While there was not much change the Aloysius’ physical appearance outside the bloodthirsty look in his eyes, the entire atmosphere around him underwent a drastic shift.
It was no longer like that of a Tempest Centurion. Instead, it was as if one were suddenly face-to-face with a terrifying warrior of carnage.
Though the aura around Aloysius was not the only shocking event to take place.
Surprisingly, Assault Group D consisting of Bladed Conscious, Heartless Jade, and Knightmare, were able to take down the Guard Commander they were facing.
Despite being relative strangers to one another, the teamwork between the three flowed naturally and seemed to click almost immediately. As a result, they were the first of the Assault Groups tasked with eliminating a Guard Commander that succeeded.
Assault Group D’s victory was just in time as Assault Group C was struggling to simply stay alive against the mysterious Guard Commander.
No matter how much Revel, Love Mist, and Benevolent Tea tried, they could not gain an upper hand against her. There were also multiple close calls in which one of them almost lost their life. Forget an attempted counterattack, it was challenging just staying alive!
That’s why once Assault Group D completed their battle, Niflheim ordered them to aid Assault Group C in handling their target. But, even with another assault group lending a hand, they were still unable to suppress their opponent.
As for Assault Group B, made up of Astral Knight, Clouded Sky, and Sanctity—the three finally succeeded in finding a good rhythm after a rough start.
Their earlier struggles were mostly due to the unique effect of Guard Commander Fulgencio’s gauntlets. Because of the pulses of destructive waves the gauntlets emitted, it was difficult to attack Fulgencio head-on without paying a hefty price.
Also, the Guard Commander’s combat experience was abundant, which made it a simple task for him to take advantage of the assault group’s fractured teamwork.
However, once Assault Group B got used to Fulgencio’s attack patterns and improved their timing, the Guard Commander swiftly found himself on the opposite end of his previous experiences. Now, he was the one being suppressed and could barely keep up with the assault group’s smooth chain of attacks.
Even the elite Tempest troops were finding it a mountainous task to endure the 9th Division’s offensive strike. In fact, more than half of the elite troops had already been eliminated.
It was clear that if things continued down this path, the separate contingent would be backed into a corner with nowhere to run, and they would be wiped out!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Using her twin swords, the mysterious Guard Commander swept outward in a circular motion. Each strike produced a compressed wave of sword intent that rushed out from the edge of her blades. This forced all six members of the 9th Division confronting her to retreat several steps.
“This is crazy…! Why does this person feel so much stronger than the other Guard Commander we fought…?!” Bladed Conscious commented.
“Yeah, I’m surprised Assault Group C managed to hang on this long by themselves.” Heartless Jade stated with furrowed brows.
“Well, Love Mist was the one who suggested we switch our focus to pure defense and survival until help arrives, so we’ve been doing that the entire time. But, even with the three of you here, we still can’t find an opportunity to launch a counterattack..!” Revel sighed.
“Then, if our two groups are still not enough, I guess we will just have to wait until Assault Group B finishes up on their end. With three Assault Groups working together, I refuse to believe that we still cannot gain an upper hand.” Love Mist stated in a slightly frustrated tone.
“A useless bunch. Even if they survive, I will personally see to it that their punishment is not light.” The mysterious Guard Commander said to herself as her gaze swept over those who remained of her allies.
She set her sights on Fulgencio, who was still struggling against Assault Group B, before her eyes ultimately landed on Centurion Aloysius.
“I thought Fulgencio would prove to be of some use, but it seems that I overestimated his capabilities. Well, it matters not. Now that Centurion Aloysius has gotten serious, it will not be long until this matter is settled. Still, it is irritating—the look in their eyes that believe they have a chance to oppose me.” The mysterious Guard Commander contemplated as she saw the fierce gazes of the 9th Division members.
“As I thought… This identity as a simple Guard Commander is too inadequate. Even a group like this dares to look down on me.” The mysterious Guard Commander said as she reached toward her wrist and removed a small transparent style bracelet.
The instant she performed this action, her whole body was covered by dark purple energy.
“Something’s happening! Be on guard!” Revel warned.
Of course, even without him saying anything, the others knew that the Guard Commander was preparing to make a big move.
But, against their expectations, the attack they were waiting for never came.
“What’s going on? Why didn’t anything happen?” Bladed Conscious frowned.
“No, something did happen. Look, her appearance has changed. And that’s not all.” Love Mist said as a troubled expression appeared on her face.
“This is much better. Wearing this thing is always a bit stuffy. Although Duchess Glacia forbade me from removing it while outside her presence, it will not be an issue as long as I eliminate everyone here.” The Guard Commander stated.
Immediately after removing that transparent bracelet, the aura encompassing her transformed from a steady sharpness to a bottomless abyss. If one stared into the abyss for too long, they would feel like they were being cut into thousands of pieces with no way to defend themselves.
Though that’s not all that changed about this Guard Commander as her silver hair was now azure in color, and her emerald eyes turned silver.
However, what stood out the most about her now was the birthmark of a swirling vortex of wind that resembled a typhoon located at the center of her forehead.
“Hey… Are you serious right now?” Revel commented as the new system information for the Guard Commander revealed itself.
NPC Name: Ranazera Tempest, Sixth Princess of the Fourth Kingdom Tempest(???)
NPC Level: ???
‘Hm? This aura…’
When Ranazera removed the transparent bracelet around her wrist, Izroth instantly detected the shift in her aura. He also took note of the change in her appearance. That hair color and symbol in between her forehead—he had seen them before and knew exactly what they represented.
‘To think a member of the Tempest royal family would be here. It’s no wonder I felt something was off about her when I used my Energy Vision Sense.’
This was not Izroth’s first time meeting a member of the Tempest royal family. When he saw Ranazera, he was immediately reminded of the man who entrusted him with the mind beads to deliver to the Wiseman of Everpeak, Kryxelsia.
A man who died and betrayed his kingdom for the sake of the Mortal Realm. A man who would undoubtedly be forever marked as a traitor in the eyes of his kingdom and family. That man was, of course, the Second Prince of the Tempest Kingdom, Robinarzin Tempest.
While Izroth escorted the Silver Hawk Merchants Caravan after being invited to the quest by Mirage, Robinarzin Tempest was disguised as the vice-leader of the Silver Hawk Merchants.
In order to hide his true identity, the second prince used a transparent bracelet to alter his appearance and hide his strength.
Izroth figured Ranazera must have used something similar to escape the gaze of his Energy Vision Sense.
As for why she chose to hide her identity, Izroth could think of a multitude of reasons. But, what he was most curious about was why a princess of Tempest was acting as a part of a separate contingent.
Unlike the royal families of most kingdoms, the Tempest royal family did not hold the absolute highest authority. Instead, the Emperor’s power was checked by two groups—the Council and the Senate.
There were only two members of the Council; however, there were over three hundred members of the Senate!
The Senate represented the people’s will, while the Council represented the will of the noble households.
As for the Emperor, naturally, they represented their own beliefs as well as that of the royal family.
But, Izroth discovered that in recent years, the balance of power had begun to shift in favor of the Emperor and the royal family.
