Chapter 233: Chapter 233
A sudden explosion rocked the research lab, and Leon was stunned as he watched it unfold.
“What on earth just happened?”
At first, the detonator had clearly failed to activate. But then, without warning, the entire laboratory exploded and vanished without a trace. Leon’s expression darkened.
“Ian… what happened to the youngest one?”
The explosion was powerful enough to alter the landscape of the mountain, aside from destroying the lab. No matter how skilled Ian was, he wouldn’t have been able to escape easily from there.
‘I need to confirm whether he’s still alive.’
If Ian had survived, he would remain a persistent obstacle. Leon was determined to confront him here if possible. But something felt off.
“Lord Leon, the soldiers…the Second Prince’s troops are on the move. They appear to be leaving the area.”
“What? That’s impossible…”
“Don’t tell me… they actually survived the explosion?”
That didn’t add up. Neither Ian nor the Second Prince knew about the detonator or any methods to delay it. Leon had personally eliminated all the subordinates who were aware of the plan.
‘No, if they had known, they would’ve stopped the explosion in the first place.’
Yung spoke up carefully.
“Is it possible the Second Prince, who had the documents, escaped first? He could be fleeing now that the lab is destroyed.”
“Leaving Ian behind?”
“He’s not someone known for loyalty.”
“That… does seem like the most plausible explanation.”
Yung’s confidence began to rise, her eyes sparkling with determination.
“Then I’ll go and confirm whether the Seventh Prince survived.”
“No, wait. I’ll check myself.”
“B-but… Lord Leon, don’t you need to hurry to the palace?”
Leon needed to retrieve Sloth from the Emperor. There was a chance that Ian had already escaped and was heading there first. If Ian managed to get his hands on Sloth before Leon did, it would spell disaster. But Leon’s expression remained cold.
“No matter how capable he is, there’s no way he escaped from that underground facility. The Second Prince must have betrayed him.”
“I said I’ll check it myself.”
“M-my apologies, Lord Leon.”
Yung bowed quickly and backed away. Leon paused, deep in thought.
‘I need to see it with my own eyes—his death.’
Leaving things to subordinates had led to this disaster. He felt an urge to witness it firsthand for his own peace of mind. But he didn’t rush to the ruins immediately.
‘Going now would be reckless.’
He could inadvertently reveal his location to Ian. He had already depleted the powers of the Seven Sins he possessed. Worse still, none of his loyal subordinates were left.
‘If this is a trap, I could walk right into it.’
Ian had likely exhausted himself as well—but unlike Leon, he still had tens of thousands of soldiers and powerful knights like Galon and Nathan at his side. The risk was high, and Leon needed to tread carefully.
“How many troops can we mobilize right now?”
“About a hundred soldiers within an hour’s reach.”
“You have thirty minutes.”
To Leon, his own safety was the top priority. As Yung began summoning the troops, she asked cautiously:
“Then… are we launching an attack immediately?”
“No. We wait until they’re all gone.”
“But if we wait, won’t it delay our arrival at the palace?”
“There’s no choice. Confirming his life or death is the priority.”
There had to be a reason the Second Prince’s troops were leaving. Clearly, he had survived. That left Ian—confirming whether he lived or died was all that mattered now. Yung still looked puzzled.
“Why not just meet with the Second Prince? He’d know where the Seventh Prince is.”
“I don’t trust him anymore. He has Leonic and the documents. At this point, he’d stab me in the back without hesitation.”
So they waited—both for their reinforcements to arrive and for the enemy to vacate the area. Once the opposing soldiers had fully withdrawn, Leon gave the order:
“Search for any trace of him!”
Leon’s troops arrived and began scouring the wreckage of the laboratory. The structure had collapsed severely under the weight of the massive stones. At this rate, finding any trace of Ian would be difficult. So, Leon raised his hand.
“I’ll share my power with you.”
Leon drew upon the power of his Seven Sins. Just like he had done with the Black Knights, he imbued his soldiers with immense strength. Energized by this surge, they quickly began clearing the rubble.
Finally, they made a discovery.
“There’s nothing left of the laboratory.”
“Everything has been destroyed—there’s no sign of him.”
“It seems… the Seventh Prince has escaped.”
Leon’s expression twisted. He had clearly fallen into Ian’s trap. And now, while he wasted time here, Ian could already be en route to the palace.
“Yung! Hurry. We need to reach the Imperial Palace immediately. The Emperor… no, Sloth is in danger.”
“B-but after the last teleportation, I can’t use my powers again right away. I’ll need more time.”
That wasn’t the only issue.
“The palace is still far off… We’ll need to teleport several more times. We might not make it in time.”
“I’ll help with that.”
Leon’s gaze changed. It was Lust. The sin of desire stirred within Yung, rising swiftly.
Yung clutched her chest, her entire body becoming flushed, writhing as if overtaken by desire. Then…
With a piercing scream, she unleashed her power. It was as though she had wrung out every last drop of strength to open the portal. But her condition was far from stable.
Her face had grown as dry as parchment. The color of her hair began to fade to white. It truly felt like she was exhausting every last bit of herself for this. But Leon smiled.
“Don’t worry. It won’t kill you.”
“There’s still more work left for you. Open the path to the Imperial Palace—or die here by my hand.”
“…I won’t fail. I’ll open it.”
Leon stepped through the portal, his expression cold. It led directly toward the direction of the Imperial Palace, where Ian was heading.
Ian had already reached the Imperial Palace. However, he wasn’t headed for the great hall where the Emperor was located. Instead, he prodded the back of the Second Prince, who was leading the way.
