“Miss Verafia, the House you speak of, Traysis, did exist. However, before Lothel’s rise, this small family was merely a rural baron possessing a small castle. Their former glory was all due to Lothel’s sole effort.” Ronald turned his head and smiled gently at Verafia, who tilted her small face up to look at him.
“And with the fall of this legendary expert, the status of this family, which seemed to be on the verge of reaching its peak, naturally plummeted again. Even though Your Majesty and the Queen often harbored old feelings for their former companions, it was difficult to overcome the world’s animosity towards them.”
“Is that so… And what about now?” Verafia let out a slight sound, hiding a trace of pain beneath her feigned disappointment.
“Miss Verafia, you ask about the present… If it were only this, I think, relying on the Queen’s old feelings, the House of Traysis might still exist today.” Ronald paused and shook his head. “However, its head, disregarding His Majesty’s mercy and generosity, obstinately involved himself in the Bloody Rebellion fifty years ago and the Calamity of the Star God twenty years ago. Now, naturally, it no longer exists.”
“I see…” Verafia lowered her delicate face slightly and made a soft sound. Beneath her long eyelashes, a dim light flashed in the girl’s beautiful eyes, covered in brilliant golden splendor. Before this, Verafia had not asked Igter about her former relatives or family… because she had already guessed more or less. However, upon hearing this fact from Ronald’s mouth, a pang of sadness couldn’t help but flash through the girl’s heart.
The girl with golden long hair slightly lowered her small face, her clear teeth lightly biting her lips, murmuring in her heart. She suddenly released her clenched fist, trying her best to calm herself down a bit. She raised her porcelain-white face again.
“That’s a real shame. It was, after all, the family of a legendary expert.” Verafia’s voice was soft, and her exquisite little face showed an expression of regret. The girl’s big eyes, gazing at the Paladin, suddenly flashed with curiosity.
“Thank you for telling me, Ronald. To know so much, you must be a very knowledgeable person!”
“Miss Verafia, you flatter me.” Ronald, with considerable knightly grace, slightly bowed his head and smiled humbly. “I merely learned some not-so-secret historical events from an elder.”
Verafia put on a faint smile. She didn’t believe this was some not-so-secret past. From Lancaster’s perspective, why would he not try his best to erase and blacken any traces of his existence, and still let people know about his past relationship with him?
“Moreover, the Bloody Rebellion fifty years ago and the Calamity of the Star God, the Star God…” Verafia silently recited the name, her thoughts growing heavy. “Star God,” this noun, seemingly a deity’s title, was completely foreign to her. However, it seemed that this so-called “Calamity of the Star God,” which occurred in the Peka Kingdom and involved the House of Traysis, was likely to have a significant connection to Lancaster. The girl\’s slender fingers tightened slightly in her palm.
“Look quickly! Brothers Reske have forced the Bronze kid into a corner!” Verafia suddenly looked up, her gaze falling upon Igter, who calmly drew out his End amidst the fierce sword light.
—
The edge of End clashed with the silver straight blade, the sound of swords and blades colliding being piercingly sharp amidst the violent trembling of the metal. Roaring Sword Qi whistled around, as if cutting the boy’s skin like sharp blades. Igter’s arm, tightly gripping End, trembled uncontrollably from the residual pain after countless heavy blows. But Igter still tightly held the metal sword hilt, which hurt his palm.
“We’re almost at our limit…” Igter’s arm accurately blocked an angry diagonal attack from his opponent once more. The gale, sharp as a sword, scraped his face, revealing a pained expression on the boy’s face. However, Igter’s movements were not affected in the slightest, as he retreated the last step towards the edge of the battlefield to discharge the force poured into his body.
“Damn it!” Unlike Igter, Reske’s heart grew more violent. With his wide swings, the surging Dou Qi became increasingly fierce and irritable. Since becoming a high-level Silver Rank Swordsman, Reske had not experienced such a frustrating battle. Although his strength should have far surpassed his opponent, it was like chasing a slippery rat. Every time, a seemingly full-power attack landed in soft mud! Reske had felt many times that he was on the verge of completely defeating this almost cornered Bronze kid, but each time Igter avoided his desperate situation or blocked his heavy blows with insignificant force.
“If only I could use Silver Rank Dou Qi, you wouldn’t have been so arrogant for so long! But this time…” Reske grit his teeth in hatred, looking at the cornered Igter. He suddenly pulled out the sword he was tightly gripping, and extremely violent Dou Qi rapidly condensed on the blade’s edge, erupting with large bursts of lightning and light!
“Kid, let’s see how you dodge! Lightning Gale Sword!” In a roar, Reske’s lightning, condensed to its limit with Dou Qi within the Bronze rank, shimmered with terrifying brilliance. The sword light tore through the wind in mid-air, slashing directly at the unavoidable boy. The bursting fierce sword qi raised dust from the ground, making even the ground paved with hard stones seem to crack! This battle technique, named “Lightning Gale Sword,” was the most powerful among all the Silver Rank sword skills Reske possessed. When paired with his Silver Rank lightning Dou Qi, it could even split giant rocks in the mountains! Although Reske still restrained his Dou Qi to the Bronze level, the power was still immense, comparable to a normal Silver Rank attack!
“Die, brat!” The lightning-infused sword light descended in an instant. Igter stood before the gale and lightning. The condensed lightning sword light in mid-air possessed immense power. Just by getting close, he felt his blood stir and his whole body tingle, as if about to be engulfed by the lightning. However, Igter’s expression remained unfazed. He raised End with his right hand, which was in a reverse grip. As the only son of a Saint Rank expert, Igter had seen attacks far more powerful and exquisite than this. Touching End with his spirit, the suppressed sword qi and spirit merged like flowing water, penetrating into his Dou Qi—as the girl had said, Sword Intent condensed the spirit, turning decay into reality. He could already feel its restless will. Igter looked up, the gale lifting the boy’s slightly long black hair, revealing his brilliant blue eyes, which erupted with dazzling light. Igter drew End with a backhand. The old gray blade of the long sword trembled slightly, flowing with light, but in just a moment, it erupted with a seemingly golden, fierce sunlight! “Now’s the time—Flowing Light Sun Whirlwind Sword!”
