NOVPUB
Chapter 317: The Aftermath of the Battle
Aldrian smiled at Prince Claude. Since he had asked in such a polite manner, even slightly bowing his head, it would have been impolite not to introduce himself.
"This one here is Aldrian. May I know whom I have the pleasure of speaking to?" Aldrian asked, feigning ignorance.
Claude straightened his posture before replying to Aldrian.
"Due to certain circumstances, I must use this face. But let me introduce myself—I am Claude Avandi, the son of His Majesty the Emperor, Herman Avandi."
"Oh? It’s truly surprising that the prince of the empire would come to this place. May I assume your presence here is related to the recent events in this territory, Your Highness?" Aldrian asked with curiosity.
Prince Claude sighed.
"More or less," he replied before shifting his gaze to the unconscious Elis. "Sir Aldrian, I understand that you were the one who defeated this devil. However, I must ask if sir Aldrian could hand her over to me—to the imperial family. She likely holds valuable information, and her connection to the young master of the Larson family may shed light on the true situation within their household."
"Of course, Your Highness. I would gladly hand her over to you. My job here is done. Ah, and for your information, she is one of the Seven Devils of Annihilation," Aldrian said before turning to walk away.
Claude blinked in surprise, but his expression quickly shifted to shock. Elis was one of the Seven Devils of Annihilation? He hadn’t expected this revelation, as there were no detailed records of her being one of the Seven Devils of Annihilation. Could she be the member often described as the most mysterious of the seven?
Also, Claude couldn’t help but wonder. Considering how strong Aldrian was and the fact that he had defeated Elis, Claude expected he would need to negotiate with some form of compensation. Yet Aldrian handed her over without a second thought. Did he consider that defeating one of the Seven Devils of Annihilation was no big deal?
"Wait, Sir Aldrian," Claude called out.
Aldrian, who had already walked a fair distance, stopped in his tracks. A faint smile appeared on his face as he turned to look at Claude.
"What is it, Your Highness?" he asked.
"Sir Aldrian, I would like to invite you to the imperial palace. Your tremendous service in defeating a devil of this caliber is worthy of recognition from the imperial family. I want Sir Aldrian to receive a reward from us," Claude said.
Claude’s eyes gleamed as though he had discovered a rare gem he would regret leaving unclaimed. He was curious about the enigmatic Aldrian, having experienced firsthand the sheer power and uniqueness of his abilities. That strange golden energy and the heavenly lightning—this was the first time Claude had seen anyone with such an extraordinary combination of powers.
Someone who could wield heavenly lightning had to possess immense strength and background. Aldrian dared to wield and had even comprehended lightning typically exclusive to the heavens—a truly absurd ability and daring person. There would be no harm in building a relationship with someone as formidable as Aldrian.
"To the imperial palace? How could an unknown cultivator like myself be worthy of standing before His Majesty, Your Highness? I don’t think I have enough confidence to face him directly," Aldrian replied.
Prince Claude, hearing Aldrian’s response, immediately recognized the subtle meaning behind it. Aldrian had politely declined his invitation. Claude didn’t take offense; in fact, it fell within his expectations. From the way Aldrian spoke, there was no hint of reverence—he treated him as though he were speaking to an ordinary person. This only served to highlight the sheer strength of Aldrian’s background, and Claude wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
"Then, can we meet again for another talk? At the very least, I want to repay you for saving me. If I don’t repay you, I would consider myself an ungrateful person, and that’s something I despise," Claude said earnestly.
Aldrian felt that this was enough, so he smiled at Prince Claude.
"Sure, Your Highness. We can meet anytime. Just let me know where you’re staying or where you’d like to meet, and I’ll come."
"No, no, I will come to you, Sir Aldrian. Just tell me the place, and I’ll come. Like I said, I want to return your favor. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate if I were the one to come to you?" Claude insisted.
"Alright, Your Highness," Aldrian replied. They continued to converse for a moment and agreed to meet tomorrow at the designated location before ending their conversation. Prince Claude then took Elis and disappeared, while Aldrian walked toward Sylphia, who was still with the children. At this point, he had already canceled all the formations he had set earlier, allowing the people to start returning to the area. Now, the people began to move back, sensing that the battle had come to a halt.
