Chapter 239 - 238 : Sentinels

Chapter 239: Chapter 238 : Sentinels

Within the heart of the Holy Empire stood a palace that seemed less like a residence and more like a monument to divine authority.

Its halls were carved from pale white marble, with towering pillars rising toward ceilings painted with scenes of ancient gods and forgotten wars. Golden chandeliers hung high above, bathing the palace in a soft, sacred glow. Every corridor was guarded by holy knights, while priests and attendants moved through the estate in complete silence.

At the center of this grand palace was a dining hall fit for an emperor.

A long table of polished white stone stretched across the room. Its edges were lined with intricate gold engravings depicting wings, halos, and divine runes. Crystal glasses rested beside golden cutlery, while plates of rare porcelain held the finest food the empire could offer.

Freshly prepared steaks, warm bread, fruit from distant lands, rich soups, and delicately seasoned omelets covered the table.

Yet no one dared focus on the food.

Every servant’s attention was drawn toward the figure seated at the head of the table.

Raphael.

He looked as though the gods themselves had sculpted him.

His face was flawless, sharp yet elegant, carrying an almost unreal beauty that made him seem separate from ordinary humans. His brown hair was slightly messy, but rather than making him look unkempt, it gave him a charming and effortless appearance.

His brown eyes shimmered with intelligence.

They were calm.

Too calm.

The kind of eyes that made a person feel as though every secret in their heart had already been seen and understood.

Raphael held his cutlery with quiet precision.

He cut into the steak on his plate with elegant, unhurried movements. Every motion was refined and controlled. Even the highest-ranking nobles in the empire would struggle to match the grace with which he ate.

He looked like an angel sitting among humans.

The servants watched him with awe.

And among them stood the newly chosen Saintess of the Holy Empire.

Karina.

She appeared to be around nineteen or twenty years old. Her caramel-colored hair fell gracefully down her back, while her golden eyes carried a gentle radiance that suited her sacred position. She wore pure white robes embroidered with soft gold thread, the holy symbol of the empire resting over her chest.

She was beautiful.

But as she watched Raphael eat, a faint blush crept onto her face.

Even she, the chosen Saintess, could not completely hide her reverence for him.

Raphael calmly cut another piece of food.

Then, without raising his voice, he looked toward Karina.

"Saintess Karina, do you have something to report to me?"

Karina stiffened slightly.

The fact that Raphael had called her by name sent a brief burst of excitement through her chest.

But she maintained her composure.

Answering him was more important than her feelings.

"My Lord Raphael," Karina said, bowing her head. "Chosen of the Goddess, the one destined to bring us salvation, forgive me for interrupting your meal."

Raphael said nothing.

Karina continued.

"But there is someone here to meet you. Should I tell them to return later?"

Raphael looked up.

"Who is it?" he asked. "Tell me first."

Karina’s voice became quieter.

"It is Lucas Evan Imperius, my lord. A girl came with him as well."

The moment Raphael heard the name, a sharp smile appeared on his face.

"Let them in," he said. "I will have breakfast with them."

His eyes gleamed faintly.

"In fact, I was eager for him to come and see me."

Karina bowed again.

"As you wish."

She turned and left the dining hall.

A moment later, the heavy doors opened.

A handsome young man with glistening golden hair entered the room.

It was Lucas Evan Imperius.

Behind him walked Olivia.

Karina stood beside them and bowed.

"My Lord," she said. "I have brought them."

Lucas looked toward Raphael.

He was still eating casually.

That sight alone made Lucas’s teeth clench.

He had come carrying important news.

News that should have demanded immediate attention.

Yet Raphael did not even bother to look at him.

Lucas finally spoke in a loud voice.

"Sakura is dead," he said. "Along with Bobby. I assume you have already heard."

Raphael did not respond.

He simply continued eating.

Lucas bit his lip.

The humiliation burned inside him.

The man before him was clearly looking down on him.

Olivia stepped forward, unable to endure the insult any longer.

"How dare you ignore the young master?"

Bam!

An invisible pressure crashed down upon her.

Olivia’s knees buckled immediately.

The force was so intense that she dropped to the floor, one hand pressing against the marble as she struggled to remain upright.

