Chapter 202: Begin the March |
‘My turn? And what the hell is that helmet?’
The helmet seemed to radiate light, and for a moment, Haverion couldn’t grasp what was happening. However, he quickly composed himself, sneering with disdain.
“I don’t know what kind of schemes you’re trying to pull, but it’s too late for that now.”
Even with Ian gripping his collar, Haverion remained unshaken. In fact, he was smiling. The reason was simple.
‘The self-destruct mechanism is already active. No matter how impressive he might be, it’s unstoppable now.’
This was no ordinary plan; it was the power bestowed by the First Prince. The impending explosion was massive enough to obliterate not just the prison but half of the royal palace. While it was regrettable that King Eloin and the other successors might survive, Haverion remained resolute.
‘This is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. Surely, my lord will be satisfied.’
If he could kill the Seventh Prince, Ian, here, he believed all his previous failures would be forgiven. But something was off.
A shiver ran down his spine.
The energies within him were colliding, building to unleash the explosion, yet nothing happened. It was as if the power was leaking away.
At that moment, Ian’s lips curled into a smirk.
“What’s wrong? Just figuring it out now? You’re slower than I expected.”
“What did you do to me?” Haverion shouted.
Despite Haverion’s shout, Ian didn’t respond.
It was as if he were smiling, saying, ‘As if I would tell you something like that to my enemy.’
Haverion’s mind raced.
‘The power is being drained… through his arms?’
It wasn’t a joke. No matter how much he forced the energies to collide, they slipped away, as though a hole had been punched in a dam, making it impossible to explode at a critical moment.
Desperate, Haverion thrashed to free himself.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Whatever magic you’re using, do you think I’ll fall for it so easily?”
He twisted his body, using its weight and momentum to break Ian’s grip. Surely the Seventh Prince, with his thin arms, couldn’t hold him for long. But it was in vain.
Ian didn’t budge. He just laughed.
“What are you doing? Is that all you’ve got? Why don’t you try harder?”
“You bastard… where did you get this kind of power…”
Ian’s grip was ironclad, impossibly strong. The more Haverion struggled, the more his strength ebbed away. He felt an instinctive, growing fear.
‘If this keeps up, I won’t just fail to explode—I’ll lose everything.’
This power wasn’t easily won. Haverion had endured countless trials and the deaths of hundreds, even thousands, to obtain it. He and Cesare were the only successful results.
‘Half of my life… no, more than that. I went through hundreds of life-threatening situations to get that power.’
Even that was something he had barely obtained at the risk of death. But now he was different. But now, Cesare was gone, and his power was whole—perfect. Holding it was a constant battle, but now Ian was siphoning it away as if it were nothing.
Haverion’s eyes burned with determination.
“Don’t think for a second I’ll hand over this power to a bastard like you!”
Ian smirked. “Oh, but it seems like you already are. Don’t worry—I’ll put it to good use. Thanks.”
“Damn you…”
Haverion clenched the cross in his hand. Although it was difficult to exert his strength due to the power draining from him, it wasn’t as if there were no options left. His eyes turned to the fallen guards behind Ian.
‘Arise. The blessings of God grant you an indomitable body.’
As if answering his command, the guards began to stir.
Grrr…
A low growl escaped them.
The guards rose slowly, their movements stiff and unnatural. Their eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging across their bodies. Their faces were flushed red like berserkers, and their pupils had turned a milky white.
Haverion’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the guards whose heads were slightly tilted.
‘Don’t rush. Just move carefully. Don’t let him notice.’
There was still time before all of Haverion’s strength was drained. The only visible threat was Ian, and if the guards attacked him without warning, there was still hope of escaping. Perhaps his thoughts resonated with the guards.
Slowly.
The guards began to approach Ian in silence.
‘That’s it. Just like that. Ambush him while he’s unaware!’
At Haverion’s silent command, the guards moved silently, drawing hexagonal bars from their belts. Their bulging muscles strained, their grip on the weapons vice-like. These were no ordinary soldiers—they were leagues above the Berserkers who had only received Baptism.
