“Oh? So it would seem that the king doesn’t wish to meddle in my affairs even after my master has taken his daughter. Is that what you’re saying?” Kingsman asked as he stood by the massive gates of the city Terry now ruled.

“I don’t see how a mere adventurer could have gained such power and influence over such a short time but still. As this city of Areledon has been taken over by a man wishing for war, the king asks that your boss, Steadhart, hand over his daughter,” replied a thin but fit man covered with a green cape under which was shining white armor which was under the effects of a camouflage enchantment.

“Then why would he leave her here?” Kingsman asked.

“While that isn’t of your concern, the princess was brought here to simply watch over this city and make sure that peace was kept between my king and king Ragnoe,” replied the man.

“He thought it was something like that, but he wanted me to get to know you through your words. And considering how you speak and act, there’s no chance of recruiting you I guess,” Kingsman said as he shook his head and frowned.

The man shifted instantly, ready for a possible attack. The trees shifted further away from the gate as Terry could clearly see from the light provided by the sun that loomed overhead.

“What do you mean by that?” barked the man in anger.

“Steadhart was hoping to be friends and help to create a longstanding, peaceful relationship between him and your king but alas, such was not meant to be,” Kingsman continued.

“So, your point?” asked the man.

“We mean no disrespect to your king but after how I feel he has treated my master, I have no choice but to impart these important words.”

“Hmm?” asked the man.

“F*ck off…”

Slash!

Kingsman stood firmly and still as he looked down at the gleaming metal piercing his right arm, dripping red blood across his black skin.

“Alright. Now that the message has been sent, I suggest you return to the sender,” Kingsman replied in a calm voice.

The man before him glared fiercely before stepping back, removing his sword from Kingsman’s flesh.

“Even after that, you refuse to attack the messenger. I guess that you aren’t as bad as I thought. Still, we’ve already succeeded,” said the man with a snicker.

“Yeah, I know. I guess me and your king are going to be on pretty bad terms when he learns that all of you are dead,” Kingsman muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” asked the man, curious of Kingsman’s composure.

“Don’t worry, your guys don’t stand a chance against my master,” Kingsman continued.

“We’ll see about that. And you’d better be wrong, for your sake…” the man said as he threw something upon the ground and disappeared.

Damn, Kingsman thought. Master predicted these guys exactly.

“Oh good, you’ve secured the target,” said the man as he stood with several other cloaked individuals in a forest outside of Areledon.

“Why? You thought we would fail? While we sensed a few strong presences, we were able to avoid them. We grabbed the princess easy enough but she is under the effects of some enslavement or poison which could be why she wasn’t guarded well,” explained a few of the individuals.

The individuals each wore black or brown cloaks which effectively covered armor and blades underneath. Attached to the back of one of the larger individuals was a large wooden crate of sorts.

“I expected something like that. I guess that we’ll just keep her sealed up in there and dispel the effects back in the capital. One thing though, you made sure to appraise her, right?” asked the man.

“Of course boss, such is our job. Don’t worry, we’ve won. Funnily enough, we saw Navarre also in good condition so we can expect Entema to be weakened and our king can take over,” replied the others.

“Good, good. This ‘Steadhart’ fellow is truly something to take over a city and betray Navarre who is his master. Well, let’s get a move on then,” said the man before sitting down upon the thick grass.

“Alright, we should take a rest here for a few hours,” said the man as he stood atop a tree in the dense forest.

“You said it boss, even we need breaks to deliver the princess safely. Right Alm?” asked one of the individuals to the large man carrying the crate.

“Don’t worry about it, the princess has been quiet. Likely sleeping, so I didn’t have much reason to tire,” said the large man.

“Is that so, well, we’ll take it from you anyways since we can’t have you working too hard. I’ll take it after we rest,” said another one of the individuals.

“Sure thing,” replied the large individuals as many of them gathered atop the thick branches of a few trees to rest their weary bones while a member of the group watched the surrounding area intently.

The large individual, hoping to check on and feed the princess, removed the crate from his broad shoulders before unlocking the top. He lifted the lid to see the smooth, white face and long, red hair of the princess.

The man reached out his hand to move the hair covering her eyes which lay closed.

