Meanwhile, as the night wore on in the capital, the guards at the gates of the Cordova clan’s residence began to let their guard down. Amidst the chilling silence, a shadow darted past the guards as fast as lightning, without making the slightest sound. With deft movements, the mysterious figure cut the ropes binding Gerald’s body, snatched up the limp, blood-soaked form, and carried it away, vanishing into the pitch-black night. Before long, the gates of the Prime Minister’s residence burst open amid an extraordinary commotion. Drake, the mysterious figure, burst into the inner courtyard and placed Gerald’s helpless body onto a stretcher. “Quickly, prepare the finest potions and bandages at once!” Drake barked at the servants, who stood frozen with fear. “Carry him inside!” The servants hurried to carry the stretcher towards the main hall, straight before the Prime Minister—the King’s Right-Hand Man and Gerald’s biological father. At the sight before him, the Prime Minister’s

The following morning, the light of dawn illuminated the main corridor of the Cordova clan’s residence. The bedroom door swung open slowly. Theodore stepped out wearing a black noble’s robe adorned with silver embroidery typical of the North. His posture was upright and sturdy, exuding an aura of authority that was extraordinarily calm and intense after he had broken through to the Level 7 Master realm the previous night. Seeing his master emerge, Kael—who had been standing restlessly since dawn—immediately rushed over with a panicked expression. “Young Master! It’s dire!” cried Kael, breathlessly. “Gerald Ford… he’s been abducted from the gallows at the front gate! A mysterious expert has slipped past the guards and carried him off to the Prime Minister’s residence!” Theodore couldn’t care less. Not even a single eyebrow twitched at the sensational report. His demeanour was so relaxed, as if he had fully anticipated that Prime Minister Ford would certainly pull out all the stops

Both her hands were shaking violently, clutching the folds of her luxurious gown until they were crumpled. She leapt back half a step, staring at Theodore as though she were looking at a bloodthirsty monster. “You’re mad! You and your whole family have completely lost your minds!” Lily screamed, her eyes red and ablaze with wild panic. “His Majesty the King has issued a strict decree! He has strictly forbidden all Northern Region troops from leaving their borders without written permission from the throne!” Lily’s breathing was ragged and uncontrolled, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she gave voice to her fear. “Leading thirty thousand combat cavalry to breach the border and charge towards the capital… this is nothing short of treason!” roared Lily, pointing an accusing finger at Theodore’s face. “You are committing open treason against His Majesty the King! This is a damned rebellion—!” Theodore stared at the woman, who was in a panic, with a flat, cold gaze. “Treas

“Exactly, who else!” whispered the nobleman in the green robe, his voice brimming with emotion. “Everyone knows Lily is merely a tainted illegitimate daughter whose birth was never honourably acknowledged by the royal family. Yet when that cunning woman began to toy with Theodore Cordova’s feelings, drain his wealth, humiliate him in public, and turn him into a pitiful slave to love, did the King ever reprimand his daughter? Not at all!” “The King deliberately turned a blind eye,” added the elderly minister with a cold smile. “His Majesty allowed his illegitimate daughter to erode his authority, crush his dignity, and poison the mind of the heir to the most powerful clan in this land. For the King, watching the sole son of the Cordova clan slowly crumble into a helpless figure was the most effective strategy for neutralising the northern threat without having to soil the throne’s hands!” The young nobleman was stunned by this revelation of political intrigue, unable to believ

Amidst the buzz of whispers creeping wildly through the crowd, Axel froze. Even Axel himself felt a sudden jolt of fear send a cold shiver down his spine!THUD!The commander’s heart was pounding unnaturally fast. From the figure of the young man sitting calmly on the horse before him, Axel could truly sense the extraordinarily dominant and oppressive presence radiating from Theodore!It was not merely the angry glare of a spoilt noble; it was the pure, intensely concentrated aura of a killer—an invisible, savage presence that seemed capable of crushing his ribs and choking him without so much as lifting a finger. The hairs on the back of Axel’s neck stood on end, and the palms of his hands gripping the hilt of his sword suddenly felt slippery with cold sweat.‘What sort of aura is this…?’ Axel’s mind was shaken for a moment.‘How could a young man rumoured to be morally corrupt radiate such overwhelming pressure?!’However, Axel was a veteran soldier who had survived dozens of life