Tribal Sign-In: Immortal At The Start

Chapter 305: Meeting Duke Clifford

Rion stood at the center of the battlefield that had turned red from the battle a week ago.In one minute, the three days he had given the duke would be up, and then he would depart to see him by himself.

His Zone had already spread across the duke’s command tents, and he could hear every word being spoken there; however, he still couldn’t find the duke.

It was as if the duke wasn’t even there, but Rion knew that wasn’t the case as the nebulae were still here, though most of the soldiers were leaving the camp.

"Guess even a monster can care for his people," Rion commented.

The final minute passed.

"Let’s end this," he mumbled under his breath and disappeared.

The space at the center of the camp trembled, and Rion appeared there.

Seeing him, the soldiers jumped back and pulled out their swords. "Who are you?!"

Rion placed a hand on his chin and studied them with an impressed expression.

A moment later, his curiosity vanished, and he said, "I am the person you have been waiting for."

"What?"

"What is this bastard talking about?"

"Are you lost?"

Rion smiled and commanded, "Go and tell your master that I, Bael Leonara, am here."

Hearing the name that had become a taboo to them, a shudder ran through their bodies, and the swords slipped out of their hands.

The unified clangs of the swords attracted others’ attention, and they turned towards them.

Feeling the gazes, Rion shook his head and vanished from his spot.

’What kind of soldiers drop their weapons so easily?’ Rion remarked inwardly and clicked his tongue as he stepped into the tent where all four nebulae were.

Hearing the tent flap, the nebulae looked at him, and Kane asked while tightening his grip around his battle axe, "Who are you?"

Rion smiled and took the empty chair. "Do you really have to ask?"

At those words, the four became sure of who he was, and Riven mumbled heavily, "Bael Leonara..."

"That would be me, yes," Rion responded with a leisurely smile.

"What are you doing here?" Drace questioned after lifting his spear off the ground.

"It seems you are bad with time. No worries, let me help you."

Their expressions hardened, and Rion continued, "Three days have passed since your messenger came to meet me, and the duke has still not surrendered, so I have come to take his head."

Suddenly, the nebulae burst into laughter.

’Why are they laughing?’ A bad premonition filled him.

Vale took out his short swords and stated, "But the duke has already left to meet you at the camp."

"What?" Rion’s face darkened instantly.

They let out an amused chuckle.

Drace flipped the table toward Rion, and gray flames manifested on his sword as he swung forward.

The sword cut through the table like butter, and the other three got ready to strike, but to their surprise, Rion wasn’t there.

"What the fuck?" they cursed and looked around, but no matter how hard they skimmed, they didn’t find him. It was as if the ground had swallowed him.

Rion returned to the edge of his Zone and continued to teleport towards Leonara’s camp.

"How did he manage not to get detected by my zone?" he mumbled under his breath and clenched his fists.

"The only beings that can do that are living shadows, yet he was able to do it... How did he even come to know that I have a Zone? Only those who have a Zone can sense it."

He had many questions, and for now, he locked them in the same coffer in which he had the questions that had been part of his life for years.

Within mere moments, he appeared at the camp, and clangs surrounded him.

The camp was full of shadows, and the duke was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, a roar tore through the battle, freezing the shadows in place.

Selva jumped forward with his sword gleaming brightly and cut through all of the frozen shadows.

Many of the knights and soldiers had already lost their lives, and to keep the remaining ones safe, Rion broke the aura ring around his heart and called forth all the aura.

A gigantic golden flame appeared in the camp, and he flung his arms wide.

A wave of golden flames burst in all directions, and the shadows that were filling the camp were engulfed by it. They turned solid, then to ashes as the flame continued outwards.

The aura didn’t affect Leonara’s army, and within moments, all of the shadows were gone.

Everyone stared in Rion’s direction, and he stared at the tent before him.

Without ceremony, he stepped into the tent, and his gaze fell on an old man in a regal blue attire, with the duke’s insignia on the cloak clasps.

The man had sharp, pink eyes and styled gray hair with a few strands of white. Wrinkles covered his face and body, and he was sitting in a chair with a dark lantern dangling from his fingers.

Rion’s gaze turned to the lantern, and he noted, ’I can’t sense that lantern.’

He looked at the man and said, "You are a hard man to meet, Duke Clifford."

"I would not be here if I were not," the duke answered with a faint smile and added, "Though you came back quite quickly. It is as if you can just appear anywhere you want."

’You aren’t wrong,’ he commented in his head and let out a chuckle, "Haha! I believe you were not expecting to see me half purple."

"Indeed. I was not," the duke nodded and raised a hand towards the chair placed at the opposite end.

Rion took the chair, and the duke spoke, "So you are the son of the princess and the monarch of those barbarians."

Rion smiled, though a vein was clearly throbbing at his temple. "I am."

The duke looked into his eyes and said, "Why have you come here instead of following your divine duty then?"