“Heh, beautiful as always. I wish I could just take her and run away. Still, I got a wife and kids of my own so that’s too bad,” mumbled the large man as he grabbed a small loaf of bread from a small pouch at his side before dropping it into the crate. He checked the sides of the crate where little slits had been cut to remove possible waste from the crate.

Clack!

The man closed the crate and locked it securely before lying against the trunk of a tree, holding the crate to his chest in his lap before him to keep it from falling.

The men of the group had begun to sleep soundly except for 1 who watched the surroundings as a lookout.

[Deactivating Impersonate]

[Activating Muffler]

[Activating Bane of Humans]

[Equipped Hellspawn Overlord’s Skin=???? Defense; High resistance to magic; Demon/Hellspawn abilities increased]

[Equipped Daora’s Fang=518 damage; Emits powerful acid when striking foes; Able to provide antidote for many poisons]

[Equipped Obsidian King Face=???? Defense; Nullify any and all facial damage.]

The crate began to expand a bit before a short, green blade tore through the wood, deep into the neck of the large man.

[Inflicting poison]

The large man attempted to struggle and shout but no sound left his body. Unable to resist further, poison circulated through his bloodstream and his head was forced back against the tree, lifeless.

[Acquiring soul]

Damn, that impersonate skill can change anything about my body and even make me a literal girl, interesting. While I should feel surprised, I have honestly lost interest in anything but the mission, killing these fools and returning to Areledon, Terry thought. Although I pity those who have a family, their deaths will make the lives of far more people better.

Terry listened to the world around him briefly, seeing who was awake and asleep, watching him and not, alive and dead.

Since nobody’s looking this way, I should make my move. Muffler is really handy for things like this. Same with Bane of Humans, Terry thought happily as he carefully exited the crate. While no sound was produced from Terry exiting the crate, he was careful to avoid any pieces falling from the crate to the ground where his skill couldn’t reach.

Terry turned to one of the individuals as they lay upon a thick, tree branch. Based on the breathing of the individual, they were a man and awake.

Jump!

Terry smiled as Daora’s fang penetrated into the neck of yet another foe.

[Inflicting Poison]

[Activating Soul Weapon Materialize]

“Well lookie here, we have a shifter!” exclaimed a loud voice behind Terry as he felt a cold knife slide against his throat.

[Activating Vampire Sight]

A man stood behind Terry as he could tell from the breathing and size. Although, before the man could inflict a single move to harm Terry, he fell to the ground as a corpse, brain matter and blood pooling into his skull.

The remaining members of the group awoke and turned to their comrade who had fallen from the branch.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, these guys are some sort of special ops in service to a big king who I imagine pays whatever they want,” Terry mumbled to himself before emptying what bullets he could into the foes closest to him and throwing Daora’s fang to poison another while freeing his left hand.

Splurt!

[Activating Resolve]

Terry winced in pain as three of the remaining foes who had managed to dodge bullets, whipped out long, red daggers which penetrated deeply into Terry’s left hand, mouth, and leg while also slicing clean through his gun.

“Ooh, it looks like you’re in for a whole lot of torture after what you’ve done to my comrades. Still, you did a good job surviving but will no longer be able to use that left hand and mouth of yours along with that weird magic blaster,” laughed a girl who was one of the individuals.

“Heh, a-- -ere I -ough- -y -e- -a- -he o--y -ar- -o- -ar-e- (heh, and here I though my leg was the only part you harmed)” Terry laughed as he held a red dagger tightly between his fanged teeth. So they did have guns, just instead of bullets, they used magic, Terry thought. Typical…

[Item Relinquished]

[Materializing Left Hand of Thomalus]

The individuals each used their remaining hands to grab for another dagger but were too late as Terry’s teeth crunched into the dagger.

Crunch!

The daggers in both Terry’s mouth and hand were cracked before Terry spit out one while utterly shattering the other.

[Activating Blood Regeneration]

[Activating Appraisal]

[Sever-All Stilleto (Replica)=???? Attack; Sever any and all that comes into contact with this blade that the wielder willingly attacks]

Damn, Terry thought. What a terrifying ability. Although, I guess that since it’s a ‘replica’ it has limits like being unable to cut through the Left Hand of Thomalus as well having no effect if I touch only the flat rather than the blade. As for my leg…

[Activating Blood Regeneration]

[Activating Shadow Wings]

Slash!