“Move faster. I don’t have time to waste.”
“Y-yeah, yeah, I get it. We’re going.”
The Second Prince moved forward, looking thoroughly reluctant. He clearly didn’t want to part with his treasure.
“What do you plan to do about my brother?”
“If we just barge in , the First Princess won’t stay quiet.”
The Second Prince had a point. The First Princess had always stood in opposition to them. She desperately wanted Leonic for herself.
“Up until now, my forces were enough to keep the others in check, but that’s changed.” Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel fire.net
The battle with Leon had resulted in too many injuries. While they still had a numerical advantage, they were lacking in capable fighters.
“If the imperial army sides with the First Princess, we’ll be in serious trouble.”
If it were him, he would have already deployed troops to take Leonic. Even with the reinforcements from Kaistein and Ian’s forces from the Seventh Prince’s faction, the odds weren’t great. This was Cantum, after all—the First Princess’s home ground.
“If she joins forces with the imperial army or the eunuchs, we could be branded traitors instantly.”
And that wasn’t the only problem. There was no guarantee the Kaistein reinforcements stationed in the palace were on Ian’s side. In fact, they might pose a greater threat.
“The leader of the reinforcements… it’s the First Royal Princess, right? Isn’t she your rival for the throne?”
“If I were her, I wouldn’t miss this opportunity.”
Indeed, she would surely ally with the First Imperial Princess to eliminate Ian. And if that happened, the Second Prince would be caught in the crossfire.
“So why don’t we meet the Emperor first and settle the treasure issue afterward? We can expose the fake imperial seal and ask for his support—”
“You’re worrying about the wrong things.”
“None of that matters.”
Ian smirked. There was a reason he hadn’t gone to see the Emperor right away.
‘I definitely sensed the power of the Seven Sins in the Emperor back then.’
No—not just sensed it. It was as if the Emperor had been consumed by the power entirely.
Ian had felt it: the Sins had bound the Emperor, keeping him from acting freely.
‘That’s what Leon is after. But absorbing that power myself would be reckless.’
In fact, it would be far more beneficial if Leon were the one to absorb it. After their clash, Ian had figured out how to defeat him. If Leon took in the Seven Sins, he’d never be able to beat Ian again.
“So just hand it over already.”
Though still reluctant, the Second Prince had no choice but to lead Ian to his room. There, he opened a heavily sealed vault and retrieved the item: the Dragon’s Tear. The object sparkled brilliantly like a jewel at first glance. But it was truly an heirloom passed down through generations of the imperial family.
‘So this is it, huh?’
[Indeed. This is exactly what you need right now. You’re quite fortunate.]
“There! The Seventh Prince is over there!”
“The Second Prince is with him!”
A group of soldiers came rushing in. They were from the imperial army—joined by the First Imperial Princess’s forces. Among them were also several who appeared to be Kaistein reinforcements. The Second Prince’s expression darkened immediately.
“See? What did I tell you? They’re already making their move.”
The Second Prince urgently called for his troops, needing to stop the soldiers rushing to capture him. The Second Prince’s soldiers raised their weapons to confront them. In an instant, the two groups of soldiers faced each other, weapons drawn.
The tension in the air was so thick it felt as if a bloodbath could erupt at any moment. Yet Ian… simply smiled.
That’s when it happened.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Prince Ian.”
To everyone’s shock, the advancing soldiers lowered their weapons—and bowed their heads toward Ian. The Second Prince blinked in disbelief.
“W-what? They’re not here to arrest me?”
“We do have matters to discuss with you, Your Highness,” the knight said, “but we’re here to escort Prince Ian.”
The knight at the forefront stepped forward and bowed. Ian recognized him—he was the favored knight of the First Royal Princess.
“Her Highness sent us. She says she’s upheld her end of the bargain and requests that you come at once.”
In truth, this was all part of an agreement between Ian and the First Royal Princess. While Ian had been away, her role was to win over the Emperor, the eunuchs, and the First Imperial Princess. And she had succeeded—flawlessly.
“What about my sister?”
“Her Highness is currently waiting with the First Imperial Princess. As for the sinner…”—the knight’s gaze shifted toward Leonic, who stood silently behind Ian—“she said you must bring him with you.”
Leonic trembled, as though already sensing his fate. Ian didn’t even glance at him.
‘At last… the three divided factions can finally be united under one cause.’
Moreover, the only energy emanating from the palace was singular. Leon had not yet arrived. Thus, Ian smiled.
“Well then, I’ve got the treasure. Shall we prepare to greet our guests?”
Ian held the Dragon’s Tear firmly in his hand, preparing to use the technique he had learned from the helmet on his way here.
‘This should work exactly the way it’s supposed to, right?’
[Naturally. The Dragon’s Tear is an artifact capable of generating an impenetrable barrier against any threat.]
‘But no one’s ever managed to activate it before, right?’
[Only those recognized by the dragon or those who’ve made a pact with it can utilize it.]
‘Alright then. Let’s give it a shot.’
Ian quietly channeled energy into the Dragon’s Tear, unnoticed by those around him. A portion of the strength he had gained from Rio Banzaim, combined with the energy from the Dragon’s Heart, flowed into the artifact.
Suddenly, a surge of tremendous power erupted from his body.
In an instant, a perfect barrier formed around Ian’s body, one that nothing could penetrate. It was a massive barrier that enveloped not just the imperial palace of Cantum, but the entire castle itself.
“Now then, let’s see you try to come in.”
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