The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 500

Kael did not know how long he had been inside the abyss.

Time there felt strange, stretched and broken. His body was not truly exhausted, but his mind felt heavy. It was not physical fatigue. It was psychological.

When someone focuses on a task for too long, the moment it ends, the weight crashes down all at once.

That was how Kael felt now.

Warm steam rose gently as Lyria wiped his face with a hot, damp towel. The cloth moved slowly across his cheeks and forehead, washing away dried blood and dust. The warmth seeped into his skin, and Kael felt himself relax.

’Getting served like this feels great,’ he thought lazily.

’No wonder people scream about not wanting to let go of such luxury.’

Lyria worked in silence. Her face remained calm and professional, but her eyes kept scanning him carefully. She checked his skin, his neck, his shoulders, as if searching for hidden wounds.

Kael noticed her stare and smiled faintly.

"Lyria," he said softly, "I am totally fit and fine, so stop peering at me like that."

"Uh... sorry!" Lyria replied quickly.

"I am not reprimanding you," Kael added.

"I see..." she said, lowering her gaze.

Kael turned his head slightly and looked at her. He studied her face for a moment, then spoke casually.

"If you are in love with me, just confess."

"...."

Lyria’s hands froze mid-air.

She looked at Kael in shock. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted as if she wanted to say something. Then she shook her head quickly.

"Lord, you are kidding, right?" she asked, flustered.

"Of course not," Kael replied confidently. "I know my charisma. How can a lovely lady not be charmed?"

He even blew his front hair aside with exaggerated swagger.

"Hahahaha! I was just joking."

"You—!"

Lyria’s face turned completely crimson. In embarrassment and frustration, she threw the towel straight at Kael’s face and turned around.

She ran away without looking back.

"Hey! Lyria! It was a joke! Stop! Stop!" Kael shouted after her.

But Lyria ignored him and disappeared down the corridor.

Kael lowered his voice and shook his head.

"Haaa..." he sighed inwardly.

’I was correct,’ he thought.

’The lady has indeed developed affection... ohhh.’

Just then, a cough echoed from the doorway.

Kael’s relaxed expression disappeared instantly. He looked toward the entrance.

"Aren’t you ashamed to sneak like this?" Kael asked dryly.

Melvin stood there awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"I just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable," Melvin said with an embarrassed expression.

"Duke is calling, right?" Kael asked.

"Yes," Melvin nodded.

"Go. Let’s go."

......

A heavy, somber silence filled the area as the two figures stood together and stared ahead.

What lay before them was nothing but destruction.

Broken land, shattered buildings, scorched ground, and lingering traces of dark energy filled the battlefield. Smoke still rose faintly from the ruins.

Kael paused for a moment and then spoke.

"What are we going to do about the portal?"

"We have asked for reinforcements to temporarily seal it," Duke Serpentine replied.

"We need to seal it quickly," Kael said seriously.

Even though Kael had slaughtered many abyssal beings, he knew the truth. Those he killed were only the restless ones. They were not the full force.

The portal was still unstable, which meant a Demi-God could not pass through yet. But that did not mean it could not be stabilized.

Once fully established, the portal could be reinforced from both sides.

Kael’s gaze darkened slightly.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"About the traitor," Duke Serpentine replied sharply.

"What happened to him?"

"I couldn’t find any traces," the Duke added.

"Oh..." Kael narrowed his eyes slightly.

"When we were fighting, that priest used some evil tentacles," Kael explained calmly. "They snatched him away and drained his life to stabilize the portal."

"I see..." Duke Serpentine said quietly.

There was a hint of regret in his voice.

Kael could feel the Duke’s sadness. Even if the man had betrayed them, blood was still blood. But Kael did not know how to comfort him.

After all, he barely knew the man himself.

The silence stretched again.

Then Kael spoke as if remembering something.

"By the way, Melvin said you know the method to grow spirit beasts?"

"Spirit beast?" Duke Serpentine frowned.

"Yes," Kael nodded. "Since the war is over, I need to strengthen my spirit beast."

He paused and added with a straight face, "At present, it’s just a mere mewing cat."

Melvin nearly choked on air.

The Duke stared at Kael for a second, then sighed.

"You really don’t know how terrifying the things you say are," Duke Serpentine said.

Kael smiled faintly.

"But if you want to grow a spirit beast," the Duke continued, "then yes, I do know a method."

Kael’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"Good," he said. "Then let’s talk about that next."

The war on the eastern front was over but the preparations for the next storm had already begun.

.....

"It’s over... we won..."

"YESSSS!"

BOOOOM!

Roosevelt slammed the stack of files onto the table. The sound echoed through the chamber. His face lit up with raw joy, and for a brief moment he almost forgot where he was. If not for his status and the watching nobles, he would have cursed loudly and danced right there.

His shoulders were shaking with excitement.

However, the moment did not last.

"Cough."

The sharp sound cut through his celebration.

"Your Majesty," Martina said calmly, though her tone carried weight. "It’s not over."

Roosevelt froze. He slowly straightened his posture and cleared his throat.

"We only won one part of the war," she continued. "Not the entire war."

Roosevelt exhaled and rubbed his temple, forcing himself to calm down.

"I know," he said after a moment. "But even small victories deserve to be celebrated. Especially after all this mess."

Martina did not smile.

"The portal is still active," she reminded him. "We’ve already been asked to send runesmiths and specialists to help seal it. We also need to seek assistance from the Church. They specialize in dealing with abyssal matters."

The moment the word Church left her mouth, Roosevelt’s expression darkened.

The Church.

If the Church truly acted when needed, things would have been far simpler. But even after knowing that Nightstar had fallen into the hands of the Abyssal Sect, they had done nothing. They watched from the shadows like wolves, waiting for Heizen and Nightstar to weaken each other.

Only then would they step in.

That thought made his blood boil.

Annoyance.

Frustration.

Disgust.

Roosevelt closed his eyes for a moment, then reached for a letter lying on the desk.

It bore a royal seal carved from ice.

The Ice Elves.