Terry swung his arm to tear through the foes he faced before gazing upon the 2 remaining individuals, one of which retreated at incredible speed while the other charged at Terry to finish him off.

[Activating Spur]

Slash!

As he stood beside his foe, Terry removed his blood-covered hand from their chest before sucking out the sweet blood.

“H-how can you-” muttered the man with his last words.

Terry dropped the body to the ground before smiling as the black ooze covering Terry’s body began to pulse from the blade in his leg before shooting it outward, causing it to strike a thick tree trunk which was immediately severed.

“Damn, even though I concentrated the armor there, the blade cut clean through my leg, the bone included. Thankfully, I don’t need both legs to catch your buddy since a pair of wings should get the same job done,” Terry laughed before flapping his wings in a gust of wind to chase his foe through the dense forest of trees.

[Activating Overwhelming Strength]

[Activating Spur]

[Activating Acrobatics]

Bang!

Terry quickly reached his foe’s corpse as blood spilled out of a small hole in their stomach.

“You, what in the hell are you?” spat the individual as their hood slid off their face, revealing that of a young girl.

“Damn, it would be a shame to kill you. Hmm, why not surrender yourself and serve me?” Terry asked as he slowed his wings to a slow glide, helping him stand strong.

“Tch, idiot. To think that I’d be spared on the battlefield, why?” asked the girl as she moved her arms to quickly draw her pair of red blades. She held the blades towards Terry as a sort of shield.

“Now now, women don’t belong on the battlefield. Especially pretty ones like you,” Terry said with a smile as he slowly advanced.

[Activating Allure]

[Activating Interrogation]

“Besides, I only trust information as important as my true abilities and class to those who serve me. Tell me, why serve a frail fool when you can serve me?” Terry asked the woman as he walked closer, lifting his right hand towards her face.

“Hah, hahaha! While you’re strong, you don’t hold a candle to his majesty. Even all of us combined wouldn’t defeat him. While you strike me as a good man, I’m sorry to say that his majesty is leagues above you,” laughed the woman.

Terry expected the answer and remained quiet.

[Activating Read Minds]

What’s up with this idiot? Is he a monk or something who has never even heard of his majesty? While I can sense incredible strength from this man, and his left hand especially, his majesty was able to defeat a Hellspawn Overlord with almost no help. His majesty has killed several dragons and is an honorary member of The Ten. I’ve heard that he has even reached level 200, making this man not even an ant before him. Still, his majesty should know that this man is special so I shouldn’t delay further.

I expected him to be stronger but to hear not even a single chance of me winning… I may not have shown my full power but still, this is a bit much. I need to reach level 100 at least and even then, I’ll need to find out just where the hell I am since the Temple doesn’t even exist here. This, ‘king,’ or ‘Salorg’ considering what the guildmaster said, rules and should have my answers, Terry concluded.

Terry glimpsed at the woman as she held her blades tightly but was unable to make any moves with her injury.

Slash!

Blood sprayed the green grass red in the area surrounding Terry and the woman as a large head suspended in midair spun twice before hitting the ground, causing the flesh to coat the grass and the blood to seep into the fertile soil beneath.

“Damn, I was so surprised by my weakness against the king that I reflexively slashed her head from her shoulders. I guess that it doesn’t matter too much considering that I’m turning her into a ghoul but I still wanted to preserve the bodies as much as possible for the big event. Whatever, at least I can now collect the nice weapons and whatever else they have,” Terry muttered to himself as he reached out his right hand to grip the red knife.

Slash!

Terry jumped back reflexively as the blade exploded into a red smoke after tearing through even the bone in his right hand.

[Activating Blood Regeneration]

Damn, Terry thought. I guess that even this world can be high-tech in a sense. To think that it takes a certain fingerprint… Then again, I have no use for these fakes with my weapons as strong as they are so I’ll just see if the ghouls can use them.

