Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Chapter 567 Angers' Past (Part 1)

Genji set down his wine glass, leaned back slightly against the stone pillar, and began to think seriously. A night breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the distant clamor of the city.

“He was a very typical European and American gentleman,” Genjiro said slowly, “at least on the surface. He was charming, eloquent, detail-oriented, and especially considerate to ladies. He liked to present himself as an educator, talking about freedom, responsibility, and the future. But…”

He paused for a moment, "And he's quite irresponsible. He likes to collect fine wines and cigars, has a high taste in food and clothing, frequents balls and various social occasions, and is never short of beautiful female companions. Like an old playboy?"

Tachibana Masamune listened quietly, and only clapped his hands gently after Genji finished speaking.

"This is just a mask he has carefully worn for over a hundred years," Tachibana Masamune's voice lowered. "He is very good at using these glamorous, dissolute, and unruly appearances to cover up his true inner self. Very few people truly understand his past; the vast majority have long since turned to dust. It took me almost ten years, mobilizing the most secretive forces of my family, to search for clues from all over the world, just to barely piece together some outlines."

He raised his voice and addressed the figure standing silently like an iron tower in the corner of the terrace: "Yaksha, go to the archives and retrieve the top-secret file I have there, numbered 'SS-01.' The one belonging to Hilbert Jean Angers."

The Yaksha was currently leaning against a stone pillar in the shadows, arms crossed, like a demonic Rakshasa guarding this silent courtyard. Upon hearing the command, he made no unnecessary movements or asked any questions, but simply bowed slightly, responded in a deep voice with "Yes," then turned and disappeared behind the sliding door leading into the interior with heavy steps.

The wait wasn't long. Soon, Yasha returned, carrying a plain, hard-shell document bag without any markings. He presented the bag to Tachibana Masamune with both hands, then silently retreated to his original corner, disappearing back into the shadows as if he had never moved.

Tachibana Masamune took the file bag, his fingers tracing the smooth paper surface, his expression becoming unusually solemn. He untied the wrapped cotton thread, poured out a thick file with a kraft paper cover, placed it on the cypress wood table, and gently pushed it in front of Genji.

Yuan Zhisheng's gaze fell on the homepage, and his pupils contracted slightly.

The first page of the file is a standard information form, with clear and cold printed English letters:

Name: Hilbert Jean Anjou

Birthday: 10/28/1878

City of Birth: Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

Education: Ph.D., Trinity College, Cambridge

Below was a handwritten comment, written in strong, vigorous handwriting: "Unknown bloodline? To be investigated. Extremely dangerous. Assessment level: SS."

This is a top-secret personal file about Hilbert Jean Angers, the principal of the Kassel College. Genji casually flipped through it, the pages rustling softly.

The file is hundreds of pages thick, filled with dense text, clippings, photocopies, and handwritten analytical notes, recording countless details of this man's life from birth to the present day.

As an exceptionally long-lived individual even among hybrids, Angers has lived for 130 years. Many events from his past are probably hazy in his memory or selectively forgotten, yet they are meticulously recorded in this weighty archive.

A chill ran through Yuan Zhisheng. He had never known that such a high level of secrecy was hidden in the family's bottomless archives. Even within the Kassel College, Angers' past remained a mystery, protected by layers of secrecy.

His contemporaries had all died, and his past was buried deep in the dust of history and in countless graves, unknown to anyone. Yet the Snake Clan had quietly unearthed and pieced together this story.

"This file is pieced together from several original files from different sources, some of which may even contradict each other, along with the results of our own decades of investigation, deduction, and verification," Tachibana Masamune's voice pulled Genji back from his shock.

"Therefore, it may not be 100% accurate. There are bound to be omissions, errors, and gaps that we cannot fill. However, it can roughly restore a vague outline of Angers' real life for us." He indicated to Yuan Zhisheng that he did not need to read the whole thing carefully. "The content is too complicated and messy. I will pick out the most important and core parts and tell you about them."

Tachibana Masamune picked up his slightly cooled tea, took a sip, cleared his throat, and began his narration:

Contrary to what many people, including many members of the Secret Service, might imagine, Hilbert Jean Angers was actually an orphan. His surname Angers comes from France, but he was actually born in Yorkshire in northern England, in a small, then unremarkable town called Harrogate. He was far from being a nobleman; his childhood and adolescence were extremely impoverished, one could even say he suffered greatly.

Tachibana Masamune's tone carried a hint of sorrow: "His adoptive parents took in many homeless children, but their purpose was not compassion, but to train these children to beg and steal, to become tools for their profit. Angers was the most special one among these children."

Yuan Zhisheng poured himself a full glass of wine. "The most special one?"

“Angers was born of mixed race. Around the age of twelve, he displayed astonishing talent. He learned Latin and Greek without a teacher, and his keenness and speed in mastering ancient languages ​​amazed a local bishop who happened to notice him. Perhaps out of appreciation for his talent, or perhaps because he saw a divine revelation, the bishop provided a not-so-large but life-changing annuity to support this intelligent but tragically orphaned boy to study in London.”

"And so, Angers seized this only glimmer of light, desperately climbing upwards, and finally, with his outstanding grades, he gained admission to Trinity College, Cambridge. There, he encountered the man who would truly change his life, or rather, drag him into another bloody world: Meneke Cassel."

When this name was mentioned, Tachibana Masamune's voice couldn't help but carry a hint of respect. "The eldest son of the Kassel family, the founder of the Lionheart Society, the most legendary group in the Secret Society, and one of the most outstanding dragon slayers in history, as recognized. At that time, Menek was twenty-one years old and was already a rising star in the Secret Society. Angers was sixteen years old, just entering Cambridge, his talent just beginning to show, but his heart was still closed off with loneliness and vigilance."

"One can imagine that after such a lonely, dark, and vigilant childhood and adolescence, Angers met for the first time someone like him, someone with dragon blood, yet completely different and radiant. For Angers, Meneque Cassel was not just a senior who appreciated him, but more like an older brother who suddenly appeared, a warm and dazzling light that shone into his dark life."

Tachibana Masamune slowly said, "Menek recommended him to join the Secret Party, making him one of the earliest core members of the Lionheart Society. But I'm afraid even Menek himself did not expect that the boy he dug out from the garbage dump of that small town of Harrogate would have such amazing bloodline and potential, and would eventually grow into the later leader of the Secret Party, a dragon terminator who made even dragons tremble."

"It sounds like an older brother and younger brother; without Menek, there would be no Kassel College," Genji remarked.

"For Angers at that time, the Lionheart was his everything. Meneque was his brother, and the other members were his family and comrades-in-arms. Because of these people, he finally struggled out of that innate, deep-seated loneliness and felt a sense of belonging, friendship, and even the warmth of family for the first time. That was perhaps the only time in his long life that could truly be called a happy time."

"He was studying at Cambridge, outwardly a brilliant and charming young gentleman, but secretly involved in various activities of the secret society, honing his skills. His charm was at its peak then; girls adored him, and boys considered it an honor to befriend him. He had refined taste and witty conversation, making him a darling of social circles. The old playboy demeanor and familiarity with luxury that he displays before us today are all rooted in those Cambridge years."

Tachibana Masamune abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming heavy: "However, great changes always arrive suddenly at the most unexpected and beautiful moments."

"At that time, the most elite force of the Secret Society, the Lionheart Society, was gathered at the Kassel family's estate in the Black Forest of Germany. It was a summer. Later, this event was referred to within the Secret Society as the 'Summer Mourning'."

Genji frowned slightly upon hearing the name. He had vaguely heard of this name, which was listed as the most taboo, when he was at Kassel College, but he knew nothing about the details.

Masamune Tachibana continued, "According to extremely limited and possibly tampered records, that night, the Kassel Manor was attacked by dragons. Moreover, it was an extremely bizarre attack, completely contrary to the usual behavior of dragons." He looked at Genjiro, "What do you think the dragons did?"

After a moment's thought, Yuan Zhisheng replied, "Dragons are proud and noble creatures. Their power comes from their bloodline, and they believe in absolute violence. Generally speaking, if they awaken and want to take revenge or eliminate their enemies, they will choose the most direct and violent method: to appear, roar, and destroy everything with flames and claws. They disdain using human schemes and tricks; that is the behavior of the weak."

“That’s right.” Tachibana Masamune nodded vigorously. “This is precisely the most bizarre and perplexing aspect of Summer’s Mourning. Records show that the attack was more like a meticulously planned military operation. An enemy at the level of a Dragon King somehow managed to infiltrate the manor and launch an attack from the core. At the same time, a large group of Death Servants surrounded the manor from the outside, working together from within. The Lionheart Society, the strongest dragon-slaying team in the world at the time, was instantly plunged into an unprecedented and almost desperate battle.”

"This is highly unusual. The dragons have shown a high degree of organization and strategy. They are no longer beasts that act on instinct, but cunning and ruthless hunters. This completely overturns the Secret Society's consistent understanding of the dragons."

"And what was the final result?" Genji asked.

Chapter 568 Angers' Past (Part 2)

"The result was a Pyrrhic victory, or rather, a survival at an unbearable cost," Tachibana Masamune replied. "The peerless genius Menek Cassel unleashed power comparable to the Dragon King in a desperate situation, perishing together with him. The Cassel family, the most glorious dragon-slaying family in history, never recovered after the fall of this eldest son, and no one has ever been able to inherit its glory. As for the Lionheart Society, except for one person, they were completely wiped out."

“Hilbert Jean Angers,” Genji said in a low voice.

“Yes, he is the only survivor,” Tachibana Masamune confirmed, then answered any questions that Genji might have.

"You might wonder if he wasn't in the manor at the time? No, he was. Moreover, according to scattered records, he was not only present, but also had close contact with the Dragon King and suffered a near-fatal injury. Afterwards, he fell into the manor's cellar and, due to his severe injuries and for some other reason, entered a state of suspended animation."

Masamune Tachibana's description seems to transport the reader to that bloody dawn: "He awoke the next morning. Crawling out of the cellar, he saw a nightmare he could never escape. Corpses piled up like mountains, human and undead, perhaps not having forgiven each other in their final moments, but clinging to each other, tearing at each other with teeth, nails, and anything else that could still move. The air was thick with the stench of blood and acrid burning. The only person still standing was Menek Cassel. But he was just a mutilated corpse, leaning on a broken longsword, like an unyielding monument, or perhaps a final mockery of this cruel world."

The air on the terrace seemed to freeze. Only the stream continued to murmur, and the light from the stone lanterns flickered slightly.

“Before that, Angers may have participated in dragon slaying and experienced battles, but he probably never truly understood how resolute, cruel, and ruthless the war between humans and dragons truly was.” Tachibana Masamune’s voice was low and slow, each word imbued with the blood of that year. “It wasn’t a contest of victory or defeat, but a war of complete annihilation between races. As long as there was a breath left, even if all that could move was their teeth, they would crawl over and bite off their opponent’s throat.”

“Angers survived. With the hands that should have been playing the piano, writing love letters, and raising wine glasses, he dug out his friends and family members one by one from the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood. He gathered firewood and held a grand cremation for them. Then, he buried the ashes, and also buried that elegant, happy, hopeful young self.”

Tachibana Masamune closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Later, when the Secret Party's rescue team found him, he was walking alone in the wilderness at the edge of the Black Forest, covered in wounds and blood, his eyes vacant, like a soulless walking corpse. It is said that after being rescued, he only said one sentence: 'The world is so cruel.'"

"The accompanying doctor at the time recorded that they could not imagine how a person so badly injured and on the verge of death could accomplish such arduous and terrible work. He dug up dozens of tangled corpses with his bare hands and then collected enough firewood to burn them. The doctor asserted that there must have been an amazing mental strength that transcended the limits of the physical body that supported this young man to complete all of this."

Yuan Zhisheng remained silent, his fingers tracing the cold rim of the glass. He could imagine the scene, and he could feel what that force sustaining Anger was. It wasn't hope, it wasn't faith, but something colder and harder than death.

“But Angers did not succumb to despair or become completely defeated,” Tachibana Masamune’s words brought Genji back to reality. “Quite the opposite. During the ‘Summer Mourning,’ the older generation of elites of the Secret Party were almost completely wiped out, creating a huge power vacuum.”

"Angers has now come to power?" Genji asked.

"Yes. The young Hilbert Jean Angers, the sole survivor and the last member of the Lionheart, rose to prominence at an astonishing pace, using his achievements and iron fist to directly enter the highest echelons of the Secret Party and begin to wield real power. In a sense, he was indeed a beneficiary of the Summer Mourning incident, as the obstacles on his path to power were cleared away all at once."

Genjiro examined the wine in his glass for a while. "How pathetic."

Tachibana Masamune nodded: "This brought no joy to Angers. The elegant, lively, talented, and even somewhat arrogant Angers of the past has completely vanished. What survived is a solitary, silent, ruthless, and heartless ruler. The playboy who loved to have fun and frequented brothels was merely a carefully crafted mask he used to disguise and numb the outside world. Beneath the mask, only a lonely avenger remains, sharpening his blade day and night, waiting for the moment to strike."

