[6… 5…]
The System's countdown was drowned out by Roel's roars as he went on his final rampage.
Roel had no idea who Grandar was exactly, and it was likely that no one else in the world knew anything about him anymore. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the spell Grandar had given him was extremely powerful. He was even able to gain the upper hand against the powerful Felder, albeit only for 30 seconds.
Under Roel's relentless barrage of attacks, Felder quickly found himself suppressed. Roel's stats were actually only average except for his tremendous burst power, but this burst power was more than enough to curb Felder in close-quarters combat. It was fortunate that Felder was a veteran fighter with skills and agility far above Roel's, allowing him to stand his ground against the overpowered Roel in the short-run.
Despite being overpowered by a child, Felder wasn't too worried, for he knew that Roel's burst of power could only be sustained for a very short period of time.
Power and cost were two sides of the same coin in this world. Felder had seen Roel's true strength earlier, and the latter should only be Origin Level 6. Most likely, the reason why Roel could harness such great power and fight on par with him, an Origin Level 3 transcendent, was due to temporary undead reanimation of his body. However, such a status could only be sustained for a short period of time.
Naturally, Roel wasn't oblivious to the limitations of Grandar's Promise either. It hadn't been long since he last experienced the overwhelming feeling of weakness once the spell duration ended. So, he knew that he would be rendered powerless if he couldn't end the battle within 30 seconds.
In truth, when he failed to force Felder to retreat within the first 10 seconds, he had already known that he wouldn't be able to win the fight before time ran out. Nevertheless, he still continued to fight with all his might because he believed that he would be able to catch someone's attention.
And he was right.
[3…]
As the countdown was about to hit zero, just like how heroes always appeared at the final moment, a man's voice suddenly sounded out of nowhere.
"Child, you did well. Hextongue: Center of Gravity."
From the moment he heard those words, Roel knew that his gamble had paid off. At the same time, Grandar's Promise also finally came to an end.
However, Felder was in no position to continue his offense anymore. There was a peculiar mana reaction occurring on the armor he was wearing. When he raised his head, he saw arrows and bloodied swords flying toward him from all directions.
"Bastard! Are these little tricks all you're capable of, Ponte?!"
Felder furiously released his mana as the blood mist around him billowed. He glared at the smiling black-haired man standing in front of the boy he had been fighting against.
Ponte Ascart, one of the powerhouses of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, as well as the leading figure of Princess Victoria's forces.
When the two esteemed marquesses of the Theocracy locked eyes with one another, the atmosphere suddenly grew so fiery that it looked as if something big was going to happen.
"Ponte, that boy is a heretic!"
"What about it? Are you interested in him, Marquess Felder?"
Ponte chuckled lightly at the infuriated golden-haired knight. He grabbed the exhausted Roel with his right hand while waving his left hand casually. Book pages suddenly manifested out of thin air and fluttered around him in huge quantities.
"Pardon me for being unable to accompany you for long. As you can see, Marquess Felder, I am a busy man."
Before Felder could respond, Roel's line of sight was already covered with the book pages fluttering around him and Ponte. The sounds of the battlefield swiftly grew muffled before disappearing altogether. By the time the pages finally scattered apart, he found himself in the heart of Victoria's faction.
"Teacher!"
"Roel!"
The voices of two women sounded in the ears of the Ascart boys. Victoria visibly heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Ponte had successfully made his retreat whereas Nora leaped right toward Roel and embraced him tightly.
"Ouch! Nora, it hurts!"
Having used Grandar's Promise twice with barely any rest, Roel's body was aching everywhere, and Nora's tight hug nearly sent him into the arms of the Maker. Nora quickly loosened her grip upon hearing his exclamation.
"S-sorry, I didn't do it intentionally."
Nora couldn't contain her worry and began examining Roel from head-to-toe to check on his condition. Seeing this, Victoria couldn't help but shoot a deep look at Roel.
This child sure is adorable. Somehow, he seems to resemble teacher quite a bit. However, Nora's response seems to be…
Victoria turned her gaze toward Nora with a contemplative look in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Ponte had gotten back to work.
"There's no need to save our supplies! Archers, cover the retreating soldiers! Everyone, we're retreating!"
Ponte didn't let loose just because he had returned back to safety. He began channeling his mana into the colorful gemstone, causing the gem to glow brilliantly. The fog all around swiftly grew thicker at a visible pace.
The crimson lightning summoned by Wade was still trying its best to ward off the prowess of the labyrinth, but it was almost like trying to keep the rain at bay by lighting up a campfire. Both Wade and Ponte were Origin Level 3 transcendents, but Ponte had a decisive advantage due to the differences in equipment and terrain. Wade didn't stand a chance at all.
Victoria's forces made full use of the concealment of the thick fog to retreat. It was obvious that the soldiers had been specially instructed beforehand from how they showed no hesitation in forsaking their weapons and turning tail to flee desperately. It was baffling to see those soldiers willingly casting aside their precious equipment, but admittedly, it was effective. Nearly all of the soldiers who were still able to move managed to make their escape.
Unyielding perseverance for survival, this was the most valuable quality for the weaker Victoria's forces at the moment.