Her breathing became difficult.

Her muscles screamed.

It felt as though gravity itself had multiplied around her, crushing every bone and muscle in her body.

Blood rose in her throat.

She coughed, and crimson droplets fell onto the white marble floor.

Olivia raised her head toward Karina, hatred burning in her eyes.

"You bitch," she gasped. "I will show you—"

Karina’s expression turned ice-cold.

"How dare a filthy mutt speak to him in that manner?" Karina said.

Her golden eyes glowed faintly.

"I will grind your bones into dust."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Mana stirred throughout the dining hall.

Olivia struggled beneath the pressure as Karina took a step forward.

But before either of them could act, Raphael finally spoke.

"Stop."

Just one word.

Both women froze.

A horrifying bloodlust swept through the room.

For several seconds, Karina and Olivia felt as though countless needles were piercing their bodies. Their heads throbbed in agony, and their hearts seemed to stop beneath the suffocating pressure.

Karina immediately fell to one knee.

"I am sorry, my lord," she said through ragged breaths. "I deserve death for my insolence and for disturbing your meal."

Lucas, who had watched everything unfold without reacting, sent Olivia a sharp glare.

"You too, Olivia," he said. "Control yourself. I should not have to tell you twice."

Olivia bit her lip.

"I am sorry," she muttered.

Raphael finally looked toward Karina.

She immediately understood the meaning behind his gaze.

Karina bowed her head.

Then she led every servant out of the dining hall.

The doors closed behind them.

Only Raphael, Lucas, and Olivia remained.

Raphael smiled.

"Lucas, I like that attitude of yours," he said. "Even though nothing has been going your way lately."

Without asking for permission, Lucas pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

Olivia followed and stood behind him.

Outside the room, Karina noticed Lucas’s disrespectful action and nearly stepped forward.

But when she saw that Raphael did not seem to mind, she remained silent.

She did not want to anger him again.

Lucas showed no interest in the expensive food on the table.

Instead, he spoke directly.

"Have you heard the news?" he asked. "Arthur survived."

Raphael finally put his cutlery down.

He wiped his mouth with a white cloth.

"Must be quite frustrating for you," he said, "after he almost killed you single-handedly."

Lucas clenched his fists.

He could not deny it.

It was the truth.

"I admit it," Lucas said. "That bastard has become too strong. And I know you have been keeping an eye on him too."

His voice became more serious.

"So tell me, will you help me? At the rate things are going, he will soon surpass you too. He will come for you as well. With how powerful he became in only a few months, he may come for your head very soon."

Lucas took a breath.

"And I also heard—"

Raphael burst out laughing.

The sound filled the dining hall.

If anyone else had heard it, they might have believed Lucas had told a joke.

"Defeat me?" Raphael said, still laughing. "Do you think that is possible?"

His smile faded slightly.

"If this were twenty years ago, then perhaps it would have been a possibility."

Raphael leaned back in his seat.

For a moment, he seemed genuinely thoughtful.

’I wonder how strong I have become,’ he thought. ’Would I be able to defeat him now?’

Lucas’s voice lowered.

"I thought the same way," he said. "Then I got my ass kicked."

His eyes hardened.

"I am not ashamed to admit it. You should not be too confident either."

Raphael’s eyes shifted toward him.

"Do you know what a Sentinel is?"

Lucas froze.

The sudden question caught him off guard.

His curiosity rose, but so did an instinctive chill.

"Those beings designed with the sole purpose of killing system users like us?" Lucas asked. "But are they not just myths and legends?"

Raphael smiled faintly.

"Oh, they are very real," he said. "Seeing that you consider them myths, it seems you have never come across one."

Lucas swallowed.

His voice became quieter.

"No. I have not."

He had heard the stories.

If a system user encountered a Sentinel, their death was almost certain.

No matter how powerful the system user was.

No matter how many abilities they possessed.

They would die without even understanding what had killed them.

"Is it true?" Lucas asked. "If you encounter one, is death certain?"

Raphael nodded.

"Correct. If you ever come across one, you should run for your life."

His brown eyes became cold.

"Because you will die without ever knowing what hit you."

Lucas stared at him.

"Are you saying they are real?"

