Ch.135135. Succession

A barrage of dark spears targeted Alvar. Despite his surprise, he reacted instantly to the sudden ambush. With a powerful stomp, Alvar launched himself high into the air. Shaharon’s gaze tracked his movement. The spear naturally altered its trajectory, piercing through Alvar’s body.

—CRASH!

The barrier of the spirit spear shuddered. Though it didn’t directly damage Alvar, the attack was enough to awaken his vigilance. Alvar landed on the ground with a hardened expression.

“You… Could you possibly be an Apostle of the Abyss?”

He had never met the three Apostles of Lornarok. However, he had heard about their characteristics—the ability to manipulate shadows, black hair, and black eyes. After all, the reason he came to Albheim was because he had received news that the Apostles were active in Lornarok.

“Why are you protecting them?”

“A question not worth answering.”

Shaharon raised his hand and muttered in a cold tone. Sharp, refined blades of shadow emerged.

“Alvar. If you approach any further, you’ll have to face both Charlotte and myself.”

He didn’t launch an attack. He had no intention of fighting Alvar here. Even the earlier ambush was merely a warning.

Alvar also realized that Shaharon wasn’t showing his full power. The problem was that he couldn’t fathom why Shaharon was protecting Rex. It was impossible to question him further. Shaharon was strangely hostile toward him. If he defied his words and continued to target Rex, Shaharon would truly attack Alvar alongside Charlotte.

“…Shaharon.”

“Rex. Don’t worry.”

While Alvar hesitated, Rex bit his lip and spoke. He looked puzzled at the response. Shaharon chuckled and shrugged.

“I won’t devour you. I understand your wariness from our previous encounter, but rest assured. This time, I’ve come to help you.”

“What?”

“But I want to eat you.”

A voice slipped in. Rex jumped in surprise. Gentle hands were somehow brazenly caressing his shoulders. The woman laughed gleefully at his reaction.

“Look at how startled you are. What should I do? You’re so cute, I want to take you to my room right now. Hey, do you like women? Of course you do. There’s no man in the world who dislikes women except for eunuchs.”

“Lidia. I will not tolerate you touching Rex.”

“Why are you making such a fuss? When I say ‘eat,’ I don’t mean it literally. I’m just talking about sharing a moment of male-female interaction, and only if he finds me appealing.”

“No one willingly bathes in filth. Once he learns your true nature, he’ll surely reject you.”

“What? Did you just call me filth?”

Shaharon sighed deeply and shook his head. The woman pouted sulkily but didn’t complain further. Instead, she slowly pushed away the blade pointed at her chin.

“I’m just joking, joking. So… um, could you put that away?”

Rex looked up with a dumbfounded expression. Charlotte had somehow pulled him into her arms and was glaring at the woman with fierce eyes. The woman awkwardly scratched the back of her head, then winked and stuck out her tongue.

“Hehe.”

“…”

“What’s with that reaction? I just played my trump card.”

“…”

“Okay, I was wrong. I was rude. Will you forgive me now?”

“Who… are you?”

Charlotte asked, lowering her sword. The woman cleared her throat awkwardly and replied.

“Lidia. Perhaps I’m better known in the world as the Apostle of Pleasure? Feel free to call me Lidia.”

At those words, everyone’s eyes widened. They had suspected since Shaharon called her. The Apostle of Pleasure from one of the three orders ruling Lornarok—the Order of Pleasure. Rex stammered with round eyes.

“Why are you in Albheim—”

“Wait. There’s no point asking me; I can’t answer anything. I just came at Shaharon’s request. I’m actually quite shocked myself. I thought I just needed to go to Albheim, but I never imagined I’d find the famous Imperial Apostle of Judgment and Apostle of the Sword fighting.”

“Enough.”

Shaharon cut off the conversation. Even now, Alvar was still looking for an opportunity. Shadows were keeping him at bay, but they couldn’t hold out indefinitely.

“We don’t have time. Rex, I understand your questions, but this isn’t the place for conversation. I can assure you of one thing: today, we came to Albheim to save you from danger.”

“How can I believe that?”

“I have no grounds to earn your trust. I can only ask you to believe us. However, if you refuse our help, it’s not us who will be in trouble, but you. From the looks of it, you’re not in good condition. Can you overcome this crisis on your own if left in Albheim?”

Rex grimaced and kept his mouth shut. He couldn’t deny it. It was true. If Shaharon hadn’t stopped Alvar just now, Charlotte would be fighting him at this moment. She would have been struggling to protect Rex and Chloe, who couldn’t help at all.

The future was obvious. Charlotte wouldn’t have easily shaken off Alvar’s pursuit, and if Elandir recovered from his injuries and rejoined the battle, Charlotte’s life might be spared, but Rex and Chloe wouldn’t have survived long.

Three years ago, when Shaharon came to him, Rex still hadn’t forgotten his grudge against him. Even so, it was clear that Shaharon had helped him in this situation.

“…What do you want to say?”

“Follow me.”

When Rex spat out the words through gritted teeth, Shaharon snapped his fingers with an expressionless face. The shadows lurking on the ground writhed and became a viscous swamp. Rex had seen this ability three years ago and just now—an unreasonable power that could instantly transport across vast distances.

“We’ll escape Albheim through the Black Lotus.”

“Where to?”

“Lornarok. Charlotte and the girl, you two will come as well.”

Charlotte looked at Shaharon with a strange expression. Her deliberation was brief. She took Chloe’s hand and stepped into the shadow.

