“—“
A suffocating pressure filled the vast reception hall.
Rockto and Saliro stared at each other, a terrifying aura gradually forming around them.
Rockto wanted to use his aura as a Legendary-level expert to suppress Saliro.
But Saliro was the head of the Renitra family, hailing from the Empire’s second strongest knight family, and the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knight Order. He was also a Legendary-level expert.
Even though he wasn’t as famous as Rockto, Saliro’s strength was undeniable.
His level was as high as ninety-six, only slightly lower than Rockto’s. In terms of personal strength, he wasn’t much weaker than Rockto. If it weren’t for Rockto’s higher position and the Bigusler family’s greater power and influence, posing a considerable threat to him, he wouldn’t have been willing to be second.
That’s why, now that the Bigusler family had fallen from grace, and Rockto was under suspicion by the Empire, having been ordered to temporarily leave the Imperial Knight Order, and even the knights of his family were suspected of treason, causing most of the Bigusler family’s members to be detained, Saliro seized this opportunity to exert pressure, intending to force Rockto to step down.
Rockto naturally wouldn’t let him have his way.
But Saliro wouldn’t easily let go of this opportunity.
Both of them couldn’t help but release their magic power, their auras burning like flames, instantly making the atmosphere tremble.
“Father… Father…!?”
This was Geno’s cry.
This previously smug knight was now trembling, his face pale. Feeling the clash of auras between Rockto and Saliro from such a close distance, he was so suppressed that he could barely breathe, almost collapsing.
The knights beside him also had serious expressions and sweat on their foreheads, clearly under immense pressure.
“Ugh…”
Tilly, sitting beside Rockto, was closer to Saliro than Geno, and the pressure she felt was even stronger. But she bit her lip tightly, clenched her fists, and endured it with all her might.
Her performance was far superior to Geno’s.
Seeing this, Saliro’s expression turned unsightly, and he was very dissatisfied with Geno, filled with disappointment.
Tilly and Geno were the offspring of Rockto and Saliro respectively, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would be the next generation successors of the two families.
Their performance would largely determine which of the two knight families would prevail in the next generation.
But it was clear that whether in terms of character, ability, strength, or potential, Geno was far inferior to Tilly.
Tilly was a rising star among the younger generation. At only twenty-four years old, her level was as high as seventy-three. Coupled with her beautiful and heroic appearance, her family background was impeccable. In the martial Empire, she had countless suitors and was even considered a potential candidate for the title of Valkyrie if it weren’t for the existence of the second princess, Capeline.
On the other hand, his own son, a year older than Tilly, was only level sixty-eight. He liked to bully others using his family’s influence and, relying on his family’s indulgence, had done many disgraceful things, earning the disdain of many.
Tilly was one of those who despised Geno.
Ironically, Geno had taken a liking to her and pursued her, but every time, he was beaten black and blue by Tilly, showing how much weaker he was.
This time, Geno volunteered to come with Saliro to force Rockto to abdicate, wanting to show off in front of Tilly.
But judging by his current state, he was only making a fool of himself.
In the future, if the Renitra family were handed over to him, they would definitely lose to the Bigusler family.
Because of this, Saliro had considered changing his heir several times.
However, among his children, Geno had the best talent. The others, although some had good character or intelligence, were inferior to Geno in terms of strength and potential. Ȑ₳NốꞖÊʂ
This made Saliro hesitant to replace his heir.
In the Empire, where strength was everything, weakness was a sin.
The head of the Renitra family didn’t have to be smart, but he had to be strong enough to control everyone.
And the fact that even Geno, with the best talent and potential, was inferior to Tilly of the Bigusler family, worried Saliro greatly.
This time, he was determined to force Rockto to step down at all costs, to prevent his family from being completely defeated in the next generation’s rivalry, wanting to eliminate Rockto and the Bigusler family before he and Rockto retired.
Only then could the Renitra family secure their position as the strongest in the Empire.
Thinking of this, killing intent appeared in Saliro’s eyes as he stared at Rockto.
This made Rockto’s heart clench.
“You want to fight?”
Rockto asked in a deep voice.
Saliro smiled.
A ruthless, cruel smile.
“As long as I can defeat you, then you, the Knight Commander suspected of treason, will have to step down, right?”
Clearly, Saliro was ready to use force.
In the past, he would have had some reservations.
But now, with the Bigusler family under investigation, and Rockto suspected by the Empire, some influential figures in the Imperial Palace had expressed their support for Saliro to a certain extent. Naturally, Saliro wouldn’t hold back anymore.
“You can only blame yourself for offending too many people. Many didn’t dare to touch you, the Empire’s strongest knight, before. But now, following Prince Harvis was your biggest mistake.”
Saliro’s words finally made Rockto’s expression change.
“So, you were all instructed by the Imperial Consort…!?”