Chapter 269
yHcdRTProfessor Rosalia—or rather, the Rector—had conducted countless experiments on Fernan, and among them were also some related to poisons.z06AP
9ze6qb“In legends, they say dragons are immune to all kinds of poison. I wonder if it’s true.”c62Y8i
zAs21“I’m human, not a dragon.”vzwN
m0T“You’re a human who consumed a dragon’s heart. Even if not one hundred percent, you must’ve inherited at least half its power.”lQt
lXGbbyt“Wait a second—!”Xbocon
fZjGPAs an excellent mage, Rector Rosalia possessed a vast collection of reagents and substances, and of course, among them were plenty of poisons.Pdir
k9roFirst, she administered natural toxins, then mixed poisons, and finally, concoctions of her own so potent they seemed the epitome of cruelty.KgXWg4
e9r1eAt first, each poison was torture. He vomited blood, and there were times he thought he was going to die.9tgNp
p5scxBut when his second mana heart began purifying the poisons on its own, he slowly developed resistance.hrSqwb
lyTQ0SNow, most poisons barely tickled him.f8kP1o
0jSnepPerhaps, in truth, none could affect him anymore.x7Uld0B
QKnWJAt the very least, he was completely immune to all the poisons possessed by Rector Rosalia.GF4Zc
mInOASThe assassin’s body, now headless, collapsed lifelessly.8in1x
uKHYThe eyes of the others trembled in terror.wTSpXc
oOiNw9X“Alright. Who among you is going to tell me who sent you?”5UjNDPN
IbAPGbThe assassins exchanged glances and once again drew their daggers, infusing them with a dark aura.LyFjN
czjKL2K“Just as I thought. I never expected you to talk.”cmZA3G8
bsMShDBesides, guys like you wouldn’t know anything useful.DgxeM
Ofzb4gClank!CB5
E6QTSteel spikes sprouted from the ground, piercing their bodies in an instant.Nbqca9
3VMj“No matter. The real target is over there.”HLJ9qD
6I8VJ3bFernan looked up.GDJvBec
ywvjNjAhead, Luina and the confirmed corrupt Kret Helan were clashing with brutal force.JK8w
9HZWga***9hJ6
TJjIt was heavy.02z
L1HFrom the very first strike, Luina felt her whole body creak.GtlUJ
bh9And no wonder—Kret Helan alone was powerful, and on top of that, he had the resonance of dozens of knights reinforcing his mana.nKEc
adNjQpgIn another time, Luina would never have withstood that assault.MB6v
EHxBut now she had.QknNlI4
eIr2ySVEven so, she felt no pride.Xe0W8
pz1xjsShe remembered her days in Bercheff, when she trained against her father, exchanging hundreds of blows with him.k0g2K
cpQktosHer father didn’t need help from knights, nor did he use a mount to gain speed.rFOIc
BDXAnd yet, his attacks were far heavier, faster, and more terrifying.U9A6jf4
iIySeCAnd more than anything—right now, she was furious.GRs1
oc33gno“How dare you…!”Xpypf
AGoLfTo try and assassinate Fernan—just the attempt alone was enough to ignite her rage.5cxJ
aGV4kThe magical link between Kret and his knights shattered under the pressure.8j4O71
SOtTdapThe riders were blown away like leaves in a gale.xf0CX
G1pPu2Only one remained standing—Kret Helan.4Xl6bHO
ZKzA8DvHis greatsword descended with a force that seemed like it could split the world in two.ucTwRf
pS9BLuina stepped forward and raised her blade to intercept it.JUC
UwAfEK7CLANG!y6zgul
Ds5UYrJThe path of the black sword tore the earth apart.lMITt
cJqgsThe claws of the blue lion she had summoned shredded the demonic aura.IpC
a8ntiPJA radiant blue light expanded, pushing the darkness back.lU2P
7jh“Th-this is impossible…!”5pUC2O
eagjK8The predator’s eyes trembled.4ROfW
af24PUIt took him only a moment to realize he was no longer the hunter.VXCWx
psXqW8And the real hunter didn’t waste the opportunity.hch7d7
HJcxlbcBOOM!WPc
lBKWMN4The ground shook from the impact.w3B
WNEvxEnLuina, closing the distance in an instant, carved a blazing arc with her sword.RpFhPbN
W1ElKret’s condensed mana tried to resist.s7AHCbX
4CNClang, clang!r5uN
iv9But his defense was shattered.JzGX
j8lwThe sword sliced through the air and reached his face.G957fvx
RZnseH5“Tch…!”bKAm
W1lKret desperately raised his greatsword, barely deflecting the blow.zrUR3nw
ywMHis hair was cut along the edge.4aHgWHu
Yv9TXO2He felt a chill run through his body, relieved to still be alive—but the blade that had grazed him spun in the air, as if defying the laws of the world.Bh1dnz8
1DsUj“…!”fAb0
9sCHe didn’t even have time to scream.ioPD2rz
PwQgOHe threw his sword and hurled himself to the side.u4Iy7q
OnPeVlCrack!Pb5XqP
mGxEven so, he couldn’t dodge it completely.fOpZaCW
Qmz3mWHis shoulder and arm were sent flying.zy0c8k
GkZ“Aaaaargh!! My arm! My arm!”YYtXh
uTqtd7yIn a rush, he channeled mana to the wound.U44huKq
hirb7wHe managed to stop the bleeding, but couldn’t regenerate the lost limb.fH2
KIEQz9“W-what are you? What the hell are you?”XJW
vnTNNmPHis pupils were bloodshot.O3tEh
KLk“I’ll kill you all! You, Fernan Pellenberg, and every last one of your cursed lot!”VH6I
IceORPurple veins spread across his body.O7Ld
PTL9Mana exploded, and his skin began to twist as if something were crawling beneath it.mSt9cA
uqE3“How bold. And you still dare to speak like that?”MoQ
qzYBut Luina had seen far worse.1vgV7
rl9q2Unfazed, she aimed her sword and let her fury consume her.17wGL6W
2qpQhu“Don’t kill him, Luina! He might still be useful.”EFwX
tgQoPiSo she held back.1V9AI9U
y1sy80“I doubt he’s in any shape to talk.”nBVCe
iDacU9“We’ll see once we pour holy water on him.”mek00v
OMnyYZ“Then I’ll cut off his legs first.”xX3c08
YONHe didn’t seem like he’d die that easily—even corrupted by mana.KjEssZV
uA7PWYBut just then, Kret Helan’s head exploded.zlTJ9SP
4DcIt wasn’t suicide. It was an external intervention.RWd
s5ZkLuina and Fernan turned at the same time.MrC
B0JTi“I leave for just a moment, and I find filth defiling my lands.”lOF
tEJ8CV1Dozens of knights, followed by hundreds of soldiers, surrounded Fernan, Luina, and the fallen bodies.oG6Bb
0x2Un“So, you are Kret Helan.”5TLSBU
6s7eAmong them appeared an elderly man with sharp eyebrows, deep wrinkles, and a long white beard, mounted on a white horse.hYMVgB
Tn396D1“You’ve completely lost your mind. How dare you cause such a disaster in my domain?”LaRQa
SXxlxHis voice thundered with anger—but it was impossible to get a reply from a headless corpse.O1O
c3n7“Arrest them all! For the crime of attempting to assassinate my guests in my own territory, they will pay dearly.”SsoUxe
0chB“At your command!”6xiKL
wGAThe knights Luina had knocked down were captured without exception.C4XEPHR
GpLdDAThe old man dismounted and approached Fernan.jlPivbl
8tfs“You must be Fernan Pellenberg, right?”McfOlT
Eya“I greet the Duke.”7pN7BH
ed5vw“Apologies for the delay. An urgent matter came up and I couldn’t avoid it.”W8y
oudV2“I understand, Your Grace.”EzknTVp
CYwdThe Duke glanced around and said:92Y
Ekr“This isn’t a suitable place to receive a guest. Will you accompany me to the castle?”AkQ7x
8QZ“Of course.”Lf58FAw
4S5L1Fernan and Luina followed the Duke to the lord’s castle. Soon after, Fernan met with him alone in the reception hall.5rHi6R
CPSc2“Sit. What would you prefer to drink?”YlS
2E7ttdD“Coffee, please.”Y6h2s4
r6ocbA servant brought tea, coffee, and some sweets.9LCU
4Wi35“First of all, let me again apologize for my delay, although I had sent a letter in advance.”cFeQCl
WyqRDy“No problem, Your Grace.”baDw8Eg
cW4“If I may explain myself—what happened today is related to that matter.”khHmT9
iB0“You mean Kret Helan?”tbe
7lzThe man who, just moments ago, had tried to kill Fernan and Luina.zBp
ApGkhf“Yes. He was someone I was pursuing. I had found signs that he had allied with demons.”fF8W
RzId82“Signs, you say?”4Od4UPm
YJuPbn7“Around a year ago, you and Aint Armian eliminated the corrupt in the Kingdom of Frazia, didn’t you?”hBKwqE
wdFx30The conversation drifted to the past.aPU
qi9ggH“It was then that I realized there were also corrupt within our own country. And after your departure, I knew I couldn’t leave that evil rooted—I had to rip it out from the source.”5mNkP
aZclBeP“I see.”qAOY
gdmz“So I informed His Majesty and ordered a thorough search for the corrupt within the kingdom. And then we found them.”U2PqB
YxxDuke Harbert opened a drawer and pulled out several documents.eTf
aGgPLHThey contained a list with several names—Imbrus Galante, Kret Helan, Iosif Chton—a total of six.vwAdVGV
GJur“At that time, I learned you had arrived in Frazia.”jQAfbCX
QcfBABy“Is that why you sent me that letter?”f8ssZ
2O0Bb“Exactly. I thought that, if anyone could find a definitive solution, it would be you.”b7J
ODzFjk1He added that, in the meantime, he had obtained a direct lead on Kret Helan and began to pursue him.rsOYo
N1zgker“We received reports that he would meet with other corrupt individuals and set up an ambush. But he escaped immediately, and I had to follow him.”W70dUA
JhAwwymHe never imagined the man would flee to his own territory and cause such chaos.Xeq65KB
Pflv“So, cornered, Kret Helan attacked us.”Ya8
KoZMHL“That’s what I believe. Perhaps he thought that if the famous heroes intervened, it would be the end for him—or maybe he was trying to provoke a war between the Empire and our kingdom.”mBcWqXI
SlO7euIt made sense.izm
7bNPMoreover, while Kret Helan and his knights overflowed with demonic energy, the duke seemed completely clean.x7y17
js7IuFernan’s dragon instinct didn’t detect a single trace of dark magic in him.CpRS
yKSk7rn‘Though, remembering how I crushed Kret’s head, it’s still suspicious.’tfRIy
yGG75And yet, the consistency with which everything fit together made it even more unsettling.K35fMqr
QKQ09HYEven if it were true, who would dare provoke such an incident in their own duchy?cpA
f7ge2Q“I understand your suspicions. I admit everything seems too convenient.”Oua
GtbAaJThe duke, noticing Fernan’s distrust, spoke calmly.D6eqcU
8lshc1s“I won’t deny it. But my loyalty to the kingdom is absolute. I will never allow the corrupt to devour it.”vxz7
LXDzFernan recalled the reports—that man had voluntarily renounced his right to the throne to preserve the kingdom’s stability.xrQSUzJ
6epf“And to be honest, it’s also true that the corrupt approached me. I played along with them to a certain point.”rnW
65Ga49“On purpose?”Cbr
t5JhCx“If you want to catch the tiger, you must enter its den. Those worms are rotting this country, and I’ll give everything I have to stop them.”FytS
Efemt“Why are you telling me this?”nsfwtvH
g8C“You and Aint Armian. When it comes to demons or the corrupt, there’s no one I trust more.”EhG
MpWcoUp to that point, everything he said made sense.DQFcfr
de53xM0Though not without gaps, his explanation was plausible.aMxh
jr1D“My plan already has His Majesty’s approval. If you still doubt, we can go see him together. The king knows I’ve asked you and Aint Armian for help.”ZuOPp
3n0pThat was the final blow.ueg
0l8kF23It wouldn’t be a bad idea to confirm it personally.ovck
wmMiEOFernan nodded.jvK
LFXS***u7FOXv
eQpAHfe“Your Majesty, Duke Harbert and the young Fernan Pellenberg have arrived.”v5L
hLiQ“…Let them enter.”oNs
d8m5An old and weak voice replied from within.AzRzGC
eXFThe door opened slowly, and as Fernan entered, it closed behind him.m5amFWv
jSzVxOThe interior was luxurious, though shrouded in darkness by thick curtains.RCs
hbjIn the center of the room, on a large bed, lay the king of Frazia.QwpGkR
Q2ZxCough, cough.Hj3JwY
tYSzbA hoarse cough was heard.EPqu1Jt
95bLsC“I greet Your Majesty, the great king of Frazia.”kxhvi
dkr“I greet Your Majesty.”mbwINU
MS5r6PmThe duke knelt; Fernan bowed his head respectfully.5l5Q
Otdp“Fernan, you say? I’ve seen your father many times, but never you…”HiejN
fvjHis voice was weak, weighed down by illness.4dMFy
KEg“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Fernan Pellenberg.”YHujg
G0OQwlThough it was their first meeting, Fernan’s father often visited Frazia on business matters.5eKst2
qFf4“How is the duke?”YA50QBM
qMa9“Quite busy lately. The corrupt are stirring up the world as if it belongs to them.”UvgnOvc
xIR6“Corrupt… I see. I’ve heard tales of demons rising and spreading chaos across the continent.”tTqul
OFofO8TThe king sighed deeply.JmWb
zrJcZFernan stepped a bit closer; beneath the blankets, his wrinkled skin and lifeless eyes reminded him of a rotting fish.aqmB
1uo63O3“I’ve heard what happened—as king of Frazia, I have no words to apologize to you…”FIqt
78UMbrThe monarch bowed his head with effort.FFGO
wd2P“Your Majesty!”OH9
scQtt“Majesty!”uUX
adlDdThe guards and the duke exclaimed in horror, but it wasn’t an exaggeration.OEiSSvx
cqyFernan was the heir of the Pellenbergs—one of the Empire’s seven elector houses, lineages considered equivalent to kingdoms.UCHXn
