Chapter 231: Meeting Red And Blue

The sound of footsteps echoed through the underground hallway.

Himber remained on his knees, his enormous sword lying beside him as the pressure weighed down on his body. He tried to lift his head, but the force pressing against his shoulders made even that simple movement difficult. Each approaching step seemed to deepen the invisible weight, forcing his body closer to the cracked stone floor.

His breath caught in his throat.

’Who is it?’

The four knights who had accompanied him were dead. Greta and Olide lay injured before him, and no one else should have been capable of entering the hallway without being noticed. Yet the presence approaching from the darkness carried an overwhelming pressure that Himber could barely endure.

Another step echoed.

The pressure increased.

Himber clenched his teeth, forcing his trembling arms to support his upper body. His muscles strained beneath his armor, but his strength seemed meaningless against the force bearing down on him.

Finally, a figure appeared at the far end of the hallway.

Himber’s eyes widened.

The crimson-haired man was walking toward him with an unserious expression, as though the scene before him meant little more than a minor inconvenience.

’Elias?’

Himber stared at him in disbelief.

The nobleman continued forward at an unhurried pace, his hand resting near Lastbane’s hilt. His crimson hair shifted slightly with each step, while the Aura surrounding him pressed against the hallway like an invisible tide.

Elias glanced toward Olide and Greta.

Both were staring at him with wide eyes. Olide had pushed himself partly upright, though blood still stained his lips, while Greta remained beside him, one hand pressed against her abdomen.

The merchant’s mouth opened, but for a moment no words came out.

"Y-You really did it..." Olide mumbled.

Elias looked at him briefly before giving a small nod.

Then he shifted his gaze toward Himber and continued walking until he stood directly before the kneeling knight.

"Whose house do you think it is that you are running wild here?" Elias asked.

His tone was casual, almost conversational, yet the pressure surrounding Himber intensified the moment he finished speaking.

Himber’s head slammed into the ground.

The impact cracked the stone beneath his forehead, and a groan escaped his mouth as pain spread through his neck and shoulders. His arms shook violently while he tried to resist the force, but the Aura pressing down on him gave him no room to move.

"H-How?" he mumbled in utter disbelief.

He could barely raise his eyes toward Elias.

The last time he had seen the crimson-haired nobleman, Elias had not even reached the Exalted rank. He had been someone Himber could have defeated without much difficulty, yet the man standing before him now possessed a presence that made his own strength feel insignificant.

He had become a Lord.

The realization struck him with the force of a mace.

’How could he become a Lord in such a short time?’

Himber had spent years improving his strength, enduring people’s hatred, and learning how to wield the terrifying power of his body. Yet Elias had crossed a boundary that should have taken decades to reach.

The knight struggled to lift his head again, but the pressure forced him back down.

Elias watched him for a moment before speaking.

"Do you think I can kill my uncle now?"

Himber’s expression darkened.

He understood who Elias meant. The question was not merely about whether Elias possessed the strength to defeat another Lord. It was a demand for an answer from someone who had served the Draveon household and understood the power held by its enemies.

Himber tried to respond.

His lips parted, but before he could utter a word, Elias released more Aura.

The pressure crashed down upon him.

Himber’s entire body sank slightly into the stone floor, and the ground cracked beneath his knees and palms. His armor groaned under the force, while his muscles strained so violently that he could barely draw breath.

A pained sound escaped him.

Elias looked down at the knight, his expression unchanged.

"It would be easier to just fight him," the nobleman added.

Himber’s eyes widened.

He tried to raise his head, but the pressure made it impossible. His thoughts raced as he struggled to understand the meaning behind Elias’s words.

The crimson-haired nobleman was not asking whether he could defeat his uncle through some elaborate scheme. He was asking whether he could confront him directly.

And judging by the pressure currently crushing Himber into the floor, the answer was becoming painfully clear.

Elias reached for Lastbane.

The sword slid from its sheath with a quiet metallic sound, and the crimson Aura flowing around his body gathered along its blade. He raised the weapon slightly, allowing its edge to catch the faint light from the magical formations still glowing across the hallway.

Himber stared at the sword.

He wanted to move.

