I Have Become The Heroes’ Rival Chapter 99

Benjamin looked at the house of cards that Lucas had ticulously built and said:

"Remarkable. I had no idea you possessed such a delicate talent."

"Talent? Building a card tower is hardly sothing you’d call a talent..."

He had only stacked them out of boredom, without much thought. Lucas, who always frowned at Benjamin’s words, started to reply irritably but then suddenly scowled.

"... Wait, how exactly have you been perceiving all this ti?”

“I beheld Your Majesty just as you truly are.”

Why did that sound like an insult? But getting angry here would an denying his true self. Lucas was annoyed at Benjamin, who always managed to slip out of difficult situations so smoothly, yet he had no choice other than to keep his mouth shut.

"Isn't that what they're built for — to be knocked down? There’s nothing more satisfying than toppling sothing soone else has painstakingly constructed in an instant."

Benjamin exhaled a thick puff of smoke and lightly tapped the bottom of the card tower with his finger. As if on cue, the house of cards that Lucas had painstakingly built over several hours ca crashing down. Watching this unfold, Lucas's eyelashes quivered faintly as he spoke.

"I’m sure it would be quite enjoyable to watch you crumble in an instant.”

"Go ahead and try if you can."

“After all, you can't do anything without ,” Benjamin added with a sweet, almost picturesque smile.

Before the hot-tempered Lucas could fly into another rage, Benjamin swiftly placed the docunts he had brought in front of him.

"Read this."

After grumbling a few tis, the emperor quietly began to read the docunts that ca into his possessions. The nas: Claudia Chamberlain, Felix Chamberlain, Irene Amber and Erica Depilacion, were listed, detailing information about those currently aligned with Claudia.

‘But why did he bring information about soone already dead and gone?’ Lost in thought, Lucas pondered that detail.

"No wonder I thought it was strange.”

A long tail was bound to get caught. wouldn’t you agree?”

Benjamin gestured towards Constantine, who stood silently in the corner of the barracks with his eyes closed, as if deep in ditation. Constantine, who was criticised as being an ornant, seed unfazed. Despite making the greatest contribution in acquiring the Devil’s bow he remained silent.

Instead, Constantine diligently wiped his sword clean of the blood before sheathing his sword. It was only after roughly tying up his waist-long hair did he finally chose to speak.

"And what exactly have you accomplished other than running your mouth?”

"Your reaction’s rather dull.”

"I rely stated the truth. You should stop treating people like toys. More importantly, there's sothing that's been bothering for a while now…”

Constantine’s gaze drifted outside the barracks. It turned out he wasn’t ditating earlier but rather sensing the subtle energy in the air. With a troubled expression, he fixed his eyes on the dark-haired man, clearly unsettled by an unshakeable discomfort.

"Sothing feels off. I’m talking about that man, Walter.”

Benjamin, who had been drowsily watching him, suddenly perked up and moved closer to Constantine.

"Ah, as expected. Did you notice it too, Sir? I've also felt that sothing was amiss…”

"What do you an?"

Lucas stared intently at Walter, who had beco the focus of their gaze. Known as the Victor of War, rcenary of Judgnt and Destruction, Walter’s re presence was enough to boost the morale of the knights and soldiers. His formidable aura commanded respect, so while everyone sent him admiring glances, no one dared to approach him.

Lucas squinted and blinked repeatedly, studying Walter closely. He couldn’t spot any difference from the first ti he had seen him.

"What's strange about him?”

“The atmosphere around him is quite different from when we saw him at the banquet hall.”

"In what way?"

“He just feels… strange?”

"Hmm."

Lucas examined Walter carefully for one last ti.

"I don't see anything?”

"I was wrong to have any expectations. It seems Your Majesty has poured all your delicate senses into stacking cards."

"You’re being overly sensitive. What do you an by ‘feeling’? What exactly do you feel?”

For once, Benjamin decided to extend a rare show of patience and kindness toward his lord. Wearing a mask-like smile, he then explained the discomfort he had felt from Walter all along.

“It seems his malice has diminished a bit compared to before. All in all… my instincts have never led astray."

Constantine also nodded in agreent.

"I used to feel a faint magical energy around him, making wonder if he had ties to a sorcerer, but today I don’t feel anything at all. In fact, I’m starting to wonder if that thing is even a living being…”

In the end, both of them could only provide vague descriptions of their feelings saying “sothing’s different,” without being able to pinpoint exactly what had changed. Lucas, blinked in confusion and finally spoke.

"I still don’t get it.”

At that, the gazes of the two n turned sharply to Lucas, simultaneously. It was a look that could kill, their eyes conveyed utter contempt. Now donning an even more impenetrable facade, Benjamin spoke with forced kindness and gentleness.

"Your Majesty, you seem to be in the way, so why don't you go and indulge in your favourite pasti of killing? There seem to be many young and vigorous individuals today.”

"These crazy bastards..."

The pitiful emperor, Lucas truly wanted to execute them.

・・・・・

Felix returned like Cinderella, and the tearful reunion with the Chamberlains ca to an end. In fact, the tragedy I had feared didn’t occur. The Chamberlains didn’t reject Felix, who had completely changed. Although everyone seed quite shocked, it was only a matter of ti before they accepted him. As expected, the Chamberlains hadn’t changed at all.

And then, peace seed to return for a while. The doll intricately crafted by Ilypia went to the battlefield in place of Felix. In the anti, I found myself with little to do, so I devoted myself to potion-making in the laboratory again.

However, the difference from before was that Felix was right beside . Felix had an illustrious past as the greatest sorcerer in the Empire. Being with him allowed to achieve unprecedented success that was incomparable to before.

And since Felix could no longer use magic, he seed to enjoy researching potions. I paused from stirring the potion and turned to look at him. He was flipping through a book after giving so advice here and there.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m reading a book."

Just as Felix said that a page tore with a loud rip. It seed like he was just trying to turn it, but he was having trouble controlling his strength.

"I think the paper is too weak."

Saying that, I paused what I was doing and climbed onto Felix's lap.

"I'll turn the pages for you!”

Felix fell silent for a mont as I boldly declared this while sitting on his lap. He gently toyed with my earlobe using the hand that had just been turning the pages before he spoke.

"It's a bit dangerous to sit here."