A few seconds later, the entire throne room finally returned to silence.
All of the knights guarding the throne room had fallen into pools of blood and lost their lives, including Hendrick himself.
At some point, Rohm's painful screams had also stopped, and a few moments later, he suddenly climbed to his feet. Yet not only did he remain completely motionless despite his king being murdered before his eyes, but all expression had vanished from his face as well. Only the whites of his eyes had turned entirely black, making him look both sinister and ominous.
*Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap—*
Surrounded by one black-robed figure after another, Sorren walked up to the throne, then kicked Hendrick's corpse aside with one foot and picked up the Sword of Authority that had fallen nearby.
"So, this is the Sword of Authority that controls Light of Heaven?"
Asking in a frivolous tone, the black-robed man who had just ambushed Hendrick and pierced his chest with a single strike came to Sorren's side and looked at the sword with visible curiosity.
"Yeah, this is the Sword of Authority passed down through the generations of the royal family of Jinas. Its greatest function is controlling the Strategic-Class Magic Barrier known as Light of Heaven. Aside from that, it's merely a symbolic item that's far sharper and sturdier than ordinary swords."
Even though Sorren spoke rather disdainfully, his hand gripping the Sword of Authority tightened firmly, as though he were holding the greatest power in the world itself, while a grin slowly spread across his face.
"With this, I'm the undisputed king. Within Light of Heaven, I'll be completely untouchable. No one will be able to do anything to me!"
Sorren laughed smugly before sitting down upon the throne with a deeply intoxicated expression.
"Ahh, so this is what it feels like to truly control this country?"
"Not bad. I should've done this much earlier."
"Heh, that arrogant Cordelion bastard... let's see how he plans to fight me now..."
As though he had thought of something, the smile on Sorren's face gradually became cruel.
"Just wait... Whether it's you or Riezel Brynhart, one by one, I'll come knocking at your doors and settle every single score from the past."
Hearing those words, the frivolous-sounding black-robed man suddenly spoke indifferently.
"Is it really that simple?"
As he spoke, the black-robed man sounded unconcerned, merely speaking casually.
"I mean, you became king through usurpation. Once what happened here tonight gets exposed, forget the Duke Faction—even the Royal Faction that supported you before probably won't be able to accept something this treasonous and will turn against you."
"If things end up like that, this country's gonna fall apart, y'know?"
Clearly, the black-robed man did not think highly of Sorren's actions.
In his eyes, murdering one's father and seizing the throne was absolutely a terrible move.
If there had been a legitimate cause and enough supporters, it might have been workable, but Sorren's privately trained troops had already been disbanded long ago.
To put it nicely, he was merely the next king cultivated by the royal family, and to put it bluntly, he was simply someone who could only ascend the throne through the royal family's support.
Once he lost that support, he would become nothing more than a commander without troops, with nobody under him whom he could truly use.
And anyone with half a brain could understand that after committing such an act as patricide and usurpation, the Royal Faction would never support him again. Instead, they would only execute him on the spot to avenge the king.
Of course, while the black-robed man did not care whether Sorren lived or died, nor did he care who obtained this country's throne, he needed someone to deal with Riezel, someone to deal with the princess of the Reinnail Clan, and someone capable of drawing out the Hidden Land's people so that his side could accomplish its objectives.
For that very reason, he had cooperated with Sorren, yet he did not wish to see him driven off the throne so easily.
"Relax. I've already thought everything through."
Seated upon the throne, Sorren held the Sword of Authority in one hand while idly spinning the pitch-black, ominous dagger in the other, a cold sneer spreading across his face.
"I'll temporarily conceal this matter and keep news of my father's death from spreading."
"Until the right time comes, I'll disguise myself as my father."
"When the timing is right, I'll officially announce my ascension."
Upon hearing that, the black-robed man was startled at first before immediately understanding Sorren's intentions.
"You're planning to use the holy relic's power to gradually devour this entire country?"
