"Do they know of my arrival?" Maartje thought to herself. "That's impossible, isn't it?"Jack could see that the girl was pondering deeply. "Lady, it's pointless to dwell on that! We need to find Rebecca right away!""Yeah!" That was all Maartje said as Jack led her away from the spot.But only about ten steps later, a hoarse and deep voice sounded in their ears. "Lady Maartje Dujardin!"Maartje was startled. "Who is that?" she thought. The girl then looked around, unable to discern where the voice was coming from."Do you think by putting on a human mask on your face, you can fool me?" The same voice echoed, reverberating throughout the northern corner of the vast and grand palace."Who are you? Don't speak in the dark! Show yourself if you dare!" Maartje didn't expect someone to recognize her disguise.There was no more sound from the man.But this time, it was Jack who was slightly surprised. "Lady, what does he mean? Is what he said about you true?""I had to do it!" Maartje said,
"Lady, you should go see Rebecca immediately!" Jack said, gesturing with his palm towards one of the other rooms on the west side of the palace. "Let me handle this person!""But..." Maartje glanced towards Jack, her incredibly beautiful face unable to conceal the worry in her heart."Don't worry! This time I am not going to give you the wrong estimate of the location again! Rebecca is right in the direction I indicated!""That's not what I'm worried about!" Maartje shook her head. "Esdras is not an opponent to be underestimated! Despite his disturbed sanity, his strength is no weaker than when his mind was clear!"Jack nodded. "I know! That's why, while I stall for time, you need to find Rebecca and take her as far away from this palace as possible!"Not only that, Jack then handed his weapon to Maartje.Maartje looked at Jack again. Her gaze seemed to convey a lot even though her mouth remained silent. "Alright! I'll go now!"Seeing Maartje stepping away, Esdras, who had been talkin
"Hahaha! Where's the pride and empty talk you've been showing since earlier?" Esdras stared at Jack with a cynical grin as he slowly walked towards him. Although the general also felt numbness and tingling in his right arm, his condition wasn't as bad as Jack's."After all this time, I finally found someone who can reignite my fighting spirit! It would be a pleasure to kill you with my own hands!" The general showed a fierce gaze. The desire to kill burned even stronger in his heart. "Nevertheless, of course, I won't delay it!"On Jack's side, after experiencing the immense quantum power, this was the first time he encountered such a strong opponent, forcing him to experience such a great defeat. "Damn! His strength is truly terrifying!" he muttered.Although Esdras was getting closer to him, there was no trace of fear on Jack's face. On the contrary, his eyes showed an unquenchable fighting spirit. He had made a plan. "Come closer, you ugly bastard! I will make you feel the power of
Knock-knock!Maartje knocked on the door of one of the rooms with a hint of urgency. It was the room Jack had shown her earlier.Creak!"Sorry, who are you? What brings you here?" A young woman who opened the door asked Maartje with a face unable to hide the feelings of worry and fear in her heart."Is Rebecca inside?""Yes! She's getting ready for her engagement party!"Maartje said nothing further, but pushed the door wider and entered the room without asking for permission."Miss, excuse me! You can't come in!" The young woman blocked Maartje. But as if not hearing her voice, Maartje continued to step into the rather large room.At the far end, a young woman in a white wedding dress sat on the sofa. On her right and left sides, there was a girl each watching her. The girl on the right fanned her, while the girl on the left continued to touch up Rebecca's makeup."My dear, you look so beautiful! I'm sure Gerhard will fall even more in love with you when he sees you later!" Ignoring
Wim was shocked to see Yellow Hair also falling to the floor.The bodyguard knew that the three siblings were Warriors at level five, only one level below him. Therefore, if someone could shoot faster than them, surely that person must be at his level or even far above. "Who is this person stronger than them?" thought the bodyguard. Since earlier, he hadn't seen anyone among these mercenaries who had strength equivalent to the three siblings, let alone surpass them. "These people are just ordinary killers who don't have any inner strength! If there is any, it's only one or two Warriors who are at level 1!"Wim looked around while continuing to shoot.A few moments later, his gaze fell on a figure with a steel vest shooting Jeremy's people very casually. At that moment, cold sweat began to flow from his body. "The Shadow Warrior?" he muttered.Esdras continued to aim his pistol and shoot one by one the people supporting Jeremy. And as expected of a Paragon, it didn't take him more th
Bang!Wim closed his eyes when he heard the loud pistol shot ringing in his ears. At that moment, he thought his fate would not be much different from the three colorful-haired brothers, each of whom had died at the hands of the general."Perhaps my time has come!" He murmured in his heart since Esdras aimed his pistol at him.However, strangely, after the gunshot, he felt no pain in his body. He could still think clearly.Driven by curiosity, Wim slowly opened his eyes to find the figure of the young man he was familiar with, Jack, standing before him!A few minutes earlier.Jack was still puzzled by Esdras's sudden departure."Aargh!" Trying to stand upright on both feet, Jack felt not only very weak but also very sore."Jack, your body condition is not good! Especially your right hand, I estimate it's damaged about sixty-five percent!"Sixty-five percent?That was a significant level of damage for someone at the peak level of a Warrior like him."I can't stop! I have to keep my pro
