Chapter 110: Chapter 110

Then, the fight with the Steelheart brothers began.

Except for those who had already watched the recording previously, the entire hall watched, spellbound, unwilling to blink away even a single second.

Even Carl and Colleen were impressed, not only by his fighting skills, but also by his strategic thinking and his earlier display of magic as well.

They finally seemed to grasp the reason why Lady Androny, whom they respected so much, picked a hybrid as her successor.

While watching, every time Sokram killed one of Steelhearts’ guards, a boisterous, deep voice would sound from behind Leona.

“Smart, taking the disruptor first.”

“Good, his senses are sharp. He picked the perfect distance to start his killing spree.”

“Leona, kitty, you picked a good one as your first disciple, hm? Master is proud.”

No one needed to look to know who would be bold enough to speak so loudly and without a care in front of the King.

Only the strongest in the kingdom, save for Hannah, of course, would have such courage and freedom.

He was a wolf-kin, appearing to be in his late forties despite being older than Norwinter itself.

With long, aged grey hairs, white-furred wolf ears and tail, a lean and still strong body, around 1.9 meters tall, and Heterochromatic eyes, one gray and another one green.

He was dressed in practical attire: wide-legged cream pants tucked into shin-high boots, and a long black robe with wide sleeves that allowed for ease of movement.

Over this, he wore a shorter, white, sleeveless robe adorned with the Sigil of his family.

He was Kamus, Karini’s father, Leona’s master, and the revered creator of the Killing Blade Art.

A wave of unexpected warmth spread through Sokram’s chest, a profound lightness settling deep within him as Kamus’s praise, rarely given, washed over him.

A small, involuntary smile tugged at the corner of his lips, quickly buried beneath restraint.

Praise from Kamus was never without a prelude; criticism always followed.

“…But his stride back then was still lacking, too slow. And he still leaves too many openings when killing, he also seems overly dependent on that Dark Lightning Spell to move around.”

Then Sokram heard a compliment he'd never thought possible from Kamus, “But he is exceptionally talented, kitty. If he keeps this up, we will soon have another sword master under the Killing Blade Art’s name.”

Sokram gaped at Kamus, surprise flashing across his face.

But the old wolf didn’t even glance directly at him once, instead teasing his first disciple, “Maybe your disciple will become a master younger than you did, kitty. Maybe even younger than me, but he'd better reach that level before his twenties, otherwise I’ll still hold that title, hahaha.”

His laughter was loud and boisterous.

It was only when Sokram looked away that Kamus’s gaze swept over him, slow and surgical.

His lips twitched, not quite a smile, but in those piercing eyes gleamed something rare: quiet, unspoken pride.

Then came the part when Sokram was hit for the first time, when Adrian's water blade exploded against the protection of his runestone.

A collective gasp ripped through the hall.

Several hands flew to mouths, and many eyes instinctively squeezed shut, unable to bear the simulated impact.

A moment later, they cautiously reopened, blinking repetitively.

A low hum of confusion spread as they realized Sokram stood calmly on the proscenium, utterly unharmed.

Seeing Sokram swapping the runestone in his sleeves, they got their answer.

Then came the part where Sokram cast his voice projection illusion.

“Such a simple illusion, and they recoiled in fear. They were truly scared of you, young Head Dracnakrid. If I were them, I would be too, especially with your instant casting.” The man who spoke was a young-looking snow elf.

With neatly brushed short red hair, dressed in pristine mage robes, with a very lean and almost delicate frame, not taller than 1.75 meters.

Mouths parted and backs straightened among the mages as he stepped forward, yet no one dared whisper. The rıghtful source is novel[f]ire.net

He was known as the second strongest before Hannah joined their ranks; his name was Neloph vid Chrystalia, Grand Arch-Magus of the Frozen Root Academy and Moira’s grandfather.

“Oy Kamus, you old dog, I always told you your blade art would be amazing in the hands of a Battle mage, can you see it now?” Neloph teased.

“Hah, I never knew crystal flowers could speak. Is that a mutant one?” Kamus looked at Neloph with mock fright.

“Alright, you two, quiet down, I’m watching, don’t forget this is still a trial,” Lucien complained.

“Oh, sorry, boy-I mean Lord King, haha.” Kamus scratched the back of his head and apologized.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I came to visit my family, and was greeted with a vision of such an amazing talent that I got overly excited.” Neloph bowed to the King and walked toward the front seats, and sat beside Moira.

