Chapter 474

The instant Dylan spoke the name “Maximilian Morgan-Royce,” the atmosphere shifted so hard that conversations stopped mid-breath.
People who recognized the legend behind that name reacted instantly-faces drained, spines straightened, and pupils tightened. A chill ran through anyone who ever heard stories about the man.
Highcliff’s elite heirs were not oblivious trust-fund brats. Their families kept them plugged into global networks and private intelligence streams. Most of them never touched the martial path, although they read enough to know which figures towered above the world.
Maximilian sat in a class of his own.
He represented an entire era of dominance. A force so overwhelming that his legend endured decades after he stepped away from the front lines.
His influence ran deepest in Highcliff. Years ago, the Northern Wyvern Blade, the elite unit of the Northern Military District, crashed during the global special forces tournament. The incident embarrassed the entire district, prompting military command to deploy a mysterious chief instructor to rebuild the unit.
Twelve months later, the Northern Wyvern Blade returned to the global stage with a vengeance. They surpassed the Southern Wyvern Blade, stormed through elite forces from multiple countries, and spectacularly seized the top ranking. Their victory spread across the world like wildfire.
The man who resurrected that division carried a single name—Maximilian Morgan- Royce.
The military revered him. After resurrecting the Northern Wyvern Blade, he stayed on and trained an entire generation of officers. Nearly half the generals in Astria’s region once learned under him.
People called him the Master of Thousands, and his influence stretched through bases nationwide.
He eventually retired and settled quietly in Seagate. Gareth rose soon after, pulling the spotlight toward a new era, although Maximilian’s shadow never truly faded. Every young heir across the city memorized his name long before adulthood.
Regular students might not grasp his identity, yet hearing “Master of Thousands” in his title sent shivers down their arms. The name carried an aura too intense to misunderstand.
“Maximilian Morgan-Royce?” Leander murmured the name under his breath. He had suspected early on, yet hearing Dylan confirm it set everything into place.
Maximilian belonged to the legendary Four Extremes of Astria-figures whose power shaped national military history, although Leander had never met him in person. He learned the man’s name as a child through the stories Gareth shared at home.
One sentence never faded from his memory: ‘Across Astria, only one man truly earns my respect. He’s also the one opponent I cannot promise I’d defeat.’
That opponent was Maximilian.
Gareth seldom acknowledged other martial giants nationwide. Even Grayson Shire, a Martial Sovereign at the top of the Astria Power Index, was rarely noticed by him. However, everything changed when Maximilian’s name came up. Gareth’s tone grew more respectful, his posture straightened, and his voice carried unmistakable
reverence.
Leander’s gaze deepened as memories surfaced. He never fully understood Maximilian’s limits, although he knew this much—if there was a single person on the Astria Power Index he could not read, it was Maximilian.
The list ranked Maximilian third, but Leander never trusted that position. He believed the ranking did not accurately reflect the man’s real skills.
The earlier Astria Power Index clearly demonstrated this. Maximilian maintained his lead over titans like Grayson without any mistakes, proving his exceptional talent. Nearly twenty years had gone by since that list was published, and it was unlikely that Maximilian’s level had stayed stagnant for such a long period.
Evaluating his power with basic logic felt pointless. Leander believed that if Maximilian chose to step into the light again, the International Combat Units roster would place his name at the summit.
Seeing Leander go quiet, Dylan drew the wrong conclusion. He believed Leander had gone stiff from fear.
No wonder he jumped to that conclusion. The name Maximilian Morgan-Royce alone kept nearly every sect in Astria living on edge. For twenty years straight, he stood as the country’s living myth of invincibility, a man no rival could touch.
He was the one who truly ruled the age that followed Astria’s Dragon Emperor. If Leander had not risen in this generation, even Gareth would have struggled to dim the brilliance Maximilian cast across the entire nation.
Dylan crossed his arms with a smirk.
“Now you get it, right? You touch me, you pay. I’ll repeat myself—kneel and apologize. My grandpa gives one command, and your sect vanishes. No one behind you will save you.”
His arrogance spiked, fueled by the fact that even Ethan stopped cold whenever Maximilian’s name surfaced. Who in their right mind thinks they can stand against a Jegacy that massive?
Leander stayed calm, his voice unwavering. “Maximilian is a hero of this country; I hold him in deep respect. Having a grandson like you brings disgrace to him.”
Dylan expected deference. His grin faded when Rodrick’s tone sharpened instead. “What did you just say? You insult my grandpa? You’re—”
Leander’s voice cut through him. “Get on your knees.”
The words dropped like a boulder. A crushing force hit Dylan’s legs, slamming them to the concrete before he could finish his rant. The impact echoed across the riverwalk.
He might share Maximilian’s blood, although he had zero martial talent. He lived without training or discipline. The invisible force terrified him, yet rage drowned out fear as he glared upward, humiliated.
Gasps rolled through the crowd. Students jumped, startled. First, he flew from a slap no one saw. Now he knelt without warning. No one understood any of it.
Leander’s expression didn’t shift.
“You might be Maximilian’s
bloodline, yet you act without sense.
Even if he stood herei
wouldn’t
address me with your tone. You’re only his grandson, yet you bark like you command the world.”
He then wrapped an arm around Daphne’s waist and started walking away. His voice carried behind him “For Maximilian’s sake, I’ll let you live You’ll remain kneeling for thirty minutes. That is your punishment. In thirty minutes, your pressure points release on their own.”
Leander’s steps drifted down the path. His voice echoed one final time. “If you’re angry, come find me. Before you try, figure out who you’re challenging.”
The echoes faded. Silence washed over the crowd.
Students gazed at Dylan, awaiting him to rise. His face reddened with shame. He struggled against the unseen hold with all his might, yet his knees remained fixed on the pavement.
The eerie stillness made onlookers back away.
Rodrick lingered for a moment before walking over. He understood Leander’s strength well enough to stay by Dylan’s side quietly for the full thirty minutes. Once the time passed, Dylan collapsed to one side as the force released.
He rubbed his numb legs, fury twisting his features. Hatred burned hotter than anything he had felt.
“That b*stard forced me to kneel for thirty minutes. I don’t care who he is. Even if he comes from the four major elite families, I’ll break him. If he doesn’t kneel to me next time, I’m not a man.”
He carved Leander’s face into his memory. He had never despised anyone this deeply, and whatever Leander had told him earlier no longer registered in his mind. Rodrick shook his head with a low sigh. “Mr. Morgan-Royce, calm down. That man isn’t someone you can confront. Even your grandfather wouldn’t want to cross him.” Dylan’s anger surged hotter. “Stop spouting nonsense. My grandfather stands on a level that man can’t touch.”
Rodrick’s tone chilled. “Lower your voice, Mr. Morgan-Royce. Jeff Ashcroft keeps every word he speaks. Don’t test him.”
Dylan snapped back. “Jeff who? Jeff—”
His tongue froze. Realization hit him like a lightning bolt. His expression drained instantly. “Jeff Ashcroft? You’re telling me that man—the ba that guy was Jeff Ashcroft?”
Rodrick nodded firmly.
Dylan couldn’t move.
All his bravado drained away, and every trace of rage disappeared.
Because he finally grasped the truth-he had just confronted the strongest man
alive.