《Emperor! Can You See Stats!?》 Chapter 1: The Day of Public Execution Chapter 1: The Day of Public Execution Today, the capital¡¯s square was crowded with countless people. ¡°Long live the Second Prince!¡± ¡°Kill that damned tyrant with one strike!¡± ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡± Among the citizens, rough shouts erupted. Soon, a group of people parted the crowd and headed to the center of the square. At the front of the group, a young man with his hands tied was walking. He looked like he was in his thirties. He had a refined appearance, but his face was drained of strength from exhaustion. The citizens¡¯ faces became more vicious as they saw the man. ¡°Look at his clothes. Isn¡¯t that proof that he sucked our blood dry?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still mocking us in this situation?¡± ¡°Kyaahh, spit!¡± Contrary to his situation of being dragged out, the man¡¯s clothes were extremely extravagant. His majestic clothes were woven with gold threads and his body was adorned with gold and jewels. The man smirked inwardly as he was dragged along. ¡®Really, what a cheap drama. I guess they¡¯re so dissatisfied that they have to do this.¡¯ He had hardly ever worn such excessively shy clothes, even when he was the emperor. The imperial style was modest and he had spent more than ten years in civil war after he ascended to the throne. He was called an emperor, but he spent half of his reign on the battlefield. There was no way he could afford to wear such clothes and indulge in luxury. ¡®If I had the budget to dress like this, I would have helped those poor people who are shouting. Tsk tsk.¡¯ The man clicked his tongue inwardly as he moved his steps and reached the center of the square. In the center of the square, a huge execution device was installed. A frame to fix the neck, a giant de connected to a rope. It was a guillotine, used to publicly behead traitors who were recognized by the imperialw. The deposed emperor, the man, stopped his steps right in front of the frame. And he looked down at the enraged citizens once again. ¡°Cut off his head right now!!!¡± A rough-looking middle-aged man shouted. ¡°You bastard! Because of you, our son and grandson were dragged into war and died. You scum!¡± An old man with white hair cursed with rage. All he heard from the crowd was hatred directed at him. But the man only felt pity for them. ¡®Why did I cause so much suffering?¡¯ It was all because he, the emperor, was foolish. He couldn¡¯t protect anything. Not even his soldiers who followed him until the end. Nor his loyal vassals who devoted themselves to him. And not even his preciouspanion who was his lover. ¡°Silence, all citizens!!¡± ¡°We will now begin the trial of the deposed emperor!¡± The man¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the deration announcing the trial. ¡°Leonhart.¡± Only then did he look at the high tform where the trial would take ce. His gaze met with a handsome blond man in the center of the tform. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties, but he looked no older than twenty. He had a neat appearance. But his whole body exuded an aura of authority that did not match his age. As he showed himself on the tform, cheers erupted from the crowd. ¡°The Golden Lion of the Empire!¡± ¡°Long live the Second Prince, no, the New Emperor!¡± [The Second Prince of the Empire, Leonhart] He was the man¡¯s half-brother and the one who drove him from his throne. His expression became slightly grim as he red at Leonhart. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But Leonhart¡¯s expression was cold as ice. The winner had been decided and the life of the man who was once an emperor was already worthless. ¡®So you don¡¯t even bother to face me anymore, huh?¡¯ The man listened with a hollow expression as his charges were read out loud. The nobles who presided over the trial looked smug as they watched him. ¡°We will now use the deposed emperor of his crimes.¡± ¡°He corrupted state affairs with luxury and decadence, and ruined the people¡¯s livelihood!¡± ¡°He invited foreign forces, disrupted the foundation of the empire, and incited civil war!¡± ¡°Booo!!!¡± ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡± The judge banged on the table repeatedly to quiet them down, but every time a charge was dered, the crowd¡¯s voices of condemnation grew louder. ¡°With this, we have used all of his crimes one by one.¡± ¡°Does the deposed emperor have anything to say?¡± The man snorted inwardly at the judge¡¯s question. ¡®Do you think you¡¯ll spare me if I defend myself here?¡¯ He had enough of ying along with this childish drama. He was a loser, but he didn¡¯t want to be more pathetic. He had already given up on hope for life. He just wanted to rest now. ¡®Tsk, don¡¯t you want me to die with dignity as an emperor?¡¯ The judge clicked his tongue inwardly and finished the verdict. ¡°The criminal does not answer, so he admits to all his crimes.¡± ¡°We sentence the deposed emperor to death by guillotine!¡± The executioners¡¯ strong hands grabbed the man from both sides. Following the executioner¡¯s lead, his neck was slowly ced on the frame. He felt the cold touch of the frame digging into his neck and various thoughts crossed his mind. ¡®Where did it go wrong?¡¯ When he was young, he was naive and foolish. Maybe, it was from then on. ¡°nk, nk, nk.¡± The heavy steel de slowly rose. Then the deration came down. ¡°Execute him!¡± ¡°Shriek!¡± The de came down with a lightning speed, opposite to when it went up, towards his neck. ¡°Thud!¡± The beheading by guillotine was too easy. The de severed the man¡¯s neck in one breath, which should have been attached to his body. ¡®Will I be able to see it after I die?¡¯ He was not a religious person who believed in the afterlife, but he couldn¡¯t help thinking about it in this situation. Thest thing that came to his mind was a woman holding a sword and standing proudly. ¡®Beatrix¡­¡­¡¯ His thoughts were cut off along with his severed neck. [Special Aptitude ¨C Recognizing the Bloodline of the Imperial Family.] [You have obtained the qualification of a yer. Currently acquiring authority¡­¡­.] Chapter 2: Regression and the First Prince Chapter 2: Regression and the First Prince ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± He came to his senses. He had clearly died from being beheaded at the guillotine. He had felt the de cutting through his neck just a moment ago. ¡®Did Ie to the afterlife?¡¯ ¡°Your Highness Eurius!¡± ¡®Hmm?¡¯ He recognized the voice as one he had heard many times before. ¡°Are you ignoring this old man now?¡± ¡°Marius, sir!¡± Eurius was overjoyed to see him. This old man, who looked stern at first nce, was Marius, his teacher who had taught him practically since he was an emperor. But unlike Eurius¡¯s feelings, the old man¡¯s face was twisted with anger. ¡°Are you mocking me now?¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯re still hot-tempered? It feels like I¡¯m back to my childhood.¡± He joked with joy, but the reaction was not good. He was a really grumpy old man, Eurius thought to himself as he tried to apologize. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to tell His Majesty!¡± ¡°His Majesty? Who¡¯s that?¡± Eurius stupidly asked back. Wasn¡¯t he the emperor? Come to think of it, they called him a prince, not an emperor. The old man¡¯s face turned red and purple with anger, as if a volcano had erupted. ¡°I told you! We¡¯re done with today¡¯s lesson!¡± He got up from his seat and walked out of the room with a brisk stride that did not suit his age. ¡®Prince? Lesson? Old man?¡¯ Eurius looked around the room, confused. ¡®Very familiar.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s gazended on a mirror. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The reflection in the mirror was not him in histe thirties before he was executed, but a boy who looked about fifteen years old. ¡°Is anyone there!¡± Eurius hastily called for a servant. If his guess was right? ¡°What can I do for you?¡± A servant came in quickly. ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡± The servant looked puzzled for a moment, but answered. ¡°No way.¡± He asked several times, but the answer was always the same. Eurius bid the servant and slumped into his chair. Today was about twenty years before he was executed. He had regressed to his fifteen-year-old prince days. ¡®How did this happen¡­¡­¡¯ Eurius grabbed his head in confusion. Was everything that happened after he ascended to the throne a dream? No, that couldn¡¯t be. There was no way he could have such a vivid dream. This was definitely reality. ¡®Then?¡¯ After some doubt, hope began to rise on Eurius¡¯s face. He could undo everything he regretted in this life. He knew most of the events that would happen in the next twenty years. He also knew who was loyal and who would stand out among his vassals. ¡®Leonhart.¡¯ He whispered the name of his half-brother who drove him out. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy this time.¡¯ No, he would definitely survive. ¡®First of all, I have to raise my reputation.¡¯ The biggest mistake he made in his previous life was at this point. ¡®I was too naive.¡¯ The First Prince. In other words, he had a blessed environment as the heir apparent of the royal family and could inherit this huge empire without doing anything under the strong protection of his father, the benevolent emperor. No one thought anyone could stop him from bing emperor. ¡®But it was a big mistake.¡¯ The blessed environment he believed in was all an illusion. No, he was brainwashed into believing so. The local forces turned their backs one by one, and his trusted vassals left him. He was too immature to stop them from leaving. He btedly realized his situation and tried to gather talents and strengthen his imperial power, but it was futile. Less than four years after he ascended to the throne, the empire was split in half. And a fierce civil war thatsted for ten years began. Thend was devastated and the national power fell to the bottom due to the long war. The result was as he knew it. ¡®In the end, I failed and was executed by my brother¡¯s hand.¡¯ At first, he hated his brother with all his heart. But now that he thought about it, it was inevitable. All the clues were already given around him, but he was blinded by the morous future he saw and missed the truth. But this time it would be different. Eurius¡¯s head was busy nning for the future as he sat in his chair. But then an unidentified voice rang in his head. [You have acquired the authority of a yer.] [You can open your status.] ¡°Status?¡± ¡­ Meanwhile¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, Marius, the Minister of Administration, is here!¡± The brisk steps of Marius, who did not look like an old man, stopped in front of the pce. On the throne, an emperor with half-white hair was sitting. He looked old enough, but his eyes were full of vitality. His muscr body also showed a strength that did not match his age. [Theopold II.] He was a greatmander who brought the current golden age of the empire. He conquered the northern tribes, who had been a thorn in the empire¡¯s side for generations, and stabilized the security and livelihood of the people internally. His strict rule did not spare even the meritorious subjects who helped him ascend to the throne. He executed anyone whomitted corruption or crime, even if they were his confidants, and the standards of reward and punishment were fair. That¡¯s why he was nicknamed the Iron-blooded Emperor! As his nickname suggested, the emperor¡¯s appearance on the throne was full of dignity. Marius went straight to the front of the throne and bowed down. ¡°I greet Your Majesty.¡± And he stayed down as if he were dead. After a while¡­ ¡°Get up, Marius.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But Marius did not get up from his bow, despite his old age. The emperor rxed his stern expression and chuckled as he stroked his beard. ¡°Is it him again?¡± As soon as he heard that, Marius started to tremble while still bowing down. ¡°I did my best to serve His Highness Eurius.¡± The emperor stopped stroking his beard. ¡°Get up, Marius. This is an imperial decree.¡± He emphasized the word ¡®imperial decree¡¯ and Marius quickly got up with a shudder. ¡°I have called you here to scold you. Isn¡¯t it time for you to stop that protest?¡± The emperor sighed inwardly as he looked at his old servant. ¡®I¡¯ve spoiled Eurius too much because he is my first son.¡¯ Eurius was the only child of the first empress who had already died. As a result, no matter how ruthless the emperor was, he had no choice but to cherish him terribly. On top of that, he had the most powerful political position as the first prince, which made him spoiled in no time. Before long, Eurius became so unruly that even this Marius, the best schr in the empire, shook his head in dismay. ¡°How is Eurius doing? I guess he knows why you came here. And what about Leonhart¡¯s education?¡± ¡°The second prince is not under my direct supervision right now, but he is still excellent.¡± Mareus started his report with a bitter expression. ¡°He shows outstanding achievements in every subject, including imperial studies, administration, and military tactics. And ording to Wilhelm, the duke who is in charge of his guardianship, he also has a much better talent for swordsmanship than the children of any prestigious martial arts family. He praised him so much that his mouth went dry.¡± What parent would hate hearing praise for their child? Unlike Eurius¡¯s case, the emperor¡¯s mouth turned into a satisfied expression. But that was only for a moment. The emperor¡¯s face became slightly worried again. ¡°It¡¯s a tricky problem. When the children be adults, I have to appoint one of them as the crown prince. But I don¡¯t know who to choose in this situation.¡± It might be wise to choose the second prince, who has more support from the nobles and more talent, rather than causing trouble over the session issue. But when he heard that, Marius jumped up. ¡°Are you saying that you will give up Eurius from the Crown Prince¡¯s position?¡± It was obvious what would happen if he gave the session to the second son when there was a legitimate eldest son with no problem in his bloodline. Marius straightened his crooked back. ¡°Your Majesty, please take back your words!¡± He boldly straightened his back in front of the emperor and poured out his argument. ¡°It has always been a seed of turmoil to give the session to the second son when there is an eldest son. Moreover, if you raise the second prince to the throne in this situation, you will not be able to avoid the interference of the nobles.¡± The current emperor had weakened the power of the old nobility, the duke faction, by shedding countless blood, and reced them with young and capable nobles who trusted the emperor. Marius, who had been at the forefront of the emperor¡¯s reform from the beginning, had been serving as the head of the administrative office for thirty years, opposing the noble council that represented the interests of the nobles. He was also one of the most trusted confidants of the emperor with his bold personality and frankness even to the emperor when something was wrong. Marius expressed his political opinion as if he had regained his youthful vigor, and finally began to talk about Eurius. ¡°Of course, the first prince is currently behind the second prince in terms of achievement. But!¡± He had been watching their every move as their teacher since they were born. Perhaps he knew them better than the emperor who had difficulty seeing their faces because of his busy work. ¡°What an emperor needs is not simply outstanding academics or military skills.¡± Before long, Marius¡¯s expression became calm again. He had seen Eurius grow up from a baby and knew that he was rebellious now, but fundamentally he had a gentle and tolerant personality. In fact, he had never heard of him mistreating or harassing maids or servants in the pce, even though he hadmitted some misdeeds such as skipping or sneaking out of his imperial education. The current domestic situation of the empire was more stable than ever. The old politician who had been running the empire with the emperor for twenty years thought that Eurius was more suitable for the next emperor in this peaceful era. The emperor nodded repeatedly as Mareus spoke and answered. ¡°I feel better after hearing your words.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°But what can I do? He doesn¡¯t listen to me anyway.¡± The emperor sighed heavily and spoke to him in a casual tone. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no one else I can ask but you. This is a request not as an emperor but as a father. Please help my son.¡± ¡°A request? How presumptuous of me to refuse it, Your Majesty.¡± Marius couldn¡¯t even lift his head at the request of the emperor, who was above all. After soothing and sending Marius away, the emperor smiled triumphantly. ¡®Now Eurius will be dead.¡¯ Marius was a good servant who could be motivated more strongly by stimting his loyalty to the emperor and the empire than by simply giving orders. ¡®I¡¯ve been too soft on him. They say eagles drop their young off a cliff when they grow up.¡¯ The emperor murmured softly as he leaned back on his throne. ¡°My first son, please don¡¯t disappoint me and my servants.¡± He still had enough authority to control the nobles as long as he was upright. But as time went by, Eurius would face a difficult situation. ¡®In the worst case, he might even fall into a puppet of the nobles.¡¯ The emperor felt that he had aged a lottely and continued to deal with state affairs. Chapter 3: Our First Prince Has Changed! Chapter 3: Our First Prince Has Changed! ¡®This is really hard.¡¯ Eurius felt awkward as he looked at the teacher in front of him. ¡°Please open page 35. ording to this¡­¡± The daily life of the princes was a repetition of intense education without a break. They had to acquire all the professional knowledge rted to politics, administration, military, and other aspects of governance before they turned twenty. On top of that, due to the empire¡¯s characteristic of worshipping martial arts, the princes also had to receive professional knight training. These processes were very strict and difficult. But Eurius¡¯s problem was not that. ¡®It¡¯s so inefficient to learn what I already know.¡¯ That¡¯s right. He was someone who had been an emperor in his previous life. There was no reason why he wouldn¡¯t know the knowledge that a fifteen-year-old boy learned as a prince. And annoyingly, the education time had increased considerably. ¡®Did Father provoke Marius again?¡¯ It was not umon at this point in his previous life. Marius¡¯s persistence, spurred by the emperor¡¯s encouragement, was so annoying that even he shuddered, but eventually all the necessary knowledge for being an emperor went into his head. Heter realized Marius¡¯s wisdom and was grateful for it. At least he avoided bing an ignorant and ipetent emperor. ¡°Your Highness? Are you daydreaming?¡± The teacher caught him spacing out like a ghost. The teacher who taught the princes had absolute authority over education except for the emperor¡¯s orders. Of course, he couldn¡¯t dare to punish or hit the prince, but he could at least report to his superior, Marius, and cut some of his precious rest time as a penalty. ¡°Then please solve problem number 2 on page 38.¡± He thought he had be a little more diligenttely, but this happened soon. If he reports it, Marius will jump up and down. The teacher sighed in advance as he imagined Marius¡¯s face. But the result waspletely different from what he expected. ¡°Here you go.¡± The First Prince handed over a paper with a solution written on it with a nonchnt expression. ¡°Th-this is correct.¡± The teacher¡¯s mouth opened wide at the unexpected result. He gave him some difficult problems from time to time because his attitude in ss was not very good, but the First Prince solved them as if he knew them from the beginning. The teacher looked back and forth between the first prince and the workbook with a stunned expression. ¡®Our first prince has changed!¡¯ This rumor began to spread among the teachers. Marius couldn¡¯t help but hear this rumor. Administration teacher Count Lebron said, ¡°If I exaggerate a bit, he is much better than our new recruits in the administration department. He even answered without hesitation when I asked him something rted to practical work.¡± Military science teacher Viscount Gilbert said, ¡°I received a report that he submitted as homework, and I thought I was going to faint. If this is really written by a fifteen-year-old boy, then all the imperial cadets who havepleted regrmander training should bang their heads andmit suicide.¡± Swordsmanship instructor Knight Heinz said, ¡°He showed interest before, but theck of perseverance typical of those who grew up in luxury was a problem. Buttely, he has shown unprecedented diligence andpleted all the basic physical training and simple movement teaching processes. There should be no problem with the basic knight course.¡± Etiquette teacher Countess Grant said, ¡°He became proficient in both dancing and manners all of a sudden! I think he can escort ady right away. Hoho, is this thanks to my love education?¡± Praise for the prince suddenly showing excellent grades in all subjects began to run rampant. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true.¡± Marius gritted his teeth as he muttered. He had been in charge of the first prince¡¯s education since he was a snotty kid. The first prince was not a stupid person, but he was definitely not a genius either. ¡®Let¡¯s say swordsmanship or etiquette.¡¯ Physical activities can be done with perseverance and effort. He also felt that the prince had be slightly more diligenttely. He could think that it was because of some change of mind that he followed the curriculum well. And wasn¡¯t the imperial family famous for being martial artists? Swordsmanship was a problem because he waszy, not because hecked talent. ¡®But other subjects are impossible.¡¯ Even if he conceded a hundred times, subjects like military science and administration were absurdly impossible. And the timing was perfect. As soon as he drastically strengthened the first prince¡¯s education, this happened! He called each teacher and questioned them, but Marius could onlye to one conclusion. ¡°Some bastard did something useless to His Highness!¡± Someone¡¯s hand must have touched it. In other words, it was cheating. Marius was furious. While he was doing that, Eurius was receiving swordsmanship training. The basics of swordsmanship are strength and stamina. If you don¡¯t have enough strength and stamina, no matter how great your swordsmanship is, it¡¯s useless. The basic of swordsmanship training was also physical training first. ¡°Huff, huff!¡± Sweat poured down like rain. This was a physical training ground specially prepared for the imperial guards stationed in the pce. Eurius ran around the training ground, squeezing out his strength as if he was breastfeeding. After running, he did 100 push-ups and sit-ups in a row. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to have such poor stamina.¡¯ He didn¡¯t get tired of doing this much training when he was an emperor. He was an emperor, but he moved around the battlefield during the war and the civil war. He had to cling to swordsmanship to protect himself in the midst of several crises and battles. Fortunately, his talent was excellent. ¡®The only thing I beat Leon at was this.¡¯ His swordsmanship was one of the best among the knights who followed him. If he didn¡¯t have that much power, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight a boring battle for years, even though his power was clearly inferior. ¡®First of all, I have to build up the strength to protect myself.¡¯ The first goal is to regain his past level. If he could only recover his past strength, it would be hard to harm him with shallow tricks like assassination. But his real goal was not just that. ¡°Stat window!¡± [Eurius von Scharnos] Job: Emperor Strength D+ Agility D Intelligence B+ Spirit A- Force Aptitude (Unawakened) Force (Unawakened). [Traits] Imperial Bloodline-You have awakened the yer¡¯s authority. Emperor¡¯s Dignity B rank (1st victory)-Increases your dignity, leadership, and charisma as the emperor of the empire with your noble bloodline and experience. [Hidden Skill] Restart-yers can turn back time and start their lives over. But you are not an official yer, so you are limited to one time. (Currently permanently unavable) Second Life Bonus ¨C You have inherited some of your abilities, memory and talents from your previous life. When he first opened this ¡®stat window¡¯, Eurius was shocked. ¡®Could it be that the yers could actually restart their lives?¡¯ The Scharnos Empire, the continent¡¯s first country, was founded by heroes who called themselves [yers] about 200 years ago. Due to their bloodline, the imperial family often had special abilities. He didn¡¯t have any such talent, of course. But he gained this ability when he came back to the past. Eurius breathed heavily and looked at the knight who was swinging his sword in one corner of the training ground. [Heinz Drewing] Job: Imperial Guard Knight Strength B+ Agility A Intelligence B Spirit B+ Force Aptitude B- Force B+ Disposition: Good, Loyal, Hardworking Eurius could now view the profile of the person he observed, which he called the ¡®stat window¡¯. He was so surprised at first that he almost fainted, but now he was used to observing the ¡®stats¡¯ of the people around him. ¡®Heinz is quite good among the imperial guards.¡¯ The imperial guards were the best military force in the empire, but only the emperor had the authority to move them. But due to the aristocrats¡¯ scheme, the imperial guard remained absolutely neutral and did not follow his orders. ¡®How desperate was I, the emperor, to have often found myself swinging a sword on the front lines?¡¯ He recalled bitterly, and soon noticed that Heinz, who had caught his gaze, approached him with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve finished your stamina training. You had a lot of tasks today, but you did splendidly.¡± Heinz was in his mid-thirties. With his gentle eyes and friendly appearance, he was one of the few people who took care of Eurius in his previous life. He patiently educated him with a smiling face, no matter how much he threw tantrums or got annoyed in his immature days. It was quite a hardship to put up with the whims of a child, even if he was the first prince, for someone who was a knight of the imperial guard. In fact, it was a ridiculous thing to ask someone of his status in the empire, who should have devoted his time to personal training, to take care of the emperor¡¯s errands. ¡®Wasn¡¯t Heinz from amoner background?¡¯ Heinz was amoner, but he graduated at the top of the knight academy with his talent and rose to the guard knights in just ten years. He was an outstanding person. But even in an empire that valued merit over anything else, he couldn¡¯tpletely ignore the nobles¡¯ influence. There were quite a few knights who were lower in rank than him, but he was assigned to educate the notorious first prince. It was likely that he was pushed back by his origin. But he never showed any resentment in front of him. ¡®I have to take good care of him in this life. Or maybe I should make him my subordinate!¡¯ As if he knew what he was thinking, Heinz smiled brightly and instructed him for the next training. ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s time for a hundred swings. Watch me demonstrate and follow along.¡± Eurius swung his sword with all his might, listening to Heinz¡¯ cheerful voice. As he swung his sword, a voice that only Eurius could hear sometimes rang in his head. [Your swordsmanship skill is increasing.] [Your strength and agility are increasing.] Chapter 4: How To Tame A Prince! Chapter 4: How To Tame A Prince! ¡°It¡¯s about time he came¡­¡± Today was his first day off since he returned. If it was him before he returned, it would have been a rxing time, but he didn¡¯t have that luxury now. ¡°Your Highness, Count Wace is requesting a visit.¡± ¡®As expected, he came.¡¯ He had acted as an ¡®excessively¡¯ excellent prince for the past month to lure this person in. ¡°Let him in!¡± Eurius called him in with a feigned smile. ¡°Hehe, how have you been? I¡¯m d you look healthy.¡± A plump old nobleman entered. ¡°How can you say that? Do you know how bored I¡¯ve been?¡± Eurius answered with a sulky expression full of teenage moodiness. The old nobleman nodded his head with a warm smile as if he expected it. ¡°You must have been very upset, Your Highness. I had too much work to do and couldn¡¯t visit you. But I brought you a good gift, so please forgive me.¡± ¡°A gift? I¡¯ll decide after I see what it is.¡± Eurius pretended to be interested and epted his words. This old nobleman¡¯s name was Count Wace, and he was one of the rare high-ranking nobles in the emperor¡¯s faction. He was recognized as the focal point of the emperor¡¯s faction along with Marius. Most of the people in the emperor¡¯s faction were nobles who were appointed by the emperor, so they were inevitably inferior to the nobles who had territories in terms of personal funds and military power. So he was like a raindrop in a drought for the emperor¡¯s faction. He was also treated as a guardian of Eurius, who was from a great noble family. In other words, if Marius was the whip for supporting the first prince, Count Wace was the carrot. Eurius also trusted and followed him more than Marius, who always pushed him. He always looked like a nice person and pampered him. But Eurius snorted inwardly as he talked to him now. ¡®He still has a good impression, but he¡¯s like a sly cat.¡¯ But he was the one who yed the biggest role in Eurius¡¯s downfall in his previous life. [John Wace] Job: Noble, Merchant Strength D Agility D Intelligence A+ Spirit A Force Aptitude (None) Force (None). Disposition: Schemer, Greedy, Ambitious ¡®No one would have thought that the center of the emperor¡¯s faction was a spy for the opposite faction.¡¯ That¡¯s right. He was actually an infiltrator from the aristocratic faction who deliberately joined the emperor¡¯s faction. The political situation that seemed to maintain some bnce because of his existence copsed as soon as he showed his true colors. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll stab him in the back properly.¡¯ He pretended to be happy and talked to Wace, but there was a bitter de in his chest. ¡°Hehe, but I heard rumors that you are very interested in studying these days. It seems like you have finally made up your mind. I¡¯m very happy.¡± After talking about this and that, Count Wace casually brought up the main point. ¡°Are you saying that too? You¡¯re no different from Marius.¡± Eurius frowned and sighed repeatedly. He got scolded by Marius andined to Wace. This was what he repeated until he became an emperor. And what made him go wrong was Wace¡¯s clever instigation. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t resent Marius too much. It¡¯s all for your future¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even mention that. I don¡¯t want that kind of loyalty.¡± It is effective to correct a child with a whip only if there is a proper carrot to match it. But in his case, Marius took all the risks of the whip, and Wace took all the benefits of the carrot. The emperor¡¯s original intention had backfired. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave. Your Highness.¡± ¡°Come more often next time.¡± Eurius bid farewell to Wace with a sad expression. ¡®I can avoid suspicion for a while.¡¯ It was exhausting to act like an innocent and ipetent first prince who didn¡¯t know anything about the world. But until he was fully prepared, he had to be a first prince who suited Wace¡¯s taste. If he suddenly revealed his true intentions here, the aristocratic side would also try to get rid of him. ¡®Nothing seems to have changed much, but something bothers me.¡¯ Wace also felt somewhat puzzled as he recalled today¡¯s meeting. ¡®Could it be that the first prince suddenly became talented enough to get excellent grades?¡¯ The first prince he knew was not that smart. But he wouldn¡¯t lie to him who always trusted and followed him. ¡®He must have improved his talent by two levels. Well, a tiger¡¯s child is a tiger.¡¯ It¡¯s not a level that he can¡¯t control just because his talent blossomed a little. He will never let the first prince be a normal emperor. Count Wace smiled quietly and stepped outside. ¡­ ¡°Bang!¡± A thick hand with plump flesh mmed the table. ¡°They raised the nobility tax again? How can this be?¡± A nobleman with a dry and pale face answered. ¡°And they even lowered the tax rate for the general citizens because of a little famine. How can we tell who¡¯s the enemy and who¡¯s the ally?¡± Variousints poured out among the people who sat around the round table. They were the aristocrats of the aristocratic faction who had just finished the grand meeting today. ¡°Tsk tsk, calm down everyone!¡± The noise in the room stopped abruptly at the sound of his tongue. He was the most feared person in this meeting. Wilhelm, The Grand Duke! The leader of the aristocratic faction and the one who ruled thergest territory in the empire except for the emperor. He was practically a king of a country. ¡°I know you¡¯re having a hard time, but¡­¡± Heforted the nobles and thought about what to do next. ¡®The emperor is too old.¡¯ He looked healthy on the outside, but as an excellent knight, he could tell that his condition was not the same as before. ¡®And the next emperor will be either the ipetent first prince or my nephew, the second prince.¡¯ The current empress was Wilhelm¡¯s younger sister. So he naturally belonged to the faction that supported the second prince. The grand duke recalled a secret conversation he had recently. ¡°I heard that the first prince finally came to his senses. Isn¡¯t that different from your boast?¡± It was a sharp question, but Count Wace justughed. The secret meeting of the conspirators! ¡°I went to see him and he¡¯s still a naive child. Maybe Marius did something to him. But he¡¯s just a stubborn old man. He can¡¯t win the child¡¯s heart, so what¡¯s the use?¡± Of course, the best thing would be to have an emperor who was empty-headed and easy to manipte, but Wace predicted that it wouldn¡¯t make much difference if he was a little smart. Not all tyrants are ipetent, right? There are countless rulers who had enough ability but went astray because they couldn¡¯t control their temper. He had also done a lot of work to influence the prince, so the grand duke nodded his head. ¡°Then we should stick to the n.¡± Instead of putting the second prince, who was favorable to him, on the throne from the beginning, they would raise the ipetent first prince and then rece him naturally. This was the n that the grand duke and Wace had made. It would cause a lot of bacsh to overthrow the heir and put the second son on the throne, no matter how strong the aristocratic faction was. ¡°Keep up the good work, I trust you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault for making you worry. Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The secret meeting of the conspirators ended here. But it remained to be seen whether their n would seed, as they smiled with satisfaction. Chapter 5: 200 points out of 100 Chapter 5: 200 points out of 100 [The first prince is not an ipetent emperor. He may not be a genius, but he has the qualities of a virtuous ruler. I have been serving him with that belief. But if there is someone who tries to pour cold water on his path¡­] -Marius¡¯s diary- ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Your Highness¡¯s grades are amazingtely. It¡¯s very rewarding to teach you.¡± ¡°Oh, really? It¡¯s thanks to your teachings. Well, goodbye.¡± He still looked unhappy, and Eurius waved his hand to dismiss the teacher. His routine was unchanged. He seemed to not pay attention in ss, but he answered smoothly, and the teachers¡¯ praises became almost routine. ¡®I wonder when I¡¯ll graduate from this boring education.¡¯ But no matter how important the evaluation was, learning what he already knew was a waste of time. It was time to move on to the next step. ¡®Marius¡¯s patience must be running out.¡¯ Bang. ¡°Long time no see, Your Highness.¡± The person who opened the door and came in was the one he had been waiting for. As soon as he saw Marius¡¯s face, he made a tant expression of dislike. ¡°Did I do something wrongtely?¡± But Marius didn¡¯t frown or get angry as usual. ¡°I came to congratte you on your recent academic achievements.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve been boredtely. What¡¯s that paper you¡¯re holding?¡± ¡°The emperor was very pleased to hear about your achievements.¡± ¡°The emperor? What is that paper?¡± ¡°He said he should give you a big reward if this achievement is true.¡± At the same time, Marius unfolded a thick stack of papers. ¡°But he wanted some confirmation.¡± Eurius looked at the table and then scowled again. ¡°So this is your real purpose.¡± Marius smiled faintly. ¡°This test is aprehensive problem that I made based on what you learned.¡± Marius was an expert in politics and administration, but he was also one of the best schrs in the empire! His questions would have enough credibility. ¡®You won¡¯t be able to get a score with a sloppy method this time.¡¯ Marius smiled triumphantly in his mind. This test was not a normal test question that listed the progress he had learned. It was a high-difficulty application problem that required him to understand the knowledge he had learned from the emperor and develop logic based on it. ¡®You can¡¯t solve it with just basic knowledge and memorized answers.¡¯ Marius intended to detect the emperor¡¯s cheating with this test. Of course, he didn¡¯t just doubt him. ¡®I¡¯ll give you a pass if you get more than 40 points out of 100.¡¯ That would be enough for a 15-year-old prince to be called a genius. If he gets more than 60 points, he would really ask the emperor to give him a reward. But what if the first prince doesn¡¯t even meet the minimum standard? Marius¡¯s face hardened for a moment. He would have to face his wrath for nning such a thing. Eurius grumbled for a while, but surprisingly picked up a quill pen obediently. Marius sighed with relief. ¡®At least he didn¡¯t neglect his studiespletely.¡¯ If he did, he would have thrown a tantrum as soon as he saw the test paper and argued with him. Surprisingly, the first prince wrote without much difficulty. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°What?¡± This time, Marius unwittingly asked a stupid question. His eyes went to the clock on one side of the room. ¡°It¡¯s only been about 30 minutes?¡± It was too fast, even if it was fast. ¡°Hmm, hmm¡­ Then I¡¯ll grade it for you.¡± To calm his anxiety, Marius coughed several times and moved his eyes to the answer sheet. His eyes were still full of suspicion. ¡®Did he just write something quickly and hand it in?¡¯ But it didn¡¯t look like that. Eurius was too calm. ¡®Please just more than 40 points¡­¡¯ Marius prayed that this answer sheet would be more than 40 points and started grading. ¡°!?!?!?¡± But he was so surprised that he almost fainted as he graded it. ¡®How can this be¡­¡¯ The answer sheet was almost perfect. No, it was more than perfect. ¡®The theoretical part is wless.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s amazing. Even if I wrote the answer myself, I wouldn¡¯t be able to write it better than this.¡¯ Eurius watched Marius, who couldn¡¯t say anything as he kept checking the test paper, leisurely. ¡®I may have been a bad student, but I learned from you for twenty years!¡¯ Marius had countless disciples. Most of them were bureaucrats who were stationed in various parts of the empire, but he didn¡¯t have time to train his disciples after he got old because he was teaching the emperors. Therefore, only the emperor knew thetest political views that Marius had. Of course, this test was a question that he asked as a teacher, so it didn¡¯t matter if it was different from his ideal answer. As long as the theoretical part was correct, the score would be perfect. But the way he developed logic and the most ideal solution were exactly the same as his. This was a 200-point answer sheet for Marius, beyond 100 points. Marius almost panicked for a moment. ¡®Is this an answer that a 15-year-old boy can give?¡¯ He could understand the theory. He could be a genius. But what about the other things? ¡®Ah!¡¯ A thought shed through Marius¡¯s mind. He was the only dedicated teacher who taught the emperor imperial studies and politics. The only way to get this knowledge was through him. If the first prince was really a genius of the ages? And if he had been learning his lessons diligently? Marius looked at Eurius with a serious face. ¡°Your Highness, why did you hide it?¡± It¡¯s not normal for anyone to submit a perfect answer based on his lectures. But why did he hide his talent? Why did he act like an ipetent emperor? He must have known that his evaluation was falling to hell. ¡®Now is the perfect timing.¡¯ Eurius hardened his expression. And he bowed his head to Marius. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Marius.¡± ¡°Your Highness, why¡­¡± It was unheard of for a royal to bow to a subject. Marius made aplicated expression for a moment. ¡°I had no choice. What would the grand duke do if I became an excellent prince on the surface?¡± Marius also returned to a grim expression. The power of the grand duke who led the aristocratic faction was terrifying. The iron-blooded emperor couldn¡¯tpletely break the power of the nobles and had topromise by bringing in the second empress from the grand duke¡¯s family. If he, the first prince, showed his talent, the Grand duke would try to erase Eurius by any means possible and raise the second prince instead. It would be impossible to attempt anything inside the imperial pce, where the imperial guards and bureaucrats who followed the emperor¡¯s words absolutely were abundant. But the first prince would have many opportunities to act outside the pce if he wanted to build up his achievements. No matter how thoroughly he prepared, he couldn¡¯t guarantee what would happen outside the capital, where most of the territory belonged to the nobles. The only forces that the emperor could trust were the border lords who guarded the outskirts of the empire and the bureaucrats who had the emperor¡¯s confidence, but they were far apart from each other. Maybe if he had been moderately wise in his early childhood in his previous life, he might not have been able to ascend to the throne. ¡°It¡¯s all because of myck of ability.¡± Before he knew it, Marius¡¯s eyes reddened and he started to shed tears. He couldn¡¯t believe that the first prince had such thoughts. He thought he was still immature and childish, but he had already grown up enough to think about protecting himself. ¡®Your Majesty, our faith was not wrong.¡¯ If Eurius was so cunning, he must have a n for the future. ¡°Help me a lot, Marius.¡± ¡°Is there anything else? If there is anything I can do, please tell me!¡± He expected it, but seeing this stubborn old man cry so much made Eurius feel guilty. ¡®I¡¯m really sorry for lying to you. Marius, but it¡¯s not a bad thing for you either.¡¯ Even after he became emperor in his previous life, Mareus repeated honest advice and became hated by him. He eventually fell out of favor. It was one of the mistakes he regretted most in his previous life. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll try my best to live up to your expectations.¡¯ Eurius sorted out his mind and started to talk to him about various things. [Marius Lexar] Job: Administrator, Politician, Teacher Strength D+ Agility E Intelligence S Spirit S+ Force Aptitude (None) Disposition: Stubborn, Loyal, Curious [Traits] Politics (A) Administration (SS) Teacher (B+) Today, Eurius captured his first follower after his regression. He was the best civil official in the empire. Chapter 6: Force Circle and Quad Core Chapter 6: Force Circle and Quad Core Still with bloodshot eyes, Marius opened his mouth. ¡°Your highness, what do you want me to do for you?¡± Eurius also looked serious as he held Marius¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°First of all, please do something about the education time. I¡¯m sick of it!¡± ¡­ A weekter, at Marius¡¯s request, who reported the test results to the emperor, all of Eurius¡¯s basic education except swordsmanship was not simply supervised, but he took charge of it himself. It was a very exceptional situation for one of the best schrs in the empire to teach one person¡¯s entire education, even if he was the imperial prince. The emperor smiled contentedly, thinking that his strategy worked better than he expected. ¡°See? He can do it if I push him hard enough.¡± The more talented the servant, the more results he got when he worked hard! Nodding his head, the emperor readily agreed. But the reality was like this. ¡®I don¡¯t think there is much theory that I can teach the first prince anymore.¡¯ ¡­ Marius gave him a lot of free time for most of the time that had been useless education from Eurius¡¯s point of view, ording to his request. Thanks to that, he barely got out of the tight and useless schedule and got some personal time to prepare for the future. ¡®The first priority is to regain my previous level.¡¯ Grand Duke Wilhelm and Count Wace were not fools. He couldn¡¯t fool their eyes and ears forever. He had to restore his previous power as much as possible before the Grand duke¡¯s trap reached him! This was the biggest reason why he persuaded Marius, who was in charge of his schedule. ¡°Your highness has shown so much interest in swordsmanshiptely that I feel motivated to teach.¡± Heinz seemed to be in a very good moodtely. If the prince¡¯s education results were good, his position as a teacher would naturally rise. Of course, he was not a person who sought petty favors, but if he taught under the same conditions, wouldn¡¯t he prefer a motivated student? ¡°Your highness has diligently trained, so you have built enough physical foundation to move on to the next step. Now you can start training as a real knight!¡± Heinz looked serious today as he took out a small blue stone from his bosom. ¡°Today we will start training to feel the force. You already know the basic knowledge about force, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± [Force] is an intangible power and flow that exists everywhere in this world. The outstanding knights and warriors in this continent were all warriors who used this force to ovee human limits. ¡°First of all, the first task is to feel the flow of force and create a loop that circtes it inside your body.¡± The name of the loop was ¡®force circle¡¯. In the imperial knight course, this process of creating a circle was called the first stage. It was not umon for people with no talent to take months toplete this stage. But there was a special method to shorten this process drastically for someone in his position as an imperial prince. It was the object that Heinz had just taken out of his bosom. ¡°Today you will take this force stone and I will guide you through the flow artificially.¡± [Force Stone.] This was a crystal that was rarely formed where the force flow condensed in nature. This crystal, which emitted a faint blue light like a gemstone, was a treasure that allowed a knight to absorb pure force that would take years of training for an ordinary warrior. ¡®It looks like it has A-grade purity.¡¯ Eurius smiled with satisfaction. No matter how great a warrior he was in his previous life, creating a force circle itself depended on the amount of training. And if he suddenly circted a lot of force without any foundation, his body might not be able to withstand it. But it was different if he took a high-purity force stone and then had an excellent warrior like an imperial guard help him create a circle. ¡°Your highness, you must not lose consciousness until I say it¡¯s done.¡± Heinz repeated several times with earnestness and handed him the force stone. ¡°Gulp.¡± As soon as the force stone went down Eurius¡¯s throat, Heinz tensed up and put his hand on Eurius¡¯s back. ¡°Crack!¡± Heinz immediately injected force into Eurius¡¯s body and crushed the crystal. And he began to control the powerful force flow that tried to leak out from his body. ¡°Cough¡­¡± It was not an easy task to precisely guide the flow of force from someone else¡¯s body rather than his own. Even for an imperial guard-level warrior. Sweating profusely, Heinz began to condense a circle of force in Eurius¡¯s body center so that his body would not be shocked. ¡°Your highness, are you okay? Just hold on a little longer.¡± This work was also apanied by quite a bit of pain for the recipient. He was worried that the prince, who had grown up preciously, might not be able to endure it, so Heinz kept giving him words of concern. ¡°Umm¡­ I think I¡¯m fine for now.¡± Eurius groaned slightly and pretended to endure the pain. But his situation was different. ¡®I could help you and finish it faster, but I¡¯m sorry for you.¡¯ He had no choice but to avoid suspicion. It was actually a boring task for him, but he encouraged Heinz in his mind and waited for the work to end. Was it about two hourster? ¡°Ding!¡± [The stat ¡®Force¡¯ has been opened.] [The circle waspleted in a particrly meticulous environment than usual. Force aptitude will increase further.] Along with the notification of the stat window that only Eurius could hear, Heinz finally took his hand off his body and sighed with relief. ¡°Phew, you won¡¯t feel any pain now. You just need to lie down for a few more hours until the remaining energy is drained.¡± The higher the purity of the force stone, the better the effect, but the user¡¯s ability must match it to fully absorb its power. It was an act of throwing gold into the sea like a stone to give an A-grade force stone to a beginner who just entered the first stage, and it was only possible because he was the prince of the empire. Even if an imperial guard helped him, it would be a decent result if he absorbed ten percent of it. The efficiency was terrible! Most of the pure energy filled in the force stone was used to create the force circle, and the rest was naturally discharged out of the body. But Eurius had no intention of wasting such precious energy. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for me to start working.¡± Eurius closed his eyes again and began to move the remaining energy himself. First, he checked the created circle. ¡®He made it very well and sturdy. Heinz, thank you very much.¡¯ Despite being a newly created circle, there was not a single tiny gap where energy could leak out. It was rare for a prestigious martial family to put so much effort into polishing the basics, unless they were training a sessor. The strength of this circle was very important for the work he was about to do. He felt grateful to Heinz again and began to push the remaining energy into the circle. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ It was a very painful task to inject more energy into an already made circle. Sweat ran down his forehead. He recalled the voice of Beatrix, his lover and swordsmanship teacher, who guided him with all her heart. ¡°The important thing is to create another small loop inside the circle. This way, you can increase not only the output of force that you can release at once, but also the stability.¡± This was a secret technique that came from her family, one of the best martial families in the continent! Beatrix called it ¡®core¡¯. It increased efficiency by creating two additional small loops that assisted cirction inside the force circle. It was dangerous if you were not confident in your control of force, and you couldn¡¯t get any help from outside. But what he was trying to do was beyond that. ¡®With the amount of energy left after creating the circle, maybe I can create a third or even a fourth loop!¡¯ The characteristic of this technique was that the more powerful andrger the circle you had, the more energy you needed. Therefore, if you reached a level where you could precisely control the force circting in your body enough to create an additional loop, you would need so much energy that you couldn¡¯t create a core. Even Beatrix, who had talent and reached the level of one of the top ten superhumans in the continent in her twenties, had only two cores at the age of 15! But he was just at the baby step stage ofpleting a circle! The amount of energy he needed was extremely low. It was worth challenging even if he had to endure tremendous pain. Soon two cores werepleted. He was retracing his steps, so it wasn¡¯t that hard until then. ¡°Ding!¡± [Your force aptitude has increased. The trait Dual Core has been created.] Eurius sweated. He wasn¡¯t satisfied yet. ¡®The third!¡¯ [Your force aptitude has increased. The trait Dual Core has evolved into Triple Core.] Eurius¡¯s endurance was reaching its limit. The remaining energy of the force stone was almost gone. In fact, having three cores was already a huge advantage to start with. Didn¡¯t Beatrix reach an amazing level at a young age by adding just two cores in her previous life? But Eurius thought he wasn¡¯t enough for that. ¡®To be honest, I¡¯m less talented than them.¡¯ Of course, by normal standards, Eurius had enough talent to be considered a genius. But among those he had to face in the future, there were many superhumans who were among the best in the continent. He felt that three cores were stillcking. Eurius squeezed out all his remaining energy and concentration to create a fourth core. ¡®The fourth!!!¡¯ As soon as the fourth core waspleted, his head turned white as if fireworks exploded. [Your force aptitude has increased significantly. The trait Triple Core has evolved into Quad Core.] [You are the first person in the continent to create more than three auxiliary cores that handle force. A special skill is created due to an amazing achievement.] [Special Skill Overheat Created] [Additional rewards and information will be opened as achievements are achieved.] [yer Help has been opened.] ¡®I did it!¡¯ Hearing the system¡¯s notification in his head, Eurius finally copsed and fainted. Chapter 7: Player and Help Chapter 7: yer and Help The next day, in the afternoon. Eurius was standing alone in the training hall. The process of creating a force circle was a burden for both the recipient and the practitioner, so today¡¯s swordsmanship training was a holiday, but he had to test his new level. Eurius first breathed evenly and circted the force he received through the force circle. His body felt light as if it was flying, and all his senses such as strength, agility, intelligence, and mental power became more refined. This was the effect of the first stage. Just by circting force throughout the body, he could experience a drastic improvement in physical abilities. On top of that, he had the benefit of creating cores in his case. ¡®Most of the energy from the force stone has been absorbed.¡¯ He had used up all the remaining energy after creating the circle to create cores, so a considerable amount was absorbed into the circle. Of course, it was only a drop of blood on a featherpared to his previous life. Eurius picked up a fairly heavy stone from the corner of the training hall. And then he threw it with all his might. ¡°Shiiing!¡± The stone thrown with the enhanced strength by the cirction of force flew like an arrow towards the wall. It seemed like it would make a hole in the wall with its momentum! ¡°Puck.¡± But surprisingly, before the stone hit the wall, it was caught by Eurius¡¯s hand as if it was sucked in. He moved faster than the flying stone or arrow by kicking the ground and caught the stone with his hand. ¡°Crack.¡± That wasn¡¯t all. The stone caught in his hand turned into dust and fell to the ground. Eurius eximed without knowing it. ¡°The effect of core is much more amazing than I thought! To achieve the second stage so easily at once!¡± The second stage was not just enhancing overall physical abilities, but reaching a level where he could freely manipte the circted force and strengthen his body. Just like Eurius showed, depending on the user¡¯s ability, he could move faster than flying stones or arrows, or crush hard rocks with just his grip. And Eurius had used almost his maximum physical ability just now, but he didn¡¯t feel any strain on his body. This was the effect of quad core. It was natural that working with four hands was more stable than working with one hand. Even if he suddenly raised his strength, there was less waste of energy and less burden on his body! As soon as he activated the circle, four cores also worked sequentially to divide and adjust the circted force. ¡°Then what about the third stage!¡± Eurius stretched out his hand with a slightly excited tone. He reached out to where he had just turned into dust. ¡°Ssssh¡­¡± This time, the dust that had fallen to the ground gathered again and slowly rose up. But that was only for a moment. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The dust that rose up to Eurius¡¯s waist soon lost its strength and fell back down as dust. ¡®I stillck to go beyond the third stage.¡¯ A considerable disappointment appeared on Eurius¡¯s face. The third stage was the flower of knights who handled force. It was an entrance to a true superhuman stage where he could manipte not only inside but also outside of his body. Knights who mastered this stage could walk around like a stroll on a battlefield where arrows rained down, and kill enemies tens of meters away with their swords. They were literally one-man armies that could be called so. There were less than 200 knights who reached this stage in this vast empire, and only 50 of them were skilled enough to include imperial guards. ¡®After all, I still don¡¯t have enough absolute amount of force.