Chapter 520: Regicide

As the anniversary celebrations drew to a close, the festive atmosphere gradually dissolved.

When news spread that His Majesty Bruno was about to bestow titles upon those who had surrendered, everyone focused their attention on tomorrow's investiture ceremony.

Conferring titles of imperial nobility was the definitive declaration of all-out war between the two nations.

The night of January fifth should have been a peaceful one, yet it was destined to be extraordinary.

Garrett strolled through the Golden Feather Palace, clad in his everyday finery.

To the guards, the crown prince appeared to be in excellent spirits, perhaps rejoicing over the powerful followers he had recently acquired.

Yet beneath Garrett’s calm exterior at this moment, his heart had long since descended into madness.

Roning had become his living nightmare; the man grew stronger by the day, leaving him feeling increasingly powerless.

He knew that if he wanted to deal with Roning, it absolutely had to be done sooner rather than late.

If he dragged things out as Bruno had, Garrett could not begin to imagine what heights Roning might reach.

A Blazing Sun?

No, given Roning's speed of growth, it could never be merely a Blazing Sun.

Even now, the man could single-handedly slaughter a Blazing Sun alongside numerous Silver Moons and Shooting Stars; by then, he would likely be a Legend.

Therefore, Garrett wanted to eradicate Roning as quickly as possible, but in his desire to carry out this plan, his father, Bruno, stood as his obstacle.

Garrett paced forward slowly, heading toward the King's private chambers.

He remembered that afternoon when Ferens had basked in the sun with him, enjoying afternoon tea.

At that time, Ferens had told him, "Your father, Bruno, has grown old, and his mind is failing him. If we continue according to his plan, the kingdom will ultimately fall into Roning's hands. After all, Roning only needs to kill you to gain the right to seize the throne."

"You all have that right as well!" Garrett had argued.

"No, we don’t. We lack his talent and strength!"

Ferens had stared intently at Garrett: "But you are different. You are now a Blazing Sun yourself. Just one step forward, and you will no longer fear Roning. Only then will you be safe from assassination, and only then will you be qualified to lead the Kingdom of Alduin to become the sole master of this continent!"

Garrett had remained silent, but in truth, the thought of replacing his father had already taken root in his mind on his way to Ferens Castle.

Only his inner struggle had held him back, until the news of Roning becoming a duke completely overwhelmed him.

"Your Highness!"

Before the King's chambers, a guard bowed in greeting.

Garrett nodded and stepped inside, meeting no resistance.

He crossed the courtyard and the long corridors, entering the chambers and arriving at the hallway where Bruno's bedroom lay.

"Your Highness, what brings you here so late?"

Commander Philimon of the Royal Knights stood guard outside the bedroom, accompanied by a guard and two servants.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to chat with my father. Commander Philimon, you have all worked hard."

Philimon smiled faintly. "It is my duty. However, His Majesty should be asleep by now. Shall I wake him?"

"Never mind then."

Garrett motioned for the man to come closer. "When he wakes tomorrow, there is something I need you to pass on to him right away."

"I am at your service, Your Highness. What might that be?"

Seeing this, Philimon thought nothing of it, assuming the prince had some confidential matter unsuitable for outside ears, and jogged over.

Garrett leaned his body forward slowly. "The thing is..."

Pfft!

A short blade pierced straight through Philimon’s throat. Before a Blazing Sun knight intent on murder, the completely unprepared Philimon, despite possessing the strength of a peak Gold-rank, had no time to react.

He failed to utter even a gasp of alarm before his life force was obliterated by the lightning combat aura.

Seeing this scene, the other guards' pupils contracted violently, their minds seemingly shattered; they neither resisted nor screamed, standing frozen as if paralyzed.

Garrett, however, was not frozen. His body trembled, but his immense self-control kept his movements flawless.

With a sudden flash, purple lightning streaked down the corridor, enveloping the guards and servants entirely, extinguishing their lives.

Looking at the corpses slowly pooling on the floor, Garrett’s eyes flushed crimson, his expression a mix of the grotesque and a bizarre, ecstatic thrill.

He took a deep breath, slowly pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

Bruno, after all, was a Silver Knight with excellent hearing; even though the bed was far from the corridor, the sound of bodies hitting the floor had startled him awake.

He sat up and asked, "Philimon, what happened?"

It was at that exact moment that Garrett pushed the door open and entered.

"Oh, it's you, Garrett. What urgent matter brings you here so late?"

