Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"It's just like a library."

Ryusha looked around. It was enormous for a study, with over a dozen bookshelves holding at least a thousand books. History from various countries, papal texts, books on knightly training, and even magical texts—it had everything. As a count's residence, Black Raven Castle appeared simple and unpretentious, even somewhat shabby, but the value of these books far exceeded the collections a count from a remote area would possess.

"It seems Father isn't here, Ryuka, why don't you come another day..."

Before Joe Harvey could finish speaking, a burst of fighting spirit suddenly erupted from Ryuka, forcing him to retreat three points! The tremors of air collided and clashed in the room. A few seconds later, Ryuka looked at one of the rows of bookshelves.

There is space behind this.

With the flow of air and the sonic fighting spirit mimicking Heflian, Ryuka easily sensed the hidden space behind the gaps in the bookshelf.

"Ryuka, wait, what are you doing..."

boom!!!

A black and gold longsword was brandished, pages of books fluttered down, and a silvery-white metallic gleam peeked out from behind the bookshelf that had been split in two...

"Longgang..."

Ruklati's surprised voice rang out, causing Ryusha to frown. Although it wasn't her full strength, she was quite surprised that her sword had only left a shallow mark on it.

"One of the ancient dwarves' secret forging techniques was for a metal even stronger than mithril. Unlike mithril, which is mined from veins, dragonsteel must be forged using special methods. This technique should have been lost when the dwarves migrated to another continent..."

Listening to Ruklati's explanation, Ryusha understood. It seemed that Matt Harvey was also a member of the 'Chosen Ones' organization, since only they were dedicated to collecting various lost ancient secret techniques.

"Of course, besides the difficulty in forging it, the most important reason this thing was lost was its limited applicability. For knights, weapons forged from dragon steel couldn't circulate battle aura, but mages didn't need such a heavy metal; they had better options. And if it were made into armor, it would be even more useless..."

Ryūka understood what Ruklati meant. For someone of low strength, even if they were wearing dragon steel armor that was difficult to pierce, a powerful aura tremor could kill the person inside the armor, and magic had a million ways to open a can.

For those strong enough, this thing was useless. Furthermore, its difficulty in forging led to the gradual loss of this metal's craft...

After observing for a moment, Liu Xia said quietly, "But now, this metal can no longer be called a useless thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Magic technology".

Ryūka stroked the Dragon Steel gate. The entire piece of metal showed no signs of joining, as if it had been forged from a single piece. Moreover, its surface was smooth and flat, almost like an industrial product. The sheer size of this high-grade metal forging, when considered in connection with magical technology, filled Ryūka with a sense of seriousness.

To manufacture the magic cannon, he had to recycle frost iron armor from the North, while the dragon steel before him was clearly a superior material. It could easily meet his needs, let alone a magic cannon…

Matt Harvey actually used this as a door!

Although the door was sturdy, Ryūka could easily break down the surrounding stone walls and dismantle the entire door. But that would be too much trouble. Ryūka looked around and quickly spotted the cross on the table.

The cross, carved with intricate patterns, has only irregular, smooth wear around its edges, as if it has been touched over the years.

Click! Just as expected! As Liu Xia tentatively twisted the door, the steel gate moved along with the ruins of the broken bookshelf, revealing a secret passage!

Joe Harvey swallowed hard, his body slumping against the bookshelf behind him. The moment the secret passage appeared, what Ryūka had said seemed even more real. For a moment, Joe Harvey didn't know what to do, or rather, he was powerless to do anything. He was too weak; he couldn't possibly intervene in the conflict between Ryūka and his father, but all of this only amplified his feelings of helplessness and torment.

He wanted to go down and find out what was going on, but he also wanted to run away, though that depended on Ryūka's attitude. At that moment, Ryūka turned her head and looked at Joe Harvey.

Sensing that Ryūka was deep in thought, Ruklati couldn't help but ask:

"What are you thinking?"

"Call me master and I'll tell you."

"You...Master..."

Hearing Ruklati's reluctant cries, Ryusha voiced her doubts:

"Why did Matt Harvey send his wife and daughter away, but leave his son Joe Harvey behind?"

This doesn't make sense. Even the soldiers in the castle have disappeared; Matt Harvey clearly made preparations. Joe Harvey staying behind wouldn't be of any help, and might even be kidnapped, just like he is now.