"He constantly consolidated his power within the Secret Society, eliminating dissidents, cultivating loyalists, and firmly controlling the entire Kassel College. All of this was for one purpose: to be able to mobilize the world's most elite teams and the richest resources to deliver the most thorough and ruthless blow when he found the dragons again. This undisguised centralization and vengeful orientation naturally aroused the dissatisfaction and vigilance of other forces within the Secret Society, especially the Board of Trustees. But Angers' position was unshakeable, because he was a man who had returned from hell. He had personally experienced the deepest despair and witnessed the most utter destruction, so he was no longer afraid of death or any threat."

Masamune Tachibana concluded, his tone filled with deep apprehension, “Angers was once lonely and impoverished. He gained everything because of Meneke Cassel, and then lost everything because of the dragons, and was thrown back into the abyss of loneliness. The dragons taught him the ultimate cruelty of this world, and from that moment on, they shaped him into the most terrifying and persistent dragon slayer in the world.”

He paused for a long time before adding, "The dragons should perhaps regret letting this man live."

A long silence fell over the terrace. Only the night wind howled through the tall buildings, carrying the faint sound of distant sirens.

After a long silence, Yuan Zhisheng sighed softly, his sigh seemingly carrying the chill of the night: "No wonder there's a saying circulating in the academy: 'Don't make an enemy of Angers.' No wonder everyone both respects and fears him."

He looked up at Tachibana Masamune, “A man like this doesn’t just have flames in his heart, but an entire burning coal mine. Once his anger is truly ignited, it will never be extinguished until he burns his enemies to ashes, or burns himself to ashes along with them.”

Chapter 569 Teacher Angers and Student Inuyama He

"Hatred created his obsessive personality to the extreme. He is the ultimate ruthless one," Tachibana Masamune affirmed, his tone resolute. "He has no family, no true friends. He appears tolerant and even kind to his students because he needs these young, passionate mixed-race individuals to become the sword and shield on his path of revenge."

“In his eyes, everyone is first and foremost a tool, a valuable tool that can be used to avenge the blood debts owed to the dragons. Kassel College is not, on the surface, an academic institution that pursues freedom and truth; in essence, it is a military academy for training warriors for the Secret Society, a brotherhood that wields extraordinary violence. And Angers is their ruthless general.”

Tachibana Masamune steered the conversation back to the present, back to Inuyama He: "Now you should understand that back then, Angers wanted to regain control of the Snake Clan, but he was well-versed in the essence of power struggles and knew that relying solely on the external pressure from the Secret Party was not enough; he had to cultivate proxies from within. He chose the Inuyama Clan, which was the weakest at the time and on the verge of extinction, and the young Inuyama He, who was filled with resentment and humility, as his student."

"This is entirely in line with the cold-blooded laws of power: a puppet must be weak enough for it to be absolutely dependent on and loyal to you; and a person who has been extremely cowardly at heart will have an unusually strong desire for control and self-expression once they gain power, and will also be easier to control."

"Does Inuyama He, the head of the Inuyama family, know that Angers is just using him?" Genji asked.

“Of course I know,” Tachibana Masamune answered without hesitation. “Inuyama-kun is no fool. On the contrary, he is very intelligent, even shrewd. But, in order to revive the Inuyama family and prevent the name from dying out in his hands, he has long been prepared to sacrifice himself. He would gladly serve as a hound to Angers, or a warhorse to charge into battle. What he received from Angers was not courtesy or respect, but ruthless manipulation, training, and even humiliation.”

Tachibana Masamune's voice carried a complex mix of emotions: "But Angers did indeed keep his promise. With his support and tacit approval, Inuyama He, with the help of the Secret Party, steadily rose through the ranks within the family, eventually securing his position as head of the Japanese branch, allowing the Inuyama family to rise again, even stronger than before. The relationship between the two of them was never one of harmonious and close teacher and student; in essence, it was a naked, mutually beneficial exploitation."

"But times have changed! Thanks to our efforts, the Snake-Headed Eight Families have truly united! We have abandoned internal strife and cherish every clansman as if they were our own brothers and sisters. The Inuyama family has completely and utterly returned to the embrace of the clan! Inuyama He no longer needs to depend on Angers for survival. The tiger that has been dormant in his heart for years of humiliation has finally had the opportunity to be unleashed!"

Tachibana Masamune stared intently at Genjiro: "That's why I entrusted the important task of receiving Angers to Inuyama-kun. What I want is to unleash the tiger that has been suppressed in his heart for decades, and give Angers a solid blow! To make him realize that Japan today is no longer a chessboard where he can play power games at will! The Snake-Headed Eight Families are an impenetrable and unbreakable wall for him! I have no suspicion of Inuyama-kun whatsoever; on the contrary, I have complete trust in him!"

