Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

This strike no longer possessed any heretical or evil power, but rather the vengeful spirit born from the master's unwillingness to let go of his obsession! This piqued Ryuka's curiosity. If what Earl Duke had said was true, the soldiers of the Anthony family had been controlled by Viscount Nur Anthony's evil magic, becoming bloodthirsty and violent. But now, the power of the demonic sword was long gone, yet they still faithfully carried out the orders they had given in life.

It seems the story isn't necessarily what Earl Duke knew...

The power of this skull's attack surpassed even the level Liu Xia had when she first met Hetia! Slicing through trees with a sword, splitting boulders with an axe—though the burst of battle aura only lasted fifteen to half an hour, this superhuman strength and the threshold that everyone could cultivate were the symbols of a knight! Even a regular knight was someone countless ordinary people looked up to!

But Ryuka is no longer the young hunter he once was.

"You were probably once a brave knight, a noble warrior. Sleep now."

As she dodged the attack by turning her body, Liu Xia had already drawn her sword! Her spiritual power transformed into a line of cold light, severing the skeleton knight's head and dispelling the vengeful spirit power attached to it!

Half a skull fell to the ground, and the soul fire in the skeleton knight's eye sockets gradually died down, scattering like dust on the ground, finally finding peace after a long time.

The dead feel neither sorrow nor fear, but simply vanish silently. Their severed vengeful spirits transform into spiritual energy and return to the world. And behind this corpse lie countless soldiers, their obsessions unyielding!

The young man, alone with his sword, relentlessly banished the surging skeleton knights. Although it was effortless for Liu Xia, a Heavenly Rank cultivator, he could sense a trace of the carnage of yesteryear in this endless onslaught. Countless soldiers clashed in this way, the trembling militia able only to use their flesh and blood to wear down the enemy's fighting spirit with each spear and sword strike. Even so, the Judgment Knights still paid several times the cost to defeat the 'remnants' of the Anthony family who had fled to the fortress…

Even more illogical was the fact that they didn't even collect their own corpses after the devastating victory. Carmela's allied forces must have retreated in such a panic for some reason... otherwise, Atina's father wouldn't have been able to escape with the demon sword Idunir without being discovered...

-----------------

"Your Highness, Count Matt Harvey has come to pay his respects."

“Count Harvey… let him in.”

Inside the dignified and elegant cabin, Tipalotura waved to the Royal Knights, then looked at Melanie beside her.

“Miss Snowfield, do you know Earl Harvey?”

Melanie shook her head. Although she had been in Sochi for over a year, she had never heard of this 'neighbor'. Although Ravenhill was right next to Sochi, Earl Harvey was practically invisible. While other territories maintained some degree of diplomatic contact with Ryūsha, he had none. When Joe Harvey, representing the Fourth Prince, participated in the conspiracy against Sochi, and was subsequently released by Ryūsha out of courtesy, Earl Harvey didn't even appear; he simply sent others with ransom to redeem his son.

“I’ve never met him, I only know his son, Joe Harvey.”

Tipalotura smiled knowingly and then began to tell Melanie:

“The Harvey family originally came from the capital. But as you know, if you throw a brick down in the capital, you can hit two or three barons or viscounts. Back then, Matt Harvey had the title of viscount, but in the capital, he was just the person in charge of the city defense at the west gate of the outer city.”

Melanie frowned. Even the Snowfield family, also viscounts, had direct descendants who wouldn't stoop to being low-ranking officers guarding city gates. Of course, mage families were far more noble than knightly families, but nobles had to maintain their dignity. Even if they were so poor they sold their possessions, they wouldn't do anything unbecoming of their status, especially in the capital. It seemed that Earl Harvey hadn't fared very well in the capital. So how did he end up in the eastern part of the empire, becoming an earl with a fiefdom?

Tipalotura noticed Melanie's confusion and continued:

"Matt Harvey has none of the airs of an aristocrat; he's approachable and kind. But he never tries to make his presence known. Everyone who knows him says he's a good person, but when you ask him more closely, they don't really know him. Miss Snowfield, do you think that's why?"

“Your Highness, just call me Melanie.” Melanie didn’t understand why Tipalotura was so interested in talking to her about the Harvey family, but since the princess had spoken, she would keep her company. After all, Ryūka wasn’t there, and even if Kania were, she wouldn’t get along with the princess. So she became Ryūka’s representative, which meant…

First wife! Then it is her duty to be in charge of communicating with Tipalotura! After all, it is not appropriate to let Anyaberg or Adela's pet dog contact the princess.

"Is it just his nature?"

Seeing that Melanie couldn't guess the reason, Tipalotura smiled slightly:

"He was a devout follower of the goddess... Originally, as the second son, he was supposed to become a Knight Templar. But his elder brother, who was supposed to inherit the title, died unexpectedly, so he left the papacy and inherited the title of viscount. But in terms of personality and habits, he still retained the style he had at the papacy: low-key, humble, and of course... also obsessive..."

