The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 186

A warm cup of coffee sat on the table, steam curling into the quiet air. Ruth picked it up slowly, took a sip, and stared out the window with a distant look in his eyes.

His other arm taped onto the armrest as he pondered about a certain thing, no, a certain someone who had been missing recently.

After a certain amount of time, he opened his lips.

"Any news of the rascal?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with something unreadable, casting a brief glance at Rami.

The butler shook his head solemnly. "Till now, there hadn't been any news," Rami replied, his eyes catching a faint flicker from the ring on Ruth's hand—an artifact tied to Kael's life force.

That flicker meant Kael was still alive somewhere out there and sighed heavily.

"…What a hassle?!"

After a moment's hesitation, Rami asked quietly, "Are you worried about him, My Lord?"

Ruth, just about to sip his coffee again, froze mid-motion and stared coldly at Rami.

"Worried?" he repeated with a slight frown

"Why do I need to worry about that brat? He is already an awakened and grown up. The moment he awakened, my duty to look after him was over."

He let the words hang for a moment before continuing, a sharper edge to his tone now. "Now, if he can't survive out there, it just means he is just incapable… What I am worried about is the mess that he might cause."

There was a hint of regret in his eyes—buried deep, but not gone.

Ruth lingered by the window, the silence stretching as he watched a bird glide across the pale morning sky. Then, without turning, his voice broke through the stillness.

"…What about the Serpent Gang? How far has the operation proceeded?"

Rami straightened, already anticipating the question. "The eastern dock was secured last night. Our men intercepted two shipments—arms and contraband, just as we suspected."

Ruth nodded slowly, still facing the outside world. "Casualties?"

"Three injured. One critical. But we lost none," Rami replied calmly. "Their leader, Vexar, managed to escape again. We believe he was tipped off before the raid."

Ruth let out a soft breath—more a growl than a sigh. "That snake always finds a hole to slither into…"

He finally turned to face Rami, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp. "I want the leak found. No one escapes us twice. Not without help."

"We've already begun an internal sweep," Rami assured him. "I have suspicions. Quiet ones."

"Good," Ruth said. He walked back to the table, lifted the coffee, and took a long sip. "End this mess before Kael resurfaces. The last thing I want is for him to come home to unfinished business."

Rami gave a small bow. "It will be done, My Lord."

The fire in Ruth's eyes was clear now—not of anger, but control. Cold, focused control. The kind that made empires rise—or fall.

......

Back in Winterland.

The group left quietly, which felt strange. Usually, they made their presence known, full of power and pride. But this time, not a single word came from them after Mira told them to leave. The silence felt heavy, and even the guards looked uneasy.

Mira walked ahead, her boots crunching the snow. Her eyes moved to a man in the group, who looked plain at first glance. But his eyes were sharp, almost wicked, and held a dangerous gleam. As they moved deeper into the snowy forest, she watched him closely.

After they passed the edge of the forest and reached a quiet open space, Mira stopped and turned to him. The man pulled down his cap, revealing a strange tattoo that ran from his cheekbone down to his neck. The lines glowed faintly under the pale winter sun.

"Did you find out anything?" Mira asked, her voice sharp like a blade.

The man smiled darkly. "The Queen was strong, too strong for me to sense much from her. But the soldiers… they gave it away." He looked amused, as if the game had gone just as he had planned.

Mira raised her eyebrows, signaling him to go on.

"When you asked about their involvement, they didn't react," he said, pausing to glance back in the direction of the Ice Elf domain. "But when you brought up a grey-haired man… that struck something. Their expressions changed. They've seen someone like that."

Mira's eyes narrowed slightly. Her calm face flickered with a hint of emotion.

The man shrugged. "Maybe the Queen tried to hide it, but her soldiers gave her away. It's clear to me now—they are involved. If only I were stronger, I could've—Jumppo!"

His words were cut short as Mira's senses flared. Without a second thought, she grabbed him and leapt high into the air.

BOOOOM!

A violent burst of sword aura exploded from below, ripping through the snow-covered ground. The shockwave shook the trees and sent snow flying everywhere. A deep crater formed where they had stood.

"What the hell was that!?" one of the guards shouted in panic.

"An ambush! Watch out!" another yelled, pulling his sword from his back.

Guards stumbled, some falling into the snow as the blast hit them from the front. Their cloaks were blown back, faces pale with fear and anger.

"Damn bastards! I'll kill whoever did that!" one cursed, blood dripping from his lip.

Mira landed smoothly, her eyes glowing with rage. She scanned the dust as it slowly began to clear. The storm of power still buzzed in the air.

A figure stepped out of the haze, dragging two wounded men behind him. His shoulder heaved slightly, as if shaking off the last bit of snow. He looked at Mira with cold killing intent.

"Last time, I was in a pinch," he said in a low voice. "No… I'll be honest. I lost pretty badly But this time…"

His aura exploded around him like a wildfire, rising sharply until it reached B-rank. The force of it pinned the guards in place.

"No one," he growled, eyes locked on Mira, "is walking out of this places alive except me."