The Red Fate, Chapter three.

Walking cautiously as he trailed behind The King, The Duke Woodsrell wouldn't dare look back in fear the sight of blood would make him puke.

"A symbol. That's what the previous liege used to be. But I do have a different belief as someone who's suffered just as anyone else. A Pain that reeks so much, it could be a little child's most happy memory. What do you say, Mutt?*"

Feeling like that was directed at him, The Duke Woodsrell paced himself like a good dog he actually was.

[Welcome to The ★Heavenless Kingdom★. Affected to the roots by The Nobleness, the fate of these people worsened over the years under the reign of The Weakling King, Sasonier Fleur Gregory. The Duke, One of the Good?-kin was the first to try an assassination attempt on him. But failed to provide The ★Heavenless Kingdom★ a New King...Or has he succeeded?]

As he stepped outside, The King noticed the sun rays blinding the the beauty of his yard.

Hundreds of various species of flowers laying around in a gigantic maze of square -ed formation.

To top it off, the wind carried along a scent of Nature and a breeze of coffee taste.

"May I speak, My King?*

Breaking the ice, the Duke Woodsrell engaged first.

"You may."

Replying by ignoring the eyes of the Duke, The king kept walking around observing the details of the beautiful yard.

*A pressuring force. A mana pool I can't see the end of. The eyes of someone who's lived in far worse despair than I.. The King was not someone who lived that kind of life. But you are different..*

Basing his guess on pure guts, the Duke knew deep inside that The King was not The King he knew of.

Remaining silent for a few seconds before answering, The King stated this a few feets away:

"Sasonier sure had one heck of a Duke."

*That's what I thought. Who are you!?*

Shocked.

The Duke reacted wildly as the truth was something he couldn't get a grasp of.

"...I~~~!!!"

But that vivid moment cut short as The King was about to reveal his trueself.

The reason:

"..grandpa, I think they are looking the way you farted. We are exposed.. I propose we abort the mission..."

Eyes scanning the bushes in front of them, The King and the Duke spotted two pairs of leg coming out.

Sighing in disbelief, the duke completely the fact that the Marquis had come to The King's Mansion too.

*Hoh-hoh!*

Coming out the bush were two figures.

A tall white haired man and a mysterious red neck little fellow.

*Marquis Lionhart!...and a Lotus Knight? What's the people of the opps doing here?*

The Duke was surprised to witness the Marquis who'd rarely go out his war office.

"Marquis... The famous Marquis Lionhart Bercanvi.. And that must, by your side, your little child. The one you tried to spouse me with: Lotus Knight Karen Gus Lionhart. What were you eavesdropping?"

Smirking afar, the Marquis didn't utter a word and instead, it was the Lotus Knight that speeched.

*Huh-humh! To his majesty, The Marquis wishes to converse with you...!--*

But midway her speech, the Marquis corrected the Lotus Knight in her ears...

*Huh-Humph! I stand corrected. To the bastard of the Whore Queen Langalea Merlin Gregory, the Marquis wishes you a great comeback from the dead..*

Agaped by the situation, the Duke felt the ridiculousness through the Lotus Knight's Words.

Taking a look at The King, the Duke saw no anger, but rather an amused guy.

"Funny... So this is the Marquis. He seems like the kind of guy that punch'd a guy senseless if on a rampage. I can feel the strength exuding off guy.~~~Why did you come here, Tresspassers? I do not remember allowing any dipshit inside my yard."

Flinching hard, the Lotus Knight could barely hide expressions..

She looked furious.

Looking closely, The King saw that he hit deep in and personal.

The marquis looked unfazed on the outside and it was not obvious what he was intending to do.

Suddenly, the Lotus Knight jumped right in the trap of The King unable to contain the emotion.

The duke, by The King, saw the events and instantly knew that the Lotus Knight lost her temper to judge the situation..

Closing his eyes, he did not want to see the massacre.

[Transfer of Memory. Begin! Permission granted by Former King Sasonier Fleur Gregory to modify the Mana Capacity~~||••||~~Mana Capacity; Limitless.]

The Lotus Knight saw RED and with the intention of ending the life of The King''s Life, got sucked in instead.