Sensing that they had finally managed to shake the enemy off their tail, Ponte heaved a sigh of relief. His breathing audibly became heavier, showing that he had indeed exerted himself significantly from diving into the heart of the battle twice and forcefully activating the labyrinth artifact. However, compared to the other member of the Ascart House present, he was at least in a much more acceptable condition.
Roel had been trudging forward under Nora's support all this while, but after seeing that the enemy troops were nowhere in sight anymore, the obstinacy pulling him together finally snapped. He succumbed to the severe fatigue and passed out against Nora's shoulder.
…
A day later, in the Labyrinth Villa.
"Is that child still in the room?"
Standing by the windows of the lounge, Ponte glanced at Victoria, who was closing the metal door after entering the room, and enquired about the conditions of the two children. Victoria nodded her head in response.
"I asked her, but she doesn't want to come out. It hasn't been long since her bloodline awakening ended…"
"What's her name again? How old is she?"
"Nora, 10 years old."
Ponte looked out of the window silently while deliberating over her words. Victoria slowly made her way over to his side.
"Silver Bloodline at 10 years old? That must be rare even for your lineage."
"Indeed… At the very least, her talents surpass both mine and Wade's," replied Victoria with a bitter smile.
This was the first time that she was unable to match up to someone else in terms of talent.
"Is it fine? I mean, for one of your kin to possess so much potential."
"I'm not particularly interested in the pursuit of power. The presence of more talents in the Xeclyde House is good news to me. Teacher, shouldn't you know this the best?"
Victoria sighed deeply. She was suddenly reminded of her twin brother, Wade. The two of them had been so alike before their mother passed away, but in the short span of a few years, everything had changed.
"Speaking of which, Victoria, don't you think that… there's something peculiar about the two children?"
Ponte was a little hesitant when he spoke those words, and Victoria also didn't respond to his question right away either. Instead, the latter fell deep in thought.
Indeed, there's something amiss with those two children, especially their clothes. The fact that they are wearing such luxurious, noble clothing goes to show that they aren't forgotten, illegitimate children wandering on the streets. Instead, it's more likely that they were entrusted to some noble house to raise. But, if that's the case, I should have already heard about them by now, especially given their conspicuous appearances.
"You're right. It's one thing for an offspring of the royal family to be here, but it's far too much of a coincidence for a child from teacher's house to be here too. Not to mention, they are even acquainted with one another."
Is it the norm for wandering illegitimate children to huddle together with one another for warmth nowadays?
Such a thought inexplicably surfaced in Victoria's mind, but she quickly shook her head to refute it. On the other hand, Ponte maintained his silence as he pondered about the matter more deeply.
In his view, it wasn't unthinkable for the Ascart House to have descendants out on the streets, especially since there were several preceding patriarchs who had suddenly gone missing. No, what really intrigued him were the abilities and equipment the child possessed.
Ponte stroked the short sword lying next to him and remarked.
"The fact that the boy named Roel is in possession of Ascendwing goes to show that His Eminence Ryan is already aware of their existence. It's just a pity that His Eminence isn't in the capital at the moment, or else we would have been able to consult him on this matter."
"I really don't know what my father is thinking of…"
Victoria and Ponte's train of thoughts were getting further and further away from the truth. The most pitiful one of all was probably Holy Eminence Ryan, who, despite being far away in the Austine Empire, was being viewed with scorn by his daughter for 'secretly harboring an illegitimate child'.
"Still, I must say that I'm surprised that the child of your Ascart House was able to hold Felder off for so long."
"You saw it?"
"Of course! All of the soldiers standing on the frontlines saw it. That child fought off the enemy general in the heart of the battlefield! I am certain that this matter has already spread far and wide amongst the soldiers."
Victoria offered a rare high compliment toward the prowess Roel displayed on the battlefield. On the other hand, however, Ponte's expression grew a little grim. The other soldiers had been kept at bay due to the shockwaves produced by the collision between Roel and Felder's swords, but Ponte had caught a clear glimpse into Roel's powers.
"That ability of his originates from a heretical cult. You should be aware of that too, right?"
"So what? My mother was a heretic too, but does that mean that she's evil? Teacher, are you trying to sound me out here?"
"No, I'm just worried that you'll feel uncomfortable about this."
"Why would I feel uncomfortable about this? Besides, Nora and that child's relationship…"
A warm smile crept onto Victoria's lips as she spoke. This 'little sister' of hers had rushed over to Roel's side to stand by him despite barely getting out of danger herself. The emotions that drove such actions were something Victoria herself could deeply relate with.
She turned to look at her companion beside her with a stare so intent that it made Ponte cough in discomfort.
"The two of them appear to have gone through numerous crises with one another, I can tell that their feelings run deep. Teacher, don't you think that their situation is very similar to ours?"
"I-I don't think so? I-I already have a family."
"A family, huh? Are you referring to your wife-in-name whom you have not met for almost a decade now?"
After rendering Ponte speechless with her cutting words, Victoria turned her head away with a cold harrumph. She shot a glance at the room the two children were in, and somehow, she saw shadows of her and Ponte in them.
I wonder if I can make this old tree flower if I could pair those two children together.
Victoria glanced at the man beside her as her thoughts began to wander.