Chapter 525 - 498: Regicide

Chapter 525: Chapter 498: Regicide

As the new year’s celebration ended, the festive atmosphere gradually faded.

When news spread that His Majesty Bruno would soon confer titles upon the defectors, everyone turned their attention to the next day’s ceremony.

Bestowing the titles of Imperial Nobles was a clear sign that the two nations were on the brink of all-out war.

The night of January fifth should have been peaceful, but it was destined to be an extraordinary one.

Dressed in his usual finery, Garrett strolled through the Golden Feather Palace.

To the Guards, the Crown Prince seemed to be in excellent spirits, perhaps pleased at having gained several powerful followers.

But beneath Garrett’s calm exterior, his heart had already descended into madness.

Ronin had become his nightmare. As Ronin grew stronger, Garrett felt increasingly helpless.

He knew that if he was going to deal with Ronin, he had to do it soon.

If he dragged things out like Bruno, Garrett couldn’t fathom how powerful Ronin might become.

’Proud Sun?’

’No, at the rate Ronin’s growing, there’s no way he’d stop at Proud Sun.’

’He can already kill a Proud Sun Knight and numerous Silver Moon and Meteor Knights on his own. By then, he’ll probably be Legendary.’

Therefore, Garrett wanted to eliminate Ronin as soon as possible. But in his desire to see this through, his own father, Bruno, had become an obstacle.

Garrett walked forward slowly. Ahead lay the bedchamber of His Majesty the King.

He remembered that afternoon, basking in the sun and having tea with Ference.

At that time, Ference had told him, "Your father, Bruno, has grown old. There’s something wrong with the way he thinks. If we follow his plan, the Kingdom will inevitably fall into Ronin’s hands. After all, once Ronin kills you, he’ll have a claim to the throne."

"You have a claim as well!" Garrett had retorted.

"No, we don’t. We don’t have his talent or his strength!"

Ference had stared intently at Garrett. "But you’re different. You’re a Proud Sun Knight now. Take one more step forward, and you’ll no longer need to fear Ronin. Only then will you be safe from assassination. Only then will you be worthy of leading the Oduin Kingdom to become the sole sovereign of this continent!"

Garrett had remained silent. In truth, the thought of taking his father’s place had already taken root on his journey to Ferrensburg.

But his inner struggle held him back, right until the news of Ronin becoming a Duke completely overwhelmed him.

"Your Highness!"

In front of His Majesty the King’s bedchamber, the Guards bowed in greeting.

Garrett nodded and walked inside without being stopped.

He crossed a plaza and a long corridor, entering the royal residence until he reached the hallway outside Bruno’s bedroom.

"Your Highness, what brings you here so late?"

Philimon, Leader of the Royal Knight Order, was standing guard outside the bedroom. With him were one Guard and two servants.

"I couldn’t sleep. I came to chat with my father. Thank you for your hard work, Leader Philimon."

Philimon smiled faintly. "It is my duty. However, His Majesty should be asleep already. Shall I wake him?"

"Then don’t."

Garrett beckoned him over. "When he wakes tomorrow, there’s something I need you to tell him for me."

"I would be glad to, Your Highness. What is it?"

Philimon didn’t think much of it, simply assuming the Prince had a confidential matter that wasn’t for outsiders’ ears, so he trotted over.

Garrett leaned in slowly. "It’s this..."

SHK!

A dagger plunged straight through Philimon’s throat. Faced with a Proud Sun Knight intent on murder, the unprepared Philimon had no time to react, despite his own power as a Golden Level Peak.

He couldn’t even cry out before his life force was annihilated by Thunder Fighting Qi.

The other Guards’ pupils constricted violently at the sight. Their minds seemed to short-circuit; they neither resisted nor screamed, standing as if frozen solid.

Garrett, however, was not frozen. His body trembled, but he used his immense self-control to keep his movements precise.

He moved in a flash, and a bolt of purple lightning shot down the corridor, enveloping the guards and servants and extinguishing all life.

Watching the bodies slump to the floor, Garrett’s eyes were bloodshot, his expression a twisted mask of savagery and what looked like excitement.

He took a deep breath, slowly pushed open the door, and walked in.

Bruno was a Silver Knight, after all, so his hearing was excellent. Even though the bed was far from the corridor, the sound of bodies falling had still woken him.

He sat up and asked, "Philimon, what’s wrong?"

Just then, Garrett pushed the door open and entered.

"Oh, it’s you, Garrett. Is there something urgent that brings you here so late?"

