Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Alaric was amused by his response.

He glanced meaningfully at Steven and said. “I will go help with the interrogation so please excuse me, Sir Steven.”

“Alright. Do be careful, my lord. There might be some stubborn bastards who harbor ill intentions.” Steven reminded him.

Alaric merely chuckled in response. He then waved his hand and left.

Looking at his figure, Steven fell into deep thought.

Is he suspicious of me?

He recalled his past interactions with Alaric, trying to remember if he had somehow given himself away. However, he didn’t remember making such newbie mistakes.

I need to be careful around him. Maybe, I should stay away from Alaric for the time being lest he gets more suspicious of me.

Thinking about this, he left to help the others with the interrogation.

***

In the next few days, Grateja fell into a state of uncertainty and unease with the death of the Grand Duke.

Those who had ties with the Grand Duke were feeling incredibly scared. They were afraid that they would be executed by Lucas’ troops for the act of colluding with the traitor.

Unexpectedly, other than being questioned, none of them were harmed.

On the fifth day, Lucas returned to Codera to report the success of the mission to the crown prince.

Upon his arrival in the capital, he was greeted by a group of nobles who were clearly there to flatter him.

“Welcome back, Venerable Lucas!”

“Lord Venerable, you did great work in dealing with the traitor of the empire!”

Facing these group of sycophants, Lucas only responded casually. Talking with them was a complete waste of time so he rudely excused himself.

No one complained about his behavior. Who would dare to get angry at a Mythical Knight? Only an idiot would.

Although they were furious at his clear disregard, they didn’t dare voice out their complaints.

A while later, Lucas brought the group to a high-end inn. It was also the same place where he got the crown prince’s command to punish the Grand Duke.

The crown prince had booked the entire building so other than the establishment’s staff, only their people were present.

“Lord Venerable!” The crown prince, Leighnard Exlor Astania, eagerly welcomed him at the entrance.

Lucas cupped his fists. “Your Highness, I have completed my mission.”

The crown prince was all smiles. He made an inviting gesture and replied. “I have heard of your exemplary work, Lord Venerable! Come in. Let us talk inside.”

Lucas didn’t want to embarrass the crown prince so he accepted the invitation with a nod of his head.

Exlor brought them to a vast lounge which had been obviously renovated recently.

From the shiny chandeliers and the intricate interior design, the whole place looked like an imperial hall.

After taking their seats, Exlor expertly guided the conversation. He didn’t immediately discuss the Grand Duke’s matter. However, Lucas wasn’t in the mood to converse with him. He couldn’t wait to see Princess Jade so he mentioned it to the crown prince.

“Of course! I will never dare lie to you, Lord Venerable.” Exlor chuckled. He then made a hand gesture to one of his subordinates.

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A few minutes later, the crown prince’s subordinate returned with a white-haired woman dressed in standard imperial dress.

She looked stunning and the moment she arrived, the whole place quieted down as if to silently admire her beauty.

Seeing this woman, Lucas felt a wave of excitement and a trace of guilt.

Slowly standing up, he muttered while staring at her. “Jade…”

“Greetings, Your Highness.” The crown prince cupped his fists at the woman to show her his respect. His subordinates followed suit and bowed deeply to her.

“Your Highness!”

Jade ignored the large crowd. In her eyes, only two people existed, Lucas and Alaric.

She gracefully walked towards them, leaving a trace of her natural fragrance in the air.

“Lucas…” Her eyes misted over. She had been waiting and biding her time all for the sake of reuniting with him and their son. Her prayers were finally answered.

Without care for his image, Lucas took her in his embrace and gently rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry I came late.” He whispered with remorse.

“It’s not your fault.” Jade shook her head while staring at him with deep affection.

The crown prince wasn’t upset after being ignored. He just smiled at the couple and quietly signaled for everyone to vacate the hall.

In the next moment, only the family of three remained.

Alaric was watching his parents display their affection when a sudden system prompt interrupted him.

___

Mission Complete!

Rewards: 2500 Battle Points, 150 EXP, 50 Stat Points, Random Trait Upgrade Card x1, Equipment Upgrade Card x1

___

[You have completed the mission without casualties! A bonus reward will be granted for this achievement! (Only applies for extreme difficulty missions)]

[You received Catastrophe-Grade Steed Card x1]

Alaric’s eyes widened upon seeing the bonus reward.

A catastrophe-grade steed card? This isn’t what I am thinking, right?

The strongest monster he had encountered was the Winged Goblin Monarch in the Enchanted Woodlands. It was a being that was about to become a Catastrophe-grade monster. It was so powerful that Lucas who was at the peak of the Transcendent realm at that time only barely managed to kill it.

And now, he had actually received a catastrophe-grade steed as a reward! How could he not be shocked?

This was a true catastrophe-grade monster!

[Do you want to use the Catastrophe-Grade Steed Card?]

[Yes] [No]

Alaric didn’t dare click [Yes]. He might scare the entire capital so he decisively clicked [No].

I will deal with the rewards later.

He thought as he closed the cyan screen.

“My son…” Jade finally glanced in his direction and approached him. She then gave him a tight hug.

“I wanted to do this when you visited me in the palace, but our time was limited at that time. Please forgive your mother.” She mumbled emotionally.

Alaric didn’t know how to react to the sudden intimate contact, but when he saw his dad sending him a look of encouragement, he no longer hesitated. He quietly embraced his mother and enjoyed the reunion.