Soul of Searing Steel

Just like how the game was advertised, Continental War was a turbulent world.

In the dispute between men, nations and even Gods, peace was a fragile thing. The peace in the Mycroft Continent was about to be broken again. The adventurers would have to wield their shields and swords in the great continent that was filled with blood and smoke as they wrote new epic chapters in the history of the Mycroft Continent with their courage and wisdom.

It sounded tempting, but when you are in this world, you would feel ubiquitously depressed.

The civilians felt fearful and uneasy because of the increasing wars. The continent gradually became desolated with the dark smoke that covered the sky, blocking the stars, the moons, and the sun. The hearts of men were getting colder as they lost the feeling of love. The peace that once filled the continent had left and never to return.

The so-called epic was not what everyone thought it should be. Rivers of blood flowed on earth and the bones had piled up into mountains. The kingdom of the ancients was gradually falling. The flame of the civilization flickered like a weak fire on a candle, waiting to be extinguished.

Of course, there were always people who could adapt to such a cruel and depressing world.

Sitting on the chair in the lounge of the library, Joshua put down the book in his hand and looked up at the man who was walking towards him.

"I know you."

He calmly opened his mouth and said, "The second prince, Dimore Diamond. I did not expect to see you here."

The young man had come out of the shadows from behind the bookshelf. He stood before the warrior and both of his divine armaments.

That was a familiar face that Joshua had seen multiple times in his previous life whenever he read the newspapers of the city. Though the face was much younger at that time, Joshua could definitely recognize that face. That man was undoubtedly the second prince of the Emperor, the future Emperor of the Northern Empire.

Dimore had dark blond hair just like his father. His face was considerably ordinary. However, his sharp aura was well-known to all. He had definitely inherited the blood of the Diamond Royal Warrior. Hearing what Joshua had said, the second prince rolled his eyes.

Dimore appeared to be unusually plain. He was wearing an ordinary uniform of the guard. Other than the coat of arms of a golden sun that was unnoticeable, it was impossible to see the man as an heir to the throne. Anyone could have mistaken him for an ordinary knight who hailed from the Northwest Plains if Joshua did not say it aloud.

"You know me?"

He thought that his identity was carefully concealed. Dimore pressed his hand against the sword at his waist the moment Joshua revealed his identity–it was not because the prince wanted to fight; it was merely an old habit. The second prince felt a little doubtful as he muttered to himself, "Even most of the ministers can't recognize me. I can't believe you actually recognized me by first sight."

"That's obvious. You had a great impression on me."

Joshua shrugged and took a quick glance at the man who had become the steel-cold king.

Dimore Diamond was in fact a man who had completely adapted to a world that was cruel and suppressive. Unlike the firstborn of the Emperor, who had always lived in peace, the heart of the second prince hid a ferocious beast, waiting to be unleashed when the time was right.

In about another six years, the current Emperor Israel Diamond would die without any reason. And because his passing was unforeseeable and neither did he leave any will to make things clear, the Northern Empire would go into chaos. Civil war broke out in the kingdom as many princes attempted to claim the throne for themselves.

Even the great and mighty city that was not affected by the invasion of the Dragon's Calamity fell to the brink of total ruin. The soldiers and the military army were forced to slaughter their own people. After the great war of [March Mayhem], the entire region of the Northern Empire was split into seven regions by seven different princes and princesses where each of them took over one region. There were divisions among themselves.

Before the invasion of the Dark Abyss, their acts and behaviors were undoubtedly leading their kingdom to its doom. However, now that things had escalated so quickly, the Imperial Kingdom was destined to fall.

It was Dimore who changed everything.

That man who had been insignificant and quiet all his life had appeared out of nowhere and revealed himself to the world with a strength that was approaching the threshold of Legendary. He raided from thousands of miles away and showed no mercy to his fellow brothers and sisters, slaughtering them one after another, leaving none of them alive to claim the throne. Then, he crowned himself with the metallic crown and became the new Emperor. The coronation happened in Morlaix Palace in the Holy City of the Triplet Mountain.

In the pre-existence, because of the battle against the Dark Abyss, Joshua was able to see Dimore more than just a couple of times. Comparing to the mighty Emperor who was tough and iron-blooded and having strength as strong as the Dark Abyss, the second prince was too young at the moment. Even though his face looks like had been through some storms and countless battles, Dimore was still too young. His eyes were crystal clear and all of his thoughts were revealed through them.

