Chapter 70
At that moment, the wind howling through the gorge was sucked violently toward the crimson sphere. The gale was so fierce it tugged at the shields planted into the ground, and Morris lifted an arm to shield his face.
Even so, his eyes stayed fixed on the prince. And what he saw was beyond belief.
The sphere of holy power that the prince had lifted shot toward the ‘Maw’ at staggering speed. The abyssal rift swallowed it whole, then exploded midair. A brilliant crimson flash flared like a giant firework, and the ‘Maw’ vanished in an instant.
With a thunderous boom, the red light tore across the sky. Then, as if nothing had happened, the heavens returned to their ordinary state.
“The Maw”
“The Maw disappeared?”
Knights behind Morris whispered in shock. The sight was so unreal it felt like an illusion. For a ‘Maw’ to vanish before it could even vomit out monsters…
It was unimaginable.
“By the gods…”
Reverent awe slipped out through Morris’s teeth. He had never seen an imperial use holy power on such a scale. Everyone knew the direct bloodline wielded far stronger divine energy than the collateral knights, but because of the risk of frenzy, no true prince dared unleash it fully.
“Your Highness, just now…”
Morris, still dazed, called out to Euclid. The prince who had destroyed the ‘Maw’ now calmly conjured another sphere of holy power. Smaller than before, but still brilliant and red, they shot out across the gorge one after another.
Each time a sphere struck, explosions echoed and monster roars tore through the air. Morris did not need to look to know the beasts were being obliterated.
Unleashed like a warhorse loosed from its reins, Euclid pressed the hunt alone. One by one, every monster in the gorge was cut down by his power alone.
Morris swallowed hard, his throat dry as sand. He could not tear his eyes away. With trembling hands, he hurried to pull out a recording stone, capturing the spectacle before him.
The legendary feat of the First Prince that would be etched into the Dawood Empire’s history.
* * *
The First Prince had closed a ‘Maw.’
He eradicated it completely before a single monster could emerge and scoured Shastir Gorge clean of every beast.
News so astonishing it sounded like fantasy spread swiftly through the Empire. As soon as he returned with the Holy Knights, the First Prince went straight to the Council of Nobles with his commander to report the victory.
At first, the nobles were skeptical. But when Morris brought out the recording stone and played the scene, their jaws dropped.
Because of the scale of the matter, the report reached the Emperor himself.
Upon hearing the incredible news, the Emperor, though weighed down by age and illness, came in person to the Council and commended the First Prince.
“First Prince, you have rid the Empire of a great burden. I shall bestow upon you a great reward.”
As reward, the Emperor granted gold bars, countless jewels, and Astrea—the richest grain province of the Empire—as fief to the First Prince.
Astrea was imperial land, its abundant harvest feeding the entire realm. Its fertile soil and warm climate were perfect not only for grain but for fruit as well, and even the Empress had long coveted it.
The prince, once dismissed as a madman obsessed with monster hunting, rose overnight to become a national hero.
“Congratulations, Your Highness! I knew you would achieve this!”
“Of course, who else but you has led the monster hunts!”
“Haha, had we known the power of purification would be this great, we would have urged you to wed sooner!”
The nobles showered Euclid with honeyed praise, their flattery dripping sweet. Watching their sudden change of face, Euclid smirked inwardly.
* * *
When Marin brought word of Euclid’s triumph, Sylaria’s violet eyes gleamed. She smiled gently and said,
“That’s good.”
“Good? This is beyond good!”
Marin burst out, flailing her hands in excitement at the far-too-calm response.
“The entire palace is in an uproar! People are already saying His Highness the First Prince must be crowned Imperial Crown Prince at once!”
“Really?”
Sylaria’s eyes widened slightly at that. Faster than she had expected. But even so, that wasn’t the thing weighing most on her mind.
She bit her lip in thought for a moment, then suddenly raised her head.
Discussion
1 CommentRBluemoon238
1 could spell the refusal of service/duty for the Empire. He literally holds the Empire's lives in his hands as well as the Imperial Family's prestige
2 is just about the same but adding revenge out of spite. Only someone suicidal would put themselves at risk like that for temporary gain. Well, that, or just fools with little self preservation skills.