NOVEL NEXT Chapter 240: The Second Battle
Nolan quickly covered Malverna's mouth while waving his left hand.
In an instant, both of them turned transparent. A moment later, Rovert stepped out, his eyebrows slightly raised.
His gaze shifted to his right—right where Nolan and Malverna were hiding.
Staying calm, Nolan gave Malverna a quick wink, and she immediately understood.
"Am I just imagining things?" Rovert muttered under his breath. Shaking his head, he pulled the lever on his left, and the bookcase slid shut, sealing the basement once again.
"All settled," he said with a pleased look. "Once that demon wipes out the Valmire family army and drags Aston to the underground prison, the Valmire family will finally fall... hehehe..."
A sly smile spread across his face as he rubbed his hands. Without another word, he left the study and vanished from sight.
Once his presence faded, Nolan lifted his hand from Malverna's mouth and released the transparent spell that concealed them.
"That was Rovert, wasn't it?" Malverna asked, her tone uncertain. "Why do I feel something strange about him? Like... he's a demon."
Her words made Nolan turn to her. "What do you mean?"
Malverna hesitated before answering, "Rovert gives off an aura only demons have. But I'm sure he's human... Could I be wrong?"
As a Demon Empress, she could naturally recognize her own kind. A demon's aura was always dark and heavy, completely different from a human's.
Just moments ago, she had felt that aura from Rovert—but the man was clearly human. It was truly strange.
Nolan remained silent, deep in thought. His gaze shifted to the bookcase Rovert had just come out of.
Don't tell me he's hiding his experiments in that basement, he thought, narrowing his eyes. If that's true, I should check it out...
Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Malverna and ordered, "Keep an eye on the Valmire family's army. From what Rovert said, it seems he's already taken steps against them. My hunch is that it involves a demon. If that's the case, intervene and stop it from slaughtering the Valmire army. Do you understand?"
Malverna frowned, ready to argue, but the seriousness in his expression stopped her.
"Alright..." She swallowed her complaint. "But I'm not doing it for free, you know? You'd better prepare a gift for me later. Understood?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she froze in shock.
Why did I say that? she blurted out in panic.
The words had slipped out on their own, and she couldn't explain why.
Nolan, however, didn't refuse. He simply reached out and gently patted her head.
"Of course. Don't worry, I'll give you a gift," he replied with a playful smile.
Malverna's face instantly turned red. She hurriedly stepped back, flustered.
"You... You..." She pointed at Nolan, wanting to scold him, but the words wouldn't come.
When he patted her head, what she felt wasn't anger but an inexplicable joy.
Shaking the thought away, she let out a cold snort and turned her back to him.
"Keep your word. If you don't, be ready to face my retribution."
With those words, her figure turned into light and vanished from sight.
Nolan chuckled, not taking her threat too seriously.
That woman has really changed, he whispered.
He remembered how wary and hostile Malverna had been toward him before—the way she looked at him, the way she acted, as if he had been the one who killed her parents.
But over the past few months, her demeanor had shifted. She was more open now, more at ease by his side.
Naturally, Nolan was pleased. After all, only a subordinate willing to open up to their master was truly worthy of complete trust.
"Alright," he muttered, turning his serious gaze to the bookcase in front of him. "Let's see what's hidden inside..."
...
"Everyone!" Aston shouted. "We're almost at Gardian City. Stay alert! I'm certain Rovert Castellan has stationed troops at the city gates. The chance of battle is very high!"
At his words, the soldiers and mages answered in unison, "As you command, my lord!"
The march continued until the towering walls of Gardian City came into view. Just as Aston had predicted, cavalry, infantry, archers, and mages stood arrayed before the gates.
Their numbers were overwhelming—around eight hundred men, far outmatching the Valmire family's forces. Yet not a single one of Aston's troops showed fear.
They had prepared themselves for this. Within minutes, the two sides were only a few dozen meters apart.
Aston pulled his horse to a halt, and his army followed suit.
His gaze locked onto a burly, bald man mounted on a horse. The aura he gave off left no doubt—this was their commander.
"Are you the leader?" Aston asked evenly. "If so, withdraw your troops now. Otherwise, don't blame me when blood spills."
The bald man chuckled, shaking his head. "You're overconfident, Aston Valmire. I'll admit—you were strong enough to defeat the forces sent by the Red Obsidian Trading House. But that doesn't mean you can strut around with such arrogance!"
Drawing his sword from its sheath, the man thrust it forward and shouted, "Soldiers, attack!"
"Yes, Commander!" the soldiers roared with excitement.
Without hesitation, they surged toward Aston and his troops.
Aston, however, remained undaunted. Raising his sword high, he gave the order, "Attack!"
"Attack!"
The horses charged, and the two armies clashed with ferocious force. In an instant, the battle between the two great families erupted.
...
"Has the battle already begun? Why did the news arrive so late?" Alvaron demanded, his expression filled with dissatisfaction as he glared at the soldier before him.
"My apologies, Duke Austin," the soldier said in a heavy voice. "We faced many obstacles in obtaining this news. Some outside forces were deliberately covering up the matter, which delayed our detection."
"Outside forces?" Alvaron raised his eyebrows. "You mean the Red Obsidian Trading House and the Blue Moon Trading House?"
"That's correct, Duke."
Alvaron fell silent, lost in thought. He had long suspected that these two trading houses were the masterminds behind it all. After all, the conflict between the Valmire and Castellan families was closely tied to them.
"Well..." He sighed softly. "Return to your post."
The soldier bowed, then rose and left the study.
Watching him go, Alvaron leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingers against his temples.
"I don't know if supporting Princess Elina was the right decision..." he muttered under his breath.
Of course, those were just spontaneous words. In this battle for the throne, Elina was the only one who seemed promising compared to Zarak or Cassian. As for Aldric, Cedric, and Adalen, he disliked them—especially Aldric.
There had been some conflict in the past between the families of the Southern Duke and the Eastern Duke, and he had no desire to see a candidate from their side claim the throne...