Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

"Eren! Stop!"

Thundered a commanding voice that cut through the battlefield's chaos. Suddenly, a group of Edinburgh Rankers blocked Eren's path.

There were around 350 Rankers in total surrounding Eren and his group. Eren's force, on the other hand, consisted of only about 100 members, including the Corpse-Dance-powered undead Rankers.

Since he had to split his men by leaving Hilda and the company behind, the burden on the subordinates who he had brought along with him had increased.

The owner of this formidable voice was a man who looked to be in his fifties named Adam Stone. He had recently achieved the rank of Grandmaster, gaining fame throughout Edinburgh.

Adam Stone was a Berserker Class Ranker with an imposing physique. Standing at a towering 7.2 feet with muscular arms and sturdy legs, he looked to be in the prime of his life as a Grandmaster. He wore a beast skin over his back like a cape and wielded two axe-type weapons, making him a formidable adversary in close and mid range combat.

***

Adam Stone had been a well-known figure in Edinburgh long before Eren's time. He had brokered numerous beneficial deals for the Edinburgh army, particularly in the past decade, which had earned him many rewards from the Edinburgh royalty.

The Berserker was even allowed to use the Elemental Pool that only the Edinburgh royalty and its subordinates or allies were allowed to access. The elemental Pool worked in the similar fashion like Eren's rank-up program, helping the Rankers with their bottlenecks and allowing them to unearth their true potential as mana-harnessing entities.

The ongoing war provided an ideal opportunity for Rankers to advance in their journey if they had the skills. Adam had greatly benefited from this decade-long conflict, climbing the ranks to become a Grandmaster Ranker.

He had finally broken into the prestigious A-Rank three years ago, following nearly two centuries of stagnation in the Master Rank.

As such, Adam Stone was much senior to Eren. As per the Rankers' code of conduct, he shouldn't have initiated a conflict with a junior like Eren at all until the latter broke into the Grandmaster Rank. But everything was fair in war. Or that's how Adam had interpreted his current situation with Eren.

Adam was accustomed to earning fame and honor on the battlefield. He understood that performing well against Edinburgh's internal adversaries could secure additional resources for himself, boost his reputation, and elevate his status among the people of Edinburgh.

Taking down a figure like Grimdawn who was popular for all the right and wrong reasons would be a significant achievement.

This was why Adam chose not to follow Rodric Renar's order to retreat. He believed that only King Emil Edinburgh von Renar had the authority to issue such orders, given that Emil served as the honorary general of the Edinburgh army.

If the orders had the king's approval, Adam would have obeyed without hesitation. But he considered someone like Rodrick unqualified to command him, a mindset he had developed since reaching the Grandmaster Rank.

Adam was not acting alone in opposing Eren. Over the years, Eren had accumulated numerous enemies within the kingdom of Edinburgh due to his high-handed business dealings. Many of these conflicts had been suppressed by his enemies of their own violations, thanks to his fame and connections.

However, Eren's reckless actions on the battlefield severed those connections, emboldening his adversaries to openly confront him.

Additionally, not all were Eren's enemies right from the beginning before this day. Some Rankers in Adam's group were genuinely aggrieved by Eren's betrayal. They felt that it was an affront to the memory of their fallen comrades in the war to let Eren escape the consequences of his actions.

Under Adam's leadership, they united to oppose Eren, successfully preventing him from advancing toward the center of the battlefield.

***

"Adam, get the fuck out of my way. I am not in the mood to play around."

Eren said in a grim voice, his emerald green eyes shining with a peculiar form of ruthlessness. Eren was all for the Rankers' Code of Conduct when it suited him. But since the Berserker was going against the rules, Eren had no intentions to abide by them all by himself.

Adam Stone's intervention was unexpected and problematic for Eren. he did not want to fight him. But not because he couldn't handle a Grandmaster Ranker like Adam. He had ways to deal with even the most skilled Rankers even in the Sage Rank.

However, time was of the essence for Eren. He needed to activate a specific Runic Formation as quickly as possible, before the battlefield changed too much for his liking.

Edinburgh's Rankers were either fleeing or giving up their strategic positions, even those who hadn't received orders from Rodrick. Meanwhile, Layos' Rankers were chasing down the retreating forces, adding to the chaos.

If this continued for long, there wouldn't be a stable center to reach on the battlefield. Eren understood that once he triggered the formation, everything would spiral out of control. So, he wanted to position himself advantageously before doing so.

***

"Hahaha! No Rankers' Code, huh? I guess it is expected from a bastard like you who has decided to mingle with the cultists. Before Anfan Alliance holds Edinburgh responsible for your actions, I shall kill the problem from its roots."

Adam chuckled sinisterly as he noticed Eren addressing him by his real name, not using the honorific titles typically observed by lower-ranked individuals.

"You're just a Master Ranker, yet you dare to dismiss a Grandmaster like me? Your Rank and fame have all been purchased with your wealth, you young and fat goose.

You're nothing more than a nouveau riche who doesn't understand what it means to earn your Rank, to earn the respect of your countrymen. Too much success without hard work can be a curse disguised as a blessing."

Adam Stone spat in contempt. He ordered his men to take their positions through his voice communication channel before continuing.