—This is really interesting.

Joshua felt like laughing. He had never expected to see the future iron-blooded Emperor to look so young.

The both of them observed each other.

He did not seem to be bothered by Joshua's words at all. After all, whether Joshua knew him or not, his purpose remained the same.

If the warrior did not see through his identity, Dimore would have felt disappointed.

His gray-brown eyes swept over the warrior as he looked carefully at Joshua who was sitting on the chair.

—this is really a tall man, a man with a body forged from steel.

Even when the warrior seemed to be at ease, he still exuded an aura of firmness. Those red eyes of the warrior did not show any signs of wavering at all. Instead, they unleashed heavy pressure, causing Dimore to feel as if he was sinking to a bottomless sea. He also felt as if he was about to crash into a glacier that was about to be tipped over. It felt cold and extremely dangerous.

"You are powerful."

With his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, Dimore had noticed that something was off. He shook his head slightly as he expelled the thoughts and illusions out of his mind. He remained silent for a while before furrowing his brows and then praising the warrior, "As expected of the powerful warrior who Father kept praising about. I almost pull out my sword simply from your gaze."

"I probably know the purpose of your visit."

Joshua leaned back into the chair. He did not intend to stand up. He smiled lightly and said, "Now that I think about it, this really suits your character, but how did you know that I wanted to come here?"

The warrior recalled some rumors about the future Emperor. Now it appeared that the rumors were true.

"It seems that you truly understand me… However, this is merely a coincidence. I have already been here at the Royal Library before I even know that you would be here looking for Master Nostradamus."

With indifference towards Joshua, Dimore slowly walked in front of a desk. He looked at the warrior with his gray-brown eyes. Unlike ordinary people, his eyes were not filled with fear and anxiety. Instead, Dimore seemed excited and curious about the warrior, "Count Radcliffe… It was my first time hearing my father praising a warrior so much. You have to understand that even the captains of The Five Armies were only 'not bad' despite being a Legendary like himself."

"And you were, to him, 'the best'."

Dimore sat at the opposite of Joshua as he made a concluding remark. His eyes swept over Ying and Ling. The two divine armaments looked calmly at Dimore in the eyes. The second prince frowned and asked, "Is this your lady servant and your butler? Although they are young, their wills are as tough as nails. Should they be excused from here?"

"Don't worry, the both of them are also 'the best'."

Shaking his head to disagree, Joshua looked at the second prince who was too eager to get to the main point. So he asked the prince disinterestedly, "Are we doing it here? This is the great Royal Library. Don't you think it would be wiser to change the venue?"

"No problem. We shall do it here."

Disarming his sword and putting it on the table beside him, Dimore moved his arms around as his eyes blazed with heat. "As long as we can end it before the guards arrive, no problem should follow after we are done. You're capable of doing that, right?"

"Of course I can."

Hearing the words that he was familiar of, the warrior glanced at the sword the second prince was armed with. That was an ordinary crossguard with great craftsmanship. The longsword was in the shape of a cruciform. The leather on the hilt seemed to be damaged. Its master must have been using it all the time. Traces of dirt and residue of some sort could be found on the sheath of the weapon as well. Judging from the looks, its master must have brought it along with him in many treacherous and dangerous battles. The resentment of the dead was entangled on it; a proof to the contribution of the wielder of that weapon to the military force of the kingdom.

It was rumored that the second prince had concealed his identity when he was still a teenager in order to join the military at the Western Plains. He had been battling against the green-skinned orcs ever since. His battle had finally come to an end when Orc Palace was burnt down and the entire race of orcs was annihilated. Only then he was able to return to the Imperial City. So it seemed that the news and rumors were true.

According to the rumors, he had the habit of challenging strong champions. In the coming days, the Sword of the Empire Brandon would often be summoned by Dimore in the name of an inspection. The purpose was to get Brandon out of the city and to duel with him. And due to his enthusiasm to duel, Dimore was crowned with the title 'The King of Duels.'

Now, was his action purely because of his desire to be above everyone else?

No, there were some other things beyond that.

"As you wish."

Joshua laughed out loud, too lazy to think about anything else. He pushed the books off the surface of the table and spread his arms. The red Combat Aura began to charge his body. The laughter of the warrior echoed in the great living hall.

"Dimore, I allow you to challenge me."