A Loving Father and Filial Son (2)

"But what I care about isn't my reputation. Using the Holy Church's influence, we could indeed forcibly stop this duel, we could claim it was due to force majeure... But what do you think those nobles and commoners will think? They'll just think the Hero fled without a fight, understand?"

Rosweisse's breath hitched; she realized she had perhaps oversimplified the situation.

The duel between Qin Chu and the First Prince is dangerous. Did Wadsworth, Augustus, and Saint Monica, those three old foxes, not realize this?

Impossible.

If there were any real danger, those three old men would have jumped out even earlier than Rosweisse. They could even come up with a more perfect solution, such as having the eldest prince suddenly die, or crippling most of the eldest prince's strength, stripping him of his ability to speak, and then throwing him into the arena to be easily dealt with by Qin Chu.

In this way, the Hero gained fame, and because of the Hero's strength, the Anti-Demonic Coalition of the Skyvault Continent also gained morale. They also gained the Hero's favor, a win-win-win situation.

But these three old men are sitting calmly on the sidelines, showing absolutely no reaction. Why? Because these three old men have other, more important things on their minds.

What they care about more is the true strength of the Hero.

Although Qin Chu had been concealing his true strength and feigning weakness, these three old foxes had begun to doubt Qin Chu real power ever since he suddenly defeated Horne and subdued Violet...

The extent of Hero's strength directly determines how Hero are treated.

The beating of the eldest prince at the banquet might seem to most people as simply Qin Chu's lack of martial ethics and sneak attack, catching the eldest prince off guard.

However, this cunning old fox knew very well that if there was a real difference in strength between the two sides, then even if Qin Chu attacked with a wine bottle, or even with a divine weapon, the First Prince could still turn the tables and kill him in the next second.

In reality, throughout the entire process, the eldest prince was almost completely overwhelmed by Qin Chu, with virtually no chance to retaliate.

This made the three old men even more suspicious of Qin Chu's strength. They took this opportunity to test Qin Chu's true power. As for the eldest prince, they would just reuse him as a piece of trash.

Otherwise, with such tight security at Wadsworth, the Crown Prince's challenge would have been impossible to send out.

Compared to these three old foxes, Rosweisse was ultimately too inexperienced.

Qin Chu composed himself. "Your Highness, you must have thought of that too, right? The Hero is meant to bring hope to the Skyvault Continent and save this world. If the Hero flees without a fight, the morale of the Anti-Demonic Coalition will be dealt an unimaginable blow. They might even doubt whether following such Hero can truly defeat the Magic Creature."

"Therefore, I must participate in this duel. Even if I lose, I must not run away."

Rosweisse finally realized what was happening, feeling a pang of shame. "But the Crown Prince is really dangerous... His personality is extremely extreme; he's capable of anything..."

Qin Chu suddenly laughed, "Your Highness, how can you be so sure I will lose?"

"Besides, I'm currently training hard and learning some magic under Athena's guidance. Who knows, it might come in handy someday." Qin Chu blinked. "Athena was just instructing me here..."

"Athena?" Rosweisse seemed slightly relieved. "If it's Athena, she might really have the ability to turn the tide for you. Athena knows a lot about potions and strange magic circles... These can temporarily boost your strength, although they often come with some side effects."

"Yes, yes, Athena is really a very good teacher." Qin Chu nodded repeatedly, praising her, "It's just that her teaching style is so varied, sometimes like a raging storm, sometimes like a gentle spring rain, nourishing things silently..."

"After receiving her guidance, my mind would often go completely blank, and I wouldn't want to think about anything else."

"At times like these, practicing magic is twice as effective with half the effort."

Rosweisse covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "Well, Athena's personality is a bit eccentric, please bear with her..."

As she spoke, Rosweisse gracefully rose to her feet. "Since Hero, have already made plans, I am relieved. However... please be careful, Hero. I will support you. But even if you lose the duel, it doesn't matter. Please prioritize your own safety. The Skyvault Continent cannot be without you, Hero."

"If the Hero is injured, Rosweisse will be very sad too," the saintess said in a Crimson, blushing voice.

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Qin Chu with tender eyes.

To be honest, the impact of this performance is simply outrageous.

Qin Chu couldn't help but shudder.

As Rosweisse prepared to leave, Qin Chu also stood up to see Rosweisse off; his attire had somehow been restored to its proper state.

When Qin Chu returned to the room after seeing Rosweisse off, Athena had already come out.

Her cheeks were still flushed, and she seemed a little angry. "How dare you say I have a strange temper? Don't you even look in the mirror and see what you look like?"

Then, somewhat annoyed, she glared at Qin Chu: "You bastard, you actually made me hide under the table? I could have just stayed here, and meeting with Rosweisse wouldn't have been a problem..."

Athena was somewhat curious about her own reaction. Normally, she should have been very angry, or even gone berserk, but she wasn't. Strangely enough, she didn't even dislike the feeling.

