Volume 9, Chapter 54 – The Absurdity Called Love at First Sight

Fifteen minutes later.

“Your Majesty! Lord Bradley! Lord Carl! The assassins have bypassed the barrier set by the court magic casters and are about to reach the main hall! Please relocate immediately!”

“They even broke through the court magic casters’ barrier? Are you sure there are only two enemies?”

“Absolutely certain, Lord Carl!”

Facing the soldier’s tense reply, Adonis waved her hand lightly.

“Leave. You are no longer needed here.”

“Yes!”

Compared to Adonis’s ease, Carl, responsible for the entire royal city’s defense, looked grim. Over the past fifteen minutes, he had personally heard all the reports from his subordinates. Just two assassins had easily broken through all the Royal Guard’s defense lines. Every time this news reached his ears, it felt like a heavy slap across his face, especially in front of Adonis. His Majesty’s father had died due to a noble assassination, and now assassins appeared again—it was a direct trampling of Carl’s dignity. His fists clenched uncontrollably, emitting cracking sounds. The anger brought by shame made Carl feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. If possible, he wanted to leave Adonis’s side right now, take the heads of the incoming assassins along with those derelict subordinates, and hang them on the city gate.

“…Your Majesty, please allow this subordinate to engage! I will surely bring the assassins’ heads before you!”

“Rather than bringing the assassins’ corpses before His Majesty, General Carl should focus his energy on managing his subordinates. We were able to detect these assassins this time, but next time, if there are assassins more skilled in concealment, the outcome might not be certain.”

“Lord Bradley is right. I will demand stricter standards from my subordinates in the future. This incident must be thoroughly investigated! I will hang all derelict personnel on the training grounds!”

“Carl, you won’t object to Bradley assisting you in training the Royal Guard in the future, right?”

“No objection.”

Bradley’s plan succeeded, as always.

Adonis nodded approvingly, but then her brow furrowed. Her body, previously slumped on the throne, suddenly straightened, and a sound of surprise escaped her lips uncontrollably.

“—Eh?”

Wearing a look of grave concern, Bradley asked solicitously, “Your Majesty, what is wrong?”

“The [Imperial Gift]… has been moved. No, more accurately, it was ordered to move.”

“Could it be Her Highness Vina?”

“Vina dislikes things related to fighting. She wouldn’t order the [Imperial Gift]. Besides, Vina isn’t in the royal city right now. Someone else ordered the [Imperial Gift].”

Bradley turned pale with shock.

“Someone else? How is that possible! Only royalty can command the [Imperial Gift]! Currently, only Your Majesty and Her Highness Princess Vina remain in the royal family! How could there possibly be a third person capable of commanding it!”

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“But I definitely felt the [Imperial Gift] being commanded just now. And it was near the royal city, specifically, that spire at the highest point of the city.”

“Could it be Her Highness the Eldest Princess? Regarding this war against the Duchy of Chloe, Gore Harile sent a letter claiming to have found clues about Her Highness. If Her Highness isn’t dead, then Your Majesty’s marriage…”

“Tsk.” Hearing Carl mention the marriage, Adonis clicked her tongue impatiently. “Bradley, take guards and investigate. Find out exactly who is on that spire. Imperial Sister Ailis should have passed away long ago. It’s impossible for a third person to control the [Imperial Gift].”

“As you command.”

Placing his crossed hands over his shoulders, Bradley bowed to Adonis, preparing to turn and leave the main hall. However, at that exact moment, a sea of fire, dyeing the view orange-red, fell from the sky. The palace’s defensive barrier triggered instantly. Like pebbles thrown into water, the blue light shield covering the palace rippled under the flames.

“Red! Just like the intel said, the main hall has a barrier! We can only break through head-on!”

“There’s only the Emperor left! What other methods could they use to stop us? Even if we can’t escape here, we must leave Gloria XVII behind forever!”

Shortly after their undisguised exchange ended, the speakers appeared at the entrance of the main hall.

Although their clothes were covered in scorch marks and cuts, their faces showed no trace of fatigue or pain. On the contrary, the two young women, one with short red hair and the other with long purple hair, were filled with determination. Backlit by the wall of fire behind them, their eyes, filled with unwavering will, fixed upon Adonis on the throne.

Adonis rose from her throne. Flanked by Bradley and Carl, she slowly descended the steps, smiling and applauding Red and Purple.

“Worthy attendants of the Hero. To be able to break through multiple defenses and arrive here, your strength is extraordinary. In my capacity as the first Emperor of the Norta Empire, I acknowledge your strength.”

Taking a slight step back, facing the slowly approaching Adonis, Purple narrowed her eyes. Less than thirty meters separated them. At this distance, even a Tier 1 spell like [Ice Cone] could be lethal. But the problem was the armored man to Adonis’s right. Just looking at him gave her an oppressive feeling, like a mountain with no weaknesses, as if no matter what magic she used against Adonis, the man could react instantly.

