NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30
The knights representing the Empire were finally successful in the large-scale subjugation.
They annihilated the Meiros that had hidden in the Imperial Palace.
And they wiped out all the cultists at Branon Villa.
By eradicating the vicious cultist forces, the Valtarian Empire demonstrated that it is a great power that honors justice. The ministers of the Empire, who had been anxiously waiting for the results, erupted in cheers upon receiving the victory message.
“Your Majesty! All the Meiros have been eliminated!”
“Congratulations on the victory!”
They had eradicated all the wicked minions behind the bombing attacks.
It was a grand victory that would put an end to the unease and fear they had felt.
However, Emperor Barbarossa prioritized the safety of his youngest daughter, who had participated in the battle, over the great victory.
“Liza…! What about Elizaveta?”
“She is safe. She is making her way back to the Imperial Palace with the escort of the knights.”
Elizaveta, who had volunteered herself as bait to ensure the success of the subjugation, was bravely returning despite the concerns of many people.
She had been deployed in a fierce battlefield but had sustained no injuries.
Only after repeatedly hearing reports from the messenger who had arrived from the villa did Barbarossa finally set down the heavy weight of worry.
A deep sigh escaped him, revealing his inner thoughts.
“How fortunate. I was so worried seeing her reckless behavior.”
To successfully lure in the Meiros disguised as Dagilec Branon, Elizaveta needed to draw him into the area where the knights were lying in ambush.
If Elizaveta had not shown herself at the villa, the Meiros would have sensed something suspicious and tried to flee immediately.
Elizaveta’s initiative as bait was significant.
That could not be denied.
“The Meiros who targeted the princess were defeated by the Hohenberc family’s young lord.”
“Cough! Of course, it should be a success! Our youngest daughter personally took action!”
Once again, Edanant von Hohenberc took down the enemy’s leader, and Barbarossa displayed obvious discomfort at the report from the minister who commanded the intelligence department.
The resentment from the annulment was still fresh.
It was a very emperor-like demeanor, one who held grudges more than anyone else.
‘Still, he did save Liza from the horrific chaos… I suppose he deserves some recognition befitting a hero who saved the Imperial City twice.’
But this time was a little different.
When the Meiros suddenly ambushed Elizaveta, Edanant opposed them.
Had Edanant not confronted the Meiros, Elizaveta would have been in danger. Considering that, Barbarossa had begun to view Edanant as a benefactor of the Imperial Family.
Of course, his disdain for the Hohenberc family remained.
“Your Majesty, well…”
“What is it?”
The minister hesitated as he took a step forward.
Barbarossa frowned at him and gestured impatiently.
“The young lords from the prestigious families who participated in the engagement have sent a letter to decline the engagement.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Those spineless, dried-up fish! They’ve gotten their feathers ruffled because they got caught up in the recent incident. A true man should take unreasonable situations in stride!”
It was only natural for the young lords who had been caught in the incident without any forewarning to be furious at the Valtarian Imperial Family. After all, hadn’t they barely escaped with their lives?
If one were to put themselves in their shoes, it wouldn’t be hard to understand.
Yet the emperor perceived the suitor’s actions as an insult toward the Imperial Family.
All the suitors had turned their backs.
This meant that the engagement for his youngest daughter had been canceled “once again.”
Surely the nobles who loved to gossip would start whispering about the annulment.
“However, the reason the suitors declined the engagement is… to cheer on Princess Elizaveta and Lord Edanant.”
“What?”
Who is cheering for whom?
The Emperor’s expression hardened in an instant.
He looked utterly bewildered beyond disbelief.
His youngest daughter, who had just received notice of her annulment, was reportedly having a secret affair with the younger brother of her suitor. Talk about a soap opera scenario! Barbarossa felt a throbbing migraine as he slumped onto his throne.
“That damned scoundrel from the Hohenberc family must have some connection with my Ludmilla!”
He recalled the recent scandal that had caused a stir throughout the Empire.
The scandal between the Valtarian Imperial Family and Hohenberc family.
The poignant romance blossomed between a brother and a sister after their siblings’ engagement fell apart, hadn’t it been widely known?
Not only did he have a second daughter, but now his youngest daughter as well…
How infuriating!
Dare he play both sides with his daughters, raised like treasured jewels?
Even if he was a hero who saved his youngest daughter from a ruthless Meiros, it was simply unforgivable. Barbarossa began to see the promiscuous man who was causing scandals with his princesses as his sworn enemy.
“Bring that bastard here at once!”
“Yes…?”
“The one who’s targeting my daughters!”
“….”
The emperor’s decree dropped like a guillotine.
The royal guards stationed in the court set off to carry out the emperor’s harsh command.
