Devouring Dragon Heir

Klaus had just finished his conversation with the system when the soldier came and informed him about the departure.

A new plan was already forming in his mind.

He would accompany Caesar to the capital. This would be a perfect opportunity to see the true power dynamics of a medieval era kingdom, to meet the nobles and the common people, and to establish his presence as the "Messenger."

He was looking forward to experiencing the culture of a new world.

A few hours later, the major part of the army of the Riverdale Kingdom, except the stationed guards, had packed up their camp, and they were now returning to the capital.

Klaus and Caesar were at the front, riding on majestic warhorses. The sun was high in the sky, and the air was filled with a sense of triumph and relief from the soldiers.

The sense of victory, however, was tempered by the fact that the dead bodies of their fellow men had now started smelling of rot, which was a grim reminder of the price they had paid in the fights against the demons so far.

On the way, Caesar, the army general, explained to Klaus how if the corrupt nobles of the kingdom had helped, the king might not have died.

"My lord," Caesar said, his voice filled with regret.

"The king had asked for their help, he had asked for their men and their resources, but they denied him. They told him that they would only help if he gave them more land or territories."

Klaus listened with a cold expression.

The story was all too familiar. The powerful always use their power to gain more, and the weak always suffer.

"They were always scheming to take the throne," Caesar continued, his voice now filled with a low, angry growl.

"They wanted to see the king and his army get defeated, after that, they would take over the kingdom, and they planned to use the demons as a means to do so."

Caesar's face was filled with pain and frustration as he talked, he regretted his own powerlessness.

"I regret not being able to protect the king and queen," Caesar cried

"They were good rulers, and they cared for their people. But now, only their daughter is left. Her name is Andrea."

"Her only protection is me and a few of our most loyal men. We have assigned the strongest bodyguards we had, the last few SS-rank hunters of the royal guards, to keep her safe."

He then talked about the history of the Riverdale Kingdom. He explained how the kingdom was built in this chaotic world surrounded by different races, it was a safe haven for humans.

"The kingdom was built by our ancestors, who fought a great war against the demons," Caesar said, his voice filled with pride.

"The rest of the races considered humans as weak and wanted to enslave them, thanks to our brave forefathers, we stood the test of time."

Klaus's brows furrowed. "This again? Are humans really that weak?" He asked only to get a dismissive reply.

[Things are not that simple host, you will eventually unfold everything.]

Klaus nodded.

The situation with the kingdom's corrupt nobles was a mirror to the world he had just left. The Legacy Families on Earth also started as heroes who fought a great war, but they had also lost their way, they had also forgotten the past.

They had also become greedy, and they used their power to control and corrupt everything. He felt a profound sense of disgust thinking about this side of human nature.

As the internal thoughts about all these issues flowed in Klaus's head the time outside passed quickly, and before he knew they had already reached the outskirts of the capital.

The city walls were huge, made of thick, grey stone.

The gates were open, and the city was bustling with people. A sense of relief washed over the soldiers who were riding behind them. They were home.

Suddenly, a ragged figure appeared on their way. The figure was moving with a desperate, hurried pace, its clothes torn, its face covered in dirt.

Caesar, who had been riding beside Klaus, gasped as he looked at the figure. "Princess Andrea!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with shock.

The figure was indeed the princess, Andrea, the daughter of the king and queen.

But she was injured and battered, her beautiful face covered in dirt and blood. Her clothes were torn from some parts indicating the desperate struggle she had gone through, and she had a deep wound on her left arm. She was running for her life.

They immediately stopped their horses. Caesar dismounted and rushed to Andrea's side.

"Princess! What happened?" he asked, his voice filled with worry. He held her and looked at her wounds.

"They... they have taken over the kingdom," Andrea said, her voice weak, filled with pain. "The nobles... they have taken the throne. They have killed all my loyal men. And now they are chasing to kill me."

