---3rd Person POV, Next Day---
Concerned for the safety of his people, Lord Field pushed the royal defense fleet to its limit. The warships flew beyond maximum speed, reaching the territorial capital by late morning. By the time they pulled into the harbor, the royal vessels’ magic engines were overheating and billowing smoke. Without wasting a second, Lord Field and Brad leapt from the deck onto the pier, bypassing the gangplanks, and rushed toward the family manor.
Upon entering the city streets, Lord Field noted the evacuees his own territory’s defense force had brought in from the border. Though frightened, none bore signs of injury. A quiet wave of gratitude for Lord Aremus washed over him.
“My lord!” The Field family’s head butler rushed through the crowd, breathless from exertion. “Please, come to the mansion at once! We have an update from your defense force along the border.”
The men nodded. Following the butler, they headed straight to the study where the head knight of the Field Territory stood coordinating their forces. When Lord Field entered, the officers saluted with relieved expressions.
“What is the situation at the border?” Lord Field moved to the central table to survey the tactical map. “Any further attacks since yesterday?”
“As you know, of the six patrol fleets in the vicinity, only two returned to port. One barely limped into dock; the other was rescued by Lord Aremus.” The head knight gestured toward the border markers. “Since the initial wave, we have confirmed at least five other skirmishes. We cannot verify the enemy’s exact numbers, but the concussions of battle reached the border settlements. Lord Aremus has kept them out of our territory since yesterday evening.”
Lord Field studied the confirmed engagement zones. Each sat less than two miles from a military outpost or settlement. The placement verified the intelligence Lord Aremus had provided; Marquis Frampton had leaked detailed information about Field Territory to the Principality.
“That bastard, Frampton! When I return to the capital, I’m going to skin him alive!” Lord Field slammed his fist onto the table, cracking the wood. “How are the evacuations progressing?”
“The last transport arrived thirty minutes ago. Our local defense force is resupplied and ready to set sail,” the head knight reported.
Lord Field nodded. “We pushed the capital’s fleet past its tolerance to get here. It will be hours before the royal ships are safe to operate. Any sooner and we risk engine failure or core detonation.”
The head knight showed no surprise. Under normal circumstances, a royal warship required three days to reach the Field territory from the capital. Only by pushing the engines well past their limits could they get here overnight. It was a miracle they had not lost a vessel en route.
“In other news, our prisoners have cooperated with us,” the head knight said. “They have divulged the Principality’s current strategies. If their testimony is accurate, we should not expect further attacks here for some time.” The head knight tapped a neighboring region on the map. “In two days, they plan to launch a series of raids within this territory. We have the approximate coordinates for their targets.”
“Haha!” A dark smile formed on the Viscount’s face. “That gives us time to prepare an ambush. With the royal defense force present, we can crush them.”
Eager to exact revenge for the incursions on his lands, Lord Field wanted blood. Across the table, Brad exchanged a look with his father before turning to the head knight.
“Has anyone informed Lord Aremus? He must be exhausted after patrolling all night,” Brad said.
“About that… Lord Aremus arrived this morning to confirm the status of the evacuation. Since we were nearly finished, he informed us he was going to rescue our soldiers taken prisoner over the past few weeks.” The head knight gave his lord an apologetic look. “I tried to deter him, but he refused to listen. According to Lord Aremus, ‘The Holfort Kingdom does not abandon its soldiers to die. We make every effort to bring our people home alive.’”
Father and son stared in shock. Few nobles would risk their lives to rescue captured soldiers behind enemy lines; none would do so alone. Paralyzed by the sheer recklessness of the move, Lord Field prepared to order a detachment after him, but Duke Redgrave entered the study before he could speak.
“I wouldn’t worry about Lord Aremus. It is the Principality of Fanoss that should be terrified.” The Duke offered the men a sharp grin. “If they do not return our people, they will pay in blood. Lord Aremus is an honorable man and the strongest warrior in the Holfort Kingdom. Even the Black Knight of the Principality would be hard pressed to give him any trouble.”
“Come now, Vincent. Lord Aremus is a sixteen-year-old boy. There is no way he possesses that kind of power…” Lord Field’s certainty wavered. “Could he?”
“The metrics are classified, so I cannot share the specific details, but I assure you he is more than capable of killing the Black Knight. If I am being honest, I doubt a soul on this world could best him in combat or magic,” Duke Redgrave doubled down.
An icy shiver ran down Brad’s spine. While he knew Leon was powerful, he had not envisioned a scale this vast. If the Duke spoke the truth, Greg’s deep-seated terror of Leon was justified. They had teased Greg about his paranoia since the start of the semester, yet Greg never wavered in his belief that Leon was a terrifying monster in human form.