Genjiro was not immediately swayed by this momentum. He pondered for a moment and then voiced his concerns: "If Inuyama-kun's attitude is too forceful, or even carries the resentment of the past, will Principal Angers be directly provoked? Although I don't know the specifics of their past, the principal doesn't seem like the kind of person who can calmly accept demands or demonstrations from his subordinates."

He recalled his limited contact at the Kassel College and the image of the lone avenger revealed in the files: "Wherever Angers stands, that is his position, his vanguard. He is like a mountain, or a sword half-drawn. It would be difficult to get him to back down. Such negotiating parties may appear to be exchanging toasts on the surface, but under the table, there are probably sharpened blades hidden."

The initial excitement on Tachibana Masamune's face gradually faded, leaving only deep contemplation. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound. After a long while, his expression subtly changed; Genji's words had touched a chord deep within him.

“Chisuke, you’re right,” Tachibana Masamune said slowly. “We can’t judge two adversaries who harbor deep-seated murderous intent using purely the logic of political games. Hatred and dignity are sometimes harder to compromise than interests.”

He stood up abruptly. "It was my oversight. I must go there immediately and meet with Angers in person. With me there, at least the situation can be kept under control and prevented from escalating into an unpredictable conflict."

“I’ll go with you,” Yuan Zhisheng said, standing up as well.

Tachibana Masamune walked behind Genjiro and placed his hands firmly on his shoulders, his palms broad and warm.

“No, Chisei, you stay here. Now, you are the general of all of us. How can a general move lightly? It is your duty to sit in the center and control the overall situation.” He patted Chisei’s shoulder slightly, conveying his determination and strength to him. “As for charging into battle and conducting the first round of probing and confrontation with an opponent like Angers, leave that to this old warrior.”

Having said that, he didn't linger, turning and striding towards the sliding door on the inner side of the terrace. A waiter was already respectfully waiting by the door, draping a heavy black haori over his shoulders. As he walked, he gave a deep, resonant order to the air: "Prepare the carriage! To Tamamo-no-Mae!"

Almost as soon as he stood up, the deep, powerful roar of engines and the clamor of vehicles moving rapidly filled the spacious parking lot of Genji Heavy Industries downstairs. Lights flashed one after another, and a line of black Mercedes-Benz sedans, like startled cheetahs, sped out of their parking spaces in a swift and orderly fashion, braking and turning at high speed on the open ground, quickly forming a disciplined convoy.

Dozens of bodyguards dressed in black suits, exuding a sharp and capable aura, rushed out from various entrances of the building and lined up beside the convoy and along both sides of the passageway, standing at attention with their hands at their sides, like a well-trained army, silently exuding a chilling aura.

Masamune Tachibana appeared at the main entrance of the building. Without pausing, amidst the synchronized bows of his bodyguards, he walked straight to the all-black Rolls-Royce Phantom in the center of the convoy. The door was opened beforehand, and he bent down to sit inside.

The dull thud of the car door closing served as a signal, and the entire convoy started moving, driving out of Genji Heavy Industries' territory. Like a black river, it silently merged into the dazzling and bustling traffic of the Tokyo night, quickly disappearing into the hazy shadows of neon lights.

Genji stood alone by the railing of the Awakening Temple, looking down at the parking lot below, which had quickly calmed down and returned to silence, and in the distance, the river of light that had swallowed the convoy.

Chapter 570 Yaksha: Congratulations, Boss!

“You are the real general, old man,” Yuan Zhisheng murmured to himself, his voice fading into the night wind. “Such majesty, such decisiveness, such pomp. I can’t learn it, nor do I want to.”

"Don't give up on yourself, boss!" a loud, carefree voice rang out beside him. Yaksha leaned closer, utterly disregarding his image, and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He lit one with a Zippo lighter, took a deep drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Awe and authority are things that can be acquired if you lack them at birth! Look at Toyotomi Hideyoshi from the Warring States period. Wasn't he just a peasant who carried shoes for others at the beginning? Didn't he eventually become the ruler of the whole country?"

Yasha glanced at Genjiro and chuckled, "Besides, if you really go to France to sell sunscreen, what will happen to me, Crow, and Sakura? All we've ever done in our lives is fight and serve you, we don't know anything else. Even if we wanted to reform and set up a stall on the beach to sell hot dogs, with my looks and charisma..."