Chapter 345

Grid accepted Lauel’s advice and nodded.

-I’m convinced. Then let’s handle Prince Ren.

Grid’s black eyes that were filled with anger slowly calmed down. He learned from watching Huroi and Lauel. He thought carefully before opening his mouth.

"Prince Ren, let me ask you one thing. The fact that you invaded Reidan means that something happened to the king?”

‘He is too clever.’

Grid saw through his tricks and neutralized them. Those black eyes. They gave the illusion that they could see through everything. It was hard to believe that Grid didn’t come from noble birth.

Prince Ren felt awe as he gulped and nodded.

"Yes. The life of the king is running out and I had to strike at you in order to safely succeed the throne."

Prince Ren replied. His face once again distorted with rage and resentment.

"You...! If you had just pledged allegiance to the royal family and not just the king on that day! I wouldn’t have chosen such an extreme method!”

It wasn’t a simple matter of transferring responsibility. Prince Ren exposed himself to Grid. The position that Prince Ren was in, it was all as Lauel intended. Lauel had a wicked smile on his face.

‘Your extreme choice has weakened the royal family’s power and raised Grid’s position.’

‘That Lauel.’

Grid got goosebumps at Lauel’s smiling face. Smart guys were too frightening.

“Hrmm... As you said, I swore allegiance to the king.”

Grid read the wider political perspective. He suppressed his trivial rage towards Prince Ren.

"I, Grid Reidan du Steim have decided. Prince Ren tried to shake my foundation by invading, but Prince Ren is also the king’s successor and the pillar of the Eternal Kingdom. As your servant, I will forgive the prince’s sins.”

“...!”

The eyes of Prince Ren and the royal army widened. Grid was treating the prince with disrespect, but that wasn’t the problem right now. Forgive the sins. This meant no responsibility would be held. Such great mercy was unheard of.

Prince Ren couldn’t believe it and asked again, "Just before, you gave me the death penalty...! Why are you suddenly eliminating my sin? What absurd thing are you trying to do?”

Grid’s eyes became flat.

"Why are you having a conniption when I’m giving you a break?”

Grid eventually revealed his true nature due to Prince Ren’s attitude. Lauel shook his head and glanced at Bunny Bunny. This scene was meant to be edited. The quick-witted Bunny Bunny immediately nodded.

Grid spoke again, “I’ll let it go. You’re the successor to the king who I swore allegiance to. In order to maintain my loyalty to the king and to suppress chaos in the Eternal Kingdom, I will let it go, you jerk.”

"Why…? Why would you make such a decision...?”

Prince Ren was thrilled after realizing that Grid’s heart was as wide as the sea. He felt guilty.

‘Whatever the reason, I tried to destroy Duke Grid.’

The fact that he was forgiven...

Prince Ren was deeply moved as he spoke.

"I, 1st Prince Ren of the Eternal Kingdom, make this pledge. Duke Grid, sacrificing yourself to forgive this sinner for the sake of the kingdom... I will never forget this and spend the rest of my life paying it back.”

“Don’t stab me in the back.”

Grid grumbled and rose from his seat. Then the 1,000 Reidan troops and 500 surviving northern troops stood on his left and right. It was truly spectacular. He was certainly one of the top users among the two billion users.

‘Everyone starts the game on equal terms.’

However, while some people were still wrestling with orcs, Grid became the duke of a kingdom and reigned over thousands of soldiers. He was truly a great person. Bunny Bunny’s gaze was filled with envy as he looked at Grid...

‘Now I see that he is a good person.’

After using Blackening, Grid’s eyes became completely black and he turned pale. The distinct tones gave him the illusion of being handsome. He appeared very well on the screen. Still, it was no comparison to the ‘white-haired Grid version,’ which once made women around the world feel thrilled.

“Then I will leave now.”

Bunny Bunny captured Grid’s image. He had no regrets. The army withdrew from the barracks and returned to Reidan. The last thing he saw before leaving was Chucksley, who was mixed in among the royal army survivors.

Chucksley vowed.

‘A hero of the kingdom who has a wide range of skills.’

He was deeply grateful that his prince was forgiven.

‘I swear that the Lokan family will honor you and your family forever.’

It originally should be like this. Grid was the kingdom’s hero. However, Prince Ren and Chucksley forgot this fact while they were busy being defensive, so they truly felt guilty.

***

“I am thankful that my life is spared, but... It’s bittersweet. Now I’m completely out of the line of succession.”

There weren’t even 1,000 royal troops left. Out of 7,000 troops, he lost more than 6,000. In addition, he lost 24 Silver Dragons, 39 knights, Ferrell, and Andu. Due to this war, the forces supporting the royal family were hit hard, so he couldn’t avoid taking responsibility. He would be pushed down the line of succession and probably disciplined.

"The blood of the royal family is more precious than any other gem. Your Highness was able to keep your life, so that’s enough. In addition, it’s a big achievement that you confirmed Duke Grid’s loyalty to the royal family.

Chucksley reassured him as much as possible. Prince Ren was grateful that he always served the royal family with a great heart.

“Let’s hurry. I have to stay by Father’s side when it is the end.”

King Wiesbaden had less than a week left to live. Prince Ren’s sin would be heavier if he wasn’t by his father’s side. Prince Ren and Chucksley hastened their pace with an impatient mind, when two men appeared in front of them.

One was Eternal’s 2nd Prince, Aslan, while the other one was covered in robes and unidentified.

