Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

Chapter 687: 687:He Is A Traitor

After making sure everyone had safely entered the portal, Ethan quietly disappeared from the area.

He had already activated his elusive movement art, and his presence became extremely faint as he moved through the vast battlefield. Even so, he did not dare become careless. He knew very well that the worst thing a person could do in such a mysterious world was become overconfident.

No matter how powerful a technique was, nothing was truly unbreakable.

There was always someone stronger.

There was always a way to counter it.

Ethan had survived this long because he never blindly trusted his own abilities. Instead of relying completely on his concealment art, he constantly changed his route while carefully hiding his aura and avoiding places where powerful experts might be searching for him.

The battlefield was enormous.

Once he left the area, finding him again would not be easy.

However, before leaving completely, there was one important thing he still had to do.

Meanwhile...

Inside a quiet command tent, Marquise Shatad sat alone before a wooden table.

A bottle of wine rested beside him while an almost empty cup remained in his hand.

He slowly took another sip before placing the cup back onto the table.

His face looked tired.

His eyes carried deep exhaustion while his expression remained unusually gloomy.

The recent events had weighed heavily on his mind, and countless thoughts continued to trouble him without giving him a moment of peace.

He quietly rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh.

”What in the world is happening...”

He muttered to himself while staring blankly at the flickering lamp inside the tent.

The silence around him only made his thoughts even heavier.

Then...

A faint fluctuation suddenly spread through the air.

Shatad’s eyes instantly became sharp.

He abruptly looked toward the corner of the tent.

A shadow slowly appeared before taking the shape of a person.

The sudden appearance startled him.

”You...”

His grip around the wine cup tightened.

”What are you here for?”

The figure calmly looked at him.

”I am here to help you.”

Shatad frowned.

”Help?”

Before he could finish speaking...

SWISH!

The mysterious figure suddenly moved.

Everything happened within a single heartbeat.

A hand instantly grabbed Marquise Shatad by the shoulder before he even had time to react.

His eyes widened in shock.

”Wai...”

Before another word could leave his mouth, space suddenly twisted around both of them.

The surroundings distorted.

Then...

SWISH!

Both figures disappeared without leaving behind the slightest trace.

The wine cup slowly rolled across the table before falling onto the floor.

CLINK!

The atmosphere inside the military camp was still restless after the earlier commotion. Soldiers hurried from one place to another while officers shouted orders to reorganize the camp. Many people still had no idea what had happened inside the Dark Zone, and rumors had already begun spreading in every direction.

Just then...

BOOM!

A powerful pressure swept across the camp.

Crown Prince Haster returned at full speed and landed heavily before the command tent. His cloak fluttered wildly behind him while a furious expression covered his face. The moment he arrived, everyone nearby instinctively lowered their heads and no one dared meet his eyes.

”What happened?”

His furious voice echoed throughout the camp.

The nearby officers immediately rushed over while one messenger hurried forward, dropped to one knee, and bowed deeply.

”Your Highness, Marquise Ethan and Duke Osantra’s main troops have escaped. They used a portal and disappeared from the battlefield.”

Haster’s eyes instantly became sharp. He slowly took a deep breath while looking around at everyone gathered before him. Confusion briefly flashed across his face. It was one thing for Ethan to escape alone through a portal, but taking an entire platoon with him was something he had never expected.

His expression gradually darkened before he suddenly stepped forward.

”Hear my command. Marquise Ethan has violated military conduct. He attacked his own allies, lured several nobles into the Dark Zone, murdered them to silence everyone, betrayed the Empire in the middle of war, abandoned the battlefield, stole military resources, attacked fellow officers, and attempted to destroy the unity of our army. His crimes against the Empire are unforgivable.”

The soldiers stared at one another in complete shock.

The entire camp became strangely quiet.

Many soldiers looked at each other with disbelief written all over their faces. Some frowned while others quietly lowered their heads, unable to believe what they had just heard.

Marquise Ethan?

The same Ethan who had repeatedly risked his own life to save countless soldiers?

The same Ethan who always stood at the front whenever monsters attacked?

The same Ethan who refused to abandon civilians even when his own life was in danger?

If these accusations had been made against someone else, many of them might have believed them.

But...

They were talking about Marquise Ethan.

His reputation had already spread throughout the army. Everyone knew how many lives he had saved and how many battles he had fought without thinking about himself. Even during the hardest moments of the campaign, he had always protected others before protecting himself.

Such a person committing these crimes...

They simply found it difficult to accept.

Their doubtful expressions did not escape Haster’s eyes.

His face slowly became colder before he spoke again in a calm but firm voice.

”You are all being deceived. He is a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing while pretending to be a saint. History has always been filled with people like him. They hide behind good deeds until the perfect moment arrives, and everything he has done until now was nothing more than an act to earn your trust. Do not let his false image deceive you any longer because today he has finally shown his true face.”

His gaze slowly swept across every soldier standing before him.

”From this moment onward, Marquise Ethan is officially declared a traitor to the Empire. He will be hunted wherever he is found, and anyone who shelters him or helps him escape will be treated as his accomplice. I hereby issue a kill order. Whoever captures or kills Marquise Ethan will receive a great reward from the Imperial Treasury.”

The surrounding officers immediately straightened their backs and saluted.

”Yes, Your Highness!”

The order quickly spread throughout the camp while messengers hurried away to inform every division.

Haster no longer spoke. He simply turned around and calmly walked back toward the command tent. His face remained expressionless, but the anger hidden beneath that calmness was obvious to everyone around him.

Just as he was about to step inside...

Another messenger came running toward him in panic.

”Your Highness! There is another problem!”