Chapter 248: One Absurd to Another

“What do you think, unknown bird?” Emerson’s words echoed throughout the silent room, and all the retainers turned their heads in accordance with the duke’s vision, but they saw no one.

Rion stared at Emerson with an impressed gaze and remarked inwardly, ’Heh. No wonder he is holding a sword… he has awakened his Weapon Sense before awakening his Zone.’

“Why are you silent?” Emerson asked. “If you have decided to enter, you may as well be useful to the discussion, no?”

“Who are you talking to, my lord?” The first retainer on the left voiced the question that every retainer had on his mind.

Emerson didn’t give them the satisfaction of the answer; instead, he continued to stare at Rion with a calm expression. “Fish got your tongue?”

Hearing him, an amused chuckle escaped Rion’s lips, and all of the retainers trembled in their chairs.

“W-Who?!” The second retainer on the right shot up to his fist and pointed towards the voice, though his finger was way left of where Rion actually was.

Seeing the duke so calm, Rion said the words that Tristan had told him before he had left the guards’ quarters, “A nebula stronger than most, the duke who rules the southern quarter of the seas. Duke Emerson Nessie.”

Hearing his youthful yet entirely carefree voice, a shiver ran down the spines of the four retainers.

However, the duke found no entertainment in his words; he placed his rapier on the bronze table and said, “You should show and introduce yourself before daring to speak of me.”

’He sure is not scared easily,’ Rion noted in his head and stepped forward.

The retainers, who were on their toes, fell confused upon seeing a young man no older than early twenties step out of the dark with an unserious look on his face.

Seeing the young man, genuine surprise appeared on Emerson’s face, and he whispered, “So young yet so strong, I wonder why you have come here?”

Rion placed an open palm on his heart and said, “I’ll answer all of your questions, but in order.”

He still forward, placed his hands on the table and said, “You asked me what I think about what you should do. I say you send a message of support to the king of Leonara.”

The first retainer on the right scoffed, “Hah. Not only do you walk in uninvited, but you dare spout nonsense, have you lost your marbles to the sea?”

Rion shook his head and said, “I came uninvited because I lack time as to whether my words are nonsense or not; time would be the judge of it.”

“Is that all you can say to justify a statement that lacks any kind of strategic or logical reasoning?” The first retainer on the left asked with a flat expression.

Rion looked into his eyes and spoke after disabling Intent Veil for a moment, “I am justifying it. I will make it true myself.”

The results were instant.

Honoured One that had been restricted by the Intent Veil immediately affected them, and for a moment, to them, Rion appeared like someone untouchable, incomprehensible, and almost divine.

The retainers’ mouths fell agape, their eyes went wide before they rolled back, and they simply fell in a silent daze.

The duke’s rapier-holding hand trembled, beads of sweat rolled down his face, and he muttered in his head, ’W-Who is he? N-no… What is he?!’

Emerson’s lips trembled, and he asked in a grim tone, “W-Who are you?”

’Did I overdo it?’ Rion questioned himself upon seeing the worrying reaction of the retainers, but for now, he decided to do the things at hand.

He took a step backwards and announced, “I have come from far to seek your assistance—

I am a child of the red and black mountains,

the son of the sovereign of the crimson army,

and the former princess of the Leonara Kingdom,

I am Bael Leonara, the high commander of Pantheon and the prince of Leonara.”

Emerson’s eyes widened, and he muttered, “How is that possible?! The flower princess had disappeared within the cursed mountains fifty-seven years ago.”

“Ah…” Rion scratched his cheek and added, “The red and black mountains are also the cursed mountains.”

Hearing that, Emerson’s eyes widened even further. “Are you telling me that people live within those cursed mountains?”

“I am.” Rion nodded.

The duke stared at him and asked, “What have you done to them?”

’I don’t know man it’s my first as well.’ Rion smiled calmly and answered, “Do not worry, they simply weren’t strong enough to handle my presence… they would be fine after an hour or two.”

Emerson nodded sombrely and leaned back in his seat. “I cannot possibly believe your words; such a thing is no different than a myth.”

“I know it’s hard to trust my words, but what if I answer with something even more absurd?” Rion asked as a smirk threatened to appear on his lips.

Emerson let out a baffled chuckle and said, “What else can you even tell me?”

’Believe me, you don’t want to know.’ Rion lifted his arm to his back and questioned, “Have you ever heard of elves or fairies?”

Emerson furrowed his brows. “I believe everyone has heard of them, but they are simply pieces of imagination similar to the giants and the dragons.”

“Yes… pieces of imagination…” Zaelyane stepped out of the dark, and he continued, “But the one who imagined them wasn’t us.”

She removed the green hood covering her head, and he added, “It was the world.”

Seeing Zaelyane’s unparalleled beauty and pointed ears, the duke fell into a daze similar to that of his retainers and mumbled, “A-An elf… an actual elf…”

Rion widened his arms like a maestro and announced, “Yes, the elves exist. So do the giants, the dragons, the devils, and above all…”

He lifted a finger towards the ceiling and declared as his blue eyes turned red, “The Gods.”

The duke fell silent and looked between Zaelyane and Rion before he spoke, “You said that you have come to me for assistance… what do you need from me, Prince Bael?”

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