Rose Empire

Chapter 4 - The Betrayed Knight

Renee was probably the only person in the world who, besides Charlotte herself, truly understood Charlotte's ambition.

On the night that Helen Mellerfield was buried, ten years ago, six-year-old Charlotte stood in the moonlight and asked, "Renee, do you ever feel like this world is just rotten?"

"Your will is my will, miss," Renee, also six, didn't understand what Charlotte was saying. She just wanted to comfort the young lady, who had just lost her mother.

Sure enough, the young lady was pleased with this answer and smiled happily.

"Then you're the first to swear allegiance to me," Charlotte said. She had wanted to use a twig, like an emperor, but the small six-year-old struggled and couldn't manage it. So, she broke a rose branch and handed it to her little maid. "Let's turn this garbage world upside down!"

The confused little Renee took the rose branch, not fully understanding.

Sweep the world, conquer the world!

Ten years had passed, and Renee now knew that Charlotte had said this, and she had done it. Carefully plotting for the Lanwan Viscountcy, inheriting the Lanwan title was the first step in this ambitious path.

However, Charlotte hid her plans very well, and almost no one could tell what she was scheming.

Leaving Platinum City, the giant eagle flew all day, only landing at dusk near a mountain forest. The lunch break was also on the giant eagle's back, eating dry food to fill their stomachs.

As the eagle landed, Renee quickly got to work preparing dinner and setting up the tent for the night, just like many diligent maids from noble families.

Charlotte held a scroll of parchment, on which were ancient inscriptions that few could recognize. Charlotte herself knew very little of it, but that didn't matter, as she was just holding the scroll absentmindedly, staring off into space.

Marion Duran, along with his two squire knights, was feeding the four giant eagles nearby. However, it seemed that their minds were elsewhere.

"Sir Duran, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We can't miss it," one of the squire knights beside Marion said.

"I know…" Marion Duran's face seemed shadowed.

"Master, haven't you already decided to join those people? Why hesitate now?" urged another squire knight on his left.

"…." Marion Duran's fingers tightened around the feeding bucket.

"There's nothing more to consider, master," the squire knight snatched the bucket from Marion Duran's hands and urged urgently, "The duchess, one sword strike, and it's nothing but a pile of flesh, just like any ordinary person. Kill her, and we'll be done with our business and leave. There'll be no problem. Don't you want to rise above, to make a name for yourself?"

The last words struck deep into Marion Duran's heart, awakening his deepest desires. He took a deep breath and turned to look at the squire knight on his right.

Under Marion Duran's gaze, the squire knight's face became serious. "Rest assured, Sir Marion, I have already sworn to dedicate everything to the Lord God."

Marion finally made up his mind, gripping the hilt of his sword and, with his two squire knights, walked step by step towards the duchess.

The three tall figures blocked the duchess's unfocused gaze like a wall. Only then did Charlotte snap out of her reverie and ask in confusion, "Is something the matter, Sir Marion?"

Marion's right hand released and tightened again. He slowly drew the knight's sword from his waist, pointing the tip at Charlotte. Behind him, three gray wings appeared.

Charlotte stared at the sword tip, dazed for a moment, before gradually realizing what was happening. She smiled silently, as if mocking herself or perhaps mocking him, and asked, "Sir knight, you've drawn your sword at me, does this mean...?"

Marion said nothing, nor did he immediately strike the blow. It was clear that, even though he had made up his mind, killing a noble lord was still not an easy task for a traditional knight.

Marion was still struggling, but his squire knights could no longer hold back: "Yes, Miss Mellerfield, we're sending you to meet the Lord God!"

"You are..." Charlotte looked at the squire knight who spoke, recalling for a moment, "You're Marion Duran's disciple, Daniel, right? I remember you were an orphan that my mother, Helen Mellerfield, saved. Why are you betraying her daughter?"

The squire knight, Daniel, arrogantly sneered, "I just happened to eat that woman's meal! Do I have to swear allegiance to the whore who slept with a stableman just because of that tiny favor?"

Hearing certain words, Charlotte instinctively furrowed her brows, her smile vanishing from her face.

"Daniel, shut up!" Marion scolded the squire knight, who was about to make another taunt. He then said, "Miss, we have broken the knight's oath of loyalty, but even if you cannot forgive me, I still have to do this. After I kill you, I will personally go to the church and confess to the Lord God."

"Heh, the Lord God, what a convenient garbage can," Charlotte muttered to herself softly.

Marion didn't quite catch the heretical muttering, but that didn't matter anymore. He thrust his sword forward, aiming straight for Charlotte's throat.

Charlotte sat still, unresponsive, her fingers even still brushing the slightly crumpled edges of the parchment, as if she had been stunned.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sharp sound of air being sliced through rang out.

Three silver streaks suddenly appeared, heading straight for the foreheads of Marion and his two squire knights, moving so fast that it seemed they were determined to blow their heads off before Marion's sword could touch Charlotte's skin.

