The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 240: The King’s move (4)

Chapter 240: The King’s move (4)

"A Knight with a complete rune circle?"

The Frost Dragon looked perplexed. Hex shrugged. He still remembered getting the circle. Wallen, the baron’s most trusted aide, gifted Hex his understanding and affinity with the space element. As Hex traversed further on the Knight’s path, he began to understand the value of gaining a complete circle.

The only downside to it was the rarity of space elements. Hex hadn’t encountered any beast with spatial affinity. None of the shops he visited offered crystals with space elements either. Basically, he had a superior tool but lacked the means to put it to use.

Seeing Hex remaining silent, the Frost Dragon didn’t press on. Her life slipped away. She was just happy her child stood a chance to survive. But her survival depended now on the survival of the young man before her.

"Things are going from bad to worse on the outside. This King sure has guts. We need to move fast if you wish to remain alive."

"What’s your plan?" Hex asked with a frown.

"My plan is simple. It relies on you pushing my remnant soul into my old body. I can assure your escape."

"I am not going anywhere until I have destroyed the monolith." Hex didn’t mind escaping but doubted their chances against someone who could bend Time and Space.

The Frost Dragon looked peeved by the resolute expression in Hex’s eyes. She tried to dissuade him but Hex stood firm on his point. He didn’t wish to acknowledge it but he didn’t like the idea of abandoning Althea and the others. Fleeing wouldn’t do him or anyone any good.

"Okay. What’s your plan? If it’s plain suicide, I will knock you cold and throw you into the horizon. I won’t allow you to risk my child’s life."

Hex told his plan. The Frost Dragon looked shocked yet awed.

"When I mentioned suicide I didn’t think you truly would commit to it. The only reason I am humoring this plan of yours is because of that morphuse box of yours. Based on your description I can only think of one box that works this well as a disguise—the Box of Illusions."

"You know about this box?" Hex asked, surprised. When Wallen gave it to him he believed it to be a decent treasure. But as time passed, he reconsidered. It had to be something spectacular. He didn’t see anything remotely like it...anywhere.

"Know it? I was a child but I was there when the God of Mischief gave it to the Goddess of Nature. After the Gods disappeared, it went through many hands before the Witch got it. She was the most famous, or should I say, most infamous user of it."

Without realizing it, Hex tightened his grip on the box. His desire to keep the box increased. It was the best tool at his disposal.

"Let’s do it. You do as you have planned. When the time arrives, I will arrive. You will get one chance. Only one. Take the King and his spawns out."

"Sure. But do you know what the King is up to and why?" Hex asked. He hoped an ancient monster like the Frost Dragon would know.

Sure enough, she nodded.

"I can make a guess. The King wants to solidify his family’s Fate with the Kingdom. I am not sure why though. All royal families are mandated by Heaven to rule. Even if someone stronger appeared, they couldn’t overthrow a ruling family. Unless...Heavens willed it. But the Asterio family is one of the original rulers. They helped the Heavens in its war at the end of the last era."

"So, he wishes to remain a King at the cost of his subjects?"

Hex couldn’t understand the logic behind such a thing. Wasn’t a ruler supposed to protect and care for his subjects?

"Something like that. The lands, rivers, forests, and whatnot are all under his rule. To reinforce that connection...and like this...something is wrong. I don’t know what though."

...

"If the Crown Prince is coming over then does it mean...?"

"I am afraid so."

The Commander didn’t look pleased with having his doubt confirmed. If they were right then only one option remained in front of them.

"Stop him." It was Old Gargoyle who spoke. For a change, he wasn’t making sarcastic comments or pulling a leg. He was serious. The two gems in his eye sockets shone with a cold luster.

"Yeah." The Duke agreed. It was rare, extremely rare, for the Duke to agree with someone else. But he did. If the King succeeded they would be faced with two choices. They would have to either lose their homes or lose their freedoms.

Neither of the options appealed to them.

"So, it’s decided then," the old man chuckled. "We win or are labeled traitors. We are going to betray the one we serve by attacking him."

"I serve my Kingdom, not its King," the Commander said. "And right now, my Kingdom is threatened by its King."

The men stopped talking. There was nothing to be said after this point. They moved as one. They reached the King rather quickly.

"So, you have finally chosen to face me head on?" The King stood unfazed. Even facing four of Asterella’s strongest people, he didn’t flinch. He was the King.

He didn’t receive a reply. He didn’t expect one. With a thunderous rumble, the duke’s body expanded. He transformed once again into his massive shape.

The Commander wrapped himself in massive layers of elements, turning into a Hawk. Old Gargoyle didn’t have a phantom but his body transformed. His skin turned hard and gray as a couple of granite wings appeared on his back.

The old man in blue and silver waved his hand. A massive wave of water appeared from thin air. It happened in a breath. But the King’s breath remained calm.

He waved his arm and put the crystal and the body of his Queen near the ground.

"Look after her. Like always."

The King didn’t look at his bawling daughter. With a wave of hand, the wind turned chilly.

"Let’s start."