CHAPTER 164: EDWARD'S FAMILY AFFAIRS; HEADING TO THE LIBRARY

C"Hm... Let me see what Edward and the catgirl are up to now. Surely, they can't still be having tea—wouldn't they be stuffed by now?"

After leaving Wang Yu's residence, Charles quickly set aside his lingering doubts. He hummed cheerfully as he made his way toward the place where Edward and Sue had been earlier.

"Hm? What's going on? A grand knight's fighting spirit—what's a grand knight doing in this area?"

As Charles approached the location where Edward had been, the Tower tarot card in his chest pocket began to vibrate and transmit information to him.

The presence of a grand knight in the vicinity puzzled Charles. Grand knights were among the capital's top combat forces—why would one suddenly appear here?

What concerned Charles further was that Edward and Sue were no longer at their original spot. Though it wasn't necessarily connected to the grand knight's sudden presence, the timing was too coincidental for him to ignore. He immediately grew more vigilant.

The Wheel of Fate tarot card dissolved in his hand, transforming into flowing light that spread across the ground. Soon, glowing footprints appeared before him, revealing traces of past activity. Through these traces, images of what had recently transpired reconstructed themselves in Charles's mind.

"Edward suddenly got up in a hurry for some reason. After saying goodbye to Sue, he ran off quickly. Sue probably didn't even have time to react—she wanted to ask Edward what was going on but couldn't catch up, so she was forced to leave in confusion..."

Muttering to himself, Charles pieced together the sequence of events from the traces left behind. For now, he ruled out the possibility of a sudden attack. Instead, Edward had run off on his own, which made the situation even stranger. The grand knight was surely responsible somehow.

"I really don't get it—suddenly abandoning his girlfriend like that? What the hell is Edward up to?"

Charles wasn't about to leave things be. He followed Edward's footprints, all the while keeping an eye on the glowing traces revealed by the Wheel of Fate.

"Hmm... Here. Another set of footprints appeared. Looks like metal boots... Let me think. This pattern... the royal guards? How the hell did Edward get himself involved with the royal guards?"

Soon, more glowing footprints appeared on the street. Based on their sole patterns, Charles identified them as standard issue for royal guards. The grand knight and the owner of these footprints were likely one and the same.

"Forget it. I need to see what's going on with that guy." Charles shook his head. Whatever the situation, as long as he could find Edward, everything would become clear. Whether Edward had somehow provoked the royal guards or gotten caught up in something bigger, he'd find out soon enough.

The footprints overlapped, showing that Edward had been walking closely alongside the royal guard. The erratic rhythm of their steps, along with scrapes against the ground, suggested that the grand knight had been dragging Edward along.

"Who the hell would dare mess with the son of the Grand Duke of the North? Unless... Edward, did you commit some unforgivable crime against the royal family? Are you being hauled off to prison?"

Charles muttered to himself, baffled that anyone would dare provoke Edward. Though he didn't flaunt his status as nobility, his background made him all but untouchable. What could have happened?

"This is where the footprints lead. Damn it, I better not get caught up in something serious. I haven't broken any laws. If you really did something illegal, Edward, I can't save you—at that point, I'll just let the Professor and the captain bail you out."

Following the guidance of the Wheel of Fate, Charles tracked the footprints into an alleyway. It was a secluded area, far from the crowded main streets.

Voices echoed ahead. More importantly, the Tower in his chest pocket was vibrating wildly, warning him that a grand knight was nearby—and a top-tier one at that.

Charles hesitated. If this grand knight from the royal guard truly were intent on arresting Edward, there was nothing he could do. His best bet would be to report it to the Professor, the captain, or even Edward's father.

But he needed to see what was happening first. He wasn't about to just walk away. Gritting his teeth, he quickened his pace. If things got out of hand, at least he'd have a better understanding of the situation.

"Wait... That voice... No way. That's the royal guard's Grand Marshal, Uller! His strength matches up, but what he's saying—"

Angry voices rang through the alley. The speaker wasn't even trying to keep his voice down. Charles immediately identified the man—Uller, the Grand Marshal of the Royal Guard.

But his identity wasn't what shocked Charles most—not compared to what he was saying.

Inside the alley, Uller, famed for leading the royal guard in cutting down demon armies, stood in his signature heavy armor as he forced Edward against the wall. His gaze blazed with anger as he looked down at Edward, who hung his head.

"Do you have any idea how disappointed your father would be seeing you like this? You left his side just to escape your duty? Hah! Don't make me laugh. Someone like you isn't worthy of being his heir. Do you understand? The Northern Lion—there's no way someone like you could live up to that name."

Uller's voice, seething with barely contained rage, was infused with bitter disappointment.

"You're useless like this. You'll only disappoint everyone who ever had expectations for you. You care so much about your own identity, but do you even understand what it means to uphold the will of the Grand Duke of Lionheart? I can understand if you think you're not mature enough to lead, if you think you lack the ability to command warriors. But this cowardly escape—I refuse to tolerate it."

Uller slammed a fist into the wall beside Edward. Even though he held back, the sheer strength of a grand knight shattered the bricks as if they were made of tofu. His fist punched deep into the wall, but he controlled his strength so precisely that the neighboring bricks weren't affected at all.

"No matter what, you are the recognized heir of Duke Leon Leonardo. His brothers and I will acknowledge you unconditionally.

