novelraw Chapter 153 : Chapter 153
Chapter 153 : Chapter 153
Chapter 153. For the Kingdom (5)
Evan’s unexpected appearance.
But this was only surprising to the collateral branches—
his presence was a meticulously planned trap.
“Lady Laper! What is the meaning of this?!”
The gathered guests shouted, turning to Lady Laper in urgency.
But she, already pale with terror, backed away, muttering repeatedly.
“He’s a demon… I’m not at fault. He killed all my guards in an instant… I’m not to blame…”
Seeing Lady Laper muttering as if deranged, the collateral branches’ anxiety skyrocketed.
Faced with Evan, who radiated clear killing intent, a knight of some regional renown bravely stepped forward.
—Shing!
Drawing his sword, he spoke resolutely.
“I, Owen Ray…”
But before he could finish, Evan’s sword flashed like lightning, and the knight’s head was severed without resistance.
“Eek!!!”
Witnessing the scene, the remaining collateral branches recoiled in horror.
Evan approached them calmly and coldly.
“If anyone wants to fight, come at me. It’d be much easier for me.”
Even those from distant branches knew of Evan’s fearsome strength.
He was the one who defeated Bakan Hardan, the Kandahr’s ruler who nearly brought the kingdom to ruin.
They had thought the rumors were exaggerated, but standing before him, they instinctively felt the overwhelming truth of his power.
“You fools! We have the Fire Dragon Orb! Don’t be afraid!”
At that moment, a mage from an academic faction among the branches grabbed the Fire Dragon Orb.
Though they couldn’t defeat Evan individually, they believed the orb’s power could subdue him.
“Ugh?!”
But their judgment was half-right, half-wrong.
The Fire Dragon Orb could indeed challenge Evan, but its power wasn’t granted to just anyone.
“This… This can’t be!”
The moment the mage grasped the orb, a powerful red flame erupted, engulfing him.
“Aaaargh!!!”
The flames swallowed his screams, reducing his body to ashes in an instant.
It was the price of greed for an unauthorized user.
The banquet hall filled with the acrid smell of burning and an overwhelming aura of death,
and the remaining branches sank into despair.
They fell to their knees, desperately pleading for mercy.
“Please spare us! We didn’t actively oppose the Lafard Family like the Laper Family!”
“Exactly! Spare our lives, and we’ll never come near the Lafard Family again!”
“Duke Lafard, please!”
They begged for their lives, kneeling desperately.
But Evan shook his head coldly.
“Your presence here proves you haven’t abandoned your greed. The invitation I sent was your last chance at mercy. If even one of you hadn’t come, I might’ve spared that one.”
Evan had sent the invitations with that intention, expecting at least a few wouldn’t show.
“But sadly, there was no such wise soul.”
The Laper Family’s invitation was a test.
For those who failed, only death awaited.
“No… It can’t be…”
Realizing Evan had no intention of sparing them, the collateral branches exchanged glances, then erupted into desperate screams and began to move.
“Aaaargh!!!”
They split into two groups.
One, driven by mad despair, charged recklessly at Evan, while the other frantically ran for the door.
“He’s just one man! If we fight together, we might…!”
“Aaah! Get out of the way!”
But Evan looked down on their movements with cold disdain.
“At least those who face me aren’t entirely pathetic.”
Finally, his cold, merciless sword gleamed ominously.
***
“Aaaargh!!!”
“Please, spare us!!!”
—Thud, thud, thud!!!
Viper Organization members stood expressionlessly guarding the tightly shut hall doors.
In their midst, Mei sat comfortably in a chair, listening to the screams and cries from beyond as if they were a beautiful melody, her eyes closed in quiet appreciation.
“Hmm~”
But the other Viper members grimaced, visibly disturbed.
Though they had committed all manner of dirty deeds, including contract killings, this blatant, merciless slaughter was a first even for them.
“Relax your faces. This was inevitable the moment we herded the branches in there, wasn’t it?”
“Still, this is… Is a noble really staining his hands with blood like this?”
“Hm. He’s a noble on the outside, but inside, he’s worse than us. Have you already forgotten what we went through with him in the sewers?”
