303 The Wolf's Den [2]
–"Lu–Lucas?! Look, is that young master Lucas?!"
–"No way! T-That's impossible! Why did he return here after what happened the last time?!"
–"Well, I'll be damned… So, what should we do? Turn him away from the gates?"
–"Idiot, he doesn't have any noble titles but he still has Morningstar in his name, doesn't he?! We don't have the authority to turn away the General's son."
–"The son that the General himself disowned, though."
–"He didn't strip away his family name, did he?"
–"But he banished him from the Western Continent."
–"Stop, you two. He's here."
Seeing my approach, three guards banded together and started whispering to each other, throwing furtive glances at me.
As I drew closer to the gates, they stopped muttering and turned to face me, feigning as if this was the first time they noticed my presence.
"Oh, young master Lucas… No, wait, I guess it's cadet Lucas now. Apologies, it's a bit confusing to address you properly after… you know," one of the senior guards in the military uniform spoke to me with a bright smile on his face.
The military uniform these soldiers wore had the Morningstar family's insignia on their shoulders.
For a moment, I nearly felt relieved that Sera was not here.
She was soaring freely in the open skies, as otherwise, she might have just tried to nab those shiny emblems.
These insignia represented their status as part of the Western Continent's troops under my father's command.
Each of the Four Ruling Families has an elite military division placed under their direct command.
However, not all Ruling Families could independently move their troops for military operations without the permission of the Central Government.
Yes, there are specific scenarios in which the Ruling Families could assume full command of the troops under them.
For example, if their Continent came under an unexpected attack from the vampire forces.
However, if the Overlord of the Continent—the head of the Ruling Family—held the military title of General or a higher rank, they were free to move the troops under their command as they saw fit.
They couldn't, however, march their troops to the Central Continent or engage in any questionable military operations in civilian areas.
Well, in any case, noticing my silent response, one of the other guards standing before me arched an eyebrow and whistled in surprise.
"Would you look at that, I guess the rumors were right. The brat has changed," he remarked.
The third guard standing there smacked him on the elbow, gesturing for him to shut his blabbing mouth.
I merely gave him a short glance and then turned my attention back to the first guard who spoke to me.
It was not like I couldn't do anything to get back at him, it was just that dealing with such insects would be beneath me.
That's right. As one of the apparent three heroes, I must maintain a sense of nobility and decorum.
Wow, did I somehow sound even more narcissistic than I usually do? This whole prophecies thing must've been getting to my head.
Internally shaking my head, I locked my gaze with the first guard and spoke, "Clearway, I wish to head inside the Den."
"I'm afraid that's not quite possible at the moment, cadet. Young lady Yelena hasn't returned from the academy yet while both, Master and Mistress, aren't home. If we let you inside without their permission, we might face a punishment."
I looked at the guard with a deadpan expression before a slight smirk appeared on my face.
After a few seconds, I parted my lips to speak in a calm, indifferent tone:
"Is that so? Now just imagine what would happen if I break in with all of you here. If that happens, it would lead to much, much harsher punishment, no?"
The smile disappeared from the guard's face who had been conversing with me as all the other soldiers present there also turned serious.
"You think you can break in while all of us are standing right here? Haa! I was wrong. Maybe the brat hasn't changed that much," The one to speak first and break the tense silence was the uncaring second guard who remarked about me before.
The smirk on my lips widened until it practically turned into a bright grin before eventually vanishing and leaving nothing but a callous look behind on my face.
"Don't worry, if you keep standing in my way… then you won't be standing for long, soldiers."
"How dare–"
Before the insects could continue their chirping, I took a single step forward, unloading my bloodlust in all directions.
Suddenly, an oppressive pressure descended upon the shoulders of every military guard present here, threatening to crush them where they stood.
Their feet felt anchored to the ground as the temperature around them began to surge dangerously.
It was as if the very sun itself had drawn nearer to the planet, burning their lungs and suffocating them with its searing heat.
"Not a bad trick, huh?" I chuckled with amusement in my voice. "I learned it from my sister. Well, actually, it was my Master who taught me, but it looked pretty cool when Yelena used it, so I had to learn it too."
I know I had just talked about decorum and nobility, but who doesn't enjoy a bit of face-slapping from time to time, am I right?
"Gather yourselves! It's just killing intent!" One of the three guards standing directly in front of me shouted to his comrades.
Yeah, I had to admit, even if these soldiers were just side characters, they were all seasoned warriors… real soldiers.
Most of them must have experienced real warfare on the border.
My killing intent, while overwhelming, wouldn't do much harm to them. It did take them by surprise, so that was fun to watch. Heh.
Almost as if waiting for me to realize that, one of the soldiers summoned his weapon, and soon, everyone followed suit.
Suddenly, I was up against several dozen guards with their weapons in hand and armor cladding their bodies, nearing me to put me under arrest.
"Very well," I said with a smile, summoning the Bringer Of Lost Flames into my hand.
They were indeed real soldiers, but so what?
As long as my opponent's name didn't start with Leo and end with Kurogami, I had confidence in my ability to face anyone.
With that, I tightly gripped my spear, setting it ablaze with brilliant crimson flames as I stepped forward to face the approaching soldiers.
However, just as our weapons were about to clash, the spells we had cast to enhance our bodies and weapons somehow just… dissipated?
Dismissed?
Our magic vanished!
It felt as if the very mana around us had been drained away by some unseen, unnatural force.
Any mana I tried to channel from my body to cast spells or enhance my abilities was also quickly absorbed by this invisible force.
The other soldiers were suffering from the same phenomenon, but unlike me, they didn't look confused.
If anything, they seemed frightened… like sheep in the presence of a wolf.
In the next instant, an authoritative voice boomed through the area, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present.
"Cease this nonsense immediately!"
