Chapter 2679 – 2679. God’S Atlantis

After a brief rest, we appeared in the Imperial Palace using Ricardo’s space-movement magic.

*Grumble.*

I felt hunger. I took out some bread from my inventory. It was a croissant made by Yuria, still warm as if it had just been baked.

“Yujin. Give me one too. I’m hungry.”

I handed a bread to Elena. As soon as she received it, she started munching with her small mouth. Ricardo watched quietly from the side.

The bread was delicious. I was satisfied. But that satisfaction didn’t last long.

“I’m full. I’m full, but… I’m hungry.”

Elena frowned, looking at her stomach. I could sympathize with what she said.

“It’s not a mental issue… I’d say my physical senses are going haywire?”

The cycle of feeling hungry was getting shorter and shorter, and now, even after eating, the hunger didn’t completely disappear. It was like being peckish even after having a meal.

This was not a good sign. It meant that the time left for me and Elena was running out.

We headed towards the entrance of the Imperial Palace. Dozens of knights were guarding it as if they were in a fortress. Some of the knights recognized Ricardo and their eyes lit up.

“The Three Extremes Duke…!”

“You’ve finally arrived! Duke Baldert! His Majesty is waiting for you!”

Ricardo hesitated for a moment, looking at them, then clenched his lips and tapped the ground with the end of his staff.

*Thud.*

The mana in the air instantly gathered and bloomed into a single magic.

A huge block of ice formed in the air and fell, destroying the palace gate. The barrier that was protecting the gate? It shattered in less than three seconds in the face of overwhelming physical force.

“…Indeed, he is my father. I used to think he was just vaguely amazing, but now I can understand a bit of his greatness.”

“Elena. In my eyes, you are more amazing than me. Illusion magic that affects reality. It’s a realm I couldn’t even dare to imagine.”

“…I have nothing else to boast about. And it’s not even a power I’ve built entirely with my own abilities.”

“You are the first in the history of the Empire to be recognized as an Imperial Paragon before the age of 20. Be proud. My proud daughter.”

“Father…”

The atmosphere seemed to soften a bit. We don’t have much time to be doing this here. I was about to interject but stopped. There was no need to incur Elena’s displeasure over something like this.

As we were about to go inside, two huge men fell from the sky with a thud.

A man with a massive build of 2.2 meters and crimson hair. The Iron-Fisted Duke, Holaind Ronmasid.

A man with a sturdy 2-meter frame, sharp features, and gray hair, his body bound in leather armor. The Foolish Sword Duke, Noite Arpis.

Two of the Imperial Paragons had appeared before us.

“Three Extremes Duke! Should we take this as a rebellion against His Majesty the Emperor?!”

The Iron-Fisted Duke growled, clenching his fists.

“Ricardo. I don’t want to fight you. It’s not too late to surrender now. You have built up a considerable amount of merit, so His Majesty will surely forgive you.”

The Foolish Sword Duke’s tone was calm, but his hand was gripping the hilt of his sword.

The tension was rising, and the Foolish Sword Duke moved only his eyes to check me and Elena.

“You’ve brought your successor. Is the guy next to her a servant? Ricardo. I don’t understand your intentions.”

“We don’t need to fathom his intentions. Whatever the reason, the Three Extremes Duke attacked the Imperial Palace, and Imperial knights and soldiers have died. It’s a clear act of rebellion. If you don’t surrender, we’ll drag you away.”

The Iron-Fisted Duke exuded his aura and slowly took a step. His presence was like a moving fortress.

‘Those two. They seem weaker now than I remember.’

In terms of age, they might be at their peak now, but this era was before the start of Atlantis. It meant there was no stat correction by the system at all.

“Elena, Yujin. You two go inside. Your goal isn’t those two. I’ll take care of them.”

The Iron-Fisted Duke and the Foolish Sword Duke didn’t hide their displeasure.

“Three Extremes Duke. Your words are a bit excessive. Do you really think you can handle both of us at the same time, no matter how skilled you are?”

“…This is a bit of a blow to my pride. But what do you think that man and your daughter can do if they enter the Imperial Palace? Are you ignoring the hundreds of knights guarding the palace, and the Thousand-Year Duke and Water-Clad Duke who are escorting His Majesty?”

