The Crunt Empire was one of the mightiest nations on this continent, and the monarch seated on its throne was among the Human Race’s strongest elites. If anything happened to Fratis, no one present would make it out unscathed.
Seeing Luca rush back. freёwebnovel.com
Luna asked with a puzzled look, “What’s the hurry? Did something happen?”
Ian, who had just followed them out, also glanced over in confusion, unsure of what Luca was up to.
Without time to explain, Luca returned to the dining hall and looked toward where he had been sitting before.
His face fell, and he almost coughed up blood when he saw the sight before him.
Staring at the three empty stone bowls on the table and then at Fratis, who was wiping her mouth with an innocent look, Luca was left speechless.
It had only been a few minutes since he stepped out, and she’d managed to finish three bowls of meat broth? Your Highness, is your eating speed a bit… too fast?
Ian, who had followed him in, also drew a sharp breath.
They had been so focused on Luca and Luna that they had forgotten about this little troublemaker.
Just thinking about the potential consequences made Ian’s scalp tingle.
Feeling everyone’s intense stares, Fratis blushed, looked down, and mumbled, “I… I’m sorry… If you want more, I can go get you another bowl…”
Luca’s lips twitched, but he only sighed in the end.
At this point, solving the issue with Fratis was the priority.
“So, how do we break this Desire Seed?” he asked Jormungandr mentally.
Jormungandr, still bitter after Luca’s earlier reprimand.
She replied curtly, “You think I’m all-knowing? Desire Seeds are notoriously tricky. Maybe if I were at my full power, I could manage it, but as I am now, that’s not an option.”
“However, don’t worry—this girl shouldn’t be in any real danger.”
“What do you mean?” Luca asked, surprised.
Jormungandr replied casually, “She’s protected by a Transcendent-level secret art. This power will keep her safe and prevent her from being influenced by the Desire Seed.”
“A Transcendent-level secret art?!” Luca paused before realization dawned on him.
The Clinton royal family had plenty of powerful fighters, and as a princess, Fratis had been protected by all sorts of secret arts since she was young.
Pandora, with her power still weakened, truly couldn’t do much to her.
With this thought, Luca felt a sense of relief. Fratis being fine was fortunate in an otherwise unfortunate situation.
Now, he could focus solely on dealing with the Mora family.
Luca glanced at Ian and noticed he was watching Fratis, his face taut with nervousness.
It seemed the Mora family was unaware that Fratis carried protective powers left by a formidable figure.
That would simplify things. The crime of poisoning a princess was enough to doom the entire Mora family.
Bronte just needed to show up, and they’d be desperate enough to act like cornered animals…
Thoughts flickered rapidly through Luca’s mind, and a slight smile crept onto his lips. He stood up and said, “Your Highness, Miss Luna, now that we’ve completed the investigation, it’s time we take our leave.”
“Yes, it’s about time we left,” Luna nodded, her face expressionless, giving nothing away about her thoughts.
Fratis, however, cast a lingering glance at the broth but reluctantly stood up.
Ian managed a stiff smile, bowing respectfully. “I… I’ll see you all out.”
At this moment, Fratis was no less than a ticking bomb in his eyes.
Ian could barely wait for Luca and the others to be on their way.
As soon as he personally escorted them to their carriage, the smile on Ian’s face vanished.
“Damn it!” he cursed, racing to the temple behind the factory to report the incident to Harvis as quickly as he could.
“What?! The princess ingested the Gluttony Seed?!” Harvis, who had been training in his quarters, shot to his feet, utterly shocked.
Just imagining the consequences made his face pale, his expression flickering between shock and fury.
His anger flared even hotter.
“I told you to keep an eye on them! What were you doing?!” Harvis slapped Ian hard enough to send him sprawling.
Though Ian was a Diamond-level fighter, he didn’t dare resist, not even wiping the blood from his mouth.
Terrified, he fell to his knees, hurriedly explaining, “Luca stepped out before touching the bowl of broth. I followed him, but when I returned… the princess had already finished it.”
Harvis wasn’t satisfied, and he kicked Ian square in the face, growling, “Are you an idiot? Luca’s just an academy instructor. Who cares if he dies?!
“But if something happens to the sixth princess, not only the royal family, but even Lord Finn won’t let us off!”
It was bad enough that Luca hadn’t been dealt with, but now they’d also provoked the royal family—a colossal disaster!
At that moment, Harvis could hardly resist the urge to tear this idiot apart and feed him to the dogs!
Yet, he quickly regained his composure.
Time was running out; now wasn’t the time for rage.
Once Luca and the others reached the City Lord’s mansion, it wouldn’t take long for Bronte to notice something unusual with the princess.
If that happened, the Mora family was as good as finished.
His dream of becoming a top-tier warrior and conquering Luna would shatter completely.
Harvis couldn’t, under any circumstances, let that happen.
He took a deep breath, thinking it over, and suddenly a crazed look flashed in his eyes. His gaze turned blood-red as he gritted his teeth and snarled, “No more holding back! Bronte will be here any minute—send the order! At any cost, make everyone in the clan push those swine’s desires to the limit and restore Pandora’s power as fast as possible!
“They think they can make us fall? Let’s see if they have what it takes!”
…
The carriage traveled steadily, and before long, Luca, Luna, and the others arrived back at the City Lord’s mansion.
“How did the investigation go?” Bronte asked without looking up, his focus still on the pile of official documents before him.
The stack of papers beside him towered so high it reached over his head.
“Nothing concrete,” Luna replied with a frown. “But I have a feeling the Mora family is definitely hiding something.”
Luca glanced at her, surprised by how keen her perception was.
At least he wouldn’t need to waste his breath trying to convince Bronte.
As expected, upon hearing Luna’s words, Bronte paused, his pen coming to a halt.
He raised his head, smirking coldly. “The uses for buying slaves are limited. If it’s not for factory work, then it’s for some twisted ritual. Looks like what the letter said is true.
“They’ve stayed quiet for years, and now they think they can treat me like a fool?”
His eyes glinted with lethal intent as he said coldly, “Send out the order: have the city guards surround the Mora estate and the meat factory. Don’t let even a fly escape!
“They dare stir trouble on my turf? Let’s see just what kind of backing they think they have!”
Luca kept a straight face, but inwardly, he was thrilled. Things were going far smoother than he’d anticipated. Who knew, maybe today he’d get to see the Mora family meet its end…
Bronte’s orders spread quickly.
In no time, fully armed soldiers gathered outside the City Lord’s mansion. Thousands strong, they stood clad in pitch-black iron armor, their faces cold, emanating an aura of icy killing intent. Not a single one was below Gold Grade.
Civilians and adventurers on the streets whispered among themselves.
Guessing what on earth could have happened in Southwind City to prompt such a massive mobilization from the City Lord’s office.
Luca, Luna, and Fratis followed Bronte out of the mansion, drawing just as much attention.
When people saw Luna and Fratis—two beauties of such contrasting styles—the eyes of many adventurers went wide. These NPCs were stunning beyond belief!
“When did Luca start running with the Marquis?” Ben and Ada exchanged glances in the crowd, each seeing the surprise in the other’s eyes.
Once all the soldiers had gathered, Bronte wasted no time and ordered in a deep voice, “Everyone, listen up! As of this moment, the city is on lockdown—close all gates!
“Seal off the Mora family estate and factory; no one is allowed to escape!”
“Yes, sir!!” The soldiers responded in unison, their voices booming so loudly it seemed like they might shatter the clouds.
It wasn’t just these soldiers; under this command, all of Southwind City’s forces sprang into action.
Whether at the villa or the factory.
Everyone connected to the Mora family was immediately placed under surveillance.
Southwind City was in an uproar.
The Mora family, as one of the four great families of Southwind City, held considerable influence and reputation here.
Why would the Marquis suddenly issue an order targeting them?
After issuing the command, Bronte didn’t linger. His figure transformed into a streak of light, shooting skyward as he personally flew toward the meat factory in the Outer District.
Luna followed him. Luca, meanwhile, found a good vantage point from a safe distance, preferring to observe from afar.
Scenes involving a Superclass powerhouse in action were better watched from a distance; getting too close could be fatal.
Almost simultaneously with Bronte’s arrival, a blood-red light erupted from within the factory, illuminating the sky. A massive blood-red formation appeared overhead, filling all of Southwind City with a pungent, metallic smell in an instant.
Seeing this formation, many people’s eyes went wide, gasping in shock.
A Blood Sacrifice Array?!
The Mora family had actually set up a Blood Sacrifice Array!!
“How dare you!!!” Bronte’s furious shout thundered across the sky, followed by a blinding silver sword light that seemed to tear through the air, striking fiercely at the blood-red formation!
“Boom!!” The deafening explosion shook the city, and everyone in Southwind City felt as though the ground beneath them quivered. The terrifying residual sword energy swept across the sky, striking fear into anyone who looked upon it.
But as the sword light dissipated, everyone stared in shock—it hadn’t left a single mark on the formation!
Another dark formation appeared atop the Blood Sacrifice Array, with a pillar of tainted black light rising from it. The black light then formed a protective shield over the meat factory, locking it firmly within!
“The Dark River Array?” Luca recognized the origins of the formation, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. Wasn’t this a Superclass secret art of the Crunt Empire’s royal family? Where had the Mora family managed to acquire it?