Recalling the events in the Viper’s sewer hideout, Evan’s current actions weren’t all that surprising.
But regardless, he was far from the typical noble in the eyes of commoners.
“Nobles always have a dark side, but the Lafard Family is especially so. He must’ve grown up amidst countless schemes and struggles.”
“Still, Duke Evan Lafard is undeniably resolute. To have both strength and ruthlessness at his age is rare.”
“I agree. He’s no ordinary man. There’s something about him… like he’s been through every kind of hardship.”
Even Mei sensed an enigmatic aura from Evan.
Of course, no one knew it stemmed from his past life.
They simply saw him as a rare genius, a prodigy.
He’s definitely not your average noble. Staining his hands with blood like this. Yet he’s not some madman who enjoys killing.
As Mei organized her thoughts about Evan, a thick stream of blood began seeping through the door’s cracks.
The screams gradually subsided until silence fell.
It’s over.
Mei rose slowly and opened the door.
Inside the blood-soaked hall, only Evan stood quietly.
“Finished them all?”
At Mei’s question, Evan replied with a bitter expression.
“That was the plan from the start.”
“The collateral branches are truly wiped out now. Only hired hands with no blood ties remain.”
“Leave them be. That was the plan.”
Evan picked up the Fire Dragon Orb from the hall’s center and left, Mei quietly following.
“You don’t look relieved at all.”
“I was hoping at least a few wouldn’t show. But it seems they were all too greedy for this.”
Evan lightly lifted the orb.
“Of course. That orb is practically a national treasure.”
“Do you want it?”
“If you’re offering, I’ll take it.”
“You can have it when I’m dead.”
Mei pouted at his words.
“So, don’t even dream of it.”
Evan shrugged nonchalantly.
“Who knows? No one can say what’ll happen to me in the Empire.”
“Oh, right! I heard you’re going to the Empire. Who’re you taking? You’re not going alone with the delegation, right?”
“I’ll figure it out. For now, I’ve settled family matters, so I need to clear my head.”
Evan was content with resolving the family’s complex issues for now.
The challenges awaiting him would make today’s events seem trivial by comparison.
***
“Jack, the family matters are all settled now.”
“…Well done.”
After dealing with the branches, Evan returned and met Jack at a quiet tavern in the capital.
The two sat side by side, conversing in a calm tone.
“Jack, if you want, you can leave the family. I’ll give you a generous severance.”
“Am I making you uncomfortable…?”
Jack asked cautiously, but Evan immediately waved it off.
“That’s not what I mean. You’ve been through so much, yet gained so little. I’m saying you deserve to rest.”
“Someone might think I’m an old man. I’m barely an adult, and you’re talking like that.”
“But there’s no need to endure such treatment at the Academy, is there? If you stay with the family, you’ll always be a ‘servant.’”
Jack’s official status was merely a servant of the Lafard Family.
While the Executor training didn’t discriminate by status, and becoming an official Executor would elevate his rank, he couldn’t entirely ignore the gazes of those around him until then.
“You’re a hero who saved the kingdom. Even if it’s just until you become an Executor, you don’t need to keep being called a servant. I could ask the Princess or the Commander to grant you a title…”
“Young Master, I’m fine. The old you might’ve left long ago, but I like being by your side now. And… there’s so much to learn just by being near you.”
“Learn? You’d better not pick up my personality or habits.”
Evan chuckled, and Jack smiled back.
“Anyway, I want to stay with the Lafard Family like this. There’s no one left to threaten us anymore.”
“True, at least not within the kingdom.”
“Oh, I heard you’re part of the delegation. You’ll need attendants. Have you decided who to take?”
Jack asked in a deliberately light tone to shift the mood.
“It’s my first time going to the continent, so I’m a bit nervous. I’ve heard the Empire is a terrifying place. Will it be okay?”
“…”
“For now, you’ll take me and that pale Count, right? Who else should we bring? It’d be great if Jaina could come…”
“Jack.”
Cutting off Jack’s planning, Evan spoke in a serious tone.
“You can’t come with me this time.”
Jack, certain he’d misheard, froze.
“…What?”
“I’m not taking you as an attendant.”
Evan drew a firm line.