Chapter 238: The Pride of the Cursed (1)

"Serena... One of the Five Generals..."

Ethan repeated the name he’d just heard, his eyes remaining fixed on the woman who bore it.

The Queen of Storms stood atop one of the tallest buildings in the area, putting on a spectacular display as she manipulated lightning as though it were an extension of her own body. Her mastery had reached an extraordinary level, and Ethan immediately suspected that it was the result of a Blessing that granted her control over lightning.

The Queen of Storms then leaped gracefully from the towering rooftop, descending through the air before landing perfectly on both feet directly in front of the hunters.

The capital’s residents, who had gathered around her, greeted her arrival with thunderous applause.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? I prepared this entire show for you, so at least try to enjoy it!"

Serena shouted when she saw the stiff expressions on Ethan and his companions’ faces, making it abundantly clear that she’d been hoping for smiles rather than such bewildered reactions.

The capital’s residents, meanwhile, behaved almost as though they were under some kind of enchantment. Every movement Serena made seemed to provoke an even more enthusiastic response from the crowd.

And so, for the first time in the Heart Clan’s centuries-long history, its members received a welcome warmer than anything they had ever experienced.

At first, the hunters were too confused to react. None of them had expected anything like this, and they struggled to understand why the people were celebrating their arrival.

But gradually, smiles began appearing on their faces, one after another.

Most were awkward, almost embarrassed smiles, reflecting how unfamiliar they were with receiving such praise.

After all, they had never been applauded or admired to this extent in their entire lives.

Seeing them finally relax and embrace the atmosphere, Serena nodded to herself, pleased with the result.

"Yes! That’s exactly what I wanted to see!"

The Queen of Storms laughed, flashing her teeth in a broad grin.

At that moment, Kevin Heart stepped forward, the only person among them who had maintained his usual serious expression.

"I see you’re still causing a commotion wherever you go... Serena."

The Heart elder’s words caught Serena’s attention.

She turned toward him, looking him up and down before her smile widened even further.

"And you’re still as boring as ever, Kevin. Try smiling every once in a while. I promise it won’t hurt you."

"Never mind me. Tell me why you’re here."

Kevin sighed, ignoring her remark.

Serena tilted her head slightly, glancing toward the people standing behind him.

"I came to escort you to your meeting with the Emperor. I am one of the Generals, you know. And before that, I’m a member of your clan."

Waving cheerfully to the people around her, Serena walked past Kevin and approached the hunters behind him.

"Old man Asterion! You’re here too! I wasn’t expecting that..."

Serena appeared genuinely surprised to find the Uncrowned Emperor among the delegation.

Asterion responded with a faint smile.

"Even old fossils like me can still fulfill their duties. I hope I won’t be getting in your way."

"If someone like you could be considered a hindrance, then what would that make the rest of us? You’re always welcome here."

Serena studied him for a moment before continuing.

"Besides, your eyes look much livelier than they did the last time I saw you. Did something happen?"

She spoke with the same easy familiarity even when addressing Asterion.

It was one of Serena’s distinctive traits. She never hesitated to say whatever was on her mind, regardless of whom she was speaking to.

The Uncrowned Emperor gave a small cough and closed his eyes.

"Nothing particularly worth mentioning... Just the usual. Though I did happen to meet a few interesting people."

"Hmmmm? Now I wonder who these interesting people might be."

As Serena spoke, her gaze drifted toward Ethan and his companions.

Something in her intuition told her that the people Asterion was referring to were standing among them.

"Well, there’s plenty I’d like to talk about, but let’s find somewhere quieter first. It’s far too noisy here."

Serena smiled at the surrounding crowd, whose enthusiastic cheering showed no signs of stopping.

"And whose fault do you think that is?"

"Haha! Come on, you have to admit you enjoyed the show!"

Serena chuckled.

But as her gaze slowly traveled downward while she looked at Asterion, she suddenly noticed something that left her utterly stunned.

"OLD MAN!! WHERE’S YOUR LEFT ARM?!"

Serena’s eyes widened in disbelief as she realized that the Uncrowned Emperor had lost an arm.

Asterion merely smiled faintly, reaching over to touch the stump where his left arm had once been.

"Ah, this? It was the price I paid for defeating a powerful opponent."

"I can’t believe there’s someone in this Empire capable of making you lose an arm... This is the biggest shock I’ve had in a very long time."

Serena let out a long sigh before gesturing for everyone to follow her.

"We can discuss the details later. There’s still plenty we need to prepare before your audience with the Emperor."

After issuing instructions to the guards and the knight commander who had previously led the delegation, Serena took her place at the front of the procession.

Asterion and Kevin followed closely behind her.

The guards positioned themselves along both sides of the road, holding back the residents and preventing them from approaching too closely. This allowed Ethan and his companions to continue through the streets without difficulty.

As they walked, Serena remained engaged in conversation with Asterion and Kevin, discussing one subject after another.

Ethan, meanwhile, stayed toward the rear of the group, quietly observing the woman ahead.

Serena was a beautiful woman with long red hair that fell freely over her shoulders and down her back. Her crimson eyes held a sharp, penetrating gaze, while her fitted clothing had clearly been designed to accommodate her figure without restricting her movements.

A long black-and-red cloak rested over her shoulders, billowing behind her in the wind. At her waist hung a distinctive sword, secured firmly in its sheath.

Everything about her suggested a bold, fearless personality.

Yet what caught Ethan’s attention more than anything else was the long scar on her left cheek.

It stretched upward from beneath her chin, reaching almost to her eye.

The scar detracted somewhat from her beauty, but it also gave her a striking appearance that distinguished her from the other members of her clan.

’This woman... Did she really manage to erase the hatred directed toward the Heart Clan?’

Even now, the capital’s residents continued surrounding them, applauding and cheering with genuine happiness.

They seemed sincerely grateful for the hunters’ achievements, particularly their conquest of that dreadful Legacy dungeon.

But influencing people’s hearts was no simple task.

Changing the feelings of even a single person could be incredibly difficult, especially when their hatred had been deeply rooted for many years.

And Ethan wasn’t looking at just one person.

There were hundreds of people in the crowds surrounding them.

Perhaps even more.

’How? How did she do it?’