[Activating Raise Ghouls]

The headless body of the woman began to squirm about as it attempted to lift itself from the bloody earth. Terry, who had noticed the blood spilling from the vulnerable neck, lifted the severed head which he used torn cloth to tie to the woman’s armpits to keep the head from falling.

“Perfect, so my ghouls can touch the blades. While they aren’t the best of users and have terrible skills by default, these new ones may prove interesting,” Terry said as he surveyed his surroundings for any tracks he had left. “You know, I probably don’t need to cover my tracks considering how I’m the only suspect if these guys are figured to be dead. Haah, I guess I should just hurry back to Areledon before I get a full army. Considering that an elite group came this fast, I should have at least a week or so before an overwhelming force can show. And by then…”

Terry signaled for his ghoul to follow him as he walked to where there was a larger concentration of the ghouls. Terry kept himself from using the likes of Spur as it would overexert his precious witnesses…

“Heh, I’m glad that somebody civilized actually came,” Terry laughed with a beaming smile as he sat atop the cleaned bed of the baron’s bedroom which had now been repaired along with the walls that Terry had destroyed. Naturally, the human and demihuman slaves did the work.

“I had to do so considering that you have the king’s younger brother here as a hostage,” replied a tall man as he stood before Terry in black and gold robes. He had no guards but Terry could feel the power emanating from the man. In fact, the man was actually similar in strength to Terry. A ‘Very Dangerous’ foe according to Appraisal.

“I’m glad that we have a chance to compromise but tell me, what are you offering me and for what?” Terry asked.

“I hope for you to return Navarre to his brother, King Entema and you shall be rewarded with a spot as the new baron of this land if you so choose,” the man explained.

“And if I refuse?” Terry asked as he glared at his possible foe.

“I’m merely a messenger relaying the wishes of my king in as kind a manner as I can. If not, then my king may use force against you,” replied the man as he slid his hands into his pockets.

“Seriously, that's all you have to offer? If so, you can tell your king to f*ck off along with his brother who I’ll torture to death before him,” Terry said in a provoking manner.

The messenger rumed and his veins pulsed but remained still.

“How much is the ransom?” asked the man.

“Heh, considering who my boss is, I don’t desire money but how about a position?” Terry asked.

“I’m listening,” replied the man.

“Make me a prince,” Terry suggested.

“I’m afraid that that is too much of a demand, especially since I’m not nearly strong enough to offer such a thing” replied the man.

“Oh really? Then why don’t I take you hostage as well?” Terry suggested as he drew Elculem from its sheath and pointed it at the man.

“I have told you, I am only a messenger. If you take me hostage as well, then you will be punished severely,” warned the man.

[Activating Read Minds]

I wonder what could have changed Steadhart to make him betray Navarre. But even more than that, how did Steadhart become strong enough to enslave all of Areledon? And how did he get such powerful allies as a Dragonkin and that man known as Kingsman? Now he wants to capture me as well. I could end this guy right here but for now I guess I’ll let myself be captured and retrieve Navarre and the princess. Then I can figure out what exactly made him such scum before punishing him accordingly along with all the citizens who have decided to serve him.

I see, Terry thought. He’s being submissive in order to have the best shot at rescuing Navarre and possibly the princess. Although he is stupid enough to believe me to be Steadhart as well think that the citizens willingly serve me, he’s smart, real smart, which makes me want him even more…

“Hah, I expect to be punished and even die, but as long as I can get revenge on that bastard king, I will be satisfied. And having more hostages will surely help me, no?” Terry laughed.

“Tch, king Entema will slaughter you and all you love,” spat the man as Ryan seized him strongly.

While the man could’ve easily slaughtered Ryan, he made sure to feign weakness in order to keep up the little charade he thought was still in effect.

Terry turned to leave the sight of the man before weakly plunging Daora’s fang into his chest.

[Activating Alchemic Blood]

Terry removed the blade from the small hole he had made before smiling.

[Assimilating Poison]

[Activating Blood Regeneration]

“What now?” asked the man as he stared in shock at the blade before him.

“Oh, I thought you would’ve done your research but I guess not. Now I know that I can win against you guys,” Terry laughed crazily.

While struggling, the man refrained from using his true powers, likely hiding some antidote with him which Terry expected.