Melanie's eyes widened: "Templar Knights?! But..."

“People from the Papacy find it difficult to gain a foothold in noble circles. After all, Father… no, our Autus family doesn’t like the Papacy, except for my fourth brother…”

At this point, Tipalottura's eyes narrowed slightly: "To this day, I still don't know whether Count Harvey is loyal to his brother Elias or to the Papacy. Perhaps even his brother Elias himself doesn't know... but in order to expand his power, he has been far too 'meritorious' in appointing people based on merit..."

Melanie understood why Tipalottura had told her all this. Count Harvey was undoubtedly a capable man, but his close ties with the Papacy as an Ottusian nobleman were something she had to be wary of…

"I understand."

Melanie nodded, silently noting it down in her mind. Meanwhile, Earl Harvey finally passed the Royal Knights' inspection process and boarded the princess's royal ship at the dock.

"Mat Harvey of Ravenhill has come to pay homage to Her Highness the Thirteenth Princess."

Robed in black and armored with raven feather shawls, this Earl Grand Knight didn't exude the unassuming air typical of most nobles. Although his third son, Joe Harvey, was already in his twenties, Matt Harvey should theoretically be at least forty. Yet, he was robust, fair-skinned, and beardless, appearing more like a man in his thirties. Only the inscrutable expression on his face revealed an extraordinary composure…

As Matt entered the gate, she immediately knelt on one knee before Tipalotura, refusing to raise her head until the princess spoke. Inside the spacious cabin, the princess and the count were positioned far apart, a deliberate distance that gave Melanie a sense of impending tension…

However, this tense atmosphere was quickly extinguished by one person. Behind Earl Harvey, a blond young man was also kneeling on one knee; it was none other than Joe Harvey, who had come with his father. This young man secretly glanced into the cabin, and upon not finding Ryusha, he breathed a sigh of relief, yet also felt a pang of regret. Upon seeing Melanie, whom he at least recognized, he couldn't help but raise his hand from his knee and wag his finger at her…

"Joe."

A cold rebuke made Joe Harvey immediately lower his head. His father, Earl Harvey, kneeling on one knee with his eyes closed, immediately sensed his son's disrespectful behavior.

“Lord Harvey, please rise.”

Tipalottura, with her cool and imposing demeanor, raised her hand to gesture for Count Harvey to rise. But before the great knight could straighten up, Tipalottura coldly commanded:

"Minister Matt Harvey, spies from another country have infiltrated your territory. They not only entered Sochi from Raven Ridge, attempting to obstruct the Imperial mission, but also attacked one of your ports last night, forcing my ships to dock. Do you have anything to say about this?"

"I admit my guilt, and I will do my utmost to arrange for the search and capture of these people."

Without a flicker of emotion, Count Harvey knelt on one knee again, offering no explanation. Tipalotura, however, merely snorted coldly.

"No need. Leave this matter to my people. Without my permission, neither you nor any of the other nobles under your jurisdiction are to touch it. Lord Harvey, you only need to be responsible for receiving the delegation, including those who have already arrived at Crow Bay. In addition, there are some other matters here that require your attention..."

The Harvey family couldn't be allowed to interfere with Ryukyu's plans, and what Tipalottura mentioned next was naturally the material Anyaberg needed. Count Harvey readily agreed, but after rising again, he asked Tipalottura expressionlessly:

"Your Highness, where is the Governor of Liuxia in Sochi Province? He should be with you; my subordinates have reported on his affairs."

"Lord Ryusha has gone to rest," Tipalotura said calmly. "Did Lord Harvey need his help?"

"It's nothing."

Count Harvey lowered his eyes, his tone still indifferent, but now there was no trace of respect in his voice.

"The mission is a diplomatic activity personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor, but as the governor of Sochi Province, if Viscount Liuxia has any activities in Raven Ridge, please inform me of them."

This statement was rather provocative. Matt Harvey seemed to know that Ryūsha wasn't on the ship at the moment. For a Celestial Rank cultivator, using 'rest' as an excuse for absence was far too weak. And since his subordinates had seen Ryūsha and the boatmen the previous night, they would naturally report to Earl Harvey, which made him suspect what his little neighbor was really plotting on his territory.

Tipalotura narrowed her eyes: "Lord Harvey, what do you mean by that?"

“Please forgive me, Your Highness.” Earl Harvey bowed slightly. “Raven Ridge is my territory. It would be inappropriate for other nobles to act arbitrarily, both in terms of etiquette and imperial law.”

"I see."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Count Harvey turned and left. Tipalotura then looked at Melanie:

"It seems he's quite bothered by Ryūka running around on his territory."

“Of course I would mind. Every nobleman considers his territory his own private domain, even His Majesty the Emperor… Forgive my slip of the tongue, Your Highness Tipalotura…”

Melanie's meaning was clear to Tipalotula. Unlike governors like Ryukyu, traditional feudal nobles were essentially local emperors. Although they were subordinate to the imperial power, they would never allow anyone else to encroach on their own territory!

"No, it's not just that..."

Tipalotura smiled slightly.

"It seems there are some areas in his territory he doesn't want others to know about... Did Liu Xiaqing say something to you before?"

Melanie blinked. She had been with Tipalotura when she received Ryūka's message earlier. She naturally understood that the princess was referring to Ryūka's entry into the Rose Fortress, and the princess seemed to have a hidden meaning in her words.

That place certainly seems unusual...

? Chapter 16 Rukrati

"It's practically endless..."

After mercilessly crushing the last skeleton soldier, Ryuga finally understood why this fortress hadn't been cleared out yet. A dozen or so skeleton knights with peak-level full-rank knight strength, enough to rival a Grand Knight, plus many more ordinary knights and their minions, were indeed beyond the capabilities of the Ravenhill territory.

Aside from completely shattering the resentment within their skulls, ordinary methods could only damage their bones. But even with half their bodies severed, they could still crawl on the ground, slashing and biting. Even Ryūka, after dealing with those elite skeleton knights, couldn't help but frown when he saw the skeleton soldiers charging at him with cleavers and benches, wearing rotting leather aprons.

"What exactly is this obsession... Never mind, now, only you are left."

The longsword pointed at the last dead person guarding the hall's staircase. Despite being decayed and covered in dust, this last dead person still exuded the aura and majesty of her former life. The skeleton indicated a woman; her ornate jewelry was long gone, and her mage's robes were riddled with holes, yet she still stood there holding a staff, dark flames flickering silently in her eye sockets.

This mage, who appeared midway through the battle, seemed to possess a certain degree of intelligence. Unlike the other soldiers who displayed a frenzied state, she was cunning and shrewd, constantly using magic to harass Ryūka from the rear. But when her last comrade fell, with no way to avoid it, she finally stopped hiding and stood proudly before Ryūka, utterly composed…

"Miss, or perhaps Madam, may we speak?"

Seeing that the skeleton mage seemed to be conscious, Ryuka tried to communicate with her. She understood, but didn't speak. Instead, she took a half step back with her back foot and assumed a fighting stance.

"Ok."

Liu Xia sighed, and before he could finish speaking, he had already appeared behind the skeleton mage. In a flash, his longsword severed her head, and in the last moment before the resentment within the skull dissipated, he vaguely heard a sentence.

"Forgive me... Father..."

The boy didn't stop, but instead climbed the stairs and headed into the fortress. And the voice in his mind spoke again:

"It's very close, I can feel that power... Be careful!!!"

Clang! Sparks flew through the dimly lit corridor as metal and stone clashed. Ryuka parried the sudden, heavy blow and retorted to Yu:

"I'm not that bad."

Before them stood the last gate, and a knight stood before it, his longsword broken. Unlike the previous skeletons, his skeleton wasn't covered in black pus that served as muscle; instead, it was more like a gelatinous substance, and the outlines of his facial features were even discernible. He glanced at the broken sword, then at Ryūka. Even his old rival, that great knight in black robes and white armor, might not have been able to withstand that attack so easily.

then……

Clang! The broken sword was discarded, and the knight looked at Ryuka, his black-tendoned jaw emitting a harsh grinding sound.

"leave……"

Ryūka looked at the knight before him. His agile figure and magnificent armor, the white rose accessories unlike the golden ones, and the vines and patterns on them seemed familiar. He tried to speak, asking the skeleton knight:

"Viscount Nur Antony?"

Silence. This made Ryuka purse her lips. The skeleton knight in front of her and the skeleton mage before her seemed to have some consciousness, but they made no move to speak.

But the Yu in his mind was much more excited than him, constantly saying to Ryukyu:

“I can feel it! It’s behind that door! Strange? It seems to be nurturing something! It’s not entirely the power I’m familiar with… it’s more evil, no, it’s been completely twisted!”

When Yu's voice rang out, the skeleton knight before him seemed to sense something. This couldn't be; Yu was clearly speaking within his own consciousness! But Ryūka clearly felt the skeleton knight's anger and sorrow, and grayish-white thorny vines instantly sprouted from his limbs! They pierced towards Ryūka like spears!

*Clang!* The Heavenly Rank power failed to sever the attacking vines, merely bouncing them off after a collision. This surprised Liu Xia; the vines contained some kind of rule, far exceeding the range of battle qi and magic, approaching the level of her own spiritual power. Unfortunately, the skeleton knight who released them was merely a high-ranking officer, not enough to threaten Liu Xia. Liu Xia decisively drew upon a method capable of countering this spiritual power…

The golden, translucent scepter shattered all the vines with a single swing! The broken vines turned into fluttering petals, a scene that reminded Ryuka of a description she had heard before, and she narrowed her eyes at Nur Anthony before her.

