"You dare to kill me?" The middle-aged man forcefully suppressed his fear and asked.
"What is there to fear?"
"I am Count Dune, an important minister by the side of His Majesty. Do you want to oppose the entire Erune?" The middle-aged man’s gaze was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, staring coldly at Brand. "Not just you, you better think about it—your companions will also be labeled with the same crime."
Brand listened, stunned for a moment, then fell into silence.
Count Dune believed he had persuaded the other party and continued, "Of course, there is still room for negotiation between us. I can spare you and your companions, but for the sake of my honor, you must leave the Elf Sword behind." He said half-truthfully, but a trace of deep hatred flashed in his eyes.
Brand then sneered, looking at the other as if he were a moron. "What did you think I was pondering just now, Count?"
The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback.
"I was thinking, how some creatures are truly foolish and ignorant, even at the brink of death, they don’t realize why they are dying." Brand shook his head. "Kill an important minister of the King? And then escape prison? In fact, no one would even notice these small details because history records this day as follows—"
"In the Year of Flowers and Summer Leaves, on the morning of June 2, Madara’s army took Ridenburg. Count Dune, Lord Jin Guo, and Sir Luc Besson, along with other pillars of the Kingdom, unfortunately perished in the flames of war, sacrificing their lives for the country."
"As for me, I am nothing but a passerby."
Count Dune’s eyes widened, staring at Brand as if he had seen a ghost.
"You think I’m lying to you, but I have no intention of joking with you. Since you are unwilling to cooperate, I’ll have to borrow your head." After saying this, Brand sliced off his head with a sword. Then he sat down heavily, letting out a sigh of relief. After continuous battles, Brand felt a bit weak all over, not to mention that these fights had no benefit at all, which was unlike his character.
However, his gaze then fell on Count Dune’s headless body and he froze, staring at the ring on the middle finger of the other hand, unmoving.
It was a ring with an ’O’-shaped snake pattern on its surface. Brand was startled at first, then cursed loudly. Damn it, this guy was a member of the All Things Return to One! He subconsciously jumped up, reaching for the Azure Light Piercing on the short table beside, but it was already too late: the ring’s surface twisted slightly, and a chilling voice echoed in the room.
"Very good, kid. Although I don’t know who you are, you won’t live for long—"
This sharp voice abruptly appeared and disappeared, had Brand not known what a terrible organization this was, he might indeed think he was hallucinating.
But Brand knew well that this organization and the Shepherd Tree Man were in league, and they were even more mysterious. The upheaval in Erune and the North’s Saint Ausor in those years had their shadow behind them. No one knew what their aim was, but most high-level missions seemed to be related to this organization—
This enormous organization was a mystery in the game, and so it was here as well. However, Brand knew they were never good and also that high-level members communicated via rings called Ouroboros Rings. Once one of them fell, others would immediately know and elect a new member to take their place.
Of course, what followed was an unceasing vengeance.
"Damn it, running into these guys again. Lord Marsha, are you messing with me?" Brand cursed without good humor, holding the Elf Sword tightly. In the game, he had suffered greatly because of this organization, for the same reason that he had killed one of their high-level members.
Didn’t expect history to repeat itself so strikingly here.
And moreover, slightly earlier—
"Lord, is that you inside?" Char ran over, only to helplessly find that the battle was already over. However, he still thought his lord was indeed his lord, someone who could end a battle alone with ease. Summoning him for reinforcement was probably just politeness.
But Brand felt an unquenchable anger rise upon hearing this voice, thinking that had he not been vigilant, this guy would see nothing but a corpse upon arrival. Though it was still unclear whether the cards would instantly revert to their original form after their holder died.