Those two were looking down on us.

I was a nobody, and Elena looked too young on the surface, so it was natural. Unless we were releasing our aura, that is. But this wasn’t a situation where we could afford to waste energy on that. We had to conserve it now.

“Father-in-law. I’m counting on you.”

“Father. We’ll go ahead.”

Elena and I distanced ourselves from the Iron-Fisted Duke and the Foolish Sword Duke and went inside. The two didn’t stop us. The Iron-Fisted Duke tried to, but he focused on Ricardo after seeing the flames that appeared in the air.

Instead, the Iron-Fisted Duke spoke to the Imperial knights.

“Stop those two. You can kill the man, but try to capture the Three Extremes Duke’s successor alive.”

“Yes, sir!”

Knights clad in steel blocked our path. They were definitely well-trained elites. But by my standards, they were just fodder.

*Crackle.*

Black lightning, a mix of Heavenly Demon Energy and Lightning Energy, appeared around my body. The black lightning soon gathered towards my right foot.

I slowly lifted my leg and stepped on the ground.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art (天魔神功) Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step (天魔君臨步) Wave Form (波形).

A wave mixed with black lightning swept through the surroundings. The knights, overwhelmed by the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step, couldn’t dare to move. Their eyes behind their helmets showed confusion and fear.

And the Iron-Fisted Duke and the Foolish Sword Duke were also affected by the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step and began to be wary of me with their senses. They couldn’t turn their eyes away. Ricardo was standing right in front of them.

“…The power to overwhelm the surroundings with a single foot stomp. I received a report about it a few hours ago. Is he a Heavenly Demon?”

“Ricardo. That guy is the one who massacred a city. You’ve joined hands with someone like that? Are you serious?”

I could feel immense hostility from the Foolish Sword Duke. I curled up the corners of my mouth. I was starting to get excited before the battle.

“Foolish Sword Duke. Your daughter is pretty hot.”

“You bastard…!”

For reference, the Foolish Sword Duke’s daughter, Seira, was about the same age as Elena.

*Slap!*

Elena’s small hand hit my butt.

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

Elena said with a pout. She was short, so she hit my butt instead of my back… It was a bit… yeah.

Before the Foolish Sword Duke could rush at me, I took a stance.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art (天魔神功) Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step (天魔君臨步) Wave Form (波形).

“Cough!”

“Cough!”

Knights fell, coughing up blood, and some managed to hold on. If I used the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step one more time, I could kill them for sure.

“The path is clear. Let’s go.”

Elena climbed onto my back. I reached behind and supported her butt so she wouldn’t fall.

“Elena?”

“You run several times faster than I do. The Thousand-Year Duke and Water-Clad Duke are beings who have lived for decades, even hundreds of years among the Imperial Paragons. I want to conserve as much energy as possible. Please.”

“Okay.”

We passed through the knights who were overwhelmed by the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step and couldn’t move properly and entered the palace. The Foolish Sword Duke, provoked, tried to stop me, but was blocked by Ricardo’s attack.

By the time we entered the Imperial Palace, my back was flashing with all sorts of magic.

“He’s facing two Imperial Paragons at the same time… Father-in-law doesn’t seem like he’ll lose. How strong is he?”

“The youngest Imperial Paragon. Before I appeared, my father held that title. In this era, the only one who can be said to be stronger than my father is… the Thousand-Year Duke. The Thousand-Year Duke’s martial prowess has never been openly revealed, but a being who has lived for a thousand years wouldn’t be weak.”

I killed the Imperial Palace knights who were blocking my path and moved forward. I had been to the Imperial Palace before, so I was able to reach the audience chamber, our destination, in three minutes.

Inside the audience chamber, there were three people.

The Emperor sitting on the throne, and the Thousand-Year Duke (千年公) Kalon Brantise and the Water-Clad Duke (水衣公) Ailmus Overfrost standing on either side of him.

The Thousand-Year Duke was wearing a uniform and had long black hair and a sword. His indifferent gaze showed nothing.

The Water-Clad Duke with green hair was frowning as if he was displeased.

The Emperor was younger than I knew. It was natural since it was 17 years ago. An enormous spirit was flowing from the middle-aged man. In addition, the Emperor was holding a stone tablet in one hand.