As he spoke, the black-robed man instantly became interested.
"That's right..." Sorren chuckled darkly. "I don't need everyone. As long as I control an important portion of the upper ranks, even if the truth about my patricide and usurpation becomes exposed, I won't have to worry about being overthrown. In my opinion, this holy relic is far more useful than the Sword of Authority."
He glanced at the puppet-like Rohm standing motionlessly nearby, and the hand playing with the black dagger tightened even further.
"I should remind you, even though this holy relic's power is very special, it isn't invincible."
Gazing at Sorren, the black-robed man spoke calmly, pouring cold water over him.
"Don't get fooled just because it easily controlled a Sword Saint. Once it runs into veteran Sword Saints with exceptionally strong wills, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced."
"And if it meets Sword Saints with overwhelming strength, its power can even be shattered outright."
"For example, the Old Sword Saint guarding the treasury that you mentioned before, or Florent Borley—those two definitely won't be affected so easily by the holy relic's power."
Upon hearing that warning, Sorren frowned.
"What about Riezel Brynhart?"
Sorren's gaze flickered as he asked that question.
"Heh, no chance."
At Sorren's question, the black-robed man chuckled and answered decisively.
"Even Ice Maiden wasn't his match, so his strength is definitely no weaker than the two people I just mentioned. I'd advise you to give up on the idea of controlling him."
"Also, the War King Sword Style passed down through generations of your royal family just so happens to counter this holy relic's power."
"That kind of swordsmanship, which can stimulate spiritual power, is basically the natural enemy of this holy relic that erodes the human mind, so you'd better not use it to control your brothers and sisters either, especially that little princess from the Reinnail Clan."
"Now that her bloodline has already awakened and she also possesses a holy sword, the moment this holy relic appears anywhere near her, it'll probably get cut down by that holy sword before it can even get close."
Sorren immediately fell silent, though his eyes continued flickering.
"Reinnail, huh?" Sorren spoke gloomily. "Is the true family of that wretched younger sister of mine really as terrifying as you claim?"
"You can doubt it, but never question it..."
As he spoke, the black-robed man spread his hands.
"Reinnail Clan was the Hero Clan that once ruled over all of humanity during the age of ancient civilization—a genuine clan of heroes. Back in the age of the ancient magic civilization, only members of that clan could receive God's favor, ascend the stairway to heaven, and gain power far beyond what humanity could ever hope to match."
"Such power is something you can't even imagine. Just so you know, the so-called Sword Saints of the modern era were everywhere in that clan. Slaying dragons might be considered a grand feat in this age, but within their clan, it was just a basic accomplishment."
"If you hadn't slain dragons, you'd be too embarrassed to call yourself a hero, much less repel the monsters that once plagued the entire world through your own strength."
"You should know that the bloodline of that clan has already transcended humanity. Once awakened, its bearers will quickly grow into existences standing at the pinnacle of mankind."
"If you don't believe me, just wait and see. In another two or three years at most, that little princess will find killing a Sword Saint no harder than killing a dog."
Sorren's expression immediately changed.
In merely two or three years, that little girl would be able to casually crush Sword Saints like insects?
Could an ancient clan of heroes really possess such terrifying power?
Honestly, the revelation left him both shocked and deeply jealous.
Why wasn't such a powerful bloodline his?
Compared to that kind of bloodline, the so-called royal bloodline of Jinas was laughably weak.
"No wonder you people are so interested in that younger sister of mine..."
Sorren spoke coldly.
"Well, that was my boss's order, so it can't be helped," the black-robed man said, keeping his usual laid-back tone, but then, after a brief pause, his tone suddenly turned strange. "Honestly, compared to that little princess, I'm way more interested in Riezel Brynhart. Getting a descendant of the Hero Clan to willingly acknowledge him as her master... tch tch, that's something nobody's ever pulled off before."