He wanted to raise his own weapon and defend himself, but his body refused to obey. The pressure had already robbed him of the strength to stand, and the difference between them had become too great for him to overcome.

Elias swung Lastbane to the side.

The motion was simple.

A sharp arc of crimson Aura surged forward from the sword, cutting through the air and racing across the narrow hallway. It sliced past Himber’s neck before the knight could react, leaving a large cut that extended across the stone floor around him.

The Cursed Child’s body went still.

His head fell, and the enormous pressure that had once filled the hallway vanished with him.

Elias lowered Lastbane and stared at the blood pouring out of his severed neck; then he turned toward Olide and Greta.

"Is everyone fine?" he asked.

Olide and Greta exchanged a glance before nodding.

Neither seemed capable of speaking immediately. They had just watched Elias arrive, suppress Himber with his Aura, and kill him with a single swing. The entire confrontation had ended so quickly that they were still struggling to process what had happened.

Elias gave them a firm nod.

"Good."

He returned Lastbane to its sheath and began walking toward the deeper part of the hideout.

Olide watched him leave, then glanced at Himber’s fallen body.

"Do you think this is the end of it?" he asked after an audible gulp.

Elias continued walking and replied, "No. It is the beginning of something new."

His footsteps continued to echo through the hallway as he moved toward his wives’ rooms.

He first walked into the closest room, which belonged to Young Stella.

He knocked on the door and said, "Stella, it is El—"

Before he could finish, the door opened, and Young Stella jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Husband!" she called out, staring at his face with yearning in her eyes.

Elias smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, my wife?"

She pouted and looked away. "I am angry."

He chuckled and asked, "Why is that?"

"Because you did not come to meet me for three days."

"I was busy," he replied.

Stella fell silent before muttering, "It does not matter."

Elias laughed and tightened his arms around her. Then he softly kissed her forehead and said, "I am sorry."

"I want a gift. Only then will I stop being angry," Stella said.

Elias brushed her crimson hair to the side and asked, "What gift?"

"Ice cream!" Stella exclaimed, her eyes shimmering.

Elias shook his head with a smile and whispered, "I will get you as much ice cream as you want after we leave the city."

"Yay!" She looked at him, poked his nose with hers, stood on her toes, and planted a kiss on his forehead.

Other Stella watched them and muttered, "Were you not hiding from him...?"

Young Stella frowned at her. "How would I even hide with just a pillow? Have you become stupid?"

Other Stella stared at her childlike self and shook her head. "This is why I hate children."

"Hmph!" Young Stella turned back to Elias.

Elias held both her hands in his, rubbing their backs with his thumbs as he said, "I have to go meet the others. They must be missing me as well."

Young Stella frowned and reluctantly nodded after a moment. "Okay..."

He kissed the back of her hand before turning around and walking to Monica’s room.

He unlocked the door, and as soon as the click of the lock echoed, Monica’s heart began pounding in her small chest.

Elias pushed the door open. The moment her eyes fell on the crimson-haired nobleman, a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"You are back..." she mumbled.

"I am," Elias replied with a nod before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

He walked over to her bed and sat beside her.

Monica stared at him with a loving look and mumbled, "I missed you... a lot."

He placed a hand on her face and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I missed you as well... but..."

Monica’s expression changed, and she immediately muttered, "But?"

"You were in my trial," he said.

She blinked. "I was?"

He nodded.

"You were a mage who helped me a lot, and you also taught me magic spells."

A curious look appeared on her face. Her cheeks flushed as she mumbled, "I-I want to ask something..."

His brows rose.

"Hmm? Go ahead."

She looked away to avoid eye contact as she asked, "D-Did we do that?"

Elias gave her a deadpan stare. "Really? You see me after three days, and the first thing you want to know is whether I fucked the fake you? You really are a naughty woman."

Monica’s face turned beet red, and she stammered, "O-Obviously I would be curious, and I do not want to cry about feeling lonely and wanting to move just to see you. It would only make the mood ba—"

Before she could finish, Elias pressed his thumb against her lips and muttered, "Shut up. Knowing that would not make the mood bad; it would simply let me know how much you care about me. Keeping your pain hidden would not do anyone any good."

"Mhm," she nodded and began sucking on his thumb.