The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 16 - :Going Crazy

At the edge of the vast expanse, a woman sat in a grand chair, her gaze fixed on the training field through the lofty window. Mariana adjusted the monocle on her left eye, her lips curling into an amused smirk as she observed the unfolding chaos below.

"Interesting," she murmured, glancing at her nanny, Adele.

"You were right about that..."

Adele nodded, her hands folded neatly in front of her. "He himself gave us the opportunity."

Mariana chuckled, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest. "People who seek recognition often resort to reckless actions. The quickest way to reclaim respect is by defeating the knights and establishing dominance. It was bound to happen, but..." She paused, her sharp eyes narrowing as she tilted her head.

"But I didn't expect him to be crazy enough to bet on the heir. This... This could lead to a bigger problem."

"A bigger problem?" Adele echoed, surprise flickering across her face.

Mariana didn't answer right away. Instead, she kept watching the training field, her expression turning thoughtful.

"It will either be his greatest failure, making him the laughingstock of the entire Empire... or..." She trailed off, her words fading as something caught her attention.

A gaze.

It was cold and piercing yet filled with amusement.

Then, a sickening smile stretched across Kael's lips as his gray eyes locked onto hers from the field that a shiver ran down her spine.

....

Kael rested his sword on his shoulder while his head tilted slightly as he took in the crowd. The blood-soaked ground beneath him reeked of iron, and the lingering screams of the fallen still echoed faintly. But he paid them no mind.

"Come up. I don't have much time," he called out lazily.

The remaining knights hesitated and their faces pale with their fingers twitching around their weapons.

Kael smirked, but then his gaze drifted past them.

Baret.

The dog who sat quietly, watching him like a predator sizing up prey. A silent, scheming mutt who covered for the disgusting actions of the knights yet lacked the guts to step forward himself. Kael could practically see the hatred bubbling beneath his blank expression.

But what amused Kael more was the presence in the distance. The high tower where his dear sister's quarters resided.

And standing there, watching with calculated interest, was her maid Mariana.

Kael's smirk widened. He had seen her before. A cunning little fox, always lurking behind his sister, whispering poison in her ears. Her eyes were sharp, her demeanor poised, but Kael could tell she was enjoying this spectacle.

She thought she had figured him out.

But he loved it when people underestimated him.

His sickening grin stretched wider.

'Dear sister... just relax and watch the show.'

A sudden roar snapped his attention back to the field.

"Kyle... Remember my name!"

A knight, consumed by rage, charged forward, his sword raised high. Kael barely glanced at him.

"Don't ignore me!" the knight screamed, fury in his voice.

He brought his blade down with all his strength.

SWISH!

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

Kael took a simple step back, swaying his body just enough to let the attack miss him entirely. His movements were effortlessly lazy but he managed to avoid them.

Before the knight could recover, Kael twisted his wrist and flicked his sword in a seamless motion.

BANG!

The pommel of his sword slammed into the knight's temple with a bone-cracking impact. The man's head snapped sideways at an unnatural angle causing his body to stagger before collapsing to the dirt in a lifeless heap.

A stunned silence followed.

Then—

"Next."

A second knight, blinded by desperation, lunged forward, hoping to strike while Kael was distracted.

It was dad move.

Kael's sword moved like a ghost, a clean diagonal slash cutting through the knight's shoulder. A moment later, his arm dropped to the ground.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

The knight's agonized scream tore through the field. He stumbled backward, clutching the bleeding stump where his arm had once been. His legs gave out, and he collapsed, his entire body trembling as blood soaked into the dirt.

Kael sighed, his expression unimpressed.

"Next."

A third knight hesitated but forced himself to attack, swinging his sword in a desperate arc. Kael didn't bother dodging this time. Instead, he raised his own blade and met the strike head-o but his sword cut through both the knight's weapon and his chest in one fluid motion.

The knight let out a strangled gasp, staggering back, his hands clawing at the deep gash across his torso. His legs wobbled, his face twisted in pain. He tried to speak, but only blood gurgled past his lips before he collapsed, his body convulsing for a few seconds before going still.

Kael clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"Too easy."

The fourth knight was already backing away, his sword slipping from his trembling fingers. "This... this isn't real..." His voice shook. "How is this happening...?"

Kael turned to him and smiled. A slow, eerie smile that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"You're weak."

Before the knight could react, Kael lunged forward and swept his sword low.

SHINK!

The blade sliced through both of the man's legs.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

The knight collapsed to the ground as his body convulsed while his screams filled with sheer agony. He reached desperately for his missing limbs, his mind unable to comprehend what had just happened. His cries were ragged, broken, the sound of a man who had lost everything.

Kael crouched beside him, watching as his victim writhed in the dirt.

"Pathetic."

Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he drove his sword through the knight's shoulder.

"GAAAAAAHHH!"

The knight shrieked like a wounded beast making others flinch back in fear.

Few even pissed their pants in fear.

Blood sprayed, and the screams stopped.

The final knight barely had the strength to stand. His eyes darted to his fallen comrades, his breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps. His whole body trembled.

He dropped his sword.

"P-Please... I don't want to—"

Kael cut him off. His blade slashed across the knight's chest, tearing through armor and flesh. The man let out a strangled cry before collapsing, his hands pressing against the deep wound. His breath came in shuddering gasps as his life drained away.

Kael sighed, shaking the blood off his sword.

He looked up.

The knights who were still standing didn't move. They didn't even breathe.

Fear paralyzed them.

Their arrogance and their pride, all of it had been shattered.

Kael tilted his head, his cold eyes sweeping across the broken men before him.

His grin widened.

"Next."

Not a single soul dared to step forward.

Baret, standing at a distance, clenched his fists. His jaw tightened with an unreadable expression But Kael could see it—see the way his fingers twitched, the way his muscles tensed.

For the first time...

Baret felt fear.