Someone beyond the hero’s domain.

Specializing in defense, the most powerful individual beyond the hero’s domain within the Norta Empire.

The instant they realized this, Purple and Red adopted combat stances as if facing a great enemy. If they could get past Carl, killing the Emperor would be as easy as taking something from a bag. Although they would die here, they would have completed the mission assigned by the Gospel with the best possible outcome.

Red said gravely, “Purple, leave the man on the right to me—he’s strong. I can’t buy much time.”

“Knowing Carl is beyond the hero’s domain, yet still insisting on assassination? I heard the people of the Divine Religion only act according to the Gospel. You two must be the same. I don’t wish for capable individuals to die under my command. I have a suggestion. Setting aside that absurd book, are you interested in serving under me? If you agree, I can let you go and promise never to attack the Duchy of Chloe.”

“In your dreams.”

Without hesitation, the moment her voice fell, Red and Purple charged towards Carl and Adonis from the left and right respectively.

[Degraded Demonic Blade].

[Fighting Spirit].

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[Dragon Breaker].

Facing an opponent beyond the hero’s domain, any act of holding back was tantamount to suicide. Red directly used her strongest offensive technique, striking straight at Carl’s cheek with a blow capable of shattering a dragon’s jaw.

However, Carl merely snorted disdainfully. Without even using magic, simply enveloping his right hand in magic power, he first grabbed Red’s fist, imbued with the [Dragon Breaker] strike, head-on. Then, with strength Red couldn’t resist, he tightened his grip and pulled her fist backward. As Red lost her balance, his knee slammed ruthlessly into her abdomen.

“Ngh—”

Excruciating pain, as if her organs had shifted, instantly spread throughout Red’s body. However, before she could react, her vision began to spin violently. Immediately after, a wave of even more intense pain spread to every corner of her body. Even though Red was accustomed to pain, under this sudden onslaught, she couldn’t help but scream, warm blood spraying from her throat.

From Adonis’s perspective, Red was kicked in the abdomen by Carl, sent flying. Just as she was about to hit the ground, Carl used [Stone Spear] erupting from the floor to pierce her abdomen.

Simultaneously, although Purple on the other side was enveloped by a suddenly appearing earthen sphere when facing [Stone Spear], avoiding being incapacitated in one blow, it only took Carl a little more time to grab her throat. It was worth noting that as Carl approached Purple, he was burned by flames that suddenly erupted from her body, losing some hair and clothes. One arm, carelessly unprotected by magic, was severely burned.

The hand gripping Purple’s throat gradually tightened. Just as Carl was about to snap her neck, Adonis suddenly spoke.

“Wait, Carl. Give me the bracelet on her wrist.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Taking the bracelet, Adonis examined it closely.

“A trigger-activated magic item… Interesting. It initially shot out only a fireball, but after being enhanced by those two white light circles, its power became comparable to the Tier 5 spell [Firestorm]. The person who designed this item is definitely a genius.” Approval and admiration surfaced simultaneously. As if oblivious to the bloody scene in the hall, Adonis walked up to Purple, who was being held up by Carl. “Carl, put her down. I have questions.”

Lifting Purple’s chin with her right hand, Adonis looked down at her from a haughty angle.

“Tell me, who designed this magic item?”

“[Ice Lance].”

An ice spear, as thick as an infant’s arm, appeared behind Adonis. But Adonis merely frowned, and the spear was neutralized by a trigger-activated item on her body.

“Hmph.”

First kicking Purple away, Adonis came before her and stepped on her chest. Her ruby-like eyes filled with contempt.

“Although I dislike overly submissive women, I also dislike stubborn people like you. The incompetent should be ruled by the competent; this is natural law. The Duchy of Chloe is weaker than the Norta Empire, so it should belong to our empire. Since you refuse to tell me who forged this magic weapon, I can only let you watch your country be destroyed under the empire’s iron hooves—No, keeping incompetents alive is just troublesome. Though it’s a pity about your face, you should go to hell with your companion.”

At this, Adonis removed her foot from Purple’s chest, turned around, and waved at Carl.

“Send her on her way.”

“Yes.”

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Thinking Purple would die before her eyes, Adonis couldn’t help but sigh. She didn’t mention that Purple’s appearance reminded her of the woman she had met in the capital in the past—the only one who had interested her. Although Purple and that woman weren’t the same person, given their similar looks, watching her die felt somewhat regrettable.

However, just as Carl raised his longsword, preparing to strike Purple, he suddenly changed the trajectory of his swing, thrusting upwards towards the ceiling.

“Who’s there?!”

“Viel. The one who brings you fear.”

A third assassin?

Hearing the voice, Adonis turned around, then froze.

What kind of creature is this?