¡¯ What he had just tried was Force Grip, which was one of the most basic skills in the third stage. It was a skill that allowed him to move objects far away with force. Currently, he couldn¡¯t even pull light dust as he wanted. It wasn¡¯t because of skill but because ofck of output from circle. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask Marius to get more high-purity force stones or find another way.¡¯ ¡°Stat window!¡± [Eurius von Scharnos] Job: Emperor, Intermediate Knight Strength C+ Agility C- Intelligence B+ Mental Power A- Force C+ Force Aptitude SS+ [Traits] Imperial Bloodline ¨C You have awakened your yer authority. Emperor¡¯s Dignity B rank (1st round victory) ¨C Increases your noble bloodline, leadership, and charisma as emperor of the empire. Quad Core ¨C A circle with four auxiliary loops. You get additional bonuses in all aspects rted to control of force. ??? (Possessed in 1st round but currently unavable) ??? (Possessed in 1st round but currently unavable) [Hidden Skills] Restart ¨C yers can turn back time and start their lives over at any time. However, you are not an official yer, so the number is limited to one. (Currently permanently unavable) Second Life Bonus ¨C You have inherited some of your abilities, memory and talents from your previous life. ??? (Currently unavable skill.) (New) Overheat ¨C A skill that only you, who have four cores, can use. It temporarily increases your force rank by two levels. However, excessive long-term use can damage the core. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, I don¡¯t know much about skills.¡± He checked his stats and nodded with satisfaction. He had a feeling when he tested his achievement, but the increase in his talent due to quad core was amazing. Heinz, an imperial guard who was also a skilled person in the empire, had only B- force aptitude. Based on the ¡®stats¡¯ of other knights he had observed so far, his current force aptitude was not much different from the superhumans who were among the best in the continent. And the newly created ¡®skill¡¯ also looked useful. ¡°yer Help open.¡± [Help helps yers understand the [system].] [The amount of knowledge you can ess in Help varies depending on your yer authority.] [Skill ¨C It can be created depending on your achievements, activities, or knowledge. You will naturallye up with how to use the skill.] [Force Aptitude ¨C It means your affinity for force. The higher the rank, the faster your stat ¡®Force¡¯ rank increases. You also get additional benefits in all senses rted to using force.] Help was like looking at a dictionary. If he had something curious, it immediately brought up rted knowledge in his head. [yer ¨C A yer is a user who receives support from the [system]. You need to achieve more achievements to ess more details.] He didn¡¯t know the principle, but he seemed to naturally learn how to use the skill called ability. It was as if someone injected knowledge into his head. He looked up various information with Help, and Eurius wondered. It was a question he had always felt since he came back to the past. ¡®What exactly is a yer?¡¯ He had been looking at the imperial family¡¯s records, but he couldn¡¯t find anything more than ¡®legendary heroes with amazing abilities that appeared two hundred years ago¡¯. Did they also have the ability to see [stats] like him? No, are they and I even human like others? The ability to see other people¡¯s profiles itself was unheard of. At first, he thought it was just a mysterious ability of the imperial family that he had heard of, and he used it usefully, but this worry had to grow over time. How could anyone but God revive a dead person or send him back to the past? But he didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on something that didn¡¯t have an answer. ¡®I¡¯ll have to do some proper research on [yer] when I have more time.¡¯ He put aside his rising questions for a moment and sat down in the training hall again, trying to figure out how to train. Chapter 8: A Slap In The Face? Chapter 8: A p In The Face? ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Today, the emperor¡¯s mouth was torn with a satisfied smile. It was because today was the day to report the princes¡¯ educational achievements regrly. In the hall, the first prince Eurius and the second prince Leonhart stood side by side, and behind them were their guardians, Marius and Duke Wilhelm. ¡®Of course, Eurius is my son too.¡¯ Until recently, Eurius¡¯s achievements were alwayspared to the excellent Leonhardt, except for swordsmanship. But what about now? Since Marius took charge of Eurius¡¯s education, he had been doing well in all areas. ¡°Princes, listen.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± Eurius and Leonhardt bowed their heads and listened to the emperor¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m very pleased to see you two studying so hard to lead the empire in the future.¡± The emperor looked at them with a gentle look as if they were more lovely than ever, and then opened his mouth again. ¡°Do you two have anything you want from me? I¡¯ll grant you a reasonable wish if I can.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I want. It¡¯s all thanks to the duke and the servants who supported me wholeheartedly.¡± Leonhart quickly showed his humility and gave credit to his uncle, Duke Wilhelm. It was not a normal reaction for a 14-year-old boy to refuse the emperor¡¯s reward and give credit to someone else. The second prince Leonhardt was definitely a smart boy with a promising future. The emperor admired him again and turned his eyes to the duke. ¡°Then the duke¡¯s merit must be great too?¡± ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s all because of the second prince¡¯s talent.¡± He chuckled and gave a subtle wink to Marius next to him. ¡®It¡¯s useless for an old man with only power ambitions to try hard. The prince you are pushing is so different.¡¯ He had been putting some efforttely, but the first prince was just a hopeless kid anyway. The invisible battle with Marius today would surely end in his victory. Duke Wilhelm had absolute confidence in Leonhart¡¯s talent, not just because he was his nephew. The first prince was talented enoughpared to others, but the second prince was a genius beyond talent. The starting line itself was different. How could it be done by effort? ¡°¡­¡± But Marius¡¯s reaction was unusually nd. Normally, he would look at the first prince with a worried face or be angry. Then Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°I have a request for you, father.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ The duke smiled victoriously. But Eurius¡¯s request waspletely different from what the duke expected. ¡°I¡¯ve been going to the administration officetely to receive education from Marius.¡± The emperor looked puzzled. ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with the administration office?¡± ¡°I heard this from among the bureaucrats when I went there for education.¡± Eurius calmly continued. ¡°Because of the heavy rain this year, the upper part of Goethe River in the north of the capital overflowed, and many viges nearby were damaged.¡± ¡°Ho ho.¡± ¡°The people in the affected areas are still suffering fromck of relief supplies. I hope you can give them enough support.¡± The emperor scratched his cheek and turned his eyes to Marius. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°That is correct. It was a sudden disaster and there was a lot of concern among the bureaucrats due tock of budget. I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± As soon as he heard Marius¡¯s answer, the emperor pped his hands andughed out loud. The duke felt like he had been hit in the back of his head and looked stunned. The emperor stoppedughing for a while and became serious again. ¡°First prince, Eurius!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your request today was very admirable. Many nobles or imperials overlook this fact, but when one people gather together, they be a crowd, and when a crowd gathers together, it bes the voice of the country and the foundation of this empire. Leonhart, follow your brother¡¯s example and don¡¯t forget this fact.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± They answered in unison and the emperor immediately called his secretary. ¡°Release the imperial treasury and support the people in the affected areas!¡± He added one more thing. ¡°And reward all the servants who have been in charge of educating the first prince so far.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Marius bowed his head deeply and gave a sneaky smile to Duke Wilhelm next to him. ¡®Heh! You got a good p today, old man with only power ambitions!¡¯ Seeing Marius¡¯s triumphant expression, Duke Wilhelm felt like his blood was boiling but forced a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t help but admire your benevolence for thinking of your people.¡± Leonhart also approached Eurius and spoke with a more excited expression than usual. ¡°You are amazing, brother. I learned a lot today.¡± Eurius smiled and patted Leonhardt¡¯s shoulder and hugged him. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other often because you¡¯ve been living in the duke¡¯s territory. Let¡¯s talk sometimes.¡± ¡®Stat window!¡¯ [Leonhart von Scharnos] Job: Prince, Beginner Knight Strength C+ Agility C- Intelligence B+ Mental Power B+ Force C+ Force Aptitude A Disposition: Cold, Ambitious, Charismatic [Traits] Imperial Bloodline ¨C You have the bloodline of a yer. All your stats grow faster. Versatile ¨C You learn faster in any field. ¡®Why did this brat have this already?¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue as he checked the stat window. This guy was definitely getting the [correction] of the yer¡¯s bloodline from birth, unlike him. He had the knowledge and experience of his previous life, so he could understand the stats, but this guy was only 14 years old and his intelligence and mental power were better than an average veteran bureaucrat. And even though he must have felt a big p just now, he came up to him and pleased him. He was not an ordinary politician at a young age. If it was him in his previous life, he would have ignored his easy-to-handle ipetent brother. Considering his future growth, he was not an easypetitor even if he had all the knowledge of his previous life. In his previous life, he always suffered from an inferiorityplex because of Leonhart, and that eventually led to his downfall. ¡®But it¡¯s different now!¡¯ Eurius smiled and continued to chat with Leonhart. ¡­ Meanwhile, Duke Wilhelm, who left the hall, couldn¡¯t hide his difort. He immediately summoned Earl Wace secretly that night. ¡°How dare you, you traitorous scum! What kind of scheme did you hatch behind my back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A scheme? ¡°Answer me. Did you really switch to the emperor¡¯s side? If so, you should be prepared for the consequences.¡± An invisible aura began to emanate from the duke¡¯s body. The duke was not only a great nobleman with the highest power in the empire, but also a warrior who had reached the superhuman level that only four people in the vast empire had. Everyone who wielded a sword in the continent knew him as the Sword Saint Wilhelm, the best superhuman in the empire. All the knights of the empire respected and followed him. ¡°Cough, how dare I? Please calm down for a moment.¡± Count Wace tried to look rxed under the duke¡¯s interrogation, but there was no way he could withstand the duke¡¯s aura as a bureaucrat. He sweated profusely and hurriedly said. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching for a year and the first prince¡¯s personality hasn¡¯t changed.¡± He caught his breath for a moment and started to make excuses. ¡°Think about it. He¡¯s only sixteen years old. How can he suddenly be a genius and a hard worker who surpasses the second prince?¡± The duke also nodded at that point. He also remembered a conversation he had with the first prince a few months ago. ¡­ ¡°By the way, I heard that you have reconciled with Marius.¡± ¡°Reconciled? What do you mean?¡± Eurius answered nonchntly. ¡°I just do what Marius says. It makes father happy, and I get more time to practice swordsmanship, so why not?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Marius said that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m old enough to know things. There¡¯s no need to fight with that old man unnecessarily.¡± ¡­ When he heard that, he thought Marius somehow persuaded or forced the first prince to take lessons. But after hearing what the duke said today, it wasn¡¯t like that, was it? ¡°Marius, is that old man behind this?¡± ¡°Yes. Honestly, who else coulde up with such a trick?¡± People¡¯s personalities don¡¯t change overnight. And how could a prince who hardly goes out of the pce care about the people¡¯s suffering? It¡¯s ridiculous. The emperor might not know because he was busy with politics and couldn¡¯t see his sons well, but he had been watching the first prince for over ten years. He knew Eurius would never think of such a thing. ¡°Crack.¡± The armrest of the chair where the duke was sitting broke into dust in an instant. ¡®He always pretended to be clean, but he tried to put the first prince on the throne with such a trick?¡¯ If Marius was behind it, his intention was obvious. He wanted to put the ipetent first prince on the throne like himself, and wield his power himself. Count Wace quickly agreed. ¡°We underestimated him too much. He is supposed to be the emperor¡¯s closest aide.¡± ¡®We have to separate the first prince and Marius somehow!¡¯ The same thought crossed their minds in an instant. Chapter 9: The Dukes Proposal Chapter 9: The Duke''s Proposal What does the emperor need to firmly express his conviction in the empire? The first is a powerful force to back up his imperial authority. He needed an overwhelming force that could crush the private soldiers of the local nobles. That¡¯s why the knight order existed. The central knight order, which consisted of more than 200 elite knights and at least three superhumans, was invincible! No matter howrge a territory a great nobleman had, he could not withstand the power of the knight order that only moved under the emperor¡¯s directmand. The second is a political force to push the emperor¡¯s policies. To counter the nobles, the emperors had established academies and cultivated talented people for generations. That¡¯s how the imperial administration was formed. They graduated from the academy and supported the new emerging nobles who had done their service, thus checking the power of the existing privileged sses. Marius and other close aides of the current emperor, who upied important positions in the administration, were factions that were created that way. Andstly, the third thing was¡­ ¡°Money?¡± ¡°Funds! And where did you learn that rude gesture?¡± Marius scolded Eurius, who showed his fingers curled up. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I saw some knights use it in the training hall sometimes, and I guess I copied it without knowing.¡± He didn¡¯t know he had picked up a habit from his previous life when he was rolling around in battlefields. Eurius scratched his head and quickly stopped. ¡®Well, honestly, there was a reason why I was disrespectful in my previous life. It¡¯s annoying to hear such nagging all the time.¡¯ Marius didn¡¯t know what he was thinking inside and said again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Count Wace was such a person. It¡¯s my fault if he really belongs to the duke¡¯s faction.¡± His face was still doubtful. That¡¯s how wless Count Wace¡¯s behavior was, and even Eurius himself didn¡¯t believe he was from the duke¡¯s faction until he betrayed him. The biggest problem was that he was in charge of the financial source of the emperor¡¯s faction. [Ryan Trading Company] It was the richest and most famous tradingpany in the empire, and Count Wace actually owned it. Some people from the noble faction also invested a lot of money in it. Since it was such a big tradingpany, all the movement and trade of materials of the emperor¡¯s faction were done through Ryan Trading Company. ¡°But how do we reduce our dependence on Ryan Trading Company? There¡¯s no evidence, so I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯ll listen to me.¡± Eurius had no immediate solution either. If only he had decisive evidence that Wace belonged to the duke¡¯s faction? Well, actually he did. But it wasn¡¯t time yet. As he pondered, a sh of thought crossed his mind. ¡°What if we can¡¯t reduce our dependence, but invest in another ce?¡± ¡°Invest?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do what Wace did to us.¡± Marius was not a fool. He caught on as soon as he heard that. ¡°You mean you want to secretly open up a new trading partner on our side?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s almost impossible to cut off trade altogether anyway, so let¡¯s gradually move important trade and switchpletely when Wace notices.¡± ¡°That would be the most realistic way to minimize damage.¡± Marius also nodded. As long as Wace was recognized as a pir of the emperor¡¯s faction, it was impossible to pull him down suddenly. Then it would be more rational to choose a way to reduce damage when cutting off rtions rather than cutting off rtions right away. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look for a suitable tradingpany for you.¡± ¡°Ah, about that.¡± Eurius interrupted him and gave his opinion. ¡°I heard a story when I went to the administration office for training. Recently, some famous tradingpanies from ¡®Hwan¡¯ Empire in the east are trying to enter our country. Is that true?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I think I got a report once.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we look for a suitable tradingpany from there? It would be less risky than domestic ones, and if it¡¯s from the east, it would be harder for them to pressure us here.¡± ¡°Your highness¡¯s insight is amazing. I had a simr thought too. But¡­¡± Marius raised his eyebrows suspiciously. ¡°There are quite a few loose-mouthed people among our bureaucrats. The problem with Goethe River flooding before, and now this information that you should only get when you visit for education.¡± Euriusughed inside. ¡®I seeded in my intention.¡¯ In fact, he didn¡¯t get that information from the administration office, but just fitted in his knowledge from his previous life. ¡®There is only one tradingpany that enters the empire from the east at this time.¡¯ Eurius nned to use that tradingpany to nibble away at Wace¡¯s power base. If he knew the owner of that tradingpany, he could give him enough damage to raise his blood pressure with a little support from him. Of course, thanks to his lie, the poor bureaucrats of the administration office were grilled by Marius, but that was inevitable. At that day¡¯s hall meeting, Duke Wilhelm, who rarely attended, was present. The agenda was the development of the northern part of the empire. The empire was a huge country that bordered a snowy mountain range in the north and a hot desert kingdom in the south. But unlike the prosperous trade in the central and southern parts, most of the northern part of the empire was a barren undevelopednd. In addition, there were many countries of minority tribes who lived by plundering in the north. Therefore, despite having fertile farnd and abundant natural resources, they had difficulties in development. ¡°We need to mobilize the central knight order and military force to promote the development of the north.¡± ¡°We already have enough territory in the empire. Why spill unnecessary blood and conquer the barbarians¡¯nd?¡± Of course, those who advocated development were mostly nobles from the emperor¡¯s faction. Most of the nobles belonging to the duke¡¯s faction were wealthy nobles who already had rich territories in the central and southern parts, so they didn¡¯t need to be greedy for morend. If he tried to conquer the north, he would need a lot of money, so it was obvious that the emperor would impose taxes on them to raise troops. Naturally, the nobles of the duke¡¯s faction opposed it with foam in their mouths. ¡®Tsk tsk, they¡¯re only busy with their own bowls.¡¯ The emperor clicked his tongue as he watched the two factions fight again today. Of course, from the emperor¡¯s point of view, promoting the development of the north was an absolute necessity. If he conquered the north and gave stable ie territories to bureaucrats who had done their service, he could help the emerging nobles of the emperor¡¯s faction who were behind in financial and military powerpared to the duke¡¯s faction. ¡°Your Majesty! May I express my opinion on the development of the north?¡± Suddenly, Duke Wilhelm, who had been attending the hall meeting for a while and watching quietly, raised his hand. The emperor was puzzled but allowed him to speak. ¡°The Duke? What is your opinion?¡± ¡°First of all, I fully support the development of the north.¡± ¡°!?¡± Most of the nobles, including the emperor, looked at him with disbelief. What had the Duke eaten to say such a thing? But the Duke didn¡¯t care and began to make his case. ¡°What is the most essential thing to conquer the north? It is a well-maintained road for transporting troops and supplies!¡± Some of the emperor¡¯s faction raised their hands urgently. ¡°But building that road would require a huge amount of manpower and money. How do you n to solve that problem?¡± The Duke nced at them with a smile. ¡°Of course, the construction will not be cheap. But I and the other nobles of the south will share the burden.¡± This time, all of the Duke¡¯s faction almost fainted in shock. They were already short of funds, and now they had to pay for everything? What kind of lightning strike was this? The Duke swept his cold eyes over his faction. ¡°Eek.¡± The nobles who were about to object were silenced by his icy gaze. They could only stomp their feet helplessly. After subduing his faction with a look, the Duke continued. ¡°But there is something else that is important for the road construction.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± The emperor¡¯s side was so curious about his sudden change that they asked first. ¡°That is the person in charge and the staff of the project!¡± That¡¯s right! The road connecting the vast central and northern parts of the empire was a huge project that surpassed imagination. It was impossible to do it properly with a sloppy n. ¡°Therefore, I rmend Lord Marius, the best administrator in the empire, as the head of this project!¡± Now, the emperor¡¯s faction was speechless. The Duke¡¯s words fit perfectly. A unprecedentedrge-scale road project in the empire! Such a site needed excellent talents chosen by the emperor himself. Marius was undoubtedly qualified, so the emperor had to scratch his head. ¡°Marius is indeedpetent, but he is too old. Besides, he is currently in charge of educating the first prince. Do you have to take him away?¡± The Duke pressed on. ¡°Your Majesty! This project is also one that we nobles are working together on. How can we invest in the future of the empire without trusting a reliable person?¡± It was a clear threat. If he didn¡¯t give up Marius, they wouldn¡¯t raise any money. ¡°Then let¡¯s decide at the next war council.¡± The meeting that day ended with the Duke¡¯s shocking statement. Chapter 10: What They Gain from the North Chapter 10: What They Gain from the North The next day. Both sides were busy trying to reach a conclusion. ¡°Haha! Your scheme is always ingenious. You must have seen the emperor¡¯s dumbfounded face, right?¡± The Duke was in a very good mood today and praised Count Wace. ¡°Well, we do have some losses on our side, but it¡¯s more important to separate Marius and the first prince for the future.¡± ¡°Yes, they have no choice but to ept the project since it¡¯s not bad for them either!¡± In fact, collecting money this time was not a big loss for the Duke¡¯s side. Count Wace, who owned the topmerce of the empire, was on the Duke¡¯s side. What did it matter if they spent a little money? The damage they suffered this time was nothingpared to the impact of losing Marius on the emperor¡¯s side. No matter how they thought about it, this road project was nothing but an absolute victory for the Duke¡¯s side. The Duke was very satisfied with this oue. ¡­ Meanwhile. ¡°Well, that worked out well. Come back soon.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°They said they would pay for developing ournd, which will be our base of power. Why would we refuse?¡± Eurius looked indifferent and urged Marius to leave. ¡°But, Your Highness¡­ If I leave¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that no one else is suitable for you, and His Majesty will eventually order you anyway.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Marius groaned. It was not a problem that could be solved by refusing. Arge-scale project for the future of the empire versus the education of one prince! It was not even worthparing. The people on the emperor¡¯s side also had some reluctance to let Marius go, but it was ultimately a beneficial project for them. It was reasonable for him to go to appease their faction. He opened his mouth again with a cautious expression. ¡°And this confirms my suspicion about Wace. He wouldn¡¯t have used such a desperate measure unless he had no other source of funds!¡± ¡°Did you find out about the other topmerce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you.¡± Marius began to exin. ¡°There is a topmerce called [Blue Dragon] from the east that has a strong financial base and is interested in investing here. I¡¯m trying to contact them discreetly for now.¡± Eurius felt a surge of joy inside. He would have had more trouble if he had picked the wrong ce. ¡®As expected, Marius has a good eye. He picked that ce in one go!¡¯ The Blue Dragon top ofmerce, the only unified country in the east, was not a very big top at present, but it would grow into one of the top ones in the continent after taking advantage of the chaos in ten years. ¡®And their Head is a very scary person.¡¯ Eurius shivered unconsciously as he remembered his past life. ¡°How about making a big deal with them this time?¡± There were various materials needed for the road construction, from stones forying the foundation to tools and food for the workers. Many tops would rush to take advantage of this opportunity. It was easier than eating cold rice for him as the person in charge to give some favors to one or two tops. In a way, this road project could be a good chance to gradually push Wace out. ¡°Just make sure Wace doesn¡¯t notice and support them secretly.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡­ The next day. The war council finally reached a verdict. As Eurius expected, the emperor¡¯s decision was quick. ¡°Minister of Administration Marius, you are in charge of the road construction in the northern part of the empire!¡± Who could dy when it was his order? As soon as the emperor¡¯s order came down, everything proceeded swiftly. A huge amount of money collected from the wealthy nobles of the south was transported to the capital, and a meticulous n was made based on the cities in the north. Marius and other bureaucrats worked day and night to find the most efficient route for the development of the north. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to build it in a straight line even if it goes through some mountains?¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! The north is full of barbarians who are no different from bandits! We should look for a safer way even if it takes longer¡­¡± ¡°But if we take a detour, the construction period will be too dyed!¡± The debate continued day and night for several months, so Eurius barely saw Marius¡¯ face. And finally, the day came when Marius left for the north to lead the project. Today was the day when he came to say goodbye to him. Eurius looked very sad and saw him off. ¡°Come visit me sometimes when you get a vacation.¡± Marius looked at him nkly with his wrinkled face. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time, now that I think about it.¡¯ He had been in charge of Eurius¡¯ education since he was six years old. He was almost like a father who had taken care of him for almost ten years. ¡°I estimate the construction period to be about four years. I believe you will do well without this old man during that time!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I still need your guidance.¡± Eurius hugged Marius tightly and said hisst farewell. ¡°Come back safely. It will be hard without you, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Marius felt Eurius¡¯ warm body temperature and his eyes reddened slightly. ¡°Then, Your Highness, please take care.¡± Marius bowed his head deeply and left. After confirming that he waspletely out of sight, Eurius slowly put away his sad expression and smiled. ¡®Now I can focus on recovering my strength.¡¯ Marius had helped him a lot, but he hadn¡¯t told him the secret of his regression. He had to receive some education as a prince, and he didn¡¯t have time for that. Of course, he was also sorry to let Marius go, but talent should be used in the right ce. ¡®I¡¯m really sorry, but I don¡¯t need your nagging right now, I need your skills.¡¯ Thanks to the Duke¡¯s misunderstanding, Marius was helping him from the best position. All the people in the empire, from ordinary citizens topetent bureaucrats, thought that the north was and of barbarians. ¡®They don¡¯t know the terrifying potential of the north yet.¡¯ Eurius knew that in a few years, the north would be unified by a powerful ruler. [The Mountain King of the North, Nuada!] He was one of the rulers who left the strongest impression on him in his previous life. He was also one of his strongest allies who fought against the nobles of the south. He was supposed to think about him when the development of the north began in earnest in a few years, but there was no reason not to meet him since the Duke had opened the road. ¡®If I can get out of the pce, I¡¯ll start my activities in the north.¡¯ The north was a world of strong warriors who respected only the strong! With his current strength, it was still difficult to think of an alliance with Nuada. He began to think about his ns for the next four years as his head spun busily. The next day. After Marius left, the role of Eurius¡¯ guardian was taken over by Count Wace, the second-inmand of the emperor¡¯s faction. ¡°Your Highness, you must have heard what Sir Heinz said. I think I¡¯m more suited for swordsmanship than stiff studies.¡± ¡°Hehe, Your Highness. But imperial studies are essential for you to be an emperor. Please don¡¯t forget Marius¡¯ request.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already doing well enough in that area! Don¡¯t say that and do me a favor. You¡¯re always on my side, right?¡± Wace nodded reluctantly. ¡°How can I refuse when Your Highness asks me personally? But you have to study properly too.¡± ¡®Now that the old man is gone, where will the spoiled first prince¡¯s habits go?¡¯ Wace smiled secretly and drastically adjusted Eurius¡¯ curriculum. ¡®There is a saying from yer Sharnos the Great: The pen is mightier than the sword!¡¯ It was obvious, but what could an emperor who only knew how to swing a sword do? The empire favored outstanding warriors, but martial prowess was not that important for the emperor. Wace nned to give Eurius ¡®only knight lessons¡¯ with generous support. A potion to relieve fatigue after intense training! A high-purity force stone that increases the force umtion of the circle! He would create the best environment that only a prestigious martial arts school in the continent could offer. Of course, these treasures were hard to obtain with ordinary financial resources, but they were not difficult for Wace to get. ¡®Your Highness Eurius, please focus on your training!¡¯ A few weeks after Marius left the pce, the evaluation of the first prince changed from a notorious troublemaker to another rumor. ¡®The first prince has no interest in politics or imperial studies, and he swings his sword all day like a warrior!¡¯ Chapter 11: Master (Third Stage) Chapter 11: Master (Third Stage) ¡°ng! ng!¡± The sound of metal shing echoed. A bright sh every time the swords collided. The source of the sh was two swords that glowed faintly and shed with each other. ¡°Whizz.¡± The two swords moved in smooth curves or straight lines, as if they were alive, spitting out destructive force. The speed of the swords increased until they were too fast to see, and the training hall was filled with the sound of buzzing like a swarm of bees and the friction of the swords hitting each other. ¡°ng!¡± ¡°Thud!¡± Finally, one of the swords seemed to lose and flew into the air, sticking to a corner of the training hall. ¡°Darn, I still couldn¡¯t beat you this time.¡± ¡°Haha, if you beat me already, I would have nothing to teach you and be disappointed, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± The one who grumbled was a young man who looked like he was in histe teens. He was Eurius, who had grown up a lot and started to look like an adult. Compared to him, Sir Heinz didn¡¯t look much different. He still answered with a cheerful tone as he sheathed his sword and praised him. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve heard that I¡¯m a genius so many times that my ears are clogged, but when I see your achievements, I feel really ashamed of myself.¡± It had been three years since he started his knight training in earnest, and Eurius was only 18 years old. No matter how lenient he was as a teacher, it was amazing that he could fight dozens of matches with the imperial guards with his sword at such a young age. Eurius had already reached the second stage of maturity, where he could freely condense force into his body and weapon. It was a level that could be called a first-ss knight anywhere in the empire. Sir Heinz praised him until his mouth was dry, but he was more amazed inside. ¡®In a few more years, I might not have to teach him anymore.¡¯ He had been in charge of Eurius¡¯ education since he was six years old. He was almost like a father who had taken care of him for almost twelve years. ¡°If you keep up your current achievements, you might be able to reach the third stage at the youngest age in the empire. I hope you don¡¯t getcent and keep working hard.¡± ¡°Haha, I wish that were true. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Eurius smiled and saw Sir Heinz off. He sat down on a chair in the corner of the training hall as if to rest for a while. When he felt that Sir Heinz¡¯s presence waspletely gone, he got up. He drew his sword and threw it lightly into the air. Then he reached out toward the front. The thrown sword stopped in midair and flew toward him like an arrow. ¡°Thud.¡± Before his body was skewered by the flying sword, the sword bounced off with a faint blue spark as if it hit a wall. This was one of the advanced applications of the third stage, called force field. It was a technique that materialized force around one¡¯s body in the form of a shield or an invisible barrier. Knights who could skillfully use this technique could withstand a rain of arrows and even blind spears or swords on a fierce battlefield. This was one of the biggest reasons why knights of the third stage were called one-man armies! And finally! This time, he threw his sword high above his head. A sword that soared as if to pierce the sky, and a leap to catch it. But he didn¡¯t have enough height to catch the first thrown sword. He kicked the air again before his speed dropped. ¡°Thump!¡± Surprisingly, he stepped on the air as if there was something there and leaped again, then caught the sword leisurely. This was one of the most difficult skills in the third stage, called force step. The basic principle was not much different from force field. But it required more skilled maniption because one had to create an invisible foothold at the exact location where one wanted to jump. Force grip, force field, and force step. These three skills, along with materializing force outside or interfering with objects freely, were characteristic of knights of the third stage. They were called force masters or simply masters in general in the continent. If one reached this level, one could fly around in midair, withstand a rain of arrows without flinching, and take an enemy¡¯s life from afar with just force control! They were literally individual strategic weapons, and there were less than 50 such master-level knights in the empire. Eurius had spent three years sparing no time for sleep and investing in training to recover his previous level. Of course, his achievement wasrgely thanks to the help of one of his biggest enemies, Wace. The level up to the third stage was something he had already achieved in his previous life, and what he needed most was not enlightenment or advanced training, but force output. He ate potions that were good for physical training like rice, and absorbed high-purity force stones whenever he hit a wall. How could any knight not grow like a storm in such an environment? ¡®People need talent, but ultimately, it¡¯s the environment that matters.¡¯ He had also skipped some education and managed to be a master as an emperor in his previous life. He had talent, but if he hadn¡¯t been an imperial, he would never have reached it. He was a bitcking in perseverance because he grew up so spoiled in his previous life¡­ ¡®That was because our empress really pushed me hard.¡¯ He still shivered at the thought of how Beatrix nagged him. He had to swing his sword even if he didn¡¯t want to. That was the only way to survive and n for the future! But he still couldn¡¯t achieve what he really wanted, the entrance to the superhuman. ¡°I need some stimtion.¡± At first, he thought that if he just got enough force output, he would quickly open the way to the next level with his solid force foundation and previous experience. But after actually training for three years, he couldn¡¯t even grasp a clue to the fourth stage. He thought that he needed some extraordinary measures to break through his stagnant level. He had postponed this n for a long time because it involved a lot of risk for him, but he couldn¡¯t dy it any longer. He called a pce servant. ¡°Call Sir Heinz for me!¡± It wasn¡¯t long before Sir Heinz came in. ¡°Your Highness, did you call me?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°A favor from Your Highness? Just give me your order anytime.¡± He answered crisply, and Eurius smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°How about going hunting with me?¡± ¡­ It was January, and the snow was falling hard. But the pce was busy with movement regardless of the cold. ¡°The envoy from the Shannon Kingdom has arrived.¡± ¡°Archbishop Demodeo, the representative of the Holy Kingdom, has arrived.¡± ¡°The congrattory envoy from the Far Eastern Empire has just entered the capital.¡± The pce officials, maids, and servants were all busy recording and entertaining the envoys who came in endlessly. ¡°Congrattions on your birthday, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°We have also brought a rare specialty from our country for your birthday.¡± It was no wonder they were busy. Today was one of the biggest events in the empire, the emperor¡¯s birthday. To celebrate, arge banquet hall was prepared and filled with envoys from various countries and nobles from all over the empire. ¡°Long live the emperor!¡± Following the loud announcer¡¯s voice, the emperor walked onto the high stage set up in the banquet hall. ¡°First of all, I thank you all foring to celebrate this old man¡¯s birthday.¡± The emperor was known to be frugal and didn¡¯t like big banquets. He gave a few short words of speech and ended his speech. ¡°Then, I hope you all enjoy the banquet.¡± But the emperor couldn¡¯t leave right away. There was still an important ceremony where envoys and major nobles from each country presented gifts to the emperor of the empire. ¡°Next is a gift from Baron Kingdom¡¯s King Baron.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, this is a medicinal herb called ginseng that only grows in our country. It helps a lot with restoring energy.¡± The gifts piled up around the emperor as the ceremony began. Rare elixirs made from medicinal herbs that only grew in the Far East, clothes made from rare beasts¡¯ skins, and so on. Gifts that were hard to see even for a king of a country kept piling up. The old emperor looked tired from the endless barrage of gifts. But even he had to open his eyes wide at one point. ¡°Next is a gift from Leonhart von Scharnos, the second prince of the empire.¡± Leonhart walked up to the stage confidently and presented his gift with both hands. ¡°Father, this is a medicinal herb called ginseng that only grows in the Far Eastern Empire. I had a hard time getting it through a long sea voyage.¡± ¡°They say you¡¯re a genius who stands outtely, and it seems to be true.¡± The nobles nodded their heads and murmured. Ginseng was a rare herb that was hard to get in this continent, but it was well known among the nobles who knew about it. Even if he was the second prince who had the backing of Duke Wilhelm, it would have been impossible to get something rare from another continent without great skill. The emperor also liked Leonhart¡¯s sincerity more than his gift. He put away his tired face and smiled brightly. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve worked hard for this second prince. I¡¯ll dly ept it.¡± There was still a buzz in the hall. ¡°But why is the second prince giving his gift before the first prince?¡± ¡°Oh, are you talking about that first prince who¡¯s obsessed with swords?¡± ¡°I heard that it¡¯s because of Duke Wilhelm¡¯s pressure. Tsk tsk, poor thing.¡± The line of gifts seemed endless, but there was still no sign of Eurius in the banquet hall. Some of Duke Wilhelm¡¯s faction even frowned and spoke harshly. ¡°No matter how much he¡¯s favored by His Majesty, it¡¯s a huge rudeness not to show his face on His Majesty¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, now that Marius is gone, his troublemaker nature has returned?¡± But at that moment, the door of the banquet hall suddenly opened. ¡°Sorry for beingte. He was harder to catch than I thought.¡± As soon as they heard his voice, everyone in the banquet hall felt a cold airing in and shrank their bodies. All eyes in the hall focused on the door, and there was! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Second Prince Leonhart! People are influenced by their growing environment, social status, physical condition, and every other factor in their values. The second prince Leonhart was a blessed person. The prince of Scharnos Empire, which was undisputedly the best country in the continent! Duke Wilhelm, who was the best warrior in the empire and had unrivaled power except for the emperor! Even his own talent was outstanding. The world he saw was like this. ¡®It¡¯s so easy that I can onlyugh.¡¯ He had never heard anything but praise since he was young. The tasks that others found difficult were just easy steps for him. He didn¡¯t have a particrly bad personality either. He was so mature that he understood the difference between his position and others, and what he had to do. If there was one w in him, it was that he was too calm for his young age andcked childlike charm, and that he had an older brother. ¡°I will definitely make you the emperor, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Haha, how can you say that when I have a legitimate older brother?¡± Duke Wilhelm adored him terribly. It was understandable, since his nephew had great talent and diligence. He was the ideal sessor. But Leonhart knew his uncle¡¯s true intentions well. ¡®My uncle is full of ambition for power.¡¯ The way he saw his uncle was a person who loved him as much as he was obsessed with power. He probably wouldn¡¯t leave him alone even if he made him the emperor. And there were still many obstacles to him bing the emperor. First of all, his father, who was called the iron-blooded emperor. He was a fair and excellent ruler, but he knew his uncle¡¯s ambition better than anyone. And he loved his eldest son so much that he wouldn¡¯t help him. Finally, there was his brother. ¡®Eurius von Scharnos.¡¯ The feeling he had every time he saw his half-brother was pity. He was just an ordinary child to him. Of course,pared to himself, who was a genius. Eurius would be able to run the country well enough if he inherited the throne, but no matter how he thought about it, he was overwhelmingly superior. The only one who deserved the throne of this vast empire was himself! That¡¯s why he had been trying to get better reviews than his brother in everything. He had learned various subjects rted to imperial studies, and he had tried to be a humble second prince, contrary to his true feelings. ¡®Anyway, I have a higher chance of bing the emperor with the power of the duke and the nobles.¡¯ He didn¡¯t worry about the position that woulde to him naturally, but about what he would do after bing the emperor. But his arrogant thoughts changed to doubts from one day on. ¡°It seems that the first prince has finallye to his senses.¡± ¡°What do you expect? Our second prince is the only one who can do it. Who else has the emperor¡¯s charisma like him? His Majesty will surely choose Leonhardt in the end!¡± The duke¡¯s cronies didn¡¯t even bother to hide their contempt. Anyone who had seen him since he was young would have done so. He didn¡¯t care much at first. He and others had different perspectives from birth. Even if Eurius came to his senses, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. But¡­ ¡°¡­Please give enough support to the people.¡± On the day he reported his educational achievements to the emperor, Leonhart felt a shock as if he was hit on the back of his head with a hammer. ¡°It¡¯s Marius¡¯ work. It won¡¯t be a big problem.¡± The nobles around him seemed to think so, but Leonhart sharpened his eyes. ¡®My intuition is rarely wrong.¡¯ Eurius looked ordinary at a nce, but he was his brother too! He must have some advantages. He talked to the duke for the first time that night. ¡°Honestly, I was annoyed that I lost to my brother this time. Uncle! Please help me.¡± The duke was of course pleased. He had always been worried that the second prince he pushed didn¡¯t seem very interested in power. ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t you have this uncle? I swear by my name that I will make you the emperor.¡± Leonhart acknowledged Eurius as his rival for the first time since then. Others thought of the first prince as a lucky bastard who was born first, but he never let his guard down. People who were born perfect like him always considered thest possibility! ¡®Brother Eurius, it won¡¯t be easy anymore.¡¯ . . . . . . . . . . . . ¡®You probably think that way, right? That arrogant brat never treated me as a brother in the first ce.¡¯ His half-brother¡¯s genius was best known by him, who had lived with him for over thirty years in his previous life. And after confirming his [Stat Window], he was even more convinced of that. Eurius also smiled bitterly. ¡®Leon, do you think it will go your way?¡¯ Chapter 12: A Gift And A Wish Chapter 12: A Gift And A Wish Chapter 13: Superhuman (Grandmaster) Chapter 13: Superhuman (Grandmaster) There are eight people in the continent who are called [Superhuman], who have transcended the human limit and reached the fourth stage of martial arts. But how would they rank in terms of strength? No one knows for sure. The continent has been peaceful for decades, without a single war. The people who reached the realm of superhuman never had a chance to fight each other andpare their skills. But even among the superhumans, there was a roughparison based on their age and achievements, and people usually named these three as the strongest warriors in the continent. The Sword Saint Wilhelm, the Grand Duke of Scharnos Empire, thergest country in the continent! The Crusader Dios, the Duke of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Guardian Family! The Executor Galeus, the Archbishop of the Church of Mars, the God of War! These three had shown their undeniable power and were among the oldest among the superhumans. One of them, Dios, the superhuman of the Holy Kingdom, was troubled by a headache. ¡°Rize, so this time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going. Period.¡± ¡°You¡¯re almost seventeen. But you haven¡¯t even made your social debut, let alone get married¡­¡± ¡°Father, you promised!¡± ¡°Ohe on, do you think your condition makes any sense?¡± In front of Dios stood a beautiful girl with a promising future. She had golden hair that shone like gold dust and blue eyes that anyone would look back at on the street. Her name was ¡®Beatrix.¡¯ She was Dios¡¯ only daughter who he hadte in life. She was beautiful beyond words. Her personality was a bit stiff because she grew up in a military family, but she was basically kind and considerate. ¡®If only she didn¡¯t have any talent for swordsmanship.¡¯ It was good that she was interested in swordsmanship as she was born in a family that was known as the guardian of the Holy Kingdom, but the problem was that her talent for swordsmanship was too outstanding. She had reached the third stage at the age of sixteen. She had enough talent to aim for the fourth stage depending on her efforts. But Dios felt uneasy about it. ¡®I finally had a daughter after having three sons, but I can¡¯t stand to see her wearing sweaty armor and swinging a sword like a man.¡¯ He already had three sons who all had enough talent to reach the fourth stage before he died. He didn¡¯t need his daughter to wield a sword. ¡®If I have to, I can just force her to go.¡¯ She might have some pride, but she wouldn¡¯t disobey his words. But he felt guilty about doing that. ¡®Did I ever think that a promise I made when she was young would make her like this?¡¯ ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get married or make your social debut, then make another possible condition! Don¡¯t just say you don¡¯t want to get married.¡± Beatrix said firmly. ¡°As I told you before, I don¡¯t want anyone who is not my age and can¡¯t beat me.¡± So far, there have been dozens of suitors who have been attracted by her appearance and challenged her to a duel, only to be carried out on a stretcher. ¡®Ugh, I can¡¯t break my promise, but I don¡¯t want her to miss her prime time either.¡¯ Dios¡¯ forehead wrinkled deeper. He would find a decent groom who had a good family and reputation, even if he was from another country. ¡®The problem is where do I find a young man who can beat Rize?¡¯ ¡°Your Grace! The envoy we sent to the empire has returned.¡± ¡°Ah, why do you have to report that to me!¡± Dios was about to scold him with an annoyed expression when he heard something unexpected. ¡°They said they found someone who meets your daughter¡¯s condition in the empire!¡± ¡°What? Who is it?¡± It didn¡¯t matter much if he was from another country as long as he was decent and had a good family or reputation, since the Holy Kingdom was an absolute neutral country. The envoy looked a bit hesitant. ¡°But his status is a bit¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°I want to learn from the superhumans of the empire.¡± Eurius¡¯ voice echoed clearly in the banquet hall. ¡°Ahem, from the superhumans?¡± The emperor¡¯s face changed slightly as if he was embarrassed for a moment and then returned to normal. ¡®You bastard, did you n this?¡¯ Eurius¡¯ request was not easy for him as an emperor. Even if he was an emperor, it would be a great insult for them to ask them to teach his son. But they were also his knights after all. He wanted to reward Eurius for his amazing feat. And he couldn¡¯t take back what he said in front of so many people, especially from other countries. ¡®At least the Imperial guard captain, Count Carlos, should be persuaded somehow.¡¯ The emperor quickly calcted in his head and returned to his stern expression. ¡°Your wish will be granted. But the superhumans are the face of all the imperial knights! You have to be careful with your actions as if you were facing me.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I have one more small request.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Eurius quietly looked at the knight behind him. ¡°All the achievements I have made so far are thanks to the guidance of Sir Heinz.¡± Eurius continued with a sincere tone. ¡°He is a loyal and talented knight who has no ws. Please let him also learn from the superhumans with me.¡± The emperor was a bit nervous about what request he would make, but heughed. ¡®That¡¯s actually better.¡¯ It would be less insulting for them to teach an elite Imperial guard who was already chosen, rather than his son who was just educated. ¡°Of course, I have heard good things about him as a talented knight. Your wish will also be granted.¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Your Highness, Thank you!¡± Sir Heinz looked at the emperor and Eurius with gratitude. He never dreamed that he would be able to learn from the superhumans, who were only eight in the continent, even though he was an Imperial guard with a humble origin. He was a bit disappointed when Eurius asked to learn from the superhumans at first. But the first prince didn¡¯t abandon him and gave him a great opportunity. Eurius looked at him with a gentle gaze. ¡®Please be my subordinate, Sir Heinz.¡¯ What hecked most at this point was power that could be his ally. Raising Sir Heinz and meeting the superhumans of the empire would be the first step to solve that. ¡­ Count Wace was in a very bad moodtely. There were two reasons for that. The first was the grand duke¡¯s scolding that started again. ¡°Is that bastard really the ignorant brute you said he was, who only knows how to swing his sword? The timing is too perfect to be a coincidence, don¡¯t you think?¡± The duke had spent a fortune to secretly obtain a rare ginseng root from the eastern continent, which was hard to find even there. He did this at the request of the second prince, Leonhart, who wanted to impress the emperor with a valuable gift. However, Eurius¡¯s unexpected action ruined Leonhart¡¯s n. He had wasted his money for nothing. ¡®Do you know how much I paid those damned Blue Dragon merchants for that ginseng!¡¯ The second problem was the Blue Dragon merchant guild itself. It all started when he cut the budget for the northern road construction project. He didn¡¯t say anything, but the duke had a smug smile on his face. This was a huge project that involved many bureaucrats from the emperor¡¯s faction, and he was one of them. He naturally expected to give arge share of the trade to his own Ryan merchant guild. The profits from such a massive state project would be unimaginable if he could monopolize the trade. But Marius, that stubborn old man, suddenly interfered. ¡°Of course, we have to conduct a fair biddingpetition for this state project, don¡¯t we? Let¡¯s send out an announcement to all the merchant guilds in the continent first.¡± The duke¡¯s face turned sour. ¡°Heh, Marius, sir. Couldn¡¯t you consider our position a little bit¡­¡± Marius suddenly red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to mix your personal interests with this project that His Majesty entrusted us with?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The duke had nothing to say. Most of the bureaucrats in the emperor¡¯s faction were loyalists who would dly give up their lives if the emperor asked them to. He was supposed to be the second-inmand of the emperor¡¯s faction after Marius, so he had to set an example. Marius put more force into his eyes and scolded him again. ¡°And while we¡¯re at it, what about Prince Eurius¡¯s education? What¡¯s going on with that? I heard he spends all day swinging his sword around. How can I trust you with¡­¡± In the end, the duke had to listen to Marius¡¯s nagging for hours that day. And then he lost a significant part of the trade in the open bidding. He went to protest, but this time Marius just threw a piece of paper at him. ¡°What is this!?¡± Marius didn¡¯t even look at him and just snapped his fingers. ¡°This is the contract details of the Blue Dragon merchant guild thatpeted with your Ryan Trading Company in the bidding. Take a look and see for yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He had nothing to say again. The price written on the paper was clearly cheaper than what Ryan merchant guild offered. But the duke couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®What kind ofpany is this that can offer better conditions than Ryan Trading Company, which is supposed to be the best in the empire?¡¯ He recalled what had happened in the past two years and shook his head. ¡®Something is wrong.¡¯ His solid trust with the duke was fading away, and he had lost most of the huge profits he had hoped to gain from the northern part of the empire to some other unknown guild. ¡®At least I thought I could control the first prince as I pleased.¡¯ Slowly, doubts began to grow in his mind. It was too perfect, just as the duke said. The first prince himself had only trained hard all this time, but he and the duke had gained nothing from it. The only good thing was that the second prince was doing well. Prince Leonhart excelled in all his education and recently received good reviews for handling practical affairs near the duke¡¯s territory. If he looked at the overall evaluation so far, the second prince was still very superior! That was a relief, but he and the duke still felt uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He would have to wait and see what the problem was. Chapter 14: Multitasking Chapter 14: Multitasking [Your Highness Eurius! How is your study going? I know you are very talented and it might be redundant for me to say this, but I¡¯m always worried about you because there are so many sly people in the pce. My project is progressing well. Lately¡­ (omitted) As always, I send you my sincerity. I hope you ept it. I always pray for your health.] -Marius- [P.S.