Chapter 275 (1): Eight Legs Walk into the Alley, Ten Come Out

“Master, Veronica, I’m back.”

Wayne went up to them while scratching his smooth skull bashfully, as if he had just completed their mission. Since he didn’t have a face right now, the attempt at playing cute failed. The terrifying-looking skull did not look punchable like his face usually did.

Veronica blinked and stared at the Death Knight. “Bas—”

“Oh, this is Twilight Despair. That guy was the Goddess of Darkness’s messenger. I killed him.”

“You killed him?”

“That was a goddess’s messenger...”

Silvia and Veronica both voiced their worry. They disapproved of his reckless behavior and believed that he should have gone for a peaceful conversation. Killing the messenger was no different from pushing himself into a corner.

“I know you’re not hurt, but he had intended to kill you. You’re the most important people in my life. I will not allow anyone to hurt you, not even a god!” Wayne declared with light blazing in his eye sockets.

As he spoke, he dismissed the Death Knight’s armor and nodded at Julia. Have those keeping watch outside retreat. It was getting late. They should go home and rest so that they could continue to work themselves to death for him tomorrow.

Wayne’s moving speech made Veronica’s heart flutter. She put aside her complicated feelings and wanted nothing but to hold her fiancé, listening to him explain everything. She would even accept lies. Just give her an excuse that made sense.

The tsundere was always late to act because she thought too much, and when she was going to hug Wayne, he was already in Silvia’s arms.

)`₃눈)

“Good boy, I know you’re the best.”

Silvia was beyond touched. Just like Veronica, she no longer cared if he was the Death Knight. Wayne was her son, so she only asked for an explanation. Or, if he gave her nothing, she would fill in the blanks for him.

Wayne struggled and barely managed to extract himself, laying Twilight Despair down before Auston. “I asked before killing the messenger. He is the Goddess of Darkness’s messenger rather than the chosen knight, and you, Auston Lando, are the Darkness Knight handpicked by the Goddess of Darkness!”

“A crisis has broken out in the Frozen Land. Three knights aren’t enough to guard the South Pole. Under the goddess’s order, he came to awaken you.”

Crisis in the Frozen Land!

Auston frowned. He was about to tell Wayne to help him up when he realized something was wrong. Standing on Wayne’s sides, Silvia and Veronica looked down at him like they were looking at a piece of trash, demanding an explanation for his being the Darkness Knight.

Why are you standing on his side? Wake up. You’ve been fooled. Although I am the Darkness Knight, he’s the Death Knight!

When the messenger appeared and took Twilight Despair from him, Auston realized that he was the chosen knight. Even after the sword was taken away, darkness and pain remained in him. The messenger was inflicting more despair and pain on him so that he would experience, accept, and finally understand pain, thus awakening into the real Darkness Knight.

Auston almost fell into the worst agony known to men. Although he wouldn’t say it, he was grateful that Wayne had arrived in time.

Thus, when Wayne painted the target on him to make him take the brunt of the Dragonbloods’ anger, he protested in frustration but still resigned himself to the fate. At the end of the day, he had put his wife and daughter in danger.

“Master, Veronica, this isn’t the place to have a conversation,” Wayne spoke cautiously, as if he was making the suggestion for their good. “For my sake, let’s head home and listen to his excuses.”

“Yeah, I’d like to hear what story he could make up.” Silvia nodded, walking around Auston to reach Megan, touching her now black scales with sympathetic pain in her eyes. “Megan, you don’t have to hide it if it’s painful.”

The white dragon had transformed into a black dragon, her body converted and reconstructed by Darkness, making it stronger than before. Her thick armor of scales, streamlined body, and the intimidating horns extending from her skull all made her look more formidable and dignified.

It was the second stage of dragon blood evolution, the Darkness variation.

Megan sensed the power surging in her body and lowered her head with a soft hum. She avoided Silvia’s caring gaze guiltily, unable to meet her eyes.

The messenger said that Megan harbored a protective love for Auston, and that was the truth. Originally, the love had been more passionate, but Auston turned her down when she confessed. After introspection and reflection, she turned her love into a protective instinct.

When Silvia ran away from home, she had told Megan to keep an eye on Auston, worried that he would mess around and let someone else into his bedroom. She also permitted Megan to resolve threats with violence when necessary, such as killing whoever tried to do that with dragon breath.

Auston was loyal, truly loyal. Not only had he not mess around, but he even turned down Megan, who looked almost identical to Silvia. On the other hand, Megan, whom Silvia had trusted, almost stole what was under her watch and betrayed Silvia.

The black dragon lowered her head and apologized like a child who had made a mistake. Silvia stroked her gently, tripping and accidentally kicking Auston to the ground.

Bastard, look at what you’ve done to the family!

Her son was much more excellent in comparison.

Meanwhile, Wayne had gone up to Juno and Celeste. He recognized the Princess’s knight and one of the legendary mages from the Ministry of Magic. According to Mona, Juno had purposefully stated her name when she called Veryl, repeatedly.

He owed her!

How troublesome for him to owe her.

The three of them stayed in tense silence. Juno nodded with a smile, and Celeste held himself in a polite manner, hiding his panic under a poker face. They waited for Wayne to speak first.

“Thank you for your help, but...”

“Don’t.” Juno smiled bitterly. “I came bearing goodwill. Even if I haven’t achieved much, I’ve made the effort. I swear that I won’t spill the Lando family’s secrets. Is that not enough?”

“I don’t trust a legendary mage from the Ministry of Magic.” Wayne shook his head, drawing Shadow Nightmare and staring at Celeste’s neck. “Legendary mages cannot be trusted. The ministry is a den of traitors. If I let you go, rumors about chosen knights will run rampant tonight, reaching the Queen tomorrow, the Pope the day after. And by the third day, all of Chosen Land will learn that there are two chosen knights in the Lando family.”