*Huh?!*

**BAM!!**

Her body hit the soil so hard, it created a crater.

Being pummeled by a mysterious force, the Lotus Knight couldn't budge a finger and instinctively called for The marquis to help.

"That's your knight begging in a dire situation. Pathetic, Marquis. I don't know why you brought her here but I'm not in the mood to play with some mutts. I won't ask for a third time, this is the last. Why are y'all here?"

That.. That escalated quickly.

The powerhouse of The Heavenless Kingdom was about to get crippled this soon.

All because of their New King..

The Duke Stood still, afraid of what would happen if he meddled in The King's LITTLE punishment.

The Marquis hid his mouth, but the facial expression had long given up what he was feeling.

The Lotus Knight, on the side, never felt this crushing force in all her experience.

She had been on a battlefield and never were Mages able to quick cast---

"I'm getting restless."

*I APOLOGIZE!*

To the Lotus Knight, it felt like an eternity, but the marquis knew what he was doing.

Taking a Knee for The King, the marquis wanted to address his fault in front of The King.

"Do you think... I'm satisfied with just THAT?"

A bored face, a restless figure; The King was getting more bored as time went by.

*My King. I will take partial of the punishment. Please, let the Knight go free.*

Looking to his right, The King witnessed a shaking mutt trying to take the side Of The Lotus Knight.

The King was Puzzled.

"Why do they take so long to take a simple decision?"

But he took this as a cue.

The King stopped and let the Knight free.

At the exact moment, The Marquis lauched himself at The King.

The duke wordless, did not conceive that the marquis would lose this cool that easy.

The Lotus Knight, on the contrary, wished for this since The King disrespected her.

But it was clear...

The Marquis Faction just made an enemy out of The King's.

And this time, The duke did not hesitate.

Bodyguarded The King with all his might using his body and every experience he had, the duke recited every quick cast spells he knew.

The Clash started!

*Gnnng!*

Stuffingly expressed the Marquis, laughing in his beard whereas the duke was not letting a single sound out his mouth.

*Fucking Geezer! Can't you go easy on the young gen for a sec!? I'm already trying you know..*

Sending a swift punch to the left cheek of The duke, the Marquis hit where he felt the magic shield wavered a bit and it worked.

The duke fazed a bit before his concentration got back.

*Hoh~hoh~hoh...*

Suddenly, a mysterious force pulled the marquis upward hindering his movements to a moment.

Lauching a rain of arrow made of lightning, the duke hoped this would deal a bit of damaged at least.

The knee.

The elbow.

The waist.

The eyes.

The marquis couldn't avoid everything the duke sent at him.

Touching all those places, the graze still hurt him since it was all vital spots.

The Marquis, ruling the power scale when it came to the Duke Woodsrell was losing a battle of speed instead.

The Marquis' stuffed laugh became more nervous as time went by.

And The King boredom was getting higher.

Until someone stopped the clash by giving something in return.

Substituting her body to the marquis, she hoped the duke would stop and yet, the duke's momentum couldn't be stopped by normal means.

The King, witnessing the mess this clashhad become.

He knew what was happening.

And he was thinking:

"That girl.. it wouldn't be bad to have her become a close one."

With a flick of the fingers, everyone's movement halted..

"Enough is enough. I'm not in the mood to get bored on the sideline. Though, a few scenes were quite entertaining. Good job, Duke. You are not entirely useless, I saw. And to you Marquis, your apology is accepted gladly. You may 'piss off' from my yard now."

Wishing to avoid a meaningless fight with The King, the marquis retreated.

And adding to that, The King whispered a little message to The Lotus Knight.

"I will come see you tomorrow night."

The Duke, exhausted having face off the marquis, knew something was strange by the facial expression of The Lotus Knight but decided to leave it at that.

"Duke, you agree with me that I'm lacking a tad bit much right now... How about I visit my people? --A nice plan, huh?"

*Indeed, My King.*

Taking off suddenly, The King instantly disappeared into the sky.

Leaving behind the duke though.

*Ahh, he meant, without me.*

But something did change nonetheless.

The King acknowledged the duke as someone worth trusting.

And the duke could feel the change in attitude.

And he was satisfied with that much for now -thought the duke smirking by the side.

~To be continued~