Baron Alistair Mortimer's expression darkened the moment he laid eyes on Adrian, the very sight of him igniting a surge of seething anger. Recognition dawned on him instantly, and with it came a flood of bitter memories and unfulfilled desires.
It was as if the past—one that he'd long thought buried and forgotten—had come back to haunt him in the form of this young man. The brat he once dismissed as insignificant, the son of the woman he had coveted for so long, now stood before him, covered in the blood of his men.
The boy who should have been nothing more than a stain under his boot was cutting through his forces like a seasoned warrior.
Baron Mortimer's jaw tightened, a low growl escaping his lips as his aura flared violently, tendrils of crimson energy spiraling out from him in a twisted dance. The air thickened under the weight of his power, a suffocating presence that caused the nearby soldiers to falter and take a step back.
Adrian, feeling the pressure of Mortimer's rising aura, remained unfazed. With a deft motion, he dodged an incoming slash from a desperate guard, his body moving with effortless grace.
He retaliated with a swift strike of his enchanted dagger, the blade slicing through flesh and bone. The guard's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Adrian then leaped back, landing lightly a few paces away from the Baron and his trembling soldiers.
Straightening himself, Adrian calmly wiped the blood from his blade, his movements deliberate and precise. He looked up at Mortimer, his crimson eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement.
Then, with a slight bow—executed with the refined grace of noble etiquette—he spoke.
"Baron Mortimer," he began, his tone polite but laced with a chilling edge, "I apologize for the unscheduled visit. I simply couldn't resist dropping by, as I heard your castle went through some trouble recently."
The mocking lilt in Adrian's voice, combined with his formal gesture, felt like a slap to Mortimer's face.
The Baron's eyes narrowed, his teeth grinding audibly. The sheer insolence—the audacity of this boy—was beyond comprehension.
He let out a furious roar, raising a large, ornate horn from his belt. He brought it to his lips and blew with all his might.
The horn's deep, resonating sound echoed through the courtyard, its mournful tone vibrating in the bones of all who heard it.
The signal reverberated across the castle grounds, a call to arms, summoning every available soldier, guard, and magical reinforcement to the courtyard.
It was a declaration that Mortimer no longer considered this a mere skirmish—this was war.
"Enough games!" Mortimer bellowed, his voice amplified by his aura. The force of his shout sent shockwaves through the courtyard, causing the very ground to tremble.
"You dare come here, to my domain, and slaughter my men?! You dare taunt me with your pathetic attempts at civility, boy?!"
Adrian's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. “Taunt?” he echoed, his tone almost casual as if the very idea was absurd. “I think you’re mistaken, Baron. I’m merely here to annihilate you and your entire force from the face of this world.” The source of this content ɪs novel⁂fire.net
The words were delivered with such cold certainty that the soldiers surrounding Mortimer felt an involuntary shiver run down their spines. It wasn’t a boast or an empty threat—it was a declaration of intent.
Mortimer's face twisted, his anger boiling over into a livid expression of pure rage. And then—he laughed.
The harsh, guttural sound filled the courtyard, a mocking cackle that sent echoes bouncing off the castle walls.
“You will annihilate me?” Mortimer spat, incredulous. “You, a mere child, and a weak woman? Just the two of you?”
He gestured widely, pointing at the multitude of reinforcements that had now gathered in the courtyard—battle-hardened warriors, elite guards, and mages, all of whom were carefully positioning themselves to encircle Adrian and Celes.
Adrian merely watched him, his expression unchanging, his demeanor calm as ever. He held up a hand as if giving a signal.
Mortimer’s men tensed immediately, their eyes darting around the shadows, expecting more enemies to emerge. There was a moment of silence—an agonizing second of heightened anticipation—as they waited for the hidden army they thought Adrian was summoning.
But nothing happened.
Adrian dropped his hand back down, and the tension in the air seemed to snap. He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head in mild amusement.
“It’s just me,” he said, his voice ringing clearly through the courtyard. “Just me and her.”
Mortimer’s face flushed an angry crimson—partly from fury, and partly from embarrassment at having been made a fool of in front of his men. A snarl twisted his lips, and his aura surged with a renewed intensity, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
“Looks like those were your last words,” Mortimer snarled. “Now die!”
With a roar, he lunged forward, his crimson aura flaring like a raging inferno as he led the charge.
His men, emboldened by his fierce display, rushed forward as well, their weapons drawn and spells at the ready.
Adrian’s smirk only widened as he watched the sea of soldiers close in on him. The glint of countless weapons, the hum of spells being prepared—none of it seemed to faze him.
Instead, he casually lifted his gaze to meet Mortimer’s furious glare, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and scorn.
“Are you really that dumb, Mortimer?” he said while laughing.
“You really believed me when I said I came with no one but her. Man you are really dumb huh."
Mortimer faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his eyes as he stopped his charging, afraid to fall on some trap laid by the young twerp before him.
Adrian raised his hand once more, his palm facing the sky. With a sharp motion, he snapped his fingers.
In his mind, he commanded the system to release everyone from the Virtual Training Chamber and bring them outside. He even requested a bit of flair for their entrance.
The system, always efficient, agreed—albeit with a fee in Seduction Points, which Adrian gladly paid.
The command resonated with an otherworldly echo, and for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still.
An eerie silence enveloped the courtyard as a surge of energy crackled in the air, shimmering like a thin veil that bridged two realms.
The tension peaked as the energy condensed into a single point, coalescing until it finally erupted, forming a massive swirling portal.
Then, in a series of bright, blinding flashes, figures began to emerge from the portal, one after another, each radiating a powerful aura that seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle.