Chapter 239: King of the Dead Subjugation (3)

Chapter 239: King of the Dead Subjugation (3)“Damn knights, letting people through in the middle of the night...?”

At the gate of Baron Ropenheim's mansion, two knights stood guard. The servant was fed up with the knights who exchanged sexual jokes all the time.

Even if they performed their duties well, how could they let such a boy pass through the mansion?

Soon, a young woman with light gold hair approached. She stood next to Isaac and gave a gentle smile.

What is it now?

The servant had a brief headache but soon felt a twinge of doubt.

Letting these two young people in just like that? No matter how negligent they were in their duties, did that even make sense?

Or...

Did these two, perhaps, knock out the knights?

...No, how could such young kids possibly do that?

The servant shook his head. It was a ridiculous thought.

But the servant's thought was indeed true. Isaac had knocked out the guarding knights in an instant and, together with Alice, had crossed the garden to reach the mansion.

"Hey, do you think it makes sense to meet the lord at this hour? If you do this, the lord won't take it kindly either."

At that moment, a tall man appeared behind the servant.

Hearing a hum, the servant was startled. She quickly stepped aside and bowed deeply to the man.

The man stepped forward, basking in the moonlight.

His illuminated figure oozed dignity, he was a middle-aged man of excellent posture and with his hair slicked back. It was Baron Adrian Ropenheim.

"Sorry for causing a disturbance...! They wanted to see you in the middle of the night, so I tried to chase them away...!"

"It's alright."

Adrian made eye contact with Isaac.

"Did you say your name is Isaac?"

Adrian had been eavesdropping on Isaac's conversation with the servant from the beginning.

He had come out to greet them because he had already realized that the knights on guard had been knocked out by Isaac without a chance to report.

Isaac smiled with a kind face.

"Yes. Nice to meet you, Baron Ropenheim."

"And the lady beside you?"

"This person is my-"

"Wife."

Alice Carroll, with a gentle smile, preemptively wrapped her arms around Isaac's arm and hugged it to her chest.

"..."

Not wanting to make a fuss over such a matter, Isaac let out a low sigh.

It didn't matter to him what role Alice played.

Adrian, as if uninterested in their relationship, raised no questions and turned his back.

"Come in."

Adrian readily let Isaac and Alice into the mansion.

All Adrian needed at the moment was as many sacrifices as he could get his hands on.

And now Isaac suddenly appeared, an orphan who happened to be Eve's brother

He had once thought Isaac would make a good sacrifice. Luck was currently on his side, he’d make good use of Isaac.

Alice was a variable, but to Adrian, who had received power from the King of the Dead, she was merely a pleasing sacrifice.

"..."

Isaac had predicted Adrian's thoughts, and he was right, but he didn't really care what happened.

If entry was restricted, he planned to force his way through.

Meanwhile, the servant couldn't understand why Baron Ropenheim had let Isaac and Alice into the mansion.

Normally, he would have seized the youngsters and thrown them in jail for their atrocities.

Noticing the servant's puzzled expression, Adrian gave a simple explanation.

"He is Eve's brother."

"Ah."

The servant immediately understood the situation, as the household staff knew about Eve's family affairs.

An invited guest. That explained why the guard knights let them in and why Baron Adrian Ropenheim came out to greet them.

Moreover, it made sense that a lowly servant like himself wouldn't be aware of a guest to be received at midnight.

They walked down the dark hallway, relying on the small light of the portable lamp held by the servant. Meanwhile, Alice interlocked her fingers with Isaac's hand.

"Be careful in the dark, Darling."

Isaac, unable to complain, simply said his thanks.

They entered the reception room.

"Bring some tea."

"I'll bring it right away."

The servant went to prepare the tea, and Adrian sat on the sofa. Isaac and Alice sat side by side on the sofa across from him.

The lamp on the table spread its light, faintly illuminating the room. Thanks to this, Adrian could closely examine Isaac's face.

"You do look alike..."

Eve and Isaac had different fathers, yet they had some resemblances. The influence of their mother was significant. Adrian realized this anew.

Before long, the servant brought the tea.

"Thank you."

"Many thanks."

Isaac and Alice greeted politely.

The servant placed the teacups and then quickly left the reception room.

Isaac carefully swirled his teacup before speaking.

"I'm sorry for visiting so late at night."

"You don't need to apologize. I've already seen you knock out my knights, and if you consider me an enemy, there's no need to apologize, is there?"