"The Demon Sword Iduniel... It seems the legend was wrong. You did indeed obtain a portion of its power. So that's how it is. Life, reincarnation, and destiny..."

This is a legendary characteristic of the demonic sword Iduniel, much like the demonic sword Rukrati wielded by Carmela, which signifies control and domination. Iduniel also possesses this characteristic. Furthermore, the rose on the Anthony family crest is remarkably similar to the petals of the demonic sword Atina wields in the description. Not to mention, ordinary family members wear golden roses, while Viscount Anthony's rose is white!

The Anthony family is a noble family with a long history, and its coat of arms has always been present.

"It seems you didn't acquire the Demon Sword Iduniel by chance. On the contrary, it may have been passed down in your family all along, right?"

Ryūsha weighed the scepter in his hand; the power of order it wielded infuriated Viscount Anthony. He immediately understood why and attempted to communicate with Viscount Anthony:

“You’ve seen this power before, haven’t you? But I’m not its former master; on the contrary, we are adversaries. I’m here to see if I can find a way to deal with her. That saintess of the Holy See, Carmela…”

Boom!!! The moment he heard Carmela's name, Nur Anthony went completely mad! The power of the demonic sword within him erupted instantly! Countless vines grew from the cracks in the stone wall! They were about to engulf Ryūka!

"Don't bother! Just because he still has his old obsessions doesn't mean he can actually understand human speech!"

Hearing Yu's complaints, Ryuka sighed. She had only wanted to try it out. But it seemed Carmela had done something terrible, causing Anthony to completely lose his mind. This made Ryuka unable to help but curse at Yu:

"How dare you say that! I think it's your problem! What exactly is your identity? You can't possibly be a consciousness split off from the Carmela Demon Sword, can you?"

"Uh... I really don't know..."

Yu muttered to herself, although she called Ryūka "Master," her usual attitude wasn't one of submission. Instead, she simply treated Ryūka as a user of power, like a butler of a leader's certificate. This greatly displeased Ryūka, but regardless of his true intentions, he was determined to find out the truth behind it all today!

Although Anthony's outburst looked terrifying, it was utterly insignificant in the face of absolute power. The golden scepter, like a warhammer, easily shattered all the attacking vines, and Ryuka instantly rushed in front of Anthony, sending him flying against the gate behind him with a single blow.

Boom! The iron hoops snapped, wood chips flew, and the dilapidated hall appeared before Liu Xia's eyes. Just as the skeleton soldiers outside had said, it was indeed arranged to resemble an altar, the central altar resembling a white flowerbed, with complex demonic sword power gathered at its center. And at the very center lay a highly decomposed infant's corpse…

White vines connected to his body, forming an umbilical cord. And at his heart, a golden fragment shone brightly. That power was very familiar to Ryuka; it shared the same origin as the power of the Leader's Proof within him!

"This is... a fragment of a sword blade?"

As Ryūka approached the infant's corpse on the altar, Anthony, who had just been knocked down, let out a desperate roar! Although the black gel on his body had been broken apart, revealing the stark white bones beneath, he still rushed forward like a madman, trying to stop Ryūka from getting closer.

But it was all too late.

As Ryūka approached, the golden fragment in the infant's heart seemed to be drawn to it, automatically flying towards the scepter in Ryūka's hand! Then, it melted away like ice and snow in the golden light!

"No!!!!!"

A desperate scream erupted from Anthony's shattered jawbone. But before Ryūka could even react, he was instantly blasted away by a golden light!

A semi-transparent figure appeared beside Ryūka, her golden twin tails fluttering in the wind, and her white robe adorned with gold trim now featuring more intricate patterns. The scepter in Ryūka's hand also underwent a transformation; a long blade resembling a short sword sprouted from its tip, and blades extended in all directions from the scepter's head, creating an oddly shaped but undeniably intimidating effect.

At that moment, a piece of information flowed into Liu Xia's mind: golden and white blades clashing, a woman screaming, a man roaring, shattered blades and blood, a baby crying... All of this made him look at Yu beside him in surprise.

"So, you are Ruklati..."

"That seems to be the case, my...master!"

Boom!!! Golden light erupted from Ruklati's hand... no, from her own, pinning Anthony to the ground, causing him to scream in agony. A cruel, gleeful look appeared on Ruklati's sweet face, completely different from Ryuka's previous impression!

“This is my way of returning the favor, follower of Iduniel…”

Anthony roared in despair, his empty eye sockets staring at the withering infant's corpse on the altar, two streams of black, purulent tears flowing from them. This made Ryūka's face darken, and he shouted sternly at Ruklati: