Berserk: The Prophet

At this critical moment, a thick spiked club deflected Edward's lance by several degrees, and the lance narrowly missed Hokun, only grazing his cheek.

But this was enough to make Grand Duke Hokun feel a chill of fear; if that person had arrived any later, he would have lost his life at Edward's hands!

Just as Edward was wondering why he had just brushed past Hokun, a familiar voice rang out behind him.

"Stop! Your Highness." Mad Wuxiu's rough voice rang out beside He Kun.

Then, "Edward?" came a woman's voice.

"!!!" Edward quickly turned his horse around to look in that direction.

It's Folda!! My mother... how could she be here?!

“Mother, you…” Edward was so shocked that he could hardly speak as he looked at Folda, who was being guarded by the Shadow Hands. According to the agreement, shouldn’t his mother be at the ice-free port in the west right now?

"Madwood!! How dare you deceive me!" Folda, seeing the scene before her, had no idea what was going on. Edward hadn't been captured by them; she had been brought here by the Grand Duke to threaten Edward.

Madwood scratched his head, a sly smile appearing on his dark face. "Madam, there's nothing we can do about it. We're working for the Grand Duke."

"You bastard!" Edward shouted angrily, his eyes bloodshot, gripping his sword tightly.

Grand Duke Hokun then burst into laughter, "Edward, your mother is now in my hands. If you lay down your weapons, surrender, and kill Gurenbeldo, I can spare your lives!"

"Your Highness..." Edward's confidants and the Grand Duke's knights all stopped fighting, but remained wary of each other and remained locked in a stalemate.

Edward gritted his teeth, his mind racing. The Grand Duke's shadow agents were all present. And Folda was in their hands again. He truly couldn't think of a solution!

"Hmph, don't be ungrateful! If you change your mind now and take the Fire Dragon's Nest, I can forgive and pass the throne to you!"

"Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing any fatherly affection!! This woman will also die because of you!" He Kun rode his horse to Fulda and viciously grabbed her throat. The bruises left by Edward last night on her fair and plump neck were still visible.

Folda's almost suffocating appearance with her feet off the ground instantly brought Edward back to the nightmare of the previous night!

"Stop!!" Edward roared, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

The surrounding fighting also came to an abrupt halt due to this sudden turn of events, and all eyes were focused on Edward and Hokun…

Grand Duke Hokun sneered disdainfully, his grip tightening as if he were patiently awaiting Edward's reply. Meanwhile, the city's inhabitants were already holed up in their homes, fear gripping the entire city as everyone awaited the final outcome of this power struggle.

Edward's gaze darted back and forth between Folda and Hokun, his heart torn by a profound internal struggle. On one hand, he worried about his mother; on the other, he felt a deep connection to his friendship with Gurenbelud and Hikel, as well as a sense of responsibility towards the Dragon's Nest. He knew that if he yielded to Hokun's demands, he would not only betray his dearest friend but also mean that his already ravaged nation would become Juda's plaything.

Time seemed to freeze, each second agonizing Edward's heart. He recalled his past battles alongside Gurenbeldo, the blood and sweat they shed together to protect the dragon's lair; and seeing his mother held hostage, struggling to breathe, he felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart.

After only a moment's thought, Folda's face turned even more purplish-blue.

Edward felt only heartache and indignation, no...

If he chooses to be his partner, how can he make amends to his mother? How can he atone for the sins he committed last night? No... no matter which choice he makes, he will live with the burden of sin for the rest of his life.

As a sea hunter who will not even be accepted into the "Heavenly Plains" after death, and a deserter who cannot reach the "House of the Gods"... a traitor!!

"...Stop! I promise you!!" Edward seemed to have suddenly lost all his strength, and dropped the lance in his hand.

Seeing this, He Kun revealed a triumphant smile and released Fulda. Fulda collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Edward and his confidants were quickly restrained by the Shadow Hands, their knees were kicked hard and they were forced to kneel on the ground. Their eyes were full of humiliation and resentment, but this was quickly covered by a cloud of turbidity.

...Under the flow of causality, the threads of fate still managed to connect at this moment into an important link.

Grand Duke Hochkin laughed triumphantly, his laughter echoing through the silent city, filled with the arrogance of a victor. "Edward, you have ultimately made the wise choice," he said, dismounting and walking towards the restrained Edward.

Folda caught her breath and looked at her son, who had completely fallen into the Grand Duke's trap. "Edward...you shouldn't have..." Her voice was still hoarse with sobs.

If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have listened to Madwood so easily; she had intended to use him as a bargaining chip to save Edward's life, but she never expected... she would become a burden to Edward.

Edward's face was ashen, and he did not respond to his mother's words. At this moment, He Kun walked up to him, squatted down, and lifted his chin.

"Heh, I still prefer your unruly demeanor this morning..." Grand Duke Hekun's festering face became repulsive with his smug smile.

"Tsk tsk, look at your face. Except for your eyebrows, you don't resemble me at all. You're practically a carbon copy of that slut!" He Kun said with disgust as he scrutinized his youngest son, whom he nominally owned, with his narrow eyes.

There seemed to be a hint of unconscious jealousy in his eyes. He envied Edward's young and healthy body, his still vigorous spirit after setbacks, and how he had easily won over so many nobles to fight for him at such a young age.

All of this... reminded He Kun, whose body and soul were already corrupted, of his younger self. Edward's smug and self-satisfied demeanor drove him to the brink of madness with jealousy!

At this moment, Edward's brows and eyes were filled with anger because of Hokun's insulting words. His sharp eyes, which were just like Folda's, were still stubbornly glaring at Grand Duke Hokun, even though the man in front of him was his own father.

"Oh, that look in your eyes... Hahaha, you have no idea how much effort your mother went through to seduce me and somehow manage to have a bastard like you, do you?!"

"...It's that look in his eyes! That's what makes you want to crush him into the mud!" Grand Duke Hokun was humiliating Edward, his hands unconsciously gripping Edward's throat. He didn't care what this son born to a divorced woman thought!

If Edward weren't still useful, the fact that Edward almost killed him earlier would have been enough to make He Kun want to kill his nominal son immediately.

The original plan was to use Edward as a puppet governor after Juda crushed Grant. He didn't want to continue suffering in this godforsaken place. In any case, his two sons, who had congenital defects, were not very useful, so it was reasonable that they couldn't climb the social ladder through Juda.

In short, when Judas comes to investigate, all the trouble can be pushed onto Edward, since he has never been married anyway.

Upon hearing Hokun's humiliation of her and her son, Fulda struggled to her feet and shouted hoarsely, "Hokun, you despicable and shameless scoundrel! No matter what, he is the only son you can still call whole!" Her hair was disheveled, but her eyes burned with fury.

Upon hearing this, the thrill of power that He Kun had finally found in his son vanished instantly. He immediately released his grip on Edward, whose face was flushed red, and stood up to slap Fulda across the face.

"You shameless woman! You only married me after you'd had your fill of womanizing, who knew if I was some other man's bastard?!"

Folda was knocked to the ground by the slap, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes remained fixed firmly on Hokun. "You can slander me, but Edward is indeed your own flesh and blood. You will get your comeuppance sooner or later for treating him like this."