The Crimson Oath cult in the Capital had fragmented after the Plague Doctor’s faction was heavily struck, but the remaining branches still lurked in the darkness like rats in a sewer.
Today, they had arrived.
Several elite Pseudo-Mark Knights led a group of fanatical Dustfallen who were still undergoing their trials.
They slipped into the crowd of spectators with two malicious goals.
First, they intended to launch a sneak attack to eliminate Allen de Laval and Livia von Stern—two of the cult’s greatest thorns in their side—once the duel had left them both exhausted and injured.
Second, they planned to carry out a large-scale terror attack, taking the opportunity to kidnap valuable Crested Nobles and inflict massive casualties on the commoners.
This was intended to demonstrate their strength to the Church and the Inquisition, proclaiming that the cult remained powerful and dangerous even without the Plague Doctor’s leadership.
Furthermore, it was a chance to harvest “materials” for their evil rituals amidst the chaos.
However, when that duel—one that transcended mortal imagination—truly unfolded, they threw their first goal out the window almost instantly.
Was this some kind of joke?
The mere shockwaves of energy leaking from a battle of that caliber made their hearts tremble with fear.
Even at the rank of a Blood Priest, one would likely lose one-half of their life by rashly interfering in such a terrifying struggle.
The strength displayed by these two NG+ Players, survivors of countless cycles of reincarnation, had utterly shattered the cultists’ courage.
When Livia’s starlight briefly dragged the arena area into the peripheral realm of The Supreme Heaven, these cultists were passively pulled in along with it.
Feeling the vast, majestic power of the Evil God permeating the domain, they were moved to tears and could not help but fall to their knees in worship.
Yet, even within a domain shrouded by the Evil God’s power, the way those two fought remained completely incomprehensible to them.
Since those two were clearly beings watched by the gods—beings who could even actively create such a divine domain—why were they enemies of the cult that worshipped those very same gods?
For a moment, the cultists could not even tell if Allen and Livia were friends or foes.
‘Are they trials sent by the gods to test the loyalty of the believers?’
It was only when the terrifying Madwhisper Beast tore through space and descended that they suddenly understood.
The great Star Listener was also watching this duel!
This immediately reminded them of their second goal: create chaos and launch a terror attack!
The opportunity had come! While everyone’s attention was gripped by the sudden appearance of the horrific monster and the crowd descended into panic, it was the perfect time to strike while the waters were muddy.
“Move! For the glory of the god!”
A Pseudo-Mark Knight growled, preparing to activate the Pseudo-Mark within his body to launch the long-planned assault.
However, his power was like a stone dropped into the ocean—there was no response at all.
“What is happening? My power…”
“Mine too! The Pseudo-Mark has failed!”
As the heretics looked at one another in confusion and dismay, Anna, who had long since locked onto them using her sharp intuition for evil auras, finally didn’t have to hide anymore.
“Found you, heretics!”
Anna’s petite figure lunged out like a leopard. Her fists carried the whistling sound of the wind as she delivered a merciless beating to the Pseudo-Mark Knight closest to her.
At the same time, the Inquisition War Party and the Inquisitors, who had already marked the positions of every cultist, began to close the net.
They were like precision scalpels, efficiently cleaning up the dregs that had slipped through the Inquisition’s previous manhunts.
Several of the stronger Pseudo-Mark Knights, who had escaped the Inquisition multiple times before, quickly realized they were being affected by the Combat Nuns’ Anti-Crest Field.
They immediately felt the urge to retreat and run for their lives.
But the moment they turned around, they felt a chill on the back of their necks, their vision went black, and their consciousness fell into eternal darkness.
In this dimly lit and chaotic environment, Marianne’s Brand of Shadow was like a fish in water.
She moved through the shadows like a true ghost, easily harvesting her former colleagues.
Among these cult members, there might have even been a teacher who had taught her assassination techniques years ago.
Unfortunately, the student had surpassed the master.
Under Allen’s theoretical guidance and practical tempering, the current Marianne had long since ascended to become a true Assassin Master.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
The vast majority of the audience, busy fleeing for their lives, had no time to notice these unlucky cultists who had once again been outplayed by Allen.
And the few who could still maintain their sanity had all their attention drawn to the thrilling battle in the center of the arena.
For instance, in the Stern family’s seating area, the Count of the Borderlands, Friedrich, had eyes only for his daughter, Livia, who was fighting the Madwhisper Beast. He had even forgotten to urge his sons to flee beside him.
“Livia!”
He roared toward the field. In his agitation, his hand had already gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and he was nearly ready to rush down regardless of the cost.
“Father!” His eldest son, Conrad, held him back with a death grip.