“Father, if Lord Aremus has breached enemy territory, I doubt the Principality will carry out their scheduled raids in two days,” Brad gestured back to the map. “Should we still reinforce our neighbor, or focus on hardening our local perimeter?”
“We have the manpower, so we will do both.” Lord Field looked to Duke Redgrave for council. “The neighboring lord’s health has been in decline for years, and he has no heir. If we do not take the initiative, his lands will suffer without guidance.”
“I will handle the logistics with Viscount Rothman. Focus your efforts on preparing for subsequent attacks.” Duke Redgrave turned and strode from the room, his attendants falling into step behind him.
Decision made, Lord Field, his son, and the Head Knight began making plans. With all civilians evacuated from the border region, they could move without fear of drawing innocents into the fighting.
---Leon POV---
Hovering a few miles outside the Principality’s capital, I sat atop Spacehog, observing the city through Luxion’s satellites. Word of their border losses had yet to reach the capital, so everything below remained business as usual.
<Are you looking for anything in particular? I can assist you if needed.> Luxion floated beside me, lenses shifting as he scanned the streets.
“I was looking for signs of daemonic energy. So far, I’ve located five possessed individuals, all of whom work within the royal palace. It’s the same playbook they used in the Holfort Kingdom… How unoriginal.” I leaned back in the saddle.
Malcador, drifting alongside us, let out a chuckle. The original Aremus had voiced a similar sentiment in the past, and the recollection brought a brief ache to the old man’s memory.
“The early stages of daemonic incursions are always identical. It is only once they take root and spread that things become unpredictable,” Malcador noted, having witnessed the pattern across millennia. “What is your plan?”
“While many of my countrymen would love nothing more than for me to run wild here, I want to try speaking with the princesses first. Both are intelligent and might listen to reason. If they don’t, I will extract the captives by force, load them onto one of the captured ships in the harbor, and book it.” I cracked my neck. “While we make our escape, I’ll cast those possessed into the Mirror Dimension to be dealt with later.”
A straightforward plan was best. The more complex the design, the less flexibility you keep in a pinch. In enemy territory, flexibility was a powerful asset.
Satisfied that I had identified every corrupted target, I flew toward the palace. I kept Spacehog subsonic to avoid shattering windows, but the sudden appearance of a flying motorcycle and biomechanical raptor still sent the populace into a frenzy. When they saw Solaris and me, they scattered like ants, scrambling for shelter. As the palace walls loomed into view, the garrison guards opened fire.
With a wave of my hand, their armaments tore free from their grips, sailing over the ramparts. “Sorry, fellas, you’ve lost your weapon privileges for the day.”
We circled the palace grounds once, touching down in a manicured courtyard garden where one princess stood. As I cut the roaring engine, the young, black-haired girl fixed her sharp red eyes on me.
“Who are you, and why are you trespassing in our garden?” She kept her tone level.
“Isn’t it customary for the one asking to introduce themselves?” I gave her a teasing grin.
The girl’s eye twitched as she released a sharp sigh. “My name is Hertrauda Sera Fanoss, Second Princess of the Principality of Fanoss. And you are?”
“My name is Leon Fou Aremus, Honorary Baron of the Holfort Kingdom.” I bowed my head. “Forgive the intrusion, but I am here to retrieve the Holfort soldiers you captured. Hand them over, and I will be on my way.”
For a moment, a faint smile flashed across Hertrauda’s face. Every warrior in the capital was scrambling to protect her, yet this intruder stood calm and unbothered. She could not determine if he was confident or insane, but he possessed ten times the backbone of any Kingdom noble she had ever encountered. No enemy had ever breached their territory, let alone their backyard. A generation-defining talent like his was worth trying to recruit to their cause.
“What gave you the impression that we are holding any of your countrymen hostage? This is another instance of the Kingdom fabricating—”
“Princess Hertrauda, please do not insult my intelligence by feigning ignorance.” Solaris and I strode toward her as I stifled a yawn. “We are both smart individuals. Can we skip the theatrics and speak honestly?”
Before she could answer, her elder sister, Hertrude Sera Fanoss, burst into the garden alongside a heavy contingent of guards. When they spotted me, the men sprinted forward to shield the royalty.
“Stop right there! Identify yourself and—” a guard said, leveled spears pointing at my chest.
Before he could finish the threat, Solaris whipped his tail around, launching the man back through the palace wall. The remaining guards froze, paralyzed by the sudden violence.
“My business is with your princesses. Leave us,” I said, throwing a hand forward.
A burst of telekinetic force slammed the remaining men backward, throwing them into the stone walls several yards away. They collapsed, rendered unconscious on impact. Sensing additional reinforcements closing in on our position, I turned toward the elder sister.
