Chapter 40: A Pathetic and Pitiful Clown…
“In the year 534 of the North Calendar, Duke Deli, Madam Madeline’s husband, volunteered to participate in the counteroffensive at the Livet front line as an ordinary knight,” Lin Yan continued, her gaze fixed on some distant point. “He perished in a skirmish between the Third Squadron and a small demon force. His remains were recovered by the then-Squadron Leader, Lin Yan, and buried in the Empire’s Tomb.”
Lin Yan lowered her head slightly, glancing at Xu Bai from the corner of her eye.
Xu Bai’s eyelashes fluttered, but her expression remained unchanged.
She knew this was the official account released by the Empire’s high command.
Although riddled with inconsistencies, the Empire had suppressed all questions with an air of unquestionable authority, precisely because the truth was far different.
In fact, every word of the official report was fabricated.
Although Xu Bai hadn’t participated in that battle, she knew that Duke Deli’s death wasn’t as glorious as it was portrayed.
As the surrounding nobles exchanged confused glances, Lin Yan looked at Madam Madeline, her voice flat.
“Madam Madeline, you know very well that your husband, Duke Deli, touched something he shouldn’t have. His death was justified.”
“And your resentment stems not from his death itself, but from the loss of your privileged life at the center of power, your banishment to this… backwater town. You don’t mourn for him, only for yourself.”
As Duke Deli’s wife, Madeline had been informed of the truth, but she had been placed under a silencing spell, preventing her from revealing it.
Madeline’s face was now a mask of fear, her chest heaving, her face pale as she seemed to remember something, almost collapsing.
Her friend quickly supported her, patting her back reassuringly.
Sasha, overwhelmed by the emotions flooding through Madeline’s persona, could no longer maintain her composure. Her reaction was identical to what Madeline’s would have been.
Her expression wasn’t that of a grieving widow facing her husband’s killer, but one of pure terror.
Although Lin Yan hadn’t explicitly stated it, she had said enough.
Something “he shouldn’t have touched” referred to only one thing in the Empire—
The power of the Abyssal Demon Realm.
Due to the constant war and the resulting shortage of manpower, almost any crime could be forgiven in the Empire. By joining the Knights and fighting bravely against the demons, even criminals could earn honors and accolades.
But there was one exception. Contacting demonic power, regardless of the circumstances, was an unforgivable crime, punishable by death.
Madeline had known what her husband was doing, but she had clung to the hope that it wouldn’t be discovered, that she could maintain her current lifestyle.
Although she, like most humans, feared the unknown power of demons, she feared losing her privileged life even more.
But when news of Duke Deli’s death arrived from the front lines, she knew everything was over.
Yet, deep down, she felt a sense of relief, a twisted gratitude for her demon husband’s demise. Hence the complex emotions Sasha was experiencing.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t Duke Deli who was buried in the Empire’s Tomb, but the twelve knights he slaughtered in his demonic frenzy,” Lin Yan continued, her calm voice carrying a chilling edge. “Duke Deli was executed. I was the executioner. I personally erased him from this world, leaving no trace.”
Silence fell over the hall. They were reminded that this seemingly elegant, gentle young woman was a veteran of countless battles, her hands stained with blood.
Beneath her beauty lay the power to kill everyone present.
The noblemen who had been vying for her attention now kept their distance.
Xu Bai remained silent, her expression darkening.
As Lin Yan’s former comrade in the Garrison Knights, she was familiar with Duke Deli and had heard about that battle.
He hadn’t been a particularly strong knight, his noble title inherited, his service in the Knights merely a way to pad his resume.
But he had been ambitious, desperate for power.
So, he had risked contacting demonic power, succumbing to its allure, fusing his body with a chaotic mix of Demonic Runes, transforming into a Fallen Demonspawn.
Xu Bai touched her cheek, as if she could feel the Demonic Runes hidden beneath, her eyes downcast, her expression complex.
She was now like Duke Deli…
Perhaps, in the near future, she would face the same fate, fighting against her former comrades.
Sensing Xu Bai’s distress, Lin Yan gently ruffled her hair, smiling softly.
“Bai, don’t worry. You’re different from him. I can tell.”
Xu Bai quickly composed herself, shaking her head slightly, pulling away from Lin Yan’s touch.
Lin Yan, unfazed by her resistance, simply smiled and fell silent.
The nobles who had gathered around them dispersed, keeping a respectful distance, an unsettling atmosphere filling the banquet hall.
The butler didn’t reappear, remaining hidden, his forehead slick with cold sweat as he faced Lin Yan’s barely concealed hostility.
Even Glaimond, despite his arrogance, wouldn’t have his butler intervene in such a matter.
Lin Yan’s words had been partly a retaliation for the earlier warning.
The butler finally realized that this young woman wasn’t like the other noble ladies he had dealt with. She was the Empire’s youngest Knight Commander, one of the most powerful individuals in the Empire.
Unseen by the crowd, Glaimond stood on a balcony overlooking the banquet hall, observing the scene.
He had witnessed the little drama unfold, but he merely chuckled dismissively.
It was just a dead man, and his fallen noble family.
Even if the war hadn’t ended, Glaimond wouldn’t have hesitated to expose such a scandal.
“A pathetic and pitiful clown, delusional enough to believe he could gain power from demons…”
Glaimond shifted his gaze to the ring on his finger, stroking the dark gem embedded within it, his eyes filled with a strange fascination.
“This is true power, even if it’s only a fragment of the Imperial Authority.”
“But soon, I will possess the full authority of a Legendary Knight, and then, the entire Empire’s.”
“I, Glaimond, will stand at the pinnacle of Solor, with this mere human body!”
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