Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 264 The wind blew across the wilderness, stirring up a touch of melancholy.

After bidding farewell to Seren, Lu Mingfei once again embarked on his long journey, which could be described as that of a "hard-working laborer in Ningmgefu," trekking towards the next vague goal.

Before leaving, he finally remembered to ask the learned but eccentric magician for directions.

However, as expected, he went in the opposite direction again.

Seren's stone shield turned slightly, casting another glance at the fool.

She may have finally come to understand one thing: the apprentice's intellectual level was indeed far from what she had expected in terms of magic.

She told Lu Mingfei that the ruins of Post Station Street were clearly located to the east of Monroe, and that the Marika Fourth Church, which he was so eager to visit, should actually be accessed via a different route.

The two are completely opposite.

Lu Mingfei could almost hear the playful tone in Se Lian's words. He seemed to see that the label of "intellectual disability" had been firmly established in her mind and stuck to him.

It seems that in the mind of this witch who seeks the origins, her newly taken-in apprentice is utterly dull-witted in the way of magical theory, and even his most basic ability to recognize directions is so worrying.

He awkwardly touched his nose, turned around somewhat embarrassed, and embarked on the correct journey north.

The wind blowing across the wilderness carried a touch of melancholy.

Not long after traveling along the ancient, dilapidated road, Lu Mingfei discovered a blessing at the edge of the avenue.

[Edge of the Misty Forest]

As the golden ripples spread, the blessing was illuminated, and the place name naturally appeared in Lu Mingfei's mind.

"The edge of the mist forest?"

Lu Mingfei stroked his chin:

"Looks like we didn't go the wrong way this time."

Lu Mingfei stood by the blessing at the edge of the misty forest, not yet fully recovered from his lost energy, when a faint call came from the wind.

The sound was intermittent, torn apart by the wind.

But it couldn't escape Lu Mingfei's perception.

He frowned slightly, his golden eyes looking toward the source of the sound.

It was a vast ruin, and a tiny figure stood upon it, calling out incessantly to the empty wilderness.

After thinking about it, Lu Mingfei decided to go and find out more.

He quickly prepared his tools, drew two greatswords, held them in his hands, and approached cautiously, trying to move as quietly as possible.

"...Help! Is anyone home?"

"Anyone who can help me—Kenneth Hyde!"

"Volunteers who eliminate injustice and uphold justice!"

"Ah, the golden tree! Please bring your waiter!"

Lu Mingfei walked to the bottom of the ruins and looked up at him.

He was dressed in luxurious clothes, with a crimson robe embroidered with the emblem of the golden tree, and his golden hair was neatly styled. His demeanor was unlike that of a commoner.

Kenneth Hyde?
Lu Mingfei pondered the name in his heart.

Could he be the lord of Hyde Fortress?

Even if they weren't lords, they should still be members of the family that ruled that area.

Edgar said that the forces in Hyde Fortress refused to make contact with them, and he guessed that something had happened, which seemed to be true.

After searching for it everywhere, I finally found it without any effort.

Thinking of this, Lu Mingfei looked up and spoke:

"Hey! You, Kenneth Hyde."

Kenneth Hyde then suddenly noticed a fully armored warrior wielding a greatsword who had appeared below him at some point.

He was startled at first, but then realized that Lu Mingfei didn't seem to have any intention of making a move, so he began to look at him.

"Oh, so it has appeared, but no, even those who have faded are welcome. 'Regardless of status or wealth, all can uphold the proper order.'"

Kenneth was talking to himself.

What is this mess?

Lu Mingfei frowned, ignored him, and continued to ask:

What is your relationship with Fort Hyde?

Kenneth Hyde turned his gaze to Lu Mingfei, his tone carrying an aristocratic air:

“My name is Kenneth Hyde, the eldest son of Lord Nymgford, and I have the first right of succession to Hyde Fortress and the surrounding Mistforest.”

“Faded One, I need your help. Go south from here, through the mist forest, and you'll find Hyde Fortress, my fortress. I hope you can help me take it back.”

It seems we did indeed choose the right person, but this guy is truly annoying; even when asking for favors, he can't completely let go of his aristocratic airs.

Thinking this through, Lu Mingfei decided to leave him hanging for a while longer.

Seeing that Lu Mingfei didn't move immediately but just watched him quietly, Kenneth Hyde seemed to suddenly realize something, and his tone became certain:

"...Ah, I see. You want to know about the reward, don't you? Don't underestimate me, Kenneth Hyde. I'm never stingy with rewards. As long as the fortress is successfully recaptured, there will definitely be a generous reward."

He seemed to think that the reward was enough to sway the poor, faded man in front of him.

But then, as if bestowing a favor, he lowered his voice and added:
"Ah, right, here's a piece of advice. You'd better be careful of Grek's Faded Hunters."

“Those guys are obsessed with capturing you Faded Ones and using you as sacrifices for their horrific ‘limb-splitting’ surgery.”

When Greg was mentioned, Kenneth Hyde's tone suddenly became extremely disdainful and contemptuous, as if mentioning the name would defile his tongue.

"Greek's character is simply not worthy of being among the ranks of kings!"

"After the defeat, he fled the royal city by mingling with women. He was afraid of Rataen and hid in the city, not daring to utter a sound."

"He underestimated Malenia and ended up losing miserably, even kneeling down and kissing her feet to show his submission."

"What an incredibly weak and shameless man!"

“Even though he comes from a prestigious golden family, it’s clear that Ge Fulei’s bloodline has faded considerably.”

"Upon closer reflection, it is truly pathetic."

"It's all the fault of the knight commander he sent from Stoneville! He's so dull-witted that he's obsessed with blood."

After venting his extreme contempt for Greck, he immediately returned his attention to the practical issues.

He looked at Lu Mingfei, who was still standing there, seemingly processing the information, and his tone became urgent and impatient again:

What are you still doing here?

"Hurry south, through the misty forest, and retake my fortress!"

Lu Mingfei rubbed his temples, trying to extract useful information from Kenneth's long string of aristocratic insults.

Knight Commander? Bloodthirsty?

It seems that the cause of the upheaval at Hyde Fortress was this knight commander.

The territory was seized by a powerful military leader appointed by the suzerain?

It seems the former lord of Hyde Fortress didn't have a very deep grasp on his territory. He was probably a weakling.
But is it a blood fetish? Is it a cursed blood?
Lu Mingfei frowned.

Kenneth was still nagging him in his ear.

He raised his head, his golden eyes coldly fixed on Kenneth Hyde, and said:
"Shut up!"

A chilling aura of authority emanated from the room.

Caught off guard, Kenneth Hyde's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

“I’ve already killed that old bastard Greck! Now tell me, is that knight commander from Stoneville you mentioned who’s been pursuing the power of cursed blood? And has he gone mad?”

(End of this chapter)