I gave her a respectful nod. “Princess Hertrude, I presume? To save us some time, your sister just got my full title, but you can call me Leon Fou Aremus. Now, as I was telling her before we were interrupted, please release the hostages held in your dungeons. I have no desire to spill blood today.”
Hertrude studied the man before her, sizing him up. While he gave the appearance of an arrogant, reckless fool, she could tell he was no ordinary intruder. He exuded an aura similar to her grandfather Vandel, but on a far grander scale. If she had to put the feeling into words: if this man had come to kill them, they would already be dead.
“You came here to rescue a group of insignificant soldiers? Why?” Hertrude fixed her gaze on my eyes.
“While many of my peers would abandon them to die, I have a heart. If I can save them, I will do whatever I must to bring them home,” I stared into her crimson eyes. “They have loved ones waiting for them.”
There was not a hint of deception in his expression. Every word he spoke, he meant. This was something Hertrude had not expected. Until now, every Kingdom noble she had encountered made her believe no true nobility existed in their country. Now, one had breached her palace to save commoners his peers would have deemed an acceptable loss.
“You intrigue me, Lord Aremus. Would you join the Principality if I offered you a noble title and substantial wealth?” Hertrude maintained a blank expression.
“I must decline. My loyalty and honor are not for sale.” I sensed the Black Knight and his detachment closing in on our position. “Take a moment to weigh my request. Your guardian should be here in three… two… one…”
On cue, the old Black Knight, Vandel, and his men rushed into the garden, weapons drawn. They looked at the princesses, then shifted their attention to me, standing ten feet away. Though I held no weapon, they charged as if I were actively holding a blade to their sovereigns’ throats.
With a furious roar, Vandel brought his greatsword down toward me. “Die, you filthy Kingdom bastard!”
Before the steel could connect, I vanished from his sight. The blade sliced through empty air and slammed into the ground, triggering a minor explosion of dirt and stone.
“What the hell?!” Vandel scanned the courtyard.
“I didn’t come here looking for a fight, Black Knight. If you insist on one, don’t blame me if I put you in the infirmary for the rest of the year.” I stood directly behind him, unimpressed.
The older warrior whipped his sword around to strike me, but I seized his arm and shoulder-threw him. His armored frame slammed into his own men, knocking the front rank to the ground. Those who stayed on their feet rushed me. With a wave of my hand, a burst of psychic energy hit them, sending the remaining guards flying across the garden into a cobblestone wall.
“Stay down. Princess Hertrude and I are trying to have a civil conversation.” I returned my gaze to the stunned princess. “If you are unwilling to part with them for free, perhaps we can make a trade. I possess intelligence that you might find valuable. You can review it first and determine if it is worth their lives.”
Hertrude snapped out of her daze and nodded. I presented her with the Holy Kingdom document I had retrieved.
“This… I thought you were a devoted loyalist of the Kingdom?” Hertrude gave me a confused look. “Why are you sharing these state secrets with an enemy?”
“First, there is no need to play dumb; I know Marquis Frampton has already apprised you of this information. Second, it is not the information you should look at, but who it was being sent to.”
She heeded my words, re-reading the parchment. As she caught my meaning, her brow furrowed.
“The Rachele Holy Kingdom, huh?” Hertrude handed the paper to her sister. “What does this have to do with us?”
“Do I need to spell it out, Your Highness? With your nation planning to invade our country with an army of monsters, don’t you think the timing is suspicious?”
Unable to hide her shock, Hertrude’s eyes widened in disbelief. The monster army was a supreme state secret; not even Marquis Frampton had been informed of its existence. If this man had this information, it meant the Holfort Kingdom was aware too.
“The Holy Kingdom is ramping up to launch another campaign to bring the region under its control. While we fight one another, they will target the Alzer Republic, the United Kingdom of Repard, and our other neighbors,” I said. “When our war ends, they will eliminate the weakened victor and seize both our lands.”
“Suppose I believe you. What would you have us do?” Hertrude swept her jet black hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms, weighing my words.
“Purge the rats hiding within these walls. Our royal palace was crawling with spies from both the Holy Kingdom and the Principality.” I glanced toward the Black Knight and his men, who were struggling back to their feet. “I propose we postpone our upcoming conflict until we ensure our mutual enemy won’t simply finish whoever is left standing.”
Vandel opened his mouth to balk at the suggestion, but Hertrude raised a hand to silence him. If the Holy Kingdom was preparing for an invasion, it placed the Principality in a precarious position. They could not fight Holfort, then immediately fend off an assault from the Holy Kingdom. Their planned invasion would undoubtedly cause heavy casualties, but it had been deemed necessary for their long-term survival. Without access to more Levitation Crystals, they could never expand their naval power enough to become a dominant force in the region.
