Chapter 159 : Aslan

“That place is Aslan, Black Knight.”

Where Zayd pointed, a large, orange-tinted castle wall was visible.

The powerhouse of the Iron Kingdom, the root and name of the Aslan ducal family itself, a great city.

“Hoho……”

Muno’s eyes glinted as he looked at it.

“A peculiar castle wall.”

He wasn’t just talking about the color.

It was because of the special and familiar energy he could feel even from a distance.

“The Wall of Fire. An achievement our family made by contracting with the Tower of Spirits, separate from the royal family…… sir.”

Zayd Aslan smiled with pride.

“For such a family to have colluded with magician bastards, isn’t that an absurd false accusation.”

It was a little funny that even Freddie Aslan, who was tied up and being dragged behind him, made a wronged face as if in agreement.

The brothers, who would swing their swords at anyone who got on their nerves and even try to kill each other, showed the same reaction when it came to their family.

It seemed to mean that they held that much affection for it.

“Well, I think so too.”

Would a family that enjoys the second-greatest power after the royal family be crazy enough to do something to destroy that prosperity?

No matter the situation, it was also the biggest reason why Muno had come to Aslan, which could be called the tiger’s den, in person.

Therefore.

‘I’ll make Aslan move, to speed up the kingdom’s extermination of the Demon Cult.’

It was a plan he came up with while coming to find Rauel.

Of course, there might be dangers, but he was confident he could get out alive even in the worst-case scenario.

‘With me and Rauel right now, we won’t be easily caught and killed anywhere.’

That is, unless they were surrounded by powerhouses like the Dragon Sword Duke or the Red Iron Knights.

‘It’s a gamble worth taking.’

As Muno, who was lost in thought for a moment, shifted his gaze to Freddie, who was following behind with his body tied, the man clenched his teeth and spat out his words.

“……Uncle Geron, he probably has no connection to the magicians either. He was probably just thinking of getting some scraps if I was chosen as the successor.”

Freddie’s face, as he looked at the hundred or so soldiers following behind him with haggard appearances, was already crumpled to the extreme.

‘Geron Aslan…….’

– Uncle Geron said he would use the current situation to blind Father’s eyes.

– O-of course, if Oren, Guardsman, and Rusch were still around, I wouldn’t have attacked you, brother!

– Because around you, there was only a half-baked guy whose words that Oren had acknowledged him were suspicious, and an assassin who had starved for a month…….

For a man who had tried to kill his brother and ended up getting twelve of Aslan’s knights killed, it was a pathetic excuse, but it was a story to keep in mind.

“He’d better not be. For Aslan’s sake as well.”

“Of course he won’t be, Black Knight.”

Zayd responded to the words Muno had said to Freddie.

His eyes were filled with anger.

“Of course, even so, Uncle Geron, no, that bastard Geron will die by my hand.”

……Do as you please.

Muno didn’t bother to reply and moved on.

“Move.”

At Rauel’s quiet word, Zayd on his horse and Freddie tied up and being dragged next to him began to follow him.

And a little distance away, a hundred or so exhausted soldiers trudged along behind them, a truly strange-looking group.

That procession, of course, couldn’t help but be noticed by the soldiers guarding the Aslan castle walls early on.

“That……. What is that?”

“The white horse in front, doesn’t that look like the Grand Prince’s horse?”

“Nah, there’s no flag.”

“No, you’re right. I remember it clearly.”

Below Aslan’s orange castle wall, the soldiers who were inspecting the merchant guilds and outsiders entering through the west gate began to murmur one by one.

“It is the Grand Prince. Everyone, prepare to receive him!”

At the shout of a sharp-eyed knight, all the guard forces began to move in a hurry.

Of course, the atmosphere wasn’t welcoming.

“Why of all times……”

“On my watch……”

“Damn it.”

The heirs of Aslan, who couldn’t stand anything that displeased them.

Especially recently, with the Duke in the capital, everyone had a tense expression, knowing well the rumor, no, the fact that they were completely off their leashes.

‘Why is the Grand Prince coming in such a state? When he left, he was clearly…….’

Even the knights who knew that the approaching Grand Prince’s party (?) looked strange, rather than voicing their questions, just tried to line up the soldiers so as not to give him anything to pick on.

The moment that suspicious, no, strange group entered the castle gate.

“Knight Lebron and 5 others, and 32 soldiers, greet the Grand Prince. Salute!”

With the senior knight’s shout, six knights performed a sword salute, and the soldiers lined up on both sides in a sharp angle.

But the Grand Prince’s expression as he looked at them was only gloomy.

On top of that.

“Can’t these guys see me……”

Freddie, who was tied up and being dragged by a horse, said in an irritated voice.

Even the knights who recognized him just rolled their eyes and didn’t even flinch.

“I don’t know if I should say their discipline is good or a mess.”

Even when the suspiciously murderous black-armored knight who followed the Grand Prince let out a hollow laugh.

‘That armor, that hair……?’

‘Don’t tell me……?’

‘Nah, it can’t be, right?’

The knights held their weapons at a slant and didn’t show a single movement.

“It was a courtesy originally reserved for when Lenok Aslan moved, but Aslan has changed a lot over the years.”

Even when the brown-skinned woman in tight black leather clothes who followed the black knight passed by.

‘I think I’ve seen her somewhere?’

The senior knight, who knew some of Aslan’s secret affairs, just narrowed his eyes slightly.

“At ease.”

“Salute!”

The moment Zayd’s words continued, the knights and soldiers lowered their weapons in unison.

There was not a single error in their movements.

“I convene a Great Hall meeting in the name of the Grand Prince. Go and inform them. The agenda is the visit of the Black Knight, who will be a ‘witness’ to clear the family’s name, and the matter of Freddie’s punishment for daring to attack the successor!”

