[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage":3,"chapter-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-503":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},148216,246,"Chapter 502: Kron, the Disillusioned I","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-503",503,"\u003Cp>CH502 Kron, the Disillusioned I\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostmont City, Belloc Barony, Holy Lumeria Empire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kron Belloc arrived before the city gates of the massive metropolis that served as the crown jewel of the Belloc Barony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head, staring up at the towering city walls—over thirty metres high—standing like an iron sentinel around the last true relic of House Belloc’s former glory as a marquisate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, he simply stood there, letting the scale of it sink into his bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A city like this could rival even a ducal capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next moment, Kron exhaled sharply and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How far we’ve fallen...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its heyday, House Belloc had ruled two other cities only slightly smaller than Ostmont, alongside five towns and more than ten villages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their territory had been reduced to this single capital city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even then, it was a miracle they had managed to hold onto it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostmont City was one of the more important—and iconic—cities within the Holy Lumeria Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seen as a gateway to Celnaer, the Imperial Capital of Lumeria as well as the Holy City of the Temple of Juror itself, Ostmont had become a central meeting point for trade, craftsmanship, and education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the relentless effort of Kron’s father—Baron Luth Belloc—the city, despite lacking any true speciality of its own, had carved out a niche in the service economy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It leveraged its geographic position with ruthless efficiency, transforming into one of the empire’s most valuable hubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merchant houses, Artisan workshops, Educational institutions... Many of them who had either failed to thrive in the Imperial Capital, or grown tired of its cut-throat politics, had come here instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They found a home in Ostmont.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like its liege lord, Ostmont City had become a beacon of diplomacy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A concord city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only within Lumeria, but—at least to some extent—across the continent itself, Ostmont had become a neutral ground, free of factional attachments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its judges and mediators were infamous for their strict impartiality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, the city became the ideal location for settling disputes, forging treaties, and reaching long-lasting agreements between nobles and aristocrats alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent times, whenever Lumeria was forced to step in and resolve conflicts between foreign territories, the diplomatic talks were almost always held in Ostmont City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For that singular reason, the city was protected like a priceless gem of Lumeria—by the Imperial Faction, the Aristocratic Faction, and the Holy See Faction alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how mouth-watering the Belloc Barony—or rather, Ostmont City itself—might have been, no one in the Holy Lumeria Empire dared stretch their paws towards it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not from the nobility nor the aristocracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the powerhouses behind the empire’s three great blocs would never allow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even those same powerhouses did not dare claim the city for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three factions kept one another in check, like wolves circling the same carcass—each waiting for the other to blink first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Much of that balance existed for one reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baron Luth Belloc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man sat at the centre of it all, navigating the murky waters with such precision that even his enemies had no choice but to respect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course... that protection came with a strict condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostmont City was not allowed to raise a true armed force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the city militia was carefully negotiated with the powers-that-be before any expansion was approved— so the city wouldn’t give off the wrong idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kron’s lips tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Is that really living, though?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Living at the whims and mercy of others?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head as he approached the gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A guard who clearly didn’t recognise him was stationed there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Kron stepped forward, the guard reached for his spear and moved to search his possessions before allowing entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kron calmly raised a hand and presented a medallion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard frowned, studying the crest engraved into it... yet he couldn’t recognise it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Offending a noble was a mistake that could cost more than a job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could cost a head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the guard halted the line and called for a superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, the superior arrived—and the instant his eyes landed on Kron, surprise flashed across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Kron? You are back?\" the man blurted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kron ignored the question entirely and asked his own, voice flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I enter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes—yes, of course!\" the guard stammered, stepping aside at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gates were opened, and Kron rode into the city with his two horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first guard stared after him, curiosity burning in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who is that?\" he asked quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The baron’s youngest son,\" the superior replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the older man looked at the younger guard and gave him a firm nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were smart to call me instead of making trouble,\" he said grimly. \"You would’ve lost your head if you hadn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I cause trouble here when I know the number of nobles who come and go from the city?\" the young guard replied with a shrug. \"I like having my head on my shoulders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’d be surprised how many foolish guards we’ve had over the years who can’t realise something so simple,\" the older guard said with a snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright. Go resume the line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The younger guard hurried back to his post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the older guard remained where he was, watching Kron’s back as he disappeared into the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The cowardly son who ran away instead of competing with his older brother has returned,’ he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Has he changed... or is he still the same coward?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed briefly, but then he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Well, it’s none of my concern. That’s a matter for the nobles.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Kron walked through the streets, he couldn’t help shaking his head in quiet self-mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The young master of the city returns home, and no one even notices.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze drifted over the faces passing by—merchants, labourers, craftsmen, travellers—and not a single one spared him a second glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Have I been gone so long that the people of my own fief don’t even recognise my face?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been years since Kron left home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because he wanted freedom, nor because he wanted adventure. But because he refused to compete with his elder brother for their father’s seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had petitioned his father to name his elder brother as successor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Baron Luth Belloc had refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was adamant about following noble tradition— using sibling rivalry to force out the best candidate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kron knew he lacked his brother’s viciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he chose another path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had hoped that by leaving the fief, by walking away from everything, his father would finally make his choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And House Belloc would be spared the cycle of bloodshed that could cripple an already weakened House.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Kron believed he understood the price of that decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But returning now—only to find that so few recognised him—left a bitter sting in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Even the city and I are strangers.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostmont had changed in the five years he’d been away, slogging through mud as an adventurer... and sometimes as a mercenary when coin ran thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The streets felt unfamiliar, the buildings felt taller... And the people felt colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely recognised anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, as if the world was mocking him for that very thought, there was one place he recognised instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the largest structures in the entire city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A monument that hadn’t changed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostmont’s Grand Cathedral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A magnificent temple raised in the era of Marquis Belloc, built as the fief’s central Temple of Juror— an offering of stone and devotion meant to honour their Lord Juror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once upon a time, the sight of it alone had filled Kron with reverence... With peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, there was a marked disinterest in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—more than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realised now how much he had been brain—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kron halted the thought midway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’No... disillusioned,’ he corrected himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disillusioned by Alex... disillusioned by the expedition party, by their words, their doubts, their certainty that the so-called divine were not divine at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer felt reverence towards Juror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in his mind—although he couldn’t truly see it—he could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faith link.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The invisible tether between worshipper and Navi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the soft glow of Eleanore’s enchantment spell wrapping around it, hiding its fractured nature... disguising the cracks like silk over broken glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, this close to the cathedral, the clergy should have sensed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They should have appeared immediately to mend the link... Or ’eliminate’ the crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no divine premonition... no judgement... nor divine intervention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’A mere Gold-ranked sorceress... no. A healer... can block the eyes of a so-called omnipotent god?’ Kron’s lips almost curled into a sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Child, do you want to go into the temple?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1475,"2026-05-29T03:49:35.273Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","b0e859b57c596ba1e011a467ef671c13231c6ab95d1fb85798c7e55992a3674f","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-504","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-502",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]