“This information is indeed worth a great deal to me; however, I think it falls a little short. Do you have anything else to offer?” Hertrude gave me a haughty smile.
“Hmm… Would information pertaining to the deaths of your parents suffice?”
The smile vanished from her face, replaced by an icy glare. For Hertrude and Hertrauda, the subject of their parents was a raw wound. They had been killed when the sisters were young children; Hertrauda was only just old enough to recall a few fond memories of them.
“If your information can be verified, your people are free to leave.” Hertrude’s lip twitched with suppressed rage.
“Your Highness, you cannot be serious!” Vandel gave her a shocked look. “This Kingdom mongrel cannot be—”
A sudden, oppressive aura fell upon the courtyard, sucking the air from the lungs of everyone present. While the princesses cowered, unable to speak, the guards collapsed to the ground, their limbs refusing to obey their commands. Vandel forced his gaze up toward the Kingdom noble and froze. Instead of a boy, a behemoth of a man seemed to glare down at him with piercing green eyes that commanded absolute submission. There was no room for negotiation.
“My patience is running out. This is a conversation between the princesses of the Principality and myself. Interrupt us again, and I will send your soul screaming into the abyss.” I glowered at him. “Besides, you should want to hear this information. The man responsible for their parents’ deaths is the same one who orchestrated the murders of your wife and child.”
My words struck him like a physical blow. He had searched for years to find the monsters responsible for slaughtering his family, but had found no leads. With no culprit to sate his vengeance, Vandel had turned his fury entirely upon the Kingdom.
“The man you are looking for is named Garrett. He is a member of the Anti-Kingdom Faction and maintains close connections with the Holy Kingdom.” I eased my pressure and stared into the sisters’ eyes. “With the birth of his daughter, they feared Vandel would hang up his sword and dedicate his life to his family. To prevent that, the two factions enlisted the help of a disgraced Kingdom noble to execute them right in front of him. Garrett was the one who paid the assassin and provided the opening to strike.”
Vandel’s expression darkened. He wanted to believe the boy before him was lying, but he could not. There was no reason for an intruder of this caliber to deceive them; this man possessed the power to slaughter everyone in the palace, yet he was staying his hand. The truth devastated him.
“As for your parents, it is well known they sought to make peace with the Kingdom in their last days. They wanted to give the two of you a brighter future, not the blood-soaked lives they had endured before you.” I gave them a sympathetic look. “Vandel and their advisors complained about their softhearted ideology, but they never wavered. The conspirators’ initial plan was to drive Vandel into a rage and force him to kill them himself, but he couldn’t. A grandfather’s love is powerful, so much so that he could not bear to take your parents from you. Left with no alternative, the two groups had Garrett orchestrate the assassinations. He gave the Holy Kingdom’s agents the opening to kill your parents while they were reviewing a peace accord.”
Outside of a select few, no one knew what their parents had been doing when they died. That this outsider possessed such knowledge told the sisters everything they needed to know. With tearful eyes, they scoured the gathering faces for their parents’ betrayer. As they scanned the growing crowd, the mustached noble’s face appeared at the very back.
“You bastard!” Hertrude stormed toward him with her sister. “Our country took you in when your nation fell to the Holy Kingdom. My parents gave you a position and a generous salary to support yourself. How could you do this to them?!”
I extended my consciousness toward the man, sensing the undercurrent of panic and nervousness beneath his aristocratic exterior. He already had a lie prepared to explain everything away, but I refused to grant him the chance. It required only a mental suggestion to break down his defenses and force the truth from his lips.
“Foolish girls! Did you really believe I hailed from one of those insignificant nations? The blood flowing in my veins is that of a Holy Kingdom nobleman. I was sent here to ensure the Holfort Kingdom and the Principality of Fanoss never achieved peace.” The man stroked his mustache, his eyes wide as the compulsion gripped him. “What the boy said was the absolute truth! We orchestrated those attacks and more to further our goals.”
The moment he finished speaking, Garrett regained his senses. Before he could attempt to retract the confession, Vandel materialized before him and seized his neck. Infusing every ounce of strength his old, battle-hardened body possessed, the Black Knight slammed the traitor into the palace’s outer wall.
“I’ll kill you!” Vandel’s wide eyes burned with venomous hatred. “I will not rest until your head and the heads of your allies are strung along the palace walls. Your deaths will be neither quick nor painless.”
As Vandel began beating Garrett mercilessly, the spy turned his gaze toward someone in the crowd. They exchanged a brief, panicked glance before the individual bolted toward them. It was one of the possessed targets I had identified earlier.
Join the Discord group: .gg/YTYN36rRzZ
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter