Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

As soon as they entered the building, they saw the imperial guards fighting against a lone man.

It was a middle-aged man with a shaggy beard. He was holding onto a doll with his left hand and a sword in the other.

Using his sword, he fended off the imperial guards.

Alaric used his Appraisal on him and realized that this person was their target.

“What’s going on here?” Alaric asked a trembling junior inspector who was hiding behind a cabinet.

“We were just chatting with him when he suddenly attacked us. We hadn’t even mentioned anything about the cult, but he attacked the imperial guards.” The inspector replied in a shaking voice.

Alaric furrowed his eyebrows.

“How dare you touch my daughter?! Leave at once if you don’t want to die!” A furious roar echoed through the building.

Alaric turned his head and saw the target pointing his sword at the imperial guards with eyes filled with anger.

“We didn’t touch anyone. What are you saying, sir?” One of the imperial guards reasoned.

The middle-aged man seemed to be furious. “How dare you lie when I saw everything?! My daughter… she was so afraid when you guys came. You could have come here when she was asleep.”

He lovingly caressed the doll’s face when he uttered the last sentence.

The imperial guards were stunned when they realized what he was talking about. Some felt pity for him, while the others remained indifferent.

“Sir, you should stop resisting and follow us. That way, no one will be harmed.” Said a senior officer of the imperial guards as he slowly approached the middle-aged man.

“Stop right there! Don’t even think of getting close to me!” The middle-aged man was agitated.

He threw his sword into the air and controlled it with his psychic abilities. This was his integrated monster trait. He had the ability to control things using his mana.

It was a rare ability so the imperial guards were both amazed and threatened.

The atmosphere was tense and it looked like the imperial guards were about to attack at any moment.

“Hold on.” Alaric stepped forward and motioned to the imperial guards not to make any move.

Seeing his signal, the imperial guards stepped back and withdrew their weapons.

The middle-aged man looked at Alaric with a frown. “Who are you?!”

Alaric stopped a few meters from the man and smiled at him. “We didn’t come here to hurt your daughter, sir. I apologize if we may have startled your daughter.”

He lightly lowered his head.

The imperial guards were stunned when they saw this. They had never seen a member of the imperial family bowing to a commoner before. Not even the aristocrats would do something like this for they find it demeaning to their status.

“Your Highness…” The imperial guards wanted to say something, but Alaric waved his hand, motioning to them not to intervene.

Alaric felt pity for this man. He had been deceived by the cult. They used his vulnerability to get him to join them.

“You must really love your daughter.” Alaric looked at the doll in the man’s hand. He could sense traces of an evil aura from it.

It was the filthiest aura he had ever felt. It was even worse than Scilla’s necromancy powers.

The middle-aged man’s gaze softened when he heard this. “Of course. She is my most beloved little treasure. I will do anything for her.”

Alaric sighed at his words.

“Sir, please follow us. I will ensure your safety and your daughter’s safety. I promise you.” He persuaded.

The middle-aged man hesitated. He looked at the doll with affection before turning his gaze back to Alaric.

“Did you come here because I’m part of the cult?” He asked, his face turning cold.

Alaric nodded. “You might have done it to save your daughter, but you should know that the cult is an enemy of Veronica. Joining them is an act of treason.”

The middle-aged man smiled at him. He deactivated his psychic powers.

“I knew this day would come when I joined the cult, but I don’t regret anything.” He stroked the doll’s head when he said this.

Alaric’s face became gloomier when he heard this. He stared deeply at the man and muttered. “What if you realize they were deceiving you all this time?”

The middle-aged man frowned. “What are you saying?”

Alaric lifted his hand and summoned his power of destruction to destroy the evil aura emanating from the doll.

Eeihehh!

Everyone heard an eerie sound, but it soon vanished.

The middle-aged man was shocked and something within him seemed to have snapped.

He lowered his head and was horrified to find out that the one in his hand wasn’t his daughter, but a worn-out fabric doll.

He subconsciously let go of the doll.

“This… how? My daughter…” His voice was filled with utter disbelief.

“You have been deceived by the cult.” Alaric’s voice drifted into his ears like a hammer.

“They never wanted to help you cure your daughter. They just wanted to use you.” He added.

The middle-aged man couldn’t believe it. The fragments of memories in his mind didn’t add up and it made him utterly confused.

“No… It can’t be… My daughter…”

He couldn’t accept the truth.

Tears fell from his eyes when he realized that it was all a lie.

His heart felt like it was being torn into pieces. He grabbed his chest as he cried with deep sorrow and pain.

Everyone watched this scene and empathized with him.

The middle-aged man grabbed the doll and wailed.

His screams and cries echoed across the building, stabbing the hearts of the listeners.

Alaric let out a sigh. He made a hand gesture, motioning to the group to leave the building.

Everyone quietly left so they wouldn’t disturb the grieving father.

After a long time, the man’s screams turned into sobs. He lifted his head and looked at Alaric with a mixture of emotion.

“Thank you…”

Alaric didn’t say anything and just nodded his head.