"But you need to understand that running away changes nothing. The past is what it is. Your father let you leave not because he wanted you to numb yourself or avoid your responsibilities while being part of the Nightblades. He wanted you to find your own path."

Uller withdrew his fist, his eyes still locked onto Edward's downcast face. His voice grew quieter but no less grave.

"Figure out what to do quickly. Time is of the essence. If you don't change yourself, you'll only end up with more regrets. I don't believe lecturing you will change anything, Edward—but don't let your father... or us... down."

With that, Uller turned and left. The sound of his heavy armored boots clanged against the stone pavement.

As he exited the alley, his gaze swept over Charles, who had been standing there eavesdropping the entire time. Charles hadn't bothered to hide—he knew a grand knight of Uller's caliber would have sensed him long ago. The fact that Uller didn't knock him out on the spot meant he didn't care.

Still, when Uller's cold gaze fell on him, Charles shuddered. The sheer presence and pressure from that stare were terrifying.

"Even just a glance from that guy is terrifying. I can't imagine how Edward felt being lectured by him for so long..."

Charles clutched his chest. The sheer strength hidden beneath that armor was overwhelming. Even as a magician and wizard, he could clearly sense Uller's raw, unyielding power—the kind that could tear him apart effortlessly.

As he calmed down, Charles began to process what he had just learned. Unintentionally, he had stumbled upon a huge secret. He had always wondered why Edward didn't just stay with his father instead of running off to the capital to be part of the Nightblades. Now, it was clear that there was something deeper to it all.

Footsteps echoed from the alley. Edward emerged, his expression dark and heavy with turmoil.

"Hey, what's got you so lost in thought? Still recovering from getting chewed out?"

Suddenly, Edward felt someone pat his back. Instinctively, he sidestepped and moved away from what he perceived as a potential threat.

Uller's words had shaken him. Not only had they wracked him with self-doubt, they had exposed a long-buried conflict within himself. For the first time in a long while, he was forced to confront it directly.

This had left him so distracted that he had let his usual vigilance slip—and he instinctively retreated as someone approached.

"Hey, it's me. Why're you acting so jumpy?" Edward finally recognized who it was upon hearing Charles's voice. The tension in his body eased.

"What are you doing here...?" Edward's eyes widened as he took in Charles's presence, only to dim once more. The emotions stirred by his "conversation" with Uller wouldn't fade so easily.

"I should be asking why you ditched your girlfriend and ran all the way here with some big guy instead. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder what exactly is going on inside that head of yours."

Charles shrugged casually as he spoke.

"You heard that? This is... my own business." Edward shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it—some kind of family issue you can't really talk about. Who knows what's going on in the mind of a duke's son like you? But looking at you now, all disheveled... how about a drink?"

Charles waved a hand dismissively, not pressing the issue. He made his offer knowing about Edward's terrible alcohol tolerance full well.

"...Alright." After a brief silence, Edward nodded.

Before long, half a month had gone by. Ever since he cleaned out the Cult of the Abyss's hideout in the capital's shadow, there hadn't been much for Wang Yu to do with the Nightblades. He had spent his time at home continuing his training while also considering what he could take from the Grand Library.

He already had some idea of the knowledge he wanted to acquire, but the physical object he could claim was a different story. Wang Yu figured he wouldn't truly know what was available until he was inside the library itself.

Precisely half a month later, as she returned from the academy, Avia brought him the news that the Grand Library would be opening the next day. It was said to be one of the academy's greatest treasures, yet for some reason, this would be the last time it was ever opened.

The next day, Wang Yu and Avia took a carriage to Stevenson Academy of Magic. The guards at the academy's gates were already familiar with the two of them; after verifying their identities in a cursory fashion, they allowed them to enter without issue.

On the way to the designated meeting point, Wang Yu was somewhat surprised to be greeted directly by the principal of Stevenson Academy of Magic.

"Mr. Wang Yu, you've finally arrived. It's been quite some time. I must once again thank you for everything you've done for Stevenson Academy of Magic. Please, follow me—I'll take you to the entrance of the Grand Library."

Weston was, as always, a skilled diplomat. Following the principal's lead, Wang Yu and Avia walked down one of the academy's trails. At one point, as they passed through a certain pathway, Wang Yu and Avia sensed an almost imperceptible spatial fluctuation. When they turned back, the entire space around them had changed.

The familiar scenery of the academy was gone. Before them was a narrow, single-lane path paved with stone, flanked by a vast desert. The ground was ashen gray, devoid of any signs of life. Any greenery had long withered, reduced to dry, brittle stalks. The space on either side stretched endlessly, yet paradoxically, it didn't feel particularly large—it was impossible to tell whether the horizon was a true boundary or merely an extension of this space.

At the end of the path stood what appeared to be an old, somewhat dilapidated library, far less grand than its name suggested. Its exterior walls bore the marks of time, and its glass windows were so covered in dust that the interior was barely visible. The metal doors of the library also showed signs of wear and tear. It was hard to believe that this unassuming, even somewhat rundown, edifice was the legendary Grand Library.

"This is a demi-plane created within the academy using an array. It isn't particularly large," Westin explained to the two of them. "While the library appears to exist here, this is merely an entrance."

In the distance, Wang Yu could see six or seven other academy students who had also qualified to enter the Grand Library. Among them were that merchant's son with impressive skill at formations, and Daniel, who had once been humiliated by Charles. The Grand Library was just about to open.