Chapter 114: When a Man Is Most Careless
Upon reaching the red carpet of the Exeter Kingdom’s royal palace, sitting on the steps was an old man around sixty, dressed in a brown military uniform and wearing a cape.
His name was Ostein Hyd, and a rapier hung at his left hip. The commander of the kingdom’s army, Donte, stood to Hyd’s right, and Alucard could tell one of Donte’s hands was ready to draw his sword at any moment.
Hyd rose from the throne and descended the steps, standing at the same height as Alucard. His weathered face showed no fear as he circled Alucard.
"Bounty of 400 million, fought Kaido of the Beasts, who has a bounty exceeding 500 million, to a draw half a month ago. Now listed as second only to the legends like Whitebeard, Shiki the Golden Lion, and Roger, and designated as a member of ’Beneath the Legends’ alongside the Great Pirates Kaido and Charlotte Linlin—Alucard the Immortal."
As Hyd observed Alucard, he recited his information. However, this was all news published in newspapers, so knowing it was not surprising.
After finishing his somewhat admiring words, Hyd changed his tone, asking in a deep voice, "Such a man as you, why did you intervene in our war with the Strale Kingdom? Do you want money? Name your price for leaving the Rulusas continent. Of course, if you want more, you could cooperate with me. After we eliminate the Strale Kingdom, how about I give you 30% of the spoils from their territory?"
"Oh, it was merely a whim," Alucard replied casually. "If you absolutely insist on a reason, I can give you one: for practice. You can just understand it that way."
Hyd’s face stiffened. He hadn’t expected Alucard to give such an answer.
Alucard smiled faintly, looking up. "Speaking of which, the person who invited me said there would be a banquet. Why is it so empty?"
Hyd thought to himself that it was best not to antagonize the man for now. His goal was to understand why Alucard had acted this way. Typically, pirates did such things for treasure or wealth. But this guy seemed different.
In that case, he needed to placate him first. With that thought, Hyd waved his hand and shouted, "Guards, prepare the banquet!"
Soon, banquet tables were set up on both sides of the Exeter royal palace’s side hall. These had been prepared in advance, only now officially used since Alucard had arrived.
During the banquet, Hyd found an excuse to leave the table. Alucard could guess a few of the schemes brewing in his mind but didn’t stop him; more accurately, he simply couldn’t be bothered to.
Outside the side hall, Hyd met with his subordinate Donte. Donte glanced at the grand side hall in the distance, then bowed and asked Hyd, "Your Majesty Hyd, what do you think?"
"If anyone obstructs my ambition to unify the Rulusas continent, they must die, no matter who they are," Hyd said ruthlessly. He was inherently a war emperor. Even as a prince, he had frequently led campaigns as a general. His lifelong desire had been to unify the Rulusas continent, and Alucard’s hindrance to this was something he couldn’t accept.
"But, Your Majesty Hyd, the opponent is a monstrous pirate acknowledged by both the Marines and the Government. We experienced his terror firsthand on the battlefield. It’s simply impossible to kill him by conventional means," Donte said. He still got goosebumps recalling Alucard’s appearance on the battlefield; it was a sight he would never forget. "If we risk attacking him and he doesn’t die, he will surely retaliate against the kingdom," Donte added, still feeling a lingering fear.
Hyd raised a hand to stop Donte, his eyes cold. "I, Hyd, have waged war my entire life. What great storms haven’t I weathered? This Alucard may be troublesome, but he’s not entirely without a weakness."
"But... he’s Alucard the Immortal..." Donte was still worried.
"Donte, I recall you have a rather interesting subordinate," Hyd said.
Donte’s eyes darted, and he instantly understood, his face slightly stunned. "Your Majesty, are you referring to Aliya?"
"Use that thing, along with Aliya, to take care of Alucard," Hyd commanded.
"But Your Majesty, isn’t the cost too great? After all, Aliya is a very important subordinate of mine," Donte said with concern.
"Compared to the victory of war, a single life is insignificant," Hyd said coldly. "Remember, no one is more suitable than her. You should know when a man is most careless."
When Hyd returned to the banquet hall, he faced Alucard and said, "It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay overnight in the royal palace?"
Alucard’s uncovered eye, not hidden by his bangs, showed a smile.
Compared to earlier, Hyd radiated a bit more killing intent. Yes, this is more normal. However, Alucard was also curious.
Logically, Hyd already knew some of his abilities. Given that, with his utterly insufficient strength, what method would he use to kill him?
Alucard genuinely wanted to see what tricks Hyd would employ to kill him, so he accepted Hyd’s "kind offer" and temporarily took residence in a luxurious bedchamber.
But Alucard had barely settled in when he heard footsteps approaching the door. He turned to see a beautiful woman enter the bedchamber.
She had long flaxen hair tied in a ponytail, with slightly curled long bangs swept to the left side of her face. Her skin was fair, her features exquisite, and most striking of all, she wore a military uniform with a cape, which perfectly accentuated her curvaceous and graceful figure.
"Hello, my name is Aliya. His Majesty the King sent me to keep you company."
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