Chapter 444: The Crown Prince’s Warning [Part 2]

The Crown Prince’s Warning [Part 2]

Then who exactly was he serving?

His Empress?

Or Lord James?

The answer was painfully obvious.

"I understand."

General lowered his head even further.

His voice trembled slightly.

There was panic hidden beneath it.

There was uneasiness.

But there was also gratitude.

He understood what Kai had just done.

Kai had given him a way out.

If Kai truly wanted to pursue the matter to the end, General knew that he would have no chance of surviving.

Even if Leon did not kill him, the royal court could execute him for conspiring with rebels and misusing the army.

His years of service would not save him.

His military achievements would not save him.

The soldiers behind him would not save him.

Only Kai’s decision could.

General swallowed hard.

"Thank you..."

The words remained trapped in his throat.

He did not dare say more.

Kai looked at him deeply.

There was disappointment in his eyes, but also a trace of reluctance.

General had guarded the borders for many years.

He had fought countless battles.

He had earned his position through blood and effort.

But none of that changed the fact that he had made a serious mistake today.

Kai finally turned away.

His crimson hair shifted over his shoulders as he walked back toward Leon.

The atmosphere changed with every step.

The soldiers instinctively moved aside.

No one spoke.

No one dared to interrupt.

Kai stopped beside Leon.

He hesitated for a moment before looking toward him.

He knew exactly how absurd his next request might sound.

Yet he still had to ask.

"Respected One, look, General has already sincerely changed his ways. Can you spare his life?"

His voice carried a trace of pleading.

Kai was no fool.

He understood the difference between their positions.

Leon was not merely another cultivator.

He was a pinnacle-level existence.

Someone who could stand above countless cultivators and overlook the ordinary rules of the world.

Kai’s own royal identity meant very little before such a person.

That was why he had chosen his words carefully.

He was not commanding Leon.

He was asking.

Behind him, General remained kneeling.

His forehead nearly touched the ground.

Kai glanced sideways.

His eyes met those of Rias.

The meaning in his gaze was almost painfully obvious.

Sister.

Help me.

Please.

In the past, I helped you so many times.

Now it’s your turn.

You are his precious student.

You’re close to him.

You have to help me plead for mercy.

My words might not be enough.

Kai’s eyes moved slightly as he desperately hinted at her.

He could not say those words aloud.

He had already done everything he could.

At this moment, Kai was genuinely nervous.

He had never expected matters to reach this point.

Leon was a pinnacle expert.

Why would someone of such strength care about the authority of a crown prince?

Why would he respect a title?

Strength was the foundation of this world.

A royal title might command thousands of ordinary people.

It might even make powerful cultivators hesitate.

But before someone standing at Leon’s height, it was little more than a name.

If Leon were truly displeased, even if Kai’s mother personally came here, Leon might not give her face.

That was the frightening part.

Kai knew it.

Rias knew it.

General knew it.

Everyone standing nearby knew it.

This was no joke.

Kai only dared to plead for General because of his relationship with Rias.

Without that connection, he would not have cared whether General lived or died.

Who cares?

That was the brutal truth.

A royal family member could show mercy.

But mercy was never something that could be demanded from a pinnacle expert.

Kai could only hope.

Rias received her brother’s frantic hints.

Her expression became complicated.

She lowered her eyes.

She understood what Kai wanted.

She also understood what Leon had suffered because of this confrontation.

Rias did not want to make things difficult for her Teacher.

Leon had already been provoked.

James had been involved.

General had brought an army.

The situation had nearly turned into a direct confrontation.

If she asked Leon to forgive General now, wouldn’t it seem as though she was using their relationship?

Rias hesitated.

Her fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her red robes.

She did not want to burden Leon.

But Kai was still her brother.

No matter how much trouble he caused, she could not simply watch him struggle alone.

Her heart wavered.

Finally, she took a small step forward.

Leon noticed the movement from the corner of his eye.

Rias approached quietly.

The red silk of her robes brushed softly against the stone street with every step.

Her long red hair flowed behind her, catching the faint light of the surrounding lanterns.

Her large red eyes carried a mixture of hesitation and pleading.

She stopped beside Leon.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Her hand slowly reached toward the sleeve of his robe.

She hesitated again.

Then, with a gentle tug, she caught the edge of Leon’s midnight robe.

The thin amethyst embroidery shimmered faintly beneath the light.

Rias lowered her voice.

"Master..."

There was uncertainty in that single word.

She looked up at him.

"Although General was rude just now, he didn’t attack."

Her voice became softer.

She knew she was asking for a favor.

She also knew she had no right to force it.

"Why don’t... we let him off this time?"

The final words came almost as a whisper.

Rias’s fingers remained lightly curled around Leon’s robe.

She did not dare look toward General.

She did not dare look at Kai either.

She simply waited for Leon’s response.

The entire street seemed to hold its breath.

General remained kneeling.

His shoulders were stiff.

His head stayed lowered.

He had already experienced the terror of standing beneath the gaze of a pinnacle expert.

Now his fate rested on a single decision.

Kai also remained silent.

His earlier arrogance had completely disappeared.

For the first time, he realized how fragile royal authority could become when placed before true strength.

And beside him stood Rias, quietly pleading for mercy.

No one spoke again.

The silence stretched through the street.

Only the faint rustle of fabric and the distant sound of the night wind remained.

All eyes turned toward Leon.