‘Through the Sacrament, their faith has been strengthened. The Baptism given to such people is of a different quality.’
They were no longer just Berserkers. They were like true shepherds who treated Cesare as if he were a god, wielding strength akin to the divine warriors mentioned in the scriptures.
With bodies as hard as steel and speed rivaling the famed Knight of Swiftness, Nathan, they were a force to be reckoned with. Their unwavering obedience to command made them even more formidable.
It was only natural for Haverion to be confident.
‘Now, not even death can halt their steps.’
This was the very power Cesare had so desperately sought, but in the end, it belonged to Haverion.
‘To think I’d have to use such extreme measures against a brat like him.’
Suppressing his thoughts, Haverion allowed a smirk to creep onto his face. None of it mattered now. If he could take Ian down here and fulfill his plan to wipe out the Kaistein royal family, his victory would be complete.
As a triumphant grin spread across his face, the Berserkers raised their hexagonal bars high.
“Now!”
Bang!
At his command, the Berserkers brought their weapons down on Ian’s head with tremendous force. The impact was so powerful that the bar shattered into pieces.
Haverion burst into laughter.
“You fool! That’s what happens when you let your guard down! Hahaha!”
But just as he reveled in his supposed triumph, something felt off.
‘Wait… why am I still suspended in the air?’
To his horror, Ian stood completely unscathed.
“I didn’t think you’d still be able to attack me while I was draining your power.”
Ian casually brushed fragments of the shattered weapon off his helmet, still holding Haverion aloft with one hand. There wasn’t a hint of surprise on Ian’s face—only calm amusement.
‘He allowed them to attack on purpose. But why?’
It was as if he was testing the defensive capabilities of his helmet. But Haverion was too busy shouting at Ian.
“What… is your head made of stone?” Haverion blurted out.
At his words, Ian chuckled.
‘Is he saying I have a stone head?’
[You ignorant fool. Helmets are meant to protect the head. What did you expect?]
‘To be honest, I was a bit surprised. I didn’t know it would be this sturdy.’
[Hah… Your Majesty the King…]
The helmet let out a sigh.
[All of His Majesty’s armor, including me, is crafted from a special metal. It’s both lightweight and indestructible.]
‘How indestructible? It seems to have easily blocked the hexagonal bars.’
[Huh… If only you wore full armor, you’d be nearly invincible.]
‘What about you?’
[Huh? What about me? Didn’t I just block that attack for you?]
‘No. I meant, is that all you do—talk and protect my head? Do you have any other abilities?’
[W-What?]
“So, basically, you’re useless.”
[Useless?! How dare you! I am far more useful than you realize! Why, in my prime—]
The helmet’s voice trembled as if in disbelief. But Ian could no longer be bothered with him. It was Haverion’s outburst right in front of him.
“Even if your head is made of stone, you’ll die here. Kill him!” Haverion roared.
Grrrrrr!
At his command, the Berserkers charged. Instead of quietly approaching as they had been doing, they rushed forward overtly to kill. But Ian didn’t flinch. He didn’t even raise his arms to defend himself. Instead, he smiled.
“Do you really think it’ll go your way?”
“Hmph! You must think yourself lucky to have survived, but even that ridiculous helmet of yours won’t save you now!”
Despite Haverion’s shout, Ian’s smirk only deepened. His expression grew colder as he fixed his gaze on Haverion.
“Is it… done like this?”
“?”
At that moment, Haverion’s eyes widened uncontrollably. And it was only natural.
“Kneel.”
Rrrrrgh…
Thud.
At that single word, the Berserkers collapsed to their knees.
Haverion’s eyes widened in shock.
‘What? There’s still more than half of my power left! How is this happening?’
Baptism was a power that utilized people’s faith. Moreover, he was a cardinal. Naturally, the berserkers should have served him, the cardinal, rather than that damned Seventh Prince. There was no way he should have lost control over them. But that wasn’t the point anymore.
