Chapter 361: New and Old Hatred, Narrow Path Encounter

Atop the royal palace on the peak of Mount Alastrelle, King Doran Charlemagne gazed down at his ministers, who kept their heads bowed and attended to their duties as they always did.

Under his watchful eye, no one dared to slack off or look up, for everyone knew the King of Alastrelle feared no assassin; as long as he sat upon that throne, it was nearly impossible for anyone to harm him, let alone take his life.

Footsteps echoed through the hall, unnervingly loud in a place where everyone else moved with deliberate silence. Doran Charlemagne said nothing, merely tilting his head toward the side from which the sound originated.

It was a side chamber near his throne, a place reserved for those of extraordinary status—those who stood above ten thousand, yet below one.

"Astrologer Selene, what brings you here?"

Doran Charlemagne addressed the woman who had walked to the foot of his throne. She held a unique position, one of the few in the palace permitted to look him in the eye and speak as an equal before he had even granted her leave.

"The stars have revealed their portents. The three fugitives who fled the capital have returned to the borders of Alastrelle. They are nearing the three new cities built upon the former lands of Sewintan."

"Though they have used sorcery to shroud themselves from divination, they cannot escape the gaze of the stars. My Prince, the course of action is yours to decide."

Selene’s strange, beautiful, and luminous eyes fixed upon Doran Charlemagne as she delivered her report.

"A mysterious knight of unknown origin, Wang Yu; the youngest daughter of the Dauphin family, Avia; and the dragon of broken wings, Sieg. I did not expect these three to dare return to Alastrelle, even if it is only to the old lands of Sewintan..."

"To leave them be is a threat. The Night’s Blade holds these wretches in high regard, and this knight, Wang Yu, is also the archbishop of the Nightfall Church, which is flourishing in more places by the day. Delaying will only invite greater trouble."

"You have done well, Selene. Remo, take Black Burn—and, hmm, add a peak Archmage to the party. Paul will do. Use the teleportation circle to the new cities and get there as quickly as possible. Whatever they intend, strike them down and finish it."

"If Sieg reveals his draconic form, bring out the relic left behind by the Dragon-Worshiping Cult and slay him."

Charlemagne pondered with deep, calculating eyes, issuing his commands with swift finality.

Remo, the most capable lieutenant of the Minister of Military Affairs and a peak mid-tier Great Knight, along with Black Burn, a high-tier Great Knight who had earned great glory in the war against Sewintan, were both ordered to the field.

Such a concentration of force was rare in Alastrelle, making it clear that Doran Charlemagne was resolute in his desire to eliminate Wang Yu and his companions.

As for Paul, he was an elder Archmage of the Royal Research Society. Though his strength had waned with age—placing him roughly at the level of a mid-tier Archmage—his repertoire of spells and technical mastery remained formidable.

The two knights departed to summon Archmage Paul, intending to set out after brief preparations to ensure their targets could not escape.

They did not fear losing their quarry; as long as they carried the artifact provided by Astrologer Selene, the stars themselves would guide their path.

Black Burn was visibly excited, his heart filled with a genuine joy at the prospect of slaughter. These were the very beings who had once escaped him in the capital; they would not be so lucky this time.

"His Highness is quite decisive. However, I should mention that the third person among the three who returned is not the knight Wang Yu, but Sieg’s sister, Noelle."

The two knights had left so quickly they failed to hear what Selene said to Doran Charlemagne afterward.

"Hm? The knight Wang Yu did not come? They parted ways? No matter. They are all traitors; we shall kill as many as we find. As for that knight, notify me when you detect his movements."

Charlemagne raised an eyebrow, but showed no further reaction. Whether Wang Yu was present or not changed nothing of his intent.

"Return. I shall provide what you require later."

With a wave of his hand, Doran Charlemagne dismissed Selene.

"Thank you, my Prince."

Without bowing or offering any other gesture, she thanked him and turned to leave once she had the promise of what she needed.

Doran Charlemagne was long accustomed to this and did not mind her lack of decorum. To him, she was a highly useful tool, and as long as one possessed ability, a little personality was tolerable. As long as he sat upon that throne, he possessed absolute confidence.

Selene’s abilities were invaluable, especially her triple-threat of prophecy, lie detection, and reconnaissance. If the Leid family’s power was meant to maintain the stability of the kingdom, Selene’s power served to ensure the absolute authority of the royal house.

...

"The royal family is sending people our way? How do you know? Your skills are growing quite impressive; you’ve even infiltrated the royal house. Their internal identity verification is not easy to fool."

Some distance away from Alastrelle, Wang Yu had grounded the Sky Mechanical City. He left Sieg and the others within the Eden Seed space while he sprinted toward his destination.

He needed no vehicle; Wang Yu was the vehicle himself. No alchemical motorcycle could match the speed of an all-terrain Great Knight.

Shortly after entering the former Sewintan territory, the girl opened a small gap in the Eden Seed space to hand Wang Yu the Perfect Fractal Lens, allowing him to communicate with Char, who had reached out via the Void Chat Room.

"Don't be ridiculous. I used to think Alastrelle was full of moles, but it turns out those guys were just acting. The Sewintan people were all let in on purpose, and they didn't even know it. No wonder they lost so badly."

