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nHave you ever put your life on the line for another person?

nWhen Roel first saw this question on a social media platform in his previous life, he was rendered speechless.

nBro, open your eyes and look at the era we’re living in! Who are you even going to pit your life against?

nIn the modern era, where the pen was much mightier than the sword, physical brawls had become extremely rare, let alone life and death battles. This was even more so in first world countries. One could get stopped by uniformed uncles just by strolling around with a knife in hand!

nRoel scoffed at the question, thinking that there would never be a day where he would have to put his life on the line for another person, at least till now.

nIn the original storyline, the suffering that Alicia went through under Bron fractured the relations between Alicia and Roel, planting an unshakable death flag for him there. However, since he had intervened this time around, the situation should be different from before.

nThat being said, the price paid for the intervention was really not to be scoffed at.

nAfter knocking out 12 opponents, Roel’s left hand was burned and his right hand suffered a deep cut. His arms and knees were mashed up, and several of his ribs had fractured. While the wound in his stomach wasn’t fatal, it was still quite deep. Aside from these major injuries, his body was also covered with cuts and abrasions. Plenty of blood had been lost too.

nIn the end, Roel’s body couldn’t take it any longer and he passed out. Were it not for the existence of transcendental abilities in this world, he would have been bedridden for a very long time.

n“Ah, ah. Ouch ouch ouch…”

nOn top of a bed, an unconscious black-haired boy was rudely awoken by all the aching pains coming from his body. Even before opening his eyes, he was already groaning in agony. His body moved instinctively in response to his misery and one of his wounds was pulled at, jolting him fully awake in an instant.

nWith a sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth, Roel opened his eyes. He immediately began scanning his surroundings. The ceiling was quite beautiful with a mural depicting a holy maiden, a fashion trend from a hundred years ago. There were also many decorative ornaments and artworks hanging on the walls. The red carpet and the vibrant-colored furniture in the room looked pretty lavish.

nThis was a room inside the Labyrinth Villa.

nThe familiar environment set Roel’s heart at ease. It was then that he noticed a girl sitting beside him.

nSilver hair flowed down her shoulders. She had a face that was beautiful yet aloof, giving off the impression that she was unapproachable. She was currently dozing lightly on a chair beside the bed. Her tranquil sleeping face softened the coldness of her features, giving it an adorable touch instead. It made Roel’s heart pound a little.

nThis lass is really getting more and more beautiful by the day.

nRoel couldn’t help but stare at her for a while, appreciating her beauty before inwardly sighing deeply.

nAlicia will only continue to become more gorgeous in the future. The Silverash Bloodline pursues the highest level of perfection, after all. Tsk, it feels like there’ll be a lot of bugs by her side in the future…

nRoel stroked his lower jaw contemplatively as he fell into deep thought.

nThe incident with Bron made him realize that Alicia, as one of the main capture targets, was bound to face even more trouble in the future. It would be annoying, but there was nothing to be feared since the solution was very simple.

nHe would just have to drag all those scoundrels out under the sun and murder them socially in the name of justice.

nOf course, Roel wouldn’t be taking responsibility if any of them were to have their neck snapped by their own father for being an embarrassment to their house. That would be their own household affair; he wasn’t going to take the blame for that.

nIt was then that Roel suddenly recalled the golden-haired man he met that day, and his heart suddenly felt a little heavy.

nBryan Elric.

nHe was truly a terrifying man.

nAs the saying went, ‘not even the most vicious of tigers preyed on its cubs’.

nWhile the revelation of Bron’s misdeeds had brought about public outrage, such that it would have been impossible for Bron to take over the house anymore, it still didn’t change the fact that he was a child of the Elric House. The privileges of the Five Eminent Noble Houses were not for show. Strictly speaking, even the Xeclydes couldn’t pass judgment on Bron directly; they had to go through the Theocracy’s courts.

nThere were many strings that one could pull in the courtroom. The Elric House might not be as prosperous as it was 200 years ago, but they had been rising quickly in recent decades. It shouldn’t be too difficult for them to preserve the life of a boy who hadn’t committed murder.

nYet, in order to swiftly appease public outrage and avoid implicating his house, Count Bryan acted decisively, granting his son a quick death before anyone could even stop him. His lack of feelings toward his own progeny was truly frightening, and the attitude he had back then…

nBron was a typical lawless little rascal. His domineering personality could have been a product of complacency, due to the swift expansion of the Elric House’s influence over the last decade. Nevertheless, there was still too big of a difference between his character and his father’s.

nRoel had a feeling that Bron wasn’t being valued as the successor, that no one had tried to discipline and educate him before.

nIn any case, all Roel felt from Bryan was bad vibes. He wouldn’t want to become the enemy of this vicious man if there was any other choice. However, just from the look Bryan shot him back then, it was quite clear that the die had already been cast.

nBut so what? Alicia is a treasure from the gods. Anyone who tries to hurt her deserves death! No exceptions whatsoever!

n1 reply – 27 minutes ago

nAfter venting his emotions, Roel felt a little calmer.

nNow that he thought about it, from the perspective of the Ascart House, such developments weren’t too bad either.

nThe Ascarts and the Xeclydes had been on good terms with each other ever since the March Turmoil, but the other four of the Five Eminent Noble Houses tended to waver in their positions. The Elric House was even publicly known to be on bad terms with the royal family.

nThis incident would remind the Xeclydes that several generations of lax governance had led to the breeding of toxic flies amongst them. These toxic flies threatened to overthrow what the Theocracy originally stood for, and they had already started huddling around the **pile known as the Elric House.

nOnce a rival faction successfully gained substantial power, they would grow dissatisfied with being in a position of subordination, leading them to eventually challenge the Xeclydes’ authority. This was an inevitable turn of events brought about by a conflict of interest, and Prince Kane and the others should have realized it through this matter.

nIf things had gone according to the original storyline, Bron’s faction would have continued to amass influence as his subordinates inherited their houses and took on positions of power. It would have spelled a disastrous catastrophe for the Theocracy.

n“Wait a moment, now that I think about it, Nora once said in the game that a revolt had occurred in the Theocracy. Could that revolt have stemmed from Bron and his faction?”

nWas it a coup d’état? Or did they try to exert political pressure to force the Xeclydes to abdicate?

nRoel pondered with a frown. He was only starting to realize just how big an impact his actions had made on the future. Since the Xeclydes had been awoken from their slumber, they would surely spare no effort in trimming away the decaying and withered leaves amongst the nobles.

nThat was, after all, the job of the royal family.

nThe Xeclydes would also deal with the Elric House too, but since Bron was dead, it would be hard for them to find a legitimate reason to flex their authority right away.

nIt was while Roel was deep in thought that the silver-haired girl dozing-off nearby woke up from her nap.

nWith a light yawn, she slowly opened her eyes and saw that Roel was now awake. Her eyes immediately went wide as she leaped to her feet.

n“Big brother Roel!”

n“Hm? You’re awake, Alicia. I saw that you were sleeping, so I didn’t wake… Ahhh? Why are you crying?”

nWatching tears stream down Alicia’s cheeks, Roel began to panic a little. Her tears somehow held the power to make his heart feel a little jittery.

n“I’m fine, big brother Roel. I’m just finding it hard to hold back my emotions.”

nAlicia wiped off her tears as she tried to keep her feelings in check. Then, she leaped onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Roel’s neck.

n“I love you, big brother Roel!”

n(Affection Points 50,000!)

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