The two squire knights hadn't even had time to react, but Marion felt an almost skin-prickling sense of danger. He swiftly retracted his sword and activated a gray barrier to shield the three of them.

It was one of Marion's abilities as a Three-Winged Swordmaster Iron Wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three silver streaks collided with the Iron Wall, producing three explosive sounds, before falling to the ground, revealing their true form three dinner knives that had been bent and deformed from the impact.

The two squire knights behind Marion broke out in cold sweat. Ordinary dinner knives, when propelled at such extreme speed, had nearly killed them both two swordmasters who had walked the path of the extraordinary! If Marion had not reacted swiftly, they would have probably died without even knowing how.

The dinner knives fell to the ground, and a figure appeared between Marion and Charlotte. She wore a blue dress, deer-skin boots, a fine silver chain around her waist, and a white apron still wrapped around her chest from the meal preparation.

Marion and the two squire knights recognized her Charlotte Mellerfield's personal maid, Renee Von Derlen.

"You surprise me, Miss Renee," Marion said.

"You disappoint me, Sir Duran," Renee said as she removed the silver chain from her waist and, with a flick, it strangely became rigid, as straight as a fine sword used in a noble duel.

Marion raised his sword, watching Renee and the three golden wings appearing behind her. He felt his hairs stand on end.

Renee had grown up alongside Charlotte, right under Marion's nose. Marion had also known Renee's father, Ralph Von Derlen, for many years. Though not close friends, they were old acquaintances who could drink together. Marion had never seen Renee hold a sword, nor had he seen her use any extraordinary powers. To him, she was just a typical maid skilled at cleaning, dressing, and baking pastries, a common sight in noble households.

Marion was sure that not just him, but almost everyone from the Green Plain Duchy and Helen Mellerfield's old retainers, must have a similar impression of Charlotte's maid.

However, today, the little maid was showing extraordinary powers that rivaled his own Three-Winged Swordmaster abilities. How could Marion not feel a chill down his spine?

The silver chain in Renee's right hand was undoubtedly a miraculous object. Though Marion did not yet know what miracle had been imbued into the chain, he was already certain that a hard battle awaited him.

When dealing with traitors, there was no room for hesitation. Renee muttered a strange syllable, "Fus," in a deep, distant voice, as though carrying the weight of ancient history and endless magic.

As an old knight, Marion immediately thought of a very obscure term from the Eagle Continent—Dragon Language Swordmasters.

Dragon Language itself is a miracle, and Dragon Language Swordmasters, as the name suggests, are swordmasters who fight using the miraculous power of Dragon Language. The Eagle Continent is the domain of griffins, and dragons typically live in the eastern Dragon Continent. Without dragons, sorcerers cannot study Dragon Language, so it's rare to see Dragon Language Swordmasters on the Eagle Continent.

Marion did not understand Dragon Language, but even without knowing it, he could guess that "Fus" was probably a Dragon Language word related to "speed enhancement," because Renee had already transformed into a gust of wind, swinging her silver chain sword to strike Marion's vital points, and the onslaught was as relentless as a torrential downpour.

Using the advantage of his broad sword, Marion blocked three of her strikes. However, Renee's speed was even greater, and on the fourth strike, she broke through a gap Marion couldn't react to in time, aiming for his right temple.

Iron Wall!

The gray light barrier reappeared, blocking three consecutive strikes. The silver chain sword clashed against the Iron Wall without making any headway.

It was a clash of "sword and shield," but the noise and shockwave were no less intense than those of modern firearms, radiating out from the two combatants at the center.

The wind howled.

Dust and sand flew.

Charlotte's delicate face was stung by the wind, and she had to raise her arm to shield her lower face.

The attack failed. Renee's high-speed movements momentarily halted, and Marion, ever sharp, seized the brief opportunity, swinging his sword. His broad sword wasn't as agile as a thin sword, but it showed a unique, heavy, and forceful momentum.

The sword cut through the air like a tiger's low growl, a warning to bystanders that this blow could shatter steel and stone!

But alas.

Marion's opponent wasn't a stone.

Renee once again turned into an afterimage and in the blink of an eye appeared two steps away, the gusts from Marion's sword swishing her skirt but not touching her. After dodging Marion's attack, Renee launched another strike.

Marion, using his skilled swordsmanship and well-timed Iron Wall, repelled Renee's attacks again and again. At first glance, it seemed like the two were evenly matched, but the frustration hidden beneath Marion's calm expression was something only he knew.

Though Renee seemed to be unable to break through, she was the aggressor—she could attack or retreat as she pleased, while Marion, seemingly passive and immovable like a mountain, was, in fact, forced into a defensive position, with no choice but to block her attacks. Charlotte was only three steps away, but Marion couldn't strike her down with a single blow. He knew full well that if he exposed his back to Renee, she would be able to kill him before he could reach Charlotte.

Marion was deeply dissatisfied. He didn't think that his own fighting talent was lacking, nor did he think he hadn't worked hard enough in his training. Instead, he believed that it was Renee's school of martial arts that gave her an unfair advantage.

Actually, Marion's thoughts were not unfounded.

Marion practiced one of the most common swordmaster schools on the Eagle Continent. If you had to add a descriptor like "Dragon Language" to this school, it might be called the "Basic Swordmaster School." "Basic" doesn't mean it's bad—in fact, many sorcerer schools can only train up to the seven-wing, eight-wing, or at most nine-wing level, which is the legendary sorcerer rank. The "Basic Swordmaster School," however, could go beyond nine wings, reaching the god-touched sorcerer rank.

In terms of completeness, the "Basic Swordmaster School" was definitely top-tier. However, the problem was that this school was originally a swordsmanship system used exclusively by the Olan Royal Griffin Knights. The Olan royal family had made it public, allowing anyone to practice it to cultivate more potential griffin knights.

The abilities awakened by practitioners of this school, when they reach one-wing, were most likely "power enhancement" to help knights handle the temperamental griffins; at two wings, it was likely a large-scale protective skill—Iron Wall—to shield the large griffins during battle; at three wings, it was likely "eagle eye" to help the knights spot enemies from high altitudes.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Marion awakened all three of these extraordinary abilities.

Eagle Eye allowed Marion to clearly see the high-speed moving Renee, and Power Enhancement allowed him to cleave the young girl in two with a single strike.

But it was useless.

Facing a fast-moving assassin like Renee, Marion felt as clumsy as a bear. Though his claws were strong and powerful, they couldn't even touch the hem of the young maid's skirt.

Iron Wall, this large-scale protective skill, was probably Marion's only means of countering Renee. However, Iron Wall couldn't maintain a shield for a long time. It usually only lasted a few seconds to a dozen seconds, with its duration depending on the user's own quality and the strength of the enemy's attack.

Marion used Iron Wall to perfection, deploying the shield just in time to block Renee's waves of attacks.

But that couldn't change the fact that this extraordinary ability was just "Iron Wall."

Renee struck again.

Marion recognized the basic swordsmanship Renee used—it was "Wind Swordsmanship," a common fast sword technique among the imperial nobility. This style involved two rounds of attacks with each strike, and each round would release three faster and sharper slashes. She repeated her tactic, first using her broad sword to block Renee's first three strikes, then activating Iron Wall to prevent her from changing direction, but Marion could not keep up with the speed of the last three strikes… at least, that was his plan.

However, after Iron Wall blocked the second strike, the third strike didn't come immediately.

Marion watched as Renee raised her sword, seemingly waiting for something. His heart skipped a beat, and he realized that Renee had already figured out the exact timing of Marion's Iron Wall from their repeated clashes. She was now waiting for the shield to vanish before delivering the most powerful sixth strike.

Once the Iron Wall disappeared, Marion was unsure if he could dodge or block the sixth strike. So, he quickly decided to counterattack instead of defending. At the very moment the shield was about to vanish, he struck at Renee, hoping to force her to dodge and give up on her sixth strike.

Renee did indeed dodge as Marion expected, but she did not give up the sixth strike. She used the movement to change position, and after a brief pause, she calmly sent the final strike towards the two squire knights who, like Charlotte, had become spectators due to their weakness.

"No…"

Too far for a rescue, Marion could only activate Iron Wall again, but it was still too slow.

The Iron Wall protected only Marion's disciple, Daniel, but the other squire knight clutched his throat as blood poured out from between his fingers. After struggling for a moment, he wobbled and fell.

"Despicable!" Marion growled through clenched teeth.

Renee showed no sign of shame at Marion's accusation. She lightly parted her cherry lips and spoke again: "Fus."

Everything seemed like a replay of the story.

Except this time, it was a killing blow.

Marion knew it was over.

Because the Iron Wall had blocked only the first three strikes.

Once the gray shield disappeared, the faster remaining strikes came.

Using his sharp battlefield instincts, Marion blocked the fourth strike, but by the fifth, his steps faltered, and by the sixth, he failed to defend.

Blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, Marion looked down at his chest. His iron chestplate was unharmed, but the excruciating pain and the loss of strength clearly told him that the lightning-fast sixth strike had pierced his chest and heart.

"Such a wound…" Marion looked again at Renee's silver chain sword, still glowing faintly. "It was you who killed Viscount Basil Leclerc…"

When Basil Leclerc Mellerfield was assassinated, there was an absurd wound on his body, as if his heart had been pierced through a wall, yet the wall behind him remained intact, just like Marion's chestplate.

Marion received no response, and he fell with his sword.

The last survivor, Daniel, could no longer hold his sword due to fear. Escape? Beg for mercy? Or fight to the death like Marion?

Daniel's mind was completely overtaken by fear, unable to think clearly. He just stood there, trembling.

Charlotte showed no mercy of a noblewoman and waved her hand lightly.

The wind rustled.

Daniel only felt a cool breeze on his face before his throat was pierced.

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