For some reason, whenever the black-robed man mentioned Riezel, his tone no longer sounded as frivolous as usual and instead carried an emotion that was difficult for others to notice.
"You want to deal with him, too?"
Sorren narrowed his eyes after sensing that emotion.
"...Forget it."
At the question, the black-robed man fell silent for a moment before sounding helpless.
"My current self is just a puppet—there's no way I could fight that guy."
Of course, even if he came personally in his true body, whether he could defeat that man remained unknown, considering that this was a powerful opponent who had even managed to make Ice Maiden suffer losses.
"Alright, enough small talk—the rest is up to you," the black-robed man said, slipping back into his usual carefree, frivolous tone. "I'll watch this show from the best seat possible and see just how far you can take your performance. All these magic dolls are the last bit of support we're giving you. Don't disappoint us, alright?"
After leaving behind those words, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
"Tch..."
Seeing that, Sorren's expression darkened completely.
"What a mysterious bunch. I've probed them for so long, yet I still can't uncover even the slightest bit of information. I really don't know when Akasha Continent ended up with such a terrifying organization."
"Heh, to them, I'm probably nothing more than a puppet being used to deal with Riezel Brynhart as well... but it doesn't matter... as long as I can achieve my goals, the rest... can be settled later..."
===
Meanwhile, at the northeastern corner of the royal palace, within Lizbeth's residence, Riezel had not yet gone to sleep.
He was currently holding a communication magic crystal while speaking with the head of the Frenzel family.
"You're saying Prince Sorren had the same sinister energy on him that those magic dolls possessed during their previous attack on you?"
When Riezel informed Yuri about his discovery from earlier today, Yuri, who was far away in the top-floor office of the Frenzel residence, could not help but freeze in surprise.
"Yeah..." Riezel replied with a nod. "I only discovered it by accident."
Yes, the reason he had visited Sorren earlier was precisely because he had seen that sinister energy flowing through Sorren's body while using the Transparent World, which was the same power used by the magic dolls. Even the holy relic wielded by those magic dolls possessed the same energy, so naturally, he could not possibly forget it.
As soon as he mentioned it, Yuri immediately reacted and understood what Riezel was implying.
"You mean... that mysterious organization has already made its move and secretly contacted Prince Sorren, turning him into one of their people?"
Yuri's expression changed slightly.
"Isn't that only natural?"
Riezel remained calm and expressionless as he spoke indifferently.
"You know that mad dog's personality better than anyone. After taking such a huge loss because of me, how could he possibly swallow his anger and just accept it?"
"He'll only want revenge on me, no matter the cost."
"And with someone like him inside the royal palace, he's basically the perfect target for those people who wanna deal with me—or rather, those who wanna deal with Lizbeth—so I'm sure that force is already getting ready to make a move."
"I bet that Mad Dog Prince will come looking for trouble with me sooner or later."
Riezel's confident words caused Yuri's expression to grow anxious.
"Doesn't that make your situation extremely dangerous?"
Yuri could not help but feel somewhat concerned.
"Nah, not really..." Riezel smiled faintly. "Trying to deal with me isn't that easy."
"I know you're strong, but it's still better not to be careless!" Yuri became serious. "You're currently inside the royal palace, and Light of Heaven is still active there. Even if you're not like me—a pure magician who completely loses their combat ability—you'll still be weakened. With your power suppressed, even someone as strong as you would still be in danger if you encountered powerful enemies, right?"
Indeed, that was her main concern.
After all, the royal palace contained quite a few Sword Saints.
Shadow Sword Saint, Rohm.
Sword Saint of the Borley family, Florent Borley.
And that overly mysterious Old Sword Saint who had always secluded himself deep within the royal palace.
If those three Sword Saints joined forces against Riezel, then even someone as powerful as him would surely be placed in danger.
At least, that was what Yuri believed.
However...
"You think I'm still the same guy I used to be?" Riezel suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry—that so-called Light of Heaven can't do anything to me anymore."
