"This is bad! How is there Fel?!"
The fake smile on Baron Hawthorne’s face froze instantly, replaced by genuine terror and fury.
Who was it?! It's over! It's all over!
It seems my Hawthorne family is destined to die today... First, a fallen princess of the Sylvania Kingdom, and now the Ever-Devouring Abyss?!
Who?! Which son of a bitch dared to collude with the Ever-Devouring Abyss?! Are they tired of living?!
Although the Holy Light Church has no real power in Virado, they have extremely strict agreements with every nation—if any activity regarding the "Ever-Devouring Abyss" appears within their borders, the local lord must cooperate unconditionally with the church's investigation. Otherwise, they are deemed heretics!
The lunatics of the Ever-Devouring Abyss, who only want to swallow the world into their bellies, are the true enemies of the entire continent!
It’s over. Those zealots from the church are definitely going to target our family. We'll be lucky to come out of this alive...
Is this destiny...?
Leon watched the pillar of Fel energy soaring into the sky, his eyes twitching and his head spinning.
Damn, Lord Baron, you really know how to party...
You’ve got monsters in your own house and you didn't even know? You're actually tied to the Ever-Devouring Abyss!
This will inevitably draw the gaze of the church, and might even trigger the deployment of the Inquisition!
When they investigate... he and Lucrezia, the two "fish that escaped the net," would definitely be caught!
This is a disaster among disasters!
However, Leon keenly observed that Baron Hawthorne’s shock and anger did not seem feigned.
It looked like the old man was also being kept in the dark.
But... this was also an opportunity.
Leon had originally intended to bluff the baron, get some travel funds, and make a quick escape.
But now, if they just left, the church would certainly notice this place. A simple investigation would reveal the two of them. No matter how far they ran, could they outrun the church’s vast net?
He had no choice but to get involved...
He had to tie the baron to his own chariot and make him help clean up the mess and cover their tracks.
With the help of a local power, and by planning against an unsuspecting church, the possibility of deceiving them wouldn't be small.
"Lord Baron."
Leon spoke suddenly, his tone eerie.
"It seems your family is having quite a celebration. It's almost on par with us underground workers. Which 'great figure' is setting off fireworks to liven things up?"
Baron Hawthorne shuddered. He turned to look at the fleeting green light in the city and the explosions occasionally erupting from the Lord's Manor. He gave a dry laugh, attempting a final struggle:
"Oh... this... maybe some rowdy kid is setting off illegal fireworks? Modern firework craftsmanship is truly too advanced, haha... so mischievous. Tomorrow, I'll definitely have the city guard give them a good lecture..."
"As for this, another day! Let's catch up another day! I think I forgot to put out the stove at home. I have some urgent business, I'll head back first..."
As he spoke, he turned to run.
"Wait."
Leon grabbed his arm, a smile on his face that made Baron Hawthorne’s heart skip a beat.
"Lord Baron, those 'fireworks' don't look very auspicious. As a... friend of the Empire, I feel I have an obligation to help you check it out."
"After all, if this fire spreads to us, it would be quite troublesome."
Leon followed along, using the cover story Baron Hawthorne had imagined for him:
"Coincidentally, as a special agent of Section 6, the Anti-Fel division of the Imperial Military Intelligence Section 7, Miss Vespa finds such emergencies within her jurisdiction. Why don't we go take a look together?"
Leon was slightly puzzled as to why Gareth Hawthorne had a look of "So it really is Section 6," and why he immediately believed and accepted that Vespa was from the Empire.
But that didn't stop him from continuing the bluff.
"Huh?!"
Vespa, standing nearby, widened her feline eyes in shock.
How does this guy know I'm an outsourced agent for the Fel Special Task Force of Section 7?!
But I'm not in Section 6, I'm in Section 9! As expected! This guy is talking nonsense! I almost got fooled again!
Lucrezia, on the other hand, was thinking: 'Huh? What is going on? My head feels so itchy... anyway, at a time like this, I just need to do nothing and say nothing, right?'
But Baron Hawthorne had no time for second thoughts.
He looked at Leon’s firm gaze and knew he couldn't shake off this trouble.
Besides, if he could involve the Empire, maybe there was still a chance to save the situation?
"Fine! Then I'll have to trouble you all!"
Baron Hawthorne brought his teeth together, unsheathed the greatsword from his back, and his gaze instantly became sharp.
