Chapter 685: Judgement of Feraos.

"It was all a pretence."

Prince Edric revealed the truth in a weak voice.

"The King had been pretending all his life. He has two appearances, one that the people know of, the one me and Lavinia were familiar with, the fake front he puts in front of the crowd.

And the other only he knows about.

His true self.

I saw it with my own eyes.

I saw him talk with the Xenthalor representative, who shouldn’t even be able to enter the royal chamber without his permission in the first place.

I saw him taking a crystal filled with raw Power of Corruption from him and keeping it inside his Sanctuary where his Bonds are supposed to be.

That was when it all connected.

Lavinia’s exile, the delay in the Alliance’s final move, it all made sense."

Kael heard Edric’s words and his face turned even more solemn. Honestly, he already suspected the Drakthar King, heck, he was sure it was him.

His Vision had already told him that.

What surprised him more was that Edric himself wasn’t involved in all of it.

Or...

Was he?

Was this... a trick?

A strange way to confuse him, or maybe attack once he let his guard down?

Kael hated himself for thinking that, but he couldn’t bring himself to trust the man who had shown open animosity in front of him.

Edric could not be trusted.

Kael’s eyes turned colder and Edric—

He noticed that, and a short, weak smile appeared on his face.

"You... do not trust me."

"That is not it."

Kael tried to defend himself, Edric, however, only shook his head.

"It doesn’t matter."

He sighed.

"You are not gullible.

That is a good thing."

He nodded with an approving look on his face.

Then, he adjusted his body a little, his hand went behind his back, Kael narrowed his eyes and Edric—

He took out a sword.

"T-That is..."

Lavinia’s expression changed when she saw the sword. Kael’s eyes returned to the sword again.

What could possibly get such a reaction out of Lavinia?

He wondered in his head as he looked at the sword.

It had a long, straight, pale gold blade which was almost white near the edge, almost as if light itself had been sharpened into metal. Thin crimson lines moved through its center, pulsing softly. The guard was shaped like folded wings.

It was... definitely different.

The Sword’s aura alone seemed different than anything else.

What surprised Kael even more was—

"Judgement of Feraos...?"

Ferrakar, who had been standing at a distance, watching everything in silence, making sure Kael and others weren’t hurt, reacted to the sword as well.

"You know what it is?"

Kael turned towards him and Ferrakar’s eyes turned colder.

"I do."

He nodded.

That got a reaction out of Kael, he turned back towards the sword and narrowed his eyes.

"What is it?"

He directly asked Edric.

The Drakthar Prince tried to answer but—

"It’s the Judgement of Feraos."

Lavinia interrupted him.

She could already see Edric was weak, the last thing she wanted was for him to say something even she could tell.

So she turned towards Kael and—

"It is one of two Absolute Relics Feraos bestowed only to the Dragonborns. They, together with the Dragons, are the reason Drakthar is known as the strongest kingdom in Nerathis."

Kael’s face turned grim.

Absolute Relics...?

Absolute...?

He raised an eyebrow at that word.

And Lavinia continued to explain—

"It is the Judgement of Feraos, a sword that can cut through anything. Stone, steel, magic, barriers, flesh... even a Dragon."

"What...?"

Kael’s expression changed.

"It can cut through a Dragon."

"Only if the wielder actually manages to ’cut’ through the Dragon, it cannot cut through something it cannot touch."

Ferrakar snorted.

However, just his statement alone was more than enough to understand what sort of weapon it was.

"Are you saying... if I managed to attack your neck with this sword...

Even your head would fall?"

Kael questioned, just to make sure it wasn’t just his mind that was at a loss.

"You cannot wield it."

Ferrakar shook his head.

"Only a Dragonborn can. You may be a Dragonborn in name, but you do not have Dragonborn Blood."

And before Kael could ask what he was about to ask.

"But if a Dragonborn wields it, and somehow manages to reach my neck—

My head will roll."

The Dragon admitted and Kael couldn’t believe it.

What’s with this absurd sword...?

How could something like this exist...?

A sword that could cut through everything!?

And while he was thinking of all this—

"The King still has the Raiment of Feraos."

Edric revealed.

And Lavinia’s expression changed even further.

"That is not possible."

She shook her head.

The Judgement of Feraos and Raiment of Feraos were supposed to be inside the Church of Feraos, not with the King.

And as if he knew what Lavinia was thinking—

"The King commanded the Church to return it since he might need it in these difficult times and the Church agreed, believing that it was better that both Absolute Relics remain in Drakthar so they could be used, instead of rotting in the Vault while the world outside was in chaos."

Lavinia’s face turned solemn.

"Father was planning to use them...? But why...?"

She could not understand.

"I do not know."

Edric shook his head.

"I only know he isn’t up to any good. I have seen him control the Power of Corruption with my own eyes, that was the moment I realised that these weapons cannot fall into his hands."

"So you stole it."

Lavinia’s face turned solemn.

"I planned to steal both."

Edric’s face turned pale.

"I secretly entered Father’s Vault where he stored the Crystal of Raw Power of Corruption and the Relics. I grabbed the Judgement, but by the time I moved to the Raiment—

Father caught me and I had no choice but to run.

Father’s royal guards chased me, every single one of them was stronger than me, I had no choice but to use the Judgement."

"That explains the state he is in."

Ferrakar commented, looking at the Prince with his cold, golden eyes.