My Celestial Ascension - Chapter 730

Chapter 730: Conrad Arrived At The Imperial Palace

At Valeria’s mansion, Yuan and his wives, along with Miss Zara, Little Zoe, and Princess Livia, were enjoying a small tea party in the center of the beautiful flower garden. The mansion’s servants had also joined the gathering, chatting happily with one another. It was their day off, granted by Valeria herself, and they were free to relax.

Meanwhile, Lily informed Livia about the deaths of Archbishop Gregor and the Holy Son Arthur at the Imperial Palace. Livia was stunned—she hadn’t expected Yuan and his wives to actually kill them.

For a moment, her hands trembled at the shocking news, and she couldn’t help but become emotional, overwhelmed by a wave of conflicting feelings.

She also felt uneasy about the loud noise they’d heard earlier. Deep down, she already had a good idea who might have come here from the Holy Church.

‘Should I celebrate the deaths of Archbishop Gregor and Holy Son Arthur, or be worried about my safety? There’s no way the Holy Dragon Knight—Conrad—will just leave peacefully…’ Princess Livia wondered, concern swirling in her chest.

When she turned toward Yuan and his wives, they were laughing and chatting without a care in the world, awfully calm despite the situation.

‘How can they be so calm right now? Aren’t they afraid of the Holy Church? That organization could topple entire nations—they’re practically unstoppable!’ Livia screamed inwardly, puzzled as she watched them.

Her heart pounded faster with each passing second, the sound of it echoing in her ears. Yet, Yuan and his wives continued to enjoy themselves, teasing and flirting with one another.

Yuan eventually looked at Valeria, concern flickering in his eyes. “Valeria, do you think your brother can handle that knight and the wyvern?”

“I have no idea,” Valeria replied with a shrug. “He’s weak, but I doubt that wyvern is much of a threat to him. As for the knight, though… I’m not so sure.”

With a relaxed smile, she added, “I actually know that knight. I even exchanged a few blows with him during training.”

“Oh? So you’ve met him?” Yuan asked in surprise. Valeria nodded with a knowing grin.

“His name is Conrad, though I don’t know his family name. Aside from you, he’s the strongest person I’ve ever fought. He’s incredibly powerful—and he’s been alive for a very long time,” Valeria said, her tone suddenly turning serious.

“Is that so… No wonder he looks strong. But he’s still nowhere near being a threat to us, so there’s no need to worry about him at all,” Yuan replied with a smile to Valeria.

She nodded with a smile of her own, confident she could defeat Conrad with a single strike of her sword. After all, she was no longer the same Valeria as before—she had changed, becoming far stronger than ever.

“I just hope he doesn’t cause trouble for us… or else, the Holy Church will lose another powerful member,” Valeria muttered with a serious look as she glanced toward the Imperial Palace.

Seeing her expression, Yuan gently pulled her into his arms, hugging her from behind, and whispered softly into her ear.

“Let’s wait and see how he behaves in front of your brother. If he’s too arrogant, you can teach him a lesson he’ll never forget for the rest of his life.”

“I understand,” Valeria nodded with a gentle smile and leaned her head against his chest, feeling peaceful in his embrace.

Lily watched them with a hint of jealousy in her eyes, but she remained silent, saying nothing.

Anna Grace, however, noticed her daughter’s expression and sighed inwardly—it had become a daily sight for her by now.

Meanwhile, Little Zoe and Miss Zara were having fun in the garden. Little Zoe was making flower crowns for everyone, while Miss Zara helped her little bundle of joy with a bright smile.

Every so often, Miss Zara would glance at Yuan—and her subtle looks didn’t go unnoticed. His wives would chuckle quietly whenever they caught her stealing a look.

—

Back at the Imperial Palace, a Magic Knight rushed into the Throne Hall with urgency in his steps and knelt before the Imperial Family, showing deep respect.

“Forgive me for entering unannounced, but we have a serious issue to address. The First Commander of the Holy Knights is requesting an audience with you, Your Highness,” the Magic Knight reported, concern clear in his voice.

“I see… So that man has come to retrieve the remains of Archbishop Gregor and Holy Son Arthur. How unexpected—he arrived sooner than we anticipated,” Emperor Philip murmured, visibly surprised by the Holy Dragon Knight Conrad’s sudden arrival.

“Yes, Your Majesty—and he’s brought a wyvern with him.”

“Is that so… So he wants to intimidate us, huh? That old bastard,” Emperor Philip said with a firm voice. Then he turned to Empress Selena, a look of concern on his face.