Even though Adrian had watched through the window as Isaac took down the knights, he had taken no action.

He had a good idea of the situation.

Adrian had abandoned Eve's mother and taken Eve from Isaac. He had always thought it wouldn't be surprising if Isaac sharpened his sword and came for revenge at any time.

"Then this will be quick."

The extreme cold penetrated his bones.

Pain beyond imagination surged through him.

Adrian's body, struck by the explosion of cold, was in a state of severe disarray.

The extreme cold dominated his body.

Adrian gasped for breath.

The dark mana struggled to keep Adrian's vital functions going.

He continuously endured the terrible pain as he was forced to live.

"How did this happen...?"

The dark power, which had made him feel omnipotent and capable of overcoming anything, had been so futilely consumed.

Isaac and Adrian. There was a vast difference in skill between the two.

Adrian couldn't believe that fact.

Thud.

Isaac climbed up the sharp ice mass and walked forward with heavy steps.

Under the bleakly shining crescent moon, Isaac approached Adrian, who was hanging limply from the ice mass, and peered down at him.

The night breeze caressed Isaac's silver-blue hair and skin.

Adrian looked at Isaac with a shocked expression.

"Let me ask you one thing."

Isaac asked coldly.

"Where is Calgart?"

Adrian's eyes trembled.

The otherworldly pale blue aura emanating from Isaac. The immense mana. The unbelievable strength.

And... even asking about the whereabouts of Calgart, he couldn't fail to recognize Isaac's identity.

"Could it be... you are...?"

The title “Ice Sovereign” filled Adrian's mind.

It was hard to accept, but the sight before him was too clear to deny.

In Adrian's memory, Isaac was a talentless, worthless being.

So, the sight before him was hard to believe, but thinking rationally, he began to understand.

Unless he had been an archwizard hiding his power all this time, there was no way he could have reached this level in just a few years.

Adrian concluded. He could never defeat the Ice Sovereign. He was a walking catastrophe, in essence.

It was more than just being unable to win; the land was on the brink of annihilation.

He had trampled on the precious people of the great Elemental King. He had become the object of the king's resentment.

That realization gnawed at Adrian's sanity like a rat.

He heard the sound of the reception room door being roughly pounded on. However, the door, obstructed by a dark barrier, did not open easily.

Isaac crouched down and extended his right hand in front of Adrian's left arm. In front of that right hand, ice mana condensed and a pale blue magic circle unfolded.

Adrian, terrified, urgently shouted, "W-wait a moment...!"

Boom!!

"Arghhh!!!"

A weak [Frost Explosion] mercilessly struck Adrian's left arm.

Adrian squeezed his eyes shut and screamed, only to gasp for air.

His left arm was twisted grotesquely, but no blood flowed. The torn and ripped flesh had frozen, forcibly stopping the bleeding.

The dark mana trying to regenerate Adrian's body was powerless before Isaac's resolute ice.

No longer could any noble dignity be found on Adrian's viciously contorted face.

"Let me ask you again."

Isaac's voice was even colder than ice.

"Where is Calgart?"

Isaac had a burden to bear. The compulsion to defeat the Evil God had always weighed heavily on him.

So, if it was clear that the opponent he had to face on this journey to defeat the Evil God had embraced malice...

For Isaac, who had already withstood intense pressure, there was nothing to hesitate about.

The knights stationed there all rushed out to the garden. They were horrified as they looked at Adrian impaled on the ice mass.

"T-that is...!"

Adrian couldn't answer hastily. Revealing Calgart's location would drive this land to ruin.

Boom!!

"Aaaargh!!!"

[Frost Explosion] struck Adrian's right arm as well.

"Your answer?"

"Please, stop... please, just stop!"

Boom!!

"Arghhh!!"

Isaac used [Frost Explosion] again, mangling Adrian's right leg.

In the garden, the knights hurled their weapons at Isaac. However, Alice intercepted all of them using telekinesis.

Isaac's gaze remained fixed on Adrian.

"Speak."

Isaac glared at Adrian up close. His voice was firm and mocking.

When Adrian, consumed by pain, couldn't respond, [Frost Explosion] was cast on his remaining leg.

Boom!!

Isaac grabbed Adrian's screaming head.

His limbs could no longer function properly. Adrian collapsed.

Finally, Adrian, who was shedding tears as he gritted his teeth in pain...

"I'm sorry, I'll tell you... just please stop. Please..."

He confessed everything.