Unless Joe Harvey isn't his biological son.

Or perhaps he has other uses.

Ryuka couldn't help but look at Joe Harvey and ask:

"Are you... our biological child?"

Normally, such an impolite question would have made Joe Harvey furious. But now, he just gave a wry smile, unsure of what to say, and was even amused by Ryūka's sudden question.

The story he heard today, coupled with the fact that he had never received love from his father growing up, made him hope that wasn't the case.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it."

Seeing that Joe Harvey didn't answer, Ryuka shook her head, and without saying a word, she unleashed a burst of battle qi, causing Joe Harvey to collapse unconscious with a muffled groan. Then she turned and walked into the secret passage...

"You won't take them along, and you won't kill them either?"

"Perhaps he still has a use."

Ruklati was puzzled by Rukla's answer, but it was a choice Rukla had made after careful consideration.

"Alright, let me see what my good neighbor is up to in his basement..."

Chapter 25

To Ryūka's surprise, the secret passage led to a small room, which didn't resemble a secret laboratory. Matt Harvey knelt quietly in the center of the room. On the wall was a strange relief: a pair of black and white crosses stood upside down, with halos of opposite colors carved behind them. If the curves were pieced together, it would be remarkably similar to the yin-yang symbol that Ryūka was familiar with.

"My divine punishment has finally come."

Hearing footsteps behind him, Matt Harvey slowly rose and looked at Ryuka calmly. Ryuka appeared quite composed in the face of the great knight before him; he could easily subdue Matt Harvey, but his attention was drawn to the objects arranged around the room.

A pristine white wedding dress, a portrait of the two of them—Matt Harvey in the portrait, smiling, a stark contrast to the seemingly emotionless man before her. He rests his hand on the shoulder of the woman seated in a chair, while the white roses adorning her chest and her slightly protruding belly reveal her identity.

Noor Anthony's daughter.

Seeing Ryūka's scrutinizing gaze, Matt Harvey calmly spoke:

"I know what you're trying to say, it's so hypocritical, isn't it?"

“I don’t care.” Ryusha shook his head. He didn’t care what Matt Harvey was thinking. He just wanted the experimental records about Carmela.

"What did Carmela do back then? Where are her experimental records?"

“The study outside, the second row in the northwest corner.” Matt Harvey even joked with a straight face, “Of course, I heard you swinging your sword outside. I hope it wasn’t that row that was destroyed, as it’s a precious collection of wisdom.”

Ryuu frowned slightly. Matt Harvey had actually confessed so readily? He even considered verifying Matt's claims first, but Matt calmly said:

“You can get what you want by turning around and going out, but I have a lot to say to you.”

“I’m not interested for now. I’ll ask you what I want to know. Of course, that will be in the mission’s mobile prison, with Count Harvey of the ‘Chosen Ones’ organization.”

Ryuka sneered, then used the flat of her sword to unleash a burst of battle energy, knocking Matt Harvey to the ground. Seeing that he was indeed powerless to fight back, Ryuka couldn't understand why he had sent his family away but hadn't run away himself.

Although imprisoning another lord was against imperial law, Ryūsha didn't care. The man before her, Matt Harvey, was clearly not a normal lord, and regardless of what the other nobles and princes said, at least Tipalotura would believe her.

"You'll be interested. Because if you refuse, you'll miss out on much more valuable information. You're curious about Carmela and the organization behind her, right? I can tell you all about that..."

Matt Harvey struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said to himself:

“I’ve been waiting for someone to judge my crimes. Liu Xia from Linhu Town, I need to know if you are that person.”

Matt Harvey rarely smiled, but it was a mocking smile: "You already know about the Bauhinia Kingdom's plans, don't you? Those ignorant people think they only need to buy some more time to complete their research and use it to dominate the continent. Little do they know they are just pawns. It's ridiculous. So when they passed through Raven Ridge, I closed my eyes and let them pass. I wanted to know how you would treat them. Very good, child. You didn't alert them and prevented war from breaking out now."

Ryūsha's pupils contracted. He looked at Matt Harvey and asked in a deep voice:

"You know about the Bauhinia Kingdom? The war? Is it for the purpose of their research into magical technology? And teleportation magic?"

“That’s right, you are indeed very smart.” Matt Harvey’s eyes showed a hint of admiration.

