Chapter 129: White Flash

Jade cautiously stepped forward.

He immediately dropped to one knee and spoke as politely as he could.

“I did so because I dared not gauge Your Highness’s abilities.”

“Dare not gauge? Why is that?”

King Laskan could also sense that Jade’s aura was formidable.

At this level, it was difficult for him to confidently claim that he—or even Trine Diego—could win in a one-on-one duel against Jade.

“I have sparred countless times with Prince Raion since I went to Taron’s Palace seven years ago.”

“Indeed. I’ve heard of it through Sir Trine as well.”

“It’s impossible to count.”

“Must have been good times. But why bring it up now?”

Jade gave a sincere answer to the question.

“Because I have never once defeated Prince Raion in all that time.”

“But back then, Raion was much younger, wasn’t he?”

At that time, Raion was only twelve years old and weakened from poison.

Even considering his recovery, it was hard to believe that Jade, with his innate talent in swordsmanship, couldn’t win.

“I, too, thought of him as merely a child prince. But he possessed an unimaginable depth no one foresaw.”

“Is it really that much?”

“Your Majesty must have been briefed, but those who appeared when Alito Kright tried to escape were Swordmasters.”

“I heard. Wasn’t it you who handled them?”

Back then, King Laskan and Trine Diego had returned to the Great Hall after losing track of Alito Kright in the secret chamber. Observing those captured afterward, it was natural to assume Jade and Caldein had demonstrated their skills.

“At that time, I was stationed outside the inner fortress with Sir Caldein, overseeing the knights accompanying Alito Kright. Naturally, the Swordmasters were under Your Highness’s command.”

“So you’re saying Raion faced them alone?”

In reality, two Swordmasters and Frace Therondia, a 5th Circle Grand Mage, were present. Their combined skill was roughly equivalent to two or three knight squads.

King Laskan and Trine Diego stared at Raion in astonishment.

“Raion, you truly faced them alone?”

“There’s nothing to hide. That’s correct.”

“Not only facing them alone but overwhelming them… Could it be that you surpassed limits and reached Grandmaster level?”

Naturally, they could only imagine the rank above Swordmasters: the Grandmaster.

“Would you show me your aura?”

“Certainly.”

An aura blazed like fire.

Meanwhile, Raion drew the sword at his waist.

From the single-edged blade pointed downward, a white aura surged upward.

Seeing this, the onlookers couldn’t help but mutter in admiration.

“Truly remarkable…”

“Unbelievable… to reach such a level…!”

But Raion’s aura didn’t stop there.

It intensified like a roaring flame, then began to sharpen sharply.

Crackling! Crackle―!

The aura, once like fire, now stretched outward as if trying to escape the blade.

King Laskan and Trine Diego were dumbfounded.

There was only one level where a white aura from a sword could surge like lightning.

“Master… Emperor!”

A legendary rank spoken of in whispers among sword wielders.

And now, it unfolded before their very eyes.

Raion displayed everything, then sheathed his sword along with the aura.

King Laskan didn’t know what to say.

“Are you satisfied?”

“To… to reach that level…?”

“I only worked hard.”

King Laskan descended from his throne and slowly approached Raion.

He seemed to want to say something, yet no words came immediately.

As the distance closed, King Laskan went in front of the now taller Raion and embraced him.

“Your Majesty…”

“You’ve endured much. You’ve suffered greatly having such an inadequate father.”

Since Raion’s birth, he had never truly been held by his father.

The responsibilities of the throne, constant scrutiny from all sides, and political affairs had consumed King Laskan’s attention.

Then, Raion suffered an incident, and they hadn’t seen each other for five and two years before this reunion.

Seven years could be considered long, yet also fleeting.

The effort Raion had put in, without ever holding a sword before, was unimaginable.

“Your Majesty…”

“Say nothing. I am sorry. I failed to care for you properly as a child.”

The current Raion had not only endured long years but had returned to the past and lived his life anew.

He had, of course, completely altered the future according to his wishes.

In the process, he had not fully considered his father, King Laskan.

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like you to bring Silidia to my mother.”

“Silidia… Sierra truly loved that flower.”

It was a type of orchid with long, blue petals that spread out in all directions.

It wasn’t particularly rare—more like a weed that never withered year-round—but that very trait was what Sierra had loved so much about it.

Of course, Raion had heard about this from Patrick.

King Laskan, recalling Sierra—Raion’s mother and his own wife—returned to his throne and sat down.

“I ask this favor of you. Then, we shall take our leave.”

With that said, Raion and his subordinates exited the Great Hall.

Bang―!

Stain Craven, the leader of the organization known as Eye of the Moon, was seething with rage.

