The combined efforts of the two men managed to douche the huge explosion almost as instantly as it had appeared, thus restricting its dreadful damage to the unlucky small area around it, though even then the intensity of the destruction there was quite significant.

“Hahaha!”

But rather than being pleased with their quick response, the two men only felt irritated at how loud that very recognizable laughter was, at how joyous the perpetrator seemed of this crime.

They did not at all seem vexed.

Like their true goal had been achieved, as that short-haired woman simply kept euphorically laughing, her laughter turning more and more masculine with every passing second.

While at the same time, her entire body seemed to be breaking down, with cracks appearing all over the body.

It appeared almost as if her outer layer was molting off like it was dry clay like she was shedding her skin, working to reveal her true features.

And soon a much more masculine figure peeked out from inside.

“Master Parntheos!” The booming engaged shout was ear-splitting as even from that hazy silhouette Rhegnight could instantly tell who it belonged to.

The laughter had been the dead giveaway.

And as the skin fully peeled off, a very burly, muscular man stepped out of the ‘cocoon’, with a large grin on his face, looking at the other two men glaring at him with a mocking sneer.

Master Artisan Parntheos wore a resplendent black and white robe with numerous magical runes glowing on it, far more than the silver armor Rhegnight wore.

He was bald as an egg, with large, dense snow-white whiskers along both cheeks but a clean shaved mouth with few wrinkles here and there.

He had a square nose, his face was chiseled, and his most distinguishing feature was his eyes, which were green like his daughter’s, with mysterious golden runes drawn on them.

Even in his advanced years, Master Artisan Parntheos was a very regal, handsome man, and every step he took radiated power and mysteriously, stability.

It was as if the man could just plant his feet on the ground and calm an earthquake.

Finally revealing himself, this father-in-law of their king glanced at the two men with mocking disdain, and then chuckled while tracing his finger over his left arm, leaving a trail of small black, rock stalagmites as he went,

“Earth Skin! Even a Level 1 spell can be useful if you know how to do it.”

He frankly revealed how he had managed to infiltrate so deep into such a restricted place.

By seemingly fashioning a cocoon of fake skin.

Though the other two knew there was so much more to it than that.

If it was that easy to fool the security of an Exalted Power by a mere spell all Rank-1 mages could learn, then almost everyone living here would have a mana pulse disorder and instantly die out of embarrassment.

But still, the fact that the old man had managed to find use for a spell as weak as this even at his level, and make it work was truly commendable, no matter the niche.

“Master Parntheos! Are you here to declare war? Is Profound Architect Sanctuary about to go to war with us!”

But contrary to the old man’s smug look, the other two were naturally far less impressed.

And while the Iudex still was as calm and collected as ever, at least externally, the much more impetuous Rhegnight roared so.

And he had good reason to ask this, even though he knew it was mostly rhetorical.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

The fact still remained that one of the Master Artisans of Profound Architect Sanctuary and virtually its second in command had sneaked into another Exalted Power’s core territory, interfered with their work, blown their very expensive teleportation portal, and lastly killed many people.

These actions certainly justified the Stosleria Empire declaring war on Profound Architect Sanctuary.

“Bah! If I really could have made Profound Architect Sanctuary declare war on your shit-filled empire, I would have done so long ago.” But facing Rhegnight’s fierce threat, the old man not only did not renege a single step but spat this out fearlessly.

It went without mentioning how devastating a war between two Exalted Powers would be, but to the old man that did not seem at all a concern.

“Brat, you stay out of this. I’m here for him.”

Instead, turning his head away from Rhegnight, the bald man started to glare at the Iudex, his fury truly manifesting itself this time, as he boomed,

“You dirty lizard! Your father groveled at our feet like a stray cur so that you could live. And this is how you repay our kindness? By plotting to kill my grandson and harm my daughter!”

“Hah! It’s just like I always said. You traitors betrayed your own kind and it's only a matter of time before you betray us. Ungrateful wretch … *thoo*.”

The old man ended the vituperation with a spit on the ground.

The contents of his foul language were truly abusive, and grossly inappropriate given the rank of the person he was addressing this to.

Just this speech alone would have been enough to greatly shake the relationship between the realms, forget the bombing.

And hearing this vitriol type of language, Rhegnight was momentarily stunned.

“Parntheos! Have you gone insane?” He shouted incredulously.

Even in the very long life he had lived till now, he had never encountered such rude behavior.

Not even as a child.

Though it was also because Rhegnight had come from the second strongest noble family in the entire empire, just below the Royal family.

And for that matter Parntheos too was brought up in a very illustrious family.

But now hearing him speak, Rhegnight felt like they had been transported to a slum in the Forsaken Realms.

And they were a couple of mortal goons slugging it over at the back of a dark, damp alley.

“Master Parntheos this type of language is unbecoming of you. Please do not degrade yourself. It is embarrassing… for you, your daughter, and your grandson.”

Finally, the recipient of all those curses responded as such, though the Iudex’s voice was still as cool and cold as ever.

It was like nothing he heard had affected him in the slightest, something that was perfectly illustrated by his stoic countenance and posture.

The man was the very definition of cool as a cucumber.

But that did not mean he shrugged and brushed off all those insults.

No, his reply was quite biting for those who could feel it.

The Iudex knew why Master Parntheos was here- his grandson, and knowing the man long enough, he could easily predict the moment he brought that up, he would get an enraged reaction from the other side.

“My grandson! You dare bring up my grandson!” And the Iudex got his reaction right on the clock as Master Parntheos roared, pointing,

“If I had not stepped in on time, you would have killed him! You think I missed that little trick of yours? When it was that shabby! Lizard, you truly overestimate yourself.”

“What?” And at this clear innuendo, Rhegnight found himself muttering such.

At first, he wanted to rebuke this seemingly insane old man for calling their Iudex such names.

But now it seemed there was much more to the story than it met the eye.

And sensing this inquisitive look, Master Parntheos frankly revealed with rage burning in his eyes,

“That silver cloth this lizard wrapped Valeras in… there was a hidden denotation rune matrix drawn into it. Enough to turn a Rank 5 into vapor instantly. Even a Rank 6 would be seriously hurt if he was caught off guard. To think he would be so malicious to even an infant.”

And hearing this, all of a sudden everything seemed to become so much clearer to Rhegnight.

‘So that’s the reason for that cocoon.’ He understood that sight.

And at the revelation, Rhegnight then suddenly remembering something slightly shuddered.

He remembered that he had not detected any such rune.

And he had been standing right next to the thing.

Although Rhegnight was no expert, world-famous runesmith, he still had a solid grasp of the subject.

And in a similar vein, his counterpart should have no expertise in that field either.

At least not any that Rhegnight knew of.

‘So how was he able to make such a fantastic piece?’ He genuinely wondered as he turned to give his colleague a deep look.

Rhegnight did not for a second think the Iudex hired someone to do it either.

Because that cloth pulsed purely with the Iudex’s unique mana signature.

He had drawn that rune, there was no doubt about it.

‘You are full of surprises today aren’t you?’ Hence Rhegnight wanted to comment.

And as for Master Artisan Parntheos’s comment about the rune.

Don’t worry about that.

He was among the best runesmiths not only in this realm but across the dimension.

To have your runes called ‘shabby’ by him was actually a great compliment.