"When Carmela handed over those technologies and magic to them, the nobles of the Bauhinia and Navel were ecstatic. Of course, their king was against it, but those ancient spells 'happened' to contain some methods to prolong the life of his witch daughter... which made him vulnerable. But the nobles wouldn't allow their king to accept only benefits that were advantageous to himself, so the coup took place... Now, the nobles who have enthroned the new king are ready for war, but it will take a little while."

"That's why they pretended to be compliant sheep and accepted the visit of the Otus Empire's delegation. The time for exchanging official documents between countries, plus the time the delegation spent traveling—that's what they needed..."

Listening to Matt Harvey's story, Ryusha was curious: what kind of technology could be so crazy as to make a small kingdom like the Bauhinia take action against a behemoth like Ottus?

Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; even with large-scale teleportation magic, the power of the Bauhinia Kingdom is insufficient to conquer the entire Otus. Yet they are in such a hurry to do this, when they could have taken their time and simply kept it from the Otus delegation…

More importantly, what exactly do Matt Harvey, Carmela behind him, and the organization called 'The Chosen Ones' want to do?

Matt Harvey smiled calmly, seemingly anticipating Ryuka's reaction to these words, but Ryuka remained unmoved.

"What does this have to do with me? It's just that the mission was canceled and the war started by the Otus Empire, not me personally."

Ryusha looked at Matt Harvey as if he were an idiot.

Matt Harvey was stunned. He looked at Ryūka with an incredulous expression:

"This is war? You don't care?"

The disappointed look on his face baffled Ryuga. What about the war? There was war everywhere on this continent, and even Tipalotura was planning a war with the Heretic Continent. Why did Matt Harvey look at him like he was some kind of messenger of justice, a saintly savior?

"I've been hearing all sorts of rumors coming from Sochi, and I thought you were a saint sent down by the gods, that finally someone was qualified to judge my sins. But alas..."

Matt Harvey shook his head in disappointment, a hint of madness in his eyes. He stared intently at Ryūka and drew the longsword from his waist.

"It seems you're just like Carmela, another self-willed 'tyrant'! People like you don't deserve to know the true meaning of this world!"

Matt Harvey unleashed astonishing power in an instant, charging forward at a speed surpassing even that of a Grand Knight. This surprised Ryuka, who had just delivered a heavy blow. But this attack posed no threat whatsoever. Ryuka merely shifted slightly, her sword precisely severing Matt Harvey's tendons, instantly robbing him of his strength and leaving him sprawled on the ground groaning in pain…

The next moment, the wound that was bleeding profusely slowly healed before Liu Xia's eyes, and the severed tendon was reconnected!

"This is?"

Meanwhile, Matt Harvey was praying frantically, and a strange power erupted from his body!

Chapter 26 Carmela's Portrait

Red blood seeped from the wound, repairing Matt Harvey's severed wrist. It looked remarkably similar to the black pus on Noor Anthony's body, except that he seemed to be suffering immense pain, enough to drive him mad.

"You cannot defeat me! I have offered my own flesh and blood to the gods! This is the power I deserve!"

That calm and refined demeanor was completely gone. Matt Harvey charged at Ryusha again, like a wild beast that knew no pain. Sparks flew as their longswords clashed, and even with Ruklati's blessing, Ryusha's black and gold longsword still couldn't cut through Matt Harvey's sword.

"Longgang".

Ruklati clicked her tongue. If she were in her complete form, she wouldn't even bother with such a rare metal. But right now, all she had was a fragment to provide her with power.

*Whoosh!* The intense vibration of the blade traveled to the arms of both Ryukatsu and Matt Harvey. Ryukatsu only stepped back slightly, but Matt Harvey's entire arm holding the sword swelled up, blood vessels bursting and muscles bulging. Despite possessing an indestructible weapon, the two were vastly different in strength. Just as Ruklati had said before, while dragon steel was tough, it couldn't completely protect the flesh that wielded it.

"clown……"

Ryūka's eyes turned cold. He couldn't understand what Matt Harvey was thinking at all. He seemed to be expecting him to kill him, but then flew into a rage after discovering that he wasn't the 'saint' he imagined. Despite possessing many secrets he wanted to know, he was such a madman, which gave Ryūka a sense of unease!

