[Vol. 7] Chapter 265: Heart Demon
Because of the conversation her older brother had with her earlier, the instructions from the capital, and her exchange with Miss Violet, Carinvega had already figured out the true purpose behind the imperial-sponsored conference. Once she realized that all the chaos in the city was just a diversion, she immediately thought of where the real target of the attack must be.
In fact, this assassination of Xiluo Frederick should have been planned by “her”. However, because she hadn’t fully understood the situation before, and due to her natural reluctance to harm her own family, Carinvega had never made any concrete plans. That’s why it was Orluk who took on the task instead.
To make sure that Carinvega wouldn’t be harmed in the chaos of the city, Orluk secretly took control of the royal guard and tried to temporarily imprison the princess in a hotel. However, Miss Violet and the disciples of the Swift Wind Sect showed up just in time and turned the situation around, allowing Carinvega to be in the most important location at the crucial moment.
This was the true cause and effect of the entire incident. At least, based on all the information Carinvega had gathered, it all made perfect sense.
When she arrived with the Swift Wind Sect disciples at the fastest speed from the Sixth District, fierce fighting had already broken out within the Lionheart Society. Carinvega wanted to go in, save her brother, and stop the fighting, but she was blocked by Gladys, Noelle, and many strong fighters under Orluk’s control, who had retreated earlier.
After the previous encounter in the hotel, Carinvega could guess what was going on with these inexplicable enemies who had turned against her. Since her own combat strength was limited, she had to ask the legendary swordsmen, [Blunt Edge] and [Gale Wind Sword], to charge in first to rescue people, while [Flying Flower Sword] and other elite disciples, who hadn’t reached the legendary level, temporarily held off Gladys and the others to restrain them.
Carinvega herself had no combat ability. To avoid holding others back, she quietly hid in a corner where she wouldn’t be affected by the battle, silently praying that the worst-case scenario wouldn’t happen.
She didn’t want her brother to die for such a trivial political purpose, and she didn’t want Orluk to face any danger while trying to kill Xiluo. Though she deeply regretted not having a proper conversation with Orluk to stop things before they escalated, there was no point in regretting now.
To be honest, Carinvega is not a naive or simple person. By now, she had already figured out most of the "hidden connections" from the past. She knew very well that Xiluo had tried to cause her trouble more than once, even attempting to kill her. Orluk’s anger was understandable, but...
No matter how you look at it, Xiluo was still her blood-related brother. If Miss Violet said she was Carinvega herself, then Xiluo was truly her brother. From their previous conversation, Carinvega had sensed his regret. So, why couldn’t they sit down and talk things over?
Not to mention, if the imperial prince died in the chaos of Sainz, a full-scale world war would probably break out soon. She came to Sainz to attend this conference to promote peace, not to be the spark that starts a war. So, no matter what, she wanted to stop Orluk from doing something foolish.
But now… it seemed like it was too late.
"Carinvega, your Highness! This place is too dangerous, please retreat to a safe area!"
Two figures pushed aside rocks and jumped nimbly from the broken ruins to stand by Carinvega’s side. They were [Blunt Edge] Kiri and [Gale Wind Sword] Elva, who had been rushing to rescue Xiluo earlier.
Though they were a little dusty, with some cuts and bruises from being buried under the debris, their overall condition was stable. With their strength as sword masters’ disciples, ordinary enemies were no threat to them.
Because the enemy had suddenly fallen unconscious, [Flying Flower Sword] Yir and the others also gathered nearby. The pink-haired girl, Yir, stared at the giant gray figure for a moment before her expression stiffened. She couldn't help but stick out her tongue.
"This is terrifying… this kind of pressure, I think I've only felt it when my dad gets serious…"
When she mentioned her "dad," she was, of course, referring to the Swift Wind Sword Saint, the greatest fighter of the Austre Empire, who had been undefeated for over a century. If Yir, the daughter of the Swift Wind Sword Saint, was comparing this giant’s strength to her father’s, then it was clear how powerful the giant was.
"Kiri…"
Just a glance from Carinvega, and [Blunt Edge] immediately understood her meaning. He nodded slightly and said, "Understood."
"This is the companion you mentioned before. When Elva and I arrived, she was fighting Prince Xiluo in a strange posture. Based on what you said, we decided to team up with Prince Xiluo to fight against her. At first, we were slowly overpowering her, but unexpectedly, she was too stubborn. When she saw she was losing, she used some kind of stronger power, which caused her to change into her current form," Elva added.
"Based on what you described, this Orluk has used some special method to control the minds of many others. From what we see now, I think she wants to gather the powers of those she controls and focus them on herself, to unleash even stronger strength."
"But because the level of this power is too high and too complicated, her mind couldn't handle such a terrifying force. It broke down and went out of control, which is why those she controlled fell into a temporary coma."
After a slight pause, the middle-aged man, who had rugged long hair and a personality similar to Mr. "Vicious Wolf" from the Human United Kingdom, pondered for a moment before giving his conclusion.
"As sword practitioners, we have a rule, to master the sword, you must first master your heart. The mind is like the wrist that holds the sword. Without a strong sword heart, no matter how powerful the strength, it will eventually turn into mindless violence. This girl has heavy inner demons, and now the backlash is clear. I'm afraid..."
"......"
Carinvega bit her lip lightly. She had already understood what Elva meant. After hesitating for a moment, she didn't give a direct answer. Instead, she asked with a very serious attitude.
"Mr. Elva, Miss Kiri... and Miss Yir, if you all work together, how sure are you that you can subdue Orluk without killing her?"
She didn’t include the other disciples of the Swift Wind Sect in her question. Even though she was just an ordinary person, the Princess could vaguely feel how terrifying the gray mist giant Orluk had become. Someone who wasn’t at the legendary level would probably just be killed if they tried to fight her. Carinvega didn’t want anyone else to die because of her recklessness, so she could only think of ways to help within her limits.
Looking at the hopeful expression on the girl with different-colored eyes, the three sword master disciples exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"I had heard that you were just an ordinary person, but now I see... you really have no concept of the difference in strength between the realms of practitioners..."