Clearly, Bruno was not on guard against his son. Upon seeing Garrett, he didn’t even question why Philimon hadn’t answered from outside the door.

"Father, I have come so late because there is indeed something urgent I need from you."

Garrett turned and shut the door, sealing off the metallic scent of blood from the hallway.

Bruno nodded and looked at the woman beside him, who was now also awake. "Kaya, go rest in the next room for a while. Garrett and I have something to discuss."

Although polygamy was not practiced, it was an open secret that most nobles kept mistresses.

For instance, a major reason for the rapid death of Bruno’s father, His Majesty Klinsmann, in his later years was that he’d wasted too much of his vitality on women.

While Bruno didn’t have as many mistresses, he still had a few. Kaya, here tonight, was one of them.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Without any coyness, Kaya climbed out of bed, dressed, and headed for the door.

But as she passed Garrett, a cold dagger pierced through her chest. Blood gushed out, staining the floor red.

A look of absolute horror crossed Bruno’s face. He, too, forgot to cry out, merely pointing at Kaya’s corpse on the floor with a trembling hand.

"You... you... you..."

Whether he had finally cast off all restraint or had simply forgotten himself in his excitement, Garrett laughed menacingly. "Father, I gave you a choice the other day, but you refused to do as I wished!"

"Wh... at?"

Bruno didn’t understand what choice his son was referring to, but the reality of his current situation finally crashed down on him. He roared in fury, "Garrett, what are you doing!"

"What am I doing?"

Garrett’s smile vanished. He took out a Magic Scroll—a Second-level Dark Magic: Shadow Barrier—and used it to soundproof the room.

"Father, I despair at your weakness and incompetence!"

He advanced slowly on Bruno, the bloody dagger in his hand. "Your mercy and indulgence toward Ronin are the height of foolishness! If I don’t stop you, you will be the one to bury the Oduin Kingdom!"

"You’re mad, Garrett! I’m your father!"

Bruno roared, his eyes filled with anger and confusion.

He had thought his son had changed these past few days, that he had become more composed and learned to control his temper.

He never imagined his son would become even more unhinged than before—that he would raise a blade against his own father.

"I know you are my father."

But Garrett was unflinching, his eyes glinting with cold cruelty.

"And I’m not mad, Father. I’m just doing what must be done!"

His voice was low and firm, laced with paranoia and madness.

"Ronin’s rise is now unstoppable, yet you continue to hesitate, allowing him to grow stronger. I cannot let the Oduin Kingdom fall into his hands."

Trembling, Bruno rose from the bed and took the longsword that hung nearby.

The clear ring of the blade being drawn sent a sudden chill through the room, making the air feel ice-cold.

"Garrett, if you put down that blade now, I will still acknowledge you as my son, as the first heir to the Oduin Kingdom!"

Bruno’s voice trembled. The son on whom he had pinned such high hopes actually wanted to kill him.

"You are betraying your family, betraying your Kingdom!"

"Don’t be a fool, Garrett!"

"Betrayal? No. I’m saving the Oduin Kingdom."

Garrett narrowed his eyes. "I remember you were the one who taught me to wield a sword for the first time. Back then, I thought you were the most powerful Knight in the world. But as I grew older, I realized you are too weak. That’s the real reason Ference and the others defy you!"

He flashed forward, swatting the longsword from Bruno’s hand before sending the King flying with a kick.

"I am a Proud Sun Knight now. At full power, I can even rival a Legendary!"

Bruno spat out a mouthful of blood, his face ashen.

He never thought he would die in the Royal Palace, at the hands of his own son.

"Wake up, son! Your anger toward Ronin... your obsession... it’s driven you mad! You’ve lost yourself!"

"I’m sorry, Father."

Garrett walked over and picked up Bruno’s personal longsword. "Your death will be the first step in my quest to save the Oduin Kingdom."

His hand trembled slightly, but he plunged the longsword into Bruno’s chest without hesitation.

Blood gushed forth, staining Bruno’s nightclothes red as the life of the King, not yet sixty years of age, rapidly drained away.

Garrett looked down upon his father, his gaze impossibly cold.

"I had to do this!"

Bruno’s vision blurred. He slowly raised a hand, whether to grasp something or to hold onto it, one couldn’t tell, before it fell limply to the floor.

"You... will be the ruin... of the entire Kingdom!"

Garrett retorted sharply, "It’s better than you doing nothing and handing the Kingdom over on a silver platter."

Bruno’s vision went completely dark.