Chapter 1216: Prince Angus
Chapter 1216: Prince Angus
"Edmund is getting bolder and bolder," Angus sneered.
"Sir Souta isn’t here because he went to Baron Edmund’s territory."
"He went there? Hahaha!" Angus laughed.
"Souta is a monster so he doesn’t care about formalities or the public’s eyes. It seems Edmund will suffer this time."
Angus and Emiline both gloated over Edmund’s impending misfortune. From what Emiline had witnessed, Souta was a brutal monster who wouldn’t stop until those who crossed his path paid the price.
"However, we must be careful," Emiline said. "Souta is a fifth-stage monster. No ordinary Ascension Knight can match him."
Angus nodded.
Both of them believed that Souta was a fifth-stage monster. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine that a fourth-stage monster could possess such terrifying strength.
Emiline reasoned that any monster capable of giving her a sense of danger was undoubtedly fifth stage. The possibility of Souta being fourth stage never even crossed her mind. After all, the gap between the fourth and fifth stages was immense. She could defeat a fourth-stage monster with a single finger, yet she wouldn’t dare face a fifth-stage one alone.
"Perhaps it’s the monster Captain Devon encountered..." Angus muttered.
"Captain Devon?" Emiline raised an eyebrow.
Angus nodded and explained, "Captain Devon encountered a powerful humanoid monster. He said he even felt a sense of danger from it, which is why he didn’t pursue it."
"I see... Then he truly is a fifth-stage monster," Emiline concluded.
If even the Captain of the Royal Guard felt threatened by Souta, there was no reason to doubt his strength. He was undoubtedly a fifth-stage evolutionary monster.
"Your Highness, when do we plan to make our move?" Emiline asked.
"In the next two days," Angus replied solemnly.
"What? Isn’t that too early?" Emiline exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes. We must gain complete control of the kingdom as soon as possible," Angus said. "That’s why you need to prepare your people. We can’t afford to waste any more time."
The weight of everything happening in the kingdom pressed heavily on Angus. He couldn’t allow it to fall.
Emiline studied the Crown Prince’s expression and saw his unwavering determination to end this matter as quickly as possible. After a moment, she cautiously asked about the king’s injury. Why the king had been wounded from the very beginning.
Angus glanced at her before replying, "It’s a secret passed down through generations of the royal family. There’s no need to hide it anymore, but I’ll tell you later after Souta arrives."
...
Inside Baron Edmund’s mansion, in a remote village, Souta stood up and stretched his body.
"Ah, this feels so good."
He lifted his head as an immense force surged from within him. The ground trembled violently, and cracks spread across the walls and pillars of the mansion. In the next moment, the entire structure collapsed, smoke and debris billowing into the air.
Souta reappeared in the sky, gazing down at the ruined mansion below. Baron Edmund wasn’t there, but Souta had still razed the place to the ground, taking every valuable resource that caught his eye. Everything else was reduced to rubble. The guards stationed in the mansion were far too weak to stop him.
What surprised him most was finding a fully ripe legendary-grade fruit.
Thank you, Baron Edmund.
’How’s the harvest?’ Saya asked.
"It’s amazing. I can evolve now," Souta replied, a satisfied smile on his face.
’So you’ve recovered more than half of your strength. Is that correct?’ Saya asked.
"Yeah... I can even use my monster orb release and blood armor now. Getting my strength back feels incredible. It’s not my peak yet, but it’s still a pleasant feeling."
Souta laughed softly.
He turned his gaze toward Nature Zone City. Even from this distance, he could see the enormous tree towering over the horizon. Bending his knees, he launched himself forward.
Boom!!
His figure vanished from where he stood, leaving powerful shockwaves rippling through the air.
’So when are you planning to evolve?’ Saya asked curiously.
"Well, I’ll gather information from the Crown Prince first. After that, I’ll try to evolve. I have a bad feeling about this land, so I want to understand the threat level of the beings living here."