She looked at Caesar, her eyes filled with tears. "Uncle Caesar, you are our only hope now" she said. "please be careful they have powerful people on their side. They have managed to form their own army all these years under our noses. We have no one..." the princess blabbered in a hurried tone as she gasped for breath before slowly fainting with exhaustion.

Klaus, who was still on his horse, looked at the scene with a cold, serious expression. The words of Caesar about the nobles' corruption and their plan to take over the kingdom had just come true.

Klaus, who was sitting on the horse, looked at the general. "Caesar,carry the princess on a horse and follow my lead. Tonight I will rest in the royal palace. Anyone who comes in my way will cease to exist."

Caesar nodded. He picked up Andrea to get her on a horse before he looked at Klaus and said

"My lord, thank you. You are our only hope."

Klaus smiled, a cold and confident expression. "I know. Now, let's go. We have a kingdom to save.

Meanwhile, in the capital, in the royal palace's great throne room, a scene of celebration was unfolding.

The hall was quite large, with high vaulted ceilings and walls adorned with ancient paintings and marble carvings depicting the kingdom's history of victory against demons.

But the atmosphere was foul, filled with the smell of wine and arrogant triumph.

A few dozen men and women, all nobles and ministers of the kingdom, were standing and celebrating their victory over the throne.

They were laughing and drinking, their voices loud and disrespectful. Their plan had succeeded. They had taken over the kingdom, and the royal family was no longer a threat.

A few more people were visible in the room. They were not from the kingdom, but they were a part of the celebration.

They were also powerful individuals, at the Pseudo-Transcendent rank, an equal to EX-ranked individuals.

They were allies from other human kingdoms that had arrived to congratulate the nobles and also to divide the territories for their support to the nobles all these years.

Right now, most of the loyal men of the king had been systematically transferred to the cellars, and their own men had taken everyone's place.

The old guards, the royal guards, the ministers, and everyone who was loyal to the king were now imprisoned under the guise of revolt and treason, which no one knew about, frankly.

The operations were so discreet that the common populace hadn't even realized what was happening. They believed that some soldiers had been sent to the battlefield to aid the king.

The news of the king's demise had clearly not reached the common public, so everyone was still under a fake assurance of protection.

Suddenly a guest and one of the few pseudo-transcendent who had arrived from a neighboring kingdom stood up; he asked the head of the police guards,

"Lord Evans, when will we start the division of territories?"

"Don't worry, sir, we are just waiting for the commander and his tired army to arrive. Once we capture him and confirm that the princess has been dealt with, we will swiftly start the allocation event."

Evans the commander of the police guards, said with his voice was filled with a smug confidence.

CRACK!

A sudden crack broke through the noise.

The room went still.

Evans frowned and turned toward the man who had spoken. The visitor's face was slack, his eyes already dead.

Before anyone could move, his body exploded. Flesh, bone, and blood sprayed across the nearest nobles. The wet sound of it hitting the floor echoed in the stunned silence.

Evans felt warm droplets slide down his cheek.

From the drifting red mist, a pale hand appeared. It gripped a still-beating heart, strings of torn flesh hanging from it, each pulse weaker than the last.

The mist parted and soon the sight of a young man appeared.

The young man stepped forward with his crimson eyes glowing beneath white hair stained dark with blood.

His smile was slow and creepy and looked like the smile of someone savoring the fear in the room.

He walked forward with boots crushing the remains of the dead man with wet crunches. Each step left thick, dark prints on the polished floor.

No one spoke.

He climbed the stairs to the throne without bothering any interaction with the crowd as if they were too unworthy to pay attention to.

His each step seemed to hammer into their chests, squeezing the air from the room.

When he sat, blood smeared across the gold and pearls of the throne. Drops of thick blood slid down the armrests to pool at his feet.

The system's voice whispered in his mind.[Host, you've ruined such a beautiful throne. Blood doesn't match the aesthetics of the throne room.]

Klaus's grin widened."Don't worry, system. Soon, the whole room will be painted red."

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