Aldrian then sent a voice transmission to someone.
"You want to catch the young master of the Larson family, right? I’ve already placed his body near the brothel. You’ll need to act quickly before the Larson family arrives at the brothel. There’s no one in the area, so you should be safe."
A woman, approaching the battle area with her group, was slowly stunned by the sudden voice transmission. She immediately recognized the source of the voice.
"Young Master Aldrian, you’ve been here?" Carol asked, surprised. She hadn’t known that Aldrian was in the city at all, as the last time they communicated was before she left Flamecrest City a few weeks ago. Hearing his voice and realizing that he seemed to know her situation made it clear that he had been watching her and her group from the start.
If that’s the case, then could he have been the one battling earlier? She wasn’t sure—it was difficult to tell since she had already moved beyond 4 kilometers and could only watch the sudden battle unfold from a distance.
"Yes, now go quickly." With that, he ended the communication.
Carol, having received a clear signal, looked at her family members.
"Let’s go. The area in front is already clear, and we can take the ’package.’"
With that, the group moved swiftly toward the brothel.
As the battle ended, the people began to return and observe the battle site. Many were confused, having been suddenly moved to a different location, as though they had been teleported against their will. Upon returning, they saw that the destruction in the area was minimal, with only a few buildings’ top floors destroyed. The only building that had completely collapsed was the brothel.
Thanks to Aldrian, there were no casualties from the battle between Prince Claude and Elis—well, except for Clark’s guardian, whom Aldrian allowed to be caught in the crossfire between the battle and the collapsing building. Once the battle began and chaos spread, Aldrian, with his quick thinking, instantly teleported many people out of the battle zone without exception.
Even those enjoying a steamy night inside the brothel were not spared, and they were shocked to find themselves in a completely different location, surrounded by many others. Some of them had been ready to release their seeds when Aldrian teleported them away.
Aldrian and Sylphia stood on top of the rooftop, watching the children they had saved from the chaotic crowd. Their parents had finally returned to them, tears flowing from their eyes. They had feared they had lost their children in the battle—it was a clash between king-stage cultivators after all, and they thought the children would have no chance of surviving the crossfire. They were overwhelmed with gratitude, witnessing what seemed like a miracle.
Sylphia smiled as she watched their reunion, and Aldrian stood beside her, his hand resting gently around her shoulder.
"Let’s go. They are with their genuine parents, so they must be safe. The Larson family is already on their way here," he said. He had already ordered the assassins to retreat, making way for the Larson family cultivators. The two then disappeared from the rooftop, leaving nothing behind except the remnants of the battle.
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The battle at the brothel spread throughout the city like wildfire. The city’s denizens began questioning what had truly happened there. Unfortunately, no one had the answers. The event unfolded so quickly, and with something—seemingly—’throwing’ people out of the battle area, they had no time to witness the fighters involved.
The Larson family’s cultivators were also clearing the brothel area. At this point, they had many questions and problems to contend with, but this event made them feel like they had lost their minds, especially Grand Duke Larson.
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The next day, Grand Duke Larson stood amidst the rubble where the brothel had once stood. He knew that his son had been visiting the brothel before the fight broke out. When they couldn’t contact him or his guardian, it was clear something was wrong.
"Do you still not have any word on him?" Grand Duke Larson asked, his voice seething with anger as he addressed the elder assisting with the investigation. His veins bulged on his forehead, the tension evident in his expression. Problem after problem continued to pile up, and now his son had disappeared. He refused to believe that this chaos was unrelated to the mysterious group that had been attacking his family.
"We still can’t find the young master, my lord. While many witnesses saw him enter the brothel, and we’ve found his guardian’s corpse, there are no traces of where he went. We’re still searching other locations for any signs," the elder reported.
"Alright, keep looking," Grand Duke Larson replied, his voice tense. He knew better than to lash out in frustration here. He needed to focus on finding his son and ensuring his safety first. Clenching his fists, his eyes hardened with a cruel intent.
"Whoever did this to my family, I swear to the heavens, I will make you regret it. Every single one of you will regret offending my family," Grand Duke Larson vowed silently in his mind.
