Chapter 498 274: Baron Constantin Beat You?

Because this implied three cruel facts:

First, he'd had enough time to learn how to project his Spiritual Power.

Second, not only had he learned to project his Spiritual Power, but the quality and control he had over it far surpassed your own. Otherwise, fighting at such a disadvantage—like playing an away game—he never could have used his Spiritual Power to seize the weapon from your hand.

Third, not only did he use his projected Spiritual Power to invade the weapon in your hand, but he did it all while fighting you, multitasking without losing the upper hand. This meant his skill also far surpassed your own.

Thus, it wasn't just the guests in the audience; the Knights were also exceptionally shocked. Their expressions froze, their mouths hanging slightly ajar in disbelief, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.

"You are very strong. Your skill and your control over Spiritual Power far surpass my own. In terms of pure skill, I'd say you're at least on par with any Knight or even Demon Hunter of the same rank that I know."

Jill released the sword trembling in his hand. The Knight's Sword, which belonged to Aile, and the one that he had knocked down earlier both flew through the air and into the hands of an attendant.

Seeing this, the Knights and guests realized that what Jill had said before was no lie.

His opponent had indeed used Spiritual Power to control the sword in his hand.

This confirmation sent an even deeper chill through the hearts of the Knights. As they stared at the slender figure in the circle, an unnerving feeling made their teeth ache.

This was especially true for the few Griffin Knights who had fought the Red-armored Knight and then this man from the very beginning. They felt a deep, shared sense of unease.

From his initial fight with the Red-armored Knight to his successive battles with Aile and now Jill, this attendant had not shown the slightest sign of fatigue. He had even effortlessly neutralized a few instances where they had ganged up on him.

On top of all that, he still had the energy to control Spiritual Power for such a feat. It could only mean one of two things: either he wasn't human, but a monster in human skin, or he was a prodigy on the level of the Celestial Horse Knight and Silver Lion Wilder.

Jill said, "Your techniques feel very familiar. Can you tell me what school they belong to?"

"No school," Baron said.

He was telling the truth. His skills were all taught to him by the Shepherdess. Except for the named technique, 'Dragon Spear', which came from Gawain, the rest was more like the Shepherdess teaching him whatever she knew.

And because Baron's Divine Soul was unusually strong, he learned exceptionally fast. Combined with the different flow of time in Dreamland, he had naturally acquired a level of martial skill at a young age that others might not achieve before they were halfway to the grave.

Jill nodded. "From start to finish, you never seemed to reveal your profession. I tried to discern your school from your fighting style, but sometimes you look like a Demon Hunter, and other times a Knight. So I'm curious, what is your profession?"

His gaze fell upon Baron's still-bleeding arm. "Or are you like that 'Angel' who just fled—a member of the Blood Race?"

The moment the words "Blood Race" were spoken, the expressions of every Knight and guest turned instantly grim.

For most of the Old Race living on the Inner Side, the "Blood Race" were equivalent to the Bloodless of the Outer Side—they were a kind of Natural Enemy.

Hmm... it was perfectly normal for the Old Race to discriminate against the Bloodless.

However, the primary reason for the Old Race's hatred of the Blood Race, according to statistical reports, was somewhat peculiar:

It wasn't because the Blood Race enjoyed hunting the Old Race and drinking their blood just to seize their power. Nor was it because, in addition to hunting them, the Blood Race liked to turn their blood-drained victims into mindless monsters like Blood Demons.

It was for a much simpler reason—the high and mighty Blood Race, who proclaimed themselves perfect beings, were exceptionally discriminatory toward the Old Race.

It was a strange reason, but if you put yourself in their shoes, it seemed understandable. The greatest sources of pride for the Old Race were the Spiritual Power flowing through their bodies and their ability to become Law Enforcers through the Contract Third Law.

But the Blood Race could do all of that, and thanks to their own racial talents, they could do it even better than humans. Add to that their natural instinct to hunt the Old Race for their blood, and how could the Old Race not be terrified of them?

To this end, during the Crusades, a several-hundred-year-long "Blood Extermination Campaign" was launched across Europe. A faction known as Vampire Hunters split off from the then-solitary Silver Faction of Demon Hunters, becoming the origin of what are now the Beast Hunters.

However, the Blood Extermination Campaign finally ended sometime before the start of the Renaissance.

This was because the London Tower was founded. The Wizard profession was established by Druid Leighton. He was the founder of the London Tower, its first Tower Master, and he established the Professional Law system for Wizards. He was also the first Law Enforcer in history who may have reached the level of "Above Gold."

He used Magic to expel the entire Blood Race from the history of humans and the Old Race. He also used an avatar to help a man named Abraham Van Helsing improve the advancement system for Vampire Hunters, designating them as the Beast Faction and successfully gaining recognition from the [Demon Hunter Law], making it a complete Professional Law system.

Later, he took on three disciples, one of whom is the now-famous Golden Wizard Newton, renowned throughout the Inner Side and the entire Old Descendant World.

...

After Jill's suggestion, the Knights and guests recalled Baron's earlier performance and instantly realized something was wrong.

"He's fought so many times, yet he's not even out of breath..."

"Even Jill Hestia couldn't take him down... Could it be..."

"The Blood Race... If he's one of them, it would all make sense."

Baron listened to the surrounding chatter and shrugged at Jill. "So, you let that member of the Blood Race get away, and now you're just going to grab a random person to take the fall?"

Jill was taken aback, clearly not expecting Baron to accuse him like that.

But in the end, he still said, "There's no need to worry."

At that moment, the wings on Jill's back unfurled once more. A fierce wind lifted him up, and he hovered in the air like a god descending to the mortal world.

Baron looked up. 'So he's a sore loser who's going to cheat?'

Jill shook his head. "Losing the duel to you is my personal affair. Capturing you, however, is the duty of my Griffin Knight Order."

"As I said before, I am now merely fulfilling my duty as the vice-captain of the Griffin Knight Order."

His wings flared open. A protective gale rose around him, forming a barrier. Within it, thousands of vulture feathers spun and zipped through the wind, like a wall made of plumage.

Jill suddenly asked, "That thing you said... about Baron Constantin beating you... Is it true?"

'So he does care after all...' Baron smiled. "It's true. His skill and strength are quite similar to mine. It's almost like we were cast from the same mold."

'More than just the same mold,' he thought. 'I *am* Baron Constantin.'

Baron suddenly found this ex-fiancé of his ex-wife quite interesting. 'At least his personality seems decent,' he thought, 'much better than that idiot brother of his, Roy.'

'But that's to be expected. Real life isn't a novel. The elders of high-society families aren't fools; they wouldn't choose a spoiled brat to take over the family business.'

'If they want to choose a successor who can make the family even more prosperous and powerful, it's only natural they'd want the family scions to be well-rounded in every aspect—morally, intellectually, and physically.'

'As for those brainless characters in novels whose only purpose is to pick fights, you just read about them for fun.'

'Even seemingly simple provocations from spoiled brats at banquets and balls—setting aside the twenty percent who are genuinely brainless—are usually calculated ploys to suppress others. They often involve intricate schemes, backstabbing, and struggles for power and profit.'

'So, it's understandable that Jill Hestia is different from the typical rich kids in novels, plays, and TV shows. As for whether he harbors any hidden prejudice about bloodlines, well, that's impossible to know.'

"Is that so."

Jill nodded. Then he looked at the Griffin Knights surrounding Baron and gave the order: "Seize him."

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