Terry signaled to Ryan who began to tear the fine clothing from the man. But while the man struggled, he continued to control himself.

“I’ll give you a final chance, do you have any intention of serving me?” Terry asked.

Pthoo!

Thick saliva was spat from the lips of the man against Terry’s black mask before sliding down and dripping to the floor.

Terry thrust angrilly Daora’s fang deeply into the skin of the man, who moaned in pain, blood dripping from the wound as poison began to replace it.

[Inflicting Poison]

In response, Ryan quickly tore what little clothing remained from the man before leading him out of the room and into the dungeon as Terry watched, smiling beneath his mask.

“Heh, what a fool, he has no idea that he will soon be terminated for rejecting my kind offer, even if it was of almost no use to him. He truly believes me weak now and I can easily escape even today if I want. Still, I will wait a few more days to escape,” muttered the messenger to himself as he sat in his cell. Next to him lay the fat pig, Navarre Ragnroe who continued to sleep with not much else to do.

Hector watched the men while gripping his axe tightly in his left hand while using his right hand for signing documents of sorts. There were several other cells which Hector glanced through every few seconds but he remained right beside the cell of the messenger and Navarre.

While the 2 men were in the same cell, the princess was nowhere to be found. Previously, the messenger had been in several other cells in the few jails of Areledon but due to his ‘good behavior’ and the ‘information’ he had given to Terry, he had gotten the chance to make sure of Navarre’s condition and tend to his every need which consisted of the occasional beatings causing the messenger to be covered with bruises.

While the messenger had no clothing nor tools of escape, he had been given plenty of time to resist the poison induced by Daora’s fang even without a direct antidote. Now he was strong enough to tear his way out of the jail by force while keeping things covert. Still, he wouldn’t be able to fight and instead would have to retreat to maximize the safety of his target.

A massive shadow entered the dim, torchlit jail.

“Lord Kingsman, what brings you here?!” asked Hector in excited surprise as he immediately jumped from his seat to salute his clear superior.

“Oh? I thought that you would know by now, the boss’s marriage,” Kingsman replied heartily.

“Oh that, it was today? I’m glad but what about these prisoners?” asked Hector.

“What about ‘em? Oh, wait, you’re right. This is a memorial day and that brings me to why I’m here, master Steadhart wishes for the prisoners to be brought so that they may witness the magnificent event,” Kingsman continued with a beaming smile as he gazed at the prisoners.

“Oooh, your boss is getting married? With whom? I wonder what could possibly be happening,” muttered the prisoners. While there were few prisoners on account of Terry’s idea of simply killing criminals and rebels, the thieves, adventurers, and soldiers who posed any significant amount of power were imprisoned to serve as possible fodder.

The messenger froze at the words and began to think constantly.

“Yeah, so you guys better shut up and follow orders lest you suffer the wrath of my master,” barked Kingsman. “Now then, everybody’s all ready outside, we just need these guys to come and ruin the fun.”

“What, now? You guys set it all up already? Haah, I’m not that surprised though considering how theatric the boss can be,” said Hector with a sigh as he quickly organized the papers on his small desk before lifting his shield off a wall beside him.

Clang!

“Wake up and get ready to move! Anyone who delays will become my shield with the sharp side of my axe striking instead!” roared Hector at the prisoners who scrambled to stand behind their bars.

“My lord Navarre, please get up,” whispered the messenger to Navarre as he lay still-sleeping upon the stiff mattress.

“Damn this place and Steadhart for betraying me! What now?!” cried Navarre in anger as he jumped from his slumber.

Hector and Kingsman flinched at the outburst and both shot a glare at Navarre who went weak in the knees but continued to express his anger.

The other prisoners grew restless at the blatant disrespect and began murmuring amongst themselves.

“Tch, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell them about the marriage beforehand in order to shut these fools up,” Hector suggested.

“Sure, but then I wouldn’t get to devour them,” Kingsman complained.

The prisoners became silent at Kingsman’s words that they understood very well but still showed signs of restlessness while the messenger worriedly awaited the information.

“Lord Steadhart will be marrying princess Erina and has been approved by the great king Salorg himself,” Hector said clearly.

