"What? You have a problem with that?"
Everyone was stunned. This... was not how things were supposed to go!
"Alfonso, do you know what you're saying?" Brutus asked urgently.
It was only six months of confinement. Was a punishment like that really worth talking back to the Duke?
Didn't the Duke have his dignity to consider?
But Alfonso did not answer Brutus. His lowered head hid his expression.
"Your Grace, before I confess my guilt, I'd like to confirm something."
Grand Duke Horton's face was exceptionally dark. "Alfonso, you should know that my patience has limits!"
"Of course. This won't take much of your time..."
Before he finished speaking, there was a deafening bang!
Still kneeling, Viscount Ironwall drove one leg against the floor like a short-track racer launching from the starting line. Before everyone's dumbfounded eyes, he suddenly sprang up and became a blur hurtling toward Grand Duke Horton!
His speed was unbelievable. Almost in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of the Duke.
"Attack alert! Eliminate the threat immediately!"
Before anyone could react, the reception room's Automatic Defense System had already identified the threat.
The Tracking Beams already locked onto Viscount Ironwall blazed brighter, their output instantly increasing hundreds or thousands of times over as they became lethal rays capable of slicing through metal.
But Viscount Ironwall moved with incredible speed. He ducked low, letting the high-energy rays carve scorched trails across his body.
With a shift of his feet, he slipped behind Duke Horton like a ghost, using him as a human shield.
"Nobody move!"
A moment later, a sharp Silver Dagger slipped from his sleeve and pressed against Grand Duke Horton's throat.
The two were now practically pressed together. Under these circumstances, even the Automatic Defense System dared not continue attacking and