The Meipros family’s main estate has not always been invulnerable to intrusion.
Rather, there has never been a lack of those who have sought to invade this castle-like manor, from the past to the present, and it would not be an overstatement to say that their attempts have been incessant.
If someone were to topple the Meipros family, the kingdom’s frontier garrison would be all but annihilated, and should they succeed in assassinating Marquis Revin Meipros, known as the Border Guardian Sword Saint, the Leiblu Kingdom would erupt in celebration as if greeting a grand festival, eagerly launching attacks to seize the land of the Ginus Kingdom. Such benefits perpetually spurred those who opposed the Ginus Kingdom, driving them to rack their brains in their endeavors to breach the manor and wreak havoc within its walls.
Because of this, the Meipros estate had in fact endured numerous invasions. Sometimes there were stealth infiltrations, sometimes distant bombardments of deadly magic toward the estate, and at times even groups of Death Soldiers launched sudden assaults. If not for the strict scrutiny of Bessare, the Meipros family’s estate would likely face a hundred times more disturbances.
For such reasons, the Meipros family always maintained a stringent guard, and had set up an exceedingly intricate and meticulous magical defense system to fend off external threats as best as possible.
Yet even so, the Meipros estate was frequently subjected to invasions, and there were even times when assailants successfully penetrated close to Marquis Revin Meipros, attempting to poison or assassinate him.
By such accounts, an invasion of the Meipros family was quite commonplace, and the household should have grown accustomed to such occurrences.
However, of the countless invasions, large and small, that the Meipros family had experienced since its inception, none had been as preposterous as what happened today.
In a luxurious room of the Meipros family’s main estate, a voice filled with incredulity rang out.
The speaker was a young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five years of age.
The young man was handsome with a slightly tanned complexion, giving the impression that he was often exposed to the sun—a statuesque figure with the air of an athlete.
He was Axel Meipros, the second son of the Marquis of Meipros, the biological son of the Border Guardian Sword Saint, Revin Meipros—the young master of the estate and a true scion of nobility.
A sword was slung at his hip, and he was dressed not with the opulence typical of nobility but in a practical and simple manner for ease of movement—this attire highlighted the military pedigree of the Meipros household compared to other noble families.
Axel was far from mediocre. As the Sword Saint’s son, he had been thrown into the ranks of the knights by his father from a young age. Not only had he battled on the front lines numerous times, fighting against the forces of the Leiblu Kingdom, but he had also carried out many secret missions. As a result, he was awarded the True Knight Medal at the age of seventeen and became an honored Swordsman. Revin appointed him the commander of one of the sub-divisions of the Meipros family’s knightly forces and he upheld a notable status within this frontier region.
Such experiences had made Axel a man accustomed to trials and tribulation.
Yet even he, upon hearing the report of a subordinate knight, could not help but feel astonished.
"You’re saying that a carriage broke through the guards, the perimeter walls, and the protection systems, storming straight into the estate?"
Indeed, it was this astonishing news that had startled Axel.
"Yes, Lord Axel." A knight kneeled before Axel, speaking with an incredulous tone, "Although it is hard to believe, the knights responsible for guarding have reported the situation as quickly as possible, it is unlikely to be false."
"Not... you’re saying a carriage actually invaded? Are you suggesting it’s some new magical artifact developed by the Leiblu Kingdom, or perhaps someone has discovered a precious Ancient Secret Treasure from the remnants of a bygone magical civilization?" Axel murmured in disbelief, shaking his head, "No, that’s not right, the estate is also warded against summoning—no one should be able to call forth something from the outside here."
This was indeed shocking.
"If it’s neither Summoning Magic nor a special magical artifact or Ancient Secret Treasure, then how did an ordinary carriage manage to bypass the stringent guards and defenses, making its way into the estate?"
Axel was baffled but knew this was not the moment to dwell on his confusion.
"Gather all the knights of the troop immediately! Whether they’re on patrol or asleep, wake them all up!"
As the knight who had acknowledged the order took his leave, Axel dashed alone towards the main hall on the first floor of the estate.
Just as Axel was about to race down the stairs, another person came hurtling towards him at a speed that did not pale in comparison to his, stopping right in front of him.
It was a young man who bore a resemblance to Axel, seemed only a little younger with a sun-kissed skin tone.
Axel halted his stride.
Diego Meipros, the third son of the Meipros family, younger than Axel by a year, yet with capabilities and achievements no less remarkable than his, had rushed hastily to his elder brother’s side.