Meanwhile, Esdras seemed to experience a different condition. He was thrown almost twenty meters before his body finally crashed onto the floor.Thud!Unlike Jack, who could immediately rise from the ground, Esdras didn't seem to get up from the floor even several moments later.On the other hand, what Jack displayed made Wim shake his head, finding it hard to believe."Insane! This is truly remarkable!" exclaimed Wim, summoning his inner strength to shield himself from the strong gust of wind originating from the clash of the two fists. "I never expected Jack to match the Shadow Warrior's power!"When the bodyguard previously warned Jack to be wary of the Shadow Warrior, he didn't think Jack would be able to confront him."I just said that to boost his morale, didn't I? But in reality, his abilities far exceed what I imagined!" muttered Wim.Yes, when Wim said that perhaps only Jack could face the Shadow Warrior, he didn't mean that Jack could match, let alone defeat, the general's p
"You'd better release me quickly if you don't want to get into trouble!" Maartje tried to pull both of her hands from the female bodyguard with force, but it didn't budge at all."Say whatever you want to say! I won't let you go, that's for sure!"The female bodyguard continued to hold Maartje's hands behind her back while pushing the girl slightly hard to keep stepping along the corridor on the third floor of the palace."You surely don't know who I am, do you? What if I tell you my identity so you can release me immediately?""Well, I must admit that the title of the goddess of Crystalbrook isn't just an empty title! With the beauty you possess, you can't hide your identity! Lady Maartje!"Maartje was astonished by the bodyguard's words. "So she knows my identity?" she thought."Then why don't you release me and let me go? You can just let me go! Please!""That's impossible! Who told you to sneak into this palace!" The female bodyguard then smirked on her lips. "You'll stay in this
Maartje stayed in a different room from the one she usually used before.This time, she was assigned one of the rooms on the third floor whose decoration and furniture had been completely changed. Not only wider than the room she used to occupy on the first floor, this room also looked more luxurious.The girl was sitting on the edge of the bed typing a message on a highly secure phone."I haven't seen my parents yet. Can you do something?"Shortly after, a reply landed on her phone."We're working on it, Lady! We'll check all satellite images and CCTV cameras."Maartje was almost certain that her parents had been moved from the palace. "I've checked every corner of this palace, but they're nowhere to be found!" she muttered.Earlier, before the female soldiers escorted Maartje to her room, the girl asked them to accompany her to explore the palace, which they said was being renovated.Those who had no suspicions about Maartje finally complied with the girl's wishes.However, there wa
In Cornelia's mind, by marrying Maartje, Leon would not only gain a very beautiful girl."Haven't you remained unmarried all this time because you were searching for the most beautiful girl in Crystalbrook?" said the secretary. "That girl is now before you! So what else are you waiting for?""Furthermore, consider one more thing!" Cornelia continued. "Maartje is a symbol of resistance and at the same time a symbol of hope for the people of Crystalbrook. By marrying her, you will not only be able to force those who have opposed you all this time to support you! On the contrary, the possibility of people rebelling will diminish even more!"Upon hearing such considerations, Leon's eyes widened. So did his mouth. How could he miss such a great opportunity?Back to the present."I will not only make you my deputy governor, but you will also be my wife!" Leon said again, walking slowly towards Maartje proudly while holding a glass in one of his hands."Both of us will produce successors who
Feeling disgusted by Leon's gaze towards her, Maartje quickly opened her mouth. "You shouldn't waste my time! I came here to sign the reconciliation letter!"Leon smiled widely. "My dear, why rush? We haven't met in a long time. Wouldn't it be appropriate for us to exchange a word or two first?"The man then ordered the female soldiers to leave."Alright, Duke!" they said and immediately left the room, closing the door behind them.As the female soldiers left, Maartje felt very uncomfortable being alone with Leon. However, she tried to control her feelings."Come, sit here!" Leon gestured for Maartje to sit on the sofa where he had been drinking earlier.Maartje quickly moved to the spot Leon indicated because she didn't want the man to try to touch her again."Here, take this!" Leon handed Maartje a glass of wine."I am good!" Maartje simply said without touching the glass offered to her."Do you know what I dislike most about someone?" Leon asked as he sipped the wine in his hand.M