‘A stone tablet out of the blue.’

I glanced at the stone tablet.

Nothing was written on the stone tablet. There was no special feeling either. It just looked like an ordinary stone tablet.

The Emperor threw the stone tablet at me irritably. It flew directly towards my head. There was no reason to get hit, so I punched the stone tablet away. The stone tablet shattered, and the fragments dirtied the floor.

“Who are you? What is your purpose for coming to find me? Did you come to kill me? The three of you with the Three Extremes Duke?”

Elena, who had been clinging to my back, got down to the floor.

“Your Majesty. We have no interest in the throne. We came to find the Water-Clad Duke because we want to know the truth.”

“The truth? Is it related to Atlantis?”

“It’s about our family. Water-Clad Duke. Ailmus. Was it you who made a move on my mother, the mistress of the Baldert family?”

The Emperor’s gaze turned to the Water-Clad Duke. The Water-Clad Duke distorted his face, then quickly regained his composure.

“Are you trying to frame me in front of His Majesty the Emperor? Your Majesty. There isn’t much contact between me and the Baldert family of the Three Extremes Duke.”

“Water-Clad Duke. There are rumors that you have joined hands with a cult.”

“……”

The Water-Clad Duke glared at Elena as if he wanted to kill her.

“Daughter of the Three Extremes Duke, don’t speak carelessly. The disrespect you are committing now is by no means light, so kneel down immediately and beg for forgiveness from His Majesty.”

The Water-Clad Duke turned his head sharply and spoke to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty. They are rebels who have destroyed the gates of the Imperial Palace and killed palace staff. Especially the man next to her is a Heavenly Demon. A monster who massacred a city. They must be executed immediately.”

“The Three Extremes Duke I know is a more rational man than anyone else. There’s no way he would do something like this for no reason. So first, Water-Clad Duke. I’ll ask you. Did you make a move on the Baldert family?”

“……”

The Water-Clad Duke was silent. He bit his lip as if he was contemplating, then opened his mouth, glancing at the Thousand-Year Duke.

“…Yes. Your Majesty. I introduced a man to Erica Baldert to induce her corruption.”

“Why did you do that?”

“To keep the Baldert family in check. I judged that if things continued as they were, the power of the Baldert family would surpass the Imperial family.”

“You’ve done something presumptuous. Is that really the only reason?”

“……There is also a personal grudge.”

“Are you involved with a cult?”

“…Yes.”

“I will punish you later.”

“Yes. Your Majesty.”

The Water-Clad Duke bowed his head without arguing. He didn’t answer the Emperor’s questions with lies either.

This wasn’t just loyalty to the Emperor. If his loyalty was that great, he wouldn’t have tried to hide things and would have confessed everything.

‘…Does the Emperor have a way to detect lies?’

I opened my mouth with a smile.

“I think you’re curious about my identity… I’ll tell you specially. I came from the future, 17 years later.”

The Emperor looked at the Thousand-Year Duke.

“Kalon.”

“……”

The Thousand-Year Duke looked at me silently. His eyes changed. His pupils were compressed vertically into golden eyes. Dragon Eyes. It was similar to Kang Myungjin’s unique trait, Dragon Eyes, but different.

“…I don’t know. I can’t understand his existence itself.”

“That’s because we’re the real ones, and you’re the fake ones. Of course, you can’t understand.”

The Thousand-Year Duke’s eyebrows twitched. He stared at me and Elena for a moment, then nodded.

“Indeed. This world is fake. I understand.”

*Thud.*

The Emperor slammed his fist on the throne.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. First of all, it’s a fact that they have committed a great crime by violating the Imperial Palace. The verdict will be given after the interrogation. First, subdue them. The Three Extremes Duke won’t go wild if his daughter is captured.”

As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the Thousand-Year Duke charged forward and drew his sword at the same time. I summoned the Fire Lotus Flying Blades and blocked the Thousand-Year Duke’s sword.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The Fire Lotus Flying Blades were pushed back. The Thousand-Year Duke had superior raw strength. Before I was completely pushed back, I took a stance.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art (天魔神功) Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step (天魔君臨步).