Just then, Qin Chu suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, Miss Athena... there's something I need to tell you."

As he spoke, Qin Chu very carefully reached into his storage ring and took out a rhombus-shaped crystal, handing it to Athena.

Athena was thinking about other things and suddenly felt a little impatient, after all, this wasn't what she desired right now... However, Athena quickly realized that this was a fragment of Jello Geralt's Soul Fragment.

She suppressed her slight irritation, took the Soul Fragment, and examined it carefully from front to back, seemingly finding nothing wrong... Several seconds later, she finally noticed something.

Her face showed surprised joy, and her voice seemed to tremble slightly. "Has Lord Jello's Soul Fragment healed a little?"

Although it is still covered with cracks, the cracks seem to be slightly fewer than before.

Overjoyed, Athena didn't even notice her own form of address, and simply uttered the words "Lord Jello."

Fortunately, Qin Chu was completely unaware of this.

Could it be that the previous incident accelerated the healing of the Soul Fragment? Athena quickly realized this, and a strong sense of gratitude welled up in her heart. Indeed, the sacrifice she made for Jello Geralt had been worthwhile.

From this perspective, this kind of sacrifice must continue indefinitely; the more one sacrifices, the faster Lord Jello will be resurrected.

At that moment, Qin Chu's words turned Athena's face pale.

"Since last time, I've noticed that the cracks on this thing have decreased a bit. Could it be because of that? Haha, if that's the case, maybe if we do it a few more times, we can revive the First-Generation Hero."

Athena's mind went blank, and her face turned deathly pale instantly.

A strong sense of fear surged through her. Had Qin Chu already discovered these secrets? What was he planning to do? Was he intending to completely destroy the Soul Fragment? Instinctively, she wanted to stop Qin Chu. She absolutely couldn't let this happen. Once the Soul Fragment were completely destroyed, Lord Jello might never be able to be resurrected.

Seeing Athena's expression, Qin Chu's face turned somewhat strange. "Miss Athena, I was just joking, you didn't take it seriously, did you? Who brings someone back to life like that?"

Athena gave a stiff smile, her gaze darting around as if she dared not meet Qin Chu's eyes. With a hint of embarrassment, she said, "You know, the First-Generation Hero had a good relationship with us. After all, we fought side by side for many years, so there's still some bond between us. Hearing the words 'The First-Generation Hero is resurrected' was still quite a shock."

"By the way, do you still need me to guide you in magic?" Athena abruptly changed the subject, giving Qin Chu a flirtatious glance before quickly adjusting her mental state. Ever since she saw the cracks on Jello's Soul Fragment begin to heal, the last trace of resistance in Athena's heart had vanished. The self-compassion and self-satisfaction brought about by self-sacrifice reached an unprecedented peak, and the slight resistance that had previously existed in her consciousness had completely disappeared.

Fortunately, Qin Chu didn't seem to be a very observant man. He didn't seem to notice the slight change in Athena's feelings, as he was completely absorbed by her words.

His gaze hardened. "Of course, there's an old saying in my hometown: 'Learning is like sailing against the current; one must persevere to reach the pinnacle of wisdom.' Suffering a little is nothing; I can endure it."

Athena no longer cared about anything else; as long as her heart didn't succumb to depravity, that was enough.

Lord Jello, look, this is the sacrifice I've made for you.

I'd do anything for you.

For the next few days, Qin Chu and Athena secluded themselves to cultivate magic and did not receive any guests.

On the night before the duel, a special guest arrived at the Crown Prince's palace.

Wadsworth!

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Chapter 149 A loving father and a filial son (2)

Wadsworth dismissed the soldiers stationed near the palace and pushed open the door alone.

A suffocating atmosphere filled the room, illuminated by dim magic lamps. A figure sat quietly in a chair, motionless, like a statue shrouded in shadow.

That was his own son.

He was once the eldest prince of the Orwell Empire.

But now, he looked extremely haggard, as if he hadn't slept well for a long time, with dark circles under his eyes.

His skin also appeared sickly pale.

However, the eldest prince did not appear tired; on the contrary, he was very energetic.

His deeply sunken eyes gleamed with intense excitement, and his mouth even parted slightly in a nervous grin, as he eagerly awaited tomorrow...

He wanted to kill the Hero in the arena in front of countless people and prove to everyone that he was superior to the Hero.

He wanted to make that foolish woman, Antasia, understand who the real strongman was.

Although he looked disheveled and haggard, the eldest prince's clothes were neatly arranged and clean. His figure, sitting upright in the chair, still exuded nobility and elegance. Even in his current state of disgrace, he seemed unwilling to lose his dignity.

Hearing the door open, the eldest prince finally raised his eyelids, glanced at the person who came in, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips, "Who did I think it was? It's my most respected father. So you also wanted to come and see your son in such a sorry state?"