"With that astrologer around, how could anyone infiltrate the royal house? People like Uller, who just work for a living and think only of their wages, might get an opportunity, but that’s as far as it goes. Any higher, and Doran wouldn't allow it."

Listening to Wang Yu, Char shook his head in silence, dismissing his claims.

"In all seriousness, the people coming for you are not weak. Be careful. But there is good news—want to hear it?"

Not bothering to argue with Wang Yu while he ran, Char offered the good news.

"There’s no Legend among them?"

"That’s a fact, not good news."

"Don't guess. Tell me, or I’ll have Father or Edward beat you up remotely next time."

"Good grief, I’m trying to help you, and this is how you treat me? Though, you’re the one who made it possible to sense them early. After you finished off those devils, 'Little One’s' power increased significantly. It sees more and more, and it alerted me the moment it noticed these people coming for you."

"The good news is that Edward is nearby. He’s found favor with the Church of Light and his strength is quite good. He should be able to handle one Great Knight. There are two Great Knights and one Archmage in total. Do you have the confidence to handle them? Do you need me to call for backup?"

"As for their identities, let me tell you..."

Char’s tone was filled with exasperation. Whether in the past or present, these friends loved to tease him, but he didn't leave out any of the necessary details.

"As long as there’s no Legend, I’m fine. If there were, I’d be running for my life. But since they’re all below the legendary tier, and Edward is here, there’s nothing to fear. If they want to kill me, they can all stay here forever."

Wang Yu grinned. He hadn't gone looking for trouble with the royal family, yet they had pointed their blades at him again. It was a farce. Did they still think he was just a formal knight? He wasn't one to hold grudges, but in this situation, none of them would leave alive.

"Hah, you’ve got a big mouth. I’d better hurry up and improve my own strength, or I’ll be embarrassed trying to keep up with you and Edward, the two cheaters. And don't you dare bring up that 'old man' you mentioned before."

"Tch, ungrateful. By the way, I remember returning to Alastrelle territory last time. Why didn't the royal house come for us then?"

Wang Yu frowned, suddenly remembering that Sieg had returned to Alastrelle before without being detected by Selene.

"Hmm... I just learned this from Little One. Last time, the devil must have used Void power to shield the astrologer’s gaze, likely to prevent other variables. In other words, sufficiently powerful Void energy can block an astrologer’s power."

Char paused briefly before sharing the insight.

"You came suddenly this time and didn't tell me, so I couldn't have Little One help in advance. But now that I know, I’ll shield your tracks the moment they arrive. You handle the rest. Keep the communication network open; I’ll provide their movements as best I can."

After explaining, Char delivered his final words.

"Right, thanks."

"Are you really sure? You don't need me to call anyone else?"

"No need. Too many people might attract unwanted attention. This time, they’re all staying here. They won't be sending any messages back."

"I hope your strength matches your bravado."

The conversation ended. Wang Yu let his smile fade. It was always easy talking to Char; aside from his personality, this person he once thought unreliable had become increasingly dependable.

Though he spoke casually to Char, Wang Yu was filled with a heavy intent to kill.

"Prepare well. Two Great Knights and an Archmage—unless the Professor intervenes, they won't be easy to deal with. Black Burn, you’re unlucky to have run into me."

Stopping to prepare and contact Edward, Wang Yu began his final preparations for the coming battle of annihilation.

Within the borders of Alestle, upon the snowfields once claimed by Sewintan, a hunting party of three pressed forward through the gale. Shields forged from materialized battle aura and raw mana erased every obstacle in their path; the manic, brutal cruelty of the climate failed to leave so much as a mark upon them.

"According to the astrologer Serene’s prophecy, the targets should be nearby. We need only observe the stars to pinpoint their exact location. Archmage Paul, pray keep a vigilant watch on our surroundings."

Grand Knight Ray scanned the vast, empty expanse of the frozen waste, his composure unshaken by the absence of their quarry; their hunt had never relied on mere sight alone.

He offered a word to the steady, reliable Archmage at his side, though he expected nothing of Black Ben—as long as the man could swing his blade in the fray, that was enough.

Remo withdrew a delicate, telescope-like instrument,

aiming it toward the cloud-choked sky to begin his stellar observation. It was a ritualistic practice; whether the stars were truly visible mattered little.

"Strange. The message conveyed by the stars is remarkably blurred. What could this mean? Have they split up?"

As the ritual analysis yielded its result, Remo furrowed his brow. The once-precise guidance had grown hazy—a phenomenon Serene had warned of, occurring only when targets diverged. They would have to select one to re-track, and then...

"Hum!"

With startling abruptness, a gravity ring wreathed in violet lightning manifested directly above the trio, a terrifying weight slamming down to crush them into the deep, thick snow.

"!?"

More bewildered than Remo was Archmage Paul, for he had deployed a vast array of detection spells, yet not a single ripple of mana had been sensed. From where could such a high-tier gravity spell have originated?

No one would answer him. In the distance, atop a rise, Wang Yu raised his arm, gathering his strength; a spear of vivid crimson blood, composed entirely of high-energy ichor, materialized in his grip.

With a flick of his wrist, the blood-red lance tore through the air.

"Boom!"