-I¡¯ve told you before, but you¡¯re not spending all day swinging your sword, are you? Neglecting the studies that are necessary for the emperor¡­ (omitted)] ¡®Sorry. The truth is, I do spend all day swinging my sword!¡¯ Eurius apologized to him in his mind, and then looked for the real ¡®gift¡¯ he sent. He turned the letter around and found the direction he wanted. Then he started to read it with the code they used. [The contact with the guild is going well. Buttely, the Blue Dragon guild leader has been insisting on seeing our top person. If he knew your identity, he wouldn¡¯t dare say that¡­ (omitted)] Eurius shook his head. ¡®No, he would have wanted to see me even if I was the emperor, not the prince.¡¯ The person mentioned in the letter was someone who didn¡¯t believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes. ¡®I¡¯ll have to go to the north sometime for a smooth rtionship.¡¯ But that was after he had achieved everything he needed to get in the pce. ¡®Today will be a tense day for a change.¡¯ Today was the day he was supposed to receive swordsmanship training from a superhuman for the first time. Eurius took Heinz along and headed to the royal training ground. ¡°I hope themander wasn¡¯t too angry.¡± ¡°Haha, you worry too much, sir! Do you think he would beat me up just because I asked him?¡± The superhuman who agreed to train him was the imperial guardmander, Count Carlos. The empire had four superhumans, but two of them were away as border guards, and one of them was Wilhelm, the second prince¡¯s uncle. So there was only one superhuman who could train him in the pce. The imperial guardmander, Count Carlos! He was a rtively young knight in his forties who had reached the fourth stage, which was rare among young superhumans. Another interesting thing was his faction. The emperor¡¯s faction thought he was one of them, and the Count¡¯s faction also secretly thought he was on their side. The reason why the emperor¡¯s faction thought so was because he was the imperial guardmander who only obeyed the emperor¡¯s orders. They valued legitimacy and naturally considered him as part of their faction. But there was something that made them hesitate. It was Carlos¡¯s other identity. Eurius couldn¡¯t help but grind his teeth when he thought about it. ¡®The Count was the first to make a move.¡¯ Carlos was a low-ranking noble from a remote region who rose to his current position purely by his talent. But the one who recognized his talent early on was none other than Duke Wilhelm. Carlos was both the imperial guardmander and Duke Wilhelm¡¯s son-inw, who married his daughter under simr circumstances as the current emperor¡¯s second empress. Thanks to that, whether it was Duke Wilhelm¡¯s trick or not, his previous self couldn¡¯t move the imperial guard, which was supposed to be neutral even in his imperial status, at the most critical moment. They were already losing to the nobles¡¯ faction after a long civil war. If they lost the imperial guard as well, it would be disastrous. But Eurius had to make him his own this time. He didn¡¯t care about anyone else who had been influenced by Duke Wilhelm, but Count Carlos was a true knight with unquestionable loyalty. ¡®I have to make him my subordinate fast with this opportunity.¡¯ Count Carlos bowed politely and led Eurius and Heinz to the training ground. ¡°I already know your skills well.¡± He nced at Heinz and fixed his eyes on Eurius. ¡°But for your future training, I would like you to have a simple spar with me.¡± He wanted to teach Eurius as best as he could since it was the emperor¡¯s request. And he couldn¡¯t deny that he was curious about Eurius¡¯s swordsmanship, which was said to be talented. ¡°Then, please take care of me.¡± ¡°Come at me anytime.¡± Eurius drew his sword and faced Count Carlos on the other side. ¡°Ha!¡± Eurius kicked off the ground and swung his sword at Count Carlos with a shout. ¡°ng!¡± Of course, as a superhuman who had reached an extraordinary level of skill, Count Carlos easily blocked his sword without moving an inch. ¡®He¡¯s more talented than I thought.¡¯ Count Carlos calmly blocked Eurius¡¯s sword, which was swinging at a speed that most knights couldn¡¯t even see. ¡®His force flow is stable enough to be almost at the third stage. And his swordsmanship basics are not bad for someone who grew up in luxury. He clearly trained hard.¡¯ He evaluated Eurius¡¯s swordsmanship sincerely, but he began to frown slightly after a while. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ The more he blocked Eurius¡¯s sword, the more doubt appeared on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s stop for a moment.¡± He stopped defending and swung his sword lightly to the left and right. ¡°Thud.¡± With that simple motion, Eurius was pushed back and had to regain his bnce. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Count Carlos looked at Eurius with a nk expression and opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re hiding your skills. Do you have a reason for that?¡± The Count had a stone-like personality, but he felt humiliated by his opponent and his eyes glinted with faint anger. The attack that had just repelled Eurius seemed light, but it was a sincere strike from him. Based on Eurius¡¯s skills that he had shown so far, he should have been rolling on the ground. ¡®It seems impossible to hide my skills from a fourth-stage knight.¡¯ This was the reason why Eurius had been worried. Knights of the fourth stage were superhumans who had transcended humanity! Even if he pretended to be mediocre, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for them to notice that he was holding back after exchanging a few blows. ¡°I apologize, Count Carlos. I never intended to mock you!¡± Eurius bowed deeply and apologized. As the crown prince lowered his head to apologize, the Count also looked slightly puzzled. Sir Heinz, who had been watching from the corner of the training ground, also approached them. ¡°I can hardly ept your apology, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Your highness, is there a problem?¡± Eurius nced at them both and put on a solemn expression. ¡°Count Carlos! Sir Heinz! Can you swear that you won¡¯t tell anyone what you saw here?¡± [Ding!] [The trait ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ is activated.] [Your charisma and charm increase.] Count Carlos felt a sudden pressure from the crown prince that was only fit for a great king or an emperor. ¡®Was the first prince like this?¡¯ He had no interest in the power struggle of the royal family, but he knew that the first prince was talented in swordsmanship, but not very diligent in other matterstely. ¡°I swear on my knight¡¯s honor that I won¡¯t speak of what happened here to anyone, as long as it doesn¡¯t harm the empire or His Majesty the Emperor.¡± Count Carlos decided to find out what the crown prince¡¯s intention was. ¡°I swear too.¡± Sir Heinz was not someone who would divulge something that would harm himself. Eurius nodded his head. ¡°Then, Count, please duel with me again.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Eurius and the Count faced each other again in the training ground. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll go all out.¡¯ Eurius held his sword seriously and aimed at the Count. ¡°Woong.¡± Eurius raised his force to the maximum output from his circle. His sword was infused with force and glowed blue, but beyond that, tangible force condensed outside his sword. ¡®Third stage! And quite proficient at that.¡¯ The Count was surprised inwardly and also prepared himself earnestly. If the first prince was this skilled, he couldn¡¯t afford to go easy on him. ¡°Peong!¡± As Eurius and the Count shed, a loud noise erupted in the training ground. The sh was not just once. Soon after, bluish sword lights rained down on the Count¡¯s body like a storm. But the Count was one of the top superhumans in the continent! He couldn¡¯t block them lightly like before, but he easily deflected most of the sword lights and stabbed his sword between Eurius¡¯s attacks to disrupt his offensive. It looked like a one-sided fight at first nce, but with the Count¡¯s skillful technique, Eurius suffered considerable damage. ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t win with pure swordsmanship.¡¯ No matter how much he had trained since his previous life, his main job was being an emperor. He couldn¡¯tpete with superhuman knights who had practiced swordsmanship repetitively since childhood. ¡®But I have another advantage now.¡¯ Eurius clenched his fist out of nowhere and charged at the Count¡¯s sword. ¡®A fist wrapped in force field? But if he focuses on protecting his hand, the density of force in other parts will weaken.¡¯ The Count looked puzzled and raised his sword to block. His sword split into two cleverly and aimed at Eurius¡¯s fist and shoulder. Force field or force grip were useful applications of third stage force in battlefields, but they had very low utility in one-on-one fights with high-level opponents. They required delicate control, which inevitably made it difficult to control the force that enhanced weapons or defense. It was more efficient to use the same amount of energy for one purpose rather than multiple ones. But! ¡°Peong!¡± The Count¡¯s body shook for the first time. Contrary to his intention of blocking the fist with concentrated force and piercing through the weakened spot, both of his attacks bounced off. ¡°!?!?¡± That wasn¡¯t all! The Count switched from offense to defense and felt an invisible hand trying to strangle his neck. ¡®Force grip!?¡¯ The Count was a superhuman after all. It was a sudden ambush, but he managed to block it. He shook off the force that was squeezing his neck and counterattacked. But Eurius used force grip to pressure the Count¡¯s neck while also swinging his sword like a storm and pushing the Count back. This was the power of quad-core! Ordinary knights, no matter how excellent their force control was, couldn¡¯t simultaneously enhance their body and weapon while manipting force delicately. Normally, the force circting in the circle would enhance the whole body and weapon, but it couldn¡¯t quickly concentrate on other ces. But Eurius was different with his four cores. The first core assisted the enhancement of his sword and body as usual. The second core used force grip to hinder the Count¡¯s movement. The third core condensed force on his fist and feet tounch surprise attacks. The fourth core used force step to move dazzlingly in the air and aim for the Count¡¯s blind spots. With these four cores working together organically and freelyunching irregr attacks, even the superhuman Count couldn¡¯t regain hisposure for a moment. [Ding!] [You have created the skill Multi-tasking.] This was what he called multi-tasking! It was one of the biggest achievements he had gained after his return. ¡°Chang.¡± The Count was flustered and finally a small gap appeared in his impregnable defense! ¡®It¡¯s my chance!¡¯ Eurius¡¯s sword could have split the Count¡¯s body in half in an instant. He put all his strength into rushing at the Count. Chapter 15: Absolute Defense Skill Chapter 15: Absolute Defense Skill At the moment when Eurius¡¯s sword was about to split the Count¡¯s body in half! ¡°Crash!¡± ¡°Your highness¡­ You are truly amazing. Today, I feel like I have opened my eyes anew.¡± With the Count¡¯s voice mixed with admiration and a hint of bitterness, Eurius¡¯s body suddenly collided with something and bounced back. Eurius rolled on the floor of the training hall with the momentum of being thrown back. ¡®He finally showed it.¡¯ Now, from the Count¡¯s body, a faint golden light was flickering, not the blue light that ordinary force emitted. Count Carlos had finally unleashed his Absolute Defense skill, a power that only those who reached the fourth stage! The realm of superhumans could use. The first stage was the basic stage of receiving force with one¡¯s body. The second stage was the stage of strengthening one¡¯s body with force. The third stage was the stage of releasing force externally and affecting ces that were out of reach. And finally, he didn¡¯t know much about it himself, but when he could manifest force into an ¡®image¡¯ that he thought of, he was said to have reached the fourth stage. Eurius tried to attack the Count with all the methods he could do, but the Duke bounced him back with just a gesture. ¡°So this is the legendary Count Carlos¡¯s [Absolute Defense Skill]!¡± Eurius finally stopped his futile attack and eximed. The fourth stage had different powers depending on one¡¯s personality. Count Carlos¡¯s golden force barrier had an ability that was iparable to the third stage¡¯s force field. It could expand to tens or hundreds of meters, and if he concentrated it in a narrow area, it would be hard to break through his absolute defense even with siege weapons like catapults or rams! That¡¯s why he got the nickname [One-man Fortress]! Reflecting his serious and honest personality, he was one of the best in defense among superhumans. He was none other than Count Carlos, themander of the Imperial Guard Knights. Eurius finally conceded. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s no point in trying anymore. It¡¯s a rare sight to see the Absolute Defense skill of a superhuman, who are only eight in the continent. I had a really good show today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not at all. It was a good experience for me too.¡± Count Carlos was a simple and pure warrior! He seemed to be quite impressed by Eurius¡¯s multitasking. He would have won even if he hadn¡¯t used his Absolute Defense skill, but he would have had to struggle a lot. But their admiration for each other was only for a moment. Count Carlos had to harden his expression as he recalled his initial question. Why did the First Prince hide his skills all this time? What benefit did he get from showing his skills to him? Sir Heinz also watched Eurius use multitasking with his mouth open and came to him as if he had juste to his senses. ¡°Your highness, what was that just now¡­.¡± Heinz¡¯s expression also showed confusion and faint distrust. Was this person really the same emperor he had been teaching until now? ¡°I owe you an apology too, Sir Heinz. I¡¯m really sorry for hiding it from you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Of course, he won¡¯t be convinced by this.¡¯ Eurius exined that his excellent talent for force and skills like multitasking were all thanks to the ¡®yer¡¯s Bloodline¡¯ that was passed down in the imperial family. ¡°Did you know about the ¡®yer¡¯s Bloodline¡¯ that has been passed down in the imperial family?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Sir Heinz and the Count let out a small exmation. The legend of ¡®yer¡¯ was, as legends usually are, a widely known story amongmoners and nobles alike in the continent. The fact that some of the imperial family members were born with special abilities due to their yer bloodline was also something that most people who had some interest in the history of the empire knew. ¡®Of course, I have to keep [Stats] and regression secret.¡¯ ¡°I think you know why I¡¯m telling you this story in front of you.¡± Eurius looked at Sir Heinz and Count Carlos with a sincere voice. ¡°I beg you. Please be my subordinate!¡± ¡°I have already sworn allegiance to Your highness.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Sir Heinz answered immediately, but Count Carlos remained silent for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°If Your highness bes emperor, I will do anything for you.¡± ¡®But I can¡¯t swear allegiance to you yet if you¡¯re not emperor, right?¡¯ This was a polite but clear expression of refusal. But Eurius didn¡¯t show a disappointed expression. Eurius smiled instead, and the Count had to look at him with a puzzled face. ¡°Then what if I be emperor and the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t support me? What will you do then?¡± ¡°Of course, if Your highness bes emperor, I will stand by Your Majesty¡¯s side.¡± This was an immediate answer. It was an answer that represented his rigid and honest personality. ¡°But what if I¡¯m a tyrant? What if I¡¯m not fit to be the lord of the empire?¡± ¡°A true knight of the empire does not judge the lord he serves.¡± This time, there was a slight dy in the answer. Eurius asked hisst question. ¡°Then what if serving me causes countless citizens of the empire to die and the whole country to fall into danger? Will you still serve me?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Count Carlos couldn¡¯t answer right away. Eurius smiled inwardly. ¡®As expected, the Count is a much smarter person than he is known to be.¡¯ If he was really a dull and typical knight, he would have followed him without question even in his previous life when he was emperor. Eurius was sure that the Count in his previous life was not swayed by the Grand Duke¡¯s influence. Eurius pretended to sigh. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯m more guilty for asking you this when you¡¯re themander of the Imperial Guard Knights who only have to follow the emperor¡¯s orders.¡± Eurius looked at Count Carlos with aplicated expression and said with a smile. ¡°Then, I hope you will train well with Sir Heinz. As you know, we both have a lot to improve.¡± The Count was a man of few words. Since he had sworn an oath, he would not let the incident in this training ground reach the ears of the emperor. It was a gamble with uncertain oue, but Eurius had already achieved something by confirming that the knight was someone he could make his ally depending on his performance. If he had chosen neutrality for the sake of the empire in his previous life, this time he would choose himself as the path. ¡°I think you can take your time to decide your answer after seeing my future self!¡± When he became an adult and started his active duty, the count would follow him without hesitation if he judged that he had the qualities to be the emperor of this empire. No! He had to make sure that happened. ¡®And I have already aplished the most important goal.¡¯ The most important thing was that he had gained the opportunity to spar with a superhuman-level warrior and open his mind at any time. ¡­ ¡°The wall of the fourth stage cannot be broken by simple training. You have to go through countless battles and grasp the enlightenment thates in an instant.¡± That was what Beatrix emphasized to him in his previous life. ¡°But, Lize, wasn¡¯t there ack of wars in the continent until recently? Then how did the superhumans reach that level?¡± The person who he asked this question was a rare genius who had reached the level of superhuman in her twenties in the history of the continent. Swoosh. Beatrix drew her sword quietly as she looked at the curious Eurius in his previous life. ¡°That is through sparring that is simr to realbat. Let¡¯s start with a higher intensity than usual today!¡± ¡®Is that it!?¡¯ He had to scream inwardly and endure the training (?) that beat him up from that day on. ¡­ Eurius shivered as he finished recalling his previous life. ¡®I have to reach the fourth stage as soon as possible. Only then can I move on to the second n.¡¯ When he turned twenty and had his adulthood ceremony, he would be given the opportunity to act outside. He had to enter the fourth stage by then. ¡°Count Carlos, onest request. Please don¡¯t go easy on me because I¡¯m a prince.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Count Carlos readily agreed. He thought that there was not much he could teach Eurius in terms of force maniption, since his achievement was already at this level. What Euriuscked now was solid swordsmanship basics and enlightenment throughbat! The count promised to guide him mainly through sparring. ¡®Status window!¡¯ [Russel Carlos] Job: Imperial Guard Knight, Grandmaster (Superhuman) Strength S Agility A+ Intelligence B Spirit A Force Aptitude S Force S Personality: Perfectionist, Loyal, Hardworking, Taciturn [Traits] Swordsmanship (S+) Commander (A) Absolute Defense ¨C A fourth stage force control skill. You can defend any area within your force domination range. [Eurius von Scharnos] Job: Prince, Force Master Strength A+ Agility A+ Intelligence B+ Spirit A- Force A+ Force Aptitude SS+ [Traits] Swordsmanship (B+) Imperial Bloodline- You have awakened the yer¡¯s authority. Emperor¡¯s Dignity B rank (1st victory) ¨C It increases your noble bloodline, experience, charisma and leadership as the emperor of the empire. Quad Core ¨C A circle with four auxiliary loops. You get additional bonuses in all aspects rted to control of force. Force Master ¨C You have mastered the third stage force control skill perfectly. You can also affect external objects or materialize your force. Sixth Sense ¨C The sixth sense given to outstanding force users. You can sense things that are not detected by your five senses using your force. [Hidden Skills] Restart ¨C yers can turn back time and start their lives over. However, since you are not an official yer, you are limited to one time. (Currently permanently unavable) Second Round Bonus ¨C You have inherited some of your abilities, memory and talents from your previous life. Overheat ¨C A skill that only you can use with four cores. It temporarily raises your force rank by two levels. However, excessive or prolonged use can damage your cores. Comparing his status window with that of Count Carlos, a superhuman, Eurius nodded again. ¡®As expected, there is not much difference between me and a fourth stage warrior in terms of simple stats!¡¯ It was a matter of enlightenment, as Beatrice said. Even now, he had grown enough topete with superhumans, except for their secret skills. What if he reached the fourth stage! How much faster would he grow than other superhumans! ¡°Anyway, I request another sparring. I was actually sorry for thest one.¡± Eurius began to resume his training with excitement. Chapter 16: An Unexpected Proposal Chapter 16: An Unexpected Proposal A year had passed since the Emperor¡¯s birthday banquet, and Eurius was wracking his brain with a dilemma. ¡®What am I missing?¡¯ He had fought countless battles with superhumans. ¡°Your highness, your progress is truly remarkable!¡± Even the stone-faced Count Carlos praised him for mastering the basics of swordsmanship that he hadcked. But that was not what he wanted. That was the problem. He wondered if it was a matter of the amount of force, so he tried taking force stones with high purity. He sparred with Count Carlos every time as if it were a real fight. But he never managed to break through the Count¡¯s defense. ¡°You seem anxious. But don¡¯t worry, the moment of enlightenment wille someday.¡± ¡®Ah! That¡¯s easy for you to say! You already know what that enlightenment is!¡¯ He scratched his head nervously again. His physical aptitude was iparable to his previous life. He had umted experience in realbat with superhumans at a rtively young age. He should be in a much better condition than his previous life, but he still couldn¡¯t reach the fourth stage. ¡®Open yer Help.¡¯ [Force Control-4th Stage is opened.] [4th Stage-The stage where you can use force ording to your own personality. For yers, you may also create your own unique skill. To reach this stage, certain conditions must be met.] [How to reach the 4th Stage-There is no information or youck achievements to open this information.] [Enlightenment-ording to the dictionary definition, it means to understand something by thinking and pondering. In a religious sense, it means nirvana etc¡­¡­] ¡®No, I need more specific information than that!¡¯ This time, he grabbed his hair as if he wanted to tear it out. How was this vague knowledge supposed to help him? The most iprehensible part of his ¡®yer¡¯ ability was this [help] and [achievement] feature. ¡®It¡¯s like they¡¯re mocking me!¡¯ Help was literally help. It exined the knowledge he wanted to know as if it were obvious. It was not a function that gave him a guideline to solve a problem. Achievement was also the same. He understood the principle of this a little bit. ¡®I have to achieve something that I didn¡¯t in my previous life to go up.¡¯ He had never received a message saying that his achievement had increased since he created the quad-core. These two functions were something he had to figure out sooner orter. There must be some secret he hadn¡¯t noticed yet. Eurius had gained unimaginable benefits as a yer so far. In a year, the construction of the northern road would be finished. It was also the year when he would have hising-of-age ceremony. ¡®I don¡¯t have much time left.¡¯ Eurius pondered and pondered, but he couldn¡¯t think of a solution. ¡®Maybe I underestimated it too much.¡¯ The fourth stage was a realm that only about ten people in his entire previous life had achieved. It was the dream of superhumans. It might have been too ambitious to aim for it in just four years. But salvation came from an unexpected ce. ¡°First Prince Your Majesty, His Majesty the Emperor summons you.¡± ¡°Father?¡± It was rare for the busy Emperor to call him for anything other than regr reports. Eurius felt curious and visited the pce. ¡°First Prince Eurius Your Majesty has arrived.¡± ¡°Haha, how have you been? I heard you¡¯ve been working hard on your martial arts.¡± The Emperor looked at him with gentle eyes, and next to him was a familiar face. ¡°Your highness! I¡¯m d to see you again.¡± Next to the Emperor was Marius, who had been away in the far north for the construction work. ¡°Marius! You¡¯re back for a while! You should have told me you wereing.¡± Eurius made a disappointed expression. But he was full of questions in his head. ¡®Why did Mariuse back without telling me? He has a lot of work to do.¡¯ Even though they were far apart, he and Marius had built a solid trust as old aplices. If there was something important enough for him to return to the pce, he would have let him know beforehand. But this time, he didn¡¯t hear anything from him. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Ignoring Eurius¡¯s questions, the Emperor finally got to the point. ¡°First, read this letter.¡± He took the letter and read it. It was a letter sent directly to the Emperor, so it had a lot of diplomatic formalities, but the summary was like this. [To the Great Emperor of the Scharnos Empire, I, Marius the Minister of Administration, humbly request your permission. I have heard that the First Prince Your Majesty has shown exceptional talent in martial arts. ¡­(skipped)¡­ But soon, the First Prince Your highness will be of age! Before he starts his official activities, he needs proof that he is fit to inherit the throne in both civil and military affairs. That¡¯s why I dare to ask for your permission to educate the First Prince, Your Majesty.] ¡°So, Father, you want me to go on a short-term study abroad to another country?¡± Marius quickly supplemented his words. ¡°Yes. I think Your highness already knows about the Savior Academy of the Holy Kingdom.¡± [Savior Academy.] He knew well about the reputation of that educational institution where the best talents of the continent gathered. ¡°But Father, I heard that it¡¯s not easy to get in there with just a simple status or donation?¡± Marius spoke for him again. ¡°Actually, you know that I graduated from that academy. And¡­ ahem!¡± He cleared his throat and exined the reason with a sheepish expression. ¡°The person who is in charge of that academy is actually an old friend of mine. I suggested it to him. He said that if I rmend you, he will make an exception and let you graduate from the academy with just a short-term study abroad.¡± Eurius understood and clicked his tongue. ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ The Savior Academy of the Holy Kingdom was a kind of civil service exam where the best talents of the continent gathered and were tested. Not only Marius, but also many famous people such as sages, politicians, and powerful nobles from various ces had graduated from there. Going there for a short-term study abroad was an intention to make him build up his career in the ¡®civil¡¯ part of civil and military affairs, which hecked the most! He probably felt sorry for making this decision without consulting him beforehand. That¡¯s why he looked embarrassed. ¡®I didn¡¯t know Marius had such a connection.¡¯ This was something he didn¡¯t know in his previous life either. It was an unexpected move by Marius, but Eurius wasn¡¯t angry. He always cared about him even from afar. Wasn¡¯t this proof of that? Going to study abroad would definitely help him establish his position. ¡®But there¡¯s nothing I can do about bad timing.¡¯ ¡°Sir Marius, and Father. I¡¯m truly grateful for your consideration of this unworthy son. But!¡± Eurius was determined to reject their offer. His urgent priority was to break through the wall of superhuman as soon as possible. He had no time to spare for academic pursuits. ¡°I heard that ce is the hall of knowledge where the best talents of the continent gather.¡± Indeed. The status of Savior Academy in the continent was literally the holynd of knowledge! Even if he was the emperor, his current evaluation of academics was not very good. If he went there and failed to behave well, he would tarnish the reputation of the imperial family. Of course, Mareus knew that he had no problem with academic knowledge. But the emperor did not, so he had to appeal that point well and he might be able to get away with it. But even after hearing Eurius¡¯s excuse, the emperor and Marius exchanged secret nces. ¡®He won¡¯t bite at once, huh?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that we have a second n ready.¡¯ The emperor smiled slyly and called his attendant. ¡°Bring them in!¡± ¡°!?¡± Eurius looked at the attendant and the emperor with a puzzled expression. ¡°I greet the first prince of the empire.¡± A group of people entered the hall. They quickly bowed to Eurius and greeted him. ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± When he showed a bewildered expression, the envoy who was at the front opened his mouth. ¡°Your Highness, we are the envoys from the Dios ducal house of the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eurius was too shocked to respond. The Dios ducal house was Beatrix¡¯s family, wasn¡¯t it? Why were they looking for him? Seeing his surprised reaction, the envoy also looked slightly flustered. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But at this point, Eurius had no connection with Duke Dios. Realizing that he overreacted, he quickly pretended that nothing happened. ¡°Haha, the Dios ducal house is the guardian family of the Holy Kingdom that is famous in the continent, right? As a person who learns swordsmanship, I have always admired Duke Dios, who is a superhuman.¡± Heughed and brushed it off, and the envoy sighed in relief. ¡®Phew, at least he has a good impression of the ducal house. That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Then the emperor spoke again. ¡°Actually, I received a proposal from Duke Dios regarding your study abroad, and I wanted to hear your opinion.¡± ¡°A proposal for me?¡± The emperor nodded at the envoy, and the envoy began to exin. ¡°The Holy Kingdom may be a foreign country, but your Highness¡¯s amazing swordsmanship has already spread widely¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, just get to the point. I don¡¯t like beating around the bush.¡± If he let him go on, he would have to spend at least ten minutes listening to awkward praises before getting to the main issue. Eurius cut him off sharply and looked at him. The envoy told him the main point. ¡°Actually, Duke Dios likes young people who have outstanding swordsmanship. He heard about your Highness¡¯s featst year and wanted to meet you in person.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re inviting me to the Holy Kingdom?¡± The envoy quickly answered. ¡°That¡¯s not all. I also heard that your Highness wanted to learn from a superhuman who has reached that realm.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Duke Dios said that if your Highness wishes, he can personally guide you during your study abroad period.¡± Eurius stared at him incredulously. ¡°You want me to believe that?¡± Duke Dios was one of the top martial artists in the continent. Why would he bother to teach a foreign prince? ¡°I assure you. Here is an official letter from His Grace.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first either, but it seems to be true.¡± The emperor also nodded at him. He couldn¡¯t help but believe it. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Hehe, I know it¡¯s a sudden proposal, but¡­ what?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll go.¡± And so Eurius¡¯s trip to the Holy Kingdom was decided in an instant. Chapter 17: The Legend of the Player Chapter 17: The Legend of the yer About 200 years ago from current time, the continent was in a chaotic era of war, where numerous countriespeted for power and territory. But there were people who ended this war and brought peace to the continent. They called themselves ¡®yers¡¯. And among these yers, there were some who left the greatest achievements and carved their names in the history of the continent. The great warrior who split the sea and the mountain with a single sword, [Sword God] Scharnos the Great! He founded the Scharnos Empire, a huge country that almost unified the central and southern parts of the continent. The second one was a mysterious martial artist who came from the eastern continent across the sea, which was considered an unknown region until then. He was proficient in all kinds of weapons, [King of All Weapons] Lee Cheongmun! He was a staunch ally of Scharnos the Great, andter returned to the eastern continent and was revered as the founder of a legendary martial sect. And finally, the [Great Saintess] Dimia of the Medit Church, who had an overwhelming healing power that could revive even the dead. If the first two brought peace to the continent with their overwhelming force, the greatest achievement of the saintess was to restore and stabilize the ruins after the war. She gathered the three major churches of the continent to establish a new country near the Scharnos Empire for the sake of ordinary people suffering from war and the church that was infringed by authority. The Holy Land, where not kings but popes of the three major churches ruled! That was the birth of Triphos Kingdom, which was called an invible and neutral area in the continent. But what did these yers do after that? Surprisingly, they all disappeared suddenly a few decadester after achieving all these feats. Not only those three, but all yers vanished from the continent at once. People spected that they were actually messengers of God, or mysterious saviors from a new continent beyond the east, but as time passed, they became legends. ¡°Your highness, please take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s just a trip to the capital of the kingdom. It¡¯s not even as far as the northern part of our empire. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Triphos Kingdom was a small country in terms of size, but it was not a country to be ignored. First of all, there were two superhumans representing the kingdom. [Crusader] Duke Dios [Executor] Archbishop Galeus Two of the three strongest superhumans in the continent were in the kingdom. And there was also the influence of the three major churches that affected the whole continent. [God of Healing] Medit Church [God of War] Mars Church [God of Wisdom] Odin Church These three churches were like spiritual pirs for all continental people. Committing a crime in the kingdom was worse than suicide. It was an offense to all continental people. That¡¯s why even Emperor Theopold II agreed to send Eurius, his first prince, to study abroad in another country. The emperor looked quite satisfied. ¡®If Duke Dios guarantees his safety in his house, there¡¯s no reason to refuse!¡¯ Emperor Theopold II also had high expectations. ¡®With Prince Eurius¡¯s ability, he will surely achieve good results at that Savior Academy. Yes, he must!¡¯ ¡°Your highness, this is a letter for my friend, who is the dean. If you show him this letter, he might give you some convenience even though he is a stiff guy.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will bring back good grades this time.¡± But that wasn¡¯t important. Eurius took care of his letter before leaving and thought hard. ¡®Why did Duke Dios send me a letter?¡¯ Emperor Theopold II didn¡¯t doubt Duke Dios because he probably heard this somewhere. ¡®He just wants to build a good rtionship with someone who will be emperor someday! I don¡¯t need any more swordsmanship lessons, I just need to build my career.¡¯ Eurius had already received lessons from a superhuman in his empire for almost a year. No matter how much higher Duke Dios¡¯s rank was than Count Calos among superhumans, it didn¡¯t guarantee that he would teach better. Maybe Emperor Theopold II thought that Eurius epted it quickly because he was young and impressed by Duke Dios¡¯s reputation. But what Eurius thought was not such a problem. It was his adjective as an outstanding young man. No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for that. ¡®No, his daughter¡¯s talent is the best in the continent, why does he need another young man now?¡¯ As far as he knew, Duke Dios was not in a situation where he would want to see an outstanding young man with a good swordsmanship. ¡®Is he just calling me out of personal interest?¡¯ ¡®Well, it¡¯s rare to see a first prince who has nothing but swordsmanship.¡¯ He put his doubts behind and Eurius got on a splendidly decorated carriage that was heading to the kingdom. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s not bad to meet Beatrix sooner than I expected.¡¯ He originally nned to visit her after he had a solid foundation. Of course, it was a lie to say that he had no expectations. But the reason why he decided to go to the kingdom was not because he wanted to see his old lover soon. ¡®If Duke Dios is the father of Beatrix, maybe he can provide me with a clue to break through the wall of superhumans.¡¯ With a little excitement and anticipation, the carriage departed for the kingdom with a tight escort. ¡­ Duke Dios¡¯s house in the kingdom. ¡°Did you seed?¡± ¡°He answered surprisingly quickly. He seemed quite impressed by your reputation, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Ho.¡± The duke stroked his chin. He had achieved his first goal. ¡®Now, I just hope that this first prince is at leastparable to Rize.¡¯ ¡°Your Grace, how are the suitors today?¡± The butler shook his head silently. ¡°Tsk, I didn¡¯t expect much anyway.¡± They were young men with good swordsmanship and decent families from all over the kingdom, but they failed to propose. ¡®Where can I find a young man who has a talent that reaches the third stage in his teens, and a good family background?¡¯ The duke didn¡¯t really care about his daughter¡¯s condition. He thought it was an impossible condition. If it was possible, he would have arranged an engagement long ago. ¡®But it might be possible to choose a suitable young man and make him close to her.¡¯ The duke tried hard to gather young men with good swordsmanship and decent families and make them close to Beatrix. If they had the same interest, they would naturally be friends and develop feelings for each other, right? But the result was not satisfactory. ¡°Your Grace, there is aint from the count¡¯s house. How can you treat people like this¡­¡­¡± But instead of getting close, he didn¡¯t even consider young men who couldpete with his daughter. His daughter, who knew his intentions well, drove those young men harshly, and in some cases, made them bedridden. Beatrix was already seventeen years old! Next year, she would have to worry about being an old maid. ¡°Rize! Do you think you can do that even when the first princees?¡± The duke smiled triumphantly. His daughter was only interested in swordsmanship, but she was not a spoiled child. As he mentioned before, he would go to the arranged marriage if he had to. But the duke wanted his beloved daughter to have at least a good match. ¡®Prince Eurius, the first prince of the empire. If only he could reach a level that would make him a worthy opponent for Rize.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t find a suitable partner, he would raise one himself. Of course, the higher the status, the better. So that Riize wouldn¡¯t be able to interfere easily. When the envoy who went to Emperor Birthday told him about Eurius, the duke didn¡¯t have much hope. ¡°How talented can he be, even if he is a prince? He doesn¡¯t have the environment to focus on swordsmanship.¡± But as he heard more rumors and witnessed his repeated failures, the duke couldn¡¯t help but be interested in Eurius. And then he heard a rumor that the first prince mighte to study at the academy in the capital for a while. ¡®It¡¯s better than nothing.¡¯ The Duke of Dios sent out an envoy with a thought. ¡®Please, just half! I don¡¯t even ask for the same level! Just half of my daughter¡¯s talent. Your Highness, the first prince of the empire!¡¯ The kingdom was right next to the empire, and especially close to the capital. ¡­ After three days, Eurius arrived at the Duke of Dios¡¯s residence in a carriage. ¡°Is this the Duke of Dios¡¯s residence?¡± Eurius looked at the small(?) mansion in front of him with a slightly drowsy feeling. In fact, he and Beatrix had a sudden political marriage in his previous life, so he had never been to the kingdom. Envoy smiled bitterly and continued. ¡°The duke is very frugal, so it might seem shabby to Your Highness who grew up in the pce. I hope you understand.¡± No one came out to greet him at the humble mansion, despite its reputation as the guardian of the kingdom, but Eurius didn¡¯t care much. ¡®He deserves it as one of the three great swordsmen of the continent.¡¯ The Duke Dio of the holy kingdom didn¡¯t make a fuss either when the prince came. If you are one of the few superhumans on the continent, you don¡¯t need to be overly courteous to anyone, even if they are a prince. ¡°Oink!¡± ¡®What? What¡¯s that noise?¡¯ As soon as he got out of the carriage and entered the mansion door, he heard a pig-like scream. Envoy shook his head and said. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you inside. Pleasee in first.¡± Eurius walked into the mansion with a curious expression. But then he saw some peopleing this way with something in their hands. ¡°His face ispletely smashed. We¡¯ll have to send him to the temple of healing.¡± ¡°I told him not to provoke the princess. Sigh.¡± What they were carrying was a stretcher. On it was a man who had fainted with foam in his mouth and his face swollen like rice cake. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Eurius finally nodded his head. It felt like all the puzzles were solved. ¡°Can I go over there for a moment?¡± ¡°Your Highness! Please wait!¡± Envoy tried to stop him urgently, but Eurius quickly crossed the hallway and arrived at where the stretcher came from. It was a spacious indoor training hall. And in the middle of it was a familiar face. Golden hair that shone like gold in the light, and a woman who stood proudly with her waist straight. ¡®Beatrix!¡¯ Eurius suppressed his emotions and walked slowly towards the training hall. ¡°Are you next?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ She uttered a short word and threw something at him. ¡°Whoosh!¡± Eurius caught something instinctively as he was shaking with emotion. It was an ordinary practice sword that knights used. ¡®This feels strangely familiar.¡¯ As soon as he received the sword, he unconsciously took a stance. Shiiik! The next moment, Eurius saw a de rushing towards his face. ¡°Princess! He¡¯s not one of them! No!¡± The door opened and envoy ran in with a scream almost like a shriek. But it was toote. The sword was already in front of Eurius¡¯s neck! Eurius made a startled expression and shouted inwardly. ¡®Hey! You crazy woman! What are you doing from our first meeting!!!¡¯ Chapter 18: Suppressing The Opponent Chapter 18: Suppressing The Opponent ¡°Princess! He¡¯s not the one! He¡¯s not!¡± Envoy runs in with a scream that is almost like a wail. What kind of big ident is this? What if the first prince gets hurt by mistake? Even if she is from the Dios family, one of the three great martial families of the continent, it would be hard to get away with it. ¡°Ah!?¡± But envoy freezes stupidly as soon as he sees inside the training hall. And then he opens his mouth wide. ¡®Phew, at least they didn¡¯t start a serious sword fight at their first meeting.¡¯ Eurius lightly extends his hand and puts her sword on Beatrix¡¯s neck. He hadpletely subdued her, but in fact he was quite surprised. ¡®No matter how much she is Beatrix, she already has this much skill at this point?¡¯ Eurius recalls what just happened. ¡®What the hell is this woman doing from the first meeting!¡¯ He quickly turns his head and dodges the de. But the attack thates at him is not just one. The attacks that he thought he had avoided be several shes of light and cover his whole body. But Eurius¡¯s reaction is faster! He doesn¡¯t even draw his sword and jumps right into Beatrix¡¯s onught. ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Bang! A small explosion sounds. Eurius skillfully finds a gap in her attack and swings his sword hilt to parry it. He sighs inwardly. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that she doesn¡¯t use different skills than before.¡¯ In a normal situation, even Eurius at this point would have had a hard time suppressing her attack with one move. But he had already seen this skill several times in his previous life! Painfully! He was able to easily prate and hit her weak point because of that. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± The Duke of Dios runs down to the lower floor of the mansion where the training hall is, as if he heard an envoy¡¯s shout. And then he too had to doubt his eyes for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A few momentster, after that strange standoff ended. Eurius was guided to the reception room of the mansion and received the duke¡¯s hospitality. ¡°Haha, Your highness. First of all, I deeply apologize for my daughter¡¯s rudeness. She¡¯s really¡­¡­a daughter I gotte in life.¡± The Duke of Dios apologizes very politely, unlike his usual self. It¡¯s not a normal thing to point a sword at the first prince of another country. If it wasn¡¯t for the family name of the duke and the reputation of the duke himself, this apology wouldn¡¯t have been enough to settle it. The duke also gives a look to Beatrix. ¡°I sincerely apologize for my rudeness. Your highness!¡± Beatrix also realized that she had caused a big ident this time and looked dejected. She was so bowed down that she couldn¡¯t even lift her face. ¡®She did have this side when she was young.¡¯ But Eurius doesn¡¯t look angry. Rather, he looks at her with curiosity. His memories(?) of his previous life came to mind because she pointed a sword at him from their touching first meeting, but in the end there was no problem, right? If anything, he was feeling very good right now. ¡®I¡¯ve definitely suppressed her(?). In this life, I won¡¯t lose to my wife in a fight.¡¯ He was so happy that he almostughed out loud and had to hold it back. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as no one got hurt. Haha!¡± Euriusughs cheerfully and dismisses the incident, and everyone in the duke¡¯s family breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°You are truly magnanimous. I feel like I¡¯ve learned a lot today.¡± Somepliments start to go back and forth. ¡®He¡¯s much more outstanding than I thought.¡¯ The duke could judge his opponent¡¯s skill by his gait, posture, and subtle movements of his hands and feet. ¡®It¡¯s understandable that Rize was easily subdued by him. It¡¯s hard to believe that he¡¯s not even twenty years old.¡¯ The first prince who met him in person was much more impressive than the duke expected. As they explored each other and chatted casually, they finally got to the main point. ¡°I heard that you are already receiving guidance from one of the superhumans of the empire. I¡¯m curious why you epted my request so willingly.¡± The duke couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if the first prince had such talent, there was no reason why the rumor wouldn¡¯t spread. He was at a level that could be seen as a talent nurtured by the superhumans of the empire. But why did he ept his request? ¡°Actually, it¡¯s like this.¡± The duke is one of the strongest martial artists in the continent, who is said to be the strongest. It¡¯s a story that he would find out anyway if he received his guidance, so he honestly exined that he wanted to know how to ovee the wall of the fourth stage. The story of the power struggle in the imperial family was also not something that needed to be kept secret. ¡°Of course, I hope you keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s not a difficult thing to do.¡± The Holy Kingdom is an invible foreign country, and the duke is also a pure martial artist who has no interest in such things. How much so that his first concern in life is to send his daughter off properly? ¡°Then, please rest well today and get rid of your fatigue. I will take care of your training from tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me to receive guidance from the duke. Thank you for your promise.¡± As Eurius disappears into the guest room with the guidance of the attendants, the duke thinks firmly to himself. ¡®I have to make him my son-inw.¡¯ The impression he got from Eurius was very good. First of all, he was magnanimous enough to forgive someone who pointed a sword at him from his position as first prince, and his talent for swordsmanship that reached that level at his age! Andstly, didn¡¯t he meet the condition that Beatrix proposed? ¡®Mars, thank you very much.¡¯ He prayed to the god of war in his mind and his head was filled with thoughts of how to bring them together. The Savior Academy¡¯s semester starts in spring and fall respectively. It¡¯s still July, summer with hot sun! He still had two months left until he started attending the academy. The conditions offered by the duke¡¯s family were as follows.
    1. Guidance from the superhuman Duke of Dios.
    1. Provision of amodation and absolute protection of his safety while attending the academy.
