Chapter 35: Dragon’s Wrath, Bounty Increased

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Dragon’s Wrath, Bounty Increased

Ice Wolf Castle.

Roy sat in a chair in his bedroom, contemplating his next move.

He had already joined the Second Son Brotherhood.

Although the cheapest Excellent Level Universal Breathing Technique cost 10,000 Contribution Points, at least he now had a stable channel for acquiring Breathing Techniques.

And Jeremy had been killed by Catherine.

It could be considered justice for the late John Compton.

After some thought, Roy decided to lay low for a while.

The last time, he had only killed a little over ten Official Knights, and that had prompted Count Rock Lion to issue a high bounty of 2,000 Gold Coins for his capture alive.

Although he had only taken down Peak Knight Medel and High Tier Knight Kael, and hadn’t personally killed Jeremy, the blame for Jeremy’s murder would certainly fall on his shoulders.

In other words, Count Rock Lion would now do everything in his power to find the Dark Night Knight and personally avenge Jeremy.

Under these circumstances, he felt it was necessary—or rather, the Dark Night Knight needed to—lay low for a while.

He wasn’t particularly afraid of Count Rock Lion.

Even if he couldn’t win a direct fight, he was absolutely confident he could get away alive.

That wasn’t even mentioning the Chaos Square, which was basically a sanctuary.

Even without using the Chaos Square, just with his own strength and the Basic Potions he had concocted, Count Rock Lion wouldn’t be able to do much to him.

The Basic Healing Potion and Basic Vitality Potion were classified as Basic Potions because, compared to other Magic Potions, their effects were quite average.

Compared to regular potions, however, these two were no different from a Miracle Elixir.

Having made his decision, Roy focused his thoughts, entered the Chaos Square, and resumed his cultivation of the Purgatory Dragon Meditation Method.

It was still several hours until dawn.

As a dedicated grinder, he wouldn’t let any opportunity for cultivation slip by.

...

A bedroom on the fifth floor of Rock Lion Castle.

Peak Knight Wagner arrived outside the bedroom door, his expression grave.

Without any hesitation, he immediately raised his right hand and knocked lightly on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The sound of knocking echoed instantly.

After knocking, Knight Wagner spoke in a measured tone, "My Lord, something has happened to Young Master Jeremy."

Before long, the bedroom door slowly opened, and Count Rock Lion appeared, dressed in white sleepwear.

"What has Jeremy done now?"

Count Rock Lion asked, his face filled with displeasure.

"Young Master Jeremy secretly left the castle a few hours ago with Medel and Kael."

"The patrolling City Guard discovered the bodies of Medel and Kael on Rose Street. Young Master Jeremy’s whereabouts are unknown."

Knight Wagner replied swiftly, without a moment’s hesitation.

Just as he expected, Count Rock Lion’s expression instantly turned frigid.

"Ready the horses!"

Count Rock Lion stared at Knight Wagner, his expression as cold as frost.

"Yes, My Lord!"

Knight Wagner gave Count Rock Lion a slight bow before turning and leaving without a backward glance.

Although Jeremy was only missing for now, anyone could guess that his chances of being alive were slim to none.

’Medel and Kael are both dead!’

’Jeremy’s fate couldn’t possibly be any better!’

「Five or six minutes later.」

Clad in golden armor, Count Rock Lion left Rock Lion Castle with more than twenty Official Knights, riding their warhorses toward Redwood City.

「Main building, fourth floor.」

Dressed in a long white gown, Catherine stood at the window, a smile on her face as she watched Count Rock Lion’s party head toward Redwood City.

Although Count Rock Lion was her biological father and had provided her with a comfortable, materialistic life, she had never truly respected or loved him from the bottom of her heart.

Not only that, she wished she could kill Count Rock Lion with her own hands.

The person responsible for her mother’s death was indeed Jeremy.

But Jeremy would not have dared to do so if not for Count Rock Lion.

Unlike Count Rock Lion’s other wives, Catherine’s mother was not a noblewoman, but a dancer.

More than twenty years ago, her mother was hired to perform at a nobleman’s banquet.

Count Rock Lion, who was an invited guest, met her mother at the banquet.

What happened next was simple enough.

Count Rock Lion took a fancy to her mother and took her innocence that very night.

Afterward, he brought her mother back to Redwood City and kept her in a private residence there, like a canary in a gilded cage.

Count Rock Lion never had any intention of marrying her mother; he merely treated her as a plaything.

It wasn’t until her mother unexpectedly became pregnant that Count Rock Lion brought her to Rock Lion Castle.

He did bring her back.

But right up until her mother’s death, Count Rock Lion never officially married her or gave her the proper status she deserved.

Not only that, but after Catherine was born, Count Rock Lion handed her over to Jeremy’s mother to be raised.

The year she turned eight, Jeremy—with Count Rock Lion’s silent permission, or perhaps at his direction—pushed her mother from the main tower, where she fell to her death.

And she, playing in the garden below, witnessed her mother’s fall with her own eyes.

From that moment on, she vowed to get justice for her mother with her own two hands.

’Kill Jeremy with my own hands!’

’That was just the beginning!’

...

「Redwood City.」

Upon personally leading his men to Redwood City, Count Rock Lion immediately ordered a city-wide search for the Dark Night Knight and Jeremy.

Thanks to the City Guard’s exhaustive search, Jeremy’s body was quickly discovered.

The City Guard soldiers didn’t dare move Jeremy’s body and immediately reported the situation up the chain of command.

Before long, Count Rock Lion, along with Knight Wagner and his men, arrived at the slums near the West District execution grounds. There, in the living room of a dilapidated house, they found Jeremy’s body, a testament to his brutal death.

Count Rock Lion stood silently before Jeremy’s corpse, his expression utterly grim.

Although he had been mentally prepared, the moment he saw Jeremy’s corpse, an irrepressible, murderous rage surged within him.

Count Rock Lion remained silent, and naturally, Knight Wagner and the others dared not utter a word.

After more than a minute of this tense silence, Count Rock Lion spoke coldly, his voice dripping with venom, "Increase the bounty reward!"

"Whether someone captures the Dark Night Knight alive or brings me his corpse, they will receive a Baron’s Domain on top of the existing reward!"

"Even for information leading to his exact whereabouts, I will grant a Baron’s Domain!"

"I refuse to believe that in all of Yorkshire, not a single person knows where he is!"

This was the first time since inheriting his title that Count Rock Lion had been so enraged.

The Dark Night Knight’s previous infiltration of Rock Lion Castle and subsequent killing spree had been enraging enough.

But the murder of Jeremy, the man he saw as his heir, had truly provoked his ultimate fury.

"Yes, My Lord!"

As soon as Count Rock Lion finished speaking, Knight Wagner’s voice rang out.

He then signaled for the Official Knights behind him to carry away Jeremy’s body and take it back to Rock Lion Castle.

As Jeremy’s body was carried out of the house, Count Rock Lion said nothing, standing as still as a statue, his face a mask of pure murderous intent.

...