“…He doesn’t seem to be lying. Rex, I dislike this guy as much as you do, but we don’t have any other options right now. Be suspicious, but for now, following his instructions is our best course of action.”

“I’m not particularly fond of you either. I clearly remember you calling me a mongrel.”

“And you called me a madwoman.”

At Charlotte’s retort, Shaharon twitched his lips and turned away.

“Lidia. Stop getting distracted and come here.”

Elandir was lying some distance away. Lidia couldn’t take her eyes off him. She swallowed hard and tapped her lips with her finger.

“He looks delicious… I haven’t had many elves. And if he’s the Apostle of Regeneration… Hmm… Can’t you give me just a little time? I only need a moment.”

“Don’t your sexual encounters typically last for days? Even if we had time to spare, I wouldn’t have waited. Besides, your Palace of Ecstasy is already filled with stallions you’ve brought in. Are you not satisfied with them and still greedy for more?”

“This is why eunuchs! I get tired of eating the same things all the time.”

“I am not a eunuch.”

Shaharon said sternly. Lidia glared at him with narrowed eyes but soon obediently dipped her feet into the shadow. She genuinely wanted to take Elandir. But she knew this wasn’t the right situation. Elandir’s lower body had been severed. If she couldn’t stand him up, she couldn’t put it in.

“What about Absian?”

“He’s coming.”

Shaharon shifted his gaze toward the World Tree. At that moment, Rex clenched his sweat-soaked hands and widened his eyes. —SCREECH! Suddenly, an indescribable ominousness swept over him. The forest—no, the World Tree was screaming. The forest connected to the World Tree was wailing.

“What’s happening?”

Charlotte wore an expression of shock. This was different from the harbinger of a divine release caused by an Apostle. Even she couldn’t understand this anomaly. Having never experienced or known about it, she couldn’t even guess what was happening. She only paled as she hid Rex and Chloe behind her back.

“We need to escape as quickly as possible.”

Shaharon’s brow furrowed. As the shadows gradually rose upward, a man staggered and landed on the ground. Shaharon spoke bluntly.

“Absian.”

“…”

“The mission?”

The man didn’t say anything. That was his answer. The group’s bodies sank into the swamp of shadows. Rex asked with a puzzled face.

“What mission?”

“The assassination of King Elturas.”

Shaharon answered promptly. Rex couldn’t comprehend it. He heard correctly, but it was too far beyond common sense to understand. Assassination? That man? His face was hidden by the red cloth wrapped around his eyes.

The name Shaharon called him by was familiar. Like Shaharon and Lidia, he was an Apostle of Lornarok. From the Order of Death—Absian, the Apostle of Void. Despite his covered eyes, he turned his head precisely to look at Rex.

“As I said, I’ll explain later.”

“…Where are we going?!”

The shadows completely enveloped the group. Until then, Alvar had been unable to make a decision. His thoughts had frozen at the sudden appearance of the Apostles. It was already challenging enough to face Charlotte alone, and now with unexpected reinforcements, his chances of victory were beyond slim—they were nearly impossible.

But.

He still believed that Rex shouldn’t be allowed to leave. For the order of the Empire. If Elin didn’t perform the ritual, the elves would die. They wouldn’t die immediately. Even with reduced lifespans, the younger elves would remain. Their anger would be directed not just at Rex but at the entire Empire.

War would break out.

The Empire would certainly win. Victory was assured, but there would be casualties. Even with Apostles participating, ordinary soldiers would die. The long-standing peace would be shattered. Albheim? What benefit would the Empire gain by conquering it? Without the power of the World Tree, Albheim would be just a slightly larger forest.

War inevitably takes away many things. Not only the lives of soldiers but also plunges the economy and public order into a quagmire. When the Empire, thrown into chaos by war, turns its eyes inward, other kingdoms might commit impious acts.

Alvar never wanted such a situation. His lifelong loyalty to the Empire and his desire for its welfare moved his legs. Without fear of death, driven solely by the determination to prevent their escape, he threw himself forward, but—

“See you later, Apostle of Judgment.”

Before Alvar’s spirit spear could reach them, the Black Lotus activated. Shaharon’s figure disappeared into the darkness. Only a faint laugh lingered in the empty space struck by the spirit spear. Alvar slumped his shoulders with a hollow expression.

“Ugh…!”

No, one person remained. Elandir. His limbs had already begun to regenerate, but he hadn’t recovered enough to move properly. He groaned in pain as he struggled with his upper body.

“Well.”

It was both fortunate and unfortunate for Alvar that Elandir hadn’t died. Though the situation was already dire, if Elandir had died too, it would have become truly irreversible. At least Elin’s ritual hadn’t been stopped. The unfortunate part was that Alvar was now the only one left. He would have to clean up this mess and explain everything.

“…Are you alright?”

Alvar asked in a gloomy voice.

“Ka, Kaiserion… where did he go?”

“Kaiserion?”

Why would that name come up here? As Alvar tilted his head in confusion, Elandir twisted his upper body, coughing.

“Father… I must go to Father.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to heal your body first?”

“No! Quickly, take me… to Father… ugh!”

Elandir, who was trying to stand on his newly regenerated stumpy legs, let out an unseemly shriek and fell face-first onto the ground. Alvar stared at him with a stunned expression before finally supporting him.

“…This is maddening.”

The sudden appearance of Lornarok’s Apostles.

Their meeting he had heard about at the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony.

He still couldn’t guess what they were thinking, but one thing was certain.

Something was seriously wrong.

Suppressing the rising anxiety, Alvar headed toward the World Tree.