Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Beyond this jungle was the Great Canyon of Halona and beneath this canyon was a shallow river connected to Lake Ventura which surrounded the island city of Nacalub.

The troops of Harune should be waiting in this canyon, but what Steven saw were their corpses strewn across the valley and down to the river.

There were hundreds of thousands of them, and by the strong smell of blood in the air, it seemed like they had been dead for several hours.

How… who did this?

Steven’s face turned pale with fright.

“Oh my! I forgot to tell you…” A teasing voice suddenly echoed behind him.

Hearing this voice, Steven’s heart dropped and his body turned stiff.

He could hear the sound of a horse slowly approaching step by step.

The crown prince stopped his horse beside Steven’s and spoke.

“A subordinate of mine discovered an unusual letter sent a few days ago. Do you know what was written there?”

Steven trembled at his words.

That letter… is it the one I sent? There’s no way!

“I-I don’t know, Your Highness…” He nervously responded.

“You don’t?” Leighnard smiled faintly and took something out of his inner pocket.

It was a folded letter with a coded message on it.

With a glance, Steven could tell that it was the letter he had secretly sent to Harune.

“You seem to recognize this letter, Sir Steven. That’s weird…” The crown prince’s voice drifted into his ears.

Steven quickly shook his head, while hiding his agitation. “How could that be? You must be joking, Your Highness.”

“I thought so too, but do you know what we found from those guys?” Leighnard asked as he pointed at the corpses.

Steven tried to hide his nervousness with a chuckle. “Please tell me, Your Highness.”

Leighnard stared deeply at him and said. “One of them said that he was exchanging letters with one of Astania’s military officers. I even got a name from his mouth.”

Hearing this, Steven subconsciously reached for his sword. “Who was he talking about?”

Leighnard glanced at his hand and sent him a playful smile. “I think it would be better if you hear it from his mouth.”

“What?! You left him alive?! Your Highness, you are making a big mistake by keeping an enemy alive! What if he spouts lies to you?” Steven became more flustered.

Leighnard beckoned to the subordinates behind them and instructed. “Bring the prisoner here.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Steven turned his head and watched them leave. He hoped that whoever was captured wasn’t the same guy he was thinking about.

“What is the matter, Sir Steven?” Leighnard asked, feigning concern.

Steven forced a smile while shaking his head. “It’s nothing, Your Highness. It’s just that it’s so hot today.”

“That’s not good. You should drink more water and keep yourself hydrated.” Leighnard suggested.

Bullshit! Why would a Transcendent Knight fear dehydration?

Steven could tell that the crown prince was starting to suspect him. For him to get out of this tricky situation, he needed to be careful with what he said.

“I will follow Your Highness’s advice.” He nodded, faking a smile.

A moment later, two cavalrymen returned. One of them was pulling a rope connected to a handcuffed prisoner.

Steven glanced at the prisoner with a horrified expression.

It’s him! Shit!

Leighnard saw the changes in his expression, but he acted like he didn’t see anything and spoke to the prisoner.

“Tell us your name again.”

The prisoner lifted his head and replied with a shaking voice. “I’m Hernan.”

Just then, he noticed the person next to Leighnard and revealed an unusual expression.

“You are…” His eyes suddenly flashed with hatred.

“Your Highness, that guy is unstable! We must kill him before he can harm someone!” Steven quickly interjected when Hernan was about to say something.

Shiing!

He unsheathed his sword and was about to make his move when Leighnard raised his hand to stop him.

“Hold on. Did I tell you to do something?” The previous warmth was gone and was replaced with a chilling voice.

Steven broke out in a cold sweat and hastily sheathed his sword. “P-Please forgive m-me, Your Highness.”

Leighnard pulled his eyes from him and turned his head to the prisoner, Hernan. “Go ahead and speak.”

Hernan noticed the strange atmosphere between them and realized what was going on.

He angrily pointed his fingers at Steven and shouted, his face contorted with fury. “You gave us false information and you want to kill me?! You fucking bastard! I’m taking you down with me!”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Are you trying to sow discord-” Steven blurted out, but…

“Enough!!” Leighnard stared coldly at him.

