Chapter 94: Ser Loras’ Report [2]

"What did you just say?" Duke Oscar’s eyebrows furrowed deeply, his dark crimson eyes narrowing into sharp, deadly slits as he stared at Ser Loras.

Ser Loras did not hesitate.

As they walked through the grand stone corridor of the Temple of Dragons, he quickly laid out the full sequence of events that had transpired during the Duke’s absence.

He started from the seventh successor’s inauguration festival ceremony in the Myrain Viscounty, detailing the strategic perimeter hunt within the Jeju Forest, the unexpected ambush executed by five high-tier Rankers, and the dramatic trial that led to the Seventh Successor breaking through his limits and ascending into the class of a Sword Runner.

Finally, Ser Loras brought up the most critical detail—that Craig himself had formally dispatched an official report attributing the assassination attempt to an elusive, fanatical organization calling itself Hydra.

Duke Oscar stopped in his tracks, taking a long, deep breath as the report settled in his mind.

The ambient air around him began to warp subtly, heavy with the weight of his towering aura.

"To think they would finally dare to make their move," Duke Oscar said, his voice dangerously low, ringing with an ancient, suppressed fury. "Though... targeting my seventh child in broad daylight—is that not the same as openly antagonizing me?"

"Indeed, Lord Duke," Ser Loras answered, bowing his head slightly as he walked alongside his master. "From my perspective, Hydra is nothing more than a collective of insane, fanatic superhumans. How they manage to maintain their minds and survive Abyssal corruption in such unstable mental states remains a mystery.

But in making this move, they clearly made a fatal miscalculation—they did not expect the Seventh Successor to be such a competent, formidable figure."

Loras paused, his hand resting on the pommel of his longsword. "They likely anticipated a quick, quiet execution. Their goal was undoubtedly to throw our Duchy into internal chaos and trigger a war of succession among your heirs."

Duke Oscar nodded slowly, his expression cold and unreadable. "You make a valid point, Loras."

The Duke let out a quiet, heavy sigh, shaking his head. "To be completely honest, I had no desire to bother with Hydra until now. Rooting out every rat in an underground shadow network and wiping them off the map is a tedious, exhausting pain. But since they have chosen to challenge my authority openly..."

A terrifying, suffocating pressure exploded from Duke Oscar’s frame, causing the stone walls of the dragon sanctuary to tremble.

"...I must make a move to ensure this foolishness never repeats itself," Duke Oscar declared, his eyes flashing with absolute, unyielding dominion.

"So long as I draw breath, no faction on this continent shall dare attempt to assassinate a child of the Darkstar bloodline with impunity."

Ser Loras immediately dropped to one knee, smashing his armored fist over his chest plate.

"We await your absolute command, Lord Duke."

Duke Oscar stepped past Ser Loras, looking up toward the cavernous ceiling opening that led into the open sky.

"Summon the Archangels," Duke Oscar ordered coldly, his tone leaving no room for mercy.

"Blood must be shed."

Before Ser Loras could even utter a response, Duke Oscar’s body broke the laws of gravity.

He floated off the stone floor, enveloped in a dark crimson shroud of high-density mana, and ignited into a crimson streak of light.

With a thunderous sonic boom, he shot directly into the sky, soaring toward the distant silhouette of the Palace of Crimson at terrifying speed.

Ser Loras slowly rose to his feet, watching his lord’s retreating light fade into the clouds.

Knowing he would have to make the journey back to the castle on his war stallion alone, the Sword Dominator turned back toward the temple gates to fetch his mount.

***

Meanwhile, far to the northeast in the Myrain Viscounty.

The golden rays of the setting sun painted the sky in vivid shades of amber and violent violet.

Inside the Viscounty’s central administrative hall, Craig von Darkstar sat behind a vast mahogany desk piled with official documents, trade records, and security assessments.

Over the course of the long, grueling day, Craig had personally conducted thorough, exhaustive interviews and background checks on the eight candidates recommended by his vassal baronies.

He examined their political ties, tested their administrative competence, and poked at their loyalty until he was thoroughly satisfied.

Having confirmed that all eight were capable figures fit for the responsibility, Craig officially appointed them as the new ministers of the Viscounty’s governing council.

Among these appointments, the most crucial was the elevated role of Master for State Affairs.

A vital seat left vacant after Craig famously executed the corrupt former minister upon taking control of the domain.

For this paramount position, Craig selected Master Ea, a sharp, highly respected middle-aged administrator hailing from the Lucerion Barony.

Craig was already quite familiar with Ea’s meticulous work ethic from his time governing his previous lands, and Ser Hughway himself had personally vouched for the man’s unshakeable integrity.

With Master Ea stepping up to manage the state affairs of the entire Viscounty, a secondary vacancy opened in his home territory.

To solidify his hold over the region, Craig simultaneously established a brand-new noble lineage within the Lucerion Barony.

He put forward an official decree recommending the Patriarch of House Maekar—who had served as Craig’s reliable Chief of Staff back in the Lucerion Barony—to inherit the vacant feudal title.

Given Craig’s supreme authority as Lord Viscount and his rising prestige as a Sword Runner, the recommendation sailed through without a single whisper of opposition.

With the ink dry on the royal parchment, the newly elevated Patriarch was officially crowned as Baron Meran Maekar, securing the Lucerion Barony under a staunchly loyal banner.

As twilight settled over the estate, Craig set down his quill, looking out the grand window of his study at his quiet, securely patrolled domain.

The internal foundation of the Myrain Viscounty was finally stable—and the road north toward the Blue Tiger Guild was officially open.