*Chapter 92: Mother!

Andinan's shout was heart-wrenching.

The ugly iron mask concealed the attacker's face, but some things cannot be hidden by a mask.

The hands that dressed and fed him as a child.

The hands that gently patted his back, lulling him to sleep as a boy.

The hands that held his during prayers as a teenager, hoping he would pass his medical exams.

Too many memories came flooding back like a tide.

Andinan struggled to lower his head, looking at the iron-masked figure before him.

Then...

He whispered softly.

“Mother?”

“Mother, is it you?”

Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, and even though he was on the verge of suffocation, Andinan instinctively raised his hands, wanting to embrace his mother.

But—

“Wouldn't it be better to just die like this?”

A familiar voice spoke, and after casually tossing Andinan and Little Graz aside, the iron-masked figure removed the mask.

Andinan, lying on the ground, stared intently at this scene.

There was no mistake; it was Charlotte Chambers!

It was his mother!

The mother who was supposed to be dead was now standing in front of Andinan once again.

However, the young man, who was gradually regaining clarity, felt no joy.

There was only... confusion.

Not fear.

Not anxiety.

Just bewildered confusion.

The young man's intelligent mind was now in disarray, but his basic judgment remained intact. As soon as he saw his mother, the entire sequence of events became clear in his mind.

But the young man didn't want to admit it.

He opened his mouth, then bit his lip, gathering the courage to ask.

“The notebook that wasn’t completely burned—wasn’t it originally recording information about His Majesty Modius' laboratory, but just an ordinary notebook?”

The young man asked cautiously, but with clear anxiety.

Obviously, he was still clinging to hope.

And then, reality was harsh.

“It did record information about His Majesty Modius' laboratory.”

Charlotte Chambers answered directly.

The young man’s body trembled.

Even though he had suspected it, he hadn’t wanted to believe it. But with his mother’s confirmation, he fell silent.

The assassination of Archduke Graz!

The attack on Great Graz!

The assault on Little Graz!

All of it was his mother's doing!

And, of course, framing him!

“Why?”

“Why did you do this?”

The young man’s eyes were filled with confusion. He struggled to his feet, wanting to question his mother about her actions.

But he was kicked to the ground by his mother.

After several kicks, the young man gave up, letting his mother step on his head.

“Why?”

“Of course, because of your father.”

“I love him, and he loves me. But more than the whole of Leon, he loves Leon more. So I plan to destroy all of Leon—does that reason suffice?”

Charlotte Chambers said with a soft laugh.

The young man frowned at this answer.

A lie!

He could tell that his mother was lying at this moment!

The young man wanted to struggle and refute his mother, but he was pinned down, unable to move.

“Cough, cough.”

“The heir of Snake is indeed as cunning and ruthless as a serpent.”

A series of coughs echoed as Seelick, using his staff to support his frail body, stood up. The old advisor looked at Charlotte Chambers and revealed what he knew.

“Twenty years ago, a Snake heir attempted to assassinate Archduke Graz but failed. The assassin disappeared, and the archduke did not pursue it.”

“That assassin was you, wasn’t it?”

“Princess Snake!”

The old advisor looked at the woman before him.

"Sometimes, knowing too much isn’t a good thing."

Charlotte Chambers, no... Charlotte Snake, turned to the old advisor, raising the dagger in her hand slightly.

"At this point, does it matter how much you know?"

"Would you spare us?"

"No."

"You've plotted for so many years, even making Archduke Graz believe you loved him, just to complete this plan. How could you possibly spare us?"

The old advisor smiled bitterly.

Then, Charlotte Snake's dagger pierced his abdomen.

The pain contorted the old advisor's face. He glanced at Little Graz, who stood frozen nearby, then grabbed Charlotte Snake’s dagger-wielding hand.

"Run!"

The old advisor shouted.

A force field enveloped both him and Charlotte Snake, its pressure seemingly strong enough to crush her.

Feeling the squeeze, Charlotte Snake sneered.

"Men are always so arrogant!"

"Graz was like that."

"And so are you."

Saying this, Charlotte Snake's wrist twisted like a snake, effortlessly slipping her hand out of the old advisor's grasp. Then, with a casual swipe, she shattered the newly formed force field as if it were a mere soap bubble.

The old advisor trembled, as if struck by lightning, and collapsed to the ground.

Little Graz, who had barely run two meters, was kicked back.

Charlotte Snake raised her hand and threw a knife.

Little Graz, lying on the ground, was too exhausted to dodge, watching helplessly as the knife flew towards him.

Thunk!

Little Graz closed his eyes.

But the pain didn’t come.

The archduke’s younger son blinked, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he saw Andinan standing in front of him.

"Andinan?!"

The young archduke exclaimed, rushing to support the staggering young man.

Seeing the knife embedded in Andinan’s chest, Little Graz’s eyes welled up with tears. He never imagined Andinan would save him.

"Why?"

Little Graz asked, bewildered.

"Because... you once called me 'Big Brother'!"

"So, I have to protect you!"

Andinan joked, though his heart was filled with guilt.

It was his mother who had taken Little Graz’s father and brother away from him.