The prisoners froze and dropped their jaws in disbelief but soon realized that the tone in Hector’s voice wasn’t that of a joke.

The messenger studied Hector’s expression furiously with hope that Hector was lying but was unsuccessful. Still, he knew that there was only one way to be sure.

“W-what? Salorg? King Salorg wishes to go to war with my brother?” questioned Navarre in a bewildered whisper.

Hector and Kingsman smiled as they grabbed the keys for the cells off a wall before proceeding to lead the prisoners in a line out of the prison.

Outside the prison, the streets bustled with lively crowds of humans and demihumans alike. While there were significantly fewer citizens in the city, the sheer concentration of people was staggering. Especially for a ruler who had taken the city by force.

The prisoners, led by Kingsman and Hector, were brought into the crowd to an area at the side of the crowd. The sun beamed overhead and brightly lit the street below, casting long shadows from each and every one of the citizens as they cheered aloud. The people had formed two large crowds which were split down down the middle with a large golden carpet of incredible purity and worth rather than the typical red ones, as it lay stretched out from the house of the baron to the grand guild hall.

“Greetings to the great citizens of Areledon. I thank you for coming on this incredible day where I am to be married, allying myself with king Salorg of Delamare!” Terry shouted as he stepped out of the guild in a fashionable suit of black and red. As Terry had stepped a few feet out of the guild, he was followed by Ryan who towered behind Terry in his own fashionable, black suit however small it was for him.

The crowds cheered loudly at the words as Terry looked over the people. Terry still wore his dark mask which concealed his face but his swords were both missing.

Soon the doors of the baron’s house began to open and a woman in a tall, white dress began to step out. She was followed by the guild master who wore a blue dress and walked rather than floated.

The audience watched in awe at the figure before them even though the princess wore a veil over her face, showing only her hourglass figure, coveted by many.

“Now!” called out a voice from the crowds as people from both sides of the carpet began to advance towards the princess.

The messenger watched the commotion as the guildmaster readied her magic to fight. The messenger and Navarre smiled at the opportunity that had arrived while the messenger was still concerned with the truth of the event.

“Yeah! Get that b*tch!” cheered the prisoners as Kingsman tore through the crowd to protect the princess.

Terry and Ryan ran to the princess as she became surrounded by several cloaked and armored individuals of decent strength. While the people weren’t special, the sheer number made evasion tough.

The group drew long swords and daggers to strike at the women who used what little reaction time they had in order to form small barriers for protection.

“Hey guys, our handcuffs are broken somehow,” murmured a group of the prisoners as they tackled Hector, grabbing his mighty axe and shield before splattering his head into the pavement.

“Heh, even though I can’t take part while holding my lord, I can still enjoy watching,” snickered the messenger as he hid atop the roof of one of the houses, watching the chaos unfold into the street.

Crack!

The barriers formed by the guildmaster and princess began to falter before finally shattering, letting loose the rain of steel that was held back upon the women.

Slash!

Blood and flesh stained the street and covered the clothes of those nearby in a brilliant red. Severed limbs and pieces of cloth fell into the fell puddle of blood.

“Gyaagh!!” screamed several voices throughout the audience and near the princess before being cut short.

“No f*cking way, I know that blade, red, replica Stiletto. I can’t believe that king Salorg would seriously send his own elites however weak they may be. I need to warn Entema. But first, I have to make sure that nothing else suspicious happens, considering the gravity of the news,” muttered the messenger through his gritted teeth.

Terry continued his sprint in order to reach the princess and guildmaster as they stood, surrounded by bloody corpses with clean slices. The blood hadn’t sprayed out too far due to the skillful cuts as well as the cloaked individuals who stood surrounding the princess.

In the crowd as well, a few cloaked individuals stood by the freed prisoners who had been cleanly decapitated.

“I appreciate the help, I would like for you guys to stay close in case anything else comes up but keep those blades away,” Terry asked before taking the arm of the princess, his soon-to-be wife who was careful to step carefully through the blood.

The citizens remained watching nervously as Terry brushed off the assassination and continued the marriage normally. A bold move to be sure, but understandable considering the message to be announced.

