Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 334: Chapter 321: Land of the Sun Crown

"Another Soul-Eating Moth has lost contact."

Duke Anno took a light sip of the scalding black tea in his cup. His gaze fell upon Prince Lucius, whose robes were loose as he flirted with a serving girl. The corner of the Duke’s mouth curved into a barely perceptible arc.

"I must say, Your Highness Prince Lucius, your brothers and sisters... are certainly not without their talents."

"HAHAHAHAHA, so what?"

Lucius burst out laughing and casually pulled a serving girl into his embrace. He traced her pale jaw with his finger as if teasing a pet and drawled lazily.

"Even if they have some ability, how could they possibly be a match for my great Duke Anno? More importantly... when does the next phase of our plan begin?"

"Are the armies fully assembled?"

Anno asked coolly.

"Of course!"

Lucius tore his gaze from the serving girl’s blushing cheeks and turned to the middle-aged nobleman, Erwin, who stood silently to the side.

"Thanks to Uncle Erwin’s stalwart assistance, aside from the northern border legions which I have no authority to mobilize, the armies from all other regions have been assembled and are on standby. Though they haven’t been fully organized yet, the number of Extraordinary Professionals we’ve gathered alone is nearly a hundred..."

His tone was that of a spoiled brat showing off a new toy, filled with undisguised pride.

"The nations of the River Domain, cobbled together from fishermen and merchants, won’t stand a chance!"

"In that case..."

Anno looked at the Prince, who was still flirting with the serving girl, a flash of disgust flickering in his eyes.

He slowly rose to his feet, his back ramrod straight.

"Then, Your Highness Prince Lucius, please allow me to take my leave."

Seeing Anno’s completely disrespectful posture, Lucius narrowed his eyes but still spoke in a cheerful tone.

"Oh my, Duke Anno, why the rush to leave? Why not..."

He patted the serving girl’s waist, signaling for her to go and invite Anno, and gave a wink.

"How about dinner tonight? I’ve recently selected a new batch of stunning beauties..."

"That won’t be necessary, Your Highness Prince Lucius."

Faced with the Prince’s absurd behavior, the gentle expression Anno had feigned completely vanished from his face.

He cut him off unceremoniously with a sharp wave of his hand.

"I have already helped you complete the task of eliminating your brothers and sisters. Now, I only hope that in the operations to come, you will strictly adhere to the plan..."

Seeming to realize his tone was too harsh, Anno paused, then switched to a gentle, placating tone, as if coaxing a child.

"As long as everything goes smoothly, you will seize the supreme Authority of the Golden Valley Kingdom and become... the one and only King."

"The one and only King..."

Hearing those words, Lucius violently flung the serving girl’s hand away, his face flushing red with excitement.

"Rest assured, Duke Anno! I will strictly follow the plan!"

"When it’s all over, I’ll... I’ll..."

His words suddenly got stuck. He scratched his head, thinking for a long while, before finally clapping his hands together forcefully.

"I’ll make you the Regent King! How about that?"

"Then... I thank Your Highness for your grace."

Anno chuckled softly, gave a careless bow, and took his leave.

The moment the door closed, the smile on Anno’s face vanished instantly.

He pulled out a handkerchief and dusted himself off forcefully, as if brushing away some nauseating filth.

"Hmph!"

Recalling Lucius’s revolting expression, Anno snorted coldly and began to walk away.

Just then, his brows suddenly furrowed.

’Three Soul-Eating Moths... All of them have lost contact?’

As he muttered to himself, a blond figure flashed through his mind.

’Having lost the favor of the Gods, how can a Holy Mark still possess such power?’

Anno unconsciously rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hideous mark on the back of his hand.

But it was not a holy and blazing golden pattern. Instead, it was a bizarre design that seemed to be composed of congealed, shadowy blood and shattered shadows.

Unlike a Holy Mark, which seemed to grow naturally beneath the skin, this was more like an ugly scar that had been forcibly branded there, and it still pulsed faintly.

Dark purple veins writhed slowly within it, occasionally emitting a faint, foul glow like that of an Abyssal Rift. It exuded a cold, deathly aura from which one could faintly hear countless, tiny hisses and howls.

’It seems my line of research... is not off track.’

Anno withdrew his gaze, which had been inspecting his hand like a precious treasure, and once again concealed it within his wide sleeve.

’Morne... Hmph.’

Recalling that seemingly cynical old King, a cold arc formed on Anno’s lips.

’I think you’ll "appreciate" this gift... just like when we were children, won’t you?’

As his thoughts drifted, his broad back had already vanished silently into the shadows at the end of the long corridor.

After Anno’s departure, the atmosphere in the secret chamber once again filled with revelry and merriment.

Lucius held an unreadable smile on his lips as he slowly swirled the crimson liquid in his cup.

The next moment...

SMASH!

He hurled the glass to the floor, where it shattered, sending crimson droplets flying.

All the laughter and cheerful chatter came to an abrupt halt.

"Uncle Erwin."

Lucius’s voice was so calm it was without a ripple, as if he were just giving an order for a trivial matter.

"Clean this up, just like before."

"As you command, Your Highness."

Erwin bowed slightly, then raised a hand to summon the Guards waiting outside.

Soon, the previously noisy secret chamber fell into a dead silence.

Lucius seemed to be listening to some beautiful symphony, savoring the process as the brief but clear moans of pain faded completely away. Only then did he let out a long, satisfied sigh.

There was no longer any trace of frivolity on his face, only absolute calm.

"Go inform those bookworms in the tower."

He spoke coolly, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.

"The plan... begins now."

......

......

Under Gloria’s guidance, Roland and his group avoided the main roads, moving through remote paths and ancient woodlands, carefully concealing their tracks.

After several days of arduous travel, they finally reached the destination Gloria had spoken of.

The Land of the Sun Crown.

Along the way, Gloria had explained to them that the Land of the Sun Crown was no ordinary place, but an important gathering point and Holy Land for the Fiery Sun Church.

However, contrary to the magnificent Cathedral of Light Roland had imagined—standing on a plain with soaring bell towers—their destination was hidden within a deep canyon in a range of desolate mountains.

After passing through a deep and narrow mountain path, almost completely hidden by vines and Giant Stones, the view suddenly opened up before them.

The true face of the Land of the Sun Crown, like a magnificent, long-hidden scroll painting, abruptly unfurled before Roland’s eyes.

The inside of the canyon was far vaster than it appeared from the outside, as if the entire mountain had been hollowed out from within by some immense power.

The towering rock walls were not rough stone, but had been carved into countless layered arcades, shrines, and walkways.

In the center of the canyon floor was a wide plaza, surrounded by simple yet solemn buildings constructed from white stone. They did not strive for luxury, but rather blended seamlessly with the canyon as a whole.

But the most striking feature was undoubtedly the colossal statue standing in the very center of the plaza.

It was the figure of a majestic and benevolent giant. His features were profound, and he held a massive Warhammer in one hand.

Roland’s gaze, however, was fixed firmly on the statue’s other, upraised hand...

It was not empty.

Instead, it held up an orb that continuously radiated a warm, golden brilliance.

It was like a small, condensed sun, burning steadily.

It shed light like liquid gold, bathing the entire canyon Holy Land in endless light and warmth, becoming the sole light source for this subterranean world.