There was no way he could let his mother kill Little Graz right in front of him.

The young man wanted to apologize to Little Graz, but the next moment, he began coughing up blood violently.

The medical knowledge he had learned told him that the knife had pierced his lung and was likely poisoned, paralyzing his nerves.

The feeling of suffocation returned.

He knew he wouldn’t survive.

Little Graz tried to wipe away Andinan’s blood, but it was no use.

The archduke’s younger son panicked.

Even though he had called Andinan “Big Brother,” he knew their relationship wasn’t that close. Given their previous stances, they were practically enemies.

Now?

It was merely a forced cooperation.

But under such circumstances, Andinan had saved him!

Grateful, the archduke’s younger son didn’t want Andinan to die!

But it was useless!

The blood Andinan was coughing up couldn’t be stopped.

And it was turning black!

Charlotte Snake let out a cold laugh.

"Tsk, just as stupid as your fool of a father!"

Saying this, Charlotte Snake grabbed the barely-conscious Andinan and threw him into a corner. Then, with murderous intent, she turned her gaze on Little Graz.

Normally timid and fearful, Little Graz wasn’t scared this time.

"You crazy woman!"

"Andinan is your son!"

"How can you kill your own son?!"

The archduke’s younger son roared.

"For the dead souls of Snake, I could kill my husband!"

"So, of course, I can kill my son too!"

"And you’re next!"

Charlotte Snake looked at Little Graz with disdain.

“You do look a bit like that bastard, but compared to him, you’re just a waste—a waste that only knows how to scream!”

“The bloodline of Graz ends with you!”

“Now…”

“It’s time to end it!”

Charlotte Snake raised her dagger.

Caw! Caw!

The cawing of crows filled the air.

A whistling sound followed.

Charlotte Snake dodged, and several crows flew past her.

More crows swooped down.

Charlotte Snake swung her dagger repeatedly, slicing several crows in half.

But more crows surrounded her, forcing her to retreat. At that moment, a figure burst out from the flock of crows, landing a powerful kick on Charlotte Snake.

*Extraordinary [Hand-to-Hand Combat]!*

*[Mastery of Leg Combat]!*

Boom!

The combined force struck Charlotte Snake’s waist and abdomen with the power of a cannonball, causing her to stagger back, spitting out blood. But before she could recover, Goth grabbed her.

Charlotte Snake’s wrist twisted like a snake again, but it was no use. Goth’s grip was like a vice, not only preventing her from escaping but also dislocating her wrist.

*[Mastery of Grappling]!*

Goth pulled the disarmed Charlotte Snake back, raising his knee like a battering ram, slamming it into her chin.

Boom!

Crack!

The dull sound of impact was accompanied by the crunch of breaking bones.

Charlotte Snake’s upper body recoiled uncontrollably, but she used the momentum to swing a leg at Goth.

Goth dodged, but the leg twisted unnaturally like a snake, aiming for his neck.

Whoosh!

It was sudden and well-hidden.

But Goth ducked, avoiding the strike and grabbing her ankle!

*[Mastery of Dodging]!*

*[Mastery of Grappling]!*

Then—

*[Mastery of Throwing]!*

It was as if Goth was swinging a sledgehammer, slamming Charlotte Snake into the ground!

Boom!

The ground trembled.

Charlotte Snake was knocked unconscious.

Goth took a step forward, straddling her, and his fists flew.

*[Mastery of Hand Combat]!*

His fists moved so fast they left afterimages.

The sound of impacts was continuous.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Charlotte Snake’s upper body was pounded into the ground, her legs lifted off the floor.

After ten seconds, Goth stopped. Charlotte Snake was no longer recognizable.

Her upper body’s bones were shattered.

Her head was completely deformed.

But she still had a breath left.

Goth wasn’t done.

Flames flickered in his palm.

The next moment, scorching flames engulfed Charlotte Snake!

*[Burning Hands].*

Whoosh!

The flames roared.

The screams didn’t stop.

"Maple Polo!"

"It's you again!"

"You're the one meddling again!"

"Do you think you've won?"

"You're still an accomplice to the murder of Archduke Graz!"

"The soldiers outside will arrive soon, and you'll be left with no grave!"

Charlotte Snake let out her final howl.

Goth ignored her, one hand ablaze, the other a fist.

The flames burned.

The fists pounded.

Until—

"Cough, cough."

"I don't think so, Ms. Charlotte Snake."

Seelick, with his abdomen severely injured, leaned against the wall, sitting there. Beside him, he had drawn a "ritual" with blood, a simple ritual with no other function than amplifying sound.

Simply put, it was a loudspeaker.

After being injured, the old advisor had quickly drawn it while using his body as a cover.

When there was no hope of victory, the old advisor just wanted the truth to be heard by more people.

But now, it played a crucial role.

“Se… Seelick, I… I kill…”

Before Charlotte Snake could finish her words, she took her last breath.

Goth picked up the dagger from her hand and ran towards the distant corner—

The young man’s body lay rigid, his skin a pallid gray.

But beneath the gray skin, a strange movement began.

It was as if…

He was molting!

*(Chapter End)*