Chapter 133: Grant me permission…
Inside the throne hall, only King Douwin, Queen Alsanda, and Aldrian’s group remained. King Douwin trusted his wife, so he allowed her to stay and hear their conversation. His gaze rested solemnly on Aldrian, his heart racing. The man in front of him is a fucking monster!
"Is his appearance one of the signs of the impending disaster foretold by the Heavenly Direction Church?" King Douwin wondered.
Without looking at Duke Valiard, he sent a voice transmission. "Duke Valiard, do you know anything about him besides his name?"
The duke, still processing the situation, felt lost. He was aware of the exchange of voice transmission between Aldrian and the king, but not the contents, so the sudden question caught him off guard.
"I don’t, Your Majesty. He’s been secretive about his origins. What I do know is that he comes from the north and has lived with his elder sister, one of the women standing behind him, since childhood. Is something wrong?" Duke Valiard hesitated to mention Aldrian’s connection to Aldrey Flamecrest, as Aldrian had asked him to keep it private. To Valiard, Aldrian was not only a benefactor but perhaps even a friend, and he didn’t want to betray that trust.
"Did you know he’s only 15 years old?"
"What?!"
Duke Valiard’s reaction mirrored his own surprise, confirming to King Douwin that the duke hadn’t known this detail either. Such questions sometimes slipped through their mind, with people often guessing a person’s age based on their cultivation and appearance. The king didn’t fault Duke Valiard for his ignorance.
As for Duke Valiard, he was beyond shocked. His eyes widened as he stared at Aldrian. What the king didn’t know was that, aside from Aldrian’s exceptional blacksmithing skills, he was also a swordsman with a remarkable mastery of swordsmanship. Duke Valiard was even more stunned than King Douwin—like many others, he had assumed that someone with Aldrian’s level of swordsmanship had to be at least 100 years old!
"I ordered everyone to leave the hall because I sensed that our conversation would turn toward something significant," King Douwin began, his voice heavy with solemnity. "But first, are... are you sure you’re not using some forbidden technique or anything of that sort?" he asked Aldrian.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Aldrian responded with a smile.