Ugh…
Every single berserker he had relied on began bowing their heads toward Ian. Even without Ian giving any orders, they knelt as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Moreover, while Haverion was still trying to comprehend everything, more than half of his remaining power was quickly absorbed by Ian. His body, once bursting with strength, felt hollow—like a dried husk.
‘This… this can’t be happening.’
As despair overwhelmed him, Ian’s cold voice whispered into his ear.
“Thanks to you, I’ve learned how to use your power.”
Haverion stammered, “W-What? Don’t tell me… the reason you came here alone is…”
Instead of answering, Ian merely smiled, confirming Haverion’s suspicions. Everything was unfolding exactly as planned. Ian had entered with knights up to the entrance, but the reason he chose to fight alone was deliberate.
‘The way this power works is more complex than I thought. But after seeing it firsthand, I’ve figured it out.’
The plan was to absorb and manipulate the power Haverion possessed. Thanks to witnessing it firsthand and absorbing his energy, he found it easy to handle both the Baptism and the Sacrament. Of course, it wasn’t without risk.
‘If I weren’t the Hero of Bahara, this could have been far more dangerous.’
Control over the Berserkers might have reverted to Haverion, the cardinal. But the fact that Ian was the Hero of Bahara and that Haverion was a fallen cardinal turned the tide in his favor. In the end, Ian successfully secured control
And finally—
“Well then, shall we hear your last words, dear brother?”
With a sly smirk, Ian delivered his words. Haverion, his face a mask of despair, could only watch helplessly.
***
Just one day.
For a full day, the First Princess had been caught between elation and dread. It was as if she were living through a nightmare.
“There really are explosives here!”
“Not just the gallows—there are explosives rigged beneath the royal seats and those reserved for high nobles!”
The discovery had nearly caused a catastrophe during the ceremony she was overseeing. Her heart had felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.
‘How could I, of all people, have failed to detect such a trap?’
Had the ceremony proceeded as planned, chaos would have erupted before their departure for Cantum. While she had sensed something was wrong and started investigating—
‘It’s too late. This is my mistake.’
Someone had acted more swiftly than her. That someone was King Eloin’s elite Black Lion Knights, who had claimed to be investigating under royal orders. However, even they had been preceded by another.
‘How did the youngest brother uncover this before His Majesty himself?’
The one who had warned her was none other than the Seventh Prince, Ian. He had approached her the night before, informing her of the explosives. What shocked her most wasn’t just his knowledge but how he had obtained it.
How had someone so recently away from the royal palace learned of this before even the king? No matter how she thought about it, it was an unbelievable level of intelligence. But that was not the immediate concern.
“From now on, we will hold the execution ceremony of Haverion, the Fifth Prince and former cardinal of the Holy Empire, along with the departure ceremony.”
The execution and departure ceremonies proceeded without delay, despite the near disaster. Ian, holding the Spear of Execution, stepped forward with a calm, fearless expression. He raised the spear high and began to speak boldly.
“The crimes of Haverion, the Fifth Prince and former cardinal of the Holy Empire, are undeniable. He deceived His Majesty and the kingdom, corrupting the faithful. He sought to kill his brothers, driven by selfish ambition, and abandoned his duties and responsibilities as a member of the Kaistein royal family.”
The crimson banner hanging over the spear fluttered in the wind as Ian spoke and raised it high.
“No one may harm the people of Kaistein—my people.”
With those words, Ian brought the spear down in one swift, decisive motion.
Swish!
Haverion’s head fell from his body, rolling to the ground. This marked the first death in Kaistein’s succession war. Yet, no one wept. Instead, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Long live Ian Kaistein! Long live the Seventh Prince!!”
“Long live Kaistein!”
Amid the roaring celebration, Ian thrust the spear forward and issued his command.
“Troops! Begin the march!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
With Ian’s command, the reinforcements began their march toward Cantum.