Flameheart soldiers surrounded the alliance army; Asher was already at the gates with his BloodBlades.
As he rode into the city, soldiers looked at him like he fell from the sky.
Claude hurriedly came down.
“Lord Claude, It’s been a while.”
Asher flashed a smile.
He dismounted, approached Claude, and patted his back. “I never knew you could fight.”
Claude laughed softly. He was a merchant, a man that barely wielded weapons but when the situation called for it, he had no choice but to take a weapon and bring morale to his men.
Nonetheless, his talent, which was ‘Camouflage’, allowed him to survive the war.
Or else Aquilia would have killed him. He was the number one target and once he was dead, his men would surrender but because he was able to camouflage, Aqulilia couldn’t spot him and sent down icicles randomly.
“Let’s head to my manor.”
……
Several people sat in the courtroom with amicable expressions. The moment Asher’s men began to slaughter the alliance army, a messenger had reported to them, causing their expressions to change.
They all thought it was one of Count Williams’ elite troops.
Tapk! Tapk!
The sound of several feet tapping the ground fell into their ears.
In the next moment, the doors were pushed open and Claude walked in with his chief knight, Nicolas. The court members turned to the other side with great expectations but the man they saw was a young, beardless man with healthy, pale skin.
His chin was as smooth as a baby’s bottom and his dull golden eyes were akin to a fearsome wolf’s.
Behind him were two knights. At the sight of them, all the court members felt cold for reasons unknown to them.
“Is he a general from Count Wiliam?” A court member whispered to Claude’s wife, as he had never seen someone like Asher before. His bearing was too regal for him to be a casual captain of a 100.
“Gray hair, golden eyes, bearing of a wolf—which house does these details point toward?”
She responded with a crisp tone.
The man’s eyes widened.
“Ashbourne.”
At this moment, Asher arrived at the seat directly opposite the head seat and sat down.
Claude also sat.
“This is Baron Asher Ashbourne.”
No one could talk as the presence of the BloodBlades shut their mouths.
What made them even more fearful was that after the BloodBlades walked in, they all felt there were eyes everywhere.
Being scrutinized so deeply from every side brought terror to the court members.
“Lord Asher, It’s a pleasure to finally see the youngest Ashbourne ruler.” A court member flattered.
Asher raised an eyebrow.
“I am not the youngest Ashbourne ruler. Duke Atticus, son of Duchess Ariel Ashbourne, has that title.”
The moment Asher said that, the air froze.
Everyone looked at themselves.
Duke? Duchess?
“Forgive them. Only a few know about the centuries-old history of the Ashbournes.” Claude chuckled, trying to cover up for the wealthy folks who were only concerned about their safety.
His house was just decades old. Compared to the Ashbournes, the Flamehearts were not even worthy to be ants.
“You’re saying their history is older than the counts?”
Claude turned to his wife.
“It is.”
“I presume you are more familiar with my father, Baron James Ashbourne, and how promiscuous he was.”
Some coughed.
“I want to show you something, Lord Asher. It might be to your liking.”
Claude changed the topic.
“Oh?”
Claude’s words caught Asher’s attention.
No longer interested in entertaining these people who were typically afraid of his BloodBlades, Asher left with Claude.
The moment the door closed, a court member got to his feet.
“That young lad saved us?” He said it in disbelief.
Claude’s wife got to her feet, opened the other door and walked into the balcony. From there, they sighted the imposing King Swordsmen on their mounts galloping into the city. The quality of their war mounts, armor, and top-tier discipline took the words out of the woman and the court members’ mouths.
“That’s the troop of Baron James’ bastard son?!”
A court member gasped.
“Don’t let him hear that.” Claude’s wife snapped at the court member. She was very protective of her husband’s interest, and though it looked as if she was always against him when it came to the Ashbournes, it was because of her dark past with Asher’s father, Baron James Ashbourne.
Since then, her view of the Ashbournes had been twisted and it was the only thing that made her raise her voice at her husband.
Her eyes flickered.
Baron James had cut down her uncle in a tournament battle to win gain Count William’s favor.
Her uncle was a skilled knight but the Ashbournes had the blood of great legendary knights running through their veins.
He couldn’t last against Baron James’ dual-sword technique.
Since then she loathed the Ashbournes and was happy for their downfall but that same family had saved her husband’s domain from being conquered and it was from the young lord she spoke badly about.
‘This Asher might be what the Ashbournes have been waiting for. Isn’t he the same boy that Count William rejected and cancelled the betrothal with his precious elvin daughter?’
…..
Asher walked into a fairly large room that had nothing except a weapon on the body of an armored knight statue. The armored knight was built entirely out of Obsidian stones and had a reflective sheen.
It had a waist belt that wasn’t carved out of stones and attached to the waist belt was a sword. The scabbard hiding the sword’s blade seemed to be made from the horn of a great beast.
It had the same color as the statue.
Just looking at the snowflake obsidian-colored scabbard, which had a sharp tip capable of doing the work of a sword, Asher wondered how dangerous the sword sheathed into it would be.
“This sword is called the ‘Mortal Blade.’ I bought this sword from Nightfire, the kingdom of mysteries. I’ve gone there once and I bought this from an auction house for 10,000 sacred gold coins and yet no one has been able to use it.”
Asher raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“It kills every knight who tries to draw it.”