“Aslan? Why are you here?”

Prince Ren was confused by his brother’s unexpected appearance.

"I was sure that Brother would be defeated. Did you really think you could defeat the legendary Duke Grid with just an army of 7,000? A legend isn’t someone who can be hurt by a soldier. The royal family doesn’t yet have the power to oppose Duke Grid.”

“...I’m sorry. I was overwhelmed by my anxiety, dealing a big blow to the royal family.”

“No. You don’t have to apologize to me. Rather, I’m thankful to Brother. Why do you think I didn’t stop you, despite foreseeing your defeat?”

Aslan was originally a reticent prince. He didn’t open his mouth easily and even when he spoke, he thought about it at least 10 times. Ren might be his brother, but he’d rarely heard Aslan’s voice in the last 30 years.

But now.

Aslan was speaking without hesitation, with a provocative expression. The contents were also disturbing. Prince Ren’s expression distorted.

"Aslan, don’t tell me that you...”

A wide smile spread on Aslan’s face.

"Did you notice? I wanted Brother to self-destruct. In that sense, the current result is a little unfortunate. It would’ve been ideal if you lost your life to Duke Grid.”

“Prince Aslan! That’s too much!”

Chucksley was someone who had sworn allegiance to the royal family itself, not to Prince Ren. He prayed for the well-being of the royal family. He didn’t want disagreements between the princes. Aslan reached out Chucksley, who was trying to calm down the mood.

"Sir Chucksley, come. I will take the life of my big brother here, and I hope that you won’t be swept away by it.”

“What...!?”

Chucksley doubted his ears. He couldn’t move easily as Aslan spoke to the robed man with him.

“Please spare Sir Chucksley, if possible. He’s the treasure of our kingdom.”

The silent robed man nodded.

"I understand.”

Flap.

The unidentified man threw his robe into the sky, making Prince Ren look away for a moment.

Teong!

The man who took off his robe suddenly approached Prince Ren.

“You!”

Chucksley hurriedly moved. He did his best to block the sword that was about to stab Prince Ren. However, the man’s swordsmanship was at a level that Chucksley couldn’t go against. It avoided Chucksley’s sword and moved across Prince Ren’s body in a diagonal line.

“Ke...heok!”

Prince Ren coughed up blood as the sword went through his armor. The hot blood quickly soaked the cold desert sand.

"Prince!!”

He had to live! Chucksley was filled with that conviction and rushed to Prince Ren. Somehow, they had to leave this place and do first aid. However, the unidentified man Aslan brought blocked Chucksley’s way.

“Who the hell are you?”

He was a great swordsman. One of the strongest swordsman on the continent. Now there was a swordsman who surpassed him? The unidentified man replied to the confused Chucksley.

“I am called the 9th knight.”

“...!”

Chucksley belatedly examined the man. The man was wearing red armor that symbolized the Red Knights.

“A single number knight!”

The strongest knights of the Saharan Empire who dominated the continent for hundreds of years. It was said that their reputation was known even on the East Continent.

But!

‘I am a great swordsman!’

If a singly number knight was the strongest knight in the empire, he was the strongest swordsman on the continent. It was normal for him to be upset.

‘Then why?’

The 9th knight shrugged at the confused Chucksley.

“A mere 100 years ago, Great Swordsman wasn’t the title for the strongest swordsman. A sword saint was the best."

“But in the last 100 years, nobody with the qualifications to become a sword saint has emerged. A great swordsman appears once every 20 years.”

“You might’ve perceived yourself to be the strongest, but there are many talented people born with the qualities of a sword saint. If you look at it, a great swordsman is common.”

“You are also a great swordsman!”

"Indeed. But I am much closer to becoming a sword saint than you.”

Puok!

A strange sword with a Y-shaped end. It bounced off Chucksley’s sword and pierced Prince Ren’s heart.

“Your Highness!”

The body of Prince Ren in his arms was rapidly cooling down. Chucksley despaired as he sensed this, while Prince Aslan took care of the soldiers with the 9th knight.

***

Originally, 20 members of the Silver Dragons came to kidnap Irene.

They were held captive by a potato enthusiast who might be a swordsman, magician, or farmer, and thought they would be killed. However, the potato enthusiast unexpectedly gave them mercy. Rather than taking their lives, he removed the magic power detectors controlling their bodies and minds?

"There must be a reason you guys wanted to do something so bad. Anyway, now you’re free. I don’t want to defile my body and soul by killing you.”

They were orphans and then forced to become assassins. Now he gave freedom to those who had always lived in hell? The Silver Dragons were impressed. They were grateful to the potato enthusiast whose name they didn’t know. The problem was that they now had no place to go.

“We want to follow you with a sincere heart.”

"...”

It was annoying for the potato enthusiast, Bland. He didn’t need the help of these weak assassins. But they would be helpful to someone else.

"You are just a nuisance to me. However, if you want to do something, protect Duchess Irene.”

“Yes!”

The Silver Dragons moved immediately. At this time, Irene was in Lord’s room. It was the realm of Kasim, king of shadows.

“Who are you?”

"Heok!"

There was someone whose presence they couldn’t detect? Kasim examined the Silver Dragons who appeared.

"Hoh, that is Daluka’s breathing method? You guys are learning something pretty interesting.”

Lord Steim, who would be the continent’s future.

It was the day when the foundation of the strongest assassin group, ‘Overgeared Shadows’ was set.