Edanant von Hohenberc.
A lecher who had simultaneously wooed noble princesses.
Physical force was mobilized to bring the culprit, who had caused such an uproar, to justice before the emperor.
*
The Saintess Party, which had traversed the continent to thwart the Ascension of Evil, was just like sworn enemies to the Demon King’s Army and cultist forces.
Therefore, the remaining survivors vowed in deep resolution to achieve their revenge by persistently destroying the regions and places related to the Saintess Party.
The Sword Saint Madbay’s homeland,
The Pug Kingdom.
A critical crisis befell the nation that had been living peacefully in barren wastelands without any military conflicts. The black magicians, holding grudges against the Sword Saint Madbay, opened magical circles connected to the demon realm at the borders of the small nation.
Grrrrrr!!
Gyaoo─! Gyaooor─!!
In the Pug Kingdom, a total of 15 portals unfolded.
An absurd level of ruthless evil was unleashed upon a small nation with a population of barely 50,000.
Countless magical beasts poured forth.
They caught the scent of terrified humans as they gazed up at the blackened sky.
The summoned magical beasts surged to over a thousand. It was an onslaught that felt like a nightmare to a small nation without even a proper standing army.
How long could they withstand this…?
A day?
No,
It was clear they wouldn’t last even half a day.
As the gluttonous magical beasts charged like waves, they would be swept away helplessly.
“Magical beasts! The magical beasts are coming!”
“Aaaah! Where are our soldiers?!”
The sky darkened as the magical beasts descended.
The citizens of the Pug Kingdom placed their faint hopes on the flimsy walls and the inept upper class.
But those hopes were utterly meaningless.
The walls would crumble the moment the magical beasts began their assault.
The king, who had been arrogant while simply collecting taxes, and the nobles fled to nearby fortresses.
“Hurry, call Madbay! With the Sword Saint…!”
“How are we supposed to find someone who vanished ages ago? He abandoned us long ago!”
They desperately called for the Sword Saint Madbay.
They cursed the king and nobles who had fled the kingdom.
And while praying to the Earth Mother, they relinquished their attachments and feelings for life.
In a situation where only death and despair existed, hope was nothing more than a luxury.
“What, what is that…! A shooting star, a red shooting star is falling!”
When the forsaken people of the Pug Kingdom were lamenting their fate and waiting for death-
A flash of red erupted.
It was a crimson, strikingly beautiful like flames.
The ruby light illuminated the darkened sky in an instant and fell straight to the ground like a meteor.
Kwaguagagagagagagaga───!!!
It unleashed a powerful shockwave, stirring up dense clouds of dust.
Following that, massive red wings formed from energy spread out majestically left and right.
A golden-haired woman appeared.
The citizens, witnessing her beautiful appearance and dignified presence, stared spellbound at the sight.
“It’s the Red Dragon of the Empire!”
Someone shouted.
It was a cry filled with intense hope.
At that, the faces of the crowd, who had been spitting out despair, began to regain color.
Gyaaaang!!
Kerrrrhhh…! Kerrerreeek!!
At that moment, evil emerged.
Countless waves of magical beasts that had charged from the borders finally surrounded the city.
There was no hope.
The magical beasts summoned from the portals roared for feasting.
Drooling with anticipation, they already dripped saliva over the prospect of a fresh lump of flesh banquet.
“How dare they let the beasts of the demon realm encroach upon the descendants of the Earth Mother.”
Ludmilla reached out her hand.
Then, a crimson haze erupted from the sky. The dazzling light turned into a cluster of fireballs and rained down upon the magical beasts.
The Red Dragon’s punishment stained the ground with flames.
The magical beasts engulfed in flames were turned to ash, leaving only soot behind.
The citizens, who witnessed hellfire before their eyes, regarded Ludmilla as a demigod. Only the almighty deity could wipe out thousands of magical beasts in an instant.
“Next, we must destroy the portals. Those black magicians are watching from a distance.”
Ludmilla’s eyes sparkled.
With long slit pupils.
They resembled dragon eyes.
The gem-like crimson pupils burned with untamed fire.
Truly, she embodied the mightiest, representing the Seven Heroes of the Warring States.
The Empire’s Red Dragon,
Ludmilla Dreg Valtaria.
She turned the ground into a sea of flames with a single strike.
The space engulfed in the dragon’s fire vanished without a trace. Even massive boulders melted in an instant, transforming into lava that spit out heat.
“Come, I shall burn you all.”
The Red Dragon does not tolerate evil that threatens humanity.
That is the noble duty bestowed upon the heir of the Red Dragon.
Puff-.
As Ludmilla exhaled, flames spilled forth from her mouth.