Chapter 702: You Must Be Highborn

After only a few exchanges, Henwell has a clear measure of Alex's strength. She is indeed at the peak of the Iron Rank. Killing her would not be easy, but the fight should never look as evenly matched as it does.

Once Henwell concludes that she is likely one of the two assassins from the Abundant Continent, he begins searching for the other assassin.

With Henwell's combat strength, the woman before him is not his match.

Henwell is the only one who knows this. Jonathan and the others are all watching the battle.

From their perspective, Henwell is genuinely powerful, far beyond their expectations.

Jonathan asks the royal guardian beside him, "How strong is Henwell? How large is the gap between you?"

The guardian hesitates. "The lord of Blood Hill is powerful. I am not his match."

Jonathan asks, "If I send you over now, can you help our ally gain the upper hand?"

The guardian falls silent.

After a moment, he replies, "I would die there very quickly. The lord of Blood Hill is far stronger than I am. He is already standing at the threshold of the Glory Rank."

Jonathan pauses, then smiles and says nothing more.

He understands that the royal guardian fears Jonathan might actually order him into the fight.

Jonathan sighs. "Henwell truly is a genius. Why can't a genius like that serve me?"

The guardian replies, "Precisely because he is such a genius, he will never submit to anyone else."

Jonathan nods slowly. "True. My father could not control him, and neither can my younger brother Arius."

"How old is he this year? Thirty-five? Thirty-six?"

"If he survives this, who on the entire continent will be able to restrain him?"

"A Glory Knight before the age of forty. He commands a massive army, has unmatched military and political ability, and possesses peerless personal strength. How could he not unite the continent one day?"

Jonathan's expression turns cold. "That is why he must die here today. A genius like him cannot be allowed a long life."

"Giving him supreme talent and a long life as well would be unfair to everyone else on the continent."

The guardian cannot help asking, "Your Majesty, what if Henwell survives? What if he escapes?"

Jonathan answers calmly, "Then I would not know, because by that time, I would certainly be dead."

Meanwhile, Senar, the Eye of the Holy Spirit, watches Henwell's battle from the Church's position with a deep frown.

He looks troubled. He has already tried to estimate Henwell's strength as highly as possible, yet seeing the man fight still leaves him shaken.

A thin man beside him says gently, "My lord, do not be discouraged, and do not compare yourself to a man who is about to die."

"The future is what matters most. You are different from him because you still have a long road ahead."

"The Glory Rank is not your final destination. One day you will become a Domain Knight, and then an even higher Holy Knight."

Senar is in a foul mood. "Stop calling me 'my lord.' I know how great the gap is, and I can accept the fact that I am inferior to him."

The man smiles. "My lord, do you think those two from the Abundant Continent can kill Henwell?"

Senar shakes his head. "I don't know. This half-blood warrior is powerful. She is roughly my equal."

"If her partner is just as strong, then Henwell will certainly die here. If that still isn't enough, I will join them. At worst, I can return to the Abundant Continent and stay there for a few decades."

"In any case, Henwell must die here. Whether for the Church or the Empire, he must die."

The thin man's expression suddenly turns grave. He warns Senar in a low voice, "My lord, if those two fail, leave immediately."

"Then report me to the Church. Say that I cooperated with the Veil without authorization and distance yourself from the whole affair."

"Only if you remain alive will you have a chance to speak on my behalf. At worst, I will be imprisoned for a while. They will not kill me."

"I have told you before. As you grow stronger, you will gain more friends, but you will also draw more envy and hatred. Your life cannot bear a single stain."

Senar roars irritably, "Enough! I said enough! I told you not to call me 'my lord.'"

"You have arranged everything for me since I was a child. I am an adult now. I can protect myself, and I can take care of all of you."

Senar glares at the man, then turns to his subordinates. "This is my brother. He is not my subordinate, and he is not my servant."

"If I learn that any of you has mocked him again, then I swear by my ancestors that I will rip off the culprit's head, no matter who that person is."

The knights behind him immediately drop to their knees.

The thin man waves them farther away.

Once the knights have withdrawn, he sighs and laboriously raises a hand to pat Senar's shoulder.

Despite his anger, Senar bends down slightly so his elder brother can reach him.

The man chuckles. "Senar, it is enough for me to know that you still see me as your brother. But in front of outsiders, I must be your subordinate."

"You are the Eye of the Holy Spirit. You are the Empire's future Crimson Prince. You carry royal blood and descend from the gods."

"You cannot have a brother who was a slave, a brother who was a thief, or a brother with a crippled body."

"You must shine. You must stand above everyone else."

"Only then can Nicole and I survive beneath your light and have a chance at warm, peaceful lives."

Senar grits his teeth. Veins bulge across his forehead, and his hand tightens around the hilt of his sword.

"I will make all of them pay. I swear it."

Fighting spirit erupts from Senar as his emotions surge, and his brother jerks his hand back.

At the sound of a quiet cry of pain, Senar immediately reins in his fighting spirit and crouches in alarm. "Harry, I'm sorry. I..."

The man named Harry laughs at himself. "Look. The brother of the Eye of the Holy Spirit cannot be someone who carries the blood of a condemned people."

"Senar, you must forget your hatred. Forget everything we went through and treat it all as a ridiculous nightmare."

"You were never a lost member of the royal family, and you were never an illegitimate child."

"You were not raised by a serf. You must be highborn."

"Listen to me."

"This is for your own good, and for the good of all of us."

"Our lives are good now. At least they are far better than before. I no longer have to steal or worry every day about how to keep all of us fed."

"Nicole is receiving a good education, and you now hold a high position. You have become someone important and can take care of us in return."

Looking at the burned and festering palm of his elder brother, Senar's expression turns dejected. "I understand."

He then schools his features into a cold mask, rises, and continues watching the battle.

Harry smiles in satisfaction and limps backward.

With his back to his brother, Senar's face still burns with resentment, but he can only force down the fury in his heart.