As the saying went, servants often were at their master's image. Hearing Konrad's sinister words, Krann, and the tenth elder felt their chests filled with the need to shed blood.
"Those old geezers will naturally take action before our departure, preferably within the palace to maximize their chances. Calculating timing, tonight is their most likely option.
The two of you will lie in ambush by the Water Temple. If their Fate Wrestling Saints depart to join the von Gradl, you use the opportunity to sneak into the temple and launch a surprise assault.
Capture if you can, kill if you can't. Applicable to all genders. In case they refuse to aid the von Gradl, patiently wait for me to clean the royal palace. We will then take care of them."
"Yes, master!"
They replied in tandem. Afterward, Krann cloaked both the tenth elder and his presence. The two then vanished from the scene, shooting toward the Water Temple.
Cobra-Yvonne uncoiled herself from Konrad's torso and slid onto the bed where the resting Astarte recuperated. In a twister of dark sand, she regained her human form.
"According to my knowledge, the von Gradl great elder is a peak-stage Fate Wrestling Saint. He also wields a six-star Holy Artifact which can be considered as their house's supreme weapon.
Once the two join hands, the average Fate Destroying Saint must withdraw. The secluded elders also control the defensive formation.
With it as support and their combined forces, I'm afraid even the average peak-stage Fate Destroying Saint would be forced to withdraw.
How about letting me break the formation?"
She asked while lying on her side. However, Konrad shook his head in disapproval.
"How confident are you?"
"If I don't resort to my lineage weapon or true demon form? Twenty percent. Once I do, though, at least ninety. The remaining ten is just -unforeseen occurrences.- In any case, this is an opportunity to test the depths of my abilities before the Tower of Rebirth."
Following Konrad's words, Yvonne nodded, vanished, and reappeared behind him to wrap her arms around his waist while placing her chin on top of his right shoulder.
"Do you remember the most basic condition to be my man?"
"To be unparalleled."
Konrad softly replied while rubbing his hairs against hers.
Hearing this, her lips curled into a smile.
"Good that you remember. The word -defeat- can never be associated with my Konrad. I only want to hear -invincible- and -tyrannical victory.-"
Yvonne declared and bit Konrad's earlobe in a brisk, unexpected move. As she nibbled onto it, he stroked her right cheek with his eyes shut.
"I will cut off their heads with the sword you gave me, and bring them back for celebration."
…
Meanwhile, chaos ran amok within the royal palace's inner court. Having again awoken, Ernst left the elders' quarters to return to his harem, hoping to find solace in his other consorts' bosoms.
In any case, Augusta wasn't the only woman he had. Among the dozens of royal consorts and concubines that lied in the inner court, some had not even been sampled yet.
Surely, he could use them to regain some semblance of male dignity. Especially the crown prince's mother. It had been many years since he enjoyed her embrace.
Initially, she was his princess consort and should have become his queen. However, smitten by Augusta, he demoted her to noble royal consort and made Augusta queen instead.
Across those centuries, he'd never regretted that move. But now, it felt like the worst mistake of his life. After all, she was a true loyalist! Thinking of how she silently shouldered the humiliation, and never blamed him, Ernst rediscovered shame and sorrow.
"I will apologize for all those years of misdeed, and we will start over! Then when the elders eliminate that hound, I will butcher Augusta, and make her queen instead!"
Thinking of the years of love that awaited, Ernst's pace quickened. In a flash, he arrived before the noble royal consort's palace and dived in.
Naturally, no one barred his path. But as he reached her quarters' entrance, a startling scene awaited. The crown prince was sitting on the ground, shivering, while his eyes stared at something within his mother's room.
The sight of his eldest son's trembling in a never before seen fright took Ernst aback. Matter of fact, the crown prince was so shocked that he didn't realize his presence.
Alarmed, and wondering if something happened to his new favorite, Ernst rushed into the room, dropping onto another nightmarish sight.
The crown prince's mother lied on her bed, naked with a large quantity of semen still cascading from her cunt, ass, and lips. Undisturbed, she soundly slept on the cum-drenched bed, arms outstretched with bliss written all over her face.
"No…no…no…"
Ernst's eyes almost cracked, but resisting the shock, he shot toward his other consorts' quarters. Wherever he went, a similar scene awaited. And after the twelfth try, he stopped, forced to realize that Konrad didn't just spend the night with Augusta.