Eurius could stay in the Holy Kingdom for about six months and receive guidance from the duke. But he wanted to achieve results before the academy semester started. ¡®There¡¯s so much to do at the academy!¡¯ Savior Academy was a ce where many talented people gathered. Among them, there were not a few who would make a name for themselves in the continentter on. If he could leave his mark on them, it would be a great help in the future. Early the next morning, Duke Dios and Eurius faced each other at the training ground where the incident happened yesterday. ¡°Actually, our family doesn¡¯t have any secret techniques worth hiding.¡± Superhumans were usually said to be gifted by heaven. No matter how talented one was, it was hard to reach that level without a moment of enlightenment. That¡¯s why there were only about ten superhumans produced in each generation. But surprisingly, there was a martial family that produced at least one superhuman in every generation. That was what peoplemonly called the Three Great Martial Families of the Continent. ¡°I really want to know what it is, if it¡¯s not a secret technique!¡± Eurius asked with a curious expression. In fact, he came all the way to another country to rely on that technique, didn¡¯t he? ¡°It¡¯s none other than practice that resembles realbat.¡± Eurius felt quite disappointed inwardly at this moment. ¡®Was that really all Beatrix told me in my previous life?¡¯ He had already had enough of realbat-like duels with superhumans in the empire. ¡°Hehe, shall we start then?¡± Duke Dios held his wooden sword and took a stance, showing off his imposing physique that didn¡¯t match his age. ¡®I don¡¯t know how much progress I can make here.¡¯ Eurius grumbled inwardly as he also held his wooden sword. But he had to change his mind in less than thirty seconds. Thwack! ¡°Ugh!¡± He couldn¡¯t even properly identify the duke¡¯s movement, and before he knew it, Eurius was hit hard in the torso and rolled on the ground. ¡°Haha, you¡¯ll get hurt again if you don¡¯t pay attention!¡± Thud! ¡°Wai¡­¡­ Wait!¡± This time, Eurius spun two rounds in the air and crashed into a corner of the training ground. ¡®He¡¯s too fast.¡¯ Duke Dios was definitely one of the three strongest martial artists in the continent. He didn¡¯t even use any secret techniques, but he was different from the knights he had seen so far. ¡®I was too arrogant.¡¯ After creating Quad Core and Multitasking, Eurius thought that he wouldn¡¯t fall behind a fourth-tier knight much, except for their secret techniques. ¡®Status window!¡¯ [Gilot En Dios] Job: Noble, Grandmaster (Superhuman) Strength S Agility S+ Intelligence B Mental Power A+ Force Aptitude S Force S+ Disposition: Good-natured, Family-oriented, Cheerful [Traits] Swordsmanship (SS+) Dual Core ¨C A circle with two auxiliary rings. You get additional bonuses in all aspects of force control. Eurius stopped his gaze at Dual Core. The core was a secret technique passed down by the duke¡¯s family! It would be hard to take advantage of Quad Core against the duke. Moreover, the duke was far superior to Count Calos in basic swordsmanship and stats. Eurius got up with a serious expression and held his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll focus from now on. Please don¡¯t hold back, Duke.¡± ¡°You seem to have warmed up properly now.¡± ¡®Warmed up?¡¯ Eurius looked at the duke with a puzzled expression. Did he mean that this was still going easy on him? The answer was given by the duke¡¯s sword. ng! He exerted his superhuman concentration and barely blocked it this time. But the attack didn¡¯te only once. Whirr. It was the same attack that Beatrix showed him at first. The trajectory of the sword split into several strands and aimed at his whole body. But the result was different! Eurius¡¯s body was hit by the heavy impact of the wooden sword. ¡°Gahhh!¡± This time, Eurius also let out a pig-like scream as he rolled on the ground. But he didn¡¯t have time to writhe in pain. The duke attacked him again with a fearsome momentum. Eurius had to roll on the ground several times with painful screams before he realized his other task. ¡®The ability of a martial artist is not only about stats!¡¯ The duke¡¯s attack was very familiar to him. He had fought countless duels with Beatrix in his previous life, so he was familiar with her swordsmanship. But he had a hard time defending against the duke¡¯s sword. The reason was as follows. He subtly adjusted his strength when shing swords, effectively shaking his defense. His movements were also wless. If he used method 1 to attack, he used method 2 to quickly figure out his pattern and break through his defense efficiently. The proficiency of each skill, the richbat experience! All of that harmonized and Eurius was being beaten up like a toy. The martial artists who reached the highest level were not only different in stats, but also in their basic meleebat skills! He realized that he needed to not only rely on the support of the [System], but also develop his own potential to the limit. There was one representative person among those he had to face who had entered this level. Sword Saint Wilhelm Duke! Just like Duke Dios, the duke was also a martial artist who had reached this level long ago. Before he knew it, Eurius¡¯s body was bruised all over and he struggled to get up and hold his sword again. ¡°Please, one more time.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡± ¡®He has a good temper and is precious for a prince. He also has a lot of patience.¡¯ Duke Dios raised his evaluation of Urius by another notch. ¡®But I¡¯ll have to see if he can endure this training.¡¯ And that day, Eurius had to suffer the most miserable beating of his entire life, including his previous and current lives. Chapter 19: The Players Legacy Chapter 19: The yer''s Legacy Thud! ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. You have improved a lot. I¡¯m impressed.¡± The daily routine at the training ground was unchanged. There was Duke Dios, who looked satisfied and cheerful as if he had just sweated a bit, and there was Eurius, whoy on the ground like a dead man. It was only after two days of starting this training that Eurius realized what Beatrix meant by a realistic practice. ¡®This is just a training where I have to endure being beaten up!¡¯ And there was another thing. The Beatrix of his previous life had been very lenient with him. ¡®Well, it might be different if he was the crown prince, but she couldn¡¯t beat up the emperor like this.¡¯ In fact, it didn¡¯t matter much whether he was the crown prince or the emperor. He had grown up in luxury and his idea of a harsh training was very different from that of the duke, who was the head of a martial family. Count Carlos also had the ability to push him hard, but not to this extent. And his specialty was defensive swordsmanship, so it was ridiculous to ask him to beat up the crown prince, who was loyal to the imperial family. Eurius didn¡¯t think that the duke¡¯s guidance was wrong. But unlike him, who was self-taught, the proven training method of a prestigious martial family had a different effect. [Your swordsmanship skill has increased.] [Your agility has increased.] The yer¡¯s notification window, which used to appear very rarely, showed up much more frequently than when he trained at the imperial pce. He relied on that and endured with superhuman patience. He endured this training, which was nothing but torture, for a whole month. And there was someone who watched him with pity¡­. ¡°Father seems to be having fun. Even our brothers couldn¡¯t endure this training for more than two weeks, but Your highness has been enduring it for over a month¡­.¡± ¡°Haha, I think I can still handle it. Ouch!¡± The person who applied medicine and bandages to his bruised body was Beatrix. Seeing her face was one of the fewforts for Eurius in this harsh training. But there was something he wondered about. ¡°Why are you doing this treatment yourself? You are a princess, you could have ordered a maid to do it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± She was silent for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°I wanted to apologize for my rudeness at our first meeting, and I wanted to see your training. You are a rare and excellent knight.¡± ¡°I told you to forget about that¡­. Haha.¡± As this cycle of beating and healing repeated, they became more familiar with each other and started to have conversations. Of course, there was also this situation behind it. ¡°You know you were partly at fault for this incident, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­. Father.¡± ¡°Then you should take care of His highness. And¡­.¡± Duke Dios smiled slyly. ¡°You didn¡¯t forget the promise you made, did you?¡± Beatrix had nothing to say. She didn¡¯t even lose in a proper fight, she was subdued in one move! ¡°I trust that you won¡¯t break your promise.¡± ¡°But he is the first prince of the empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I invited him here in the first ce.¡± The duke continued in a low voice. ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t a promise, do you think there is anyone like him? He is manly and has the status of an first prince. And from what I¡¯ve seen, he is persistent and diligent. He is the best candidate.¡± Beatrix had no choice but to obey since she had made a mistake. ¡°I will follow your instructions for now.¡± And after a month passed, Beatrix became curious about this first prince. He was only two years older than her. She had never met anyone of her age who couldpare with her in swordsmanship. In fact, this defeat had given her a great shock. She didn¡¯t think much about it at first because she was worried about causing a big ident to the emperor, but she lost to someone who wasn¡¯t even from a martial family! And despite her huge mistake, the first prince¡¯s attitude was too kind. ¡°Please take good care of me. The duke is great, but he has no mercy. It¡¯s too much.¡± Even though he was covered with wounds, he spoke in a cheerful tone. She still didn¡¯t know how to react to him. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to be flirting¡­.¡¯ The first prince didn¡¯t seem to have any ulterior motives either. Even though she touched his body as part of the treatment, he just acted calmly and sometimes joked with her. But at the same time, there was something tender in his eyes when he looked at her. This was a woman¡¯s intuition. The first prince seemed to have some interest in her. But he didn¡¯t seem to have any ill intentions, so she couldn¡¯t figure him out. Of course, the reason for that was obvious from Eurius¡¯s perspective. He looked younger on the outside, but he was already a married couple who had seen everything (?). There was no reason to react to something as trivial as touching his body. He had more urgent problems than that. He had only one month left before going to the academy. He had to find a clue to reach the fourth stage somehow, but there was no clear progress in that direction. ¡®If I can¡¯t do it with the duke¡¯s training, I¡¯ll have to go and see for myself.¡¯ His skills were improving every day. But he had a feeling that if he missed this opportunity, he would waste the next six months. ¡°I want to see Duke Dios.¡± ¡­ ¡°Hehe, is there another way¡­.¡± The duke scratched his chin and looked at Eurius. ¡°This might sound like a rude request. But I really need to reach the fourth stage. Can you give me any hints?¡± His earnest plea made the duke ponder for a moment. ¡°Then I have a question for you, Your highness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The duke asked with a serious face. ¡°How did you create the [Core]?¡± Eurius clenched his teeth as he expected this question. ¡®As expected, I couldn¡¯t hide itpletely.¡¯ In fact, he had hidden some of his skills to avoid revealing the core, which was why he had been beaten up so much. But the duke¡¯s eyes were sharp. It was a sensitive matter for the duke, as it was equivalent to leaking the secret of his family. Eurius tensed up and started to talk about the yer again. ¡°Actually¡­¡± But the Duke of Dios showed an unexpected reaction. He didn¡¯t show any surprise at Eurius¡¯s words, he just nodded his head. ¡°I see, that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± The duke paused for a moment and then continued. ¡°You must know that the Holy Kingdom is a nation founded by the [Great Saintess], who is a ¡®yer¡¯.¡± Eurius nodded his head. He had a rough idea of what the duke was going to say. ¡°It seems that the [Core] is a secret rted to the yer as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The duke agreed and resumed his story. ¡°Except for the imperial family of the Scharnos Empire, it is true that there is no descendant of the yer on this continent. But even if not by blood, their influence remains in various ces.¡± ¡°Ding!¡± [Special Achievement: Information about the legacy of the yer is unlocked.] ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Eurius was startled by the sudden notification, but he maintained his expression in front of the duke. ¡°The creation of the Core is a secret left by one of thepanions of the Great Saintess Demia, who was also a yer and the first Crusader.¡± That¡¯s right. The most famous yers were the three, including the Great Emperor Scharnos, but they also had many yers as their subordinates or allies. The first Crusader was not known by name, but he was one of the legendary knights who yed the role of a reliable right-hand man for the Great Saintess, who had no specialbat ability. ¡°But it¡¯s really unexpected that the yer¡¯s ability is passed down in the form of a secret that can be inherited by anyone.¡± If this was true, there might be other famous secrets that had the yer¡¯s ability! As soon as he realized this fact, another notification rang in YEurius¡¯s head. [Quest: The Legacy of the yer is unlocked.] [Quest means a mission that can increase your achievement if youplete it.] [Your achievement increases with the unlocking of information about the yer.] [As your achievement increases, you will gain more ess to the help menu.] [The Legacy of the yer ¨C There are traces of the [System] that the yers used in this world in various forms. If you collect them, your achievement will increase.] [Current list of collected legacies ¨C Force Core.] ¡°But what does that have to do with reaching the fourth stage?¡± It was a good thing that his achievement increased. But it didn¡¯t seem to have much to do with reaching the next stage. ¡°I think it¡¯s a clue.¡± But the duke said firmly. ¡°In our Dios family or in the Scharnos imperial family, there are many people who reach high stages at a young age thanks to the benefits of the legacy left by the yers.¡± ¡°Benefits¡­¡± Come to think of it, that was true. The reason he reached this point at this age was partly due to his previous life¡¯s memory, but also thanks to the [System]. ¡°The fourth stage is a stage that breaks through the existingmon sense. The absolute amount of training and such is almost meaningless.¡± Finally, the duke left these words. ¡°Your highness has more than others. It would be good to make good use of what you have.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There is not only one way to reach the peak.¡± The words of the duke, who was at the top of all warriors on this continent, were definitely weighty. ¡®What I have¡­¡¯ Eurius slowly looked back at what he had. The first was his previous life¡¯s memory. He roughly knew all the events that would happen on this continent for the next twenty years. His previous life¡¯s martial arts skills were also considerable. This was his biggest weapon. The second was his solid foundation as a warrior. He formed a quad core from the beginning and grew faster than anyone else in a good environment. The third was [System]¡¯s assistance. He still didn¡¯t know what a yer was or what consequences it would bring, but he hade this far with great benefits. He spent three days locked up in his residence withouting out, thinking deeply about all these things. Chapter 20: His Past Chapter 20: His Past Beatrix was hesitating in front of the guest room today. She was unsure whether to knock on the door or not. ¡®It¡¯s been three days already¡­¡¯ The first prince had suddenly requested a meeting with the duke and locked himself in the guest room ever since. It had been almost three days now. She couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what had happened. The prince had endured the beating (?) from the duke with jokes and resilience, but what had they talked about that made him like this? ¡®I can¡¯t ask my father either.¡¯ ¡°Why? Are you worried about the first prince?¡± If she did, her father would probablyugh out loud and n some more nonsense. ¡®To go in or not?¡¯ But her dilemma was interrupted by a sudden noise. Bang! ¡°Your Highness!?¡± ¡°Hm? What brings you here, princess?¡± The door opened abruptly and the prince, who had been secluded for three days, finally came out. His eyes were dull and his face, which had been decent and neat for a prince, looked tired and weary. ¡°I was¡­¡± ¡°Perfect timing. I had something to ask you, princess!¡± The prince didn¡¯t seem to care about her trailing off and dragged her to the reception room. She had no choice but to follow him with a puzzled expression. Thud! ¡­ ¡°I have no clue!¡± He was tearing his hair out and immersed in his thoughts until a moment ago. The duke had said that he had a lot of things to his advantage. But what did that mean for breaking through to the next stage? ¡®Open help.¡¯ [Force Control-Stage 4 is opened.] [How to reach Stage 4-Stage 4 varies depending on the individual¡¯s personality, so there is no definitive answer. Find your own breakthrough!] ¡®Is this supposed to be advice?¡¯ He had unlocked the next stage¡¯s help with his [Achievement], but it was no different from the duke¡¯s vague words. Personality, own breakthrough, what he had, young age¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ A person shed across his mind. Someone who had reached the peak of superhumans at a young age was right next to him! Beatrix! She was a genius who had reached the peak of superhumans in her twenties with pure talent, unlike him who had received the system¡¯s help. She was still immature, but she must have had her own secret. ¡°I should ask her something.¡± He hurriedly opened the door and that was what happened just now. ¡­ ¡°You want to ask me about swordsmanship?¡± Beatrix retorted with disbelief. She had been subdued by the prince in a matter of days. She was already asking for guidance from the duke, so what could he learn from her? ¡®Damn it! I chose the wrong words.¡¯ He saw her expression sour slightly as if she felt mocked by him and quickly changed his words. ¡°Haha, no, not that. Come to think of it, you are unusually interested in swords for a princess.¡± He started to beat around the bush desperately as an excuse. ¡°Is there any reason why you are so devoted to training? I¡¯m just curious.¡± He threw out a question that he had been quite curious about in his previous life. The duke was not strict with his only daughter nor did heck an heir. There must have been something that made her interested in swordsmanship other than simple talent. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She lowered her head slightly and began to tell him about her past with embarrassment. It was a trivial reason now that she thought about it, but she couldn¡¯t just brush off the prince¡¯s question. ¡°When I was young, I used to y hide and seek with my father in the garden.¡± ¡®Tsk, that old man is really childish. How old is he to y hide and seek with his daughter at that status? Geez.¡¯ He clicked his tongue inwardly and listened to her story. ¡°I never caught my father once, whether it was ying or training.¡± She finished herst sentence with a blush on her face. ¡°My goal then and now is to make my sword touch him once. That¡¯s why I became interested in swordsmanship.¡± She seemed genuinely embarrassed and buried her head low. ¡°I see. He could have let you catch him once or twice. He has a surprisingly childish side¡­¡± ¡®Wait a minute? Hide and seek? Goal?¡¯ He was listening to her story while thinking of the duke as a surprisingly funny old man when a sh of light crossed his mind. ¡°Your Highness?¡± His expression suddenly became serious and Beatrix looked at him with bewilderment. ¡®Beatrix, Wilhelm Grand Duke, Nuada, Count Carlos ¡­¡¯ He slowly recalled the strong people of the continent and their abilities that he had seen so far. The puzzle pieces fit together in his head in an instant. ¡°I got it!¡± He grabbed Beatrix¡¯s hand with a surge of joy. ¡°Beatrix! Thank you so much. Thank you! Hahaha!!!¡± ¡°Your Highness!?¡± ¡®I need to resume my training as soon as possible!¡¯ He had unconsciously reacted to Beatrix as he had in his previous life, which was too friendly, but he didn¡¯t have time to care about that now. He rushed downstairs to find the duke. Beatrix stared nkly at his back and then. ¡°Pfft!¡± She let out a smallugh. He was a person who showed an interesting reaction. She didn¡¯t mind being called by her name and having her hand held. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant. ¡®He¡¯s not like a prince and his personality is weird, but he¡¯s kind of friendly.¡¯ That was Beatrix¡¯s evaluation of him so far. ¡­ Soon after. ¡°It seems like you have realized something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Please be more merciless than usual.¡± He faced the duke in the training hall with a faint smile. The duke silently raised his wooden sword and aimed at him. And he had to suffer twice as much as usual that day. It seemed like there was no progress at all. But he didn¡¯t show any sign of disappointment, and the duke just repeated the usual training as he asked. One day¡­ Two days¡­ Three days¡­ But from the fifth day on, something clearly changed. ¡°The wound is healing!¡± Beatrix eximed in surprise as she wrapped the bandage. That¡¯s right. The bruises that he had shown from his training were gradually fading as time passed. After a week of resuming his training, his wounds had halved. After two weeks, even the duke bit his tongue. ¡®It seems he has grasped the knack at that age. Truly amazing.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that he had reduced his attacks. The duke¡¯s wooden sword couldn¡¯t urately target Urius anymore. As they entered the third week, his wounds were barely noticeable even after the sparring was over. And finally. ¡°Congrattions. It seems you have entered the realm.¡± Exactly a monthter, Eurius was able to withstand the duke¡¯s wooden sword without a single wound for three hours. ¡°It¡¯s time to test your achievements so far.¡± The Duke of Dios called Beatrix with a stern expression. ¡°Rize, go to my room and bring my sword.¡± Beatrix flinched. The duke rarely asked for his sword except for maintenance. And that was only when he wore it for official events. How often would the duke, who was one of the strongest in the continent, need to draw his sword? A few minutester. Eurius, the Duke of Dios, and Beatrix were standing in arge hall in the basement of the duke¡¯s mansion. ¡°This ce is a training ground that only our family¡¯s lords can use.¡± The duke winked at Beatrix to make her stay away, then drew his sword. ¡°You can use your full strength here without any problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I hoped for. Today, I¡¯ll try to give you a proper blow.¡± To be honest, Eurius had been sharpening his sword against the duke for nearly two months, even though it was training. He had been beaten mercilessly without any mercy. ¡°Hehe, it won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡®He goes full force from the start.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t an opponent who would fall for a clumsy probing attack. The duke didn¡¯t let his guard down either. ¡®I don¡¯t know what kind of ability he has gained, but I have to be careful.¡¯ At least, judging by the fact that he had dodged all of his attacks so far, it might be a speed or defense type ability. The duke took a defensive stance first, as if inviting him toe. But at that moment, the duke felt a cold sensation on his neck. Kwaaang! A loud noise erupted as the swords shed. The duke hastily defended his neck. Eurius¡¯s attack had started without any warning. ¡°!?¡± The astonished duke retreated a few steps. Even though he was one of the best among superhumans, he had been pushed back momentarily even though he had allowed him to attack first. And it wasn¡¯t just one attack. Invisible attacks flew at him from all directions, relentlessly targeting him. Eurius also bit his tongue inwardly. ¡®Huh, he blocked it without knowing my ability? He¡¯s really a monster-like old man.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s attack was an invisible sh! But it wasn¡¯t just invisible. The condition for him to manifest the breakthrough that broke through the fourth stage wall was as follows: ¡®Everyone¡¯s personality is expressed ording to their environment, goals, and paths they have lived!¡¯ ¡°Speed that can catch anything.¡± Beatrix¡¯s ability in her previous life was a swift attack faster than sound. ¡°I saw a flood when I was young and the dam in our territory copsed. That memory is the most vivid for me.¡± Duke Carlos¡¯s case was a sturdy wall that could block anything. ¡°I had a goal that I wanted to break since I stood on my own two feet! And I was able to turn it into dust!¡± Nuada¡¯s case was pure destructive power. But what about him? He wasn¡¯t a warrior, but an emperor. He didn¡¯t have a wall that he wanted to ovee as a warrior. He just lived a regretful life in his previous life and wanted to reverse it. So he couldn¡¯t figure out what he wanted. The path of a warrior was not his goal but a tool! At first, he thought that the goal he had set while training as a warrior was all there was to the condition. But after talking with Beatrix, he realized that it wasn¡¯t. ¡®Even a childish thought from childhood can have a great influence on one¡¯s values!¡¯ He looked back on his life from his previous life to this one. ¡°Your Highness Eurius, I trust you. You must be a great emperor.¡± It was Marius¡¯s voice, who always tried to educate him properly. ¡°Eurius! You are the first prince of the empire. You must never disgrace yourself!¡± It was his father¡¯s voice, who always scolded him harshly. His father was the Iron-blooded Emperor. He often scolded him harshly for being immature. ¡°Your Majesty, you must survive and n for the future.¡± It was Beatrix¡¯s voice, who died protecting him until the end. Eurius in his previous life always suffered from that pressure. ¡®It¡¯s too heavy for me.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not talented enough.¡¯ That¡¯s right! Eurius always wanted to escape from the pressure of being the emperor of the empire. He wandered when he was young, and when he became the emperor, he came to his senses, but he shivered and agonized every time he lost his loyal subjects who entrusted their lives to him. What Eirius wanted was freedom from oppression. The ability he manifested at the fourth stage was the ability to be undetected by anyone! ¡°Ding!¡± [The fourth stage of force control has been opened.] [The trait force master has evolved into ¡®Intangible Sword¡¯.] [The yer¡¯s unique skill has been created.] [Unique skill ¡®Reversal Ghost de¡¯ created] The Duke of Dios was astonished. It wasn¡¯t just that Urius¡¯s attack was invisible. ¡®It¡¯s invisible, silent, and barely detectable by the superhuman¡¯s sixth sense.¡¯ He had devoted his life to the sword, but this was the first time he had faced such a difficult attack to defend. ¡°Ah!!¡± Beatrix, who was watching from afar, also opened her mouth wide. She had never seen her father, the duke, being pushed back so one-sidedly. And Eurius¡¯s sword didn¡¯t even show up in his sight, but there was a loud noise in the training ground. ¡®Ah! This monster-like old man doesn¡¯t take a single hit!¡¯ But Eurius was pressing the duke with countless invisible shes, but he couldn¡¯tnd a hit. He was indeed one of the best superhumans in the continent. He could barely feel it, but the duke defended himself with only his superhuman¡¯s sixth sense. He was like an iron wall. He felt that it was time to gamble. His ability, which had just awakened, didn¡¯tst long. ¡°¡­¡­¡± At some point, the noise of the swords colliding stopped and Urius¡¯s presence disappeared from the training ground. ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± The duke also watched carefully where the attack woulde from. After a brief standoff. The duke smiled triumphantly as he felt a very faint presence behind him. ¡®He may have reached the realm, but he stillcks experience. I can block this perfectly.¡¯ The duke quickly defended his back with his sword and prepared for any possible attacks by surrounding himself with a sturdy force barrier. Peeoong! As expected by the duke, Urius suddenly appeared and swung a blow that barely missed his back. But because of that, he couldn¡¯t detect Eurius again, who hid his presence momentarily. It was only for a moment, but that was enough. ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± ¡®Just one hit, just one hit is enough!¡¯ Eurius dropped his sword and punched the duke¡¯s face as it was. Puck! Thud! He didn¡¯t expect much from his first attack. What he aimed for was what they called a cross counter! Eurius¡¯s fist hit the duke¡¯s face precisely and the duke pierced his shoulder with his sword. The duke¡¯s cheek swelled up and blood flowed from his mouth. Of course, the duel was Eurius¡¯s defeat, but he was satisfied with just that today. He had avenged himself a little for two months! ¡®How about that? Father-inw! You took a hit this time, right?¡¯ He looked at the duke and smiled slyly. As he watched Eurius fall down with no strength left, the duke touched his bleeding mouth and chuckled. ¡®What a monster, he¡¯s really a monster.¡¯ Chapter 21: Rebuttal Demon Chapter 21: Rebuttal Demon ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It was a whole dayter when Eurius got up. ¡°Your Majesty! Are you all right?¡± The first thing he saw when he woke up was Beatrix¡¯s worried face. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me, Princess.¡± ¡°The healers from the temple treated you, but they said you should rest for today.¡± She was referring to the priests of the Medit Order. They could borrow the power of God and turn their force into healing power. But in general, martial artists did not rely on healers¡¯ power unless they had serious injuries. That was because healers¡¯ power did not restore wounds, but rather increased natural healing power. If one abused healing, even a strong martial artist would lose their natural recovery ability and create a fatal weakness. Of course, there was one person who had a miraculous healing power that could turn back time and heal even near-death injuries. That was the ¡®Great Saintess¡¯, who was a yer. But since her, there was no priest in the continent who could perform such a power, as far as he knew. When the news of his recovery reached him, the duke also entered the guest room. ¡°Haha, I took a big hit yesterday. Your highness¡¯s growth rate is amazing.¡± The duke was smiling brightly while rubbing his swollen face with an ice bag. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for me to retire as I get older. After the duel with Your highness yesterday, my body hurts everywhere¡­¡± But to Eurius¡¯ eyes, he looked like he was teasing him. ¡®Geez, this old man is so whiny.¡¯ He was d that he didn¡¯t seem too upset about being punched in the face by Eurius, who was almost his grandson. ¡°By the way, I wasn¡¯t feeling too proud of reaching the realm, but I didn¡¯t even get to see your ¡®secret technique¡¯, Duke.¡± That was actually why Eurius was more gloomy than he thought. He knew that there were different levels among the superhumans in the same stage, but he was receiving the benefits of a yer, wasn¡¯t he? But the duke subdued him without even showing his secret technique of the fourth stage. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± But the duke seemed to have a different thought. ¡°I¡¯m proud that I did my best yesterday.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There is a time and ce for every skill. Do you remember what I said a month ago?¡± Eurius nodded his head in confusion. ¡°There is more than one way to reach the top. Is that what you mean?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The duke stopped smiling and exined with a serious face. ¡°A secret technique is just a tool after all. A true martial artist does not care about the tool.¡± The reason why the duke did not use his secret technique in yesterday¡¯s duel was not because he didn¡¯t need to, but because he judged that it was better to defend firmly against Eurius¡¯ attacks. The result was Eurius¡¯plete defeat, who ran out of stamina and copsed. As he thought about that, some memories of his previous life came to his mind. ¡°So you mean that even if they are not superhumans who reached the realm, there are many strong people out there.¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, in our family, there was a martial artist who received the title of [Crusader], which is only given to the lords, without entering the fourth stage.¡± Of course, it was notmon for a martial artist who had trained so hard to fail to ovee the wall, but it was possible. Eurius himself had trained for decades in this good environment and in his previous life, but he couldn¡¯t attain enlightenment and only reached the fourth stage now, right? ¡®That means there are more hidden masters in the continent who can be on my side besides the verified superhumans!¡¯ There were still many mountains to climb in the continent. Eurius was deep in thought. But that was only for a moment. The duke praised him, perhaps thinking that he had been too serious. ¡°I was really surprised by your secret technique. I never imagined that it would manifest in such a way.¡± The swordsmanship (?) training method that came from the duke¡¯s family was a proven method with history and tradition. When one reached a certain stage and tried to block or catch the attacks of a martial artist who was much higher than them, they would naturally attain enlightenment. Beatrix¡¯s ¡®speed¡¯ in his previous life was also manifested in that way. ¡°But I never expected that there would be a secret technique that could make the target unrecognizable. It¡¯s an amazing skill.¡± Eurius scratched his head shyly at the duke¡¯spliment. His secret technique was rather in, considering his status as an emperor. ¡®It might be useful, but it doesn¡¯t look good for an emperor, stealth! I¡¯m not an assassin from the southern desert!¡¯ But soon, Eurius realized that his expectation was wrong. ¡°Stat window!¡± [Eurius von Scharnos] Job: Emperor, Grandmaster (Superhuman) Strength A+ Agility S Intelligence B+ Spirit A+ Force S Force Aptitude SS+ [Traits] Swordsmanship (A+) Royal Bloodline-You have awakened the authority of a yer. Emperor¡¯s Dignity B rank (1st consecutive victory)-Increases your noble bloodline, leadership, and charisma as the emperor of the empire. (Evolution) Formless Sword-Fourth stage force control. You can erase all your traces. Depending on your skill level, you can ignore the sixth sense of force users as well as human senses. Sixth Sense-A sixth sense given to excellent force users. You can sense things that are not detected by your five senses. (New) [Unique Skill] A special ability that you gained by awakening the fourth stage. (New) Rebuttal Demon (A rank)-The higher you go, the more ordinary you be. This is your unique skill that reflects your fourth stage trait. You can hide all your information. This trait will not break unless it is a detection skill with a higher rank than this skill. [Hidden Skill] Restart-yers can turn back time and start their lives over at any time. But you are not an official yer, so you are limited to one time. (Currently permanently unavable) Second Round Bonus-You retain some of your abilities, memory, and talents when you restart. ??? (This skill is currently unavable.) Overheat-A skill that only you, who have four cores, can use. Temporarily increases your force rank by two stages. However! Excessive long-term use will damage your cores. ¡°Wow!¡± As soon as he checked his stat window, Eurius had to restrain himself from jumping up and down. The increase in stats was not the problem. He had gained the trait that he needed most! [Rebuttal Demon] It was the perfect skill for his situation. He would inevitably be a famous figure in the continent if he reached the realm of superhumans. Then he would face fierce opposition from the nobles, including the archduke, even before he started his activities. That was one of his biggest worries. But he didn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore! He could just act as a slightly talented swordsman emperor. He asked the duke to observe him right away to test it out. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s true.¡± The duke also looked more surprised than before as he stared at Eurius. He didn¡¯t notice it earlier because he had no traces, but now Eurius hadpletely lost the unique aura that superhumans who reached the realm had. If the duke couldn¡¯t notice it, no other martial artist in the continent would be able to recognize Eurius¡¯ true value. No matter how in it looked, it was an amazing trait that added a yer¡¯s unique skill to the fourth stage. ¡°Congrattions. You have gained another advantage, Your highness.¡± Use what you have well! This was also one of the useful teachings that the duke gave him. His newly acquired [traits], Formless Sword and Rebuttal Demon! These would also give him a great boost in his future endeavors. ¡®Now I can think about my second goal ining to the holy kingdom!¡¯ He hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it because breaking through the wall was such a priority, but there was another reason why Eurius epted this trip to the holy kingdom willingly. He had already seeded in breaking through the wall with much better results than he expected. Now his only goal in the holy kingdom for the remaining time was one thing! The ce where the most talented people in the continent gathered. It was the Savior Academy. He intended to scout talents who could help him in the future. There was only about a week left until the academy¡¯s semester started. ¡®And before that, I have to thank someone.¡¯ Beatrix looked puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what kind of help I gave you.¡± ¡°No, your advice was the biggest help for me to break through the wall. Thank you again.¡± He added another word in his mind. ¡®Of course, including my previous life.¡¯ Eurius bowed his head very politely, following the etiquette of the royal family. His demeanor waspletely different from his casual and somewhat light-hearted attitude until then. She just bowed her head back, not knowing why. ¡°Your highness.¡± ¡®He¡¯s still a strange person.¡¯ He was talented enough to duel with his father, the duke, whom she admired most, at that age. But he didn¡¯t act like an emperor or show any authority, and he talked to her, who was just a daughter of a noble family, without any distance. He made a polite gesture and disappeared. She stared at his back for a long time. Chapter 22: The Deans Doubts and Conditions Chapter 22: The Dean''s Doubts and Conditions If someone asks about the path of the continent, ¡®This world is divided into before and after the appearance of the yers!¡¯ There are historians who say this, showing how much influence the yers had on this world. One of the major changes they brought was the education system. Before the yers appeared, the continent was a strict feudal society based on status! The children of peasants remained miserable peasants until they died, while the nobles enjoyed a privileged status that allowed them to live in luxury until they died. But it seemed that Emperor Scharnos, who built a huge empire with a single sword, had a different idea. ¡°Prepare a ce of opportunity for nurturing talents from all over the empire!¡± Following the emperor¡¯s order, various educational institutions were established for talentedmoners in each region, including the empire and the holy kingdom, which was practically an eternal ally of the empire. Two hundred yearster. Now, the continent was a ce where talented people could rise to sess regardless of their status, more than ever before. Among them, the most prestigious and oldest educational institution was Savior Academy! It was said to be founded by one of the three yers [The Great Saint] Dimia herself. The saint, who was more interested in this education system than Emperor Scharnos, had a famous saying. [If someone asks about the path of the continent, tell them to look up at Karst!] Karst was one of the branches of the huge mountain range that stretched behind the capital of the holy kingdom. This traditional academy was located right under this mountain range. There were countless graduates of Savior Academy who made their names known in the continent, and there were also many famous politicians and schrs who were active in their fields. ¡°Indeed¡­¡­ This is where Marius learned?¡± In front of the main gate where the saint¡¯s saying was engraved on arge rock, Eurius muttered as if he was amazed. [Savior Academy Political Science Department 155th ss Valedictorian Marius.] Marius, who had been working as the emperor¡¯s right-hand man for almost thirty years, was also a valedictorian graduate of this traditional academy. The diploma of Savior Academy and the high grades were symbols of verified talents! There was no doubt that this was the ce to find talents who could foresee the future of the continent. ¡°Wee! Your Highness, the First Prince! I will take you to the dean¡¯s office.¡± Eurius, who rode a prepared carriage and crossed the city, observed the surrounding cityscape with curiosity. The capital of the holy kingdom, Dimia, was divided into two parts: the western region where the main mountains of the three major sects were located and the right side of the city where Savior Academy was located. In other words, the academy itself was as big as a medium-sized city. It took tens of minutes to ride a carriage from the front gate to the central main building where the dean¡¯s office was located. ¡°His Highness Eurius, the First Prince of Scharnos Empire has arrived.¡± ¡°I greet His Highness Eurius, the First Prince of Sharnos Empire. I am Dipetra, an old man who is in charge of being the dean.¡± The old man who bowed politely was Dipetra, who was in charge of being the dean of this huge academy. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯ve heard from Marius since I was young that you are a very outstanding person. Haha.¡± On the other hand, Dipetra cautiously observed Eurius. ¡®He¡¯s much less arrogant than I expected?¡¯ That was Dipetra¡¯s first evaluation of Eurius. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Eurius took out a letter from his pocket. ¡°This is a letter of rmendation that Marius asked me to give to you. Please be generous with me even if I¡¯mcking since we know each other.¡± ¡°Marius sent such a letter. Hehe.¡± The dean tore open the letter and read its contents. [To my dear friend Dipetra] The beginning of the letter was surprisingly normal. But as he continued to read it down, his face frowned. [I warn you again not to test Eurius with any nonsense. It will be useless, right? And if anything happens to His Majesty, I¡¯lle right away to grab your neck, so take good care of him.] -Marius- ¡®This damn old bastard!?¡¯ The dean barely suppressed his urge to crumple up and throw away this letter on the spot, cursing him in his mind. Why did the dean be wary as soon as he saw Eurius and why did Marius send such a letter? The truth behind Eurius¡¯s academy study abroad was this! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [Wace, how much trouble must His highness go through to please that fox-like actor¡­] Marius, who had left for the north a few years ago for a construction project, was worried sick every day. It wasn¡¯t the heavy workload that bothered him! The only thing he cared about was Eurius¡¯s education situation. ¡°They say the First Prince only swings his sword all day long.¡± ¡°Compared to him, the Second Prince Leonhardt is truly outstanding.¡± Whispers. No matter how far away he was, he always received information about the princes¡¯ status because of his position. Of course, Marius trusted Euriuspletely. ¡°He must be pretending to be an ipetent prince by swinging his sword all the time, but the rumors are spreading like this¡­¡± An emperor should have both literary and martial skills as a basic requirement. Marius wanted to give Eurius some academic achievements by any means. But he was away in the far north. There was nothing he could do to help. However, if a smart person thinks hard enough, there is always a solution. Marius pped his knee. ¡®That¡¯s it, studying abroad at a prestigious academy.¡¯ He knew that Eurius was actually a genius in academics as well. If he could get a perfect score on the test he took at the age of fifteen, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to achieve something in a short-term study abroad program. Of course, the higher the academic reputation, the better! He wrote a letter to the emperor asking for permission and at the same time to his alma mater, Savier Academy. His friend of several decades happened to be the dean there. [To my friend Depet, whom I haven¡¯t heard from in a long time. How have you been? (skipping) I have a sincere request for you in this letter. It¡¯s about¡­] Of course, since Marius was asking for a favor, even if it was a letter to a close friend, he wrote it politely at first. But Depet shook his head. [To my renowned friend Marius. I read your letter, but (skipping) that¡¯s difficult ording to the academy¡¯s rules. I¡¯m really sorry.] It was only natural that Depet refused Marius¡¯s request. Savier Academy was a sacred ce that all schrs on the continent revered. No matter how much he was the empire¡¯s prince, or even if it was a short-term study abroad program, it would be seen as a privilege if he let himplete the curriculum with his connections alone. That also included his pride as an educator. ¡®I can¡¯t let an ipetent student into my school, no matter how much he is a prince!¡¯ If he had heard that the First Prince had outstanding academic achievements somewhere, it would have been a different story. But when he gathered information, wasn¡¯t this just a typical spoiled royal? And more than anything, Dipetra knew Marius very well. ¡®He¡¯s good at administration, but not at education. I can¡¯t trust blindly the student he rmended.¡¯ That¡¯s right! Just as he couldn¡¯t correct Eurius in his previous life, Marius was actually very knowledgeable and politically savvy, but he didn¡¯t have the typical sense of understanding a child¡¯s mind. He was a genius type with great abilities but too much righteousness. ¡®And he¡¯s too righteous for his own good!¡¯ He probably got fed up with the First Prince he served and ended up asking him for help. Friendship was friendship, but reality was reality. But Marius sent him another letter. [This is something that His Majesty has approved! And I guarantee you that the First Prince is someone who can achieve good grades at Xavier Academy!] ¡®No, I¡¯m telling you I can¡¯t believe that!¡¯ Dipetra and Marius exchanged letters several times like this, and the argument escted because of the dean¡¯s reply. [No, I have loyalty to you too. But isn¡¯t this First Prince someone who has no interest in anything but swords? And didn¡¯t you say he used to be a troublemaker? I hate to say this but¡­] Marius felt his blood boil as soon as he read that letter. ¡®How dare this old man who has never met His highness Eurius say this and that?¡¯ [Hey! You damn old man. Do you think I¡¯m just asking you to let His highness study abroad out of kindness? You¡¯re saying now¡­] It¡¯s natural that no matter how old they get, they revert to their youthful tone in front of their friends of decades. In the end, two old men who were famous schrs on the continent had a fiery debate for months with letters, and the end was like this. [Alright, then why don¡¯t you bring that First Prince you¡¯re bragging about in front of me. But I can¡¯t give you any support. If what you say is true, you can do that, right?] In the end, the dean agreed to Eurius¡¯s short-term study abroad program, but with a condition. [I can¡¯t guarantee that he willplete his education. Don¡¯te to me and grab my corter, or pressure me with His Majesty¡¯s name!] The Holy Kingdom was an invible sanctuary on the continent. And he was the dean of the hall of knowledge, the academy. He couldn¡¯tpromise on this. But on the other hand, he had some doubts. ¡®Marius, that guy, he¡¯s really smart, but why is he doing this?¡¯ Marius was so stubborn that he became curious about what kind of person the First Prince was. But after the prince arrived in the Holy Kingdom two months ago, he was really disappointed. ¡®The First Prince is staying at the mansion of Duke Dios and only receiving sword training from him.¡¯ That was fine. He liked swords so much that he might be immersed in the lessons of one of the strongest people on the continent, Duke Dios! ¡®He hasn¡¯t left the mansion since he entered the country.¡¯ The problem was this. He came to study abroad at the most prestigious academic ce on the continent, no, a very noble person, but he didn¡¯t even visit the academy for two months, let alone go outside. ¡®This is just a forced trip!¡¯ Naturally, the dean had to believe the external evaluation of Eurius as it was. ¡®Hmm? Why does the dean look unhappy? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Eurius, who had reached a high level of martial arts, quickly noticed that the dean¡¯s face was not very good. And he didn¡¯t seem to wee him warmly as Marius had boaste d. ¡®Sigh, he¡¯s still my friend¡¯s disciple. I should at least give him some support.¡¯ The dean sighed inwardly and folded the letter. He started to talk about the main point of how to safely send Eurius to study abroad. Chapter 23: Special Case Of Studying Abroad!? Chapter 23: Special Case Of Studying Abroad!? ¡°Hmm, you want me to give a speech about my ambition to study abroad for a short time, is that it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Dean Dipetra wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he watched the first prince¡¯s reaction. He then started to speak again with a slick tongue. ¡°It is an infinite honor for our academy to have someone like Your highness, the first prince,e to study here.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t seem very weing, though.¡¯ Ignoring Eurius¡¯s doubt, the dean continued. ¡°So, I would like you to give a special speech at the opening ceremony, where all the students will gather at the start of the September semester.¡± The origin of this proposal was the pile of protest letters behind the dean. ¡°I¡¯m sure Your highness won¡¯t express it, but there is quite a bacsh from the academy¡¯s faculty and students.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡­ The first prince of the empire came to study at the academy for a short time! This fact spread throughout the academy without a sound, and brought a lot of interest and resistance. Of course, he was the first prince of the empire. No matter how much the status of ordinary citizens and intellectuals had risen after the era of yers, they couldn¡¯t openly oppose him. [The first prince of Scharnos Empire, suspected of special case of studying abroad!] To get rid of this gossip, Dean Dipetra had to rack his brains. ¡®I also have to think about the rtionship with the empire.¡¯ Among the professors and outstanding students of Savior Academy, there were not a few who had entric personalities as verified geniuses. They wouldn¡¯t dare to be rude to the first prince unless they wanted to die, but you never know. ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that he doesn¡¯t seem to have a born temperament that is arrogant.¡¯ So what the dean thought was a kind of ¡®guest¡¯ treatment. ¡®He only needs the experience of graduating from the academy, not studying sincerely!¡¯ That was also the intention of the emperor who sent Eurius. ¡°Of course, we will prepare the speech manuscript for you. Your highness only has to go out and say a few words.¡± He also nned to create apetent image with a speech written by one of their outstanding talents, in order to dispel the suspicion that he came in with power. If he did that, he could minimize the resistance to his special case of studying abroad, at least to some extent. That was the dean¡¯s n. Eurius dly epted it. ¡°Good! How hard can it be to go out and say a few words?¡± ¡®What a relief.¡¯ ¡°But!¡± A sound like thunder struck Dean Dipetra¡¯s ears. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to give me a speech manuscript. I have something I want to say, so I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Your highness, but giving a speech is surprisingly difficult.¡± Eurius frowned. ¡°Oh! Do I look like someone who doesn¡¯t know that much? I have prepared something myself.¡± Unexpectedly, Eurius insisted strongly and the dean had no choice but to flounder. ¡°Your highness¡­¡± ¡®Ah! Why are you doing this when things were going well?¡¯ Giving a speech is not an easy thing. Even professional politicians who have been in politics for decades find it difficult to express their opinions in front of many people. He nned to make Eurius read the best script he could get with his connections. But his n was shattered. He tried to persuade him several times after that, but Eurius refused as if he was annoyed. ¡®Marius! I did everything I could for you. Don¡¯t me me.¡¯ Dean Dipetra had no choice but to give up and hope that he wouldn¡¯t cause a big ident when he gave his speech. ¡®This is a good opportunity!¡¯ Eurius was happy without caring about the dean¡¯s worries. He was nning to impress the students of the academy and scout for talent, but they offered him an opportunity to give a speech without him asking for it. He had unlocked [Achievements] as a yer just a few days ago. Giving a speech was not difficult for him who was an emperor in his previous life, but it was not his specialty either. It might be better to get help from professional speakers like the dean. But Eurius had something he believed in this time. It was his new ability that he gained from unlocking yer information due to his increased level. The most important thing when meeting someone for the first time is the first impression. Usually, if you start off badly on your first meeting, unless something extraordinary happens, that impression will remain. It¡¯s simr to attracting talent. In this speech, he had to show them ¡®something¡¯ that would catch the eyes of the continent¡¯s talents. Finally, the fall semester of Savior Academy begins. Since the city itself was a school, tens of thousands of students gathered! Not all students were obliged to participate, but today the central square of Savior Academy was crowded with students. ¡°I have some news to share with all the students of the academy this semester.¡± Dean Dipetra coughed once and brought Eurius to the stage. ¡°It is an honor for us to have His highness Eurius von Sharnos, the first prince of Scharnos Empire, stay at the academy for this semester.¡± Buzz buzz. Various stories were floating among the crowd of students. ¡°Isn¡¯t the first prince not someone who is famous for his academic achievements?¡± ¡°But I heard he¡¯s a disciple of the famous Marius.¡± .What would the first prince of the empire say to them in this ce? The attention of the hall quickly focused on Eurius, who had climbed up to the podium. But the hall was too noisy because of the many students who had gathered. Would they be able to hear the first prince¡¯s words clearly? But their expectation was shattered without a doubt. ¡°Hello, everyone. I am Eurius, the first prince of the empire!¡± A loud voice echoed through the square, making it tremble. ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± The students were so surprised that the square, where tens of thousands of people had gathered, became silent for a moment. [Opening help ¨C speech, presentation section] [Step 1: The first step of a speech is to catch the audience¡¯s attention. Make everyone look at you.] What he had just used was one of the fairly difficult force control techniques, [Force Echo]! It was a skill that temporarily amplified his voice. He had executed the first advice of [Help] brilliantly. ¡°Oh? Did I speak too loudly? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not used to this kind of situation.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Eurius smiled sheepishly and eased the tension in the hall. His casual demeanor, unlike that of an emperor, made someughter erupt among the students. [The basics of presentation ¨C easing the audience¡¯s tension is also one of the good techniques of speech. And¡­¡­] Eurius¡¯s speech that started like this was not very impressive in terms of content. ¡°yer Scharnos, our ancestor and the great emperor of the imperial family, loved talent and established various educational institutions, including this Savior Academy.¡± ¡®¡­¡­!?¡¯ But there were quite a few people who were surprised among the professors of the academy, including Dean Defet. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to have done this once or twice?¡¯ The reason they were surprised was that Eurius created a rather familiar atmosphere that did not match his status. Usually, a speech should have good content, but more importantly, it is the skill of the speaker. The atmosphere that leads the hall from small gestures to proper endings is the key! The first prince acted like a seasoned speaker in this field (?) and every move caught the students¡¯ attention. Dean Dipetra analyzed it and nodded his head. ¡®The content of his speech is not particrly special, of course. But¡­¡­.¡¯ Objectively speaking, the prince was not a great speaker. The biggest reason why the students were focused on his speech was his status. He was arguably the most noble person in the continent as the first prince of the empire. Such a person was appealing to them in front of them in a ¡®skilled¡¯ manner. Noble status, young age, and most importantly, surprisingly skilled speech ability! These three thingsbined to make Eurius¡¯s ordinary speech attract the students¡¯ attention. ¡°Currently, the empire is in a new era of development along with the development of the north. As an first prince of the empire, I hope that talents like you will choose the empire!¡± As Eurius¡¯s speech finally ended, there was a moment of silence in the hall, and then apuse began to pour out without a word. ¡°p p p!¡± Receiving apuse from the students, Eurius quietly came down from the podium. The core of Eurius¡¯s speech was simple! I need talent! It was a short time thatsted only a few minutes, but at least Eurius seeded in impressing that part deeply into the students¡¯ minds. ¡®I didn¡¯t know [Help] had such a function.¡¯ He paid attention to [Help] because he was worried about finding talent at the academy. ¡®There must be these people at this point in time.¡¯ There were also some people he had marked in advance. But the problem was ¡®how to make them his own?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m afraid my head is not good enough to get along with them.¡¯ To persuade smart people, you have to be smart yourself. But Eurius objectively judged that hecked schrship to attract them. It¡¯s not like he can just kidnap them to another country as an emperor. So he paid attention to [Help]. In fact, Eurius still didn¡¯t fully understand this function. ¡®It¡¯s just a function that lets you view data like a library. What did they make it for?¡¯ But as his achievements increased, [Help] added new features. ¡°Ding!¡± [Your ess to [Help] information is unlocked further.] [You can view some of the knowledge that is only allowed to yers.] ¡®yer¡¯s knowledge?¡¯ Eurius opened [Help] as if he was fooled. [How to recruit talent ¨C Do you want to view rted information?] ¡®¡­¡­!?¡¯ Unlike usual, it didn¡¯t exin some random words, but rted information popped up. [Data on talent ¨C key talent acquisition strategy, learn from XXX how to seed with talent, hunt talent!!] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Eurius slowly looked through the contents and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡®There are many amazing things in the yers¡¯ knowledge!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand everything, but there were many parts that he could rte to. This speech was also based on such data. [Help ¨C techniques for a sessful presentation] He practiced the content in advance with a help that only he could see, and then followed it while giving the speech! This was the secret behind his skilled speech today. The result was also sessful as expected. He got a very positive response from the students, even though it wasn¡¯t a touching speech. ¡®There is no useless function in the yer¡¯s [System]!¡¯ Eurius was able to appreciate the value of [Help] today. Chapter 24: Find A Talent From The Military! Chapter 24: Find A Talent From The Military! Savior Academy has countless types of majors, as befitting its scale. From pure academics, politics, to culture, arts, and more, it is truly the cradle of continental schrship. The major that Eurius chose was none other than military science. ¡®I have to recruit some talented people with outstanding military skills for the future.¡¯ The main reason he decided to study abroad was to recruit excellent strategists. There were some talented people among the imperial cadets, but he knew that there was a big fish in Savior Academy at this time. [Devan Calios.] He was someone who would be one of the continent¡¯s top military experts from ten yearster. ¡®If I can get Devan alone, this study abroad will be a sess.¡¯ As Eurius entered the ssroom with the knights who were in charge of escorting him, the bustling ssroom became quiet as a mouse. He smirked inwardly. ¡®They¡¯re all frozen.¡¯ He was not just a noble, but the eldest son of the emperor. If he was an ordinary power holder, there would be some who would try to please him, but Eurius¡¯s status was on a different scale. Tap tap. Eurius tapped on the shoulders of the stiff knights behind him. ¡°Wait outside instead of in the ssroom.¡± ¡°Your Highness! But¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an order. If you stay here, I don¡¯t think I can even take sses properly.¡± Eurius pushed the escort knights out of the ssroom and opened his mouth again. ¡°I think you all know that I¡¯m the first prince. But I¡¯m not here to interfere with your sses, I¡¯m here to study with you. I hope you don¡¯t treat me too specially.¡± ¡®Yeah, right!¡¯ That was the silent answer of all the students in the ssroom. ¡°Ahem, then today¡¯s topic is¡­¡­¡± Even the professor who came in to teach was cautiously looking at Eurius¡¯s mood. It was a situation where there was nothing to say. That day, the military science ss passed by quietly as if walking on thin ice. ¡®Is this how it goes?¡¯ Eurius was quite embarrassed. He had tomunicate first before he could do anything, but his status was holding him back. ¡®Let¡¯s see?¡¯ A good idea popped into his head. If this worked, maybe he could solve this atmosphere. Eurius looked at the elderly professor who was currently teaching. ¡®Stat window!¡¯ [Delrus Spencer] Job: Military Officer, Teacher Strength B+ Agility B Intelligence B+ Spirit B+ Force Aptitude (None) Disposition: Sanguine, Inquisitive ¡®Perfect, just the right condition!¡¯ Eurius smiled triumphantly and raised his hand. ¡°I have a question!¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ It was the first prince who came to study abroad. The professor answered cautiously. ¡°Your Highness has a question about something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the troop deployment in the encirclement and annihtion battle that you just mentioned¡­¡­¡± Eurius gave an opinion that contradicted the professor¡¯s words. ¡°¡­¡­So, wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to arrange it like this?¡± The professor¡¯s forehead tensed up. He was a retired officer who had experienced a lot of real battles when he was young. But how dare this greenhorn challenge his opinion, even if he was the first prince? But he couldn¡¯t say anything to the emperor. Besides, the argument was surprisingly logical. ¡°Hehe, your Highness has a very good point. But¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m talking about that part you mentioned¡­¡­¡± After a few exchanges of opinions, an unexpected thought came to the professor¡¯s mind. ¡°Your Highness has a lot of knowledge about military science. Hehe¡­¡­¡± At first he thought it was just nitpicking, but surprisingly it turned out to be an interesting topic for discussion. The students were also watching their debate with curious expressions. The students of Savior Academy were mostly experts who could already work in active duty. To them, Eurius and the professor¡¯s discussion on troop deployment was quite an interesting topic. ¡°May I ask your Highness a question?¡± Finally, a brave student who couldn¡¯t resist his thirst for knowledge raised his hand and asked Eurius a question. He was one of the students who heard Eurius¡¯s speech yesterday. He also saw that Eurius¡¯s expression was not angry at all but gentle while debating with the professor, so he raised his hand with a lot of courage. Eurius smiled with satisfaction. His intention had hit the mark. ¡®Sess!