Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

Chapter 1607  Apex

The prince scarcely had time to speak before the man shot him a sharp glare, one that silenced him instantly. The large prince swallowed hard, then redirected his glare toward Ozeroth instead.

'So he holds the power.'

That realization alone caused the man's threat level in Atticus' mind to rise sharply.

As the man straightened, his gaze flicked briefly toward Ozerra, lingered on Atticus for a second, then returned to Ozeroth as he offered a small, composed smile.

"My name is Joan. Let's be reasonable. My queen has been looking for Princess Ozerra for months. She's grown tired of being apart from her daughter. We only wish to reunite them."

He spoke calmly and candidly, his smile unwavering, as though addressing unruly children rather than a group of gods.

"She's not going anywhere."

The golden glow around Ozeroth swelled until it became almost blinding, and his killing intent bleeding freely into the air. Still, the man didn't lose his smile.

"I'd advise you not to stand in our way. You'll die."

"You heard him."

Atticus advanced forward, his hand closing around the hilt of his katana. The man's eyes narrowed slightly as Atticus' killing intent washed over him.

"She's not going anywhere."

"…Atticus Ravenstein."

The man studied him in silence for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle.

"So you're stepping in… I see."

 He nodded slowly, as though arriving at a conclusion.

"Then we'll leave this for later."

He turned toward the prince, who returned the gesture with a hesitant nod.

"…During the resource wars."

They watched as Joan and the others disappeared into the crowd. Only after they were gone did Ozeroth finally turn his hardened gaze toward his sister.

"What the hell was that?"

"I… it was…"

Ozerra glanced away with a troubled expression.

"Ozerra…"

The rage left Ozeroth expression the moment he saw her face. He clenched his fists silently at his sides.

'I'd like to know too.'

Atticus thought it, but kept it to himself. This was between siblings, and it wasn't his place to intrude. Besides, Ozerra didn't look ready to talk.

'She looks scared.'

Her arms and legs trembled faintly as she stared at nothing in particular, as though remembering an unpleasant memory.

"Wow. That's rough."

Atticus frowned as Whisker, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. There was an amused expression on his face.

"If I'd known you were this much of a wuss, I would've teased you harder."

"He—"

'…Don't.'

Atticus spoke internally to Ozeroth, stopping him from lashing out.

'Why?'

'Just wait.'

Ozeroth frowned, but he held himself back.

"Huh? What, gonna cry because you're marrying some fatty? Come on. I thought you were someone who chose her own path. Guess I was wrong… You're really just a kid."

He shook his head. "I mean, I get it. I'd cry too if I knew I was about to get crushed under all that—"

"Shut up!"

Ozerra jabbed an angry finger at Whisker as she glared at him with furious eyes.

"Shut the hell up! How dare you talk to the great Ozerra like that! You insolent, blasphemous little—"

"..Mm."

Whisker smiled and nodded, as though her outburst was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

"Good. Much better. My apologies, your divine princess. Now talk. What's actually going on?"

"Hmph."

She folded her arms and turned away, but Atticus could already see that she had more or less returned to the familiar, insufferable Ozerra they all knew.

Over the next few moments, Ozerra explained what had happened. By the time she finished, the group had already begun moving toward the center of the building, intent on finding the bastard prince and his butler, with a fuming Ozeroth leading the way.

The story went like this. Apex World, where Ozerra came from, was ruled by her, and supposedly Ozeroth's, mother. It was a world dominated by a single principle: power. Anyone strong enough could rule, take, or claim whatever they wished, and competitions that ended in ownership were not only accepted, but celebrated.

As the princess of that world, a grand competition had been held to claim her hand. Somehow, that fat prince had emerged victorious, earning the right to marry her. To refuse, Ozerra would have to defeat him in direct combat.

But the Ozerra of the past had been a baron, one who couldn't even dream of overcoming an archduke. That was why she had left in the first place, to search for the strength she needed to defeat him. Her mother, however, had never stopped sending people after her, determined to drag her back.

An unexplainable surge of anger rose within Atticus. He couldn't tell whether it came from Ozeroth's rage bleeding through their connection, or from imagining himself in Ozeroth's place, forced to watch his sister be treated as property. Either way, he understood the man completely.

Regret.

Why had they let those fools leave alive? Why wait until the resource wars when they could have settled everything now?

'I'd want to kill them too.'

That was why the silent decision to find those bastards and slaughter them like the pigs they were had been made.

But even after searching for several minutes, there was no sign of them anywhere.

'They vanished… just like that?'

Atticus frowned as they reached the center, still unable to find any trace of them. The space was vast, packed to the brim with gods and champions of countless races. Low murmurs rolled through the air as everyone lingered for the competition to begin. It was impossible to take even three steps without brushing against someone.

"There you are…"

A man carrying a distinctly haughty air approached them. His hair blazed a vivid red, his eyes scorched orange, and close behind him walked two identical bald men with thick, red beards that framed their faces.

"Wait… isn't that Orvain Virex?"

"Yeah. Archduke Rhexan's fifth son."

"Shit… and the two behind him… those are the Twin Pyres."

"They're competing too? Aren't they champions?"

"Even so… if the archduke's son is in this, it's not going to be easy."