The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic - Chapter 401
400: 400 400: 400 “Oh,Commander Hans is coming,” Kael muttered, rubbing his chin.
“Yes, we received the message.
The heads of both the Western and Eastern fronts will be coming with him,” Martina said with a serious look.
“Then from now on, it will be a real war,” Roosevelt said with a faint smile.
“With both fronts joining forces, we’ll march north.
That’s where the main power of the demons is concentrated.” Martina and Roosevelt kept talking about the plan while Kael sat quietly.
He didn’t even want to be here in between the two, but Martina had called him.
Now he was stuck between the two siblings, half-listening and half-bored.
Martina noticed his blank look and coughed softly.
“Ah… sorry, I almost forgot why I called you here in the first place.” Kael waved his hand.
“Go on.” “I searched for the Four Heroes,” Martina said, her voice low.
“But… they aren’t there.” Kael blinked.
His brows furrowed.
“What do you mean they don’t exist?” “It’s exactly as you heard,” Roosevelt said, crossing his legs and leaning back.
“The Four Heroes haven’t been created in this world.
Maybe their presence would have changed everything.
After all, the entire Demon War once revolved around them so it seems they have been thrown out of equations.” He looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing.
“The allied forces used to follow them without hesitation.
If they were here now, we might not be able to act freely or fight at our full strength.” Kael stayed silent for a while, his expression heavy.
He swallowed hard and looked away.
“I thought I could at least take out my frustrations,” he muttered under his breath.
After a moment, he looked back at them.
“So how long is this war going to last?
Don’t tell me we’ll be stuck here until it ends.” “Of course not,” Roosevelt said.
“If my guess is right, the final battle will be in the North.
That will be the last one.” “As for when or how it happens,” Martina added, “we can’t say for sure yet.” Before they could speak further, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
“Your Highness!” “Ben?” Roosevelt stood up quickly.
He saw his soldier rushing in with a pale face.
“What happened?” Roosevelt asked, his tone sharp.
“The High Priest of the Elves has been attacked!” “What?” all three shouted at once.
Kael, Martina, and Roosevelt didn’t waste a second.
They rushed straight toward the elf camp.
……..
The elf camp was located near the edge of the forest, surrounded by glowing trees and soft white tents.
Magical lanterns floated in the air, giving the place a peaceful glow.
But now, that peace was broken.
The air was thick and tense.
Elven guards stood on high alert with their bows drawn.
The elves were known for their strength and grace.
Their archers could hit a target from hundreds of meters away.
Their mages used nature’s energy with ease.
They were fast, silent, and skilled in both defense and attack.
But today, even their calm eyes showed fear and confusion.
When Roosevelt arrived, the elves quickly led them inside the main tent.
There, a handsome elf with long silver hair sat on a wooden chair.
His arm was bandaged and his face looked tense.
Few Elves guarded him.
“Sir Crebs, are you alright?” Roosevelt asked.
The High Priest looked up slowly and forced a weak smile.
“I’m still alive,” he said quietly.
“But those damned otherworldly ones dared to break into my sacred chamber.
It’s worse than humiliation.” He sighed and clenched his injured arm.
“I was meditating, offering prayers when they attacked.
Thankfully, I reacted in time.
If not, I would have been killed.
We are all powerless in such moments.
No matter if you are an F-rank or an SSS-rank, a mortal’s head can still be cut off if planned carefully” His eyes darkened as he continued.
“And if breaking in wasn’t enough, they managed to escape afterward.” “Otherworlders…” Martina muttered, glancing at Roosevelt.
Both of them looked confused.
Seeing their faces, Crebs explained, “It’s a group that worships the Outside Gods.
They’re trying to bring their masters into our world.” “The Outside Gods?” Kael repeated, frowning.
“Yes,” Crebs said.
“There’s a divine barrier created by the true gods.
It holds those beings back.
But the shield is weakening.
The Outside Gods are sending their power into this world, giving blessings to their followers.
Those people have formed what we now call the Otherworldly Group.” Kael stood silently for a while.
Then he asked, “But why did they attack you?” Everyone turned to him at once.
Crebs looked uneasy.
“Now that you mention it… I don’t know.
Out of everyone, why me?” Kael said nothing.
He just looked at the wounded High Priest, then at the trembling guards outside.
The soft glow of the elven lights flickered weakly, and the once calm camp now felt heavy and cold.
No one spoke again.
The only sound left was the rustling of leaves outside – as if even the forest itself held its breath.
“I have something to say alone,” Kael said quietly, his voice calm but firm.
The elves in the tent turned toward him, their eyes sharp and full of suspicion.
One of them stepped forward, his tone harsh.
“We can’t allow that.
It’s dangerous!” Their glares grew darker, like knives ready to strike.
Crebs raised his arm and gestured for silence.
“Enough,” he said in a low, steady voice.
“Let him speak.” The elves hesitated.
They looked at one another and then slowly nodded.
After a moment, they started leaving the tent one by one.
But before stepping out, each of them gave Kael a cold, ominous look, as if warning him not to do anything foolish.
Kael took a slow step forward, his eyes scanning the tent.
“That’s not all,” he said.
“How did they manage to enter this place with all your guards?
You said they struck while you were praying.
How did they know that exact moment?” His words sank into the air like stones in water.
“That means,” Kael continued quietly, “they knew your schedule quite well.They knew where you would be and when.
Doesn’t that sound like someone from inside helped them?” The tent fell silent.
Even the wind outside seemed to stop.
The elves looked at each other nervously.
Roosevelt’s face grew dark.
He had thought the same thing but hadn’t wanted to say it.
Crebs looked down, his hands trembling slightly.
The truth in Kael’s words chilled everyone.
If what he said was right, then there was a traitor among the elves – someone who knew every corner of their camp.
Martina crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing.
“If that’s true, then the situation is worse than we thought.” When the tent finally fell silent, Kael let out a slow breath and whispered something that made Crebs frown in disbelief.
…… On their way back, Roosevelt looked at Kael with concern.
“Are you sure there’s a traitor among them?” he asked.
“Even if you suspected something, you shouldn’t have said it so fast.
We could have investigated first.” Kael didn’t reply at once.
His eyes moved from Roosevelt to the camp in the distance.
“There was no need to prolong it,” he said quietly.
“I can identify them.” “What?” Both Martina and Roosevelt looked shocked.
“You have?” Roosevelt asked again, disbelief in his voice.
Kael nodded slightly.
From the moment he had stepped into the camp, he could sense something was wrong.
It wasn’t just suspicion.
It was instinct.
It was almost like he could smell the deceit in the air.
‘I forgot about those rabid dogs,’ he thought.
‘They always try to interfere, taking advantage of every battle.’ He turned to Roosevelt and spoke calmly.
“Just pass a message to that man.
He’ll know what to do.” Roosevelt’s expression stiffened.
His lips pressed tightly together.
He really didn’t want to get involved in this any more than necessary.
It was risk…far too risky.
He wanted to stay quiet, away from the storm.
But deep down, he feared that if he did nothing, the people around him might truly die, and he would be unable to forgive himself.
…… Soon, the three forces,the Humans, the Elves, and the Holy Order formed a temporary alliance.
They planned to launch a united assault against the Demon army.
The battle that followed was fierce and unending.
The Demon army was stronger than before, filled with powerful beings of high rank.
But this time, the Humans did not fall behind.
With the Elves’ magic and the Paladins’ healing and blessings, their strength grew.
Yet, their numbers were small compared to the Demons.
To make up for it, Kael, Martina, and Roosevelt fought day and night without rest.
The war seemed endless.
No matter how many demons they killed, more came forward.
It was a tide of blood and fire that never stopped.
Even though they were inside a virtual world, Martina and Roosevelt started to lose their calm.
The exhaustion and horror began to creep into their minds.
The constant killing started to weigh in thier soul.
Kael noticed the change in them.
He saw how their smiles had faded, how their eyes had turned dull.
But he didn’t say anything.
He knew this was how battle shaped people.
War tempered one’s soul and hardened one’s heart.
When you fought too long, death stopped feeling real.
You stopped fearing it.
No you just stopped feeling anything at all.
He too had forgotten all this but now in new body,he could feel the nostalgia.
The pain.
The sorrow.
The small flickers of emotion that made a person human.