"They are very real," Raphael replied. "When I was your age and began my journey, I killed twenty of them."

A cold silence followed.

"Even then," Raphael continued, "I came close to death multiple times."

Lucas and Olivia gulped.

They both understood the same thing.

If Raphael was telling the truth, then the power he possessed was beyond anything they could properly imagine.

Raphael laughed softly.

"I will tell you two to be careful," he said. "Those Sentinel bastards are peculiar beings. They kill on whims."

He smiled as if remembering something amusing.

"Some tried to kill me because I was more handsome than them."

Olivia stared at him blankly.

Raphael continued without shame.

"Some wanted to see whether I was worthy of possessing my system. Almost all the ones I knew had nasty personalities."

His expression became serious.

"And they look like ordinary people. You cannot identify them easily."

Lucas nodded slowly.

"I will be careful. Thank you for the warning."

"It was nothing," Raphael said.

He took another sip of water.

"Now, if you are done worrying about me, let us talk about you."

Lucas frowned.

Raphael’s smile became cruel.

"You may not know it, but your situation is very different from mine and Arthur’s."

Lucas’s eyes narrowed.

"The system you have was not given to you because you were chosen. You received it from someone, almost like a gift that fell into your lap from the sky."

Raphael tilted his head.

"It was the most idiotic thing that person ever did. Choosing a failure like you, losing their strength, and sealing most of their own existence in the process."

Lucas’s hands tightened beneath the table.

But he had heard something he could not ignore.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked. "Am I not like Arthur and you? Who the hell are you talking about?"

Raphael gave him a sharp glare.

"Arthur and I are beings chosen to defy the standard order of this world," he said. "It will not take Arthur long to surpass even ordinary SSS-rankers, the people considered strongest in this world."

A faint look of interest appeared on Raphael’s face.

"I am almost impressed by him."

Then his smile returned.

"Too bad I will be his opponent."

Lucas’s anger grew with every passing second.

"Do not change the subject," he said. "Tell me. If I was not chosen like you said, then how did I obtain my system?"

Raphael gave him a pitying smile.

"Well, that is for you to find out, isn’t it?"

Lucas gritted his teeth.

He was about to demand another answer when the dining hall doors opened.

Karina entered once more.

This time, a wide smile was on her face.

"My lord, I have news."

Raphael looked toward her.

"What is it, Karina?"

Karina bowed respectfully.

"As you ordered, the representatives of all eight academies, excluding Celestias Academy, have been brought here."

Lucas’s expression sharpened.

A smile formed on his face.

"You are planning something, are you not?"

Raphael merely looked at him.

"I am," he said.

His brown eyes gleamed.

"I am simply going to make this year’s Inter-Academy Competition more interesting."

He smiled faintly.

"Just wait and watch."

Lucas leaned forward.

"I do not care about all that," he said. "As long as you get rid of Arthur."

Raphael’s eyes sharpened.

A chill ran down Lucas’s spine.

The air in the room became heavy.

"I will do whatever I want," Raphael said quietly.

His voice was calm.

But it carried the weight of a threat.

"You will stay out of it, weakling. Do not try to order me around if you do not want to die."

Lucas’s face stiffened.

Invisible pressure crashed down upon him.

He bit his lip so hard that blood appeared.

Then he stood abruptly.

His chair scraped harshly against the marble floor.

Lucas did not say another word.

He turned and left the dining hall in anger and humiliation, with Olivia quickly following behind him.

The doors closed.

Raphael was alone.

For a long time, he looked toward the doorway through which Lucas had disappeared.

Then he spoke quietly.

"I still do not understand why you chose Lucas."

His tone was almost disappointed.

"That guy is worthless."

Raphael leaned back in his chair.

"But in the past, if I had to choose between Lucas and Arthur..."

He paused.

A faint, bitter smile appeared on his face.

"Maybe I would have made the same decision."

He slowly stood.

"You chose to forget everything."

His eyes became cold.

"But do not worry. I will wait for the day you remember it all."

Bloodlust began to spread from his body.

The candles in the dining hall flickered.

The air trembled.

"So that I can kill you with my own hands."

Raphael turned away from the table.

Then he left the dining hall, his bloodlust lingering behind him like a shadow.