His evolution was a delicate process. If he wasn’t careful, the consequences could be disastrous. The last time he evolved, he was within Athen’s Champion, protected on all sides.
This time, however, it was different. He was in a foreign land.
Saya pondered what exactly made him uneasy about this place. To her, the land simply felt untouched by the current era.
’It’s better to be cautious,’ she muttered.
Before long, Souta arrived at the magnificent Nature Zone City.
He was immediately faced with a dilemma.
He hadn’t asked Emiline where to find her in such a vast city.
Should he tell her that he was lost?
No. Emiline was a Countess and surely there were many people in the city who knew her.
Souta recalled that she had introduced herself as a Countess of the Whitehall Household of Nature Zone City.
’Just ask around. Like always, I’ll translate what they’re saying for you,’ Saya’s voice echoed in his mind.
Souta nodded. That was the plan.
He descended into the city, slipping inside without drawing anyone’s attention.
Inside the city, Souta began searching for the Whitehall Household. He spoke to ordinary citizens using monster language while Saya translated their words for him.
Nature Zone City was vast, and the Whitehall Household was just one of dozens of noble families residing within it. Some nobles here even openly opposed the Royal Family.
It didn’t take long before Souta located the Whitehall Household.
He stood outside the gates, gazing at the enormous mansion beyond.
The walls surrounding the estate enclosed an area of nearly one hundred square meters. Guards patrolled every corner, their strength ranging from the First Shackle Realm to the Third Shackle Realm. The mansion itself was built along one of the massive branches of the giant tree.
In a single glance, Souta scanned the entire estate and detected multiple formations and runes. They were powerful enough to defend against experts of the Fourth and Fifth Shackle Realms.
"I’m starting to get the gist of this land..." Souta muttered.
He had been too focused on recovering his strength earlier, leaving him little time to gather proper information.
’The Sixth Shackle Realm is likely considered a powerhouse here. Seventh Shackle Realm experts exist, but they’re extremely rare. As for the Eighth Shackle Realm, we don’t have any information,’ Saya said.
Souta agreed with her assessment. There was nothing wrong with it, logically, it made sense. And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
"Countess, I’m here."
Souta infused energy into his voice, causing it to echo throughout the entire mansion.
It was the only way to contact Emiline. He didn’t want to intrude without permission, especially since they were currently considered allies.
Moments later, Emiline emerged from the mansion, accompanied by a young man at her side.
"You’re here," Emiline said with a smile as she greeted him.
Souta nodded before turning his attention to the young man beside her. When he scanned the mansion earlier, he had already sensed this person’s presence. He was quite strong, possessing the power of a Sixth Shackle Realm expert.
There was a high chance that this young man would reach the Eighth Shackle Realm in the future or perhaps even the Ninth.
"Oh, this is His Highness, the Crown Prince, Angus Ross Everlasting," Emiline said as she introduced him to Souta. She then turned to Angus and added, "This is Souta, a monster from the Great Wave Trench who is willing to aid our cause."
Souta smiled and shook hands with Angus. They exchanged polite greetings. Angus didn’t bother with excessive formalities, knowing that Souta was neither human nor demi.
The three of them entered the mansion.
Emiline instructed her maid to prepare some tea for their guest, and soon the three sat around a table. There was no need for guards in the room as the three of them were stronger than any guard stationed in the mansion.
Emiline glanced at Angus. She knew that what they were about to discuss involved information known only to the Royal Family.
Angus looked at Souta and asked, "What do you wish to know? From the letter Lady Emiline sent me, I understand that you want information regarding the kingdom."
Souta nodded and said, "Everything you can tell me. I won’t force you to reveal anything you’re unwilling to share."
"Hm..." Angus pondered for a moment. After organizing his thoughts, he continued, "There’s a reason I want to immediately eliminate the nobles who are eyeing the throne. It all began with my father’s injury."
Emiline’s curiosity was instantly piqued. She had never known how the king had been injured. All she knew was that he had suffered a grievous wound and had since been bedridden.
Souta only know the information that the public knows.