¡¯ He was someone who had fought in the field for his entire reign in his previous life. He might be better than most officers in military science, if not other subjects. ¡°Of course, what are you curious about?¡± Eurius answered with a wide smile. He continued to debate with the professor in a gentle manner, and asionally answered the students¡¯ questions. The first time was hard, but once the attempt was sessful, it wasn¡¯t that hard. He was able to have discussions with quite a few students in ss today. ¡®As expected, smart people like to show off their knowledge when they have a chance!¡¯ He nodded his head, recalling his previous life¡¯s memories. This pattern repeated for a few days, and finally the atmosphere in the ssroom began to ease. And by the time he had been taking military science sses for a month, there was no one in the academy who didn¡¯t know about Eurius. ¡°I heard that the first prince of the empire has a very good military talent. Even that hot-tempered Delrus professor admitted it.¡± ¡°I also heard that he treatsmoners and nobles equally when he debates.¡± ¡°I was skeptical when I heard his speech, but it seems that he really treats talented people fairly!¡± The praise for Eurius came mostly from nameless nobles ormoner students. There was a saying that originated from the yer ¡®A dragon rises from a humble background¡¯, but the status still yed a big role in sess on the continent. Even if they graduated from Savior Academy, it was hard to get a noble title or a high-ranking position unless they were very lucky. But Eurius said in his speech that he would favor talented people, and he also showed that he didn¡¯t discriminate betweenmoners or nobles. The internal power situation of the empire was that the first prince was the most likely sessor to the throne. It was inevitable that the students with rtively low status would be interested in the Sharnos Empire. ¡®Even if it¡¯s another country, I¡¯d rather apply to the imperial administration than be a local manager in our country after graduation.¡¯ ¡®I heard that thanks to the northern development, there will be a lot of opportunities for imperial soldiers to make merit! Maybe I should take this chance and ¡­¡¯ Should I also try to make a name for myself? The attention of the academy¡¯s talents was gradually shifting to the empire. ¡°Hehe¡­¡­¡± The dean of the academy, Dipetra, was listening to the report on Eurius¡¯s situation while stroking his chin. [Oh, well. I guess our first prince is fine, right?] ¡°It seems that Marius¡¯s letter was true.¡± He is very diligent in his lectures. He doesn¡¯t act up or ignore the students just because he is the emperor. He also attends the weekly seminar, a joint discussion session, and gets good grades. Dipetra muttered to himself. ¡®People can¡¯t be trusted by rumors alone.¡¯ But Eurius himself was confused at the moment. ¡®Why haven¡¯t I seen the name Devan?¡¯ ording to his memory, he was definitely a military science student at the academy at this point. He didn¡¯t make a name for himself until a few yearster, but how could he not find such a talented person for a month? ¡®Did I make a mistake?¡¯ He had attended almost all the lectures in military science, but he couldn¡¯t find the name Devan. ¡®No, that can¡¯t be.¡¯ Eurius thought there was some other reason. ¡°Kyaahh, spit!¡± A man spat on the ground with a frustrated expression. ¡°I told you before, if you¡¯re going to bring this kind of paper, don¡¯t even think abouting!¡± His paper submission failed again this time. He was supposed to have graduated a long time ago. But because of this paper approval, he had been rotting in the academy for three years. ¡°Damn old farts, they don¡¯t even listen to what I say!¡± He thought his paper was good enough to pass and more. He was originally a promising talent who received a lot of expectations after entering the academy. But as he learned more in the academy, he began to question more and more. ¡®If it were me, I could use the troops more efficiently than this?¡¯ ¡®This method could bring a great innovation to the existing unit formation!¡¯ His unusual thoughts became more intense as graduation approached, and he finally shed with his professor. Unfortunately, he was a weird genius who didn¡¯t know how to please others. If he had just lowered his pride and submitted a normal paper by his standards, he would have graduated long ago. But his pride didn¡¯t allow that. The result was three years of wandering. ¡°Crap.¡± He failed to graduate again this year and was drinking at a bar near the academy in broad daylight. ¡°Are you by any chance Devan from military science?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He heard an unfamiliar voice in his ear. He turned around and saw a neatly dressed youngster looking at him. ¡®What, a beggar¡­¡­¡¯ He was about to shake his head in annoyance, but he noticed the expensive clothes and manners of the other party. ¡°I¡¯m Devan, what do you want?¡± ¡®He looks like a nobleman¡¯s son, but what does he want from me?¡¯ ¡°Ah, so you are!¡± The other party sat down in front of Devan with an uncharacteristic fuss for a nobleman¡¯s son. ¡°I¡¯m Eurius, who just entered military science!¡± Chapter 25: Devan Calios Chapter 25: Devan Calios Devan tilted his head. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡®He must be from a rich family. He¡¯s so rude.¡¯ There was a rule in the academy that discrimination based on status was prohibited, but there was a subtle division betweenmoners and nobles. Devan himself was notorious for being a troublemaker even though he was amoner, but this kid was a typicalmoner who looked down on people with his habitual tone. ¡°I read your paper on mobility in mountain warfare that you presented at the seminar three years ago, and I was interested, so I came to see you!¡± ¡°Oh, that one!¡± Devan¡¯s expression brightened for a moment. Looking back, that was the time when he had the most confidence. He was at the peak of his career as a blessed talent before his rtionship with the professors went sour. ¡®But now I¡¯m like this.¡¯ He answered Eurius¡¯s question sincerely. In fact, when he was doing well, there were often youngsters (?) like him who came to him. ¡®But it¡¯s strange. There aren¡¯t many people who remember my name now.¡¯ And he also chimed in very well. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s much more original than the existing ones!¡± Eurius smiled and then started to scratch his itch. ¡°But why are you still not graduating after several years? Is there a problem?¡± Thud. ¡°Damn it. It¡¯s because they don¡¯t like my usual behavior!¡± He mmed down his ss. He had been drinking for three years because of his useless pride. ¡°Your Highness, I came to escort you as ordered.¡± ¡°Did you? It¡¯s just time to finish the conversation.¡± ¡®Your Highness?¡¯ Devan had a moment of doubt on his face. He had heard something somewhere. [The first prince of the empire ising to study at the academy.] Of course, he had been working on his paper all day long, hoping to graduate this time, so he didn¡¯t even go to ss, let alone see Eurius¡¯s face. Devan was not stupid. He turned pale in an instant. ¡°Your Highness! I havemitted a mortal sin. Please spare my life!¡± ¡®I¡¯m crazy. I¡¯m really in trouble this time!¡¯ Devan fell to the ground in an instant. What did this first prince have against him? Eurius smiled inwardly and looked at him. ¡®Well, it¡¯s to fix your personality and make you my subordinate!¡¯ When he asked the professors about Devan Calios, they all shook their heads. ¡°He has talent, but he¡¯s a troublemaker.¡± ¡°He was a really promising talent until three years ago. But then¡­¡­¡± He had been wandering for three years because of his talent and bad personality! That was the evaluation of everyone who knew him. But Eurius shook his head. ¡®That¡¯s not the Devan Calios I know.¡¯ In his previous life, Devan was not only famous for being an excellent strategist, but also for having a great character. He was such a troublemaker? So Eurius decided to meet him personally and see his personality. ¡®Anyway, if he keeps this personality, it¡¯s no use making him my man.¡¯ Something must have happened in the future that changed his personality drastically. But he couldn¡¯t wait for that to happen at the academy. ¡°Get up. Devan!¡± Eurius ordered sternly. ¡°Whatever punishment you give me, I¡¯ll take it. Just spare my life¡­¡­¡± Devan tried to say hastily, but Eurius shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to punish you or anything. I¡¯m just really interested in your theory and wanted to ask you about it.¡± He picked up the paper he was writing and skimmed through it with admiration. ¡°As expected, you are an excellent talent as I thought.¡± Devan couldn¡¯t even guess what this emperor was thinking and stared nkly at him. ¡°By the way, your personality is a problem, as I said earlier.¡± [Ding!] [The trait ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ is activated.] [Charisma and charm increase.] Devan suddenly felt that Eurius in front of him looked like a giant. He continued to speak. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time wandering around for three years because of your useless pride!¡± Eurius used his skill as well as his stern rebuke to make Devan bow his head more. He actually wasted three years of his life. ¡°I hope you change your personality.¡± He said hisst words and left the bar with his knights. Devan had nothing to say and stood in the bar for a while with his head down. ¡®It seems like there is some reaction. The first step isplete.¡¯ If he had any intention of changing, he could move on to the next step. That night. Devan was thinking about what happened today while clutching his chest in his room. ¡°It was really amazing¡­¡­¡± He thought he was a spoiled noble at first, but he was actually the first prince! And the first prince¡¯sst words strangely resonated with his heart. ¡®I hope you change your personality.¡¯ He repeated the first prince¡¯s words and picked up his paper that he had been researching seriously for a long time. In fact, the papers he submitted for graduation were all just extensions of this one. He picked up his pen and focused on writing the theory of the paper. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to ce the cavalry on the right rear?¡± He opened his eyes wide at the sudden voice. It was indeed a good idea. ¡°Huh?¡± Devan felt his heart drop. ¡°Your Highness!?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± He signaled him to be quiet. It was Eurius. It was easy for him to sneak into a normal student¡¯s room without being noticed with his trait of Contradiction Addiction. ¡°I told you before, I¡¯m interested in your theory, so I visited you secretly.¡± He then read his paper and eximed. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s much more original than the existing ones!¡± He had no choice. But regardless, Eurius started to ask questions with a raised expression, pointing at the paper. ¡°But what about this part? It seems like you¡¯re stuck here, but wouldn¡¯t this work?¡± Devan¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. Indeed, that part was where he couldn¡¯t solve for months, but the emperor¡¯s suggestion was exactly piercing through the core of it. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s insight is truly amazing!¡± Devan also got excited as soon as he started talking to Eurius. He pointed out where he was stuck and sometimes even solved it for him. How could he not feel good? Besides, his theory, which had been ignored in the academytely, was recognized by none other than the emperor of the empire. The two of them lost track of time and immersed themselves in the discussion for hours. But Eurius, who knew the truth of this discussion, was quite surprised. ¡®Indeed, Devan is a talent that I must bring to my side. He was already writing this content!¡¯ The paper that Eurius and Devan were talking about was a book that all the military experts on the continent would have at least one copy of as a basic book of warfare in the future. [Devan Calios¡¯s Basic Book of Warfare] But he seemed to have established this theory from his academy days. It was a remarkable talent. All Eurius did was point out the contents of the book of warfare that he had read in the future. But Devan, who didn¡¯t know the inside story, naturally saw him as a genius of warfare who surpassed him. ¡®I¡¯m ashamed, he is the first prince of the empire who is not even specialized in warfare, but he has such insight. And I¡¯ve been arrogant because of my mediocre talent.¡¯ Devan had a big realization at this moment. He had to reflect on himself. It was based on a misunderstanding, but this incident would have a great impact on his life in the future. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already thiste.¡± Eurius prepared to leave and spoke seriously again. ¡°As I said before, I think you are a talented and excellent talent. I want to take you to the empire so much.¡± ¡°Thank you for your overflowing praise.¡± ¡°But as I said earlier, your attitude yesterday disappointed me a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Eurius spoke with sincerity this time, even though it was a y until now. ¡°There are many times in life when things don¡¯t go as nned. But you can¡¯t just wander around! Yourpetitors are moving forward in the meantime.¡± Hisst words were so sincere that they dripped with his experience of failing miserably in the future. ¡°I hope you use your talent with a humble mind.¡± He finished his words and left the room, then disappeared in an instant as he did when he came. ¡®Phew, at least he realized his mistake. I can move on to the next step!¡¯ Eurius thought that even though he wasn¡¯t sure, he had a good chance of making him his man now. ¡®There¡¯s a saying that if you¡¯re meant to be, you¡¯ll seed no matter what!¡¯ He was someone who would eventuallye to his senses and be one of the best strategists on the continent in the future anyway. He would make that happen sooner! That was the second step of Eurius¡¯s strategy to bring Devan to his side. ¡­ Devan felt like he was possessed by a ghost for all that happened today. He met the first prince at the bar and talked to him, and then he came to his room at night and discussed warfare and gave him advice and disappeared? It was a dreamlike story that no one would believe if he told them. But Devan learned something from this incident. ¡­ The next day. ¡°Professor, I apologize for all my actions so far.¡± ¡®What did he eat wrong?¡¯ Devan¡¯s professor looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°I know I can¡¯t cover up all my mistakes in one moment. But I¡¯m going to try my best from now on.¡± Devan bowed his head earnestly for thest time. ¡°Please forgive me.¡± The professor first looked at him with suspicion, but then gently held his two hands that were bowed down. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that.¡± Yes! Devan was a rare genius in the academy. The professors couldn¡¯t miss his talent. ¡®But talent is useless without character!¡¯ That was their unanimous thought. So they deliberately made him rot for years to correct his habits. ¡°If you have that mindset, I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± Devan and the professor smiled at each other. They finally found their way after being apart. ¡®Your Highness! Thank you so much!¡¯ Devan couldn¡¯t help but thank Eurius in his heart. Chapter 26: What He Gained From The Academy Chapter 26: What He Gained From The Academy Four months passed by in a sh. It was now December, and snowkes were fluttering in the air. As the academy semester was nearing its end, the professors had amon evaluation of Eurius. ¡°He¡¯s not just a genius, but he¡¯s a hard worker and a schr.¡± ¡°His talent for martial arts is outstanding, and that¡¯s more than enough for a prince of the empire!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not only a schr, but also a person of great character. Howe he had such a bad reputation until now?¡± Dipetra, the dean of the academy, also looked at Eurius with a warm gaze as he handed him his graduation certificate. [Hahahahaha!! What did I tell you? He¡¯s my student since he was a baby! I know him best!] Dipetra felt nauseous thinking about how Marius, who he was exchanging letters with, would boast about him to everyone. But it was true that Eurius had achieved remarkable results. As an educator, Dipetra naturally felt proud of his excellent student. ¡°It was an honor to have someone as brilliant as you at our Savior Academy, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I learned a lot from you and this academy, Dean.¡± Eurius took the certificate and finally left the academy. ¡®Huh, that old man Marius. He has quite a lot of luck with his disciples¡­¡­¡¯ The dean watched his back with a hint of regret and stroked his beard repeatedly. Eurius was also in a good mood. What he gained from the Savior Academy was as follows. First, he attracted many talents to the empire through his speeches and activities at the academy. In a few years, there would be more graduates from the Savior Academy in the imperial administration and army. They would have proven skills and help curb the power of the nobles. That was an undeniable fact! Second, he recruited Devan Calios, who would be one of the best strategists on the continent in the future. It was his most urgent goal, so Eurius was very happy. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect it to work so well.¡¯ ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve opened my eyes anew, thanks to Your Highness.¡± Devan had changedpletely. People who knew him wondered if he was the same person. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that his pride was broken overnight. But he learned that he had to bend when he had to. That was a big enlightenment for him. ¡®In his previous life, Devan was also good at dealing with people, but his personality might have been entric.¡¯ ¡°I will do my best to help you, even if I¡¯m not by your side, Your Highness!¡± Eurius smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°Just graduate first. I won¡¯t ept a dropout, no matter what. Haha!!¡± As long as he brought Devan to the empire, Eurius was satisfied. And third¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wace, the Count, was kneeling in front of Wilhelm, the archduke, sweating profusely. ¡®I might really die this time.¡¯ Wace knew the Grand duke¡¯s personality well. He became more calm and rational when he was angry. That meant that the Grand duke¡¯s rage had exploded. The Grand duke opened his mouth slowly. ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve been seeing that old fart Marius walking around with pride. It really makes me sick.¡± That¡¯s right! Eurius¡¯ achievements in the holy kingdom were already a hot topic in the imperial pce. ¡°Who would have thought that His First Highness had such abilities to excel at the Savior Academy!¡± ¡°Well, he was always a troublemaker since he was young, but he never had a reputation for being stupid, did he?¡± Marius was so proud of his First Highness that he forgot his manners and bragged about him to every official he met. The Grand duke shook his head as if he felt disgusted just by thinking about it and said firmly. ¡°Your n failed. Do you admit it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Wace couldn¡¯t get up from his kneeling position. His life or death depended on the archduke¡¯s decision. ¡°I¡¯m also to me for trusting you too much.¡± The archduke wasn¡¯t stupid. He didn¡¯t think that all these events were just because Wace was ipetent. He thought of three possible causes: The current emperor and Marius, and most importantly, the First Prince! ¡°In my opinion, we underestimated the First Prince too much.¡± That¡¯s right! The archduke believed Wace¡¯s words too much and looked down on Eurius¡¯ talent. But the tiger¡¯s cub was a tiger. ¡®How could the Second Prince be so brilliant and the First Prince be an idiot?¡¯ There were many clues. He once called his son-inw, the captain of the royal guard, Count Carlos, and asked him. ¡°I heard you¡¯re teaching His First Highness. How is his talent?¡± Count Carlos thought for a moment and said. ¡°If we limit it to martial arts, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anyone better than him.¡± The Grand duke was quite surprised at that time. ¡°Is that so?¡± He couldn¡¯t doubt the insight of a superhuman. He thought that Eurius had some talent since he trained hard, so he didn¡¯t bother to stop him from going to the holy kingdom. He intended him to waste his time at the academy where he didn¡¯t belong, but his expectation waspletely wrong. He pondered for a while and then opened his mouth again. ¡°From now on, assume that the First Prince¡¯s talent is at least equal to the Second Prince¡¯s, and proceed with the n ordingly.¡± Wace felt relieved. He was sure that the archduke wouldn¡¯t kill him here. ¡°But! There won¡¯t be a third time.¡± The Grand duke looked at Wace with an icy re. He had failed twice so far. The first time was when he failed to make Eurius a problem child in his childhood. The second time was when he generously invested in Eurius¡¯ knight lessons, allowing his talent to blossom. ¡°I will definitely meet your expectations this time, Your Grace.¡± ¡®I survived!¡¯ He barely saved his life. Wace felt relieved, but the archduke thought he was pathetic. ¡®We don¡¯t have enough talent here, we have to rely on someone like him.¡¯ The Grand duke saw Wace as a cunning and talented merchant, but a petty person at heart. He only cared about his own profit and couldn¡¯t be trusted. ¡®But he still has a lot of use.¡¯ He was still the owner of thergest tradepany in the empire. And he was still a spy for the emperor¡¯s faction. That was another reason why the archduke spared him. The Grand duke thought of his lifelong enemies. The emperor and Marius were formidable opponents. They turned that bastard prince into this in just a few years. ¡®But they only made up for half of it, Your Majesty.¡¯ While Eurius was making a name for himself in the holy kingdom, Leonhart was also not idle. Leonhart had achieved great results in the south, helping the archduke and other nobles. He also distributed charity to the people, so he had a lot of poprity in the south. ¡®I won¡¯t let my guard down anymore! Never!¡¯ He would definitely make his nephew the emperor. While the archduke hardened his expression, Wace also racked his brains desperately. ¡­ Eurius also pondered on that point. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to avoid the Grand duke¡¯s interference when I return to the empire.¡¯ The third thing he gained from this trip was his external prestige. He went from being a slightly odd prince to a strong contender for the throne, who excelled in both civil and military affairs. ¡®But it¡¯s a double-edged sword.¡¯ The Grand duke would never let him continue to rise without any obstacles. Eurius muttered as he left the academy. ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± And finally, the day came for Eurius to return to the empire. ¡°It was a short time, but I¡¯m sad that you¡¯re leaving, Your Highness.¡± Dios, the duke, came out personally to see Eurius off with a regretful expression. ¡°I also learned a lot from you, Your Highness. Thank you very much.¡± Beatrix also bowed politely. Eurius smiled brightly and epted their greetings. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re the one who did me a great favor, Duke.¡± And he turned his gaze to Beatrix. ¡°Lize, you were also a good stimulus for me. As I said before, I¡¯m really grateful to you.¡± Eurius and she had been taking swordsmanship lessons together for months, as the duke intended. He was far ahead of her now, but she also improved rapidly as she watched him and the duke train. She had a natural talent for it. ¡®If I ck off in my training, she might catch up with me. It¡¯s not a joke.¡¯ She blushed slightly, unaware of his thoughts. ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s me who should thank you.¡± The duke watched the two of them with a pleased look. ¡®See? It¡¯s not ineffective to put them together.¡¯ They had be quite close after spending months together. They weren¡¯t in a romantic rtionship yet, but the duke was satisfied. He was also a sharp-eyed warrior, so he sensed the faint affection that Eurius showed for his daughter. Beatrix also seemed to like the prince, even if she didn¡¯t show it outwardly. The duke nodded inwardly. ¡®Well, he¡¯s a prince, but my daughter is notcking in anything either.¡¯ But there was something that bothered him a bit. ¡®Lize might not know, but isn¡¯t the prince too indifferent? Does he just think of her as a friend?¡¯ Of course, Eurius¡¯ true thoughts were like this. ¡®But this time, our first meeting was really good. I never called her by a nickname in my previous life.¡¯ They were tied together by a political marriage, and he was nothing more than a wimp in his previous life when they got married. They naturally had some friction at first, and they only developed some feelings for each other because he crossed the line so often. Their rtionship was more like trustworthyrades than loving partners in their previous life. Of course, the duke¡¯s worry was unfounded. Eurius wanted to keep her by his side as soon as possible. ¡®It¡¯s too dangerous to take Beatrix to the empire right now.¡¯ Eurius decided that it wasn¡¯t time yet to gather his forces officially. She was already an outstanding talent, but she wasn¡¯t fully matured yet. ¡®Not now, but someday I¡¯ll definitely bring her with me.¡¯ Eurius shook off his lingering feelings for Beatrix for now. He couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted by trivial emotions for his future ns. His eyes were already looking north of the holy kingdom. ¡®Soon, the construction of the northern road will bepleted.¡¯ Eurius had nned to start his first external activity in the north long ago. He didn¡¯t know what the oue would be, but the important thing was that many things had changed from his previous life. And the real wind of change would start blowing from the north. Chapter 27: Heading to the North Chapter 27: Heading to the North ¡°The First Prince of the Scharnos Empire, Eurius von Sharnos, has returned.¡± With the announcement of the herald, Eurius entered the grand hall of the imperial pce. ¡®It¡¯s been half a year.¡¯ The emperor was waiting for him in the hall with a delighted expression. ¡°Eurius, I¡¯ve received all the reports about your activities at the academy!¡± The emperor was truly satisfied. He thought it would be enough if Eurius graduated with Marius¡¯ help, but his son was someone who did what he was told. He praised him continuously and then brought up the topic of hising-of-age ceremony. ¡°You must be tired from the long journey, but there¡¯s onest thing I have to tell you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± The emperor looked serious and said. ¡°As you know, in a week you¡¯ll turn twenty. Do you know the custom of theing-of-age ceremony?¡± ¡®The custom of theing-of-age ceremony.¡¯ It was not only a celebration of bing an adult, but also an asion to announce what kind of activities they would do as adults. They had to prove their abilities through their achievements afterwards. The tradition of the empire was meritocracy above all! Especially in the royal family, that tradition was strictly followed. That was why Eurius had been overshadowed by Leonhart, who had been diligently umting achievements with the support of the archduke. ¡°I was going to make you the crown prince with your merits this time.¡± The day before Eurius arrived at the imperial capital, there was a heated debate in the grand hall. ¡°His First Highness has proven himself to be a worthy heir of the emperor, who excels in both civil and military affairs! He deserves to be crowned as soon as he bes an adult!¡± ¡°His Second Highness has also achieved remarkable results! And there¡¯s only a two-year difference between them. It¡¯s too early to talk about crowning when he still has time!¡± The main arguments of both sides were like this. Normally, Leonhart had an advantage over Eurius in terms of their activities. But this time, Eurius reversed that evaluation by showing his achievements not only as a warrior, but also as a schr at the Savior Academy, the holy ce of learning. So the emperor¡¯s faction argued that Eurius was already the rightful eldest son and had enough qualifications to be crowned. But the Grand Duke¡¯s faction resisted fiercely. Their biggest reason was that there wasn¡¯t a big age difference between the two princes. Leonhardt still had two years left until hising-of-age ceremony. So they argued that they should wait at least two years and give both princes a chance to act as adults. That was fairer. ¡°Eurius! What do you think? Do you want to be crowned?¡± Eurius smiled. His inner thoughts were like this. ¡®Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you gave it to me.¡¯ If he became the crown prince designated by the emperor, his power would be iparable to any other prince. But his actual answer was different. ¡°There are many officials who support Leon. I think it¡¯s fair to give him a chance too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Everyone in the hall looked at Eurius with astonishment. And then he made another request that would shock them even more. ¡°And my wish as an adult is to participate in the northern development n after the northern construction is finished. Please send me to the north!¡± People doubted their ears. ¡®The First Prince wants to go to that barbard himself?¡¯ The north was mostly undevelopednd, even though roads had been built there in thest four years. It would take a lot of time and effort to develop it, and there were frequent battles with the northern tribes. It was a very dangerous area. Even ordinary knights considered being sent to the north as a demotion. But the prince wanted to go there voluntarily? Even the emperor, who had a heart of steel, showed a moment of surprise at Eurius¡¯s request. It was unprecedented and daring. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor pondered for a while and shook his head. ¡°Hmm, the north is a very dangerous ce. You may have talent in martial arts, but you are a prince and I cannot allow you to go there!¡± ¡®As expected, he won¡¯t agree at once.¡¯ Eurius had anticipated this. That¡¯s why he had prepared a backup n. ¡°Then, would you grant me permission if I can prove that I can protect myself in the north?¡± The emperor looked puzzled but answered. ¡°Maybe, but the north is a ce where even the best knights are always exposed to danger.¡± Eurius winked at Count Carlos. ¡°Your Majesty, the newmander of the imperial guard, Count Carlos, has something to say to you.¡± ¡°Count?¡± This time, not only the emperor but everyone in the hall tilted their heads. Why did the taciturn man suddenly open his mouth at this moment? ¡°It is what I felt while training the first prince for the past year.¡± The count didn¡¯t say much. ¡°I think the first prince¡¯s achievements areparable to some of the imperial guards.¡± Eurius smiled faintly. This was certainly true. The count was notpletely his subordinate yet, but it was not difficult to ask him to tell an obvious fact. ¡°¡­¡± The hall was silent for a moment. Count Carlos closed his mouth after saying that, but neither the emperor nor the other ministers asked him anything. He was not a person who would joke. ¡®Did the first prince really have such talent?¡¯ They had heard that he was good at martial arts, but he was still a prince after all. Usually, even the knights who devoted themselves to swordsmanship for decades could not reach the level of the royal guards! ¡®It¡¯s time for the finale.¡¯ Eurius winked at Marius next. ¡°Your Majesty, Marius also has something to tell you.¡± ¡®Although it is a dangerous ce, I believe that Prince Eurius will be able to endure it well.¡¯ Marius looked reluctant but firmly spoke. ¡°The first prince has recently graduated from the military department of Savior Academy with excellent grades. I think he has no problem as amander.¡± The emperor¡¯s closest aide Marius and themander of the imperial guard. Their words were heavy. The emperor did not make a decision right away, but he seemed to be swayed a lot. ¡°I will decide on that matterter.¡± ¡®It¡¯s almost done.¡¯ But Eurius was sure that he could go to the north. The reason was as follows. ¡°The first prince has brought up a risky gamble.¡± ¡°He is talented, but the north is really dangerous¡­¡± All the ministers thought that Eurius had nned this to aim for the crown prince¡¯s position. In fact, even if he became the crown prince now, his position would not be stable as long as his achievements were simr to Leonhardt¡¯s. But what if he made a contribution in the north, which was one of the biggest issues facing the empire? Then his status as the first prince would be solid enough to be the crown prince anytime. Even the bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction hadplicated expressions this time. ¡°He has a lot of youthful vigor, but I don¡¯t know how it will turn out.¡± They didn¡¯t say it out loud, but it was an open secret that the emperor favored the first prince who had strong support from the bureaucrats and waspetent. Perhaps the emperor would also send Eurius to the north with this opportunity if he proved his ability enough. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on how Eurius¡¯s journey to the north would turn out. Chapter 28: Departure Chapter 28: Departure Several days had passed since Eurius¡¯sing-of-age ceremony. ¡°If that¡¯s his choice, we have to respect it!¡± The emperor had no choice but to grant permission to Eurius¡¯s persistent request. He liked Eurius¡¯s spirit, which reminded him of his own youth, and he thought it was a good opportunity for him to build his achievements. ¡°As soon as the northern road construction is finished, send the first prince Eurius to the development area!¡± With the emperor¡¯s approval, the first thing that started was the arrangement of the troops that would escort the first prince. In fact, there were already enough troops deployed in the north to finish the road construction and guard against the barbarians from the north. Eurius only needed to choose a few people who would escort him safely to the north and stay with him there. ¡°I¡¯m honored to apany you, Your Highness!¡± Heinz, the knight, couldn¡¯t hide his joy at the thought of finally repaying Eurius for his kindness. ¡®One escort knight is enough for him.¡¯ He had to win over the hearts of the northern people as well. He didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary factional fights with the northern knights, so he limited his close aides to Heinz alone. ¡®The rest is just a matter of traveling there¡­¡¯ He could persuade the northern people when he got there. But right now, his interest was in another connection. ¡®The Blue Dragon Merchant Guild has gained a lot of influence in the northtely, right?¡¯ Trading with the Blue Dragon Merchant Guild was also an essential task for him. He nned to meet with the guild master for the first time on his way to the north. ¡®I¡¯ll let Marius know in advance about the contact.¡¯ While Eurius was making ns, there was a ce that was not idle either. ¡®As expected, my prediction was not wrong.¡¯ It was none other than Duke Wilhelm. He thought he had to rate the first prince¡¯s talent higher than he expected, and then this happened. ¡®Quite a sharp move. The first prince is not an easy kid after all.¡¯ The north was risky, but the duke already had a rough idea of the first prince¡¯s strength through his son-inw, Count Carlos. Besides, the empire¡¯s troops were strong. He would have many knights escorting him, and if he had some ability to protect himself in a battle, how hard could it be to deal with a few uncivilized barbarians? At least in the duke¡¯smon sense, there was little possibility that the first prince would lose in this northern venture. The worst case scenario he could think of was that he would face difficulties in subjugating the immigrants and request additional troops, prolonging the situation. The development itself would not be a problem. ¡®And then he wille back with that as his achievement.¡¯ The duke decided to try to set up something himself this time. ¡®Then I have to prepare something appropriate for him.¡¯ He tried to interfere with the first prince¡¯s ability as much as possible in his sess in the north. And he also had to prepare another support n for the second prince Leonhart to achieve somethingparable to the northern campaign. Count Wace was also biting his nails nervously. He had been having trouble sleepingtely because of his sense of crisis. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve already lost the duke¡¯s trust!¡¯ All matters rted to the first prince were discussed with him first by the duke, weren¡¯t they? But this time, there was no sign of calling him at all. ¡®Lately, nothing has gone well for me in the north.¡¯ From road construction to Blue Dragon Merchant Guild¡¯s rise to Eurius¡¯s sudden remark, Wace felt a headache whenever he heard the word ¡®north¡¯. ¡®But leaving the pce might be a blessing in disguise.¡¯ No one in this world could harm a royal family member inside the pce. ¡®But outside, it¡¯s not impossible.¡¯ In fact, even outside, it was impossible to harm a first prince who would surely have strict escorts. But Wace knew one ce that could make that impossible possible. ¡®I should contact Samarqand.¡¯ Wace made up his mind. He nned to get rid of Euriuspletely this time. ¡®The north is a very dangerous ce. You made a wrong choice this time, Prince Eurius.¡¯ A chilling light shed in Wace¡¯s eyes. It was a unteral method that he didn¡¯t tell the duke, but if he seeded, his position would rise again greatly. The north of the empire was wide, even though it was called that on this continent. The road construction connected only between central and north, but it was only to connect the advance base for the development of the north and the capital. The basic purpose of the empire¡¯s development was to secure the idle ins in the north. Above that were the mountainous areas where the immigrants lived, which were hard to conquer and had nothing to gain. But the problem was those immigrants. Even if they developed the ins, it would be useless if they couldn¡¯t stop their raids. So the empire¡¯s n was twofold.
    1. To develop the ins gradually using the northern advance base.
    1. To fend off or even uproot the immigrants who came to raid in the meantime.
It was a long-term n, but Eurius didn¡¯t n to stay there for years. ¡®I just need to find some people who can help me in the north and stabilize it a bit.¡¯ It was about time for Nuada, who would be the loser of the north, to rise. He would take care of the north anyway. ¡®He is not only strong, but also wise.¡¯ In fact, no matter how wild and fierce the north was, it couldn¡¯tpete with the Scharnos Empire. But the problem was that it was also hard for the empire to stop the immigrants who fought guerri warfare in the mountains. ¡®In the end, peace is the answer, so this time it will go in a simr way?¡¯ Of course, if a country like the empire had enough talent, it could deploy arge number of central knights and push out the mountains, but there was no ruler who would do such a massacre. ¡®I¡¯ll help Nuada and make him rule over the north.¡¯ This was the core of his n for the north. But as an first prince, he had to gain the trust of the people there first before he could act on his own. ¡®And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll also take some benefits for myself.¡¯ Finally, the day came for Eurius to depart for the north. ¡°I trust you to do well. The current governor of the north, Count Anderson, is an experienced veteran. He will be of great help to you.¡± The emperor gave him a light encouragement and advice. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± After bowing, Eurius left the pce and headed to where his preparations for the northern journey were. It was different from when he studied abroad in the Holy Kingdom. The scale itself was different. Dozens of knights surrounded the carriage tightly, and Heinz, the knight who was in charge of his security, joined him as he got on the carriage. ¡°I heard that the northern knights are really rough. I¡¯m worried if Your Highness can adapt to them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? I¡¯ll find out when I get there. Anyway, I¡¯m not going to the north to have afortable life.¡± Eurius answered with a rxed tone. Heinz was worried, but he thought differently. ¡®Heinz seems to be from around the capital. He might have a hard time this time. I hope he can endure it.¡¯ The north and central-south were quite different in climate, terrain, and even people¡¯s personalities. ¡®Even if they are from the same empire, their tendencies vary depending on the region. How much more different would they be from the immigrants who have apletely different lifestyle? That¡¯s why everyone treats them as barbarians.¡¯ He thought about various things as he got on the carriage. The first destination was Stefan, a city that could be called a trade point between central and north. There, he nned to execute his first step of the northern n: contacting the Blue Dragon Merchant Guild. And while he was leaving, a small change also started in the north. This was a mid-slope of a mountain range in the north. ¡­ Creak creak. There was a huge rock as big as a house that swayed slightly in the strong wind and made a noise. And in front of it stood a man. His stature was imposing. A giant body that was a head taller than others, a straight nose, and strong eyes! He looked like he was in his thirties? ¡®Finally, this day hase.¡¯ The man recalled his past for a moment. ¡°Never anger the mountain god!¡± ¡°A disaster wille to our vige!¡± These were the words he had heard from the adults since he was a kid. His tribe lived in a branch of a deep mountain range. Not far from their vige was this huge rock that swayed whenever the wind blew. Their vige was in an area where strong winds blew between the mountains. The wind whistled through the valley and made the rock sway. Creak creak. Whenever they heard that sound, his friends and family always trembled with fear. ¡°The rock of divine punishment will fall and destroy our tribe!¡± ¡°The wind is a warning from the mountain god!¡± The old men of the tribe always told such stories and scared the children. In fact, the rock swayed severely but never fell for hundreds of years. It was a huge threat to their tribe if it fell, but it never did. But his thoughts were different from others since he was young. ¡®Why do we have to live in fear?¡¯ Every time a blizzard came, his family, rtives, andrades all shivered with fear of the rock of divine punishment. ¡®What an iprehensible worry.¡¯ As his head grew up, he soon found himself sneering. The rock just swayed a bit, but it never fell for hundreds of years. ¡®How foolish it is to always fear a disaster that will nevere?¡¯ He grew up with such thoughts. His height grew more and more, and his body became stronger. People soon chose him as the best warrior of their tribe without hesitation. And finally! He stood in front of this rock with an absurd name: rock of divine punishment. Boom!!!! Was it called thunderbolt out of nowhere in the east? It felt like lightning struck the rock with an intense shock. The man slowly turned around. His tribesmen who followed him were all speechless at that sight. ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± There was no other word than astonishment. ¡®The rock of divine punishment turned into dust with one punch?¡¯ That¡¯s right! The solid rock that had stood still for hundreds of years turned into dust with one punch from this man. Not just broken. The entire rock was shattered and some parts turned into dust and flowed down. It was unbelievable that a human hand made of flesh and blood could do such a destructive power! The man silently clenched his fist again and raised it high in the sky. At that moment, hundreds of shouts echoed in the valley! ¡°Woaaaaaaah!!!!!¡± ¡°Nuada!¡± ¡°Nuada!!¡± ¡°He is indeed our new chief!¡± This man¡¯s name was Nuada. ording to Eurius¡¯s prediction, he was the man who would rule as the Winner of the north in the future. Chapter 29: Blue Dragon Merchant Guild Chapter 29: Blue Dragon Merchant Guild About a week¡¯s sailing distance from the eastern port of the continent where the empire was located, there was a newnd that the people of the continent generally called the eastern continent. Even though the distance between the two continents was rtively close, there was not much exchange between them until two hundred years ago. The reason was that the continent was in a turbulent chaos at that time, but also that people had no interest in the eastern continent itself. The navigation skills and shipbuilding skills to withstand the rough waves were not well developed, and there were few countries that had enough resources to go to the eastern continent. Besides, all the countries on the continent were suffering from wars, so they couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention. But a man who suddenly appeared from the east made the name of the eastern continent widely known. yer Manbyongwang Lee Cheongmun! His fame becameparable to that of Scharnos Emperor, who was dominating the continent with his overwhelming power at that time, in less than ten years after he appeared. ¡®The strongest among the yers is one of these two.¡¯ But contrary to everyone¡¯s expectation of their showdown, an unexpected situation happened. It was that Lee Cheongmun, who always worked hard, joined Scharnos Emperor¡¯s camp. Their alliance, which was second to none among the yers at that time, was like adding wings to a tiger. Of course, the chaos on the continent was quickly resolved, and there were many people who asked him about the mysterious east. ¡°I came from ¡®Hwan¡¯ across the sea.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else, and soon after, the yers disappeared from the continent. Since then, the eastern continent left a strong impression in people¡¯s minds. As a result, Scharnos Empire was the first to send an envoy to the east. The result was surprising. There was a huge country in the east that had a culture simr to that of the empire, although its race and lifestyle were somewhat different. [Hwan Empire] It was an ancient country that had existed in the east for hundreds of years. Of course, Lee Cheongmun was also a legendary warrior there. The two continents cautiously tried to contact each other, and after a hundred years, they became quite friendly. Recently, trade has also be active, and it is not umon to see people from the eastern continent with brown skin in major cities of the empire. Among them, the Blue Dragon Merchant Guild, which came into the continent most actively and pursued business, had already made its name known in the empire. Of course, there was no need to say more about why. ¡°Your Highness! Wee!¡± Marius greeted Eurius with a fuss. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How have you been?¡± Eurius finally arrived at Stefan, a city designated as the first development base in the north. It was also where the northern road construction, which was about to bepleted recently, started. ¡°How is the progress of the construction?¡± ¡°Count Anderson is giving us enough support. I think there won¡¯t be any problem until Your Highness arrives at Valdes Fortress.¡± Count Anderson was one of the two superhumans who were outside of the empire. He was an experienced veteran who had spent almost his entire life defending against the immigrants in the north. ¡°If he¡¯s taking care of it, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Eurius answered nonchntly and followed Marius¡¯s guidance into Stefan. From the entrance, many bureaucrats who came for construction bowed to him. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness!¡± He casually waved his hand in response and looked around at the city¡¯s situation. ¡®The development progress is better than expected. Is it because of the early contact with Blue Dragon Merchant Guild?¡¯ Stefan was originally not a big city as it was the only city in existence in the north before road construction began. But with the influx of materials and workers from the guild for road construction and the residents who were slowly moving northward for the development of the north, it achieved considerable growth. Now it was a medium-sized city with many people moving busily. Eurius looked around Stefan with bureaucrats for a while and then went into the official residence under the pretext of relieving his travel fatigue. He didn¡¯te out for a day. The reason was obvious: he still had steps left for contacting Blue Dragon Merchant Guild. ¡°Do you really have to meet them in person? If Shin goes instead¡­¡± Marius looked at him with a worried expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they requested? And they did a good job for me, so I have to respond with a corresponding condition. That¡¯s the basic of trade.¡± Eurius didn¡¯t have a bit of worry, so he answered casually and asked again. ¡°Anyway, I want to check the basic information again after four years of trading. What do you think of Blue Dragon Merchant Guild?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Marius thought for a moment and then his face became more worried. ¡°Actually, they were more outstanding than we expected.¡± Blue Dragon Merchant Guild belonged to one of the major guilds that everyone knew in the east. However, Marius was an elite among elites in the continent. He secretly looked down on them as mere merchants, but the negotiation was not easy from the first deal. ¡°I will give you some favors within a reasonable range. So¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I don¡¯t think we need that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Marius chose Blue Dragon Merchant Guild to get rid of Wace. It didn¡¯t suit his personality, but he was willing to take some losses and help them. But he was rejected in one word. In front of Marius, a young man with brown skin wearing a neat eastern-style outfit appeared as the guild master. ¡®He said they were well-known in Hwan, but this brat is the guild master?¡¯ Marius was caught off guard by this unexpected twist. ¡°Haha, but Ryan Trading Guild, whichpetes with you, is thergest guild in our Sharnos Empire. It will be quite difficult to surpass their standards?¡± ¡°We have some conditions that we can offer from our side.¡± A young woman came out from behind the young man and brought some documents rted to the construction. ¡°Hmm?¡± The bidding conditions were not bad. With this, he could refuse Wace¡¯s demands and he wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything. ¡®He must have put some effort into it since it¡¯s his first entry. It¡¯s not surprising that he would invest that much toe to another continent.¡¯ At first, Marius didn¡¯t think much of it. There were plenty of guilds that invested boldly even if they had to take some losses. But as the construction progressed, he had to change his mind. ¡®This guild is not ordinary in terms of skills.¡¯ Of course, Marius didn¡¯tpletely ignore their convenience. The prejudice itself that they were foreigners from across the sea was a big barrier. But even considering that, the expansion ability of Blue Dragon Merchant Guild was extraordinary. ¡®At this rate, they could have achieved their original goal even without my support.¡¯ Blue Dragon Merchant Guild gradually took over the share that Ryan Trading Guild should have taken with their amazing skills, and finally surpassed them in terms of influence in the north. That was why Wace Duke was so furious. They were too good for a guild that just jumped in from another continent. That was fine, but another problem arose. ¡®But that¡¯s the problem.¡¯ His original n was to give them some favors and make them virtually inseparable from him. But contrary to his n, this guild grew almost on their own. In other words, they exceeded his level of control. And a few years ago, they started making this request. ¡°We want to see your boss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit difficult.¡± ¡°Is there any special reason?¡± Marius had nothing to say. He couldn¡¯t bring Eurius who was in the pce, and he seemed to have figured out that there was someone behind him even though he thought he had hidden it. So he sent a letter to Eurius in the pce and got this reply. ¡°I¡¯ll go see them after I finish mying-of-age ceremony. They probably won¡¯t say much even if it takes a while. I¡¯ll have to go see the northern construction anyway by then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± What does that mean? Marius realized as soon as he received that letter. ¡®His Highness Eurius is trying to build his reputation in the north!¡¯ He tried to dissuade him several times because it was too dangerous, but he didn¡¯t listen. He tried to divert his attention by sending him abroad for study, but it ended up differently from what he intended and Eurius came to the north. After finishing his shback, Marius said with a slightly gloomy expression. ¡°The appointment with the guild master is set for tomorrow night.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯m more interested now.¡± ¡°As I told you, he¡¯s not an easy one. I don¡¯t doubt your ability, but please be careful.¡± Eurius didn¡¯t really care what conditions they would offer him for meeting him. ¡®I have one or two things to ask them anyway. I can¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡¯ And the day came for him to contact them. [Blue Dragon Merchant Guild] Eurius was guided into a building with a sign written in eastern letters. ¡°Your Highness, if anything happens, please call me right away.¡± He brought some trustworthy knights including Heinz outside just in case. ¡®Well, I won¡¯t need to call them.¡¯ If something happened to him here, it wouldn¡¯t matter if he called them or not. ¡°This is it.¡± Eurius was guided to the highest floor of the guild and saw the young guild master who Marius had mentioned as soon as he entered the room. ¡°Greetings to the First Prince of the Empire.¡± As soon as he appeared, the guild master greeted him politely and Eurius clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®As I expected, he knew everything and called me.¡¯ Blue Dragon Merchant Guild had a more formidable background than what was known in the continent. No matter how much he tried to hide it, the most likely one to be behind him was himself if they investigated properly. They thought they had poked the emperor¡¯s pride by this sudden greeting. ¡®But¡­ I also know a thing or two about you guys.¡¯ Eurius smiled and greeted him back. ¡°I¡¯m honored to meet the people of [Je Gal Se Ga], the disciples of the famous Manbyongwang!¡± Chapter 30: Mujebibo Chapter 30: Mujebibo A few hours before the contact. ¡°I¡¯m meeting the first prince of the empire¡­¡± The man in blue clothes was thinking about the contact that would take ce today. ¡°He must be an extraordinary person, to secretly raise a different faction at such a young age and try to create his own power base.¡± In fact, the reputation of the first prince had risen considerably within the empiretely. ¡°But things didn¡¯t go as we wanted.¡± What he had exchanged with the first prince was a half-and-half deal, no matter how he calcted the profit and loss. The first prince wanted to take away the share of the Ryan Trading Guild, and he wanted to expand his foundation in the northern part of the empire. So far, neither side had owed much to each other. He was not an easy opponent. But he had absolute confidence that he would get what he wanted this time. However, as soon as he heard the first words of the first prince, he had to admit that his judgment was wrong. ¡°I¡¯m honored to meet the people of [Je Gal Se Ga],, one of the four martial arts sects of Manbyongwang!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± The man barely suppressed his shakenposure, which had been honed for ten years. ¡®How does this first prince know who is behind us?¡¯ There was no force across the sea in Hwan that could be sure that they were behind the Cheongryong faction, except for the groups that hadparable power to their main house. ¡°It¡¯s an honor that you know our foundation in the east. You are indeed no ordinary person, Your highness.¡± He seemed confident enough to confront him bluntly, as if to prove his words. ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding it.¡± The man pretended to be calm and sat face to face with Eurius. ¡°As I told Marius, I¡¯m Jegal Geon, who is in charge of this Cheongryong faction. I¡¯m honored to meet you again, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Look at this?¡± Eurius also spoke calmly, but he was quite flustered. The reason was the stats of his opponent. ¡°Stat window!¡± [Jegal Geon] Job: Spearman, Merchant, Instructor Strength A Agility S Intelligence A Mental A Force Aptitude A Force A+ Disposition: Family love, Loyalty [Traits] Spear Arts (S+) Breath of Cheongryong ¨C One of your legacies as a yer. If you learn it, you will get additional bonuses to your agility and force depending on your proficiency. You can view your unique abilities ording to your legacy after you learn them. ¡°Ding!¡± [You have discovered a yer¡¯s legacy.] [A new item has been added to the help menu. Added item: Lee Cheong-mun] [Collecting legacies will increase your achievements.] ¡®I expected something about Manbyongwang.¡¯ Of course, Eurius knew that this Cheongryong faction was a ce that inherited the martial arts of Manbyongwang, so he was not surprised by the legacy itself. What surprised him was the level of Jegal Geon, who imed to be the owner of this Cheongryong faction. ¡®He¡¯s not a superhuman. But if it¡¯s purebat ability, he¡¯s not much different from a great warrior.