The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

"Humph!"

With a thought, the sword energy that seemed to have missed its target suddenly changed direction and slashed at the unsuspecting Heronia to the side.

Before Heronia could even let out a scream, she was completely engulfed by the sudden sword energy, and her body exploded instantly.

"fall!"

With a flick of his finger, the Seven Star Sword Formation above his head suddenly activated, condensing the previously absorbed thunder into a dazzling beam of lightning sword light.

The lightning sword light struck Cenas on the ground with unparalleled force.

Even if it tries its best to resist, how can a gentle breeze shake the might of thunder?

In an instant, it was cleaved into ashes, leaving no trace in the world.

The combined attack of the three apostles crumbled instantly, leaving only Bradel barely clinging to life.

"As expected of a hero... not only a great enemy of the demon race, but also..."

Bradel murmured, his voice filled with determination, and a tremendous power rapidly gathered around him.

It knew it was no match for Wiener, and it was impossible for it to escape safely under his nose.

But at least—let it make a final effort for the adults.

Bradel glanced at Adele in the distance.

"Don't think about it!"

Realizing that Bradel intended to take everyone present down with him, Field threw his spear without hesitation.

But even this sturdy spear, forged from millennia-old cold iron, melted completely into a pool of molten iron before it even touched Bradel.

A terrifying aura erupted from Bradel, distorting and blurring the air itself. The Imperial soldiers on the battlefield simultaneously halted their movements, staring in terror.

The scorching heatwave acted as a barrier, blocking all attacks and preventing anyone from getting even a fraction of a step closer.

Just when everyone thought they were helpless, a streak of fire suddenly pierced the sky.

"When it comes to playing with fire, you're nowhere near as good as someone I know."

Vena transformed into a fiery meteor, rushing towards Bradel, and mercilessly pierced his chest with the Zhōnen Zhōna in his hand.

"Then come with me!" Bradel used his last bit of strength to grab Vina, a bitter smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Even if one cannot accumulate power to its fullest extent, at this distance, even a hero would not have an easy time.

Explosive energy began to brew within him, seemingly poised to engulf the entire battlefield in the next instant.

"That won't do, someone will be jealous."

Wiener gently shook his head.

Before he finished speaking, the Holy Ring suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light.

An irresistible force instantly enveloped Bradel.

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Chapter 596 The Hero Who Was Exposed

As he watched his accumulated magical energy gradually dissolve in the holy light, Bradel finally realized what he was facing.

"It's actually... the Holy Sword?"

"Correct answer, but unfortunately there is no reward."

Vena pulled the jeweled chakra from Bradel's chest.

A dazzling light burst forth from the wound, causing Bradel's body to completely disintegrate, leaving no trace in the world.

After doing all this, Venus did not stop, and with the help of her fiery wings, she flew into the sky again.

The dark clouds had now dispersed, and Vina's figure, with his back to the sun, was particularly striking to everyone.

He hovered in mid-air, and while the radiance emanating from Escudo still enveloped Nie Dian Zhana, he swung his hand downwards.

Like a sharp blade of judgment, it swept across the battlefield.

"what--"

Thinking he was doomed to die, the Imperial soldier Tovin finally broke down and screamed.

But it took him a while to realize that he hadn't lost any limbs because of the sword energy.

But the screams around them never stopped.

Tovin hurriedly turned around and saw many comrades dressed in Imperial Army uniforms, shouting even louder than him.

Before everyone's eyes, their bodies rapidly turned to ash, leaving only their weapons and armor as evidence of their existence.

The reason this imperial army was organized in a mixed manner was to facilitate the infiltration of demons disguised as humans.

However, even demons at the Apostle level were powerless against the radiance of the Holy Sword, so how could these ordinary demons, who merely resembled humans in appearance, possibly withstand it?

The once bustling battlefield gradually fell silent, and the soldiers who had survived by chance lost their courage to fight, awaiting Vina's judgment.

Vina hovered in mid-air, his gaze sweeping around with piercing intensity, before finally speaking: "Count Feld, the demons who invaded Snowdrift Valley have been wiped out. The rest is up to you."

"Thank you for your help, hero."

Seeing Feld bow respectfully to Vena, these imperial soldiers finally realized the true nature of the being they were facing.

"Thank you for your help, hero!"

Seeing that even the lord himself had personally confirmed the man's identity, the Iceblade Knights bowed in unison to express their gratitude.

Compared to the deathly pale and trembling Imperial Army, they were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

To fight alongside legendary heroes is an unparalleled honor, even if one dies in battle.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Venus nodded slightly, then spread his wings and disappeared into the sky as a streak of fire.

