Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 686:Betrayed

"Yes, My Lord!"

Both of them saluted before rushing out of the tent.

Their loud voices quickly echoed throughout the camp.

"The Order of Eternal Blade!"

"Gather immediately!"

The sudden commotion instantly alerted countless nearby soldiers.

Many officers stepped out of their tents while looking around in confusion.

"What happened?"

"Why has Code One been activated?"

Before anyone could move closer, Ethan slowly stepped forward.

His sword flashed out of its sheath.

CLANG!

The cold sound echoed throughout the camp.

His sharp gaze swept across everyone present.

"No one except my soldiers is allowed to step in."

"If you dare..."

"Be prepared to face my sword."

His cold voice instantly silenced the surroundings.

No one dared take another step.

"Hurry!"

His roar echoed throughout the camp.

The Order of Eternal Blade immediately began assembling at full speed.

At that very moment, another figure hurried toward the tent.

"Father!"

Regalina's frightened voice echoed through the camp.

She had been alarmed by the sudden commotion, but the moment she saw Duke Osantra resting on Ethan's shoulder, her entire face turned pale.

She hurried over and gently supported her father.

"Father..."

"Are you injured?"

"What is going on?"

Her voice trembled while she carefully checked his body.

She searched everywhere for wounds, but strangely she could not find any serious injuries.

Even so...

His condition looked terribly weak.

His face had aged noticeably, and the vitality inside him had become much weaker than before.

Duke Osantra smiled gently after seeing the panic on his daughter's face.

"I was badly injured."

"But Ethan healed those injuries."

He paused briefly before speaking again.

"However..."

"I burned a significant portion of my lifespan."

"That cannot be healed."

The words struck Regalina like thunder.

Her entire body froze.

Her eyes slowly widened while she stared blankly at her father.

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

Before she could recover...

Ethan's calm voice interrupted her.

"We don't have time to grieve."

"Take him."

"And leave through the portal."

Regalina slowly nodded.

She quietly supported Duke Osantra before looking back at Ethan.

"What about you?"

Her voice carried obvious worry.

Ethan calmly looked back at her.

"I still have a few things to do."

"But..."

She wanted to ask more.

Before she could continue, everyone suddenly felt several terrifying auras rapidly approaching the camp.

The pressure grew stronger with every passing second.

Ethan's eyes immediately narrowed.

Without hesitation, he gently pushed Regalina toward the portal.

"Leave."

"Don't worry about me."

"I can lose.But I can't be killed because I still have quite a number of trump cards."

His voice remained calm and confident.

"Now go."

Regalina bit her lip.

She wanted to stay.

She wanted to argue.

But after looking into Ethan's determined eyes, she silently swallowed the words she wanted to say.

With a heavy heart, she supported Duke Osantra and stepped into the portal.

Noel, Randall, Maverick, and the gathered members of the Order of Eternal Blade quickly followed behind them.

Before disappearing into the portal, Noel and Randall turned around one last time.

They saluted deeply.

"Please take care of yourself, My Lord."

Ethan quietly looked at them before giving a small nod.

"I will."

Moments later, the portal slowly closed.

The entire tent suddenly became silent.

Only Ethan remained standing there while the terrifying auras outside continued drawing closer with every passing moment.

...…..

Back at the Blank Estate, the day had begun like any other.

Even though the Empire was still at war, life inside the estate continued in an orderly manner. Servants moved busily through the courtyards while guards patrolled the walls without lowering their vigilance. Merchants came and went carrying supplies, and the workshops remained active as craftsmen continued their work.

Inside the estate office, Rathlos quietly sat behind a large wooden desk while carefully going through the estate's financial records. One ledger after another lay neatly stacked before him as he calmly checked the income and expenses.

Despite the ongoing war, the Blank Estate had managed to keep its business running. Their earnings had remained fairly steady, although they had still lost a significant portion of their income because many trade routes had been disrupted by the fighting.

Rathlos slowly closed the ledger before letting out a small sigh.

"We managed to hold on..."

"It could have been much worse."

Just as he was about to reach for another document, a strange feeling suddenly spread through his body.

His expression instantly changed.

"A portal..."

He slowly raised his head.

The fluctuation was extremely familiar.

It was the emergency spatial passage that had been prepared long ago.

His heartbeat unconsciously became faster.

Without wasting another second, his figure suddenly blurred.

SWISH!

The next moment, Rathlos appeared outside Blank City near the hidden emergency transfer point.

The instant he arrived, his eyes narrowed.

A massive portal was hanging in midair while powerful spatial energy continuously flowed through it. The surrounding space trembled slightly because of its enormous power.

His face gradually turned serious.

This emergency passage had only one purpose.

It would never be opened unless something extremely dangerous had happened.

A heavy feeling settled inside his heart.

"What happened..."

His eyes remained fixed on the portal.

"Did they lose the war?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the surroundings.

Several guards who had also sensed the disturbance hurried over, but after seeing Rathlos standing there with such a serious expression, none of them dared speak.

Moments later...

Figures slowly began walking out of the portal.

The first ones were soldiers.

Their armor was covered in blood, dust, and dirt. Many of them looked exhausted while some could barely stand without support.

They looked around in confusion after arriving.

When they finally realized they had safely returned home, several soldiers could no longer hold back their emotions.

A few of them dropped to their knees.

Others laughed loudly while tears filled their eyes.

"We're alive..."

"We actually made it back..."

Several men hugged one another while others simply lowered their heads and silently thanked the heavens.

The tense expressions they had carried throughout the war finally disappeared.

Rathlos quietly watched everything unfold.

However...

His attention was suddenly drawn toward two more figures stepping out of the portal.

His pupils instantly contracted.

"Your Highness..."

"It is Duke Osantra."

Beside the Duke stood Regalina, who was carefully supporting him.

Duke Osantra looked much older than before.

Although there were no visible wounds on his body, his face had become noticeably aged while his aura had weakened considerably.

Rathlos did not hesitate.

SWISH!

His figure disappeared once again before instantly appearing in front of them.

He respectfully bowed.

"Your Highness."

"What is going on?"

His voice carried obvious concern while his eyes quickly examined Duke Osantra's condition.

Duke Osantra slowly lifted his head and looked at Rathlos.

For a brief moment, he seemed to remember who the man before him was.

Then his gaze slowly shifted toward Regalina, who was also looking at him with worried eyes.

After remaining silent for several seconds, he finally spoke.

"We have been betrayed."

Both Rathlos and Regalina froze.

"Betrayed?"

Their expressions immediately changed.

Rathlos frowned deeply.

His heart suddenly became much heavier.

Regalina instinctively tightened her grip around her father's arm.

"Who betrayed you?"

Her voice trembled slightly.

Duke Osantra slowly closed his eyes before opening them again.

His tired gaze carried both disappointment and grief.

"It was the Crown Prince."

"We have been betrayed by the Crown Prince."

The words echoed through the surroundings.

For a brief moment...

Everything became completely silent.