NOVPUB
Chapter 319: Conversation With Claude
That was the voice he recognized, the voice of the unknown man who had appeared in his visions on several occasions in the past. It had been there when he comprehended the symbol inside the golden box of the secret sword chamber in the Forgeheart Kingdom and again when he completed the forging of the unnamed divine sword.
This unknown man felt inexplicably close to him, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Aldrian considered that man like blood family.
Aldrian was immersed in a state of comprehension as he pondered the thread of origin. That voice kept repeating itself, like some kind of recording playing inside his mind. His thoughts spun with the emotions he experienced when he saw the visions of himself and Sylphia, all while hearing the voice over and over again. At one point, he felt as if he could leap into one of the visions and enter that world, but he held himself back.
After more than half an hour, he finally opened his eyes. Something profound lay within Aldrian’s gaze, as if he had witnessed countless lives, each shaped by different circumstances. His eyes seemed to radiate wisdom.
The first thing he saw after opening his eyes was Sylphia, gazing at him with curiosity. He smiled at her, leaned in to kiss her forehead, and held her more tightly. His love for her seemed to grow even stronger after this comprehension session. Although he had yet to fully grasp the entire extent of the thread of Origin, he chose not to rush it. He could sense that this thread was far more profound than simply witnessing the past lives of any beings or their connections to him. 𝚗ovp𝚞b.𝚌om
"Done with your comprehension?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"You’re truly a genius like no other. Even in this situation, you can enter a state of comprehension," Sylphia said, her tone teasing. "Many would struggle to achieve that without the perfect environment to support them, yet here you are—naked with your woman after having sex. What kind of comprehension did you gain this time? A new position?"
Aldrian suddenly adopted a mischievous expression and leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear.
"Yes, I’ve already comprehended something interesting," he replied with a sly grin. Without warning, he lifted one of her legs and entered her from the front.
"Ah!" she moaned, her voice filled with surprise and pleasure. For the next hour, she was lost in carnal bliss, surrendering herself entirely to Aldrian’s relentless passion.
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Four hours later, inside one of the finest taverns in Larson City—complete with private rooms—Prince Claude in disguise sat alone, his eyes closed in quiet contemplation. Before long, Aldrian entered the room, prompting Claude to open his eyes and rise to his feet.
"Your Highness, you’re already here? I thought I came too early, but it seems you were here before me. My apologies if I’ve kept you waiting," Aldrian said.
"No need to apologize, Sir Aldrian. I only just arrived myself, so you’re perfectly on time," Prince Claude replied with a warm smile. "Come, have a seat. The drinks here are top-notch, so feel free to order anything you like—it’s all on me."
Not long after, Aldrian finally received his order. As they began their conversation, Aldrian experienced a sense of déjà vu. People always seemed to ask him about his origins and similar topics. His answers were always the same when speaking to strangers who didn’t know him well. But then came his questions—shaped by each individual’s circumstances. This was where things became interesting for him.
"So, Your Highness, you came here to investigate the Larson family matter. Honestly, I’m surprised that it’s you and not Princess Loraine, as she’s usually the one who handles these matters. Moreover, you’ve come in disguise rather than in formal way. I suppose that’s part of your plan—or perhaps his Majesty’s?" Aldrian asked.
There was no way Princess Loraine would agree to something like this, so Aldrian thought either he or the emperor had initiated the investigation without her knowledge or consent.
"Yes, this case is quite different from the Flamecrest situation. With all the news about this territory and the number of places that have been hiding devils, we suspected that something much bigger is happening within the Larson Grand Duchy. If I had made a formal arrival, like my little sister usually does, it would have given the Larson family time to hide anything, especially if they’re somehow connected to the recent incidents with the devils," Claude explained.
"Also, my little sister needs rest. After returning from the Flamecrest Grand Duchy, she entered seclusion. We didn’t want to burden her with this matter when she already has her older brother to handle it."
Aldrian could see that Prince Claude truly loved his family, especially his little sister, Princess Loraine. However, no matter how much he loved her, there were things he needed to know about the secret actions of his sister. After meeting the prince last night, Aldrian had decided to give the imperial family a chance— a chance to judge one of their own.
Even more so after reading Elis’ memories, Aldrian couldn’t deny that Princess Loraine had already gone crazy. Leaving someone like that unchecked would be detrimental to the stability of the imperial family, no matter how close they were as family.
"Have you learned anything from Elis, Your Highness?" Aldrian asked.
"Not yet. We still can’t wake her up since last night. Sir Aldrian, I think your attack was really fatal to her—it knocked her out to the point where we can’t wake her, even after trying everything to force her awake. From what I understand, her soul is severely wounded, and it needs some time to heal before she can regain consciousness."
"I see. Where is she now?" Aldrian asked.
"I already sent her to the capital not long after we parted ways. I’m afraid this valuable target might slip away or something could go wrong, so I contacted my father to send someone to take Elis. What I’ve told you just now is what I’ve been informed of from the capital—she is still unconscious."
Aldrian nodded, but he could only lament Elis’ fate. With Princess Loraine around, Elis’ life wouldn’t last much longer. The attack from last night was directly connected to the princess, and sending Elis to the capital was essentially a death sentence. Now, what he needed to do was warn Prince Claude about Princess Loraine’s true nature.
"Your Highness, about your visit here—does anyone know about it?" Aldrian asked.
"No, this operation is known only by my father, myself, and the informant inside this city. The number doesn’t exceed seven people."
"Then, do you know how Elis found out about your arrival here, Your Highness? Wait—no, let’s step back for a moment. Why did she seem to know, or even expect, that you would visit the brothel? You went to the brothel because you were following the young master of the Larson family, correct? The brothel is her place, and you entered it without knowing her identity, yet she knew yours. That is the crucial question, Your Highness," Aldrian said.
Prince Claude was stunned, but he also frowned. That was the legitimate question that had been weighing on his mind since last night. From the way she spoke to him, it seemed he was the target. Didn’t that mean she had already been expecting his arrival? His mind raced as he considered several scenarios to explain why she seemed to know of his arrival and was expecting him.
Then, the only thing that came to his mind was that the information he had received about the young master of the Larson family visiting the brothel had also reached Elis!She must have expected him to come to the brothel because the young master would be visiting there. His face darkened. Doesn’t that mean the source of this information had also leaked the information to Elis?
"It seems I’ll have to ask the informants about the source of their news," Claude thought.
Claude looked at Aldrian and sighed.
"Thank you, Sir Aldrian. I think I know how to proceed from here. Your question has given me new insight, and you’ve saved me time because of it."
"Don’t mention it, Your Highness. I’m glad I could help," Aldrian replied.
After that, they continued their conversation for more than an hour before Aldrian and Claude parted ways. For Claude, the meeting with Aldrian had been very fruitful, and he was glad to have established a connection with such an expert!
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At other place, under the darkness of the humid dungeon cells, Elis, bound to the wall, remained unconscious since the cultivators from the imperial family had brought her here the previous night. The security in this place was so tight that to reach her cell, one would have to pass through many checkpoints, each guarded by powerful cultivators.
However, at this moment, the guards stationed near the cells lay unconscious as a figure in black robes stood before the cell, gazing at Elis. The murderous intent in their eyes was clear, even in the dungeon’s darkness.
Not long after, the sound of sirens echoed through the surrounding dungeon as many discovered the unconscious guards—and Elis, now dead.