Simultaneously, following the Inquisitors’ instructions, he covered the eyes of his two trembling younger brothers and urgently pleaded, “Let’s go, Father! We’ll only be a burden if we stay! We can’t possibly fight that monster!”
“My daughter… my daughter is still down there…”
Friedrich’s voice trembled with emotion. This Count of the Borderlands, who had always presented himself with majesty, finally bared his true heart.
When he saw his runaway daughter actually appear on the dueling field, his heart had finally settled with great difficulty.
However, witnessing Livia’s nearly suicidal fighting style—especially seeing her get injured and bleed—his heart felt as though it were breaking.
He no longer wanted to maintain his pathetic noble facade, nor did he care if his wife would break off relations with him over this.
To hell with noble dignity! To hell with family glory!
He owed Livia far too much in this life; he just wanted to take her home now.
Even if he lost his wealth, his status, and his noble title—even if he was reduced to a commoner—he would work hard to let Livia live a happy, peaceful life.
But… even a powerful Livia… might die facing such a monster.
If Livia died, what would be the point of him living on? A man like him didn’t deserve to be a father!
‘Livia… Livia… Daddy’s coming to save you… You’ll be happy… I promise… Please… Don’t leave me…’
Seeing his father’s vacant eyes and hearing him muttering to himself, Conrad’s heart tightened.
He knew his father had been affected by the monster’s Madness Aura.
“Father, wake up!”
“Shut up! I’m going to save Livia right now!”
Just as Friedrich violently broke free from Conrad’s hand and prepared to vault over the railing to jump down, a dark shadow flashed.
Thwack!
With a crisp, light sound, a precise hand-chop struck the back of the Count’s neck.
Friedrich didn’t even groan before he slumped down softly.
Conrad froze as a black-haired maid appeared beside them out of nowhere.
Her crimson eyes swept over Conrad coldly, her tone devoid of emotion.
“Drag him out. Livia wouldn’t want to see her father slapped into a meat paste by that monster.”
“Oh… Right!”
Conrad finally snapped out of it, hurriedly propping up his unconscious father and leading his two younger brothers toward the exit.
The figure vanished in an instant, and Conrad felt like that maid looked somewhat familiar.
‘Whatever. She’s probably just a friend Sister made in the Capital.’
Fortunately, the yuri rumors Allen had written had not yet had the chance to poison the mind of this teenager; otherwise, his imagination at this moment would likely have taken a far more shocking direction.
The Count had actually read the Lucerne Daily as well, but he had strictly forbidden anyone else in the family from reading the latest issue involving Livia’s “scandal” and “family conflict,” fearing that his meager parental authority would vanish entirely.
In the most prestigious VIP seats, Crown Prince Charles and Princess Charlotte were in no hurry to evacuate.
As the heirs of the Kingdom, they could not possibly leave before their subjects.
Charles appeared calm and composed, but it wasn’t so much that he was unaffected by the Madness Aura as it was that this external madness seemed “mild” compared to the “curse” flowing in his bloodline from the Ancient Covenant.
Charlotte’s situation was similar, though unlike her brother’s spectator-like composure, her kind heart was filled more with worry for Livia and Allen. Her heart tightened with every narrow escape they made.
“This duel is unexpectedly interesting,” Charles commented, his gaze fixed on the Madwhisper Beast.
“That monster… in the entire Kingdom, I doubt there are many who would dare to fearlessly rush forward to fight it. Oh, of course, excluding those fanatics from the Church.”
“Brother, is this the time to be watching a show?” Charlotte frowned slightly and gave him a dissatisfied look.
Charles shrugged. “And what can we do, my dear sister? Can you go down there and fight?”
“I can only deal with piles of administrative documents, Brother,” Charlotte shot back grumpily.
“Do you think that monster will stop to appreciate the art of bureaucracy?”
“Then that’s that, isn’t it?” Charles’s gaze drifted past the battlefield toward the dim sky, and he sighed with emotion.
“It seems the Lord truly is looking over us. This era is bound to be unimaginably brilliant.”
“Brother! That monster could destroy the entire Capital! Can you be a little more nervous?” Charlotte couldn’t help but raise her voice.
“I am nervous.” Charles said this, but a trace of a smile hung on his handsome face.
“Look, so many pure-blooded, arrogant Sword-Bearing Nobles are running faster than anyone else in the face of true horror. How pathetic. In the presence of beings that transcend human imagination, so-called bravery appears so pale and weak.”
“But,” he paused, his tone shifting,
“In such a situation, those who can set aside personal life and death and grievances to rush toward the enemy at the first opportunity are the true heroes of legend, aren’t they? How fortunate we are that such teenage heroes are right beside us—and two of them at once.”
“Heroes?” Charlotte’s eyes followed Allen’s figure, looking somewhat dazed. ‘Can “mortals” truly become such heroes…’
The Master Assassin Renault remained at the side of the two royals as a guard.
His own bloodline was also being buffeted by the power of The Supreme Heaven, but he relied on his powerful willpower to overcome it.
Like Charlotte, he watched Allen without blinking.
He remembered that morning when he was gathering information on the Laval House and was “invited” into the manor by that airheaded red-haired maid.
His first meeting with Allen could be called the most embarrassing “failure” of his professional career.
Despite the awkward first meeting, the unique temperament Allen possessed—both righteous and evil, and vastly different from ordinary nobles—had left a deep impression on him.
At the time, he felt that Allen de Laval’s gaze was not limited to the present; those wise and deep eyes seemed to see the map of the world a thousand years into the future.
He didn’t seem to care much about the current disputes within the Kingdom.
Now, seeing the incredible synergy and combat prowess Allen and Livia displayed against the horrific monster, Renault understood instantly.
Allen was indeed no ordinary noble young master.
He was more like the great pioneers from a thousand years ago who, having survived the last apocalypse, led the people to forge a New World atop the dangerous ruins.
In that era, there were no nobles. It was because of those heroes who dared to shoulder everything and fight for all living beings that the so-called noble spirit gradually took shape.
As a core member loyal to the royal family, Renault, like the Crown Prince, naturally had no love for the current stagnant nobility system.
A bold thought suddenly surfaced in his mind—’Perhaps the nobility system really has reached its end.’
The enemies of humanity—those Evil Gods—had begun to directly interfere with the world, and this era had given birth to true heroes like Allen and Livia.
This was a monumental change not seen in a millennium.
He looked at the Crown Prince. Sure enough, Charles also had a deep look in his eyes, clearly deep in thought.
“Renault…” Charles spoke suddenly. “I think the Laval House… will certainly become the protagonists of this era.”
“Your Highness?” Renault responded cautiously.
“That newspaper,” Charles asked meaningfully, “do you think it was truly entirely the creation of the Bernard Viscount?”
Whether it was Charlotte or Renault, they both had their suspicions.
The revolutionary things brought forth by the Laval House likely weren’t limited to just the newspaper.
And the source of all this likely pointed back to Allen de Laval, who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation after waking up from his coma.
Everything started after he woke up and the Laval House was attacked by cultists.
And looking at the scene before them—the members of the Inquisition who had long been lying in wait as if they had predicted something big would happen…
Even a dense royal would understand that the Laval House had already formed a solid alliance with the Church.
Unknowingly, this family, which should have completely declined, had grown into a behemoth that even the royal family had to take seriously.
“Do you need me to conduct an in-depth investigation, Your Highness?” Renault asked for instructions.
Charles was noncommittal and asked in return, “Do you think the rise of the Laval House is a good or bad thing for the Kingdom?”
“In terms of the future of the Kingdom and humanity alone, it might be a good thing. But for the royal family… or even the entire existing noble system… I cannot say for sure,” Renault answered honestly.
“Then it’s a bad thing.” Charles smiled but turned to look at his sister. “However… Charlotte, what do you think of Allen de Laval as a person?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes at her brother. She naturally understood the schemes Charles was cooking up.
“It is indeed a good idea to make the Laval House ‘part of the royal family,’ my dear brother,” She said grumpily.
“Unfortunately, that young master might already have his heart set on someone else.”
“Oh? How do you know?” Charles raised an eyebrow.
“When the Bernard Viscount visited you last time, what secrets did he whisper to you besides talking about the newspaper?”
“I’m not telling you.” Charlotte turned her head away.
“Charlotte, my proud sister, tell your brother any little secrets you have. Be good.” Charles tried to use a coaxing tone.
“Hmph.” Charlotte only snorted and ignored him.
In this wave of panic, these two highest members of the royal family were less about being calm and more about possessing “traits” that others found difficult to understand.
Renault couldn’t help but sigh. These two were truly of King Louis XI’s bloodline.
The Durand family was indeed a “house of many talents.”
If these two had been born in other countries, one might have become a great conqueror, while the other might have been a wise ruler who founded a golden age.
Unfortunately, His Majesty the King himself was the most unfathomable “Mad King” of all.
Renault’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward an inconspicuous box at the edge of the arena.
There sat truly heavyweight spectators that even the Crown Prince and Princess didn’t know about—Archbishop Lucien, and King Louis XI himself.
Yes, the supreme ruler and the religious leader of the Kingdom had quietly arrived at the scene of this duel destined to be recorded in history, each harboring their own hidden agendas.
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