Pirate Kingship-Chapter 598 - 429: Fortress of Darkness, Habsburg (6200 combined)_4

Or rather, one of his guards tore off his black robe, revealing a white-skinned face.

Byron's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw the black double-headed eagle emblem on the man's attire:

"The Sacred Silver Empire Emperor? The Habsburg Dynasty?"

Violet, sharing his senses, also trembled. I thought it was the People of Castilia or the Remit People! To think that the ones supporting the Third Prince would be them!

The current Sacred Silver Empire Emperor of the Habsburg Dynasty, Frederick III, was also the only holder of the [Crown] among the many Church states.

The Habsburg family's most central lands were in Vinya City, where Violet had once studied at the Vinaia Art Academy. How could she not be familiar with this family?

The Habsburg family was one of the most powerful royal houses on the Silver Continent, ruling over the most extensive territories.

Since the year 1438 of the Silver Era, this family has held the position of Sacred Silver Empire Emperor within The Holy Silver Empire. They have never been unseated by the other six Prince-Electors, and it is highly probable they will continue to rule indefinitely.

Their strength, however, came not from military might, but from their loins.

A family's motto often indicates its style of conduct. The Lancaster family motto is: "I am the vanguard." The Habsburg family motto, however, is: "Let the countries of the Continent wage war, while we marry happily." The nobles of the Continent also mockingly refer to their guiding principle as: "Ruling the world with their lower halves." While others believed in not sweating for what could be gained through bloodshed, the Habsburgs believed in not shedding blood for what could be gained through marriage.

This family's primary interests have always been on the mainland Continent, with little presence in the overseas colonies, Byron and Violet pondered. Why would they send someone all the way to the Southern Continent now, striking decisively during the Sun Empire's succession crisis? What could they possibly hope to gain here?

Before Byron and Violet could fully comprehend the situation, the Habsburg individual drew an old steel dagger and similarly stabbed another nearby Third Order prince.

The wound was small and not in a vital area, yet the prince bled out rapidly, collapsing lifelessly to the ground in an instant.

When Byron and Violet saw that dagger, it was as if they had been stung. They involuntarily stepped back, fear etched on their faces. They did not recognize the Time Thief in the native's hand, but they both recognized *that* dagger. No! That's the Kingslayer's Cassius's Dagger! The realization struck them both.

In the year 44 Before the Silver Era, the renowned leader of humans from the Age of Gods, Gaius Julius, became the dictator-for-life of the Ancient Silver Republic.

However, 60 members of the Senate who opposed an imperial system conspired to assassinate him.

On March 15th of that year, as Gaius Julius entered the Senate, the conspirators surrounded him, drew numerous daggers hidden within their robes, and stabbed him 23 times.

The 55-year-old prospective Emperor died on the spot, permanently altering a period of history.

Many historians believe that if the prospective Emperor had successfully ascended to become Emperor at that time, the Authority of the Emperor's [Crown] might not have been subordinate to the Papal Tiara, and the Church would not have played such a significant role in subsequent affairs.

There are a total of 23 Kingslayer's Daggers, all stained with Gaius Julius's blood. It is said that if all 23 are gathered, they possess the great power to directly kill the sole holder of the [Crown]. Those with a [King's Title] beneath the Emperor, and Princes especially, could be slaughtered with ease. Even a small cut on a finger from these daggers would cause unstoppable bleeding until death, unless the entire limb was severed. A stab to the torso meant certain doom. Because the organizer of the assassination was named Cassius, these 23 daggers are also called Cassius's Daggers.

The Transcendent from the Habsburg family raised the Cassius's Dagger in his hand and laughed maniacally, "HAHAHA, today I shall slay little princes one by one!"

Byron didn't know if there was any logic, from the perspective of the native princes, to being targeted by "swords of a former dynasty" or "daggers from the Old Continent." But he knew it was perfectly logical for such weapons to target him and Violet, a Prince and Princess from the Old Continent!

He dared not directly confront this weapon, which specialized in slaying royalty.

"Things are getting dangerous! Retreat!" Byron yelled.

RUMBLE...

But at that moment, the ground beneath everyone's feet shook violently. An illusory ring of stone walls rose around the fortress, slowly compressing towards the city center.

It was the second artifact activated by the Habsburg—a wonder of civilization, the barrier-type Sacred Relic known as the Great Colosseum of Beasts' Weeping Blood!