He'd seen plenty of people like this these past few days. It was true what they said: a fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken. Even the servant who usually groveled before him with a fawning expression dared to bare his teeth at him.

With the Crown Prince's strength, killing those fools would be effortless. However, the Crown Prince is now too lazy to bother with them. His only target is Qin Chu. He needs to adjust himself to his best condition and defeat Qin Chu with overwhelming power to prove his strength to the world.

Others may look down on Hero, but the Crown Prince will not.

He arranged for more than a dozen elite assassins to kill Qin Chu, but they were all wiped out. From that moment on, the eldest prince knew that Qin Chu had been hiding his strength all along, and that his power was many times greater than ordinary people imagined.

However, the eldest prince had absolute confidence in his own strength, because he had obtained a strange and powerful force from the Void.

He is now far more powerful than Qin Chu.

He won't lose.

When he demonstrates his power, he will shock everyone, and even his father will regret his past decision.

Wadsworth sighed softly, his expression no longer the rough and rugged one he once was, but rather tinged with melancholy.

He didn't answer his son's question directly, but silently walked over and placed a set of Knight's clothes next to the eldest prince. "The formal attire you're wearing isn't suitable for combat. Wear this tomorrow."

Also laid down was the eldest prince's sword.

The eldest prince trembled slightly, looking at Wadsworth with disbelief, utterly astonished by his father's actions.

"No matter what, you're still my son, the one I value most..."

"I've always raised you to be my successor since you were little. You're very talented, and you've always made me very proud. You have no idea how happy I am when others praise you."

"But why did you fall for Rosweisse...? You're not stupid, you should know very well how intense the conflict is beneath the surface of the harmony between the Empire and the Holy Church."

"No matter what, I will never allow you to be with Rosweisse."

The eldest prince lowered his eyes slightly, his fingers unconsciously clenching, but he didn't speak. No one knew what the eldest prince was feeling at that moment.

This was the first time his father had spoken to him in such an attitude and tone, which left the eldest prince somewhat at a loss.

Perhaps only under such circumstances does Wadsworth cease to be an emperor and begin to show the qualities of a father.

Wadsworth seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the atmosphere. He shook his head impatiently, stood up, and appeared to be preparing to leave. But as he reached the door, Wadsworth suddenly stopped. "Tomorrow, you must win."

"There's a potion inside the Knight's uniform that can greatly enhance your strength for a short time. For the honor of the Abshien Family, you absolutely cannot lose."

"After you win, in order to quell the Hero's resentment towards the royal family, I will strip you of your royal status, but I will grant you your freedom. If you still wish to pursue Rosweisse, go ahead and conquer her with your strength."

With that, Wadsworth left without looking back.

Inside the room, the eldest prince's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.

After a long while, the eldest prince finally murmured:

"Father, I will definitely not let you down!"

Meanwhile, the fatherly expression on Wadsworth's face vanished instantly as he walked out of the room, replaced by a sinister look like that of a hawk or a wolf.

It's simply recycling waste.

Wadsworth hoped to exploit his foolish son to fully unleash the Hero's power.

He couldn't describe the feeling. This Second-Generation Hero seemed far more mysterious and terrifying than the First-Generation Hero, sometimes even giving Wadsworth the creeps. He couldn't eat or sleep if he didn't know the true strength and potential of the Second-Generation Hero.

He wasn't worried that the matter of the eldest prince would affect his relationship with the Hero, after all, the Hero knew that the father and son were sworn enemies.

Moreover, if the Hero were to be killed by the eldest prince, he could intervene in time to kill the son, perhaps even gaining some goodwill in the process.

As emperor, he had no need for messy emotions; the interests of the Abshien Family were his top priority.

The next day.

The arena.

This arena has a beautiful name: Knight's Glory.

What if conflicts arise between people? Put on your armor, pick up your weapons, and settle things here.

Of course, such things don't happen every day, and even if there are conflicts, they don't necessarily have to be resolved at the Knight's Glory. The venue rental fee is still very expensive, so most of the time it is actually used as an entertainment facility for nobles and the wealthy.

In the Commoners' District, some strong men, in order to earn high appearance fees, would wear their coarse cloth clothes, carry rusty weapons, and fight against ferocious beasts.

This tradition has lasted for over a thousand years. Bloodshed, slaughter, dismemberment, and agonizing screams have always stimulated the nerves of nobles and the wealthy. Even after the appearance of Magic Creature, it has not been abolished. On the contrary, the owner here has developed a new way to play: capture some live Magic Creature and let dozens of commoners fight with Magic Creature. The ferocious Magic Creature tear apart body after body, which always causes ear-piercing and exciting screams.

The entire building looks somewhat similar to the Colosseum in ancient Rome, with a huge circular arena filled with numerous stone columns, making it majestic and imposing. The arena is surrounded by metal railings, which are protected by high-level mages, so there's no need to worry about Magic Creature breaking free of their cages.

Further away are large stands that can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators.