Chapter 98 : Two of the strongest heroes

The arrow trembled in Arthur’s hand.

He had caught it just inches from his forehead.

He slowly turned his gaze toward the direction it had come from.

Vampiric Vision flared to life.

The world sharpened.

Lines of trajectory, wind currents, and even the residual mana on the arrow became clear to him. He traced the path back effortlessly, seeing where the shot had been released from as if it had happened in slow motion.

A short distance away.

A group of around twenty knights advanced toward him.

They wore polished armor engraved with the sigil of a roaring lion on their breastplates and pauldrons. Their helmets were open-faced, revealing stern features; some had scars, others had eyes that had clearly seen far too many battles. Each knight carried a sword or spear, their steps synchronized and disciplined.

At the front of the group walked a girl around Arthur’s age.

Her magenta hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, catching the dim light with a faint sheen. Her eyes were a striking violet, cool and assessing as they locked onto him. She had an hourglass figure, her posture straight and confident.

She wore light, form-fitting combat clothes—dark shorts and a sleeveless top reinforced with leather plates at vital spots. The outfit was practical and slightly revealing, allowing maximum freedom of movement while still offering protection.

Beside her walked a boy, also about Arthur’s age.

He had snow-white hair and sharp grey eyes. His expression was calm, but his hand rested casually on the hilt of a sheathed sword at his waist. The movement of his muscles told Arthur he could draw it in a fraction of a second.

Arthur’s gaze lingered on the pair.

’Magenta hair, violet eyes... white-haired swordsman...’ he thought. ’What are two of the strongest heroes of this world doing here...?’

As if hearing his unspoken thought, the girl at the front raised her voice.

"Don’t you dare move," she shouted. "So you’re the culprit, huh?"

The knights spread out instantly.

In moments, Arthur was surrounded.

Swords and spears all pointed inward, tips ready to skewer him if he so much as twitched.

One of the knights stepped forward and announced in a loud, formal voice:

"You are standing before Evangeline Cael Ashford—the second princess of the Ashford Empire, and second in line to the throne. Now, get on your knees!"

Arthur opened his mouth to reply—

But was cut off.

"Wait," Evangeline said. "There’s no need for that."

She lifted a hand slightly.

The knights didn’t lower their weapons, but they did not force him down either.

The white-haired boy leaned forward and murmured in her ear, voice low but not low enough to escape Arthur’s enhanced hearing.

"Evangeline," he said, "it’s the same smell."

She nodded once.

Her violet eyes hardened as she looked straight into Arthur’s.

"Are you the one who annihilated the sanctuary of the Crimson Clan vampires?" she asked.

Arthur didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he observed.

Through Vampiric Vision, he saw everything.

The tiny tension at the corner of Evangeline’s eyes.

The faint tightening of the white-haired boy’s grip on his sword.

The way the surrounding knights’ heartbeats spiked at the word ’annihilated’.

He saw the small leaks of mana from their bodies—the way it circulated, how easily it could explode into motion.

’These two...’ Arthur thought, gaze flicking between Evangeline and the swordsman. ’They decided already. The moment I try anything, he’ll cut me down.’

The white-haired boy was already halfway into drawing his sword, despite looking relaxed.

Arthur’s lips curled into a smile.

He slowly raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Miss," he said, putting on his most harmless tone, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Evangeline’s lips lifted into a small smirk.

"Is that so?" she said. "Too bad."

The next moment—

The white-haired boy disappeared.

To a normal eye, it would have seemed like teleportation.

To Arthur, whose senses were amplified to the extreme—he just barely caught the movement.

A blur.

A step.

He reappeared behind Arthur in an instant.

Arthur’s eyes widened.

’What a monstrous bastard...’ he thought, almost impressed. ’Well, he is one of the strongest main characters of this world.’

He spoke under his breath.

"I’ll definitely pay you back for this hit."

For just a fraction of a second—

The white-haired boy’s eyes flickered.

Then—

Thud.

The back of the boy’s sword slammed into the back of Arthur’s head.

Bang.

Pain flared.

Arthur’s body went limp.

He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The impact from the sword hilt had cut his thoughts clean off. Dust rose around his fallen body, then slowly settled.

The white-haired boy spun his sword once in a smooth, practiced motion and slid it stylishly back into its sheath with a soft click.

Evangeline walked toward them, boots crunching lightly over the barren earth.

"Are you sure about this, Aiden?" she asked, glancing down at Arthur with narrowed eyes. "This guy gives me the creeps for some reason... and his personality already seems quite rebellious."

Aiden shrugged slightly, though his expression remained serious.

"I have a good sense of smell," he said. "Back at the Crimson vampires’ sanctuary, where the massacre happened, I captured a unique scent."

He looked down at Arthur as well.

"And this guy here is giving off the same scent," Aiden continued. "So I’m pretty sure it was him."

His eyes tightened faintly.

"And I can tell he’s pretty strong."

He met Evangeline’s gaze.

"And he also possesses the same thing I do," Aiden added in a lower voice. "If you know what I mean."

Evangeline’s eyes widened.

"Seriously? He also possesses one of those—"

She cut herself off mid-sentence.

Her lips pressed together as her gaze flicked to the surrounding soldiers, who were watching with confused faces.

She exhaled slowly.

"Let’s take him back," she said at last. "If we can get him on our side, he can become a powerful asset for us. Just like you."

Aiden smiled faintly.

"He can," he agreed. "But what do you plan to do now?"

He tilted his head.

"You promised Her Majesty in the royal court that you’d conquer a territory of your own in the Null Realm and prove your worth to the empire," he reminded her. "By bringing in new resources. And you know resources from the Null Realm are valued highly."

He gestured toward the distant direction of the ruined Night Sanctuary.

"But now, because of this guy, that plan has failed."

He paused.

"And claiming you were the one who defeated the vampire queen would be a false claim," Aiden said evenly. "If that’s exposed, it could get you exiled."

For a moment—

Silence.

Then a villainous smile curled at the corner of Evangeline’s lips.

"What are you talking about?" she said lightly.

She pointed at herself.

"It was ’me.’.....’ you’ "

Then she pointed at Arthur’s unconscious body.

"And my second knight."

She turned her gaze to the remaining knights.

"You defeated her," she said. "Our other knights... gave their lives for me as they fought."

A chill ran down the knights’ spines.

They understood instantly.

If the story was that they had all fallen in glorious sacrifice—

Then they were already dead on paper.

And dead things were easy to dispose of.

Several of them swallowed hard.

Some instinctively reached for their weapons, then stopped.

Because Aiden had already drawn his sword again.

The blade slid free from its sheath with a soft, deadly hiss.

He smiled.

Not kindly.

Like an executioner about to begin his work.