Thirty minutes later, the long sedan carrying Maartje arrived near the palace. Behind the sedan, a large jeep followed."This is truly terrifying!" One of the female soldiers inside the jeep couldn't contain her feelings upon seeing the sea of people surrounding the palace. "This is far more than what we faced before!" she murmured again.The female soldier used to be one of the Warriors who fought alongside Duke Dujardin to overthrow Leon.Back when they attacked this palace, Leon's forces weren't as numerous. But now, the situation was completely reversed."I really don't understand how Duke Sardou could gather such a massive army!" muttered the other female soldier, still focusing on her driving.The horror they both felt was also felt by Maartje inside the long sedan. "So many soldiers," she murmured. "There's no way I could fight them!"Anyone who saw the large group of blue-uniformed soldiers would shiver immediately.The sedan continued along the straight asphalt road that woul
Since that day, Duke Dujardin secretly helped those who were struggling financially to pay their taxes. "My father secretly doubled the employees' salaries! The aim was for this bonus not to be counted for deduction from their wages! He also provided financial assistance to those in great need, also secretly!" thought Maartje, recalling her father's struggle at that time. As time passed, the number of people receiving assistance from Duke Dujardin grew steadily. And it didn't take long for the duke to gain recognition from the wider community. "Hundreds of Paragons fought on my father's side! They sacrificed their lives so that Leon could be acquitted!" she thought again. The result was ten years ago when the very fierce civil war was finally won by Duke Dujardin. As Maartje reminisced about her father's struggle at that time, a voice inside her seemed to echo in her ears. A voice urging her to keep fighting, no matter how strong the enemy and how impossible victory may seem. T
It's been a common knowledge that although Leon and Duke Dujardin came from the same ancestors, their lines of luck differed. Duke Dujardin inherited thousands of hectares of land from his great-grandfather, a family wealth passed down through generations. It was all productive land cultivated with various vegetables, fruits, and even rare medicinal plants capable of generating billions of RG annually. That was just one aspect of the Dujardin family's wealth. Besides that, they also controlled several mining locations and significant real estate businesses. It could be said that the Dujardin family's hotels were almost scattered throughout the Eldoria kingdom. This was in stark contrast to Leon, or "The Unlucky Duke" as people called him. His grandfather was nearly bankrupt due to debts he couldn't bear. Meanwhile, his father became a fugitive after being found guilty of embezzling state funds. Leon, who was raised in a military education since childhood, lacked sufficient knowl
How dark Duke Dujardin felt hearing their explanations. Especially when they said that hospitals and social houses no longer provided social services. If you're sick or hungry, but you have no money, then the government can't do anything for you. In other words, you have to endure your suffering on your own, and there's no one you can ask for help. "The government argues that it's the people's obligation to pay taxes to them. While they have no obligations to the people!" the supervisor said again. When the tax rules were first implemented, along with the elimination of social security rules, chaos erupted almost throughout the province of Crystalbrook. It could even be said that this province experienced turmoil like never before in its history. "However, the protests we've made never succeeded because anyone who opposes will immediately be shot! If not, they will be arrested and tortured or sent to the mines for forced labor!" Duke Dujardin clenched his mouth tightly while clen
A month after Duke Dujardin lived in his luxurious manor in Emberfield, he was approached by a group of people who worked on his estate. "Duke Dujardin, forgive us!" The group of no more than ten people then immediately fell to their knees before the duke. "The police threatened to take our wages! We beg you, do not give them that money! It's all we have to feed our children and wives! We are even willing to work longer hours every day if you want us to, as long as you don't give that money to them!" They continued to prostrate themselves at Duke Dujardin's feet while pleading with him not to give their wages to the Crystalbrook police officers. Duke Dujardin didn't quite understand what they were saying. Of course, he wouldn't give their money to anyone. "Get up! There's no need to grovel like this!" he said, holding the shoulders of each worker one by one. "Please tell me, what's really going on?" They glanced at each other for a moment before the man at the forefront explaine
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "It seems Leon has been thinking about this for a long time! He realizes that Duke Dujardin has become some sort of symbol of rebellion for the people to oppose him! Therefore, he is convinced that as long as Duke Dujardin is still alive or residing in Crystalbrook, people will still have hope to rebel against him!" "In other words," Jack continued. "If Leon succeeds in marrying Maartje, then it's like destroying the last hope of the people of Crystalbrook to oppose him?" "Exactly! But, of course, that won't solve the problem in Crystalbrook! Mass oppression and exploitation will occur! In the end, it's the people who will suffer!" "You're right!" That's all Jack could say. Now he understood that letting Leon marry Maartje would only make the people even more miserable in the end. He also understood that the most important thing now was to save Maartje and her family first. "Quantara, do you have any ideas?" "Of course! I've been thinking of the most pos