“I didn’t want to know, either...”

Juno was on the verge of tears. If she had known how complicated the matter was and how much it would spiral out of control, she would’ve stayed away.

Wayne raised Shadow Nightmare and shook his head with reluctance. “I’m sorry. You’re a good person. I can’t let you go.”

“Wait, you really can’t kill me!” Juno hurriedly stopped him when the Sword of Damocles was about to fall.

“Give me one reason to spare you.”

Wayne hadn’t actually planned to kill them. He remembered the help he had received, and he always served revenge hot. However, he was worried that these two would leverage the debt the Lando family owed them to make outrageous demands.

Putting himself in their shoes, Wayne had even come up with their lines:

Hehe, you don’t want to be exposed as the Darkness/Death Knight, do you?

Help me. I’ve saved your family. Just help me this once!

Wayne was too kind-hearted and feared the potential coercion, so he decided to threaten them before they could threaten him.

Hehe, you don’t want to be the target of the Darkness/Death Knight, do you?

Trust me. I saved you by not killing you back then. This is the last time!

Such was how the pure-hearted ones should act. If they insisted on sticking to their principles, they would only allow the cheaters and scoundrels to take advantage and push their boundaries. To defeat them, the pushovers had to take the initiative, beating them at their game.

“My real name isn’t Juno, but Elizabeth Windsor. Queen Sophelia is my mother...” Juno stiffly pulled the relationship card. “Mr. Lando is my mother’s first love. For that, he won’t let you kill me.”

“Seriously,

you

are the Princess?”

Confused, Wayne pressed Shadow Nightmare to Juno’s neck. When Celeste hurried to save her, he pulled the blade back.

Given the way the legendary mage had reacted, Juno had to be someone important, even if not the Princess herself; she wasn’t a mere knight serving the Princess.

“I’ve met Princess Elizabeth and seen her photo. Everyone in Londan knows what she looks like. You... don’t look like her!”

Wayne observed Juno curiously, sensing no mana disturbance. Did she disguise herself the old-fashioned way?

No, Princess Elizabeth’s figure was completely different from Juno’s, too. The former was on the girly side, while Juno looked upright and strong, making her the big sister type who was near maturity.

“I’ve led my life as Juno Jones, the Princess’s knight. Very few know my true identity. Even Mr. Lando, who is part of the Tulip Families, is in the dark...”

Juno explained why she had concealed her identity. Simply put, it was because of the complicated relationship between the Church of Heavenly Father and the royal family.

Wayne was only half convinced. He turned around and shouted, “Master, come on here! Auston’s illegitimate daughter is here. She’s Princess Elizabeth.”

“???”

Silvia and Veronica rushed over, while Auston followed with his silver coin in his clutch. Hearing Juno explain who she was, they each reacted differently.

“Hmph!” Silvia scoffed. “So you were worried about your father. What a dutiful daughter!”

Veronica scoffed, too. “How pretty you are, Your Highness. What are you using that pretty face for? Who are you seducing?”

Auston glared at Wayne with a headache, demanding he explain the situation.

“Auston, she’s your daughter with the Queen, Veronica’s sister. I can’t just kill her. But I can’t trust her, especially not the legendary mage next to her. What do we do?” Wayne shrugged and spread his hands, giving a detailed explanation.

(눈皿눈)

That’s your explanation? Do you think the situation isn’t messy enough?

Auston was certain that he had never gotten intimate with the Queen... Well, they had kissed, and he had kissed her elsewhere while getting paint on her. But they were dating. It was normal for young people to get a little messy while necking. Besides, he hadn’t known Silvia then. His relationship with the Queen came first.

He could swear that he had not gotten more intimate with the Queen. At least he had never entered that path. Whether Juno was Princess Elizabeth or not, she had nothing to do with him.

“Huh?!” x2

Celeste’s eyes widened at the incredible scandal about the royal family, freezing up in place. He mumbled, “No wonder Auston is so respectful to Her Majesty even though he is the Darkness Knight. No wonder he’s among the most loyal among the Tulip Families. That’s why.”

Silvia almost had a stroke. She punched Auston in the left rib and sent him flying.

Juno looked up at the flying Auston with wide eyes, stammering, “Mr. Lando and my mother... No, that’s not right. I’m not his daughter. Have you misunderstood something?”

“Don’t worry. You have royal blood in you, so Auston’s contribution won’t stop you from becoming the next queen,” Wayne reassured her.

Juno gaped. What nonsense was he saying? Although the nonsense made sense, and Auston being her father wouldn’t stop her from succeeding the throne, that wasn’t the point. Her mother was pure, and Auston was only loyal to his lord. The Queen and the subordinate had not done anything. She was born between her mother and father.

“Don’t be sad. It really won’t stop you from taking over the throne,” Wayne said purposefully, making it sound like he was commiserating with her. “I know it’s hard to accept having a bastard father, Your Highness. It’s the same for Veronica and me. We have had it hard. On the bright side, though, how is your brother, Edward, going to fight for the throne when you have the Darkness Knight as father? The Darkness Knight can just take the competition out.”

Juno fell silent.

What, are you Auston’s child, too? The rumor is true?

“Stop it, Wayne. I don’t want to listen to this anymore.” Silvia rubbed her neck. The weight of betrayal was too much for her.

“Yeah, I’ll stop.”

Wayne didn’t know what the nature of Auston’s relationship with the Queen was, but were he Auston, he would’ve bedded the Queen. Thus, Wayne felt no guilt as he made up rumors, giving Princess Elizabeth a different father.

He wouldn’t be the one to suffer the consequences anyway. Haha.