He toured the entirety of his harem, leaving no hole unfilled.
"How can a man be this immoral? This evil? Where is my justice? Sluts…Sluts!"
Ernst wailed, and his madness returned.
"I must summon the officials, hold court, demote all those sluts to commoners and have them executed!"
Resolved, Ernst sent the order to gather the officials for a court session.
However…
"Your majesty, the officials refuse to hold a session without the delegation protector's permission."
The royal eunuch explained following the task's failure.
Ernst blinked in disbelief.
"Even within my royal palace?"
"Especially within your royal palace! That is where he lives!"
The eunuch then bowed and excused himself, leaving a staggering Ernst to collapse on the floor.
At that time, a riveting, blue-haired woman whose beauty stood at the summit of the Water Kingdom appeared.
Upon seeing her, the images of the previous night reappeared within Ernst's mind, and his stupor vanished, replaced by bottomless shame and hatred.
"How dare you appear before me…slut…slut…slut! I will kill you!"
Summoning his holy energy sword, Ernst shot toward Augusta, intent on taking her life!
Originally she was just passing by. Never did she expect that she would come across Ernst and receive his assault. However, as the sword approached her, Augusta sneered, and her hand jerked forward in a casual palm strike.
*BAM*
Before the sword could graze her clothes, Augusta's palm collided with Ernst's chest, sending him flying backward with blood spurting from his lips.
Defeated, he tumbled onto the ground, his eyes wide with shock and fear.
"How…how could this be? You…broke through the True Origin Saint Rank?"
From the holy force contained within that palm strike, Ernst could clearly feel Augusta's breakthrough. The situation made no sense. According to her current pace, such a breakthrough should have taken at least two centuries!
What the hell happened? The only variable was…
"No way…it can't be…"
Struck by the realization, Ernst floundered. However, the mockery within Augusta's face seemed to confirm his fears.
"It is precisely as you think. The lord protector is not only the God of the carnal arts, but his spunk is full of high-grade nutrients. With such resources, breaking through was simple.
Don't try such nonsense again. Otherwise, I won't be this forgiving.
In any case, it's not like you would have the courage."
*Bam*
With a kick, Augusta sent Ernst flying against a nearby wall and carried on with her walk.
His body lodged into the wall, unable to extricate itself. Devoid of strength and at the limit of what he could endure, Ernst raised his bloodshot eyes toward the blue sky and wailed.
"Heavens…why did you make Ernst this cowardly? Why does Ernst fear death so? With neither honor, prestige nor dignity, what is left to live for that Ernst still clings on his miserable existence?
Even Ernst…can't understand. But Ernst really…really…doesn't want to die…
Sanity. It must be because of sanity!
And if in sanity Ernst cannot rise, surely in madness he shall thrive!"
…
Time flew by in a flash. With Yvonne acting as his protector, Konrad used his Divine Primal Physique to refine the energy gained from the previous night, enhancing it to suit his cultivation needs. Although he lost in quantity, he gained in quality.
Condensing the meridians and completing his transformation, he broke through to the eighth step of the Transcendent Knight Rank. Afterward, he exchanged several sixth circle spells from the system.
As night stretched across the palace's sky, dozens of light beams flew from a single point to surround Konrad's mansion.
The light beams dispersed, revealing twenty-two figures of various ages that hovered in the air. They didn't conceal their cultivation which went from the mid-stage of the True Origin Saint Rank to the peak of the Fate Wrestling Saint Rank. And the vast concentration of holy force caused the entire royal palace to shiver.
At the same time, boundless killing intent erupted from their form to assail Konrad's mansion.
"To the Holy Flame thief! I won't speak rubbish with you. Today, you only have two roads. Either you surrender your ill-gained wealth and scram, or we mince you into ten thousand pieces!
You have three breaths to make your choice, past that time…"
The great elder began. But before he could finish his words…
"Shut the fuck up."
…A voice thundered from the mansion and in a purple light beam, a blue-robed, eighteen years old looking man appeared before the Saint-gathering.
With his hands resting on either side of his waist, he leisurely stepped through the air, stopping several meters away from the holy congregation.
"A group of old geezers eager to meet their maker doesn't need to spout drivel."
Stretching out his right hand, Konrad summoned the holy broadsword he'd received from Yvonne and rested it against his shoulder.
"When Yama asks you how you perished, tell him Konrad escorted you to hell and I'm sure you will receive preferential treatment."
