"N-no way…" Duke Maxim's hands trembled the moment he read the message. "This can't be!"
How could this thing happen so conveniently when the nobles were paralyzed?
Why did the north suddenly attack?
Could it be that the North was waiting for this chance to attack and also fight for the throne?
"I didn't see this coming?" He frustratedly slammed his office table and rubbed his head, feeling the deep stress from the matter.
He never thought of the possibility of Valentin's younger brother trying to covet the throne. All he thought about was how they would take control of it by making Kazimir the successor.
Now, he was even being watched in the capital while his territory was attacked. Furthermore, he was not able to contact his people on the land. The purple traces from the notification paper was a sign that the members out there are in a desperate situation and that they might have used the power of the curse to ensure that the message reached his side.
"What to do??" He paced back and forth to think of a way to somehow check the situation.
He cannot appeal right away to the Emperor, that's the worst part of this situation. Because once he asked for the Imperial Family's support, the hidden wealth of his estate would most likely be discovered by the troops that the Emperor would send.
Even if they would not report this to the Emperor, someone would have to report it to him. However, why would he choose to be passive and wait for the Emperor to notice?
By the time help would come, his land would be gone and so is his pride!
"No, I can't just sit here and wait for nothing!" Duke Vesala, hurriedly walked and headed outside the estate where the Imperial Sky knights were still stationed all over the estate.
"Greetings, Your Grace, Duke Maxim. How may I help you?" The Lieutenant immediately spotted the agitated Duke Maxim, he saluted and attentively asked his cause.
"I need to seek an audience with the Emperor! It's a matter of the peace of the Empire!" Duke Vesala immediately ordered the Lieutenant, gesturing to the Lieutenant to escort him to the palace.
"This… Your Grace, I apologize for not entertaining your request right away, for our orders from the Emperor are absolute. However, I will send someone to deliver your message to the Emperor, so that he would decide to give you a grant to an audience." The Lieutenant respectfully bowed and declined Duke Vesala's orders skillfully.
Duke Vesala knew that he would not be able to immediately get to the Emperor, so he gritted his teeth and said, then wait for a moment, I must send a letter to the Emperor, I trust you to send it to them as fast as possible.
While he may appear to have backed out of the confrontation, he still showed a displeased expression. With a darkened mood, he planned to call his sister Carolina and tell the news. He hoped that his sister may think of a way to plead to the Emperor directly as the Empress of the Seirende empire.
That is his only hope.
–
Meanwhile, the battle in the Vesala's estate was already nearing its end.
The knights and the cursed army who defended the estate were slowly getting defeated and the Northern Army was already planning to increase the phase of the invasion to sweep the entire estate.
They were also hoping to find more incriminating evidence of the Vesala's sins.
"The operation is looking good. With the help of the cure potion, our men would have another lease of life whenever they encounter the opponents with cursed weapons." Governor Fidel watched over the battlefield and assessed the situation, they were standing at the highest point of the estate.
"Hmm… But that purple bomb was really tricky… If not for the survivors of the first attack, the damage that could be done by the purple bomb would affect us significantly." Grandmaster Andvari commented. "Sigh, it's too bad that we were not able to research about making a protective item to shield against the cursed purple bomb!"
However, they could not blame anyone for this. It was already a miracle to have the cure potion discovered on time. As for other things, that may have to be made in the future.
"I agree… As of the matter of this bomb, we have no choice but to use our own abilities to dodge and avoid getting hurt by the bomb. Setting that aside, we may most probably be able to finish the attack before the sun sets." Governor Fidel replied. Although the situation is favoring their side, there was not a trace of complacency and carelessness in his actions.
Suddenly, the two men immediately sensed something that was amiss. Without taking a single word, the two immediately jumped away from their spots and went into another spot.
Boom! As soon as they managed to jump to another location, a loud violent explosion occurred in their original position.
The originally high point of the estate was now flattened like a pancake. With how sudden and huge the explosion was, the battlefield momentarily stopped.
At that moment all eyes were on the direction where the explosion happened. Their eyes went wide open as soon as the haze cleared for they now see a person… no the creature would not be considered a person anymore.
A humanoid beast was standing at the center of all the rubble. His body was twice bigger than an average knight. Bulging dark purple veins were all around its muscles, pulsating as if it was sending some kind of electric current on its body.
Aside from its hideous form, the nauseating stench of blood dripping in the corners of its mouth and smeared all over its body made the creature's appearance more frightening.
Grrrrr…
A hair-raising growl could be heard on the silent battlefield. Everyone, may it be the expert Northern army, or the cursed army immediately felt a strong sense of crisis.
It even intensified when the creature looked in the direction of the nearest group of Northern knights. It bared its teeth and raised its foot, stepping slowly to approach the worn-out man.
They have to run! Flee for their lives!
It doesn't matter what direction they would flee, as long as the creature would not look at them directly.
However, when they gathered the strength in their legs, it seemed like their fear caused every bit of their energy to disappear. They stayed frozen, having lost the ability to even use their legs.
But the beast was still approaching and as soon as he got into his attacking range, it released a pressurizing aura that immediately rendered its targets lost their will to live.
This is the end of their life! They thought as they could only helplessly see the hand being swung towards them.
Zoom!
Just as they closed their eyes to accept their deaths, they felt a sharp gust of the wind waking them up from their illusions. They were still alive and well, they were not worn out and they were even holding their heavy swords with ease!
"What are you doing, men! Run and don't let him get you! You will be caught by his illusion!" An aged yet authoritative voice rang on the battlefield, it was so loud that the sound waves could pierce the eardrums of the men on the battlefield.
It was Grandpa Andi, using his S Level Devourer abilities to wake up everyone in the illusion by amplifying his voice.
"Grandmaster!" The knights shouted gratefully and worriedly at Grandpa Andi, it was not that they were looking down on him. But the creature was so fearsome that they immediately wondered if an S class mage could match up against it.
"Haven't you heard my words? Go away, let this monster not get you!" Grandpa Andi didn't face the knights and only bravely looked at the strong enemy in front of him.
It was such a nerve-wracking sight to see a dwarf, who was only about three-fourths the height of a man, face a large creature more than twice bigger than him.
However, they knew that the dwarf that was already facing the enemy was the strongest person around. They prayed that his strength was enough to subdue the enemy.
Grandpa Andi carefully observed the creature. He had long studied everything that Eli and the bunch were able to discover about the curses, but none of them explained the creature in front of him.
"This was probably what the Vesalas had been doing behind our backs!" A seething rage rose from his chest, for even how distorted and grotesque the creature in front of him looks like, he knew that it was previously a person.
"Fidel, lead the men away from this battlefield. Hasten to clear the estate so that I can fight this creature freely." Grandpa Andi calmly ordered Governor Fidel. His expression was disturbingly calm as he accessed his space bag and took out an intricately made silver broadsword.
"I don't know what kind of life you have lived, but I cannot let you roam around freely…I must end you here." Grandpa Andi pointed the tip of his sword towards the creature who answered him with a threatening growl,
"Ngrrrrrr, Try then..."
