Chapter 113: [Ronov, the Ghost Knight, and the New World]

Chapter 113 -38: [Ronov, the Ghost Knight, and the New World]

“My father was a modest, benevolent Demon Race Knight who strictly adhered to knightly etiquette. My mother, on the other hand, was a cruel, cold-blooded human Scholar who championed the survival of the fittest,” Talia said with a shrug.

“Even though he was of the Demon Race, my father was raised by the Ronov Cedar Knight Clan in the northern Empire. When he was twelve, he lost to my uncle in the competition to become the Monarch heir of my grandfather’s Underground City. According to Demon Race tradition, the weak are eliminated, abandoned, and exiled from the Underground City.

“A human Knight found him nearly frozen to death in the snow near the border, but couldn’t bear to kill a child. Wrapping him in a fur cloak, the Knight brought him back to the castle and concealed his identity. He raised my father as his own flesh and blood, instilling in him the virtues and spirit passed down through generations of the Knight Clan. He taught him human culture, arts, and knowledge, as well as Swordsmanship and strategy.

“Strange as it sounds, my father was expelled by a terrible Demon Race family that lived by the law of the jungle, yet it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He unexpectedly became part of a warm, loving human Knight Clan, and even inherited the noble surname of the Cedar Knight Ronov, one of the four great Knight Clans of the Empire.”

“This made him a… very unique member of the Demon Race,” Talia sighed. “He possessed a noble character, cherished culture and the arts, and maintained an optimistic outlook. He respected and treated others with kindness, trusted his friends, cared deeply for his family, and showed great compassion for his subordinates.”

“Much like the traits you’ve displayed,” she said, gazing at Samael. “If my father were still alive, he probably would have admired you, too.

“My mother, however, was entirely different. She hailed from a gang in the dark corners of the Empire. Through deceit, schemes, and cutthroat betrayals, she ruthlessly clawed her way to the upper echelons of a senior Scholar organization dedicated to researching Divine Era knowledge. She was particularly obsessed with studying the Demon Race—their social structures and cultural traditions.

“This obsession even extended to my older sister. My father never wanted to hold any sort of heir competition, nor did he want my sister to leave Rondolan. It was my mother who forced him to abide by the Demon Race’s cultural tradition of eliminating the weak.

“In the end, my parents had a massive argument, and my sister voluntarily left with a caravan of Exile merchants,” Talia murmured.

“Whoa! I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but, Mr. Samael, you actually don’t know the legendary tale of the great Lord of Rondolan, Balton Ronov?” Yaki poked his head back from the front seat.

“Uh… no,” Samael replied. “In fact, I’m still not entirely sure what kind of place Rondolan is, or why everyone speaks of it as if it’s some sort of rebellious legend.”

“You’ve been fighting alongside the daughter of the Lord of Rondolan for this long, and you don’t even know about the legendary Rondolan?” Yaki was so astonished that he slightly opened his perpetually squinted eyes.

“We actually…” Talia interjected.

“…aren’t very close,” Samael added. A loud CLANG rang out as he took an elbow strike to his chest plate.

“We haven’t known each other long enough. We still need more time to learn about one another,” Samael instinctively corrected himself, feeling the echo of the elbow strike reverberating through his hollow body.

“Come on, Mr. Samael. Aside from Rondolan, what other Underground City have you seen where the four major races—humans, Dwarves, Elves, and the Demon Race—can live in harmony and work side by side?” Yaki frowned exaggeratedly. “If it weren’t for the combined siege and slaughter campaigns launched by the other Demon Monarchs and the Adventurer’s Alliance, Rondolan might have created a better world!”

“What?!” Samael sat bolt upright with a loud CLATTER.

“The Rondolan Mountain Kingdom,” Yaki explained. “Also known as the Aurora of the Eternal Night’s New World. Demon Race Exiles, Black Dwarves, Twilight Elves, human Dark Scholars, and the Ice Sea Barbarian Race were all brought together by Rondolan’s promise, building a kingdom of miracles.”