Possessing cat ears, giant dragon wings, and a fluffy fox-like tail simultaneously… if it were a fanged demon or the like, the well-traveled Adonis wouldn’t find it strange. However, this assassin was a young woman with a devastatingly beautiful face. Adonis had seen women of stunning beauty before, but she was certain she had never seen such a naturally perfect, unadorned maiden. Even if she appeared in her female form, she couldn’t compare. Standing next to her, she might likely feel ashamed. This body, combining divinity and allure, seemed crafted by the gods themselves.

For the first time in a long while, Adonis felt a tightness in her chest.

Then, her thoughts were quickly overridden by the other’s actions.

The assassin calling herself Viel moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, instantly appearing above Carl’s head. Ignoring Carl’s upward thrusting longsword, her right hand shot straight for the back of his head.

“Don’t even think about it! [Instant Death Slash]!”

The moment his voice fell, as if gaining life, layers upon layers of writhing black matter surged from the longsword in Carl’s hand. Just looking at this ominous black mist sent a chill down one’s spine.

Is it that spell…?

Adonis’s heart instantly clenched. If possible, she didn’t want Carl to kill this young woman. Although she didn’t know why yet, it didn’t stop her from wanting to intervene.

[Instant Death Slash] was one of Carl’s trump cards. Even dragons with powerful life force would die from continuous life drain after touching this black matter. There was only one way to counter this spell: avoid direct collision and fight Carl with ranged magic. Precisely because of this spell, Carl had never lost a life-and-death battle.

Adonis couldn’t help but open her mouth, however, the young woman named Viel didn’t even look, simply covering her right hand with a magic blade and using her arm as a weapon, swinging it fiercely towards the longsword covered in [Instant Death Slash].

“Don’t kill—Uh?”

Like a rooster whose neck was squeezed mid-crow, Adonis’s words were forcibly stuffed back down her throat. At the same time, as if witnessing something incredible, her mouth and eyes flew wide open.

“How is that possible…”

The sound of shattering metal.

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Like a sharp blade cutting through tofu, the longsword that should have severed Viel’s arm clattered to the floor. The arm that contacted the sword then changed from a chop to a grab. Viel seized the back of Carl’s head, poured all her strength into her right hand, and with unstoppable force capable of crushing any obstacle, slammed Carl’s head heavily into the ground under Adonis’s dumbfounded gaze.

BOOM!!

Like a radish plunged into the ground, Carl’s entire head was buried in the floor. His body immediately went limp. Adonis could only tell from Carl’s convulsing limbs that her minister hadn’t been killed instantly.

What kind of strength is needed to achieve such a blow?

As Carl had been her guard for many years, Adonis knew his strength very well. Even among those beyond the hero’s domain, Carl’s strength was top-tier. Yet in the hands of this young woman named Viel, Carl hadn’t lasted even one round. He was like a newborn chick, unable to escape Viel’s grasp no matter how he struggled.

Of course, this wasn’t the most unbelievable thing to Adonis. What surprised her most was that, despite her strongest backup collapsing, she felt no fear at all. On the contrary, there was a fluttering, expectant feeling in her heart. If one had to use an analogy, it was like a dead well bubbling up with sweet spring water again, the parched land re-moistened by rain, even rippling slightly.

Watching Viel use healing magic to heal the two assassins, Adonis stared intently at Viel. And because of this action, Adonis realized they had made eye contact.

Those azure eyes, moments ago filled with fury, now held a hint of confusion as they looked at her. This humanizing shift made Adonis tense up. Just making eye contact made her involuntarily hold her breath. In the past, Adonis didn’t believe in so-called love at first sight, considering it an emotion only irrational people possessed. But now she felt she had been gravely mistaken, utterly wrong.

“Are you the Emperor of the Norta Empire?”

As if doused by a bucket of ice water, Adonis instantly sobered up—as the Emperor, she must maintain corresponding dignity. No matter how strong the opponent, she would crush them with torrential force. This was her, Adonis Eli Gloria’s, character. This woman… she must possess her.

And to make the other submit, she couldn’t appear weak. Precisely because her strongest support, Carl, couldn’t protect her, she needed to appear even stronger.

Adonis, with her long golden hair, gave a cold smile.

“I am Gloria XVII.”

“I see.”

“Submit to—Puh!”

Before she could finish her sentence, Adonis felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. The stunningly beautiful young woman named Viel was now before her. Immediately after, a searing pain that made Adonis’s features contort radiated from her stomach, blurring her vision—this woman had punched her.

“I did not permit you to speak, mortal. The empire in your hands is, in my eyes, but a speck of land that can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. The Norta Empire will pay the price for your decision. This time is merely a warning.”

Before her consciousness sank into the sea, Adonis saw her palace turn to flying ash in the blink of an eye. Along with it came a sky full of fire, calamitous lightning, and that soul-stirring, devastatingly beautiful face.

This power is absolutely beyond human reach.

For the first time ever, Adonis felt she had failed. The opponent hadn’t cared about her status as Emperor, even casting a disdainful glance at her. But simultaneously, she had a strange thought: she had won, and won completely.

She had become a captive.