“Now, bring him in.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.” The Magic Knight nodded and swiftly exited the Throne Hall to retrieve Conrad.

A few minutes later, the massive doors of the throne hall swung open. A figure clad in heavy armor entered, his overwhelming presence instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

“First Commander of the Holy Knights—Conrad. A living legend. I didn’t expect the Church to send someone like you just to collect corpses,” Emperor Philip said, surprised, feeling the weight of tension in the room as he looked at the imposing man before him.

“It can’t be helped. The Pope personally requested this of me—how could I refuse? Besides, I wanted to see the faces of those who killed Archbishop Gregor…” Conrad responded coldly, his anger flaring the moment he laid eyes on the Archbishop’s lifeless body.

He took a deep breath to suppress his fury, then slowly approached the shrouded corpse of Archbishop Gregor, lying solemnly beneath white cloth.

Rage simmered within him for the one who had taken the Archbishop’s life—and for anyone who had aided them. He felt the urge to unleash hell upon them… if only he knew who they were.

But then, his gaze shifted to another body lying next to the Archbishop’s. A sudden anxiety gripped his chest as dread crept into his heart.

‘Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Is this… another Church member?’ he wondered, reaching out to lift the cloth, his hand trembling slightly.

The moment he revealed the face beneath, all the color drained from his face. He stood frozen, staring in horror at the figure before him.

‘The Holy Son… He’s dead?! What kind of sick joke is this? How could Arthur have ended up like this?!’ Conrad screamed internally, his body shaking.

Fury exploded inside him like a volcano, his magical aura rippling through the air. He clenched his fists, the rage nearly overwhelming.

‘I have no idea how the Pope will take this… The Lionheart Empire has truly crossed the line this time. They didn’t just insult us—they murdered Archbishop Gregor and our beloved Holy Son! They must pay!’

‘Still… I need to stay calm. I can’t start a war here and now. I’m not here to fight—at least, not today. As much as I want to burn this city to ashes… I must wait.’ He sighed inwardly, forcing himself to stay composed, then swiftly stored both corpses inside his magic pouch.

He took a deep breath and calmed the fury burning within him. The loss was massive—likely beyond recovery—but he didn’t have the authority to act on impulse here, no matter how much he wanted to.

Then, with expressionless eyes, he turned to Emperor Philip and said, “I’ve retrieved what I came for. Now, I’ll take my leave. But before I go, I have a few words to say.”

“Oh? And what might that be? A word of advice from a legendary figure?” Emperor Philip raised an eyebrow, visibly curious.

“I’m leaving peacefully today, but that does not mean I support your actions. Surrender to the Holy Church, or this won’t end well—for you or your empire.”

“Is this a threat, Lord Conrad?” Empress Selena asked coldly, clearly irritated by his tone.

“You’re free to interpret it however you wish. So long.”

Without another word, Conrad turned and exited the Throne Hall, escorted by the Magic Knight.

After departing the Imperial Palace, he made his way to the inn where the Heroes were staying. Upon entering the lobby, he immediately noticed Ayumi calmly sipping tea with some snacks at her side.

“Hero Ayumi, where are the others? Are they also here at the inn?” he asked as he approached, his towering figure instantly drawing her attention.

“Sir Conrad! When did you arrive?” Ayumi stood quickly, startled but respectful. “The others are resting in their rooms. I’ll go call them at once.”

The inn’s staff noticed Conrad as well, their eyes wide in shock. To see a man from legends standing before them felt surreal—but no one dared utter a word. The fear of incurring his wrath silenced them.

“Good. Bring them here with all your belongings. We leave for the Holy Light Empire immediately. Don’t keep me waiting,” Conrad said coolly, his voice sending a chill down Ayumi’s spine.

She nodded quickly and disappeared upstairs to gather the others and inform them of their departure.

A few minutes later, Ayumi returned with her companions. They followed Conrad through the city streets, drawing curious glances and murmurs from the general public as they passed.

Upon reaching the outskirts, they were greeted by a majestic sight—the massive wyvern stood proudly in the grasslands, its mighty wings folded, its gaze fixed on a nearby soldier.

“Is that a dragon?! A real dragon?!” Kael gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief, clearly overwhelmed by the creature’s size.

“No. It’s a wyvern,” Conrad replied with a faint smile, his glowing blue eyes flickering with pride. “But one day, it may evolve into a dragon.”