Feld turned to face the surviving members of both sides and declared in a loud voice: "Those who surrender will not be killed; those who resist will be punished as having colluded with the demons!"

"I surrender."

Tovin dropped his weapon without hesitation.

He was more inclined to believe the hero who had just appeared than to superiors who would disappear after giving orders.

The thought that his "comrades-in-arms" who had fought alongside him these past few days were actually demons in disguise sent chills down his spine.

With this leader in charge, the remaining Imperial soldiers followed suit, dropping their weapons and giving up resistance.

As the enemy surrendered, the battlefield gradually returned to calm, and the work of gathering prisoners and treating the wounded was carried out in an orderly manner.

“Your Highness, please go back and wait,” Feld suggested to Edel.

Edel nodded, but a trace of doubt still lingered between her brows. "Felder, don't you think that Arios from earlier was a bit strange?"

"Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Feld looked slightly confused, clearly unaware of anything amiss.

"Perhaps I guessed wrong."

A meaningful smile appeared on Adele's lips.

-----------------

When Edel returned to the mansion, she saw an unexpected figure at the door.

"Isn't it a bit too unfair of you to leave me all alone on the road like this, senior?" Vena said, one hand on her hip, feigning complaint.

"So, how does the junior want me to apologize?"

Adele couldn't help but smile as she watched Vina return.

"At least let me hear your true thoughts."

Wiener put away his joking expression and looked at Adele seriously.

“Okay.” Edel readily agreed, then looked at Sigurd, “Could you find us a quiet room? I’d like to speak with Venere alone.”

"...Come with me."

Sigurd, who had been given a gag order by Viner, looked at the scene before him, hesitant to speak, and could only lead the two to a secluded room before leaving.

Although the Iceblade Knights were victorious, the handling and resettlement of the prisoners would still take a long time.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, Edel spoke first, her tone slightly teasing: "Should I continue to call you Junior Vina, or should I call you Hero?"

"Is it that obvious?" Viner stroked his chin, his tone tinged with surprise.

He had thought that Adele was at most suspicious, but now it seemed as if she was certain.

"Others might not notice, but don't forget."

Edel raised her hand, and on her slender fingers was a ring with an eagle crown almost identical to that of Venus.

“I really overlooked that point,” Vena shook her head helplessly. “Just call me Vena. I can’t accept the title of ‘Hero’.”

After a brief silence, Adele's voice suddenly trembled, "Thank you, Venus."

This was not the joy of surviving a disaster, but rather—

"Thank you for avenging Schuster for me."

Adele lowered her eyes, and tears silently streamed down her face.

Since fleeing the capital, her dreams have been repeatedly dominated by two images.

One was Schuster's parting words, and the other was the faces of the four apostles.

When the night is quiet, these memories pierce her heart like a knife.

And these enemies who once caused her unbearable pain finally fell at Vina's hands.

This gratitude was so profound that she didn't know how to express it.

"Then they have another damn reason."

Vina waited quietly until Adele's emotions gradually calmed down before reaching out to wipe away the tears on her face.

Adele took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes. "I should repay this immense kindness with everything I have. It's just a pity that this life no longer belongs to me alone."

Whether for the nobles who were loyal to her or for the people within the empire who were still being misled, she had to shoulder her mission.

“It seems you’re determined to stay,” Viner sighed softly.

"I'm sorry, I've let you down." Adele lowered her head, slightly embarrassed.

"It's not a matter of letting you down; I was just going with the flow," Wiener comforted her.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, both Adele and Schuster had helped him, and now it was his turn to repay that favor.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do next?" Wiener steered the conversation in a more practical direction.

“I will reveal my identity and expose Lucien’s conspiracy to the people of the Empire,” Adele replied, her voice firm but lacking in conviction.

"Are you confident?" Wiener pressed.

"...Besides the nobles who are loyal to me, there are also many voices in the country that oppose Lucien. If we can unite with them, there will be some chance."

The fact that Edel could say such a thing shows that she was considering a mutually destructive approach.

"If there were two Empresses Edelweiss, who do you think they would believe?"

This question left Adele speechless.

“Since you’re going to do it, why don’t you listen to my ideas?” Venere said slowly.

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Chapter 597 Qingjun’s Side

"You wouldn't be thinking of getting St. Freya Academy involved, would you?" Adel thought of a possibility.

If that's the case, she's 60% confident she can return to the capital and bring down Lucien.

However, given the academy's consistent style, persuading the dean will not be an easy task.

“Of course not.” Viner immediately dissuaded Adele from that idea. “At most, I can help you in my personal capacity.”