Chapter 439: 412 Disturbed Sword Saint
Maplethorpe Territory, Carudi.
In the center of this wealthy city known as Iron City, there was an extravagantly luxurious estate.
The estate spread over a vast area, replete with numerous artificial hills, gardens, and even streams, resembling a miniature resort.
Located in the deepest part of this resort-like luxurious estate was a mansion only slightly smaller than a palace.
This was the Hatite family’s estate and mansion, the abode of the ruler of Carudi, a small but exceedingly lavish domain.
For the people of Carudi, this was the landlord’s territory, home to a great aristocratic family with deep ties to the lord of Maplethorpe, a place anyone would only dare mention in their hearts as untouchable.
Yet today, this untouchable family received devastating news.
"What did you say?"
In a vast hall of the mansion, a middle-aged man seated at the head suddenly stood up, his voice filled with disbelief.
The middle-aged man had a noble appearance, dressed opulently, and his hair combed so meticulously that each strand seemed to have been clearly separated.
This man was the current head of the Hatite family, the Earl of the Kingdom of Genas — Ridton Hatite.
However, at this moment, the Carudi landlord, whose status was much higher than that of an average earl, appeared a mix of shock and fury.
There was no helping it.
"You’re saying my son is dead? Ophelit is dead?" Ridton glared at a messenger kneeling in the hall, exclaiming incredulously, "Nonsense! How could this be possible...!?"
Ridton’s roar caused the messenger to tremble.
"Th-this is the message just delivered by the knight who was guarding the young master," the messenger stammered with fear, "We’ve confirmed it repeatedly, even attempting to contact the young master with the communication magic crystal, but we couldn’t get a response."
"Impossible... How could this be?"
Ridton, unable to believe what was happening, was alternating between shock, anger, and madness.
"Wasn’t he traveling with Master Nipede? How could he possibly be dead?"
"The Thunder Light Sword Saint was there as well, right? With the strongest swordsman and the strongest magician by his side... how could he just die...!?"
"Speak! What exactly happened...!?"
Ridton’s anger was uncontainable.
"The situation is like this..."
The messenger, facing Ridton’s eyes that seemed to have lost all reason and glowed red with rage, mustered his courage and relayed the report he had just received from the knight.
Upon learning that Ophelit was killed by Reiger, and that it was done publicly by beheading in front of many witnesses, Ridton’s body began to tremble.
"Bang!"
The next second, Ridton slammed his hand on the table in front of him, smashing it into pieces.
This Earl Hatite was clearly not just a noble who knew only how to accumulate wealth and indulge in leisure, but rather a highly skilled swordsman.
He wore a sword at his waist that faintly radiated with magic power, and his body released magic power like flames.
"Reiger Brillhaut...!"
Ridton roared in fury.
"How dare he? How dare he...!?"
Ridton could not imagine, that by merely sending his son to Master Nipede to bolster relations, that his son, who had greeted him that morning, would fall victim to this calamity.
And for what reason? A woman? An attendant?
Reiger Brillhaut dared to kill my, Ridton Hatite’s, own flesh and blood for the sake of an attendant?
"Damn that Thunder Light Sword Saint! Is he courting death!"
Ridton gasped for breath, his heart full of rage and grief, almost as if a storm was about to overwhelm him.
"M-master..."
Seeing Ridton shaking with rage, the messenger timidly spoke.
"The, the knights also said that the Thunder Light Sword Saint left a message for you."
At this, Ridton’s bloodshot eyes turned again to the messenger.
"What did he say?"
Ridton asked in a low voice, like a wounded beast.
The messenger swallowed hard, and after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to say, "He wants you to give an explanation; otherwise, he will come to Carudi to get one himself."
Ridton went silent.
The magic power around him surged even more violently, releasing a pressure that seemed as though it could crush everything in the vicinity, rendering the messenger terrified.
"Puchi!"
Suddenly, a flash of sword light passed, and the messenger’s head was severed.
Ridton had somehow moved in front of the messenger, staring at the headless corpse as if he were in a frenzy.
"Very well! Very well indeed!"
Ridton roared in the hall.
"An explanation is what you want?"
"Fine! I’ll give you an explanation!"
"I’ll personally deliver this explanation to your face, Reiger Brillhaut — with all the power of the Hatite family behind me!"
Despite his rage, Ridton was aware that the opponent this time was not someone he could handle alone.
Although the opponent was just a 17-year-old, newly promoted Sword Saint, nobody would take lightly the youngest Sword Saint in history any longer.
He had proven himself with his combat achievements in the capital.
The next generation Sword Saint of the Bolelei family, once hailed as the first below the Sword Saint, was instantly killed by him.
He also set up a challenge arena in front of the Frazel residence in the capital, fighting a thousand duels a day for an entire month, undefeated to this day.
Among the swordsmen who fell to him were many true swordsmen, and there were even those like Ridton, experienced true swordsmen, who would occasionally appear.