Although Matt Harvey was at a disadvantage in the clash of fighting spirits, his injured arm began to repair itself. Thick red fluid seeped from his pores, making his arm look like a mutated monster, which was completely out of place with his refined and handsome face.

Even with his monstrous regenerative abilities, far exceeding the strength of a Grand Knight, Ryūka remained unfazed. He was far inferior to him; Matt Harvey probably knew this too, but a strange smile played on his lips.

“If you are not a ‘saint,’ then you are just a ‘sinner’! A sinner like me! Then let me judge your sins! God will accept my devout offering and then grant me even greater power!”

Ryusha frowned, and just as he thought Matt Harvey was about to use some strange trick again, he turned and ran! He ran towards the exit of the secret passage!

But how could he possibly match Ryuka's speed? Before Matt Harvey could even step onto the first step, Ryuka's longsword was already aimed straight at his back! The sharp sword instantly pierced his spine!

This blow, powerful enough to paralyze someone, caused Matt Harvey to let out a painful roar, but he did not surrender. A holy rune lit up on his body! A beam of holy light instantly made him disappear from his spot!

Teleportation magic! It's simply a combination of the version Ryūka knows and the Papacy version that Sinatiel once used. This allows even the former Templar Knight, who can't use magic, to wield it!

This surprised Ryuka somewhat. Although she had severely injured Matt Harvey, given his strange self-healing ability, recovery was only a matter of time. So, the first thing she needed to know was where he had teleported to…

"'Offering to one's own flesh and blood'... It's Joe Harvey! Ryūsha! His healing ability must be related to his child! Damn it! The connection between lives... This seems like some kind of ancient secret technique! It must have evolved from the power of life and destiny that Idunir governs!"

Seeing that Ryukura was standing still and not giving chase, Ruklati couldn't help but shout anxiously.

During the ancient heretical wars, due to the fall of gods and the rampage of witches, many powers beyond the original scope of 'magic' flowed into the mortal world. They often cannot be understood using conventional power levels, but have their own strange operating rules, and it is no exaggeration to say that they are demigod-level secret arts.

In this respect, Ruklati understood more than Ryūsha. Especially as a demon sword, she understood that her power and rules originated from the remnants of the divine power that forged them, not from their own cultivation. In a sense, they were born of power, rather than being its complete controllers. And the power that Idunir leaked during its slumber was enough to become a key for mortals to explore and learn forbidden arts…

Bang! Matt Harvey slammed heavily onto the desk in the study. He struggled to his feet, gritted his teeth, and twisted the cross on the desk! The Dragon Steel door slowly closed, locking Liu Xia in the secret chamber. Although he knew this wasn't enough to imprison a Celestial Rank expert, it was enough to buy him time.

His lower body was completely numb, but the broken spine was slowly healing, only this time the pain was unimaginable! A beast-like roar escaped Matt Harvey's lips! After a few weak breaths, he looked at Joe Harvey, his son, lying on the ground, and sobbed, "..."

"My foolish son, how much better it would have been if he had killed you. Why, why do you make me do it myself, to deepen my sins?"

He slowly propped himself up, walked stiffly toward his son, raised the long sword in his hand, and two tears streamed down his merciless face.

"Forgive me, we are all sinners. If God does not judge us personally, self-judgment is the only salvation."

Matt Harvey gripped the longsword with both hands, and a strange runic circle appeared above Joe Harvey, with the sword tip at its center, ready to take his life.

"Father...Father?"

As the runes appeared, Joe Harvey opened his eyes, staring in disbelief at what lay before him. Though he didn't understand why, he felt his strength being gradually drained. This wasn't his meager strength as a knight, but rather the life force contained within every inch of his body, gradually gathering towards the magic circle. It seemed to originate from his father's life, wanting to return…

"That boy is just a sinner! Just like Carmela! A liar! Then why can't I be one too!"

Looking at his terrified son, Matt Harvey showed no pity, his eyes filled with madness. He roared, "Since even non-saints can obtain the 'chosen power,' then I will kill Ryūsha and steal God's favor!"

Just as the longsword was about to fall, two faint sounds of wind being cut rang out almost simultaneously...

*Swoosh*—Blood spurted from Matt Harvey's shoulders like rain. This time, it wasn't just a severing of tendons; both his arms had been completely severed at the root. Without the protection of the Dragon Steel Longsword, Ryusha's blade cut him down as easily as slicing butter.