xIXIn other words, a foreign prince had been the target of an assassination attempt within Frazia.G5u4t
VZxA very serious matter.KUb
8Ja5OQbEven if he had entered unofficially, it would be enough for him to turn it into a diplomatic issue.OcR2kj
vojtIf a simple bow was enough to avoid that, it was in the king’s best interest to do so.B85
7TByoc“It’s not Your Majesty’s fault. The problem lies with the corrupt.”o0I
U2kFernan fully understood his intent but accepted the apology.cbZnY
G81oa5cThere were more important matters than politics.Et87
LFg“Thank you.”McD
RLcs“I only hope the eradication of the corrupt is carried out decisively. I do not wish to see those who attacked us still breathing on this land.”3j1
rq5TDt“Believe me, I desire that even more than you. Cough… cough…”LCD9m2
VqZQThe king wiped the blood from his lips with a handkerchief.nHPDlM
U5gOGjThat was enough.CsL
I0P3nAccording to the Book of Prophecies, the main battlefield would be the continent of Lutar, especially the north.N1urxt
vL8SrvpIf Frazia fell to the corrupt, the Alliance would be forced to fight on two fronts.jHjopOw
ZB73QFernan could not allow that.3sLB
TUU7cuYEspecially because the main house of the Pellenbergs was located on the continent of Pandrein.sXSbD8H
Y5sJ“I have already delegated full authority to Duke Harbert to eradicate the corrupt. Given the circumstances, why don’t you work with him?”miJZp
FDR“If Your Majesty grants me the authority, I would be honored.”3K08M4
q3JwFernan smiled slightly at the unexpected gain.JAuer
Zmf“I only ask for one more thing—that Your Majesty publicly support Aint and me.”4Ngy
IDRkrAs much as they were called heroes, both Aint and Fernan were still foreigners in Frazia.6OCTnZ
C0iwFzfAnd not all nobles would view their involvement favorably. They needed a political shield.PaN9P
shg“You speak boldly. What could an old dying man bedridden do…?”UxERDsZ
6CMf6“With your permission.”t7uJZUe
p7jFernan stepped forward decisively.YlI
CL44IThe cold steel of a sword touched his neck.l1W
vjF“That’s far enough. Don’t take another step.”K6Dx
S2RnMIt was the king’s personal guard.ro7un
63b“…What are you trying to do?”TT5W
8uq“To treat His Majesty.”7eqhb
8nj5Hcz“He’s an old, sick man. There’s no cure for age.”yNrA
XiMbV3“Certainly, age is the main cause of his condition—but not the only one.”Tm5pm
81fYr8Fernan’s eyes shone.aWqaZoP
qF3zHis dragon senses perceived the energy inside the king—a mass of dark magic deeply nested, devouring his life.bEy
QuG“It is not the only cause.”OKf82C
LYrOZ7“Then… is it corrupt magic?”RBsQ
RpMThe king had already suspected it.iuRyac
dcrwmWith so many incidents in the kingdom, he feared that curse might have reached him as well.vTcC66
jJwOUcD“Yes. And I possess an infallible remedy against it—holy water.”fhxCfO
Kxz“If I drink it, will I be cured?”W1Zz6
mF0“Not completely. As I said, age remains the main factor.”DgaLXNX
fH6The magic only accelerated the deterioration; even without it, the king was near the end.Emx
BjuFOcFor someone who had never learned magic or swordsmanship, he had already lived long enough.TYS
HWyI“But if I eliminate the corruption, Your Majesty will at least be able to ignite one final flame of strength.”XhZ4j
2WX90“And so, he can personally avenge the corrupt who ruined his kingdom.”DrZba1x
qlhbMXJFernan said it in a low voice, almost like a tempting whisper.TYQM
UhBzz“Majesty, it’s too dangerous! It hasn’t been proven…”2yRGWpu
bNt“Young Fernan, you’re overstepping! You can’t offer something so uncertain to His Majesty!”iC4H0
pPGydQDuke Harbert and the guard looked at him with alarm.0Uexnd
YKcy0But the king took the bait.7O0LPT
MQsqc0“He’s right. How could a king sit idle while his kingdom crumbles, just out of fear of dying?”3C2mE
E1IE8SThe monarch slowly sat up, assisted by his guard.Tw4Birb
p38“There is only one risk—if the holy water and the magic clash inside his body, he might not withstand it…”bbwj
4sFBefore Fernan finished speaking, the king had already taken the bottle and drank it in one gulp.ITjNAPH
BzNsw29“I’m already doomed anyway. If I can’t endure it, at least I’ll die trying.”QM1r
qNLYLjThe eyes of the dying king began to shine with new vitality.X0mHvS
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