When Zayd brought up something completely unexpected, even the hardened expressions of the knights couldn’t help but crumble.

***

A huge commotion broke out in the inner castle of the Aslan family.

With Duke Lenok Aslan away in the capital to clear his name.

The two serious topics that suddenly burst in were enough to make the people of the family freak out.

“The Black Knight……?”

“The second young master attacked the first young master……”

“Why all of a sudden……”

Murmur, murmur.

Until the party passed the outer castle and entered the center of the inner castle, the voices of those whispering from afar didn’t cease.

And Zayd, without a moment’s rest, immediately stormed into the Great Hall and took the seat of honor where his father was absent.

Less than half a day later, the vassals of the Aslan family gathered in the Great Hall.

“The rootless brat from back then has now acquired some decent equipment. I doubt that will make him any better, though……”

As the knight, a head shorter than him, growled and exuded his aura in front of him, the brow inside Muno’s helmet furrowed.

The greatsword, as tall as him, that he was carrying on his back was crackling, emitting small electric shocks.

Even without any particular movement, just by existing in that spot, a considerable amount of pressure could be felt.

“……Furthermore, to bring a filthy mixed-breed traitor into this place, it’s clear you’re not in your right mind, brat.”

Of course, it might have been different in the past, but Muno, who had been clashing with the Dragon Sword Duke, was not one to back down with just that much aura.

Rather, with different eyes hidden by the helmet, he was just gauging the enemy’s skill, which he hadn’t been able to measure before, and measuring the distance.

“It seems you still haven’t grasped the situation, Sir Evan.”

At those words, Evan, whose eyebrows twitched, glanced at Zayd in the seat of honor and then snorted at him again.

“Hmph……. I don’t know what the Grand Prince is thinking, but in Aslan, you’d better bow your head as if you’re dead. Brat.”

“Hoho. I don’t think I’m the one who should be bowing right now?”

“You bastard, no matter how our Aslan’s situation is, if you maintain that cheeky attitude, it won’t be difficult to cut off an arm or two.”

“Hmm?”

“No, should I tear off your limbs one by one and reattach them? The temple priests in our Aslan are skilled, so they can reattach them without leaving a scar.”

……It’s still too much for me.

Though he was an opponent that made him think that, Muno just smiled and retorted.

“Then Aslan will be branded as a servant of the devil and be completely destroyed. It seems you wish for the name Lightning Blade Sword to be engraved in the world as a tool of the devil?”

“How dare this bastard……!”

At those words, Evan momentarily clenched his teeth and brought his hand to his greatsword.

At that, a small crossbow popped out of the hand of Rauel behind Muno, and the three small, reloaded arrows began to be dyed in a blue light.

“Stop, Commander Evan.”

Zayd’s voice released the tension at once.

“Grand Prince……”

“Sir Evan, he will be an important witness. One that will help our Aslan overcome the current situation.”

“……Keung.”

As Evan glared at Muno and finally turned away in annoyance.

Muno paid attention to the figure in a red robe approaching from a distance.

No, to be more precise, the feeling of the fire spirits gathering towards him.

‘An element-specialized Spirit Master.’

Though he was of a completely different lineage, the spirits were clearly felt, so for some reason, he felt a sense of favor.

Though the face, which looked like that of a country bumpkin with bright brown skin as if he had been tanned a lot by the sun, looked beyond calm to the point of being indifferent.

‘This is the flame burst user, Imedi.’

The head of the Spirit Masters, a 6-Class Spirit Master said to handle exploding flames artistically, and another pillar of Aslan’s military power.

“The spirits like you.”

The first words he casually threw out were an unexpected compliment.

“They do. You too.”

At those words, a faint smile appeared on the face of the middle-aged man called the ‘Exploding Flame’.

Like Muno, his expression seemed to show a sense of favor towards the other as a Spirit Master.

“……They say you can recognize hidden demonic energy?”

“Yes.”

“Do you use spirits?”

“……Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with that.”

“A pity. Ah. By the way, are you alright, up here?”

The very natural conversation suddenly jumped to a strange place.

So much so that Imedi’s words, pointing to his own head, were just too absurd.

‘Is he picking a fight right now?’

Though he was flustered, Imedi’s expression looked serious.

“Am I wrong?”

“……I’m perfectly fine.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Imedi, who tilted his head and turned away after saying that.

‘That’s it?’

Muno could only stare blankly at his back.

He and the other Spirit Masters of Aslan were those dispatched to maintain the spirit barrier of the orange castle wall.

Though they would participate in battle when Aslan was attacked, he had heard that they usually didn’t bother with things like the family’s great meeting as they were not bound by the family head’s orders.

‘Then why did he come? Ah……! Perhaps……?’

While Muno was looking at Imedi’s back.

The vassals of Aslan, who had almost all gathered by then, were whispering about him.

“That’s the Black Knight……”

“How could he be in the middle of the family’s business……”

“And why is Young Master Freddie in such a state……? Is that rumor really……”

Just then, Zayd, who was looking down at the murmuring vassals with a cold face, finally slammed the armrest and shot up.

Bang!

“Everyone, attention! In the midst of the unprecedented crisis our family is facing, I have returned with two sensitive topics. With my father absent, I, as the acting family head, have convened this great meeting to discuss them, so the vassals……!”

Before he could finish his words, a cold shout was heard from among the vassals.

“By what right does the Grand Prince say such things?!”

A middle-aged man with a neat face, with blond hair and blue eyes, who resembled Zayd.

The moment he saw that face, Zayd’s expression twisted.

“Above all, to have the Black Knight, the ‘culprit’ who drove the family into this state, enter the Great Hall with his weapon, and to have Young Master Freddie tied up and kneeling like that. All of it is an overreach of authority, Grand Prince.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep