[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-456":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"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},1100639,1437,"Chapter 456: Confrontation","the-reborn-king-chapter-456",456,"\u003Cp>\"Horace has gone silent, and god knows where Astrid is.\" Running his hands through his hair, Alfred paced back and forth, trying to stay calm but working himself up. \"Why is this happening? Why now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alfred.\" Isra got up, unable to stand, seeing Alfred so worked up. Grabbing his hand, she stopped him, \"We need to be patient and wait. Charles is already investigating.\" Seeing his eyes still dart around, she sighed and grabbed his cheeks, \"She will be found, Alfred. And when she is, you can make sure this never happens again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light knocking on the door cut into the sombre mood. With a deep breath, Alfred fixed his appearance and looked to the door, \"Come in.\" Issac walked in, placing his hand over his chest and bowing. Rising, he smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Horace’s body wasn’t found, and at one of the escape tunnels, three sets of footprints were found. One of these sets follows the other two. It is safe to assume he has found the targets and is following.\" Before Alfred could ask what he wanted, Issac carried on, \"Charles has already mobilised a small force to follow behind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhaling, Alfred smiled and fell onto his desk, wrapping his hands around its edge. Issac didn’t move, and continuing, \"Adrian will have arrived in the Lisaponic Empire by now. The port city, Sari. From what I know, Prince Darius resides there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Very good.\" Alfred clapped his hands and jumped up from the desk, \"Make the preparations for Severia. Send word to Alexei. Tell him war is coming, but he does not have to get involved. Under no circumstances must he know my daughter had been taken until we have her back. Am I clear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Issac nooded and bowed, leaving the room. Finally able to calm down, Alfred looked at Isra and smiled. Getting one back, the last nerves Alfred was feeling vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>--------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace watched. After a whole day, the two finally stopped. Without any gear to camp with, nor risking starting a fire, all they could do was wrap Astrid in their clothes to ensure she stayed warm, and sleep curled up using lumps of dirt as pillows. James slept first, quickly passing out after a tiring walk. Despite feeling tired, Luca was used to long marches and battles that dragged on for hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying awake a little longer would be fine, and it was something he wanted. He didn’t trust James not to leave him behind. Horace watched him and circled. Pulling his knife, he slowly crept forward. He knew it was dangerous, but even he had to sleep. With no clue when he would have a chance to send word to Alfred, he had to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca rested with his eyes closed and listened to his surroundings. It was near silent, but he heard something creeping up behind him. Added with the feeling of being watched, he drew his sword and spun around, pointing the tip of his blade at Horace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace froze and raised his hand, giving a small smile. \"Well, what now?\" Luca’s eyes narrowed at the casualness in Horace’s tone. As Luca was about to shout to James, Horace cut in. \"Shh. Do we want to wake the Princess. Besides, I am not in a good position here.\" Luca stared and brought his sword down, holding the hilt with two hands. Horace watched his stance and smiled, \"A Templar? Or trained by one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca stayed silent, making him sigh, \"Listen. I’m sure you can see the situation here. I have found you, and unless you can kill me, you won’t be safe. If you chase me off, somewhere in these woods, I’ll be watching; if you reach a town or city, every man, every woman, the degenerate sleeping on the street or the tycoon flexing his wealth. I will be one of them. Always watching. That’s if you aren’t caught by the Empire first. After all, the entire core territories already know of this little thing.\" Horace paused and stepped closer, \"I’m sure you must find it strange. Many rulers wouldn’t dare say their child was kidnapped. They will appear weak. But his Majesty loves his daughter so much he didn’t care.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca watched, his cold gaze changing ever so slightly as he realised the truth in Horace’s words. Escaping the city was one thing, but how were they meant to reach the Tears of Gaia without any money or help? Sure, both knew contacts within the Empire, but how many were willing to help the two most wanted people within its borders?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what? I hand myself in.\" Luca shook his head, \"No. I know who you are, Lord Underwell. I’ve heard rumours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Slathan, I thought it was only the Severians here.\" Horace randomly blurted as he looked at Luca, recognising his accent, \"Don’t tell me the Slathan’s were involved in this as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am a Templar. I don’t work for my homeland.\" Luca said with a grim voice, making Horace shrug, \"But as I was saying. You aren’t kind enough to let me go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Under normal circumstances, that is true.\" Horace smiled and looked past Luca at James, \"But you see, we only knew there were two kidnappers. We already have one of their corpses, and the other is right...\" Horace froze, seeing James sit up and stare at the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man shot up, noticing a second person, waking Astrid as he did. Pulling his knife, he held it over the young girl’s throat, covering her mouth, feeling her tears roll on his hand. \"Luca. What is this? Why didn’t you wake me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let us calm down,\" Horace said with a relaxed voice, playfully lifting his hands in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"DON’T MOVE!\" James brought the knife closer to Astrid’s neck, a muffled cry coming from her. \"I will do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No you won’t,\" Horace boldly said. He glanced at Luca, seeing the man’s displeasure at the action being taken. Suppressing his smile, he looked back at James, \"You need her alive. And well, if you killed her, nothing would stop me after that.\" James froze and moved his knife from Astrid’s neck. Placing the tip of the blade over one of her fingers, he stared at Horace before glancing at James.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re right. But will the Emperor like his daughter missing a finger?\" Pushing the knife, he held her hand in place, drawing a small amount of blood. Horace watched as Luca curled his fist and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’One chance.’Taking a step forward, James pushed the knife deeper. Astrid’s scream couldn’t be hidden as she cried in agony at the pain, fear filling her entire body, unable to understand what was going on. She had been asleep for so long that she didn’t realise what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird flew up from her scream as Luca stepped forward. \"ENOUGH!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m doing this to survive, Luca. Don’t blame me.\" James quickly countered, turning to face Horace. \"I’m warning you, I will do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t just leave, however.\" Horace took another step forward, \"Not with her safety at stake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Last chance.\" James pushed the knife even deeper, tearing the skin and muscle. Astrid’s cries were so deafening and full of horror that they eclipsed all other noise in the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"James,\" Luca warned, the grip on his sword tightening. Horace watched everything, and James finally realised what was happening. Pulling the knife away from her finger, he chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want me to do this?\" His voice was full of shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course not. You’re the one in control here.\" Horace watched James’ eyes move to his knife. Horace dropped it and took a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill him. He is unarmed.\" James ordered as soon as he saw it, but Luca didn’t react, staring at James and the bloody Astrid. Her finger was barely hanging on, bone visible from how deeply James had cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, \"I said I wouldn’t be a part of this if you harmed her. I warned you that I wasn’t a man who harmed children.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t be foolish, Luca.\" James said coldly, \"We can still escape. Our mission will be complete.\" James paused, swallowing the saliva that had built up in his mouth, \"Don’t you want to see the Holy Seat once more?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca frowned, \"I do.\" Sheathing his sword, Luca stared into his eyes, \"But I wish to see Sol’s kingdom more, and if I join whatever this has become, I never will.\" Luca turned to Horace, \"If you can guarantee my safety and life, I will assist you. Just this once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Got it.’Horace’s face didn’t change despite the immense joy he was feeling. \"Deal.\" He didn’t hesitate, and Luca spun to face James. Seeing the tides shift, he brought the knife back to Astrid’s finger, slamming it into the wound he had already caused, making the young girl scream once again. Her face was a mess of tears, pleading for help. She tried to form words, but they came out as an incoherent cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t.\" James inched back, looking around for an escape. \"I am warning you.\" Horace didn’t care and stepped forward. James pushed the knife again, and Astrid screamed his warning, but it didn’t faze the man. He had to guarantee her life. If it cost a finger, he was willing to pay it. He could easily lie about the truth of the incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace sped up whilst Luca circled around, trying to cut off James’ path. Seeing Horace get too close, James knew he had to make his threat real. Applying pressure with his hand on the top of Astrid’s finger, he pushed the knife up, its sharp edge cutting into the thin bone. The sound of the bone breaking, followed by it falling off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace reacted as soon as he saw that and ran forward, tuning out the agonised cries that came from the injury. James tried to reposition his knife in a way that would threaten Astrid’s life from any sudden movements, but couldn’t get a good hold with how much the girl violently thrashed around from the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diving forward, Horace tackled James, pushing him to the ground. Dropping Astrid, Luca swooped in and pulled her away. James stabbed from the side, his arm caught by Horace, who expected the move. The two struggled, James pushing the knife closer and closer to his stomach. Horace desperately tried to hold it back, but was outmatched in strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca watched everything happening and stepped back. Even if Horace died, he didn’t care; in fact, he wanted it. If Horace died first, he would kill James and then leave Astrid for someone else to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace headbutted James, finally stopping the struggle. In his daze, he used James’s hand, which never let go of the weapon, and stabbed it into the ground. Raising his fist, he threw a barrage of heavy punches in his face, breathing heavily as he did. James slipped into a daze, falling unconscious and regaining consciousness again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to break free, James punched with all his might into Horace’s gut. He forced a second, letting out a low grunt and wobbled, but didn’t budge, fighting through the pain, punching James as much as he could. Only when his grip on the knife loosened did he move. Pulling it out of the ground, he stabbed into James’ heart and twisted, pulling it out and falling backwards. James tried to catch it but was a second late, his hand freezing in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of James choking on his blood mixed with Astrid’s cries as she watched everything happening was all that was left. Taking a few deep breaths, Horace turned to Luca, his fists bloodied and his appearance ragged. Lifting the knife, he smiled as friendly as he could, \"Leave... her..\" His words were spaced, showing how tired he was, but he never dropped his stance, \"Walk.... away...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca watched. He glanced at Astrid before staring at Horace and slowly put her down. \"Remember our deal.\" Luca ran off into the forest, not trusting Horace. Dissappearing into the dark, Horace limped over, clutching his stomach in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her finger, he clicked his tongue and walked over to its severed part. Putting it in his pocket, he walked back over and took a place next to her, sitting down as he formed the lie he would tell about the whole situation. Looking at her finger, he cut off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it, ignoring her cries, and fell backwards, doing all he could.\u003C\u002Fp>",2095,"2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z","2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z",1,"novelbin.me","acc39549aa61875a80b3c9ee0f2e436dd521dd8fd4d28ff046d67189fd494761","the-reborn-king-chapter-457","the-reborn-king-chapter-455",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]