Many looked at him wide-eyed, realizing the significance of Neloph picking that seat.

To many, it seemed like a clear statement: The Grand Arch-Magus, Neloph, was also backing the Dracnakrid family.

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With this succession of events, the Count’s expression became darker and darker by the minute.

When Kamus saw the mistake Sokram made, he chuckled, “You underestimated the mage, hm? Even with a backup plan, try not to do that again.”

Sokram offered a contrite nod, his gaze dropping briefly.

No one saw through his mistake before Kamus pointed it out.

Neloph added, “You can’t underestimate a desperate mage, no matter how poor his talent, young Head Dracnakrid. Let it be a lesson.”

Sokram once again nodded apologetically, then resumed playing the recording.

Even after the battle ended, he didn’t stop the recording, wanting to show where he took the spatial rings from, and then in which ring he found the next recording crystal.

“Along with the crystal, I found the tokens for the wolves of the Silverfang family. But I must state that I believe that Kazzah, who was once the chosen successor of their family, was acting alone. I truly believe the Silverfang family had nothing to do with his behavior; they are true friends of Eversnow.”

When Sokram said that, Kamal, among the audience, felt an overwhelming urge to rush forward and hug him.

And so did the many elders of his family.

These last five days weren’t easy for his family at all.

“I’ll consider your testimony in their favor, Sokram. But you said you had more recordings to show.” Lucien looked at him expectantly.

It was clear that he was enjoying the show.

Sokram nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the recording started to rewind, “Your Highness, you asked before why I was expecting an ambush, and this is it. Can you see how those two are behaving? They are clearly purposefully leaving tracks behind; someone less aware would think they were playing around, but they weren’t.”

Sokram then summoned another recording crystal, and the previous recording stopped.

The room transformed back into the Royal Audience Hall.

Neloph tried to study Sokram's spell, but the burgundy carpeted floor made it hard for his poor sight.

The new recording showed Kazzah and Timothy doing the same on a previous hunt.

“This is the first time I've seen them leaving tracks behind,” Sokram narrated.

“We were herding some cattle back to the city to sell to some farmers and were ambushed by a group of bandits.”

Sokram was about to fast-forward the recording, but the King and Kamus asked him, almost in a panic, to let them watch the fight.

“Good, you used a lot more of my Killing Blade this time.” Kamus praised with a broad smile.

But Neloph said with great interest, “That mage girl, she is good too. Eversnow is producing many good seedlings, hm?”

Sokram’s gaze hardened, his voice a possessive growl: “She’s mine.” Amber, seated with his family, could only blush, while the others giggled.

The recording then stopped after Sokram showed the bandit leader’s face.

The room returned to normal once more, and Neloph continued trying to decipher his spell.

Sokram saw that, and turning to Neloph, Sokram offered, “I’m willing to sell this spell if you’re interested, Grand Arch-Magus.”

Not even slightly embarrassed at being caught, Neloph nodded eagerly, “That would be amazing. It would immensely help with some of my classes at the Frozen Root Academy. Speaking of it, why don’t you join us?”

While replacing the crystals, Sokram’s expression turned complicated. “I would love to be able to go through your library, but I have a duty to Eversnow, especially in times like these. So, Magical Education will have to wait for a while.”

“As dutiful as Sodram was, that fool. If he had only been a little more selfish, he wouldn’t have died so early.”

Neloph let it out without thinking, but quickly apologized, “Sorry, I’m still grieving. He was a dear friend. But you, Sokram, try to think a little more about yourself instead of just your duties, hm? Your family has already lost too much, more than any other in the country.”

Sokram could only nod, and no one, not even the King, could say otherwise.

When the recording finally played, the hall was only partially transformed this time.

Aaron, Adrian, and Kazzah were sitting at a table, and across from them was the bandit leader.

“That is the Red Moon, the pub in the market’s central square.” Someone from the crowd said.

“Isn’t that you, Dad? Why are you hugging that waitress, like that?”

A girl’s voice echoed through the silent hall, while her father kept shushing her, causing laughter and giggles to ripple through the crowd. Even the King had a smirk on his face.