It was clear that Bruno harbored no suspicions toward his son; even upon seeing Garrett, he did not question why Philimon outside had failed to answer.

"Father, I have indeed come at this late hour because of an urgent matter."

Garrett turned back to close the door, sealing away the scent of blood drifting in from outside.

Bruno nodded, glancing at the woman sleeping beside him who had also awakened. "Kaya, go rest in the next room for a while. I have some matters to discuss with Garrett."

Though polygamy did not exist here, it was an unspoken truth that most nobles kept mistresses.

Like Bruno's father, His Majesty Klinsmann, the reason he died so quickly in his later years was largely due to wasting so much of his energy on women.

While Bruno did not have as many mistresses, he still had a few, and Kaya tonight was one of them.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Kaya made no attempt to hide herself, climbing out of bed to put on her clothes before heading outside.

Yet as she passed Garrett, a cold dagger tore through her beautiful chest, blood spurting out and staining the floor crimson.

Bruno's face twisted in horror. He, too, forgot to scream, merely pointing at Kaya's corpse on the floor, his hand shaking uncontrollably.

"You, you, you..."

Whether Garrett had completely lost his mind or was simply too ecstatic to remember his own identity, he grinned savagely and said, "Father, I gave you a choice that day, but you did not follow my wishes!"

"What...?"

Bruno failed to realize what choice his son was referring to, but he finally comprehended his current peril, roaring in fury, "Garrett, what do you think you are doing!"

"What am I doing?"

Garrett’s smile vanished as he pulled out a tier-two dark magic scroll—a Shadow Barrier—sealing all sound within the room.

"Father, I am filled with despair by your weakness and incompetence!"

Holding the blood-stained short blade, he walked slowly toward Bruno. "Your mercy and indulgence toward Roning are, in my eyes, the absolute height of stupidity! If I do not step forward to stop you, the Kingdom of Alduin will only be destroyed at your hands!"

"You are insane, Garrett! I am your father!"

Bruno roared, his eyes filled with rage and incomprehension.

These past few days, he had thought his son had changed, becoming mature, capable of controlling his temper and character.

He had never imagined that the boy had instead become more deranged than before, even turning his slaughtering blade upon his own flesh and blood.

“I know you are my father.”

Garrett remained unmoved, his eyes glinting with a cold, merciless light.

“I’m not mad, Father. I’m only doing what must be done!”

His voice was low, resolute—obsessive, yet unhinged.

“Ronin’s rise cannot be stopped, yet you hesitate, letting him grow stronger. I will not allow the Kingdom of Auduin to fall into his hands.”

Bruno trembled as he rose from the bed, reaching for the longsword hanging beside it.

The sharp ring of steel leaving its sheath sent an icy chill through the room, freezing the air itself.

“Garrett, drop your blade now, and I will still acknowledge you as my son—as the first heir of Auduin!”

Bruno’s voice quivered. The son he had cherished above all others now sought his life.

“You are betraying your blood, betraying your kingdom!”

“Don’t do this, Garrett! Don’t be a fool!”

“Betrayal? No. I am saving Auduin.”

Garrett narrowed his eyes. “I remember the first time I held a sword—it was you who taught me. Back then, I believed you were the greatest knight in the world. But as I grew, I realized the truth: you are weak. That is why men like Faelens never truly respected you.”

In a flash, he lunged forward, knocking the sword from Bruno’s grasp, then kicked him hard across the room.

“Now I am the Solar Knight. At full strength, I rival even legends!”

Bruno spat blood, his face ashen.

He never imagined he would die within the palace walls—by the hand of his own son.

“Wake up, boy! Your rage toward Ronin, your obsession has driven you mad. It has stripped you of yourself!”

“I’m sorry, Father.”

Garrett stepped aside and picked up Bruno’s fallen sword. “Your death will be the first step in saving Auduin.”

His hand trembled slightly—but without hesitation, he drove the blade deep into Bruno’s chest.

Blood gushed forth, staining the king’s nightclothes crimson, draining the life from his body with terrifying speed.

Garrett stood over his father, gaze as cold as winter stone.

“I had no choice!”

Bruno’s vision dimmed, fading into shadows. Slowly, he lifted a trembling hand—reaching for something, perhaps forgiveness, perhaps connection—but in the end, it fell lifelessly to the floor.

“You… will destroy… the entire kingdom…”

“And that,” Garrett shot back, “is better than watching you surrender it through inaction.”

Darkness swallowed Bruno’s sight forever.

(End of Chapter)