Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 252: Talks before swords

Take a look at the cover. Now take a look at the synopsis. Now take a look at the cover once again. Did you manage to see anything else outside of two big plots on it already? Then let me tell you this - if I'm willing to use this great cover for this novel, then surely as heck I am confident in the first chapter making you read more!

It’s the vacation of a lifetime, a trip to a remote island filled with geniuses and murder.

In a world where Taming Beasts determine strength and destiny, Leonhardt Valtara is reborn as the heir of the most feared villainous family in history. The Valtaras are ruthless, powerful, and utterly devoted to their own—especially to Leonhardt, their beloved son.But his greatest surprise?He is married to Celestia Nightshade—the Number One Villain, a peerless beauty, and the most genius Taming Beast Master of her generation. Feared by the world, Celestia wields unmatched power, yet behind closed doors, she is the most doting wife, willing to burn kingdoms if it means protecting Leonhardt.However, fate has already written his downfall.The original protagonist, Rael Ascarion, a rising hero, is destined to gather allies, defeat the villains, and restore “justice.” By his side is Evelyn Astralis, the heroine meant to love him. According to the original story, Leonhardt and Celestia are fated to lose.But why should he follow a script that leads to his destruction?With his reincarnated knowledge, Celestia’s overwhelming power, and his first beast, Ironhorn, the Indomitable Rhino, Leonhardt will crush fate itself and carve his own path.If the world wants him to be a villain…Then he will become the greatest villain of all time.

After being torn from the only life she knew, 16-year-old Margo is forced into a new home with strangers who call themselves her parents. Haunted by memories of her past and consumed by feelings of isolation, she struggles to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings. School offers little relief—until she meets Lucien, a mysterious boy who appears just when she needs a friend the most.Gabriel is everything Margo needs: kind, attentive, and always ready to whisk her away from her troubles. Each night, he invites her to secret places—an abandoned playground, a fog-choked garden, a crumbling train station at the edge of town—each more unsettling than the last. Yet with every chilling rendezvous, Margo feels more alive... more seen.But something isn’t right. Gabriel never comes to school during the day. Her adoptive parents never see him. And when they catch her talking to thin air, their concern deepens into fear. They say Gabriel isn't real—that he’s a figment of her imagination. Margo wants to believe them, but Gabriel feels real. More real than anything else in her life.As the nights grow colder and more twisted, Gabriel’s true nature begins to surface. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Time warps in his presence. And the places they visit seem to echo with whispers from another world. Margo is forced to ask herself: Who—or what—is Gabriel? Why does he only want her? And what will happen on the final night he asks her to come with him?As the line between reality and delusion begins to crumble, Margo must make an impossible choice: stay in a world where she feels loved, or return to one that barely feels real.But one thing is certain—some friendships never let go.