Then Aaron’s voice came loud and clear, “You can have whatever they are carrying, all I want is that arrogant lizard dead before he spoils my family’s plans. I’ll even pay extra.”

Kazzah made sure to make it crystal clear, “Make sure to kill that fucking dragon. Also, among the girls, there will be a snow elf. I want her for myself. The others, you can do whatever you want with them.”

Gasps rippled like a gust through the chamber, and even the King’s hand froze mid-rest on the throne’s arm.

That was all they needed to hear.

Sokram exchanged crystals once again, and relief filled the heart of a certain father in the crowd.

The new recording displayed an even smaller room.

Yet seeing that room, Sandra couldn’t help but gasp in surprise, which showed she knew the room, and soon everyone understood it should be one of the rooms of their estate.

That recording solidified Sokram’s accusation: their plot to commit treason was not groundless.

Although it only showed Aaron and Adrian, during many conversations, the pair of brothers insisted on repeating phrases such as “My family’s plan,” “My father’s orders,” “We, the Steelhearts, will destroy Eversnow and sell the scraps to Frostaxe and Whiteland to share.”

Always talking with his proud and braggart tone.

Kazzah’s statements also absolved the Silverfang family, as his motivation was to take revenge against Sokram and Kamal after his position as chosen heir was stripped from him.

Finally, Sokram cancelled his spell and turned to the King, “Your Highness, this is not all. In the rings I retrieved from their bodies, as spoils of battle. I found many troubling letters, other recordings, slave contracts, and even military reports that show someone from the Royal Army corresponding and collaborating with them.”

Carl and Colleen frowned, but ignoring Sokram, they glared at Marcel instead.

Marcel, still held immobile by Nhiria’s judgment, could only watch, his eyes burning with an impotent fury.

A vein throbbed violently at his temple, and his paralyzed fingers, twitching uncontrollably against the armrest, silently screamed.

‘Fools! Idiots!’ he cursed his dead sons in the echoing chambers of his mind, the words a burning acid.

‘Those documents should have been memorized! Destroyed!’

Beside him, Sandra’s face had bleached to a ghostly white, her gaze fixed numbly on the red carpet, as if hoping the floor would swallow her whole.

The King’s fingers dug into the throne’s armrests.

His eyes, once lively with amusement, now glinted with something colder: Betrayal, disappointment, and barely restrained fury.

His jaw clenched tight enough to grind stone as he struggled to maintain his calm composure.

“And where are those documents?”

Sokram looked back at Licarus, who stood and walked toward the floating dagger, cut his palm over its unmoving blade, and repeated Sokram’s chosen Oath of Honesty.

Only then did he take a leather pouch from his pocket, which everyone recognized as the same one Sokram had used to store some of the rings, as shown in the first recording he exhibited.

“This is the pouch Sokram asked me to keep safe. None of it was tampered with; it was only analyzed so I could also give my testimony, Your Highness.”

Licarus spoke firmly as he offered the pouch to the King.

Colleen was about to walk forward to retrieve it for the King, hoping she could at least destroy some of the evidence against them if any existed, but the King rose first.

Lucien's face had turned somber and no longer showed the excited and entertained expression he had before.

Looking at Licarus, his voice trembled slightly, heavy with grief, “Is there any evidence against those two Generals behind me?”

The Generals flinched, but before they could even think of moving, Kamus and Neloph appeared beside them as if materializing there.

No one sensed them moving, except for Hannah and perhaps Sayuri, who were hiding in the shadows.

Sokram looked at them, his gaze full of admiration and awe.

‘They are still as amazing as I remember, haha.’ He thought, a silent chuckle in his mind.

But Licarus’s answer didn’t carry a tone of victory; instead, his grief matched the King’s, “Yes, Your Highness, there are many documents signed by them about our military routes, and some very sensitive information I can’t speak in public about.”

Lucien nodded, thoughtful for a brief moment as if hesitating, a hesitation that vanished as fast as it appeared.

Then, turning to the crowd, he declared, “We’ll be entering a quick recess so I can go through this evidence.”

He then turned to Sokram, his gaze held Sokram’s for a moment, and a glint of respect shone through his eyes.

“Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, Sokram. It seems Eversnow and Norwinter owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“I only did what I should, Your Highness.” Sokram’s tone was humble, but a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

He knew that in that moment, he had changed the eerie fate of his beloved city to a much brighter one.