"This is your final warning. Do not contact my daughter anymore. If you do, it will cost you more than your home."
That day, the duke that Mikhail had witnessed was nothing like a human being. In some aspects, the man was more dangerous than a magical beast. It was strange that the emperor remained relaxed even at the mention of him.
Where was his confidence coming from? Mikhail wondered.
"...Do you understand?" a voice said, coming from afar.
Who was there? Mikhail slowly walked toward the source of the sound. This was definitely the entrance to the basement…
Suddenly, Mikhail froze. Shocked by the unbelievable sight in front of him, his mouth fell agape.
"Understood, Your Majesty.”
The duke was kneeling on one knee while the emperor looked down upon him. They looked more like a master and his slave than a lord and his vassal.
Just then, the Dragon Knights, the emperor's bodyguards, approached. "Your Majesty, there is something that requires your attention."
"What is it?"
"The crown princess has left the Floyen family’s seats..."
The emperor’s forehead wrinkled. The plan with the beast depended on his and Regis' daughters being in their seats. "Then the princess is now—"
The emperor was about to inquire about the princess' whereabouts when a loud noise suddenly came from above. Recognizing it as the sound of a small firework, the emperor scowled. "Damn it—that’s the sign that Maximillian is coming back!” he shouted. "Go find the princess!"
Furious, Max spun around.
That damn fox. I warned him to stay away from what's mine. How dare he follow me? he grumbled to himself.
He managed to throw Frederich off the scent with ease, but the man's existence was still bothersome.
If I can, I’d like to show him who's superior.
Just then, Dennis quietly called out to him. "Your Highness,” he said, indicating something before them.
Max suppressed his vicious impulses to soundlessly observe the scene.
Some men guarding an enormous cage were engaged in idle chatter.
"I can't believe we’re stuck trailing the crown prince during an exciting event like this...” one of them bemoaned.
"What can we do? We have no choice but to obey our orders.”
It looked like these were the bastards that had been releasing the rare beasts. A sinister smile spread across Max's face once he recognized Count Pyrex's coat of arms.
"What should we do, Your Highness? Should we attack them?" Dennis asked. Max shook his head.
"No, I have a better idea."
"What is—"
"First, help me take off my armor."
Dennis' eyes widened. "Why do you want to do such a thing, Your Highness?"
"Oh, I want to disguise myself as a madman and attack them."
"I'm sorry?” Dennis asked, thoroughly puzzled. "Why would you go to such lengths? Shouldn't we just attack them right now?"
"Count Pyrex is one of the emperor's dogs. If we attack them now, we’ll be giving them an excuse for the emperor to pick on us later." Dennis groaned quietly at the explanation while Max took off his helmet. "The interesting thing is that Count Pyrex is one of the few nobles who know what I look like."
"Does that mean..." Dennis trailed off.
Max gave him a crooked smile. "Since there's no reason for us to attack them now, we’ll just make one."
Of the four wild beasts, one had run off into the wilderness, and two had been captured by the crown prince. Now, only one was left. Count Pyrex, drinking from his canteen, instinctively turned in the direction of the arena.
What the hell was he doing this for? At first, he believed he would be praised if he obeyed the emperor's orders. However, his doubt and resentment grew the more he thought about his situation. There was no way the emperor would acknowledge his efforts, and he knew it.
Damn it! This is all because of that damn Mikhail! he cursed inwardly.
Still, he couldn't act rashly as it was unclear what kind of reprimand he would receive if he failed to fulfill his mission today.
He raised his voice. "Prepare to release the beast soon!"
A few moments passed, and a knight suddenly yelled, "Who's there?! If you come close, you’ll be attacked!"
Frowning slightly, Count Pyrex guzzled his drink. Who was it and how did he get in here? The arena was owned by the royal family. Civilians weren’t permitted to enter at this time. That meant that this unknown man had to be someone participating in the hunting competition. What a fool. He either got lost or was disqualified.
For a moment, Count Pyrex worried about what might happen if the stranger asked about the beast in the cage. Then, competence took over. They could simply drive him away by force if he was a mercenary. If he was a knight or a nobleman, they could just say that this is a beast they had captured.
At that moment, an unexpected scream echoed through the air. Count Pyrex jumped up with a frown. Was that an ambush? What a fearless idiot. Despite everything, the count was still considered the third most skilled swordsman in the empire. He was confident that he wouldn’t lose a duel to anyone unless his opponent was Duke Floyen.
"What's the matter?" the count asked once he reached the site of commotion.
Several knights were surrounding a hooded man. Furrowing his brow, the count took a swig of his drink. His knights couldn’t even keep up with a single person. How pathetic.
Once his canteen was empty, Count Pyrex tossed it behind him.
Bang!
With everyone's attention now focused on him, the count raised his voice. "Everyone, get out of my way! I will deal with him!"
The knights made way at his command and he rushed to the assailant.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing filled the air. The count stared at the mysterious man guarding against him. He gave the man all he had, yet the man still managed to fend off his attack.
Count Pyrex wielded a bastard sword with two hands. It was blunt and heavy, but its strength made up for its lack of speed because it often destroyed his opponent's weapon with ease. However, the stranger was blocking his strikes with an ordinary longsword. Impressive.
The count smiled. Still, an ordinary person couldn’t beat a swordsman who utilized mana. In seconds, a faint light surrounded his crude blade.
I’ll break your sword in half! he decided to himself.
With a shout, Count Pyrex attempted to push his opponent's sword away. However, his opponent's silver sword suddenly began to take on a red hue.