Quite some time had passed, yet Harold and Parcian still hadn’t returned. Moreover, he had received word that the civil strife in the Canel Kingdom had been resolved without a single disturbance.

“In the end… to lose both of them…”

They were Swordmasters—two of them, no less.

Losing two individuals with the might of an entire knight order was no small blow.

Standing beside him, Eye of the Moon’s second-in-command, Redius, spoke up.

“Perhaps something happened on the way back. It could be that the artifact malfunctioned.”

Magical artifacts occasionally did have defects.

Especially high-grade ones capable of teleportation—spatial transfer devices whose failure rates rose with their cost.

Of course, Stain had considered that possibility.

Yet the sense of dread washing over him was far too strong.

“Perhaps… my greed went too far.”

“I didn’t get the chance to confirm it last time, but… were they truly facing someone of Master Emperor level?”

“…So I was told.”

Stain hadn’t witnessed it firsthand. He had only heard of it through Harold and Parcian’s reports.

Even hearing it secondhand, Redius still found it hard to believe.

“A Master Emperor is nearly unheard of even within the Empire. Could the third prince of the Canel Kingdom possibly have reached that realm?”

The information came through the Eye of the Moon’s network.

However, Regina Foster, head of the Canel Branch, had concealed much of it under the guise of client confidentiality.

Based on what data they could gather, the conclusion was clear: such a level couldn’t possibly be reached in just seven years by someone only nineteen years old.

“It’s something thought impossible made real. More importantly, what’s the situation in Canel now?”

“It seems they’ve completely split off.”

“So, Regina truly turned her back on us?”

“It appears even the members of the Blue Sun faction have joined her.”

Stain’s brow furrowed deeply at that report.

Blue Sun was an organization responsible for information within Eye of the Moon.

When it merged with Black Moon, an assassination network, their combined power had grown immense.

Naturally, with Blue Sun breaking away, Eye of the Moon would inevitably weaken.

“That woman finally made her move.”

“Judging by how things are unfolding, it seems she’s been preparing for quite some time.”

“How long?”

“Even at the shortest estimate, about five years.”

“She’s been planning this properly, then.”

“The remaining data is stored only at the Dior Headquarters and the Dekelan and Dolkin Branches.”

“Those branches, aside from headquarters, only hold useless information!”

Stain slammed his fist down on the desk, angrier than before.

Bang―!

The heavy sound reverberated, thickening the tense air.

Still, Redius continued without flinching.

“We’re currently reorganizing the Black Crescent faction first.”

“You’ve been working hard, I see.”

“It’s what must be done. However, there’s still a visible gap left by them, and the other branches are becoming uneasy.”

“What do you suggest?”

“To be frank—Regina Foster. She will remain a dangerous threat moving forward.”

“You mean to eliminate her, even if it requires overreach?”

By now, Regina Foster might have relocated her branch entirely.

Naturally, she would have erased every trace behind her, making her difficult to find.

Tracking her down would require immense manpower and resources—neither easy to spare.

“If I were you, Lord Stain, I would.”

“I can’t say the thought never crossed my mind. In fact, had Harold and Parcian had the chance, I would’ve told them to take her head as well.”

“Let’s give them a little more time.”

Knock, knock.

A knock came at the door, and a subordinate entered holding a note.

After reading its contents, Redius’s face stiffened.

“What is it? Where did it come from?”

“It’s from our agents stationed in Canel.”

“Tell me what it says.”

“It reports that Duke Alito Kright and all who participated in the rebellion have been captured. They’re to be imprisoned in Derafro, located within the Arenvatz Territory, soon.”

“So they were captured, in the end…?”

He knew well what that outcome implied. Of course, Harold and Parcian might have escaped.

But with no word from them after all this time, the result was all but certain.

“I’ll begin gathering as much information as possible about the Canel Kingdom.”

“No. First, find and kill Regina Foster!”

“That may prove difficult.”

“I don’t care. If the Blue Sun faction remains, it will obstruct what He seeks to accomplish.”

It was a decision made with the long view in mind.

Redius nodded in agreement.

“There’s still a chance she’s working with Canel’s Royal Castle.”

“Send out three Swordmasters and at least two 4th Circle mages for the mission.”

“That many?”

“We must prepare thoroughly.”

“I’ll issue the orders immediately.”

It meant there would be no more complacency.

Redius bowed his head and left.

Left alone, Stain Craven walked to the window, grinding his teeth.

“Regina Foster… You actually stole away the Blue Sun faction. You won’t die peacefully.”

It was the day the long-standing Eye of the Moon organization finally split apart.

Of course, Stain Craven had no intention of letting it end that way.

He intended to either reunite them—

or devour them whole.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep