Legacy of the Dark Sage

At the moment, Kyran was oblivious to whatever was happening with Malek and Nahir's side. As a matter of fact, that was the case with everyone else. It was not that he did not have a way of knowing because he could contact them anytime he wanted; rather, he chose not to contact them when their operation had only started.

If Kyran kept checking on their situation, it would seem like he did not trust the others to do their part well. In any case, if the worst-case scenario happened to any of them, his Servants would let him know. They could not telepathically tell him, given their distance, but they possessed a token he made himself that, once broken, would tell him they were in a dire situation they could no longer handle by themselves.

The token was quite similar to Cyneah's. The only difference was the latter's token would directly tell Kyran her location as long as she called his name, while the former would only tell him they were in danger.

The reason there was a difference between these tokens was simple. Kyran could warp to where his Servants were without any problem, but not Cyneah. He did not know why, but it was similar to how he could not warp directly to where his family was before. Nolan initially said it was because they knew anti-teleportation and anti-warp formulas and used them in the Regis Estate's defensive array and additional enchantments on their person.

But Cyneah did not know those formulas, nor did she have the ability to enchant her robes with those if she did. For this reason, Kyran could not warp to her side no matter how much he wanted. He did not know what caused this strange situation yet and did not have the leisure to ponder it.

Back in the underground shelter, Jita had communicated with Eikin to return to the storage room as soon as their Mistress sensed their enemies approaching.

Before those enemies showed up, Eikin was inside another storage room and was examining the crates inside. After receiving Jita's message, he exited the storage room at once.

However, Eikin had yet to gain some distance from the room when he encountered a slight interference. A group of complete beings, which he did not recognize, appeared and blocked his path.

It was one thing to be caught. But this group did not look surprised when they saw Eikin. It was as if they knew he was there and were sent to prevent him from returning with his group.

If the scouts sent by Malek and Nahir had been discovered by the Royal Family members and they let them roam free while they planned how to deal with them, it would not have been strange for them to prepare a group to deal with Eikin. After all, his reputation under Achim's leadership did not pale with the Haji and Jita. He was also known to possess a powerful defense and excellent combat skills. His first-hand combat experience was also far more extensive compared to the other fort leaders who came with him as scouts.

Because those fort leaders had stayed behind in the safety of those forts, even if they went out to combat, their experience was limited to battling beasts.

Fighting beasts were different from fighting beast-likes and complete beings.

Eikin's eyes narrowed as he looked at the group of four blocking his path. He recognized them as members of the Royal Family.

One of the male complete beings, with arrogant yet handsome features, having the same shade of blonde hair and green eyes as Achim, stood in front of the group. He looked at Eikin like how one would look at an insignificant dog.

"Eikin," he said. "It is not too late to surrender. If you do, we will pardon your actions since you are only following your stupid Master's orders."

Hearing the arrogant young man's words soured Eikin's mood. Still, he remained calm while looking at the arrogant young man's annoying face.

"Right now, my family is taking care of your allies. It will not be long before they suffer the consequences of entering this place. Being one of those talented knights of this generation, you have to choose wisely which side to follow.

"You might think the momentum of this battle is in your side's favor, but it will not be long before my dear Uncle reverses the tide to his advantage. When that happens, your side will only exhaust resources and manpower and die a pitiful death. Before that happens, it is better for you to change sides."

"Says the side that sees this situation as an opportunity to exhaust the King's forces before staging their own rebellion," Eikin could no longer hold his tongue and snorted a disdainful response.

The arrogant young man chuckled, "I did not expect that information to have reached you as well. We only allowed that fort leader to see our plans, to think he had already shared it with your side. How did he do that?"

Eikin did not respond. But he knew why the arrogant young man said those things.

To the Royal Family members— actually, make that every Somulian— who did not know they had humans who could replicate lost technologies would never think they possessed a communication device that far exceed the capability of the ones they had. Besides that, the communication device available to Armakea was limited. Knights who became fort leaders did not possess such things. If they did, they would have already reported Achim and Kesiah's rebellion from the start.

"Was that how that stupid Master of yours bought your loyalty?" The arrogant young man asked curiously.

Frankly, how Achim and Kesiah managed to remove the pact on the knights given to them by the King for the Heir Competition was a great mystery to the Royal Family members. Initially, they had thought that the Magical Beast Community, who knew how to alter the pact, was behind it, but that was not the case. They had already confirmed to their spy watching the Magical Beast Community's movements that none of them had met with Achim and Kesiah's people. Although they knew the Magical Beast Community sent a carriage and a few of their beasts to assist Kesiah in defending the border several weeks ago, the magical beast who could alter a pact remained in their territory all that time.

Even at that moment, that magical beast remained idle inside their territory.

"Did they promise to share lost technologies they possess with you?" The arrogant young man continued to spout his nonsense.

Eikin's mood worsened by the second. Every time this annoying young man called his Master stupid, one of his anger bars would fill up, threatening to burst at any moment. Even though he knew the annoying young man was not really referring to his new Master, that did not lessen Eikin's anger.

"You should know that they will only say that at the start. After they accomplished what they wanted, they would forcefully take back what was theirs. Such is the relationship between a dog and his master," the arrogant young man said with a sneer.

Eikin was already tired of hearing the annoying young man buzzing around his ear. He looked at the three other complete beings with the young man and narrowed his eyes.

"I'll give you four a chance to back off. If not, then accept the consequences."

The only female in the group ground her teeth at Eikin's threat and said, "A mere knight dare threaten us—!"

The female complete being did not have the chance to finish what she was saying because Eikin already moved.

Eikin stood before them without emitting any form of energy a second ago, but in the next moment, his aura exploded, and all four were thrown back— two of whom slammed on the wall and ceiling.

The arrogant young man and the only female who managed to counter Eikin's outburst of strength were still forced to their knees.

"Eikin!" The arrogant young man growled in anger and was about to summon his Divine Armament.

However, Eikin already sprinted forward and body-slammed the arrogant young man.

"Guah!" The arrogant young man was once more thrown backward. And like a stone, he rolled and skidded, leaving behind cracks on the floor.

The female complete being shivered when she saw this. This was not the scene they expected when they first came here. They had believed they could force Eikin to betray Achim and join them. Never had they thought Eikin would make the first move against them.

Others might think their thinking was stupid. But that was not really their fault. If there was someone who needed to be blamed for their stupidity, it was how they were brought up and their belief that every knight would never hurt a Royal Family member no matter what. Even during a rebellion, at most, these knights would only fight another knight or officers, never a Royal Family member. Apart from that, they were unaware of the fact that Eikin was no longer considered an Armakean Knight bound by a pact but Kyran's Servant.

"Don't! Please don't!" The female complete being pleaded as soon as she saw Eikin looking at her.

It was strange how this young woman's attitude could change so soon the moment she realized her life was in danger.

"Too late."

With that, Eikin rammed his fist on the young woman's head. Her life or death was unknown, only that she fell on the floor lifeless after that hit.

Just as the woman fell, the whole corridor shook as a huge explosion occurred from a distance.