With the development ability Unbound in hand, he was no longer restricted by outside environmental factors. If Hendrick dared to use Light of Heaven to suppress him again, then this time, he would definitely teach Hendrick a brutal lesson.
As for the three Sword Saints within the royal palace, he was actually somewhat looking forward to fighting them.
After reaching Level 8, even in his normal state, he now possessed combat power comparable to Level 9, making him far stronger than before.
For the current him, the so-called Sword Saints of the Akasha Continent were already somewhat unimpressive. Only multiple Sword Saints joining forces could barely spark his interest.
Besides, he was not alone.
Euryale, as a True Vampire, likely possessed strength comparable to that of a Level 9 as well, and her combat power was terrifyingly high.
Lizbeth had also already mastered Moslow, so once she drew her sword, she would probably become even more terrifying than ordinary Level 9s.
With that level of power on his side, he truly did not believe that a mere royal palace could trap him.
'If they wanna come, then come, you mad dog. You'd better bring those sneaky bastards with you too, so I can settle everything in one go...'
In fact, the reason Riezel had not immediately dealt with Sorren was that he wanted to lure out the people backing him. He had been searching for them for a very long time already, so this could also be considered an opportunity.
"In any case, there won't be any problems on my end. Even if something does happen, I can handle it."
"You, on the other hand, gotta be more careful."
"Right now, the royal capital probably isn't the same royal capital anymore. All kinds of undercurrents are already moving beneath the surface."
Riezel looked toward the communication magic crystal in his hand and spoke solemnly.
"Protect yourself carefully. If anything happens, notify me immediately, understood?"
Hearing that, Yuri also nodded seriously.
"Understood."
Neither Yuri nor Riezel realized that the situation within the royal palace had already quietly undergone enormous changes. Instead of immediately revealing themselves and targeting them directly, their enemies had created a hostile environment specifically designed to deal with them.
===
While both Riezel and Sorren either waited in secret or quietly took action for their own objectives, a light suddenly appeared outside the royal capital.
It was a beam of light descending from the sky.
Like a massive pillar, the light first appeared in the night sky like a meteor before crashing violently into the ground and shattering the earth.
*Rumble—!*
Explosive winds and shockwaves immediately swept across the area, while a magic circle and countless magical runes faintly appeared as well, clearly telling anyone who saw them that this phenomenon was absolutely not natural.
Within that beam of light, two figures appeared.
It was a man and a woman.
"Is this the royal capital of Jinas?"
Among the two, the first to speak was a young man around twenty-five years old.
He possessed a tall but lean build, and rather than muscular, he appeared somewhat slender. He wore beast-hide armor, making him resemble a warrior from some tribal land at first glance, and two swords—one long and one short—hung from his waist.
"To be precise, this should be the outskirts of the royal capital, Yeluvia, the teleportation destination designated by the High Priest."
A beautiful young woman around the same age as the man answered him.
She was exceptionally attractive and possessed a tall, voluptuous figure, while her entire body radiated a refined, elegant, and gentle temperament. Her clothing was also primarily made from beast hide, fully accentuating her outstanding figure and making her incredibly eye-catching.
Just like that, the moment they appeared on the outskirts of Yeluvia, the very first thing they did was direct their gazes toward the royal capital beneath the night sky.
"Her Highness the Princess is there, right?"
While cracking his fingers, the young man asked with anticipation.
"If the intelligence wasn't wrong..."
Unlike the young man, the young woman's expression was not much calmer than his as she responded.
"Alright, then let's go already," the young man said impatiently. "We need to bring the princess home as soon as possible."
"I know..." the young woman answered without hesitation. "A descendant of the Reinnail Clan can belong only to us. We are the princess's true home."
Right after speaking, the two of them simultaneously dashed toward Yeluvia, and their speed was actually faster than that of ordinary Sword Saints.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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