"I want to see which animal dares to bring such filth into my territory!"
"Move!"
Four figures sprinted toward the Lord's Manor, heading straight for the soaring pillar of Fel energy.
Rewinding time slightly, inside the Lord's Manor, a major drama determining the future fate of Kent Town was unfolding.
In the courtyard, rubble flew everywhere.
"Struggles for succession have always been thus—the winner takes all! Brother, I was merciful enough to offer you a relocation! You’ve already lost, so surrender quickly!"
The Second Young Master, Ovind Hawthorne, stood on the steps. He shouted at the figure in the courtyard who was covered in blood but still refused to retreat.
In his line of sight, a tall female swordsman, nearly six feet tall with long black hair, held a slender tachi. She was suppressing the First Young Master, Leon, like a phantom.
This female swordsman was named "A-Ling." She was "outside help" Ovind had hired at a great price after making connections with the Solan Empire.
She wore loose ronin attire, which couldn't hide her proud figure. Her cool face bore no expression, only the suffocating killing intent displayed with every swing of her blade.
Not far away in a corner, the usually respected old mage Ethan was slumped on the ground like a dead dog. His chest was charred, he was "severely injured," and had long since fainted.
—Of course, if one looked closely, they would notice the old man's eyelids twitching imperceptibly. He was secretly observing the situation, specializing in "playing dead while on the clock" to stay out of trouble.
Ovind, standing on the steps, appeared to have victory in his grasp, but the cold sweat behind his back had already soaked through his shirt. He was terrified.
Damn it! Since when did Leon become this fierce?!
Ovind gripped the railing tightly.
Just moments ago, when Leon proposed a "real man's 1v1 duel" to decide the heir, Ovind had almost agreed in a moment of heat.
After all, in his memory, his elder brother was useless except for indulgence and greed.
Thank goodness I was cautious and didn't step onto the field just for the sake of pride!
Otherwise, I’d probably have been minced into meat by now!
Leon Hawthorne, in the courtyard, was displaying an almost inconceivable level of combat power.
He clearly only had the strength of the 【Transcendent】 rank, yet he was stubbornly holding his own against the "high-level agent" from the Empire's Section 7—A-Ling!
How is this the 【Transcendent】 rank? This explosive power is almost on par with the old man!
Ovind was filled with doubt.
Where did he get this power? And... why does he occasionally emit green light?
"Cut the crap! Ovind, you coward!"
I just need five more minutes...
The First Young Master, Leon, roared in anger while struggling to parry A-Ling’s storm-like slashes. His eyes were bloodshot.
"You actually colluded with the Empire! That’s treason! You've lost your mind! Do you want to destroy the Hawthorne family completely?!"
Clang!
The broadsword in Leon’s hand blocked one of A-Ling’s thrusts by a hair's breadth, sending sparks flying.
"If this gets out, do you think Father will let you off?! Will Grand Duke Solaris let you off?! The entire family will be buried with you!!"
Leon’s roar was deafening, but his breathing had begun to falter.
Faced with A-Ling’s increasingly sharp and lethal attacks, he finally... exposed a flaw.
"An opening."
A cold light flashed in A-Ling’s silent, cool eyes.
Without a moment's hesitation, she ducked low, avoiding Leon’s horizontal sweep.
With her right hand on the blade, she slid two fingers of her left hand slowly across the cold steel.
Hum—
A faint purple light instantly filled the entire blade, and the air seemed to freeze at that moment.
A-Ling parted her crimson lips and whispered an incantation from the Far East:
"Land of Abundant Reed Plains, to those who cause disorder here, I am A-Ling, descended upon this place..."
"Submit to my might, and let all defiled barriers be cleared."
"Slay!"
The blade light was like a streak of silk, vanishing in a flash.
Squelch—!
A-Ling maintained her posture after the strike, landing gracefully and slowly sheathing her sword.
Behind her...
Blood erupted like a fountain.
The large head of the First Young Master, Leon, flew high into the air, tracing a tragic arc.
That face was frozen in a moment of shock and disbelief—as if, even in death, he couldn't believe his own brother would actually dare to kill him.
Thud.
The head hit the ground, rolled twice, and stopped at Ovind’s feet, staring at him with unseeing eyes.
The headless corpse swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground.
Rate on N.U.
