibos?”
“That is correct.”
“Understood. As a servant of the empire, I will fully support the Emperor’s decision and loyally assist Lord Poibos. Are you satisfied?”
Ernst gave a brief nod.
As Matthias moved to leave to handle the aftermath, he noticed Ernst still watching him closely and frowned.
“Do you require anything more from me?”
“Could you lend me your office?”
After scanning Ernst from head to toe, Duke Matthias sighed.
“At least clean the blood off first.”
*
Two members of the royal family who had remained defiant despite orders to return to the capital would soon hear of Mardonis’ fate.
The news of Ernst personally slaying Mardonis, who possessed greater backing, would quickly spread across the empire.
Upon hearing this, the remaining defiant royal member would likely decide to head to the capital voluntarily.
Even if they personally refused, their supporters would undoubtedly force them to comply—they weren’t strong enough or united enough to withstand the Emperor’s wrath.
And if they persisted or attempted tricks, Ernst was prepared to lead the empire’s legions and raze everything to the ground, leaving not a blade of grass standing.
“Hmm…”
Ernst, visiting Duke Matthias’ office, activated a communication artefact.
The scenery before him shifted, revealing a grand hall resembling a palace.
This artefact, designed for direct communication between nobles and the royal family, included this finicky feature to maintain noble decorum and etiquette.
Of course, no actual physical movement occurred—it was more like a vivid projection.
Having connected with the royal court first to report the situation, Ernst calmly awaited updates from his subordinates.
After some time, Adoiya’s report arrived.
*
Adoiya moved swiftly with the assistance of two family knights, one Royal Guard, and two mages.
Currently, the two remaining royals were under the protection of their supporters and military dispatched by the royal family, heading toward the capital.
The royal Adoiya was pursuing was named Brantley.
Brantley, a distant relative of the Emperor, had a solid foundation but had not defied the Emperor’s orders, choosing instead to depart for the capital.
Finally spotting Brantley’s carriage along the road to the capital, Adoiya approached it briskly.
The guards protecting the carriage immediately drew their weapons but hesitated upon seeing the insignia on Adoiya’s badge and the accompanying Royal Guard.
Adoiya handed a document to the Royal Guard responsible for Brantley’s protection and pushed through the soldiers.
The Royal Guard examined the document, which bore the national seal.
Since the presence of the seal alone wasn’t sufficient to allow Adoiya unrestricted access to Brantley, a brief exchange ensued before the identity verification process concluded.
Approaching the carriage again, Adoiya abruptly opened its door.
Brantley, seated inside, frowned—not genuinely, but as a pretense.
Sensing something amiss, Adoiya immediately grabbed Brantley by the collar and dragged him out of the carriage.
Everyone gasped reflexively and reached for their weapons.
Without hesitation, Adoiya embedded a shard of stone into Brantley’s cheek.
The shard was, in fact, a highly charged mana stone.
No matter how skillfully concealed by magic, inserting such a stone into the face would inevitably disrupt the mana flow, causing the disguise to unravel.
Even if physical disguises were used, the surging mana would flush out all impurities.
Though the method was rough, potential side effects were irrelevant since skilled clerics were present.
As Brantley screamed, dozens of blades pointed toward Adoiya.
But soon, all eyes returned to Brantley.
Flowing silver hair and crimson eyes disappeared, replaced by brown hair and black irises.
The natural aura of royalty emanating from the Dragonheart vanished entirely.
Adoiya swatted away the swords aimed at her throat and surveyed her surroundings.
Both the royal forces and Brantley’s supporters were confused.
After all, the fact that a double had been employed wouldn’t have been widely shared.
Very few people present would know that Brantley was a decoy.
“Except for the royal forces, drop your weapons now. And immediately apprehend those who have directly verified this person’s identity. Failure to comply will be considered treason.”
Alone amidst dozens of blades, Adoiya radiated an intimidating presence as she issued her command.
*
“Warp Gate?”
Ray furrowed his brow slightly in response.
“Is this some kind of key to a Warp Gate?”
“Do you know much about Warp Gates?”
“Not really. Hardly anything.”
Information about gates wasn’t easily obtainable by just anyone.
While Ray could potentially find out through Aptel, for now, he was ignorant.
Speira briefly explained the concept of gates to Ray.
Their primary purpose was obviously transportation of people or goods.
However, constructing a single gate required a semi-permanent power source, enormous funds, and the prolonged efforts of several high-ranking mages.
Even after construction, maintenance costs continued to pile up, and the assistance of high-level mages was necessary for safe operation.
Therefore, the empire only built and operated a limited number of gates near strategic locations.
“The mana concentration in the Imperial Capital is too high, making it difficult to operate a gate there. Moreover, there’s the risk of invasion, so there are no gates inside the capital itself, only one nearby.”
Additionally, gates were positioned at borders and other militarily strategic points.
To use a Warp Gate for long-distance travel, there needed to be another Warp Gate at the destination.
For someone to warp great distances without constructed Warp Gates, even a Grand Mage would require extensive preparation.
“Ray, the Prizzran Clan’s territory is scattered across various regions, one of which is the Alvenina area, relatively close to the southeast. The reason His Majesty bestowed this region to the Prizzran Clan was…”
To monitor the Demon Realm or the Border Lords.
Ray interrupted Speira’s explanation with a sudden question.
“Is there a gate in the Alvenina region?”
“There is, though it’s very small, making large-scale movements impossible. It’s guarded by members associated with the Prizzran Clan.”
“…”
After pondering for a moment, Ray adopted a serious expression.
“Miss, what if a member of the royal family attempts to escape to the southeast using the Warp Gate?”
“The Warp Gate can only be activated by pre-certified individuals, and loyal troops guarding it would prevent unauthorized use. If they mobilized a large enough force to overpower the guards, we would have detected it. In that case, we could respond accordingly.”
“No.”
Ray shook his head.
If they had hastily planned and moved troops, they would certainly have been detected.
If the Emperor’s authority remained as it once was and the empire wasn’t in turmoil, detection would have been inevitable.
However, if the empire’s confusion provided cover for a meticulously disguised plan, what then?
Moreover, with the aging Emperor and everyone vying for favor, it was highly probable that his decisions and judgments were promptly leaked to others.
“Miss, if I were in their position, I would have targeted the Warp Gate.”
“That…”
“But I wouldn’t have relied solely on the Warp Gate. Given the precautions likely in place, I would have captured you in a surprise attack and held you hostage.”
“?”
“Since you’re favored by Sir Ernst, capturing you would pressure the Prizzran Clan associates to open the way. Even after crossing into the southeast, holding you hostage would constrain Sir Ernst’s actions.”
“…”
Speira wanted to object.
While Ray’s reasoning sounded plausible, considering the intricacies of the empire’s administration, such a covert military operation would be extremely difficult to execute.
Furthermore, accurately targeting Speira’s location during transit was practically impossible.
As Speira shook her head, Ray sighed deeply.
“Excluding Sir Ernst, it seems the Prizzran Clan isn’t particularly fond of you. Could someone among them pretend to make a mistake and deliberately overlook exposing your location?”
As Ray continued with his speculative and somewhat insulting remarks, Speira’s expression soured.
We’ll discuss this after we arrive at the Prizzran mansion.
Just as Speira was about to express her displeasure, the carriage jolted to a stop.
Sounds of swords being drawn echoed from all around.
Ray and Speira’s eyes locked.
After a brief silence,
Ray cautiously asked, pointing at himself,
“Uh… Could you pretend you don’t know me?”
