Ch. 52 - A Huge Change

"Is this all because of your father, Marquis Hierak?! Has he been wanting to rebel since long ago?!" Lucia roared out. It made her tender voice sound a little hoarse. These words reached Lex's ears, but he wore an unsettling expression instead. A look of hatred and accusation filled his face.

"Lucia, you are disappointing me. Who am I? Lex from the Appanra Steel Clan! I am the descendant of the glorious and wise Appanra Steel Clan! That man, however-"

At the end of his sentence, the soldier who had disposed of the corpses, came while carrying the body of an old man stabbed with numerous spears. Lucia could see at a glance that the old man was none other than Lex's own father, Marquis Hierak.

Lex looked at his father's corpse with contempt and then cursed, "From the time the kingdom was founded, our Appanra Steel clan was the chief commander of the entire army. Without our clan, the Kingdom of Aixinzhe would have been destroyed by the surrounding kingdoms long ago!"

Lex took a step forward, his face contemptuous. "This man is a disgrace as a patriarch of the Appanra Steel clan. He is holding a third of the kingdom's military strength in his hands; the only army that has been tested through the numerous wars, but this idiot doesn't even dare to think that the kingdom of Aixinzhe belongs to our clan! He has let me down too much. When I proposed a series of plans for rebellion, instead of getting excited and prepare the things we needed, he wanted to send me to your father to be convicted! This coward has been corrupted by chivalry values! He doesn't deserve to be the patriarch, let alone the new king of Aixinzhe!"

Turning his head to look the stunned Lucia in the eyes, Lex said, "God, on the other hand, favors me. He gave me a woman, a woman who will become a queen in the future. This rebellion would not have succeeded without you, Lucia. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to get rid of all the generals and nobles in the kingdom who opposed me in one night! And you know what? It was ordained by God. Now, come. Come right into my arms. The kingdom is now all ours!"

"No, no!" Lucia abruptly stood up. While leaning against the door and growling in pain, she said, "You broke my heart, as well as my love for you, you bastard with a human face and a monster heart! I swear I will make you regret what you did today as long as I'm alive!"

Lex frowned. He walked towards Lucia, opened his hands, and said, "Don't worry, honey. I still love you. I want you to bear me a son, a son who will inherit this land that has been conquered from our ancestors! Lucia, come."

Who would've guessed that Lucia would keep getting further away. She didn't have any intention to approach him at all.

"You sadden me, love," Lex affectionately said. Suddenly he talked to the soldiers behind him with a stern face. "Take the queen to rest, she is already sleepy."

"No, don't come here!" Lucia leaned against the wall in panic, watching the soldiers expressionlessly raise their armored arms and were about to reach out to Lucia.

Suddenly there was a flash of light, one that was akin to a thunderbolt before their eyes. When they went to look for the source of the light in question, they saw an old man with white hair, covered in a luxurious and bulky full-body plate armor standing in front of Lucia. There was a thin and long rapier in his hand. His expression was full of strong rage and hatred. After a 'boom' sound, the bodies of the soldiers shook before blood burst out from their bodies all over. Their bodies and armor had been ripped apart. They became mere pieces of meat before falling to the ground.

"Uncle Brandt!" Lucia cried with joy. She became happy when she saw who her savior was.

Lex looked at the old man, whose previously sunken face immediately became icy. He said in a low voice, "Count Brandt, the head of the Two-Headed Dragon Knight. Brandt, The Sky Knight. I'm surprised you didn't die from the poisoned wine!"

"Sorry, Lex." Brandt shook the thin sword in his hand and gestured something.  A dozen or more people in various costumes emerged from behind him to protect Princess Lucia. He took a glance at the fallen Ju De'an's body that was lying in a pool of blood. The next words that came out from his mouth next were full of an unfathomable rage.

"Lex! You have assassinated the king and seized the throne, brutally slaughtering countless nobles in the process. Moreover, you've poisoned our king, my former best friend! What a shame that I'm old, so I no longer drink. Your efforts were futile."

Lex retreated slightly to take out the magic props from his pocket. However, his subtle action was seen by Brandt. As a result, Brandt immediately threatened him.

"Lex, you'd better make a wise decision. Despite my age, I still have the strength of a ten-star fighter. Furthermore, I am a magical swordsman. You won't even be able to think of using any magic props."

Sure enough, Lex stopped the movement of his hands when he heard Brandt's warning. A ten-star fighter, that was the highest level of strength a fighter can achieve. It was the equivalent of half a magic guide's power. Plus, he was also a magic swordsman. This meant his  strength potentially exceeded the fighter level standard that was used by the continent. He was not someone Lex could deal with.

Brandt, with a triumphant smile on his lips, commanded his subordinates behind him, "Take the princess and leave the kingdom. The farther you go, the better."

"No, I'm not going! Let me go!" Lucia looked at the warriors whose chest was either marked with five stars or seven stars and roared unwillingly. However, Brandt suddenly slapped Lucia in the face while glaring and shouting at her, "What are you screaming about?! I really can't stand you spoiled nobles. Go! The kingdom has fallen. The lords of the land are either dead or switched sides! This is no longer Ju De'an's Aixinzhe!"

Lucia stared blankly at Brandt, who was angry but regretful. The tears in her eyes fell down again.

"Here!" Brandt suddenly threw a small stone slab wrapped in cloth to Lucia's arms. Seeing Lucia's puzzled expression, Brandt said with a smile, "This is the treasure your father entrusted to me. He said the kingdom may be destroyed, but this stone slab must never be lost. It contains a power that could even make a giant dragon tremble."

Looking at Lucia, who gradually got a hold of herself as determination filled her eyes,  Brandt suddenly teased, "Although I have not found out anything special even after decades of looking at it, it can be considered a relic from your father. Go, don't come back! Find a place for yourself and live well, child."

Clutching the slab in her arms, Lucia realized that Brandt was saying goodbye to her. She immediately struggled and cried bitterly, "Uncle, Uncle Brandt! No!"

However, Brandt's iron-hearted subordinates only gave him a military salute before silently carrying Lucia and fleeing away.

"Don't leave! Give me back my queen!"

How could Lex let them take his lover away in such a grand way? Just as he was about to chase after her, Brandt blocked his way with the tip of his sword. His long white beard shook on his chin when he smiled and said, "Lex, don't worry. Let's have a chat with uncle."

Lex stopped abruptly. He looked at Brandt who was unmovable and still smiling. Biting his lips and gritting his teeth, Lex said, "If you don't want to let me pass, kill me! Just kill me!"

"Of course I want to kill you!" Brandt answered immediately, causing Lex to take half a step back in fright. He vigilantly looked at the long sword in Brandt's hand that was pointing at him. But then Brandt murmured, his tone heavy, "Of course I want to kill you. But once you die, Aixinzhe will really be finished. Nubia and Kasmi will never let this opportunity slip by. Everything Ju De'an lived for, his ambition is about to be destroyed. And Lucia? How can a person who can't even kill a little rabbit govern the country?"

After he finished speaking, Brandt firmly looked at Lex, whose mouth agape in a daze, and said, "Aixinzhe is now solely dependent on you. Although you've killed my friends, subordinates, and king, now I can only rely on you, kid."

"Yo, Brandt is here too."

The two fell into a strange silence when a calm and wise voice suddenly came from behind Lex. Brandt heard the voice and looked towards the source. His brows furrowed when he saw who it was.

"So it's your doing, old man."

Comments