Nonetheless, in order to prevent a panic, Terry opened his mouth once again to speak, holding the princess close.

“Because there wasn’t enough time for an official to come to directly witness this moment and set your minds at ease, king Salorg has sent guards to terminate any who wish to stand in his way. And besides, it’s not like there’s anyone who denies the validity of this marriage, right?” Terry said in a chilling voice to the crowd as he continued on the carpet to the guild hall.

“Damn it, there's nobody to resist and if I go, I’ll be killed. Still, I must make sure that it is truly Steadhart down there to know if this is a ruse or not. He won’t be able to mask his strength and with my Eye of Truth, I can determine the identity of anyone,” muttered the messenger as he began to stand, ready to leave.

“Due to the arrangement made by king Salorg of Delamare and the Black Swordsman Steadhart, I shall serve as witness alongside all of you,” Ryan roared into the audience who remained silent in respect.

“Do you, Steadhart, take princess Erina as your lawfully wedded wife?” Ryan asked Terry, as he stood before the princess.”

“Yes,” Terry replied.

“And do you, Erina, take Steadhart as your lawfully wedded husband?” Ryan asked the princess.

“I do,” replied the princess underneath her white veil.

“Alright then. I pronounce you both to be husband and wife, now you may kiss the bride,” Ryan said with a nod.

Terry lifted his hand, reaching his cold fingers into the edges of the mask before jerking it to the side with a Click! Before sliding it off his face.

Ryan flinched to see the face that Terry wore which rather than a smile, was a harsh glare of rage.

“Can’t you see just how uncomfortable that just made her? I would rather simply remove the covering upon her head,” Terry said as he turned to Erina with a warm smile.

Without a word, Erina nodded as her veil was lifted, revealing her radiant beauty to the audience.

“Damn it! It’s really Steadhart. Still, he didn’t kiss her, does that signify that the relationship is weak? No, maybe that shows that it is strictly political? I know that I can’t directly confront him in any way anymore and have to leave now before it’s too late. Haah, next time I see him, I’ll hopefully settle the score.”

Shoom!

Terry glanced behind Erina, or rather, his wife.

So, did I succeed? While I may have just slandered king Salorg, I still haven’t harmed king Entema, my original enemy. Still, they’re both bound to be pissed while I use the bought time to bolster my forces, Terry thought.

Yeah, you really need to reach break through level 100 fast. Still, what you did, I truly wonder how king Entema will react. Hehehe, responded Din.

I wasn't just targetting Entema with this little charade. In fact, this was more focused towards Salorg and the assassin he sent for my head, Terry replied.

What? Then why didn't they say anything?! Din asked in surprise.

There were 2 I sensed but maybe more. Still, they didn't expect the ones who captured the princess to not just be dead, but serving me. The assassins don't wish to fight an unknown battle against me and will likely tell everything to Salorg. While I may be found out as a vampire and forced to face insurmountable odds, I have a few plans up my sleeve to damage my enemies pretty badly, Terry explained.

“What! Steadhart has betrayed me?! And Salorg has joined him?!”

“Not just that my lord, but Steadhart has married princess Erina and become a prince of Delamare. There were even assassins with Stiletto replicas.”

"Oh? Well, Areledon isn't exactly mine but it was meant to be a neutral territory to improve relations between me and Salorg. I'll be taking Areledon for myself."

“So, are you declaring war?”

"No, not at all. Salorg will understand since I'll be merely clearing out the fools breaching our deal. I can attack him and he'll be unable to retaliate. But since I assume that Salorg will deal with Steadhart personally, send a small force."

“I’ll send word to Gilbert to ready himself."

"Of course, but for the time being, put out a bounty of 200 platinum($10,000,000) on Steadhart. That'll hopefully take care of him even without us needing to dirty ourselves."

“So, he ended up on the continent of Qelmad and didn’t challenge Prometheus, smart. I guess I owe him for that bet at the coliseum but considering what he’s been up to, he’s doomed to die soon. Still, I guess I should send somebody to offer him aid since I always pay my debts. I also know that watching him will be incredibly fun. And if I can get a video contract with him for the coming war, it’ll earn me plenty of coin and fame.”