"As the saying goes, ignorance is a blessing. Compared to intelligent people, fools actually live easier lives, because knowing the truth means bearing the responsibility that comes with that knowledge."
Leon descended the steps one by one.
Those arrogant violet eyes looked down upon Alhaitham, Tighnari, and Cyno.
"Do you really think you can walk out of here unscathed after saying all that?"
"What? We're surrounded?!" Cyno exclaimed as he suddenly realized their situation.
"These people are shop staff!" Alhaitham said.
"When did they appear?" Tighnari asked.
The three looked around in horror.
At some point, several beautiful girls dressed in black had appeared. They blocked every possible escape route within the room.
Cyno took the lead and made an immediate decision. He swung the weapon in his hand and struck one of the girls on the head.
Tighnari drew his bow, firing three grass-element arrows simultaneously.
Alhaitham also drew his sword and attacked.
CLANG!
"What?!" ×3
The girls they attacked drew their slime swords, easily blocking the attacks and counterattacking.
Alhaitham and Cyno were knocked down instantly.
As for the arrows, there was no need to defend against them at all—the slime suits effortlessly blocked them.
And yet, this girl was merely a mid-ranking member of Night Raid, not even particularly high-ranked.
They were descendants of heroes.
They were awakened by demonic possession, and the magical power of each of them exceeded that of an ordinary powerhouse by more than double.
Moreover, Night Raid adopted the extreme individual training methods taught by Leon, combined with abundant magical equipment and the blessings of high-level sacred relics.
Thus, these girls—who appeared fragile on the surface—were powerful enough to dominate any battlefield in the world and could easily be the strongest combatants in any kingdom.
Alhaitham, Tighnari, and Cyno were not weak, but even working together, they would never be able to defeat even one of them!
Just ten members of Night Raid would be enough to eliminate every protector of Sumeru.
Esdeath had said it once.
Leon only needed to send thirty Night Raid girls to annihilate a small kingdom with an army of fewer than fifty thousand.
If he sent three hundred of them—
Not even an army of millions could stand against them.
"Now do you understand the difference in power?"
"Damn it… we won't give up." Cyno said through clenched teeth.
"For Lumine's sake, you'll suffer less if you stop resisting. I don't have malicious intentions. After all, my goal is not invasion, but conquest."
Leon stepped toward the three.
He didn't even need to lift a finger.
The sheer coercive force of his draconic power alone was enough to render them unable to resist—unable to raise their heads, unable to stand upright.
"And what's the difference?" Cyno growled.
Up until now, even the most vicious criminals had fallen beneath his blade.
But at this moment, he finally understood what absolute power meant.
Cyno now seriously doubted whether the man before him was even human.
"Of course there's a difference," Leon replied indifferently.
"Invasion means slaughter and plunder. Conquest means integration and prosperity. This decaying and ignorant kingdom will become my new land, and you will become my people," Leon explained.
Leon's dominant aura filled the entire room.
For a moment, the three were stunned.
And all the girls looked at Leon with admiration—adoration, love, and madness.
"You cannot conquer Sumeru! No matter how beautifully you dress it up with rhetoric, Prince Leon, what you're doing is nothing but plunder and invasion!" Cyno shouted through clenched teeth.
"How dare you! Do not show disrespect to His Highness!!"
The girls around them shouted furiously.
A sword pointed at his heart.
Another blade aimed between his eyebrows.
Two more were instantly pressed against Cyno's neck.
At that moment, Cyno—who was used to deciding the life and death of others—felt for the first time in his life that his own life was being controlled by someone else.
Even though his will remained unbroken, his body trembled instinctively.
The girls glared at him with blazing eyes. They truly could not understand.
Why would such a weak man dare oppose their beloved master?
Why was there always someone in this world trying to stain the master's glory?
Were these people still sane?
Anyone with eyes should be able to tell at a glance.
Only under the master's rule could this world—filled with tragedy, sorrow, and misfortune—be redeemed and become beautiful and happy.
What made him so rebellious?
"Calm down, girls. They are my guests for now. Your actions should have limits."
"…Yes, Your Highness."
Only after hearing Leon's voice did the girls lower their swords and obediently retreat.
The rage vanished as if it had never existed, and they regained their composure.
"Haah… Haah…"
Cyno collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
Cold sweat drenched his back.
Just now, he truly believed he was going to die—those girls were terrifying.
"Sorry about that. My girls are usually gentle, but when it comes to me, they tend to go to extremes. Haha, such an adorable bunch."
Leon raised his hand and gently patted one of their heads.
It was such a simple gesture, yet the girl was so happy she nearly fainted—completely different from the furious and ferocious look she had moments ago.
"Also, you said I'm not qualified. That's incorrect. I am qualified to claim the Kingdom of Sumeru. From a certain perspective… I am even the most orthodox successor to this land."
"What are you talking about?!"
The three widened their eyes in shock. Even as Leon's enemies, they knew that the Black Prince did not speak nonsense.
"Long before the desert became a rainforest, long before human footprints appeared on this land, the Dendro Dragon King already existed. She acknowledged me and recognized my qualification to inherit this land."
Leon released the aura of the Dendro Dragon King.
(End of Chapter)