“That is your last warning, Steven! One more word from you and I will have your tongue removed! Do you understand?!”

Steven gritted his teeth and nodded, his face gloomy.

Hernan laughed mockingly.”Look at you trying to save yourself!”

He then looked at Leighnard and said. “That is the bastard that I’m talking about! He is the fucking spy who sent that letter! That greedy wacko wants to become a bloody Marquis in exchange for giving us information about you!”

The more he spoke, the darker Steven’s face had become.

“Shut up you fucking bastard!” Steven snapped all of a sudden and pounced at Hernan while swinging his sword.

Whoosh!

A figure appeared in front of him and blocked his sword.

Clang!

“You traitorous bastard! How dare you betray us, Steven?!”

Steven frowned as he looked at the old warrior in front of him.

“Marquis Tyrone…” He muttered coldly.

Tyrone Agalsitar, the man known as the crown prince’s right-hand man.

(Author’s Note: Check Chapter 180 in case you have forgotten this character.)

“Don’t you ever speak my name with that filthy mouth of yours!” The old marquis roared as he pushed Steven back with a kick.

Steven snorted as he stabilized his foot on the ground.

“Since it has come to this, don’t blame me for what I’m about to do!” After saying these words, he jumped towards the crown prince.

The old marquis was stunned when he saw this. “How dare you?!”

Steven ignored him and focused his attention on Leighnard.

Just as he was about to grab the crown prince, something unbelievable happened.

The person whom he thought was just a powerless Elite Knight suddenly pulled his sword and slashed out at him.

Whoosh!

This aura… how is this possible?!

Steven quickly blocked the sword.

Clang!

The force behind the attack sent him backward.

With a stunned look, he muttered. “Since when did you advance?”

Leighnard ignored him and spoke in a chilling voice. “Take him down, but don’t kill him just yet. He must receive the kind of punishment that he deserves!”

As soon as his words fell, Marquis Tyrone together with a group of high-level warriors attacked Steven.

A battle broke out, but the commotion immediately died down.

Steven might be a skilled Transcendent Knight, but against a group of veteran warriors led by multiple Transcendent Knights, he was quickly apprehended.

The old marquis tied his limbs using mithril chains before locking him inside a steel cage.

“That is where a traitor like you belongs!” Tyrone spat out in a mocking voice.

Steven didn’t even have the energy to retort. His face and body were covered in bruises from the amount of beating he had suffered. However, no one felt pity for him.

After dealing with Steven, Marquis Tyrone looked at the crown prince and asked. “What should we do with the prisoner, Your Highness?”

“Kill him and feed his corpse to our horses,” Leighnard responded indifferently.

“As you command!” Marquis Tyrone bowed deeply.

Meanwhile, Hernan was terrified by the crown prince’s words.

“Hold on! This isn’t what we agreed on! You promised that you would send me back to Harune if I told you everything I know!”

The old marquis sneered at him and gave him a solid punch to the face.

Pak!

“So noisy!”

Hernan wanted to escape, but he couldn’t even use his mana so he could only watch as Tyrone stabbed his chest with a sword.

“Y-You will face retri-” Hernan’s words were cut off as he died with his eyes wide open.

Tyrone wiped off the blood on his sword using Hernan’s clothes. He then ordered his subordinates.

“Feed his body to our meat-eating war horses.”

“Yes, sir!”

Steven who was inside the steel cage was terrified upon seeing this. He adjusted his posture and kneeled with a remorseful look.

“Your Highness! I was blinded by greed! Please forgive me! I promise to never betray you again! Please give me another chance!”

Tyrone was furious. “You shameless bastard!”

Leighnard didn’t even bother to glance at him. “Tell everyone to get ready. We are heading straight to Halona.”

Hearing this, the old marquis nodded to acknowledge his command. “I will deliver Your Highness’s instructions to the troops.”

Leighnard waved his hand dismissively.

Tyrone took this as his cue to leave, but before he left, he sent Steven a throat-slitting gesture.

“Keep an eye on him. Don’t let him commit suicide.” He reminded the warriors guarding Steven’s steel cage.

“Yes, sir!”