KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 57

A middle-aged High Priest carefully poured holy water over the infant. The solemn voice of the priest echoed through the garden, competing with the steady splash of the fountain.

[High Priest] "Under the protection of the World Tree and in the name of the Holy Spirit, I baptize you."

Maximilian smiled, his hair damp and glinting in the light. He knew nothing of the world.

With these words, the final step of the ceremony concluded. The High Priest signaled the end, and the Count took Maximilian from the assistant priest.

Now came the moment to finalize the lineage. Count Ulrich dipped his pen into the ink and wrote the infant’s name into the official Albrecht family register.

Maximilian Paul von Albrecht.

The name sat directly beneath the Count’s, right next to Ferdinand’s entry.

Mrs. Becker stood at the front of the servants, watching the scene with a chest full of triumph.

Finally, this day has arrived. My son is the official heir of the Albrecht family.

Nothing could ruin her joy. Though the Count had threatened her the day before, swearing he would never marry her, she no longer cared about the title of Countess.

When the Count dies, Maximilian inherits everything. I will be the Dowager Countess anyway.

She had no desire to share a bed with the Count just for a title she would eventually control through her son.

[Becker] "My precious...... Little Master Max."

A sudden disturbance at the gate shattered the peace of the garden.

[Ferdinand] "Let go! Get your hands off me! You pathetic bastards! This is why you will be gatekeepers for the rest of your lives!"

Horror drained the color from her face.

How? How is that man here?

Ferdinand had arrived. Mrs. Becker stood rigid by the fountain, sensing a coming disaster.

The exile order was absolute. Four D-class Transcendents had supposedly escorted him out of the territory in a prison carriage. Somehow, Ferdinand had escaped. He shoved past the guards and footmen, storming into the garden.

Silence fell like a heavy shroud. Ferdinand looked hideous. Blood soaked his clothes and matted his hair, likely the result of a violent escape. No one dared to speak.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the High Priest and the surrounding ritual.

[Ferdinand] "What? Who are these people......?"

His gaze shifted to the baby in the Count’s arms and the open family register. He understood the situation instantly. The holy water, the priests, the gathered servants—it was a baptism to crown a new heir.

[Ferdinand] "Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

He clutched his stomach and erupted into a fit of mad laughter. Blood dripped from his wounds, staining the grass. After a long moment of hysteria, he spat out a curse.

[Ferdinand] "Damn it...... So it ends like this. I am abandoned......"

He turned his hateful gaze toward the Count.

[Ferdinand] "Father. You said the Pope left you no choice. You said you wanted to protect me, but had to give up. And yet, you invite a High Priest here?"

[Ulrich] "I am no longer your father. Address me as Count."

Complexity swirled in the Count’s voice, but he held the line. He couldn't show affection for an exiled criminal in front of the Pope’s representative.

Ferdinand stopped laughing and offered a twisted, mocking grin. Pain flickered behind his eyes.

[Ferdinand] "What is the boy's name?"

Silence met his question. Insulted by the lack of response, he reached out and yanked the hair of the nearest maid.

[Ferdinand] "Hey. You. Speak."

The terrified maid trembled, tears blurring her vision.

[Maid] "M-Master Maximilian."

The laughter died on his lips. The only sound in the garden was the mocking chirp of a bird. When he finally spoke, his voice vibrated with a terrifying rage.

[Ferdinand] "Maximilian? Maximilian?!!"

The sarcasm was gone. Only a raw, destructive fury remained.

[Ferdinand] "How dare you give a noble name like Maximilian to a disgusting bastard?!"

The sound was a piercing scream, like the wail of a wounded beast.

[Ferdinand] "Father! Does this make sense?! How does that brat get the name, Maximilian?! How? HOW!!!"

[Ulrich] "I told you I am not your father! What are you doing? Remove him at once!"

The footmen finally snapped out of their shock and grabbed Ferdinand’s limbs. He thrashed against them with wild strength.

[Ferdinand] "Father! This is wrong! You should have fought for me until the end! Am I just a tool you can replace? Are sons just like wives to you—things you can simply trade away?!"

The footmen struggled to drag him. They eventually forced him to his knees, taking advantage of his exhaustion and blood loss.

[Ferdinand] "You threw me away! Admit it! Say it with your own mouth! You abandoned me! If you're going to do it, don't act like a saint. Just throw me away properly!"

Even on his knees, he screamed his hatred.

[Ulrich] "Rolf. This commoner has lost his mind. Throw cold water on his face!"

Rolf grabbed a bucket from the fountain and threw the water. It hit Ferdinand with a loud splash. The screaming stopped instantly.

[Ulrich] "Stop acting like a victim. You abandoned this family the moment you choked me! You abandoned us when you gambled away our legacy and murdered a High Priest!"

Ferdinand sat in the mud, muttering to the ground.

[Ferdinand] "I should have killed him last year. In the attic."

Mrs. Becker shivered. She knew exactly who he wanted to kill.

[Ferdinand] "Rolf got in the way then, didn't he? Everyone here is useless. I should have killed you all a long time ago."

A low buzz filled the air. It was a sharp, grating sound—the vibration of thousands of wings.

Mrs. Becker looked up. Her mind went blank with terror.

Insects swarmed from every direction. Wasps, locusts, mantises, moths, and ants. A black cloud of vermin blanketed the sky above the mansion.

How......?

This was not the power of a D-class Transcendent. The insects swirled around Ferdinand as if he were their god.

[High Priest] "Get back! Everyone, get back!"

Mrs. Becker lunged forward, grabbing Maximilian from the Count and clutching him to her chest.

[High Priest] "He is forcing his power beyond the limit! He is going berserk!"

The priest stumbled back in terror. Ferdinand continued his low, rhythmic chanting.

[Ferdinand] "I won't die alone. You think I’ll let a stinking bastard take my place? You think I’ll rot in some border town as a commoner? No. That won't happen."

Surrounded by the crawling, buzzing mass, he looked like a demon.

[Ferdinand] "I'll take everyone with me. Yes. Let's see if I die alone! I'm dragging every one of you to hell!"

Panic gripped the garden. People fled in every direction.

[Ferdinand] "I'll kill you. I'll kill every—"

His threat was cut short. He hacked violently and spat a thick spray of blood onto the grass.

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