¡¯ He remembered the conversations he had with Dios Duke while training with him a few months ago. ¡°That means there are many strong people who are not superhuman warriors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Was it because he inherited a yer¡¯s legacy? This man named Jegal Geon was a great warrior in his previous life, even though he didn¡¯t have a chance to show his skills properly. ¡®He¡¯s just a dispatched person from another continent.¡¯ Maybe there were more warriors like him in Hwan Empire, where his main house was located. If someone who wasn¡¯t even the highest authority had this level, maybe there were superhuman-level warriors too. ¡®It would be hard to get Lee Cheong-mun¡¯s legacy unless it¡¯s a very good condition. It looks almost impossible to take it away by force.¡¯ The reason why Eurius wanted to contact this Cheongryong faction was firstly because of the yer¡¯s legacy. He didn¡¯t know any other ce where he could find out the source of it for sure. The second reason was his n that he had made before getting the quest about the legacy. He wanted to grow the Cheongryong faction more in the north and make them his reliable trading partner and source of funds. ¡®But I have a lot of things I want from them.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s fine. But I have a lot of things I want to ask from the Cheongryong faction.¡± ¡°We owe you a great favor, Your highness. Please tell us anything.¡± He said that, but of course he had no intention of doing so. ¡®I don¡¯t know what you want, but there¡¯s no deal if the condition is absurd.¡¯ ¡°First of all, you must know that our empire is enthusiastic about developing the north.¡± Eurius reveals his trump card that he had been thinking about. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a considerable share of the profits from that development. That¡¯s the deal I¡¯m offering.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by development.¡± Jegal Geon asks with a puzzled look. The road construction was almostpleted. Cities would gradually be built in the north and the logistics would be more active. He was also preparing for such a business, even without the emperor mentioning it. ¡°This is confidential.¡± Jegal Geon shows a surprised expression for the first time when he hears Eurius¡¯s words. ¡°Are you saying that it really exists in the northern mountains?¡± ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t prove it, but it will be revealed soon when the northern development begins.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Jegal Geon falls into a dilemma. If the condition that this emperor offered was true, this deal was a huge opportunity that exceeded his imagination. It was not something that he could solve with his authority alone. Then he wonders. What does this first prince want in exchange for such a condition? ¡°We have nothing to lose in this deal. But it¡¯s a big deal, so we need some time to think about it. And¡­¡± ¡°You also need to confirm if my initial condition is true.¡± Eurius interrupts him and casually gets up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m nning to stay in the north for at least a few years because of the northern development. I can be contacted anytime.¡± He turns his body as if he has nothing more to say. ¡°I¡¯ll guarantee you with my name that I hope we can cooperate more in the future.¡± Jegal Geon stands up quickly and bows his head. ¡°We will think carefully about the terms of the deal and contact our main house.¡± ¡°Oh! And one more thing.¡± Eurius leaves onest word and leaves the room. ¡°Next time, bring the real owner of the faction. To be honest, it¡¯s quite unpleasant to keep sitting someone who isn¡¯t even the highest authority as a representative.¡± Jegal Geon stands still in his ce as if he was frozen. ¡®Does he mean that he noticed not only who is behind our main house, but also that?¡¯ ¡®Well, of course I know. I¡¯ve met the real owner of the faction.¡¯ Eurius smiles inwardly and walks out of the building happily. After he left, a momentter. ¡°Geon, you made a lot of mistakes today that were unlike you. You know that, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. Miss.¡± The person who had imed to be the owner of the faction bowed his head to a young woman who looked like a maid standing behind him from the beginning. She was the real leader of Cheongryong faction. ¡°But I won¡¯t me you. Even I would have had a hard time keeping calm today.¡± ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness.¡± She clenches her chin and thinks. ¡°The first prince of the empire, Eurius¡­¡± Chapter 31: The Assassin Guild Chapter 31: The Assassin Guild ¡°So, what do you think of him? The First Prince?¡± The woman finally asked after being lost in thought for a while. ¡°His mind was extraordinary, to say the least. I have no idea how he got the information about our n. It¡¯s beyond my limited intelligence.¡± Jegal Geon answered, and the woman put her hand on her forehead. ¡®I know, right? Where did the leake from?¡¯ She also wondered about that. Could it be that another of the four martial ns deliberately leaked the information? She asked the next question that intrigued her. ¡°How about his martial arts? They say he¡¯s quite skilled for a prince, and it seems to be true. I couldn¡¯t figure him out at all.¡± ¡°Actually, neither could I.¡± Jegal Geon replied with an embarrassed expression. The woman looked surprised. ¡°You couldn¡¯t? You¡¯re one of the best martial artists in our n, except for father. How could you not gauge his level?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. He clearly had the aura of a martial expert in his bones and movements, but his exact realm was obscured like by a fog.¡± Jegal Geon fell silent for a moment, then cautiously concluded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but he might be a master who reached the Heart Realm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time, the woman was speechless. The way the easterners divided the stages of martial artists was different from the western continent. If they said someone reached the Heart Realm in the east, it meant they were a Transcendent in the west! They were the top martial artists in the eastern continent, and this brat prince who just turned twenty was one of them? But she soon epted it. She always considered the worst-case scenario, which was her greatest strength. ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll have to take it into ount.¡± The man who was assisting her now was one of the strongest martial artists in her n, except for her father and some elders. There was little chance that he was wrong. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone who could fool my eyes like that, except for father.¡± But another question popped up in her head. ¡®Even if he¡¯s such a martial artist, why does he want to see the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath?¡¯ The Panacea Scroll was a treasure that was no different from their n¡¯s lifeline. No matter how skilled a martial artist was, they couldn¡¯t steal it by just ncing at it a few times. ¡®Could it be that he really wants to study the yers under the pretext of asking for it?¡¯ Jegal Hwayoung, the eldest daughter of the Jegal n and a renowned beauty in her n, who was overseeing their n¡¯s migration n to the western continent, couldn¡¯t help but tilt her head. ¡­ ¡°Your Highness, did anything happen?¡± ¡°They were more polite than I expected. Nothing happened. They just said they would appreciate my cooperation.¡± Eurius returned to his residence and thought about the people of the Azure Dragon n (Cheongryong) who were probably racking their brains by now. He came up with this n after he got some information about ¡®The yer¡¯s Legacy¡¯. ¡®I need to clear quests to raise my achievements. And the only clue I have is the legacy.¡¯ ¡®Open help.¡¯ [Help ¨C The yer¡¯s Legacy: Opening Lee Cheongmun.] [Lee Cheongmun: A yer who was proficient in all weapons and unarmedbat. Among his four special martial arts skills, he called them ¡®The Four Death Arts¡¯. Your achievements will increase every time you collect one of the Death Arts.] [The Four Death Arts: Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath (Not Acquired), ???, ???, ???] ¡®The secret of the yers and the way to be stronger are all tied to my achievements.¡¯ He was stillcking in powerpared to the strongest people on the continent. He was working hard, but the fastest way was to follow the [System]¡¯s guide. ¡®They¡¯ll have to ept it if they have any sense.¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t a genius who could master one of the Death Arts, the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath, as soon as he got it. But he had something to believe in! [Help ¨C Traits, Skills: yers can acquire skills or traits written in the legacy immediately. However, if proficiency is required, you need to train.] That¡¯s right! The yers¡¯ characteristic was that they could store the contents of the legacy as soon as they got it. They could learn it slowly. ¡®All they have to do is show me, and they can watch me while I look at it. They won¡¯t refuse such a condition!¡¯ He threw out the bait. Now he just had to wait for them to contact him. And he had a task to aplish in order to achieve the condition he offered. He had to reach the northern mountains and meet Nuada. ¡®I wonder if I can subdue Nuada.¡¯ Nuada, the king of the northern mountains. As far as Eurius knew, he was the most talented martial artist he had ever seen, except for Beatrix. He was probably in his prime now and must be unifying the northern forces. That¡¯s why Eurius trained desperately to reach the Transcendent Realm. He had to either subdue him in one go or at least earn his respect. ¡®I need to be stronger!¡¯ Collecting Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy would open a new path for him. Meanwhile. ¡°The First Prince has just arrived in Stefan.¡± When Wace heard the news, he quickly made an excuse that he had urgent business in the upper echelon and headed south. And when Eurius finished his business with the Azure Dragon n and was preparing to head north, Wace was in a city that was a contact point with the southern desert kingdom. ¡°This way¡­¡± A person wearing a ck hood led him to a basement of a building. ¡®What a gloomy ce.¡¯ Wace thought that they really set the mood for assassins and grumbled inwardly. It wasn¡¯t his first time here. His main source of ie for his Ryan Trading Guild was trade with the southern desert kingdom, and naturally, he heard some secret information from them as well. An assassination group that could kill anyone for a price! The southern powerhouses called them the Assassination Guild. Count Wace had received their help quite a bit to rise to his position. But as he gained more power, he didn¡¯t need to use such means as much, anding here meant that he was really desperate. ¡°Long time no see.¡± There was only one person sitting in the dark room, wearing a dark hood as well. ¡°¡­¡± Count Wace sat down and greeted him lightly, but the other person didn¡¯t move at all. When he felt awkward, the hooded person finally opened his mouth. ¡°Who is your target?¡± His voice was always like a snake hissing, disgusting. Count Wace shuddered inwardly as he answered. ¡°Kill the first prince of the empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hooded man closed his mouth for a moment, as if thinking, then replied with a rustling sound. ¡°The target is top-ss.¡± This assassination guild had two criteria for determining the price of a request. The first was the status of the target. The first prince of the empire was undoubtedly among the top-ss. And the hooded man asked the second question. ¡°What is the level?¡± The level referred to the target¡¯s escort force and the target¡¯s own strength. At this point, Wace pondered for a while. ¡®Count Carlos said he was about the level of a royal guard knight.¡¯ Royal guard knights were among the top-ranked warriors in the empire. They were at least in the third stage of the super-entry level. But how high would the level of the prince, who was only twenty years old, be among them? Wace, who had been gauging Eurius¡¯s strength for a while, decided to invest a little more. ¡°The escort force consists of northern knights, but due to the nature of their mission to develop the north, they won¡¯t always be with him. And as for the prince¡¯s strength level¡­¡± Wace cautiously continued, thinking that it was unlikely but possible. ¡°Assume it¡¯s master-ss and send enough people. Just in case.¡± Wace had to cut off Eurius¡¯s life this time. That¡¯s why he offered arge amount of money. The hooded man answered without hesitation this time. ¡°Then it¡¯s first-ss.¡± Even though he was told to assume that the target had a master-ss strength and was escorted by elite knights of the empire, the hooded man judged it as first-ss. ¡®Then who would qualify for top-ss?¡¯ He had actually asked that once out of curiosity. ¡°Heh, then are those who get top-ss levels superhumans or something?¡± No matter how much they flew or crawled, could they assassinate the strongest ones on the continent? Wace joked, but the reaction of the other party was surprisingly cold. A sh of murderous intent in his eyes shot at Wace. ¡°Nothing is impossible for our Assassin¡¯s Guild.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Wace felt such a terrifying aura for the first time, except for Wilhelm Grand Duke¡¯s anger. ¡®They are really unpleasant people.¡¯ But their performance was too solid. Wace had never seen any of his designated targets alive within the period they casually spat out. ¡°Well, then, top-ss target and first-ss level¡­¡± The hooded man wrote down a simple amount on a piece of paper and handed it over. Wace expected it, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter when he saw the amount. At this rate, even he, who was one of the richest men in the empire, would have to pull out from above and even spend some of his personal assets. ¡®But if they can assassinate the first prince of the empire, this much is worth paying.¡¯ ¡°The money will be in by the deadline.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll move as soon as it¡¯s confirmed. The deadline is six months.¡± It took a long time to get from the southern desert to the northern part of the empire. And since there was a strict escort attached to the target, they had to consider the moment when their guard was thin, so they had to think about that time as well. ¡°I¡¯ll rest assured if you do it. Then I¡¯ll go back.¡± Wace wanted to get out of this gloomy ce as soon as possible. The hooded man didn¡¯t seem to care about that at all, and looked at the note with the assassination target written on it for a moment. ¡®First prince of the empire, Urius.¡¯ In fact, a top-ss target and a first-ss level were rare even by his guild¡¯s standards. ¡®The day of prophecy is not far away, and such a good request came in. The Dark God has blessed us.¡¯ This was a request that required direct action from above. Soon after, the hooded man began to write a report to send to his superiors. And in Stefan, finally came the day when Eurius left for the northern front. ¡°I wish I could go with you, Your Highness, but I have too much work to do here.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you go to a colder ce than here at your age? Haha!¡± Euriusughed off Marius¡¯s worries and held his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You know I¡¯ve lived up to your expectations all this time, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡®Expectations, you¡¯ve exceeded them.¡¯ Marius looked at him with pride. After finishing the greetings, Eurius gave the order to depart. The destination was finally the northern front, Valdes Fortress. There he had to start the real power grab in the north. Chapter 32: Northern Front Chapter 32: Northern Front ¡°Your Highness! We seem to have arrived. That¡¯s Valdes Fortress.¡± After leaving the capital and passing through the development base Stefan, it took a whole week. Eurius finally arrived at Valdes Fortress, which could be called themand tower of the north. yer Scharnos the Great had almost unified the rich central and southern parts of the empire, but there were only two ces he couldn¡¯t conquer. They were the northern mountains centered on Valdes Fortress and the desertnds centered on the southern desert kingdom, and the two difficulties had one thing inmon. They had a natural fortress that took advantage of their geographical advantages and a strong resistance from the natives. Valdes Fortress was the front line to stop the northern immigrants. Heinz, who was not yet used to the cold of the north, shivered a little. ¡°It¡¯s really cold. I heard that the northern knights hardly wear armor, but I can understand why.¡± ¡°More than half of the year is snowing season, so what do you expect?¡± Heinz and Eurius grumbled as they entered the fortress. ¡°Greetings to the first prince of the empire!¡± As soon as he entered, hundreds of knights lined up on both sides greeted him with a loud voice. And at the end of that line was someone Eurius had wanted to see for a long time. ¡°Haha! I haven¡¯t seen you since you were young, Your Highness. I don¡¯t know if you remember me. I¡¯m Anderson.¡± The owner of the voice was a giant in one word. He was over two meters tall and his shoulder width seemed to be twice that of an average adult male. He greeted Eurius with a heartyugh. Eurius was also d to see him in his heart. ¡®He still looks more like a bandit than a knight.¡¯ A giant with an overwhelming physique, squinty eyes, and a beard that grew in any direction. If he wasn¡¯t wearing a knight¡¯s uniform, he would have been mistaken for one of the northern barbarians without a doubt. But Eurius¡¯s eyes were full of affection as he looked at him. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time. I hope to build a good rtionship with him this time.¡¯ Count Anderson was the only one among the four superhumans of the empire who had sided with him. He and the northern knights were the driving force that allowed him to survive the civil war for over ten years. ¡®The northern knights are rough because of the environment, but their loyalty is genuine!¡¯ This was his evaluation of the northern knights in his previous life. The empire was such arge country that the front lines where the troops were deployed were also very wide. Especially in the west, where there were many neighboring countries including the Triphos Kingdom, or in the east, which was just the sea, it didn¡¯t matter much, but in the north and south, they had to bear a considerable amount of material and human costs. The most painful cost among them was the deployment of knights. Knights who could use force were high-end personnel, and more than half of the empire¡¯s knights were deployed in the north and south. But the knights deployed in the north and south were treated as high-end personnel, but they had very different characteristics. First of all, looking at the southern knights, many of them had grown up in a wealthy environment and received enough support. That¡¯s because the southern part of the empire was the base of the archduke faction. Knights who were born in noble families and followed an elite course were the mainstream. On the other hand, the northern knights were different. ¡®The north is cold, harsh, and full of undeveloped wilderness.¡¯ ¡®I heard that battles with barbarians happen frequently.¡¯ It was an environment that normal elites would naturally avoid. Therefore, there were quite a lot of knights who were lucky enough to graduate from the academy asmoners or who came to gain merit by gambling or who were disliked by the power structure and demoted. Naturally, knights from the north and south didn¡¯t get along well. ¡®Northern knight? Aren¡¯t they just miserable things deployed in nowhere? They don¡¯t have any dignity or dignity as knights!¡¯ ¡®Hmph, the southern fat pigs are not knights, but just shy armor! How often do they get to draw their swords as knights!¡¯ Eurius thought that both sides had a point. Indeed, the northern knights were rough and the southern knightsckedbat experience. ¡®But you can¡¯t ignore the environment you grow up in.¡¯ He never looked down on the southern knights. Eurius was also of noble birth and knew best how much merit it was to train in a good environment as he grew up. In order to persuade the northern knights who had been trained roughly by harshbat experience, Eurius needed to make a n of his own. ¡®Count Anderson is a typical northern knight. That will give me a chance to get close to them.¡¯ As Eurius thought, Count Anderson weed him with a hearty appearance on the outside, but when he heard that he wasing to the north, he had to worry a lot. ¡®The first prince seems to underestimate the north too much. He will have to suffer a lot when hees.¡¯ Count Anderson was not only strong and loyal, but also had a sufficient mind and fair judgment unlike his appearance. He was not in charge of changing hundreds of people in the empire by receiving trust from the emperor for nothing. He had no intention of giving any favors to the first prince. ¡®If hees to take away our hard-earned achievements with ttery, he will regret it.¡¯ He nodded his head repeatedly and finally made a decision. ¡°Call Knight Linfield.¡± ¡­ ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°You must have heard the news.¡± The face of Linfield, who was called a knight, tensed slightly. ¡°I heard that His Highness ising here.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll guess why I called you.¡± Knight Linfield sighed in front of his superior Count Anderson. It was not umon for knights in the north, but it would have been surprising for ordinary knights. ¡°It would be hard for other colleagues to amodate His Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, it would be hard if it wasn¡¯t for you who have experience in the central knight corps.¡± Linfield was one of the rare nobles among northern knights, and he was also an intelligent person who had Count Anderson¡¯s trust as a representative confidant. ¡°I n to appoint you as part captain of the squad that will serve His Highness. It will be hard, but this is also for the sake of the empire, so please help His Highness to adapt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me to serve His Highness. Thank you for entrusting me!¡± Of course, Linfield didn¡¯t like the task very much, but what could he do when the count who was changing hundreds of people asked him personally? ¡®I¡¯ll have to adjust his mood slowly.¡¯ Linfield knew well the habits of those who grew up in luxury. He probably expected to receive the first fiery anger from the emperor and sighed deeply. It started with the amodation. ¡­ ¡°I apologize for bringing you to such a humble ce, Your Highness.¡± The room that Eurius was guided to was quiterge, but it was very cold inside. There was only arge firece in the center of the room and a few pieces of furniture including a bed. Although Valdes Fortress was arge castle, it was still a fortress to prevent external invasions. Its interior was less splendid than that of a medium-sized noble¡¯s mansion. ¡®It¡¯s about time to start.¡¯ Linfield was preparing various excuses in his mind, expecting the prince¡¯sint to burst out at any moment¡­ ¡°This is just the right size for me alone. Tell Count Anderson that I¡¯m grateful.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Linfield was greatly surprised. To be honest, even he, who was a nobleman, would think it was too much to stay in such a room. Wasn¡¯t the prince¡¯s reaction too modest? On the other hand, Eurius didn¡¯t care about such things at all. His attention was focused on the knight who was guiding him, Linfield. ¡®Linfield, was it? He looks like a useful talent.¡¯ ¡®Stat window!¡¯ [Gareth Linfield] Job: Intermediate Knight, Intermediate Staff Officer Strength B+ Agility B Intelligence B- Spirit B+ Force Aptitude B- Force B Disposition: Good, Loyal, Flexible [Traits] Swordsmanship (B+) Eurius liked this knight named Linfield. ¡®He¡¯s a different type of knight from Heinz.¡¯ He looked about the same age and had simr skills to Heinz before he received training from Count Carlos. But what Eurius noticed more than that was his intelligence score. ¡®He has quite high intelligence for a northern knight?¡¯ He was more suitable for being a staff officer next to themander than a charging captain on the front line. He had enough military skills and intelligence to handle that. ¡®Maybe Count Anderson values him highly¡­ Maybe he reluctantly gave him to me to please me?¡¯ Eurius had spent half of his previous life as an emperor fighting with the northern knights. He had a rough idea of how they felt about his sudden appearance. ¡®They must not have good feelings.¡¯ So Eurius needed to break their prejudice that he came here to show off his achievements. ¡°Your name is Linfield right?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Linfield felt that it had finallye. The first remark was indeed a sarcastic remark. ¡®I hope there will be no trouble¡­¡¯ But the words that came out of Eurius¡¯s mouth werepletely different from his expectation. ¡°I heard before I came to the north that the knights whoe here for the first time have something called a ¡®ceremony¡¯. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes!¡± Eurius smiled triumphantly. This was the beginning. ¡°Then I guess the knights who came with me need to do that too?¡± ¡°Yes. But if Your Highness wishes, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± Linfield looked puzzled. ¡®Where did he hear that?¡¯ In fact, most of the knights who came to the north didn¡¯t even know that there was such a thing. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know much about it, but if everyone has to do it, I don¡¯t want to be left out.¡± Eurius brought several knights with him for escort, including Heinz. They also had to adapt quickly to the north. ¡®And for that, the ceremony is essential.¡¯ Eurius got to the point. ¡°Then it would be awkward for me, who brought them here, to be left out. Can I join the ceremony too?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Linfield was too surprised. The ceremony was actually an unavoidable measure for the knights from the warm south to get familiar with the north quickly, but it was not something he could rmend to the first prince. ¡°Your Highness! I¡¯m sorry, but that ceremony is not suitable for someone as noble as you. It¡¯s fine for knights, but Your Highness doesn¡¯t have to follow it¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re trying to give me special treatment now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Eurius said casually. ¡°I¡¯m also a brave man who received loyal knight training for over ten years. The more you dissuade me, the more curious I get about what it is.¡± ¡®Your Highness, that¡¯s not something you can handle so easily.¡¯ Linfield felt like his clothes were going to burst, but Eurius never gave up his stubbornness. ¡°Then tell the Count. I don¡¯t like special treatment!¡± ¡®Damn it!¡¯ If he really made the first prince do that, he and Count Anderson would probably have an ufortable rtionship for as long as the first prince stayed here. ¡®Oh, what should I do?¡¯ Linfield had prepared himself for something from the first day of the emperor¡¯s arrival, but he didn¡¯t expect such a big trouble. He walked toward the Count with a throbbing head. Chapter 33: The Test Chapter 33: The Test ¡°Huh, well¡­¡± Andersen, the Count, stroked his casually groomed beard and asked again. ¡°Did His Highness the First Prince ask to take part in the test of the North?¡± ¡°I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Linfield, the Knight, couldn¡¯t even lift his head. ¡®This is awkward. I don¡¯t know where he heard it from, but this is troublesome.¡¯ The Count was also in a difficult situation. He didn¡¯t give any special treatment to the First Prince, but only within reasonable limits. He intended to prevent him from taking advantage of his kindness and generosity, not to treat him like a regr knight. But the Count¡¯s judgment was quick. It was hard to tantly refuse the First Prince¡¯s request anyway. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. Let¡¯s do as he wishes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t suffer any harm. Surely His Highness won¡¯t go back on his own words?¡± ¡ªThe First Prince will take part in the test of the North! This rumor spread quickly among the knights in the fortress. ¡°Is it true? Did Knight Linfield hear it wrong?¡± ¡°This is a big deal.¡± ¡°The oue is obvious, isn¡¯t it? He won¡¯tst a few hours.¡± The opinions of the knights in the fortress were divided. ¡°The test is supposed to be secret, but since he¡¯s the First Prince, maybe they¡¯ll make an exception? He¡¯ll probably just pretend to do it.¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of person the Count is? He¡¯ll probably be furious as soon as he sees the method of the test.¡± The side that rated Eurius highly thought that he would just act as a model for the sake of being a Crown Prince. The general opinion was that Eurius would either throw a tantrum or give up after a few hours of doing the test. Heinz, the Count, also looked doubtful. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a rumor about the test. Does Your Highness really need to do it?¡± He had some sense. It didn¡¯t sound like an ordinary ordeal. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. But I have to earn some respect in this fortress, don¡¯t I? You and I can¡¯t ignore the rules here from the start.¡± Eurius was calm as ever. ¡°I respect Your Highness¡¯s decision.¡± ¡®Count Heinz, please hang in there. I also had a hard time when I first came to the North.¡¯ Eurius silently clicked his tongue and sympathized with Count Heinz¡¯s worries. And finally, the day of the test came. ¡°Usually, knights of the rank of Earl take turns doing it, but since His Highness is participating, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± The person who spoke with a loud voice was none other than Andersen, the Duke. He decided to do the test himself since the target was important. Snow was piled up in one corner of the training ground in the fortress where cold wind blew. ¡®It¡¯s damn cold. What bad luck,ing all the way to the North.¡¯ ¡®What is this test?¡¯ The knights who followed Eurius stood behind him withints in their hearts. The first stage of the test! ¡°Bring me a bucket of water.¡± Some knights brought arge wooden bucket from one side of the training ground. Thud. Then, the Duke casually took off his upper garment and threw it on the ground. He scooped up water from the bucket and poured it over his body. Ssh! ¡®Gasp!¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Is he telling us to do that?¡¯ The knights who followed Eurius couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Taking off your clothes and pouring water over yourself in this weather where snow falls and cold wind blows! But Andersen, the Duke, acted as if nothing happened. He shook his body once to get rid of some water and opened his mouth. ¡°This is the first stage of the test. From now on, you have to do this every morning for a week and run around the training ground for an hour.¡± ¡®They¡¯re crazy!¡¯ That was what the knights who followed Eurius thought. Of course, they were knights who had gone through harsh training. They wouldn¡¯t get sick from doing something like that, but that didn¡¯t mean their stamina could block out the cold. ¡®He can¡¯t be serious. There¡¯s no way His Highness would agree to such a test.¡¯ Ssh! But their desperate hope was dashed. Eurius took off his upper garment without a word and poured water over himself like the Duke did. ¡°It¡¯s quite refreshing. So we just have to run now?¡± His lightning-fast action stunned everyone: The northern knights, Eurius¡¯s knights, and the Duke. But one person seemed to think differently. Ssh! Quickly, Count Heinz also followed him and poured water over himself. There was no hesitation in his action. It was filled with endless trust in Eurius. ¡®His Highness chose to do this. He¡¯s truly an amazing person to do this despite being a royal.¡¯ ¡®You made the right choice.¡¯ Eurius also smiled faintly at Heinz¡¯s loyalty and looked at the other knights behind him without a word. ¡®What are you waiting for? I¡¯m doing this, so you should too.¡¯ It was an unspokenmand. ¡®We¡¯re screwed.¡¯ ¡®How did we end up in the North?¡¯ The other knights also hurriedly took off their upper garments and poured water over themselves. The water that was poured over them froze in an instant in this weather where snow fell. The cold wind added to that, making them feel chilled to the bone. ¡°Heh.¡± To be honest, even Count Anderson was taken aback. He had thought that the first prince was notpletely unaware of the announcement ceremony when he mentioned it, but he had never expected him toply so easily. ¡°Then I will begin the ceremony.¡± The first announcement ceremony of Urius, which was not easy from the start, began like this. ¡®Really, it¡¯s cold.¡¯ Eurius had only seen the announcement ceremony himself, and this was his first time doing it. But he thought it was a necessary step to win their hearts. ¡®Open help.¡¯ [Open help ¨C Do you want to view information rted to leadership?] [The most emphasized basic of leadership is leading by example. Lower yourself first and show a model to your subordinates. The second is¡­¡­.] ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ He had learned this lesson painfully in his previous life. People do not follow a proud or arrogant ruler with their hearts. ¡®If I can get the hearts of the northern knights with this much hardship, it¡¯s cheap.¡¯ Eurius nodded silently in his mind andpleted the kubo splendidly that day. There was a buzz among the northern knights. ¡°Did he really do the first stage?¡± ¡°Is he really going to do the second stage himself?¡± The next thing was the second stage of the northern announcement ceremony. Thud thud! Several field tents were set up in the training ground where Eurius and the knights had run for an hour. The exnation of the Count began in the same solemn tone. ¡°The second stage is to stay here for a week. During your stay, you are not allowed to enter indoors at all.¡± The Count also had some doubts this time. He had said that the first prince was a knight with excellent martial skills. He could endure the cold for an hour a day, but sleeping would be a different story. Unless they were very noble, most people would never sleep anywhere other than a soft bed in their lives, let alone in a normal knight¡¯s field tent in this weather for a week! ¡°It feels like I¡¯m on a pic. I can bear it for a week!¡± The first prince joked as he entered the tent and asked about various things. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For a moment, both the northern knights and the knights brought by Eurius became mute as honey. ¡®Is he really going to stay there for a week?¡¯ ¡®Nah, at most it will be one or two days.¡¯ But the unlikely became reality. Eurius had been doing that for more than three days. He ran hard in the training ground after wetting his body with water in the morning. Then he listened to a detailed exnation of the north with the knights sent by the Count in the tent. ¡°I¡¯m really ashamed. This is not something that the emperor should do.¡± ¡°Haha, didn¡¯t we agree not to talk about that anymore? I¡¯m doing this because I like it. And it¡¯s not so bad to live like this.¡± Eurius was talking with Sir Linfield in the same tent and evenforted him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you staying here on purpose because of me? I have a rough idea of what this announcement ceremony is for.¡± What was the biggest headache for the knights who came to the north? It was the constant threat of cold. No matter how well-trained they were, the climate of the north was not an easy enemy. Even though the cold did not affect theirbat power immediately, the unfamiliar cold slowed down their bodies and became a fatal weakness when they were injured. The knights who had to fight with the barbarians of the north from time to time needed to get used to the cold to some extent. That was why this announcement ceremony was prepared. Wetting their bodies with water in the morning was to learn how to dry and remove moisture from their bodies to prevent frostbite in the blizzard of the north, and setting up field tents was a preliminary learning for knights who had to live outside for days or sometimes months because of their missions. In fact, Eurius had been listening to Sir Linfield¡¯s exnation of how to deal with various situations in the north for three days. ¡°Ouch, the fire went out.¡± Sir Linfield looked at the embers and took out a small stone with a dull blue glow from his pocket. Crackle crackle. Surprisingly, just by putting that stone on it, the embers came back to life and warmth rose again in the tent. ¡°[Dite ore]. I vaguely remember hearing that it is used as an important supply for knights in the north.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it before.¡± ¡®Dite ore.¡¯ This stone looked like nothing but a dull blue pebble at first nce, but it was an ore that emitted a considerable amount of heat when someone who could use even a little force injected some force into it. It was an ideal fuel for heating purposes because it had high efficiency even with very little amount, but unfortunately it was a rare fuel that was only distributed for knights who went on operations because of its scarce reserves. ¡°The truth is, ordinary soldiers also suffer a lot. I want to give it to everyone, but that¡¯s not possible with our budget.¡± Sir Linfield finished his words as if passing by with a regretful tone, but Eurius had something in mind about that point. ¡®If I meet Nuada, maybe that will be possible.¡¯ He had not been able to do it in his previous life, but now he could. Meanwhile, Linfield, the knight, was also watching Eurius, who was lost in thought as he stared at the fire. ¡®He is an amazing person.¡¯ Linfield was from a noble family that was well-known in the central region, but for some reason, his family had fallen into ruin and he had been exiled to the north. That was why he was more familiar with the customs of the nobles than the other knights of the north. And in his eyes, Eurius was no ordinary person. First of all, he had the dignity of an imperial. Eurius had a natural aura of authority that only high nobles or imperials could have. He acted with grace and elegance. But at the same time, he was friendly and approachable to anyone without discrimination. ¡®No wonder he is so popr. He has a reason for it.¡¯ Linfield felt not only loyalty as a knight to the imperial family, but also admiration for Eurius as a person. ¡­ A week passed by quickly. The ceremony was finally over. ¡°I can finally rest in a warm room. You all did well.¡± The other knights were exhausted from the unfamiliar life, but Eurius came out calmly. Outside, there were knights lined up to greet him, led by Anderson, the count. ¡°Your Highness, you have worked hard.¡± The count bowed his head deeply and saluted with his sword as a knight. ¡°I congratte you on passing the trial.¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± The other knights of the north also raised their swords in unison and saluted him. It was a magnificent sight. Usually, only the knights of the unit that he belonged to would wee him with this ritual, but Eurius was special. All the knights came out and saluted him. ¡°Thank you all.¡± Eurius smiled and waved his hand to them. This was how he won the hearts of the people of the north in his first step. Chapter 34: The First Mission Chapter 34: The First Mission Several months had passed since Eurius¡¯s ceremony in the north, which had gone smoothly without any trouble. ¡®So far, so good.¡¯ The first thing that changed after the ceremony was the atmosphere of the knights who dealt with him. Of course, the knights of the north were loyal to the imperialmand. But that was different from following him with their hearts, and Eurius¡¯s rxed attitude during the ceremony period had left a strong impression on them. ¡®It seems that His Highness did note here just to earn some merit.¡¯ ¡®The knights who came with him are also adapting well, right? Especially Sir Heinz, he looks like a nice person and a hard worker.¡¯ Among the others, Sir Heinz was the one who stood out the most. He was a talented person who had followed an elite course with his skills, but he had also faced the barrier of being amoner. Naturally, he had a lot inmon with the knights of the north, and he also had a gentle personality that made him likable. ¡°Your Highness, did you sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°Sir Heinz, do you want to spar with me today?¡± They weed him with a much warmer mood than when they first entered Valdes Fortress. Count Anderson was also like that. He was satisfied today as well, as he received a report from Sir Linfield about Urius. ¡°He is indeed a graduate of the Savior Academy who majored in military science. He learns very fast. I think he can perform his duties as a squad leader soon.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The count read the report several times with a pleased expression and then asked a question. ¡°Where do you think would be the best ce for His Highness¡¯s first mission?¡± Sir Linfield seemed to ponder for a moment and then gave his opinion. ¡°In my personal opinion, I think the Loki Forest on the west side of the mountain range would be good. I don¡¯t think His Highness would be very happy if he faced barbarians on his first mission.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I think too. You have a good point.¡± Valdes Fortress was located at the front line of the north and also served as themand center of the knight order. There were two threats that lurked in the north. The first one was the invasion of barbarians. After the road connecting the central and northern regions waspleted, several pioneer viges had been established, but the barbarians who invaded them for plunder were their biggest threat. The second threat was monsters and spirits. The north had more monsters than usual due to its mountainous nature, and strangely enough, some of them had evolved into powerful beings called spirits after living for a long time. The invasion of ordinary monsters could be prevented by having strong defenses and guards in the viges, but in case of spirits, the knights had to intervene. Of course, they also patrolled regrly to reduce the number of monsters in ces where they appeared, so that such situations would not ur in the first ce. This was the mission that they wanted to entrust to Eurius. ¡°His Highness¡¯s martial skills are outstanding. Even Sir Heinz, who is a former royal guard, has few rivals here.¡± Sir Linfield thought that there would be hardly any threatening situations for Eurius if he just cleared out some monsters. ¡°Is that settled then?¡± Count Anderson rubbed hisrge hands like a pot lid and gave his final request to Sir Linfield. ¡°No matter what, there is always a possibility of an emergency. Please take good care of His Highness.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± That was how Eurius¡¯s first activity in the north was decided. ¡®Monster hunting, huh¡­¡¯ ¡°I was bored of just receiving training for months, so this is good.¡± Eurius got up with a faint smile. He actually wanted to contact the northern immigrants and find out about Nuada¡¯s situation, but he couldn¡¯t be greedy at first. If he gradually built up his merit, the duke would eventually give him more important missions, even if he was a prince. ¡°How is the formation?¡± ¡°It will be centered around Your Highness, with about twenty knights and five hundred soldiers. I think I will be the deputy leader.¡± Sir Linfield scratched his head as if he was embarrassed. ¡°Actually, Sir Heinz is much better than me in terms of skills, but the duke seemed to value my knowledge of the geography of the north.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Heinz and I are still novices in the north, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Sir Heinz also nodded his head readily, as if he liked Sir Linfield¡¯s modest attitude. ¡°I also felt that I couldn¡¯t assist His Highness alone. I trust Sir Linfield.¡± Even though they followed themand system, knights were also warriors. It was not a pleasant thing to go under a lower-ranked warrior of the same knight status, but Sir Heinz didn¡¯t care much. ¡°I appreciate your consideration, Sir Heinz.¡± ¡®As expected, Sir Linfield is also a valuable talent for me. I have to gain more favor from him.¡¯ Eurius also reaffirmed his determination as he listened to their warm conversation. The preparation for departure was done in no time after the formation was decided. ¡°Even though Your Highness¡¯s skills and the apanying knights are enough, you still have to be careful.¡± ¡°I thank you for your concern, count.¡± After a brief greeting, Eurius finally left for his first mission in the north. The formation consisted of twenty skilled knights chosen by the count himself and about five hundred soldiers. It was actually a safe choice considering the difficulty of the mission. It was the count¡¯s consideration for him to seed in his first mission. Loki Forest was a fairlyrge forest that was about five days away from Valdes Fortress. ¡°The main monsters that appear are ice trolls. There are also goblin tribes and asionally a few ogres roaming around. Ah!¡± Sir Linfield¡¯s exnation was cut off abruptly. A day after they started their journey to Loki Forest, they finally encountered a group of monsters. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡®His Highness is new to realbat, so I have to take charge.¡¯ ¡°St!¡± ¡°Kieeek!!¡± But before Linfield could give an order, Eurius¡¯s sword sliced off the arm of a monster that ran towards him. Then Eurius calmly ordered the knights. ¡°Ice trolls, huh? They have high regeneration abilities, so knights should pair up and distract them before cutting their necks or aiming for their heads!¡± ¡®That¡¯s an appropriate response!¡¯ Linfield was inwardly astonished as he dodged the attack of the charging ice troll and shed its leg with his sword. No matter how remarkable the troll¡¯s regeneration was, it couldn¡¯t heal quickly from a deep wound. As its movement slowed down slightly, Heinz, the knight behind him, pierced its head in one breath. The other knights were also veterans who had gone through numerous battles. They divided into teams and faced their opponents. The ice troll pack, which had been about twenty in number, soon became cold corpses lying on the ground. ¡°I was really amazed by Your highness¡¯s quick judgment.¡± ¡°I just remembered the characteristics I saw in the Monster Encyclopedia before.¡± Eurius answered with an indifferent expression and urged them to move on. In this way, the squad led by Eurius had quite a few battles before they arrived near Loki Forest, but they were able to arrive safely without a single casualty. ¡®Your highness has no significantbat experience, as far as I know, but surprisingly, you have excellentmand skills.¡¯ Linfield and the other knights couldn¡¯t help but be impressed inwardly. Of course, they were among the elite knights who were entrusted with the emperor¡¯s escort mission, but Eurius¡¯smand was swift and rational every time a monster appeared. Even Linfield, who had been active as a squad leader in the north for several years, admired him. How much more so for others? ¡®For now, I have to show off mymand skills here.¡¯ Eurius intended not to reveal his powerless side too much in his first mission. What he wanted was contact with the northern immigrants, and to do that, he had to go as amander to a bigger battle than these trivial missions where he led troops intobat. ¡®To do that, it¡¯s faster to be recognized for my ability as amander rather than my personal strength.¡¯ Eurius¡¯smand skills were not as great as those of a famous general like Devon, but they were quite decent for an emperor who had rolled around in many battlefields in his previous life. Especially this kind of small-scale elite activity was very familiar to him. It probably wouldn¡¯t take long to reach the standard that Anderson Marquis wanted. ¡°This is Loki Forest.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s camp here for today.¡± A few tents were set up quickly. If they circled this Loki Forest and cleared out a fewrge monster groups, Eurius¡¯s first mission would bepleted. But Eurius¡¯s intention to order camping was far from rest. ¡®It¡¯s time to catch the tails of those rats.¡¯ Eurius sneaked out of the barracks at midnight and checked if all the knights except the sentries were asleep. ¡°Yawn.¡± The sentry at that time was Linfield. ¡°You look tired.¡± ¡°Ah! Your highness, I¡¯m sorry for showing you this shameful sight.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ve been working hard to assist me.¡± Eurius chatted with Linfield about this and that before getting up. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up at theke over there before I go to sleep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous by yourself. Let me escort you¡­¡± ¡®Sorry, but just sleep for a while.¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± Thud! Eurius knocked out Linfield in an instant and started to distance himself from the campsite at a fast speed. The reason why he knocked out Linfield was because he was worried that his whereabouts would be exposed if he had a knight¡¯s sense even if he distanced himself. ¡®If it was an ordinary soldier, there would be no problem.¡¯ Eurius moved using the Counter-Ear Technique, which made it impossible for a normal soldier to notice him. In the meantime, he leaked some traces to make it easier for the ones he wanted, those who were following his trail, to find him. ¡®This should be enough to have a fight without making any noise.¡¯ Eurius stopped at a clearing in the forest that looked empty and shouted. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe out now?¡± Swoosh. As if they were waiting for his words, ck shadows began to appear in the forest. They looked like they were more than twenty in number. It was amazing that no one except him knew that this many people were following Eurius¡¯s group. Their stealth was incredible. ¡®They look like they¡¯re shouting ¡°I¡¯m an assassin!¡± with their outfits.¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue and drew his sword. The freaks who covered everything except their eyes with ck masks and cloaks! They were a group that had given him a lot of trouble in his previous life. Unless they were superhuman-level warriors, it was almost impossible to detect them when they were stalking with determination. ¡°Is it Daegong? Or Wace?¡± The freaks didn¡¯t answer Eurius¡¯s question at all. They silently surrounded him and approached him. ¡®It seems impossible to get anything out of them by asking.¡¯ Swoosh. The freaks who surrounded him drew their swords first. They were crescent-shaped des that the warriors of the southern desert liked to use. ng. Eurius¡¯s sword and the freaks¡¯ crescent des collided with sparks and friction sounds. In an instant, more than ten shes urred, and the first ones to spill blood were the freaks. Several of them fell to the ground bleeding. The leader of the assassin¡¯s, who was watching the situation from afar, silently raised his hand. ¡°¡­¡± Each of the assassin¡¯s attacks seemed simple at first nce, but they were intricately coordinated attacks to overwhelm a minority. The fact that he broke through them so easily meant that the target¡¯s skill was beyond expectation. ¡®Send in the second team.¡¯ That was what the leader¡¯s raised hand meant. The real terror of them was about to begin. A fierce killing intent filled the eyes of the freaks who surrounded him. There was no retreat for them once the order was given. Shriek! If it was a confrontation where they crossed weapons with each other until now, this time they jumped in without sparing their bodies to block his movement. ¡®You have to give them credit for being persistent.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s sword moved at a dazzling speed. No matter how many they were, it was practically suicide to rush in recklessly against an opponent who was far superior to them. Every time his sword moved, another assassin¡¯s corpse was added without fail. However, that was exactly what the freaks were aiming for. Before Eurius could recover his sword strike that dealt with thest freak who rushed in, dozens of blue lines popped out of the forest and surrounded him in an instant. The lines traced a lightning-like speed and twisted into a shape, wrapping around Eurius in a sh. ¡®This is the end.¡¯ The leader of the assassin¡¯s confirmed his victory inwardly. That was a special product prepared by their sect to deal with warriors above a certain level. The, which was infused with force and tougher than ordinary steel, was hard to cut even for a master-level warrior. He couldn¡¯t count how many outstanding warriors had gone to the other world because of this surprise tactic! ¡®You must have been confident in your skills since you deliberately lured us in, but this is¡­¡¯ Boom! ¡°¡­!?¡± But contrary to the leader¡¯s expectation, the didn¡¯t wrap around Eurius at all. It exploded into pieces with a loud noise. ¡®I guess this is enough for reconnaissance.¡¯ ¡°Shall we start the second round now?¡± Eurius smiled wickedly and pointed his sword at them. Chapter 35: Achievement Chapter 35: Achievement ¡°Let¡¯s start the second round now.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The leader of the assassin¡¯s was flustered by Eurius¡¯s calm remark. ¡®Is this the right information they gave me?¡¯ His guild was a very secretive group, but their informationwork was unparalleled in the continent. He had performed countless missions so far, but this was the first time he couldn¡¯t properly assess the target¡¯s skill. ¡®He has to sacrifice all the personnel he has deployed and take care of the target.¡¯ The guild didn¡¯t tolerate failure. It was the same even if it was a mistake due to wrong information. The other assassins knew that too, so they didn¡¯t slow down their offensive at all. On the contrary, they started to rush in more fiercely to catch Eurius. ¡®This is a perfect opponent to test the results of my training.¡¯ Eurius had actually noticed that these assassins were following him since he left the fortress. ¡®I guess I have a rough idea of who they are, but I¡¯ll deal with them when I get to Loki Forest.¡¯ He wanted to deal with them quietly, but it was too risky to do so in the in where the knights might notice. He had allied with the northern barbarians to replenish his forces in his previous life, while Grand duke had drawn in the southern desert kingdom¡¯s forces. That¡¯s why Eurius was able to detect them with his keen sense and some familiar traces. He had suffered enough from the threat of southern assassins in his previous life. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for the empress I brought in, who wasn¡¯t a superhuman, I would have died ten times.¡¯ In his previous life, he was able to survive thanks to Beatrix¡¯s help. But this time, it was his turn to avenge his previous life grievances. How persistent were they that even Eurius, who had a weaker state than now in his previous life, woke up with a start when he felt their presence at night? ¡®It ruined the mood more than once or twice.¡¯ It was disgusting to feel a de swinging behind him when he was spending some leisure time with Beatrix. This time, he had no intention of sparing them. The assassins tried all kinds of methods to catch Eurius somehow. They threw another at him, tried to grab him with a physical charge, but none of that worked. Boom! Another explosion tore the apart and the assassins who rushed in also shattered with their weapons and sttered blood. ¡®This is a worthwhile skill indeed! It has this much power without even using Vigor.¡¯ Eurius was actually shocked when he received training from Duke Dios or saw Jeongal Geon, the proxy master of Cheongryong Sangdan. His objectivebat power was only due to the system¡¯s benefits and force aptitudepared to them. Therefore, he didn¡¯t neglect his training to maximize his growth as a warrior, not just with the system¡¯s assistance. ¡®The only thing that makes me superior to them is my physical condition.¡¯ Eurius was able toe up with an answer after thinking hard. ¡®The answer is Quad-Core.¡¯ Through almost a year of steady effort, he was able to create his own useful skills that utilized the advantages of Quad-Core. ¡®First of all, it¡¯s the instantaneous explosive power due to stability.¡¯ The four cores didn¡¯t give him much burden even if he suddenly increased the output of the circle. That was what made Force st possible. It was a skill that obtained explosive destructive power by concentrating force that was raised momentarily on one point, beyond simply infusing force into weapons and body. The power was as seen. It tore apart a tough that even a master-level warrior would have trouble cutting in one go, and smashed almost fifty elite assassins from the southern assassin guild who were sent to catch at least a master-level warrior with one strike, with their weapons still in their hands. The leader who watched that scene felt his mouth go dry. ¡®Execute the third order.¡¯ He finally sent thest signal. This meant throwing away everything and anything to get rid of the target. Thud! ¡°¡­!?¡± Even Eurius, who ruled over thebat, couldn¡¯t help but be slightly surprised this time. The remaining ten or so guys who seemed tomit suicide by blocking Eurius¡¯s sight and rushing in recklessly suddenly stabbed theirrades¡¯ bodies with their knives from behind. The assassins¡¯ des pierced through theirrades¡¯ bodies and stabbed at him. ¡®I felt it in my previous life too, but they¡¯re really crazy.¡¯ But even theirst struggle didn¡¯t have much effect. The des that were about to hit Eurius¡¯s body were deflected as if someone had pulled them away. This was also one of the applications of Quad-Core that Eurius had been thinking about. It was called Force Distortion. If st maximized the destructive power of the core, Distortion utilized the delicate control possible by the core. It was a skill that created a reverse field that pushed the enemy¡¯s attack in a different direction by adding the psychokinesis of Force Grip to a simple force field. The attack that was shaken by the pushing force and the defensive power of the reverse field itself was difficult to hit him. ¡®It¡¯s not perfect yet for real battles with strong opponents, but I¡¯ll improve it gradually!¡¯ Eurius had been satisfied with just using multiple abilities almost without any timeg with multitasking until now. But now he had broken out of that limit and achieved significant growth as a warrior, not just as a yer. As a result, today he was able to annihte almost fifty elite assassins from the assassin sect who were deployed to catch at least a master-level warrior without a scratch. But the leader didn¡¯t even look at the result of hisst resort and started to flee with a few subordinates he had hidden secretly. ¡®He had to report this to the Order.¡¯ Whoever had taken the request and investigated the target hadpletely messed up. The information was utterly wrong. But Eurius was not one to let it go. sh. Before the leader could even react, Eurius cut his throat with an intangible sword. The rest were no different. They might have been stealthy, but they were no match for Eurius, who specialized in anti-magic. The fleeing assassins did not get far before they met their end by his hand. He did not bother to interrogate them this time, not only because of his grudge from his previous life, but also because he knew they were part of a group that would not reveal their backers. [And in this life, he had other ways.] [Status!] [??? Order 211] Job: Assassin, Assassination Leader Strength B Agility B+ Intelligence B- Spirit B Force Aptitude B Force B Disposition: Fanatic [Trait] Assassination (A) Eurius tilted his head. ¡®A mysterious Order? I¡¯ve never heard of such an organization.¡¯ As far as he knew, there were only three Orders that ruled over the Tri-Force Kingdom on this continent. In the past, there were some so-called cults, but they were hardly seen nowadays. ¡®It¡¯s suspicious that an assassination group with this level of skill would call themselves an Order.¡¯ Eurius searched the leader¡¯s corpse for anything that could be a clue. But he found nothing. He then looked at their wrists. [In my previous life, they had strange tattoos there, right?] Sure enough, he saw a weird pattern on the wrists of the leader and the other bodies. It looked like a snake, or a simple geometric shape. ¡°Ding!¡± [The quest Forgotten God¡¯s Order is unlocked.] ¡®A quest?¡¯ It was a notification he had not heard in a long time. Eurius checked the information. [Forgotten God¡¯s Order: In the past, there was a secretive group that worshipped the fourth god on this continent, apart from the three existing Orders. Find their traces.] ¡®So they were not just hired assassins by Wace, they had their own backers.¡¯ There was only one suspect for these annoying bastards in the south. Whether he acted on the Grand duke¡¯s orders or on his own, there was no one else who would sponsor such deeds except that old fox. ¡®I was going to wait until I had a more solid weakness, but if he goes this far, I have no choice.¡¯ If Wace was so desperate to get rid of him, he had his own ns too. On the day he finished his mission in the north, he decided to make Wace pay dearly for this. Next was the quest. ¡®I¡¯ll have to leave this quest forter.¡¯ He could not rush to the desert right now anyway, and ording to his memory from his previous life, these guys were persistent. They would probably send more of them if they thought he failed. ¡®I can dig up some clues then.¡¯ Eurius quickly returned to the camp. He had not spent much time fighting the assassins, so he probably did not raise any suspicion. ¡®Phew, luckily I didn¡¯t miss much.¡¯ Eurius entered the camp with a sigh of relief. It would have caused quite amotion if they noticed his absence. ¡®Where did His highness go?¡¯ Linfield had just woken up and was looking for Eurius. ¡°Hmm? Are you awake?¡± Eurius came near the bonfire with a wet body, as if he had just washed himself at theke. As soon as he saw his face, Linfield became thoughtful. ¡°Why did I fall asleep?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. You must have been tired from assisting me with your inexperience. I won¡¯t hold you responsible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± But after observing him for a while, Linfield cautiously spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Your highness! I don¡¯t mind if you punish me for this, but I have something to say.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for amander to move around alone at night. And it¡¯s also dangerous in the north to not wake up the guard who falls asleep.¡± It was not easy for Linfield, a mere knight, to say this. He had no excuse if Eurius got angry, but he sincerely wanted to advise him, since he had seen his personality for some time and understood what he meant. And Linfield also had a slight suspicion that Eurius was hiding something. ¡®There¡¯s a faint smell of blood. Did he encounter a monster alone?¡¯ In fact, if he revealed this, it would also implicate Linfield himself for not detecting the danger approaching the camp. But Eurius was impressed by his frankness. ¡®It¡¯s not easy to say something like this¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for him.¡¯ Actually, Eurius also knew that dealing with the assassins was a risky move. He knew better than anyone how vicious these Order guys were from his previous life, so he did not want the knights or soldiers to be sacrificed because of him, besides testing his performance. Of course, he could minimize the damage if he acted more openly, but then he would expose his skills too much. He had not yet earned enough trust to keep everyone quiet. Linfield and Eurius¡¯s eyes met for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time. Linfield, I appreciate your advice today.¡± ¡°I apologize again for daring to say this to Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep this between us two.¡± And Eurius winked at him. It was a silent plea to keep it secret from the count for now. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®He¡¯s such an unpredictable first prince.¡¯ Linfield felt relieved that he was not punished, but he still had to stay up for a long time after Eurius went into his tent. ¡­ After that, Eurius¡¯s group continued their mission smoothly. The Loki Forest was not an area where powerful monsters or spirits roamed frequently. There were only northern orc tribes, goblins, and sometimes trolls or ogres of medium orrge size. ¡°There¡¯s a fleeing goblin horde on the left. Move the soldiers to block their escape route!¡± ¡°An ogre! It¡¯s a fast runner too. Let Heinz and the skilled ones handle it.¡± ¡°Kieeek!¡± The troops led by Eurius quickly blocked the retreat and ughtered the goblin horde. The core of this regr patrol was to eliminate as many monster groups as possible along the route. Especially ogres or trolls, who can pose a big threat as single entities, they can¡¯t be allowed to escape. That¡¯s why they had to reduce the number of monsters regrly by patrolling like this. It would prevent the asionalrge-scale monster attacks. Eurius performed his role as amander splendidly. The northern knights, including Linfield, had no choice but to respect him more as they carried out their mission. ¡®He seems to have experience in leading troops several times.¡¯ The most important thing for amander was to have an eye for the overall situation. Although this mission was not very dangerous, Eurius gave efficient orders to block the monster¡¯s escape routes or break their formations. ¡®He graduated from the academy of the kingdom with excellent grades, and he also has a great talent as amander.¡¯ ¡®Maybe the emperor and the bureaucrats didn¡¯t send His highness to this front line without any thought.¡¯ The knights gradually recognized Eurius as a trustworthymander. Linfield also only acted as a temporarymander for a day or two after leaving the fortress, but after arriving at the Loki Forest, he only had to perform his duty as a lieutenant faithfully, since his evaluation of Eurius had risen so much. Finally, Euriuspleted his first mission sessfully and returned to the fortress. ¡°Your highness, you did a great job.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the people you assigned me, Count Anderson. They assisted me well. I¡¯d like to take on bigger tasks next time. Haha!¡± Count Anderson was very satisfied after receiving the report. ¡®His Highness always exceeds my expectations. If he keeps doing this, I¡¯d really like to help him personally with his achievements in the north.¡¯ It was not easy to gain trust and respect from people, and it was not something that happened overnight. But the advantage of trust was that once you won someone¡¯s heart, it was not easily broken. Eurius nned to approach the northern people slowly like that. ¡®In one year. I have to build enough trust in one year for the duke to entrust me with the northern army.¡¯ Chapter 36: Say Your Name Chapter 36: Say Your Name The north ismonly known as thend of barbarians. It is a wilderness where various immigrant tribes live by their own traditions! However, not all tribes have the same temperament. Some are truly barbarians and aggressive, while others are peaceful and quiet. Moreover, they do not usually form alliances with each other. The northern part of the empire, which is surrounded by mountains, is a vast area in itself, and there are many tribes that are hostile to each other. Therefore, there are not many cases ofrge-scale invasions throughout the history of the empire. ¡°Hmm, even so, the frequency is too high.¡± Count Anderson was reviewing the reports with his subordinates. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too often that the barbarianse down to the ins these days?¡± The subordinates answer Count Anderson¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s true. It is the time when winter ising and food is scarce, but the invasions are too frequent.¡± ¡°Besides, we have to deploy more knights to deal with them.¡± A slight worry appears on Count¡¯s face. ¡°No matter how barbaric they are, the ones who are skilled usually don¡¯te down to the in areas. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on?¡± Count Anderson had many worries. One of them was the problem of the invaders themselves, but another was the increasing frequency of barbarians who could use force among them. This was closely rted to the reason why the Empire spent a huge amount of military resources on the north. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He scratched his head and continued to groan. Unfortunately, the Count¡¯s troubles had no easy solution. ¡®How on earth do these uncivilized barbarians, who don¡¯t even have a systematic force training method, have so many formidable warriors who can match a decent knight?¡¯ That¡¯s right. In fact, the northern tribes did not form alliances with each other, and there were many tribes that lived quietly, and their poption was notrge either. But strangely enough, there were many force users among them. Among them, the so-called [warriors] were a ss of people who had skills that surpassed ordinary knights. These elite groups used the mountainous terrain to repeatedly raid and plunder, making it difficult for all regions to defend themselves. The first person to introduce a systematic force training method and divide it into stages on this continent was said to be Emperor Scharnos, the Sword God. There were also rumors that he brought it from the east, where his fellow yer and reliable ally Lee Cheongmun came from, and there were various opinions, but the important thing was that after that, the average level of the continental knights improved significantly. But those barbarians had nothing to do with training methods or anything. They just trained their bodies stupidly to survive in nature and swung their weapons around. There was nothing else revealed about them. But sometimes they produced such incredible masters that it was hard to understand logically! ¡°Anyway, I have to request additional support from the central knight corps.¡± ¡°That seems necessary.¡± ¡°Actually, support also has a clear limit. In the worst case scenario, it would be better to mobilize arge-scale force and sweep them all away.¡± ¡°That would be a very unprofitable business.¡± Count Anderson dismissed the words of his hawkish adviser. ¡­ Meanwhile, this was Eurius¡¯s current situation. ¡°Push back the barbarians!¡± Bang! The wooden palisade, which was solidly built with logs, shook as if it was about to copse. The soldiers who were in charge of defending the palisade desperately stabbed their spears through the holes they had made between the logs and tried to stop the ones who were trying to jump over the palisade. ¡°Drive out all the foreigners and loot them!¡± The ones who were trying to jump over the palisade were equally fierce. They did not wear any armor, but they had a peculiar outfit of thick animal skins and crude iron weapons. They were the northern immigrants. They wereunching an offensive to break through the palisade with a ferocious momentum. ¡°Shoot the arrows!¡± Whoosh! More than a hundred arrows rained down on the immigrants who were trying to approach the palisade. Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± The immigrants might have worn thick skins, but they had no way of blocking the arrows without any proper armor. The approach noticeably decreased after the archers started shooting. ¡®Phew, if we do well, we can stop this invasion without much damage.¡¯ Themander who was in charge of defending this settlement sighed with relief. The invasions had be more frequenttely, so he had requested support, but the north was a very vast ce. At this rate, it would be quite difficult to hold on until the reinforcements arrived. ¡°I¡¯ll make a way! Move aside!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Themander¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. ¡°This is bad. A force user has arrived.¡± The voice belonged to the leader of the immigrants. Unlike the other immigrants, he wore a well-polished armor and wielded a huge hammer that he swung like a windmill, deflecting the arrows. A force user above a certain level could easily block the arrows of ordinary soldiers. ¡®I have to go down before the fence breaks.¡¯ Themander hurriedly started to run. He had anticipated this situation to some extent and had a few knights stationed here, but the difference in military strength was too great. They were barely holding on with the wooden fence that surrounded the settlement, but if the fence broke, they would be immediately pushed back by the numerical advantage in this in-like area. ng! The hammer, filled with force, struck the fence¡¯s gate with a terrifying momentum, and cracks began to appear between the fence. The immigrant warrior also smiled triumphantly. ¡®I have earned another glory for the great chief.¡¯ He was one of the best warriors in his tribe. If he broke this fence, it would be easy to capture the vige. ¡°This is the end!¡± He was sure that one more hit would shatter this wooden structure. He saw some warriors with outstanding skills running towards him, but his troops would break through faster. Crack! ¡°Waaaaah!!!¡± The fence¡¯s gate finally broke, and the immigrants cheered. ¡®It¡¯s over!¡¯ The immigrant warrior was about to jump into the fence. If he held his ground here, his subordinates would follow him easily. ¡°Hmm?¡± Whoosh! But before he could finish his thought, his mind was cut off. He flew dozens of meters away and crashed into the ground with a dull thud. ¡°Kuaaak!¡± At the same time as someone entered and blew away themander, the immigrants who tried to enter through the fence also fell down with one arm or leg missing. ¡®Reinforcements have arrived!¡¯ Themander who was running sighed in relief. Judging by how he easily knocked out a force user, he was one of the skilled knights who were dispatched here. ¡®I should thank him¡­ Huh?¡¯ ¡°Your highness!¡± Themander changed his expression and quickly stood next to Eurius, blocking the immigrants who were pouring in through the fence. ¡°You did well to hold on. We will take care of the rest. Just prevent them from entering the vige.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Themander finally rxed and looked at the situation outside again. ¡°The barbarians have reinforcements. Retreat!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± Outside the fence, the reinforcements led by Eurius were ughtering the immigrants in a neat formation. The first prince¡¯s unit wasposed of the elite of the elite, who were assigned to protect him. The reason why themander was relieved earlier was because he was confident that this defense was a sess. There were also rumors about Eurius that contributed to his reputation. ¡°They say that His highness the First Prince does not spare his body and leads from the front line.¡± ¡°His ability as amander is impressive, but his personal strength is also remarkable.¡± Eurius had never failed to achieve his goals in any of the missions he had taken in the north. ¡°Kueeuk.¡± The immigrant warrior struggled to get up. ¡®I was caught off guard by the sudden attack.¡¯ But the situation looked very bad. ¡®I have to retreat with the warriors.¡¯ He had brought five force users with him this time. He had to save them at least. But before he could give that order, a figure blocked his way again. Shiver! The immigrant warrior felt a chill. The figure was a young blue-blooded brat. But he could tell that he was no ordinary opponent, as a warrior of high caliber himself. ¡°Are you the leader of these barbarians?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Eurius answered casually, observing the situation. On the other hand, the immigrant warrior tensed up. ¡®Then if I kill him, I can retreat sessfully!¡¯ He carefully assumed his stance. This guy must be confident in his skills, since he made a one-on-one duel with him without any guards. ¡°Ah! Wait a minute.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ The immigrant warrior was waiting for a chance to strike with all his might, but he wondered what this guy was saying all of a sudden. ¡°I heard that in the north, warriors announce their tribe name and their own name before a duel. Don¡¯t you do that?¡± ¡®This foreigner knows that too. He respects the pride of a warrior.¡¯ He raised his voice and shouted loudly. ¡°I am Denika, a warrior of the Moon Tribe. I ask for a fair and honorable duel¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± sh. As soon as his shout ended, Denika saw his own body separated from his neck. ¡°¡­!?¡± With a face that did not understand until the end, he died with his eyes wide open. Eurius sighed as he looked at the corpse. He could have easily taken his life with the first strike, but he spared him to ask him that question. ¡°This one was also a bust.¡± Chapter 37: The Evaluation After A Year Chapter 37: The Evaluation After A Year As soon as Eurius cut off the leader¡¯s neck, the situation was quickly resolved. ¡°Your highness! No matter how primitive and barbaric they are, it is too dangerous for you to charge in personally!¡± Linfield ran over and looked at Eurius with a worried expression. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to be injured this time either.¡¯ ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eurius scratched his head sheepishly and made an excuse. ¡°It was an urgent situation where the fence was about to break, so my body moved without thinking. It was a rash action as amander.¡± ¡°You must leave it to your knights next time!¡± Heinz also arrived in a hurry and pleaded also with Eurius by his side. They had just dealt with the force users of the immigrants with the knights and rushed over. They were fairly strong, but they were no match for the top-ranking knights of the north, so they were able to annihte the invading immigrants sessfully. But the fact that they didn¡¯t rush over right away at the beginning of the battle meant that they also trusted Eurius¡¯s skills. They had already built that much trust with him. ¡°How is the damage?¡± ¡°Except for the damage to the fence area, there is almost none, except for a few ordinary soldiers who died or were seriously injured by the force users in the early stages of the battle.¡± In other words, it was a great victory with almost no damage. But Eurius¡¯s face turned grim in an instant. ¡°There are casualties. That¡¯s unfortunate. Report to the Count and ask him to provide enough support for the families.¡± Linfield, who had reported, also changed his expression solemnly. ¡°I will definitely report that.¡± He had been assisting Eurius for over a year now. It was a long or short time, but if Linfield had to evaluate his current feelings in one sentence, it would be this. ¡®His highness Eurius is a great person who is worth entrusting my life to.¡¯ It was not just his qualities as amander or his excellence as a warrior. The Eurius that Linfield saw was a superior who was an example to others more than anyone else. ¡®He is an imperial family member, but he came to the north and endured this hardship without anyints.¡¯ First of all, it was about food. ¡°The situation has improved a lot since the road to the north opened. Before that, even the Count had to eat barley soup for more than a week.¡± Linfield desperately tried to justify himself as he cautiously handed over a bowl of soup to the emperor. It contained dried meat pieces, hard biscuits, dried vegetables, etc. It was embarrassing to call it foodpared to the high-ss dishes that the emperor had eaten so far. The Valdes Fortress had better supplies, so they could get some decent food, but they couldn¡¯t afford to bring a cook for their field rations. ¡®Even if His highness is more modest than I thought, this time¡­¡¯ ¡°Is there another bowl?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. I¡¯m not picky about taste, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Eurius had already emptied his bowl of soup. He smiled bitterly at Linfield¡¯s stunned expression. ¡®I¡¯ve eaten worse than this in my previous life.¡¯ He had many times in his previous life where he had to flee desperately after losing a battle, and he had many times where he ran out of food and ate only grass roots for days. He had a taste for fine cuisine, but once he experienced the worst ordeal, he had no intention of taking care of his pte even in the field. There was another reason why he could eat this kind of foodfortably. ¡®It reminds me of the past I miss.¡¯ The north was a very specialnd for him. He didn¡¯t think much about it when he lived in the pce, but when he came here and shared meals with the soldiers, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the hardships of his previous life. ¡®So much has changed in this life.¡¯ There were many things that went his way and many things that remained unresolved. ¡®I have to make sure that the people who follow me don¡¯t regret it.¡¯ This was Eurius¡¯s true goal. He didn¡¯t care much about being the crown prince or the emperor. He could enjoy wealth and glory even as a prince, because he was in an environment where he could have anything he wanted. ¡®To have a good ending with the people who follow me and myself.¡¯ That was Eurius¡¯s ultimate goal. He finished his meal and came out of his tent and looked up at the night sky. Beatrix, Marius, Knight Heinz, and other people from his previous life who he had not yet met seemed to be looking out at him. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m not a poet, but I¡¯ve be too sentimental.¡¯ Eurius realized that Linfield was staring at him nkly and turned his head. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to spend time in the field like this. It has a different vor.¡± And then he smiled broadly. Linfield was someone he had never met in his previous life. But if he trusted and followed him, he was also someone he had to embrace. ¡°Your highness¡­¡± Linfield just bowed his head without saying anything. Eurius¡¯s march continued without hesitation. The strange thing was that he always asked to be sent wherever the barbarians appeared. ¡°I came to the north to protect the people who migrated this far. Please don¡¯t stop me even if it¡¯s a bit dangerous.¡± As Eurius sessfullypleted several missions, Count Anderson also had to nod his head. ¡°Your highness is a capable person.¡± Linfield¡¯s report also became concise at some point. There was no other way to express it than just saying that he was outstanding. ¡°If Your highness is such a person, I am willing to support you.¡± In recent months, Eurius had taken half of the small-scale barbarian invasions. Of course, people around him tried to dissuade him. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you might hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you all know why I came to the north? Don¡¯t say anything and let me go.¡± He always said that he was trying to build up his merit. But now no one believed that Eurius was just a hot-blooded prince who came to the north to gain merit. ¡®Your Majesty is a person who sincerely cares about the people.¡¯ ¡®If such a person bes the emperor in the future, the future of the empire will be bright.¡¯ ¡®He seems to be worried about the soldiers and the vige who died today.¡¯ Soldiers and knights alike looked at him with respectful eyes. But contrary to his expectations, Eurius¡¯s concern was apletely different problem. ¡®Why is it so hard to meet Nuada¡¯s tribe when I¡¯m wandering around like this?¡¯ That¡¯s right! The core of his trip to the north was to meet Nuada, who would pacify the north in the future. Fortunately, the warriors of the north considered it an honor to name their tribe and themselves, so there was no possibility of lying even if he asked them bluntly like just before. But no matter how many immigrants there were in the north, he had fought with countless tribes for more than half a year, but he never heard the name of the tribe led by Nuada. In fact, he was also a prince by nature. He didn¡¯t feel good about going out every day, fighting in the cold weather and eating and sleeping on the cold ground. ¡®But I have to catch it when I have a chance!¡¯ That was why Eurius kept taking on barbarian subjugation missions. Of course, since his goal was his goal, he didn¡¯t think lightly of people dying because of his purpose. ¡®Most of the tribes thate out for plunder are hostile to foreigners. They are not like Nuada who canmunicate.¡¯ So half delusion, half truth! But Eurius¡¯s actions in the north were definitely attracting the hearts of many people, even without his knowing. ¡­ On the other hand, the situation in the south desert border area of ??the empire was a little different. ¡°Cut off all their necks.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Leonhart ordered the execution of the captured prisoners with a cold expression. Next to him were elite knights assigned by the duke. Leonhart¡¯smand was simple and clear. He used his qualitative superiority to win a decisive battle and left no trace! And his judgment was never wrong. If Eurius was gaining people¡¯s hearts and building up his martial arts in the north, Leonhart was trying to leave a solid record based on the strong force given by the duke. ¡°If Your highness goes to the north, I will support you with an opportunity to build up your merit in the south.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted.¡± Pretending to be a good nephew, Leonhart obediently came to the south. But his inner thoughts were different. ¡®I can¡¯t just rely on my uncle. I have to make my own power here.¡¯ He had been seriously thinking about this since Eurius said he was going to the north. ¡®I can¡¯t just rely on the Grand duke.¡¯ Leonhardt¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡­ Even in the pce, the recent actions of the two princes were hot topics. ¡°He was outstanding even without any help, but I didn¡¯t know he would adapt so well.¡± ¡°But I heard there are a lot of idents in the north these days. I wonder if he will finish safely.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor read the report sent by Count Anderson carefully and smiled with satisfaction. ¡®Count Anderson is not someone who knows how to lie. Marius and I were not wrong about seeing our son.¡¯ But in a big battle where even the eyes of the nobles of Grand Duke faction were focused, he couldn¡¯t just take Eurius¡¯s side. ¡°Leonhart also did a great job in the south this time. The Grand duke has worked hard!¡± This sounded like apliment, but it had bones. Recently, the second prince Leonhart was clearly building up his merit in the south by wiping out the bandits who were targeting the traders. But Leonhart, who had a strong military background as the duke, and Eurius, who was almost alone in the north, building up his martial arts, were in different situations even if they had the same merit. The Grand duke was the undisputed best knight of the empire, and he also had a lot of disciples and knights personally. The emperor smiled and looked at the Grand duke¡¯s reaction. ¡°It is true that Your Highness has achieved great merit in the south, but how can youpare with His highness the first prince now?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Surprisingly, only praise for Eurius came from the Grand duke. He was not just listing the merits of the second prince as before. ¡®This is, there must be something going on.¡¯ The emperor had also been to the battlefield when he was young. He knew how hard it was to build up martial arts. The emperor narrowed his eyes and watched the Grand duke carefully. ¡®Hmph! You won¡¯t get anything from me no matter how you re at me.¡¯ The Grand duke was still smiling, but he was having a silent stare-down with the emperor. In fact, the grand duke had his own n to hinder Eurius, and it was still being executed faithfully. ¡®Let¡¯s see if you can still hear praise for the first prince in the pce after a year!¡¯ The duke was confident this time because he was in charge of everything. He didn¡¯t wait for decades under the iron-blooded emperor for nothing. Prince and prince! Emperor and grand duke! It remains to be seen who will be the final winner. Chapter 38: Runaway and Limbo Chapter 38: Runaway and Limbo Chae-chang! The bright sunlight from the wide-open window shines on the floor of the practice hall, where small andrge shadows sway. Shiiiiik! A ck sh that literally shoots out from the small shadow! It aimed at the whole body of therge shadow with an unbelievable speed. But the result was too futile. Ting! Therge shadow, Duke Dios, easily blocked all the attacks and even knocked away the sword that the opponent was holding. It was a desperate move, but it was useless. ¡°Haha, you¡¯ve improved a lot!¡± Duke Dios praised him generously. It wasn¡¯t because he was his blood. Considering her age, it was a miracle-like achievement. But she, Beatrix, seemed to be very dissatisfied. She looked at her sword that bounced off with a regretful expression, as if she didn¡¯t like it, and the duke looked at her with affectionate eyes. ¡®He must have been a big stimulus when His highness the first prince came.¡¯ She was talented enough to aim for the best in the continent even without any bias, but after Eurius left, she seemed to be more stimted and her skills improved at an eye-catching speed. ¡®At this rate, I might really see a daughter who bes a superhuman before she turns twenty.¡¯ ¡°Father, please let me do that training too¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± The duke firmly refused. In fact, Beatrix had reached the same wall as Eurius, who seemed to have faced a superhuman, since a while ago. ¡°That training is not only difficult, but it is very rare to reach it as fast as His highness! Your brothers didn¡¯t either!¡± The reason for the duke¡¯s refusal was simple. First of all, that meta-strike was just one of the verified methods, not a training method that guaranteed to break the wall 100 percent. ¡®And I never want to do meta-strike to Lize!¡¯ Needless to say, the duke who had eight arms never wanted Beatrix to receive the same training as Eurius. ¡°You are still younger than His highness. And the wall is not something that breaks by trying hastily.¡± To be honest, when he saw his daughter¡¯s talent, he believed that she could break the wall of superhuman within a few years with just the training she had done so far. ¡®And when she breaks the wall, I have to send a marriage proposal to the empire right away.¡¯ The duke¡¯s n to send his daughter off was this. ¡®No matter how His Majesty the emperor is, he won¡¯t refuse if I send a superhuman as a bride!¡¯ He also became interested in the session structure of the empire after Eurius left. So he investigated privately and found out that Eurius¡¯s biggest weakness was hisck of military power. Currently, Beatrix¡¯s position was nothing more than a slightly talented daughter of a ducal family, even if she was one of the three great warriors of the continent. But if she became a superhuman, her status would change drastically. ¡®And there is no better match than His highness anyway.¡¯ The duke didn¡¯t say it, but he had almost decided on Eurius as his son-inw. He checked and if there was another love affair, he would have changed his mind, but at least as far as he knew, there was no woman who had any rtionship with His Majesty except his daughter. Meanwhile, Beatrice was also immersed in different thoughts. ¡®What does he have that the first prince doesn¡¯t have for me?¡¯ The feelings she had for Eurius were envy and longing for now. At an age that was not much different from her own, he had the skills to hurt his father, who was one of the peaks of all the warriors on the continent! ¡®And he¡¯s not like an emperor, he¡¯s simple and cheerful and um¡­ something else¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t realize the identity of those feelings yet, as she unknowingly listed Eurius¡¯s good points. She finally made a decision. ¡®If you don¡¯t know, you should find out.¡¯ ¡°Please don¡¯t look for me for a few days. I think I¡¯ve got a clue.¡± She said that and locked herself in her room. Beatrix really didn¡¯te out of her room for a week. But when there was no response from his daughter even after ten days, the duke couldn¡¯t help but be angry. ¡®Is it too early for her to really get a clue?¡¯ In the end, the duke was so worried that he opened the door of his daughter¡¯s room and went in. ¡°¡­!?¡± But there was no one in the room, only a letter on the desk. ¡°Impossible!?¡± The duke hastily opened the letter. [To my father I seriously thought about how to get over the wall, but in the end there was only one conclusion. I thought I had to ask him directly. (Omitted) Please forgive your unworthy daughter.] -Beatrix- And in the duke¡¯s mind, he remembered the story he heard while investigating Eurius¡¯s recent news. ¡°They say that the northern development is having a hard time, so the empire is sending arge number of troops.¡± ¡°They¡¯re also recruiting high-level personnel like knights andmanders.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The duke regained hisposure by putting his hand on his forehead as his calmness that had been polished for over fifty years was about to break. ¡®Then where did Lize go?¡¯ It only took three days to get from Triforce Kingdom to the Empire by carriage. But it¡¯s been ten days already!? ¡°I¡¯m screwed!¡± That was how the duke felt when he experienced his daughter¡¯s runaway for the first time at over sixty years old. ¡­ ¡°A-choo!¡± Eurius suddenly felt a chill and coughed. ¡°Your highness, are you feeling unwell?¡± A knight next to him asked with concern. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡®But I don¡¯t feel very good.¡¯ Eurius was feeling a little impatienttely. ¡®It¡¯s good that the northern immigrants areing more often, but it¡¯s too suspicious.¡¯ When Nuada first conquered the north and shed with the empire, it wasn¡¯tmon to have such frequent collisions. ¡®Did this happen because I pushed forward the northern road construction?¡¯ After all, it was like building an advance base in their front yard for the empire, so they must have felt a sense of crisis as immigrants. ¡®More important than that was the fact that he still hadn¡¯t met Nuada.¡¯ Eurius recalled his recent expeditions. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to reveal your tribe and name if you¡¯re such a renowned warrior?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! You¡¯re quite a sensible warrior. I am from the Red Anvil tribe¡­¡± Thud. ¡°Hmm¡­ I am from the Blue Moon tribe¡­¡± Thud. ¡°I am from the Thunder Hammer tribe!¡± Thud. ¡®Ohe on! Can¡¯t you send someone else besides these guys?¡¯ Eurius felt like he wanted toin to the sky about his misfortune. He knew there were many tribes in the north, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this hard to find Nuada. ¡®It would have been nice if the stats showed more detailed information.¡¯ Unfortunately, the stats he saw only showed him the name and characteristics of his opponents when he was in close range. All the people he had met so far were from tribes he had never heard of in his previous life. ¡®And it¡¯s too suspicious that I haven¡¯t even heard Nuada¡¯s name.¡¯ Nuada was a superhuman. He was the only superhuman who had appeared in the north for nearly two hundred years. It was impossible that such a strong man wouldn¡¯t stand out in his prime. ¡®Something has definitely changed.¡¯ This had something to do with one of his actions after he returned. ¡°Your highness! We can see the vige.¡± ¡®Oh right. I need to focus.¡¯ Eurius snapped out of his reverie on top of his horse. ¡®Meeting Nuada is important but saving my people is the first priority.¡¯ ¡°Heinz Knight! Take charge of the second squad. We¡¯ll break through from both sides as usual and strike at their monsters.¡± ¡®I hope I can hear some information about Nuada this time¡­¡¯ He prayed earnestly as he plunged into battle with the immigrants again. As he shed through the clumsy enemies while running forward, Eurius heard a strange voice. ¡°You think you can stop me? I¡¯m a warrior personally chosen by the Great Chief!¡± The owner of that voice was clearly a leader among them. He had an imposing physique and wielded a spear that was over two meters long. He resisted the knights¡¯ siege by using his spear¡¯s long reach. ¡®Stats window!¡¯ [Dalos] Job: Senior Warrior Strength A Agility B Intelligence C+ Spirit B+ Force Aptitude B- Force A Disposition: Aggressive, Loyal ¡®He¡¯s quite a strong one.¡¯ That was Eurius¡¯ honest assessment. He was at the level of a master-ss warrior in the continent. In fact, he was holding his own against several knights who surrounded him. He used his spear¡¯s long range to fend them off. ¡®It will cost too many lives if I leave him to Heinz Knight or someone else.¡¯ Eurius sensed the energy of the battlefield on the opposite side with his warrior¡¯s intuition. ¡®The breakthrough is dyed over there. It will take some time for Heinz Knight toe here.¡¯ He decided to face the enemy leader himself. This meant that there was a formidable warrior on the other side as well. ¡®Then I¡¯ll have to take care of him.¡¯ He would have to reveal some of his power if he was at the master level, but that was something the knights could understand. Eurius immediately charged at the enemy leader and shouted. ¡°Step back. I¡¯ll handle him.¡± ¡°Your highness! He is a tough opponent. Be careful.¡± The knights obediently moved away. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time that Eurius faced an enemy leader alone, and the knights had gradually realized that Eurius¡¯ power was much stronger than what was known. ¡®He¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ The scattered knights attacked the barbarians around them to create space for Eurius. ¡°You look like a brat. Are you the leader of these foreigners?¡± The warrior Dalos, who was in high spirits, raised his spear and stabbed straight at him. Bang! But his spear couldn¡¯t even pierce Eurius. He felt a numb shock in his hand and lost his bnce. Eurius had pushed him back with a single blow of force st. ¡®What!¡¯ Dalos sensed danger for a moment, but surprisingly, his opponent didn¡¯t attack again even though he had exposed a perfect opening. ¡°I have one thing to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He could have attacked again, but his opponent spared him. This was a negotiation for his question. ¡°What are you curious about?¡± His tone was no longer contemptuous of Eurius. The north was thend of warriors. Once he saw Eurius¡¯ skill, he had to treat him with respect even if he was an enemy. ¡°What did you mean by the word Great Chief earlier?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking me to tell you where the Great Chief is, I refuse!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Eurius shook his head and asked what he wanted to know. ¡°Is the Great Chief¡¯s name Nuada by any chance?¡± ¡°Nuada?¡± Dalos shook his head. He felt like he had heard that name recently, but it wasn¡¯t his Great Chief¡¯s name for sure. ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but I¡¯m certain that¡¯s not his name!¡± Eurius couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡®The north is thend of warriors. But how can there be a stronger warrior than Nuada? Someone else is the Great Chief?¡¯ He asked again. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I swear on my warrior¡¯s honor that this is the truth!¡± Dalos thought he had repaid a favor with this. ¡°Then let¡¯s start again! I won¡¯t underestimate you this time.¡± ¡®Hmm?¡¯ The fight didn¡¯tst long. Eurius¡¯ sword shattered Dalos¡¯ spear and pierced his chest in less than ten moves. ¡°Gahh.¡± Eurius paid his respects inwardly. ¡®Well, he answered me nicely, so I showed him some of my skill. Don¡¯t feel too bad about it.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to use force, but his power was already at the level where he could easily handle a master-ss warrior. But that wasn¡¯t what mattered right now. Eurius muttered to himself as he surveyed the situation. ¡°Where on earth is Nuada at this point?¡± Chapter 39: The Prelude of War Chapter 39: The Prelude of War While Eurius was troubled by an unexpected situation, there were more people in the southern desert who had simr worries. ¡®I need my own power. A force that follows only me, not my uncle.¡¯ The second prince Leonhart was deep in thought in the huge camp set up in the desert. ¡®My uncle supports me because he wants the power of an emperor, not because he wants to make me the second like father.¡¯ Of course, this camp was very solid. He had a rough idea of how he had gathered such a force. In fact, it wasn¡¯t that hard for a superhuman of duke level to train elite knights. The actual power in the continent was not only the number of soldiers, but also the quality and quantity of knight orders. Even hundreds or thousands of ordinary soldiers couldn¡¯t catch a warrior who had reached the peak level. ¡®If I had to guess, my uncle has a secret force that is at least as strong as the imperial guard by now.¡¯ The smart Leonhart realized that fact early on. His uncle was a person who had sharpened his sword under his father for decades. He was like an incarnation of ambition who wanted the power of an emperor. ¡®And I¡¯m also worried about my brother Eurius.¡¯ Leonhart thought that he was inferior to Eurius in terms of talent. ¡®I can¡¯t help it with my personal power, but I need a force that ispletely on my side!¡¯ But this was not something he could solve right away. Even the knights who bowed their heads in front of him right now would value his uncle¡¯s orders more than his safety. ¡®But my brother is different.¡¯ He also heard about Eurius¡¯ situation. His uncle might be plotting something, but anyway, how could the barbarians in the north do anything to the empire? In the end, they had fought together on the battlefield, so the knights in the north would surely be on Eurius¡¯ side. ¡®There¡¯s a huge difference between a force that someone else gives you and a force that you create yourself.¡¯ This was his ultimate concern. What would he do if he became an emperor with his uncle¡¯s power? He wanted to be a true emperor who ruled over everyone like his father. ¡®I¡¯ll have to sleep for a while and think more about it.¡¯ Leonhart ended up staying awake untilte at night when it was pitch ck. ¡°I greet the second prince of the empire.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As he was about to turn off the light, Leonhart felt his heart sink. There was a masked man behind him without any sign! ¡°Who are you?¡± But he was also a tough one. He didn¡¯t scream or make a noise in surprise. He didn¡¯te to harm him, judging by the fact that he didn¡¯t attack him right away. ¡®He also has some skill to fool all the eyes of the knights that my uncle gave me.¡¯ The masked man, who was wrapped in ck cloth and only showed his eyes, knelt down and opened his mouth. ¡°We are called the Order of the Desert.¡± ¡®The Order?¡¯ He had never heard of such a group before. ¡°Do you need a force under yourmand, Your Highness?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®How did they know that?¡¯ And what kind of people were they? ¡°That¡¯s absurd! What do you want from me¡­¡± ¡°We can offer you a personal force that is at least as strong as an elite knight order.¡± The masked man spoke quietly but confidently. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Get out of here! Or I¡¯ll call the knights.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave for now. But someday you¡¯ll surelye looking for us.¡± The masked man disappeared from the barracks without any trace. He was like a ghost. ¡®A personal force?¡¯ It was a tempting offer, but who in their right mind would trust the words of a suspicious person who invaded their quarters at night? But Leonhart couldn¡¯t get his words out of his mind. They must have wanted something from him too. And judging by the fact that his uncle¡¯s knights didn¡¯t notice them at all, they were sure of themselves. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Leonhart¡¯s sleepless night seemed to get longer. ¡­ Meanwhile, in Samarqand, one of the trade cities in the south, there was another person who was furious because his expectations were wrong. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say six months? Do you know how much money I¡¯ve given you during that time!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± The old man who was ranting was none other than Count Wace. He thought that Eurius¡¯ life was in his pocket when he came here a year ago. But what was the result? ¡°The first prince is making great achievements in the north.¡± He scoffed at first. ¡°Hmph! What does it matter if he¡¯s going to die anyway¡­¡± But even after six months and a year passed, he didn¡¯t hear any news of Eurius getting hurt. Wace went to them with anger. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to calm down?¡± ¡°Gah!¡± The masked man who had been silent shot him a murderous look. Only then did Wace shut his mouth with a groan. ¡°Now we can talk.¡± The voice that sounded like a snake was still soft in tone. ¡°We admit that this is an unforeseen situation. But don¡¯t you think you¡¯re also at fault?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The masked man continued. ¡°None of the three assassination squads we sent came back. This is a rare urrence in the history of the guild.¡± ¡®Did you give us the wrong information?¡¯ The masked man questioned Wace instead. But Wace was also dumbfounded. ¡°No, you were the ones who epted the request! How powerful can a prince who just turned twenty be¡­¡­.¡± ¡°ording to your information, this should not have happened.¡± Wace felt like he was being med unfairly, but the masked man was confident. ¡®If it was ording to the information, there was no way they would fail the mission. Even if they did, there should be some survivors!¡¯ ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much. As I said before, nothing is impossible for us.¡± ¡°Ahem, are you sure this time?¡± Wace was also cautious, feeling that he could be in danger if he provoked these scary people. ¡°Of course. We will pay more attention this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­¡­.¡± ¡°However!¡± The masked man got to the point. ¡°We won¡¯t take any advance payment, but you have some responsibility too. If this request seeds, we will have to charge more!¡± When Wace saw the amount that he demanded, he sighed deeply as if the ground was copsing. ¡®If I hire these assassins twice, I will be ruined.¡¯ The masked man who watched Wace leave was not in a good mood either. He had received a lot of criticism from the upper echelons of the guild. ¡®There won¡¯t be a next time.¡¯ If it wasn¡¯t for his achievements so far, his head would have been cut off without any excuses. ¡®This time, I will squeeze out as much money as I can and make sure to hit the target.¡¯ He started to write a report to send to the upper echelons. [Target ¨C Empire¡¯s First Prince Eurius: Grade: Special, Level: Upgraded to Special] ¡­ ¡°Your Highness, thank you very much.¡± The manager sent from the central government bowed his head repeatedly to Eurius. The reason why the level of the attackers was quite high this time was because their target was a vige that was being developed into a small city. They defended themselves inside a sturdy wall made of bricks, not a simple fence, so the damage was not big. Of course, the biggest reason was that Eurius quickly killed the enemy leader. ¡°The barbarians are very aggressive. They even attacked a development site that is almost a city size, not a pioneer vige near the mountains!¡± ¡°We were also surprised. We had some knights stationed just in case, but we never received such a tant attack before.¡± The manager wiped his cold sweat. He had been working on various ces from the northern road construction and was used to crises, but this was the first time he faced such arge-scale attack with outstanding warriors. ¡®Is it rted to the change of the tribal chief?¡¯ Eurius was lost in thought on his horse as he returned to the fortress. ¡°Give me a piece of jerky.¡± Chew chew. This was a recent habit of Eurius. He felt a salty taste spreading in his mouth as he reviewed the situation once more. First, it was hard to find Nuada¡¯s tribe at the front line. Second, for some unknown reason, the chieftain who unified the north had changed. Third, the immigrants¡¯ momentum was more aggressive than before. There could be many reasons for this, but nothing was certain at the moment. ¡®And this means that a proper battle will soon break out, even if they attack us at this frequency.¡¯ [The Northern Great Conquest War] In his previous life, this was a boring war thatsted for over three years and ended with a peace treaty with Nuada. Even if the poption of the north was notrge, the existence of a chieftain who gathered several tribes made their scale considerable. And with Nuada, an outstanding leader, joining them, the north of his previous life had resisted the empire¡¯s forces for three years. ¡®I don¡¯t know why, but Nuada hasn¡¯t shown up yet in this life.¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t expect that Nuada was dead or weaker than before. He had seen him in his previous life as a strong man who could ovee any situation. Then there was only one way. Since he had to fight arge-scale war with the northern immigrants anyway, he decided to go there himself and meet him. ¡®If he doesn¡¯t want to show up on his own, I¡¯ll have to go and find him.¡¯ By now, Eurius¡¯s reputation in the north was solid enough that he didn¡¯t need to say anything. If a war broke out soon, he would go straight into the enemy camp and meet him. ¡°The fortress is in sight.¡± ¡°Can we rest a little longer this time? I¡¯m definitely tired.¡± Linfield gave a bitter smile at Eurius¡¯s whining. ¡®Your highness, we trust you even if you rest for more than a year from now on.¡¯ Simr conversations were already going on among Anderson Duke and his staff. ¡°The level of provocation has long been crossed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a frontier settlement anymore. This is serious.¡± ¡°We might have to prepare for a full-scale war with most of the northern barbarians.¡± Count Anderson also made up his mind and gave an order in a serious voice. ¡°Request additional knight orders and troops from the central government. There are ominous signs here, so we need to be prepared!¡± And Eurius and Count¡¯s predictions were right. It didn¡¯t take long for things to explode. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± ¡°Open the gate!¡± It was the sound of a scout knight squad returning. They looked very exhausted from running their horses without resting, but there was no time to waste now. ¡°The barbarians have gathered a huge army at the entrance of the mountain range!¡± ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ The Duke and his staff had determined expressions. ¡°How many are there?¡± They were surprised by the next words of the knight, even though they were prepared. ¡°It¡¯s not clear yet, but it¡¯s estimated to be at least in the thousands!¡± Was there ever such arge-scale invasion? The Northern Great Conquest War that Eurius had predicted had begun today. Chapter 40: Go to the rear!? Chapter 40: Go to the rear!? Count Anderson and his staff had gathered all the major figures of the north for a meeting after a long time. ¡°You must have heard about the situation by now.¡± ¡°Of course. They say the scale is thousands. Is that true?¡± Technically, the highest-ranking person in this ce was Eurius. He pretended to be surprised and answered the Count¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems like the biggest war in the north since the empire was founded is likely to happen.¡± And then the Count cautiously asked him his true intention. ¡°The barbarians of the north are not easy enemies to deal with when they unite. What do you want to do, Your Highness?¡± This implied a lot of things. The biggest reason why Eurius came to this far north was of course to build up his merit. But if it turned into arge-scale war, it was different. It was too much of a burden to make someone as important as the first prince run at the front line of war. ¡®If we wait until the support from the central knight order arrives, it won¡¯t be toote to join His Highness.¡¯ Of course, the Count thought that he would never ept this, considering his actions and personality so far. ¡®His Highness cares a lot about the people and is a righteous person. How can I persuade him?¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Count waited for an answer nervously as Eurius seemed to think deeply. ¡®Please just hold on for a month. Just a month¡­¡¯ That would be enough time for the support troops from the capital to arrive. The Count also cared a lot about Eurius, so he made this suggestion. ¡°I want to give you enough merit. But I can¡¯t face His Majesty if you get hurt or die by jumping in at the most dangerous time.¡± That was also because of his loyalty to the imperial family. ¡°Hmm!¡± Eurius let out a groan and replied. ¡°I know that you made that suggestion because you care about me. Actually, I want to go to the front line right now.¡± The Duke and his staff felt their hearts sink. ¡°Your Highness, please¡­¡± ¡°But!¡± Eurius shook his head as if he had no choice. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to make you and your staff ufortable because of my situation. My father who sent me here wouldn¡¯t want that either.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ll follow your advice and wait in the rear. But if there¡¯s something I can do, you have to let me know?¡± The Count and his staff were amazed by the unexpected reaction. ¡®As expected, His Highness is not an ordinary person.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not easy to suppress his young blood at that age. He¡¯spromising for us¡­¡¯ In fact, it was hard to arrange efficient personnel when they had to worry about protecting the emperor at the front line. Eurius was an excellentmander, but he was also like a king in chess who couldn¡¯t be injured or killed. Using troops before securing enough safety could be a poison to the allies. That was an assumption made because they didn¡¯t know Eurius¡¯s power, but he understood that well enough and epted the Count¡¯s suggestion. ¡®Anyway, Nuada is unlikely to show up at the front line for a while. It¡¯s not bad to watch the situation.¡¯ ¡®As expected, His Highness is worthy of His Majesty¡¯s favor.¡¯ The Duke looked at Eurius like his own son for a moment and told him the task he wanted him to do in the rear. ¡°There is actually a task I would like to ask you to do in the rear, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is it? It¡¯s perfect timing.¡± Eurius smiled brightly and jumped in. ¡°If you go along the side road behind the Valdes Fortress, you will see the Grime Castle. You must know that.¡± ¡°You want me to defend the rear from the side road.¡± Eurius understood right away. Grime Castle was a small castle that guarded the only side road leading to the rear of the fortress, besides the entrance of the northern mountain range near Valdes Fortress. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think the barbarians will use any tactics like disrupting the rear, but I¡¯m worried because of their scale.¡± The Count said this but he actually thought that guarding the rear was also one of the important tasks. It¡¯s one of the requirements of a goodmander to think of even the slightest possibility. ¡°I will give you most of the knights who escorted you. I will also give you some soldiers, so please defend it firmly.¡± ¡°Of course, thank you for entrusting me with this task.¡± ¡®Phew, thank goodness.¡¯ ¡°Then I will decide on the troops to send to the front line.¡± The Count started to arrange the next troop formation with a relieved mood after solving the biggest problem. He didn¡¯t think there would be any big trouble on the front line where he was guarding with his superhuman power, but the important thing was to reduce the damage. The request for reinforcements from the Count and the report of arge-scale invasion arrived at the capital almost at the same time. The second matter was so urgent that they used a fast messenger who came without resting. ¡°The movement of the north is not good. We need support troops.¡± And two dayster, another messenger arrived. ¡°Therge-scale invasion of the barbarians has begun. They are estimated to be over thousands!¡± The emperor summoned all his ministers to discuss this issue. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we bring His Highness back?¡± ¡°His Highness Eurius is a capable person!¡± This was a heated debate among even the pro-emperor ministers. ¡°Enough!¡± But the emperor made a decision. ¡°Eurius will stay in the north as he is. I heard he is taking on a support mission in the rear. He has his own power, so nothing big will happen.¡± No minister dared to argue with such a firm decision by the emperor. ¡°Then we will move on to the agenda of sending knights and troops.¡± During the meeting, the emperor had no change in his expression, but he was secretly watching Grand Duke Wilhelm¡¯s reaction. ¡®Eurius went up to the north and soon after a big war broke out in the north? The timing is too perfect.¡¯ Grand Duke Wilhelm also knew that and smiled triumphantly. ¡®Now it¡¯s toote to find out. In fact, this gathering of the northern barbarians had a close connection with him. Finally, the Grand Duke also mobilized his own forces to start a full-scale operation to interfere with Eurius. ¡®No matter how barbaric they are, if they get my help, it¡¯s not impossible to shake the empire for a while!¡¯ At this moment, the Grand Duke¡¯s confident eyes were directed at the distant northern mountain range. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the entrance of the northern mountain range, countless tribes were gathering under the banner of the chieftain. ¡°The Red Feather Tribe has joined us.¡± ¡°The Beating Heart Tribe has arrived.¡± ¡°The ck Warrior Tribe also wants to join the chieftain.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The man sitting on arge chair made of animal skins was receiving the report with a pleased expression. The chieftain who could gather several tribes! It was a word that couldn¡¯t be more pleasant. He turned his eyes to the side and opened his mouth. ¡°What do you think? Is this enough to face the foreigners at the foot of the mountain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s far from enough.¡± But a cold voice denied his words. The owner of the voice looked like an immigrant, but he only wore simr clothes. His behavior and speech clearly showed that he was not an immigrant. ¡°We can help you more if you want. But it¡¯s not time yet.¡± His firm words made the man sitting on the chairin. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are many tribes left to gather nearby. I¡¯ve never regretted listening to you guys.¡± The man¡¯s name was Gundar. He was just a chief of one of thergest tribes in the area until a year ago, but he became a chieftain who was called by many tribes after these foreigners helped him. ¡°I heard that there are still many unknown strong ones deep in the mountain range?¡± Gundar sighed. ¡°Those guys are usually satisfied with their situation and it¡¯s not easy to gather them.¡± He was able to expand his power so quickly because of these foreigners¡¯ help, but also because the tribes near the mountain range facing Valdes Fortress felt a crisis after seeing the empire¡¯s northern development. But there were still many tribes inside the mountain range who didn¡¯t hear much news and were watching the situation calmly. ¡°Actually, I have something to consult with you about that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Actually, I was able to attract some of those tribes. But they¡¯re causing trouble instead.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Gundar started exining. ¡°Those who live deep in the mountain range are usually small in number but have many excellent warriors.¡± That¡¯s right. In fact, raiding means that they can¡¯t secure enough food by hunting or livestock, which means that their overall level is not high. But there are also many powerful monsters and beasts living deep in the mountain range. The tribes trained there are small in number but their warriors are outstanding. ¡°There¡¯s a young chief who joined us from there and he¡¯s causing trouble.¡± Gundar recalled. ¡°This is nothing but suicide!¡± A young man who looked like he was in his thirties came up to him angrily. ¡°I came here as a representative of six tribes.¡± The tribes he listed were all small in number but had many warriors. And they were also tribes that he hadn¡¯t heard much about. ¡°I thought they were just riffraffs who came together to cause trouble¡­¡± Surprisingly, that brat named Nuada easily crushed several of his warriors with his bare hands. ¡°Why do you have to gather all the tribes and fight a frontal war?¡± The tribes living deep in the mountain range didn¡¯t want any conflict as long as their territory was protected. But because Gundar wanted to fight arge-scale frontal war, they were also affected by his anger. ¡°The foreigners living on the in have countless numbers. Do you have any ns?¡± Gundar had nothing to say to that question. It was purely his personal ambition. ¡°If you help us with our work, we will make you the loser of the north.¡± Everything started after these foreigners came to him a year ago. Gundar was also an outstanding warrior as a chief, but there were many of them who were not much inferior to him. And they also provided him with the tactics that his tribecked, so his Storm Cart Tribe rose to thergest power in the mountain range. ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡®As expected, these stupid barbarians can¡¯t even unite even if I give them a chance.¡¯ The foreigner, no, one of the officers of the knight order that the Grand Duke secretly raised, Dmitri, smiled quietly. ¡°That¡¯s why I chose you.¡± He exined in detail to Gundar, who was not very bright. ¡°They are elite, aren¡¯t they? Then they can act separately, right?¡± ¡°Act separately?¡± Gundar didn¡¯t understand. ¡°You have to use them in a different direction if they don¡¯t want to be ced in front, right? Send them across the mountain range to the back of the fortress.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Gundar pped his knee. ¡°Then I can attack the enemy¡¯s back, and get rid of those who cause trouble among the allies. It¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡®This level of strategy is also hard for him to understand. How funny. Well, that¡¯s why I chose him. Chapter 41: Lightning Chapter 41: Lightning ¡°Miss, this is the report for this month.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± There was a storm brewing at the northern front line, but the impact had not reached Stefan yet. As she looked at the report and took a sip of tea, Jegal Hwayoung sighed with relief. ¡®Fortunately, there are no major obstacles to Je Gal Se Ga¡¯s migration n.¡¯ Everything was going smoothly. The Azure Dragon n was involved in almost all businesses in the north, not to mention the supply situation at the front line. ¡®War is also something to be happy about.¡¯ Food and weapons for the soldiers don¡¯t fall from the sky. As they were the most influential sangdan in the north, this war would also bring them a lot of benefits. ¡®By the way, there was someone who told me about the north.¡¯ The empire¡¯s first prince, Eurius. It was a short meeting, and they didn¡¯t even exchange their names, but his trading conditions were still clear in her mind. She had sent a letter to her family about the first prince¡¯s conditions. The first prince¡¯s conditions were very shocking, but the family¡¯s answer was vague. ¡®We don¡¯t mind showing you, but Azure Dragon¡¯s breath cannot be taken out of Je Gal Se Ga.¡¯ This meant that they would only move it when Je Gal Se Ga settled in this continent for a long time or when the first prince came to Hwan himself across the continent. But both conditions were ambiguous. First of all, Je Gal Se Ga¡¯s migration n was set for a long term. The Azure Dragon¡¯s breath, which was the highest secret of the family, would be moved muchter. Would the emperor wait that long? The second one was even more unnecessary. The exchange between the two continents had increased recently, but asking the first prince to cross the sea to another continent was an unreasonable condition. ¡®Well, everything will be clear after the war is over.¡¯ The first prince left Stefan and said he would give an answer by the day he returned from the north. But it had been over a year and there was no sign of Euriusing out of the northern front line. Rather, a tense situation called war had urred. ¡®I wonder if His highness can ovee this crisis.¡¯ She swallowed the cold tea in one gulp and made a skeptical expression. ¡­ ¡°Your Highness! The departure preparations areplete.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± Around that time, Eurius had finished preparing to head to Grime Castle. The Count kept his promise and left most of his loyal knights who had been active with him in the north for a long time. ¡®I don¡¯t have to participate in the frontal war to get what I want!¡¯ He smiled inwardly. He had receivedmand of over a thousand soldiers for the first time as a defensive force. ¡®I have enough knights and depending on the situation I can also advance into the mountain range and look for Nuada.¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t know much about geography but he could roughly tell where Nuada¡¯s tribe was by looking at the mountain map. ¡°Grime Castle is old but it¡¯s a stronghold that is regrly maintained. You probably won¡¯t be ufortable living there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing a new ce. I don¡¯t mind being ufortable but I wonder when the reinforcements from the capital wille¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long to get to Grime Castle in the rear. Eurius nodded with satisfaction as he saw the sturdy castle. ¡®It¡¯s definitely more solid than the city walls. ¡°If the barbarians try to attack our rear, we can hold them off here.¡± Linfield also looked at the castle with a confident expression. ¡®I should stay here and watch the situation for a while.¡¯ And to be honest, he was exhausted from running around without a break for the past few months. Eurius entered the castle with a rxed expression. ¡®Maybe I can finally get some rest!¡¯ But the world is unpredictable! Only a week after Eurius left Valdes Fortress and set up camp at Grime Castle, an incident urred. It started with a group of stragglers who had separated from the Immigrant Tribe Alliance Army led by Gundar. The group did not seem to have many numbers, but they had left the main force and headed to a different direction. The name of the tribe at the front was Thunder Rock Tribe! Their original name was Divine Punishment Rock Tribe, but they had changed it recently due to some event. ¡°How dare they ignore us like this, I can¡¯t trust that so-called Great chief!¡± ¡°You should have challenged him to a duel for the chief position!¡± Two loyal followers loudlyined, but their chief Nuada was calm. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we were sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder, right?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just show your skills!¡± ¡°Even if he has many warriors by his side, if it¡¯s revealed that you are a great warrior¡­¡± Nuada raised his hand to stop them. ¡°That was my decision. I have my own n. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± His aura became stronger as he spoke, and the two followers closed their mouths. Of course, Nuada also wanted to smash that stupid Gundar¡¯s head right away. ¡®But there seems to be someone behind him.¡¯ They might have hidden it, but he could not fool his senses. When he first met Gundar, who imed to be the chief, he felt the presence of many skilled warriors around him. ¡®As far as I know, even if they gather all the talented warriors from the tribes at the foot of the mountain range, they can¡¯t reach that number.¡¯ Nuada had no choice but to pretend to follow Gundar¡¯s will. ¡®There is definitely someone behind that idiot¡­¡¯ He reached [great warrior] status, which was legendary in the north and equivalent to [superhuman] in the continent, but he could not ignore the ominous feeling he got from Gundar¡¯s back. ¡®We will act as if we follow Gundar while looking for a chance to escape.¡¯ That was the opinion of several tribes who agreed with him. They had no reason to fight arge-scale war with the foreigners at the foot of the mountain. Nuada was a young and ambitious chief. He had his own ambition, but it was different from Gundar¡¯s. ¡®It¡¯s good to unify the north. But that doesn¡¯t mean we have to fight with the foreigners.¡¯ The tribes of the north had their own traditions. They would not be his forces just because he forced them together. Besides, he heard that the number of foreigners at the foot of the mountain had increased tremendously recently. ¡®It would be nice if we could make peace with them.¡¯ The problem was the barrennd of the mountain range. They could not farm, and hunting was their main source of food. But because of the threat of beasts and monsters, hunting was not easy for tribes thatcked warriors. He thought it was inevitable for the weak(?) tribes at the foot of the mountain range to go down to plunder. As he was thinking this, he heard a report from one of his tribe members who went ahead. ¡°Chief. I can see a group of foreigners over there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big building, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was quite a distance, but with his eyesight, it was no different from observing it up close. Nuada nced at Grime Castle and gave an order. ¡®But we have to pretend to fight, so why don¡¯t we take over that much?¡¯ ¡°Start the attack! It looks like there are quite a few warriors over there, so Sven, Bogr. You two will have to take the lead.¡± The two warriors who were named shouted with joy. ¡®I haven¡¯t had a chance to loosen up for a while. It¡¯s going well.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s almost guaranteed that we¡¯ll win with the chief by our side!¡¯ It was a piece of cake to take over a small castle like that with the chief behind them. And the news of their arrival was quickly delivered to the castle. ¡°Waaaaaaa!!!¡± Eurius heard the scream from afar with his keen senses. ¡°Your highness! It looks like a bunch of barbarians areing in.¡± ¡°I heard it too.¡± He quickly got up and put on his armor, feeling puzzled. ¡®The northern warriors don¡¯t prefer tactics like splitting their forces and hitting the back, do they?¡¯ It¡¯s early in the war, and the immigrants have a lot of power, but if the central government sends support, they¡¯ll be outnumbered, so splitting up here isn¡¯t a very smart way. ¡®The chief has changed, so maybe their way has changed too.¡¯ Eurius convinced himself and ordered Linfield. ¡°Defend the wall with the knights as the center. It¡¯s likely that they brought some elites as well as Yang Dong.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Linfield hurried out tomand. ¡®It¡¯s a bit fishy, but there won¡¯t be any trouble while I¡¯m here, right?¡¯ Eurius was rxed inside. His job was to preserve the lives of the knights and soldiers as much as possible. As long as he helped them properly, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to hold on. But contrary to Eurius¡¯ expectations, the situation was not easy. ¡°Defend the wall!¡± ¡°Warriors, make way for us!¡± The immigrants who had climbed over the wall easily were fighting on par with the knights. ¡®Huh? The level of the warriors is not bad?¡¯ To Eurius¡¯ eyes, they were different from most of the ragtag warriors he had seen so far. ¡°Hahaha! I didn¡¯t expect to find someone who could cross swords with me in this corner!¡± A slender warrior with twin swords shed with Heinz. Surprisingly, he was having a close match with one of the best among the royal guards. ¡®Linfield is also in trouble.¡¯ He was also busy blocking Bogr¡¯s huge axe whilemanding. ¡®And there¡¯s something familiar about this atmosphere?¡¯ Eurius tried to remember. ¡®A warrior with twin swords? Sven? No way!¡¯ As he recalled his previous life¡¯s memory, Eurius drew his sword and rushed into the battlefield. If his guess was right, he would suffer a lot of damage in this battle if he didn¡¯t step in. Nuada was also watching the situation from below the wall for a while. ¡®It seems like it¡¯s time to intervene.¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect to have trouble taking over a castle like this, even though he had only picked the best warriors, but the opponents were not easy either. ¡°Bring me a spear!¡± He was good at hand-to-handbat using his fists and feet, but he had another way of attacking. ¡®If I blow up the enemy¡¯s leader and then jump in, I can easily subdue them.¡¯ Nuada lightly held the long spear in one hand and took a stance. ¡°Hap!¡± His waist bent like a bow. It was the posture of throwing a spear. The spear, which was infused with force and glowed blue, was soon dyed white. ¡°One, go!¡± Nuada shouted as he threw the spear. Kwaaaa! The thrown spear became a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, it crossed the wall and the battlefield. And its target was! ¡®No!!¡¯ Eurius, who felt a different level of presence, ran across the wall at full speed. The target of the spear was obvious. Linfield, who wasmanding from the wall! He realized that he was being targeted by an overwhelming presence. ¡°¡­!?¡± He must have been dumbfounded too. It wasn¡¯t a bolt from the blue, but a white streak of lightning that flew straight at him. But before he could dodge, the lightning reached his nose. ¡®Damn!¡¯ Kwang! The spear turned into lightning hit the floor of the wall where Linfield was and exploded. The dust flew and the ground sank with overwhelming destructive power! ¡®Shall I throw one more?¡¯ Nuada looked at the wall again with a satisfied expression, but at that moment he was also surprised. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m notte.¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± Eurius had run to his side and drawn his sword. He had deflected the spear just now. ¡°What was that explosion?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. For now, please continue tomand.¡± At this moment, Eurius decided to intervene in the battlefield. ¡®It¡¯s good that I found Nuada, but I can¡¯t afford to lose my people here!¡¯ The north respects strong warriors anyway! He had to show them his power if he wanted to make an alliance. He jumped into the wall with the speed of light. Chapter 42: The First Clash Chapter 42: The First sh The situation on the wall changedpletely as soon as Eurius went all out. Nuada looked at the battlefield with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°No way, how can there be such a level of warrior in this remote ce?¡± What he saw was Eurius. His feats were dazzling, to say the least. Shriek. ¡°Ugh.¡± It was not like he was sweeping with a broom, but every time a blue sword light shed on the wall, one of his warriors fell to the ground below. The warriors he had sent out were the best ones he had selected from his allied tribes, but they could not even exchange a few blows with the enemy and fell screaming. It would be hard to resolve the situation faster than that unless he stepped in himself. ¡®I have to stop him.¡¯ Nuada picked up another spear. ¡°Huff.¡± It was different from before. His whole body muscles tightened and a groan escaped his lips. Nuada threw the spear with almost all his strength. Kwaaaa! It was not a simple throwing spear, but a streak of lightning that contained his mighty power and pierced the wall. The target was none other than Eurius, who was sweeping his warriors on the wall! ¡®As expected, he came?¡¯ Eurius turned around feeling a creepy sensation and swung his sword to face the throwing spear. Kwang! A loud noise erupted and this time Eurius was pushed back. He grumbled and shook his hand holding the sword. ¡®He still has a brute force that can crush enemies.¡¯ He did not block it head-on, but just slightly twisted the trajectory, yet his hand felt numb from throwing off the spear. ¡®If I had not mastered Force st, it could have been dangerous.¡¯ Nuada¡¯s secret technique was Destruction! His pure white force turned into light and became lightning that destroyed everything in its path. On the other hand, Eurius¡¯s secret technique was suitable for a superhuman, but it was invisible, which was a big advantage. Compared to Nuada¡¯s secret technique that focused on destruction, his power was lower. In a one-on-one confrontation, he naturally lost inpatibility, but st somewhatpensated for that disadvantage. It increased the output momentarily, giving him enough destructive power to deflect Nuada¡¯s full-powered attack. ¡®Look at this?¡¯ Nuada¡¯s veins bulged on his head. He had never seen a warrior who could withstand his attack since he reached this level. His pride was hurt. ¡°Bring me more spears!¡± The battlefield was already nothing but a contest of strength between the two. Kwaaaa! ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Eurius also took a defensive stance again. Kwang! Even after that, Nuada continued to aim for Eurius with his full-powered spear throws, and he blocked those attacks. The standoff at this distancested for more than ten minutes. Of course, Eurius did not forget to support the knights whenever he had a chance while fending off the spears. Puck! ¡°Kraaak!¡± Nuada bit his tongue when he saw another warrior fall outside the wall. ¡°Tsk!¡± He had never met a worthy opponent in his life, and the blood that rushed to his head cooled down for a moment. He had no choice but to make a decision. ¡°Retreat!¡± He finally chose to back off. The reason he came to the rear was to avoid a frontal battle with the foreigners. It would be counterproductive if his tribe suffered a great loss here. ¡°There¡¯s no need to chase them!¡± Eurius also generously allowed them to take away their wounded, since his goal was not their annihtion. He climbed up to the wall tower and silently stared at Nuada. ¡®We finally met again.¡¯ Eurius smiled slightly, and Nuada felt like he was mocking him. He red at him with an unhappy expression. ¡°Check the damage!¡± Nuada thought that checking the damage of the warriors was the most important thing for now. The ordinary tribesmen were also important, but in order to survive in the deep mountains, the outstanding warriors should not die here. And he was slightly surprised. ¡°The damage is less than expected?¡± The enemy was a formidable elite. And they had a powerful warrior of the same level as him. Yet, there were not many warriors who died. ¡®What are they aiming for?¡¯ Especially, most of the warriors who were thrown out of the wall by Eurius did not die. Except for those who were unlucky enough to break their necks at thending point, there were not many who suffered serious injuries. Eurius¡¯s side also had little damage. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to His Highness¡¯s prowess.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to have such a strong warrior.¡± The knights of the north, including Linfield, looked at Eurius with a faint admiration in their eyes. ¡®I knew he was hiding some of his skills, but I didn¡¯t know he was this good.¡¯ They also saw a lot of things from him while spending more than a year with him. ¡°Your strategy is as brilliant as your strength!¡± ¡°You are a person who excels in both militarymand and personal power!¡± On the other hand, Eurius did not show any pride and just thought quietly. ¡®It¡¯s a golden opportunity, but I¡¯m bothered by the fact that our first encounter with them was a battle.¡¯ Once they met as enemies, even though he spared some of them, they would not be unharmed on their side. ¡®Nuada is a wise ruler. He will understand if I exin well.¡¯ Eurius finished his thoughts and looked around the knights. ¡°I have a personal favor to ask you!¡± ¡°A favor?¡± The emperor was their superior. They had to obey his orders naturally, but why did he emphasize it as a favor? ¡°I¡¯m going to follow them and enter the northern mountains from now on! I hope you cane with me.¡± ¡®Will they follow me?¡¯ Eurius was not sure. The order from Duke Anderson was to guard the rear. No matter how he was the emperor, it was an act of disobeying the order of themander-in-chief of the north! But he had to use the word ¡®favor¡¯ because it was something he had to do even if the knights opposed it. ¡®I met Nuada by chance. I have to capture him here!¡¯ ¡°Pfft!¡± But the knightsughed softly. Was his favor too ridiculous? ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Seeing Eurius¡¯s puzzled look, Linfield spoke as a representative. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it as a favor. Don¡¯t you all agree?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The knights shouted out loud. ¡°We are already your loyal knights.¡± ¡°Whatever you do, it must be necessary!¡± They had already been through many battles with Eurius for more than a year. ¡®He personally bandaged me when I was injured as a mere knight!¡¯ ¡®If he hadn¡¯t saved me in the battle, I would have been killed by the barbarians.¡¯ Linfield continued. ¡°You are no different from our lord. Just give us your order!¡± ¡®The past year of wandering around looking for Nuada was not meaningless.¡¯ Eurius also looked at the knights with a nostalgic expression. He earned these loyal knights with his pure ability, not because he was the emperor in the north. ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll give you an order!¡± Eurius raised his sword with a determined expression. ¡°We will chase those immigrants and enter the mountain range. It will probably be a dangerous mission, so be prepared!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Oh! By the way, I won¡¯t tell you the purpose until we get there. It will be a surprise gift when you find out!¡± ¡°Hahaha!!¡± The knights burst intoughter at Eurius¡¯s joke that broke the tense atmosphere. But at this moment, they all looked at him with a solid trust. ¡°What should we do now?¡± In Nuada¡¯s tent where he retreated, there was also a meeting with the chiefs of the tribes who followed him. ¡°It seems impossible to break through their defense line.¡± It was Nuada¡¯s honest assessment. The number of elite warriors was almost equal. The problem was that it would be possible to fight them on the in, but they had a wall on their side. And above all, the problem was¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it seems like there is someone of the great warrior level on their side.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The faces of the other chiefs turned pale. The reason they followed Nuada was that he was surprisingly wise for his young age, but the decisive reason was his overwhelming power. ¡°Is it possible that their leader is there?¡± Nuada shook his head. He had heard the rumors about the superhuman Count Anderson, who had a reputation of a devil against the northern immigrants. But the Eurius he saw today looked even younger than himself, a blue-eyed boy. ¡°But it¡¯s clear that there¡¯s no use in attacking them like this!¡¯ ¡°Then what should we do? We have to follow Gundar¡¯s words for now.¡¯ Nuada shook his head again. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Let¡¯s just go into the mountains and watch the situation for a while.¡¯ ¡°But what if?¡¯ ¡°There are two super warriors on the foreigner¡¯s side! Do you think Gundar, who ims to be the chief, can handle them both at once?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s true.¡¯ The old chief who spoke also shivered. He had spent his whole life in the mountains and met many beasts, but the fight between the super warriors he saw today was beyond his imagination. The word that describes superhumans in the continent is literally a one-man army! Nuada¡¯s argument was reasonable. ¡®I¡¯m worried about the mysterious force behind Gundar, though.¡¯ Nuada decided to think carefully about that part. Anyway, he thought that unless Gundar brought in some new super warrior forces, there was no way to deal with the foreigners under the mountains. ¡®I¡¯ll intervene when they sh and suffer losses. It won¡¯t be toote then.¡¯ He was also an ambitious man who didn¡¯t want to be a loser in the north. He thought that Gundar was not fit to be a chief, not only because of his dubious background, but also because of hisck of skill. ¡®Let¡¯s go back quickly since we¡¯ve made a decision.¡¯ ¡­ They were familiar with the terrain of this mountain more than anyone else. They quickly dismantled their tents and started to return to their nest deep in the mountains. ¡®Huh? This is not right.¡¯ Eurius heard that the barbarians were retreating quickly and immediately prepared to send out his troops. ¡®We have to chase them fast. If we lose them once, it will be hard to track them down without an urate map of the mountains.¡¯ He knew that Nuada was a man with a strong pride. He wanted to fight him a few more times and offer him an alliance, but unexpectedly they decided to retreat. ¡®Well, he was a quick-witted man among the immigrants in my previous life.¡¯ Eurius had to catch up with the retreating immigrants. The retreating Nuada¡¯s tribal alliance and Eurius¡¯s special unit! The chase for contact began. Chapter 43: Duel Request Chapter 43: Duel Request Eurius¡¯s troops had to march for more than half a day to chase after the retreating Nuada. But his speed and the speed of his soldiers who were following the traces of the mountain road were not the same. ¡®The knights might be fine, but the soldiers are too exhausted. It will be hard at this rate.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s rest here. I¡¯m worried about the soldiers.¡± ¡°But the barbarians are moving too fast. If we rest here, we might lose them¡­¡± Eurius said firmly. ¡°This is something I¡¯m doing out of my personal greed. I can¡¯t let any soldier fall behind or get into an ident because of that.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡®He is truly His Highness the first prince. He cares for every single soldier even in this situation.¡¯ Linfield admired him and started to prepare for camping. ¡®How can I chase after Nuada¡¯s tribe without any trouble?¡¯ He thought about taking only the knights with him at first, but then he couldn¡¯t guarantee the safety of the knights if the alliance failed. He might be able to escape, but he couldn¡¯t risk them. He already considered all the knights as his own people. ¡°Bring me the map.¡± Eurius¡¯s expression was grim as he received the map in his tent. ¡®As expected, there is no proper map of the northern mountains at this point.¡¯ The map showed the whole mountain range, but that was all. Even if he roughly knew his destination, he didn¡¯t know which direction to go because there was no road marked on it. The situation was different from when he was an emperor and fled to the north. The north was still mostly unknownnd, and there was no proper map except for the part near the entrance of the mountain range. ¡®I roughly know where it is.¡¯ Eurius had been there in his previous life, so he could find his way if he knew the direction, even with a map that only vaguely showed the whole mountain range. But coincidentally, he had no way to determine his direction right now. He was an emperor in his previous life, not a traveler or an expert in finding directions. ¡®I heard there is something called apass in the east?¡¯ It was not widely used yet, but it was a device that was usually used for sailing and always pointed to north, south, east and west. He might find one if he went to Valdes Fortress, but finding directions in the north was mostly done by looking at the map and roughly guessing by the direction of the sun rising and setting, or by using a guide or a messenger who was familiar with thend. ¡®Is there anyone who can do that role?¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± A solution came to Eurius¡¯s mind as he was thinking. ¡®Help menu open.¡¯ [Help menu ¨C How to find directions in the mountains ¨C Use apass.] A vein popped on Eurius¡¯s forehead. ¡®If I had something like that, I would have used it already!¡¯ Was it doing this on purpose? The help menu had a knack for raising his blood pressure. [Opening how to find directions without apass.] ¡®There it is!¡¯ It was indeed the knowledge of a yer. He was sure that it would help him a lot and started to look at the help menu. And the next day. ¡°Are you sure you can find directions with this method?¡± Linfield asked cautiously, but Eurius was confident. ¡°It¡¯s a travel method I found when I was at the academy. It¡¯s not very urate, but I can at least tell which way to go.¡± Eurius first ordered to cut down some trees on a t terrain nearby. Then he looked closely at the tree rings of the cut trees. [1. The direction where the tree rings are narrow is likely to be rtively north. Note) There may be differences depending on the environment.] ¡®It¡¯s hard to be sure with just this!¡¯ As a second method, Eurius tries something that feels more reliable. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Ignoring the knights¡¯ questions, he stabs his sword into the ground and marks the position of its shadow. [2. ce a t stick or something simr on the ground. Then, after about 10 minutes, connect the direction of the shadows and the end of the back shadow will be east.] ¡®The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. That¡¯s obvious. I can trust this!¡¯ There were also various pieces of information in the help menu that could help with tracking. Trusting them, Eurius resumes his march. In fact, he doesn¡¯t think that the yer¡¯s information is perfect either. But what supplements it are the traces of the immigrants. ¡®Several tribes are moving at the same time, so they can¡¯tpletely hide their traces!¡¯ Help menu and Nuada¡¯s movement traces! And his memories from his previous life, these three thingsbined make a usible tracking route. ¡®I know that Nuada¡¯s Thunder Rock tribe is located somewhere in the northwest from here.¡¯ Once he finds out the direction somehow, it won¡¯t be hard to find them. Linfield and the other knights look at him with nk stares. ¡®He only knows how to swing his sword around. How can hepare to His highness the first prince who is wise and learned?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a strange method, but if it¡¯s His highness doing, then I can believe it.¡¯ And surprisingly, his method works out well. ¡°Your Majesty, there are traces of barbarians moving in the area you told us to look.¡± ¡®Phew, thank goodness.¡¯ This way, Eurius begins tracking inside the mountain range. On the other hand, Nuada¡¯s side is also bewildered. ¡®Even if we can¡¯tpletely erase our traces, how can they follow us in the mountain range that only we know?¡¯ The inside of the northern mountain range was their territory only. It was a ce where there had been no external invasion for hundreds of years. But those foreign pursuers seem to wander around at first nce, but somehow they keep following them. They can¡¯t help but tilt their heads. ¡®Are they following our scent or something?¡¯ But if this goes on, even if it¡¯s deep in the mountain range, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they reach their tribe. Nuada¡¯s tribe also falls into a great dilemma. A week passes by like this for both the chasers and the chased. ¡®Now, we¡¯re almost there.¡¯ Eurius smiles with satisfaction. There were unexpected variables, but this time too, the system saved him splendidly. The knights also look at him with admiration in their eyes. ¡°He really is different from those who study. How did he get such knowledge?¡± ¡°He graduated from Savior Academy. In fact, hismand skills were not ordinary either.¡± The reason why the knights admire him is not only because he found the way, but also because Eurius showed very skillful responses while marching in the unfamiliar northern mountain range. ¡°That ce looks like it won¡¯t let in any wind. It would be good for the soldiers to rest there.¡± Starting from finding a good spot for camping, ¡°Tell the soldiers to dig a little bit of dirt and set up their field tents on top of it. That will help them keep their body temperature!¡± [Help menu ¨C How to move in the mountains and not lose body temperature] He also orders camping as soon as the weather gets slightly cloudy. ¡°It¡¯s suicidal to march in a blizzard in this cold mountain range. The immigrants are no different, so let¡¯s set up barracks quickly.¡± [Help menu ¨C How to travel in prnds] Thanks to Eurius¡¯s exploits, they were able to chase at a reasonable speed while preserving the soldiers¡¯ stamina. ¡°But it¡¯s amazing. Why did he learn such knowledge when he was born and never saw anything but the imperial pce and the holy kingdom?¡± Some knights, like Linfield, who had some qualities of a staff officer, expressed some doubts, but how many times did Eurius show unexpected behavior? ¡°His Majesty is beyond our measure.¡± They were knights anyway. It was rather a good thing for the lord to show outstanding performance. They soon brushed off their trivial doubts. On the other hand, the chased side also reached their limit of patience. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand!¡± Nuada was also really puzzled this time. It was hard to survive in the winter mountain range even if they prepared poorly, let alone warriors. But those strange foreign pursuers have been chasing them for over a week without showing much fatigue. Normally, after three or four days, soldiers would freeze to death from frostbite and hypothermia. The reason why the empire couldn¡¯t easily enter the northern mountain range was because this environment was a powerful ally for the immigrants. But those pursuers broke thismon sense and reached their tribe¡¯s doorstep. ¡°If we leave them alone for another three or four days, our closest tribe will be exposed to the foreigners!¡± One of the chiefs following him looks like he¡¯s dying. It was natural that their territory, which had not allowed foreigners for hundreds of years, was invaded. Nuada finally made a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for them here and settle it!¡± No matter how the other side had a great warrior of equal skill to him, they had an advantage in fighting in the mountains. ¡®The problem is how much damage can be reduced¡­¡¯ Thinking about it, his face also darkened. Nuada was a typical warrior with a strong fighting spirit, but before that, he was a person who was responsible for these tribes. Even if he repelled the foreigners who attacked this time, the damage would be unspeakable. ¡®Is there any other reason why they are chasing us like this?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but he wanted to avoid the collision somehow. It was natural for him, how could he think that the other side was chasing him to death with the intention of forming an alliance with him? Nuada stopped marching and it wasn¡¯t long before Eurius¡¯s troops almost caught up with them. ¡°Your highness! The distance between us and the barbarians seems to be getting closer.¡± Eurius smiles triumphantly. ¡®They finally gave up.¡¯ It was an obvious result. Once he achieved his primary goal of catching up with them, the next step was negotiation. ¡®The negotiation itself won¡¯t be difficult.¡¯ Eurius trusted Nuada. He wasn¡¯t a fool who would attack them without thinking even though he knew the damage would be great. ¡®He¡¯ll try to reduce the damage somehow and talk to me.¡¯ The next step was to get through with his own skills. The forces of Nuada had prepared a base on a hill that was easy to defend. ¡°If we sh with them head-on, we will suffer heavy losses.¡± Lnfield cautiously said. ¡®Fortunately, that won¡¯t happen.¡¯ Eurius smiled faintly and summoned his knights. ¡°Follow me for now. I have something to discuss with the enemy¡¯s leader.¡± The knights also didn¡¯t think that Eurius had made such a reckless march into the mountains just to wipe out some barbarians. ¡®His highness the first prince must have some n in mind.¡¯ Eurius led his knights and slowly ascended towards the enemy camp. Thud, thud. The knights followed him quietly with their footsteps. ng! Eurius stopped at a ce where he could see the enemy camp clearly. The enemy was already in a defensive posture. Nuada was at the front, nked by his warriors. Eurius, who brought the elite knights of the north! Nuada, who gathered the strong ones from the depths of the mountains! The two finally faced each other. ¡®It was really hard to get here.¡¯ Eurius took a deep breath and shouted towards the camp. ¡°I am Eurius, the first prince of the Scharnos Empire!¡± And then he said something that no one there expected. ¡°I challenge you, the chief of the Thunder Rock tribe, to a duel of warriors!¡± Chapter 44: The Start Of The Duel Chapter 44: The Start Of The Duel ¡°I challenge you, the chief of the Thunder Rock tribe, to a duel of warriors!¡± Eurius¡¯s voice echoed through the mountains. ¡®A duel?¡¯ ¡®Why does this foreigner want to have a warrior¡¯s duel with us?¡¯ There was a buzz of noise from Nuada¡¯s alliance, including the Thunder Rock tribe. A warrior¡¯s duel! The north respected the strong. They didn¡¯t always apply it in every situation, but when they had something they wanted, they would settle it with a duel. It wasn¡¯t umon among them. But to hear a sudden challenge from the mouth of the foreigner who seemed to be their leader? But whether they had heard it somewhere or not, their faces were full of distrust. ¡°Surely, you won¡¯t ept it?¡± ¡°Foreigners are not trustworthy! We don¡¯t even know why he is proposing a duel in this situation¡­¡± Shush. But Nuada walked through them with a confident stride. ¡°I am Nuada, the chief of the Thunder Rock tribe!¡± They were still hundreds of steps away from their camp, but for superhumans like them, it was no different from being face to face. For a while, Nuada and Eurius exchanged gazes silently. Nuada¡¯s first impression was this. ¡®I¡¯ve seen him before, but he¡¯s much younger than I thought.¡¯ He was in his prime when he reached this level, just over thirty, but Eurius looked like a fresh young boy who was at least six years younger than him. ¡®He blocked my full-strength spear?¡¯ He felt a fiery pride rising in him. But he had to confirm something before that. ¡°Do you have any conditions foring here and proposing a duel?¡± He wouldn¡¯t havee here without any purpose and simply picked a fight. Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°If you win, we will retreat without pursuing you any further.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± That was an attractive condition. In a situation where their tribe¡¯s existence was at stake in a full-scale war, he was offering to end it with one duel. ¡°Foreigners are not reliable! How can you prove that?¡± Of course, it was too risky to ept it at face value. ¡®As if he has anything like that, my friend.¡¯ Eurius smiled inwardly and answered. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that.¡± In an instant, everyone¡¯s expressions changed to disbelief. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Is he mocking me?¡¯ Nuada felt insulted and his body emitted a tremendous aura that pressed on them. ¡°Your highness!¡± The knights around him were startled, but Eurius continued calmly. ¡°Then do you think you can catch me if I decide to leave here with all my might?¡± Nuada answered with a growling voice. ¡°Are you threatening us now?¡± In fact, no matter how rough and harsh they were, they had already figured out the mountain path to some extent. If Eurius took only his knights and left, it would be possible to retreat. And if they nned to form arge-scale expedition forceter and sweep the inside of the mountain range, there was no way for the tribes to stop it with their power. ¡®Anyway, since we roughly know the path inside the mountain range, our conditions are absolutely advantageous!¡¯ Eurius was rxed as ever. ¡°How can we trust you, who are living people like us, if you say that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And please listen to my conditions and make a decision.¡± ¡°What do you want if you win?¡± Nuada had no choice but to agree, grinding his teeth. It was clear that they were in a better position right now. Eurius¡¯s demand was simple. ¡°Alliance!¡± ¡°Alliance!?¡± The tribes looked at him as if he was talking nonsense, and most of Eurius¡¯s side did too, but some knights seemed to have caught on. ¡®So that was His highness intention.¡¯ ¡®Indeed, if this much power joins our side, we can change the course of this war.¡¯ ¡°Join forces with me and deal with the chief or whatever who went down the mountain!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No matter how suspicious Gundar is, are you telling us to betray our brothers in the mountain range for these foreigners?¡± There was a murmur among the tribes, but Nuada thought differently. ¡®So there was someone who had a simr idea to mine on that side.¡¯ In Nuada¡¯s opinion, if this war dragged on, the northern mountain range would be devastated, but the enemy would also suffer considerable damage. ¡®But the problem is how to trust them.¡¯ His worries could only grow. If he helped them drive out Gundar and unified the north himself, unnecessary conflicts would surely decrease. But what would they think of him after that? Just like there was an unknown force behind Gundar, he could be used and discarded. ¡°p!¡± But his worries were broken by a strange pping sound. Eurius was looking at him with a confident expression. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop ying games now.¡± Eurius knew Nuada¡¯s personality well. He hated to weigh things up and down. His worries were only for the sake of his tribe. And Eurius¡¯s proposal was to fight first and judgeter. ¡°I heard that the warriors of the north prove themselves through struggle. Is that not true?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In fact, we should have done this a week ago, but don¡¯t we have something to settle?¡± That¡¯s right! Nuada hated to be indecisive by nature. He just wanted to act rather than think. And Eurius¡¯s demand was an alliance! On top of that, Nuada had absolute confidence in his own skills. ¡®He has a rare way of thinking that I like very much for a foreigner.¡¯ His thoughts finally leaned toward that side. No matter how the negotiations went, he had to fight him anyway. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ At that moment, Nuada¡¯s fighting spirit was reignited. ¡°Fine! But I have one more condition!¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Our one-on-one fight is not enough. How about you send two more people and make it three-on-three?¡± If it was Eurius before he left the fortress, he would have hesitated here. But he trusted his knights now. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s have three matches and the side that wins two of them will ept the other¡¯s conditions!¡± As the decision was made by the leaders of both sides, the situation was quickly settled. ¡®First, we have to decide who will go out.¡¯ In fact, he had notpletely ruled out this possibility. The first person he would call was of course decided. ¡°Sir Heinz! I think you should go out.¡± ¡°It is an honor, Your highness!¡± Heinz had actually achieved quite a lot of feats by assisting him even aftering to the north, but he was impatient at the moment. It was because Linfield, an excellent lieutenant who was well-versed in the northern customs, had joined Eurius. Of course, he did not envy Linfield at all, but rather considered him a reliable colleague, but he had been serving the emperor much longer. ¡®Finally, I have a chance to repay His highness a little bit for what I received.¡¯ There was an invisible me burning in Sir Heinz¡¯s eyes. The next person Eurius looked at was Linfield. ¡°It is an honor to be chosen by you, Your highness!¡± He was also an excellent knight in his own right. He was content with being a lieutenant who helped Eurius. His right arm Sir Heinz and his left arm Sir Linfield, two knights were chosen and two people came out from Nuada¡¯s side as well. ¡°The chief doesn¡¯t need to step up!¡± ¡°We can handle those weak foreigners at the bottom of the mountain with just two wins!¡± The warriors who came out next to him were also the two warriors that Nuada trusted the most. Sven, a nimble warrior who used twin swords, and Bogr, a giant who wielded a huge battle axe as lightly as a feather! These two were skilled enough to be recognized as the best warriors in any tribe if they were not under Nuada. The ce where the Thunder Rock tribe was camped was quickly prepared for a wide open space to fight, The knights and warriors surrounded the arena and watched silently. Soon the first match began. ¡°I am Linfield, the lieutenant!¡± ¡°I am Sven, a warrior of the Thunder Rock tribe!¡± The two finished their introductions and drew their weapons. Shiiing! Without anyone saying anything, they immediately entered into a closebat. ng! Sven¡¯s twin swords and Linfield¡¯s long sword crossed and sparks flew. Both of their weapons were fully condensed with force that could split rocks. The fight between force users above a certain level varied depending on theirbat style. Coincidentally, both Linfield and Sven were swordsmen who valued speed. Eurius¡¯s eyes sharpened as he watched the situation. ¡®The one who allows the first strike will be at a disadvantage.¡¯ Knights who maximized their reflexes were rtively weak in defense. Whether it was internal or external injuries, the one who suffered a significant wound first would be in a worse position. Linfield¡¯s sword was fast and precise, as befitting his noble origin. His movements were like a textbook of swordsmanship, and he had gained both sharpness and speed by going through real battles with the tribes in the north. On the other hand, Sven¡¯s twin swords were irregr but sharp, trying to pierce Linfield¡¯s weak points. ng! He deflected Linfield¡¯s sword that seemed to split his waist and swung down one of his swords. Linfield also skillfully stepped back and avoided it by widening the distance. So far, it seemed like a stalemate. But Eurius shook his head inwardly. ¡®Sven is one step ahead. It will be hard.¡¯ As he said, Linfield gradually began to be pushed back. Bang! Sven mmed down both of his swords at once and Linfield staggered back. He had also felt it vaguely from the beginning of the closebat. ¡®It¡¯s frustrating, but his level is higher than mine.¡¯ Sven was one of the two strongmen that Nuada trusted. He was obviously a master-level warrior as they say in the continent. But unfortunately, Sir Linfield had not yet reached that level. sh! Finally, Sven¡¯s sword left a fairly deep wound on Linfield¡¯s body. At that moment, Eurius bit his tongue. ¡®This was wrong.¡¯ He had thought that the gap between Sven and Linfield was manageable, but surprisingly, Sven was a fairlyplete warrior at this point. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± But Linfield¡¯s fighting spirit was also amazing. Swish! His sword surprisingly prated between Sven¡¯s twin swords and left a fairly deep wound on his chest. ¡°¡­!?¡± In fact, using twin swords meant that the force infused into the weapons was also divided into two, so the power of each strike was naturally lower. Linfield took advantage of that and finally found a gap between the twin swords andnded a hit. ¡°You bastard!¡± Sven, who had been slightlycent, was surprised and started to use his full strength. But Linfield also had plenty ofbat experience in the north. ¡®All I need is one good hit.¡¯ ¡®If I¡¯m careless, I might suffer an unexpected defeat.¡¯ The first match, which seemed to end soon when Linfield was pushed back, dragged on for more than ten minutes and finally ended. Eurius raised his hand. ¡°We concede defeat!¡± ¡°Your highness! It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Linfield, who shouted, was full ofrge and small sword wounds all over his body. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want to lose you here. Trust our people behind us and rest for now!¡± Eurius ordered firmly and asked the knights to take Linfield away. Sven was not very hurt either. He was bleeding from various ces due to Linfield¡¯s asional sharp strikes. ¡®I thought the foreigners were all weaklings, but that¡¯s not the case.¡¯ He lifted his twin swords and held them to his chest. It was a warrior¡¯s courtesy to Linfield, who had done his best. Nuada nodded at Eurius without saying anything. ¡®It¡¯s time for the second match!¡¯ Chapter 45: Heinz and Eurius Chapter 45: Heinz and Eurius ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Your highness!¡± Euriusforted Linfield, who was receiving emergency treatment with a frustrated expression. ¡°Trust Heinz and me. You did more than enough!¡± ¡®What I expect from you is not just your strength.¡¯ He had originally noticed Linfield for his ability as an aide, not hisbat ability as a knight. If he could see his stats, he would see that his talent was divided between aide and knight. He deserved a great praise for showing such a fighting spirit. Anyway, as Nuada¡¯s side took the first victory, the tribes cheered. ¡°Woohoo!! Win the next match easily too!¡± ¡°Of course, the weaklings of the continent can¡¯t match our warriors.¡± Eurius smiled faintly as he saw that. ¡°What about you? How do you see Heinz?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I show you with the result?¡± Heinz also smiled and answered with a cheerful tone that was not like someone who was about to fight. Eurius shouted out loud. ¡°I¡¯ll send out the next person!¡± He patted Heinz¡¯s back. He was also someone who had always taken care of him since he was young. There was no need to express their trust rtionship with words. ¡°I am from the Imperial Guard, and now I¡¯m in charge of guarding His Majesty, Heinz!¡± ¡°I am Bogr, a warrior of the Thunder Rock tribe! I hope for a good match like before!¡± Bogr was also a great warrior who was on par with Sven. But Eurius trusted Heinz. ¡®His talent was originally much better than mine.¡¯ He had been watching him since he received the guidance of Carlos, the superhuman duke. He never saw him ck off in his efforts for a single day. Heinz also didn¡¯t look back at Eurius as he went out, but he recalled the past with a nostalgic expression. ¡®His highness is my benefactor who has no equal in this world.¡¯ His first meeting with Eurius was when he was admitted to the Imperial Guard as amoner who was recognized for his talent. ¡®It wasn¡¯t easy to adapt.¡¯ The Imperial Guard was mostlyposed of people who had gone through the best elite courses. It was hard for amoner like him to fit in at first. ¡®He has decent skills, but isn¡¯t he just a lowlymoner?¡¯ ¡®Tsk! No matter how meritocratic it is, the Imperial Guard should have people who have basic manners!¡¯ His meeting with Eurius, who was known as a troublemaker at the time, also started at this period. People around him sneered. They thought he was just babysitting the emperor because of his background. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯ll catch the eye of the first prince and get promoted?¡± ¡°Nah, not that prince.¡± But Heinz was a bright and positive person by nature. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure that contempt ande this far. ¡°I am Heinz, a knight of the Imperial Guard. It is an honor to be in charge of His highness basic swordsmanship training from today.¡± He spoke cautiously, afraid of offending the emperor¡¯s mood because of his background. The current emperor had dismantled the power of the nobles so much that it wasn¡¯t like that, but just a few decades ago, it was hard for amoner to even set foot in the pce. ¡°Really?¡± Surprisingly, Eurius didn¡¯t seem very interested and moved on. ¡°¡­!?¡± Many high-ranking nobles openly despisedmoners. He couldn¡¯t help but make a slightly confused expression when the little prince showed such a candid reaction. ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was just afraid that Your highness would be upset because of my background¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Eurius smiled brightly again. ¡°His Majesty always said this. Whether they aremoners or nobles, the imperial family must always take care of them and be an example to them.¡± He said this and then stretched his waist with a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t matter to me whether Heinz is amoner or a noble. You can just treat me casually!¡± He said this with a proud look on his face, but he was just a ten-year-old kid. He acted like he had said something great, but he was a typical immature lord. However, ironically, Eurius was the first person who had ever said such words to Haines. ¡®His highness is a person who treats everyone equally with a righteous character.¡¯ Although he didn¡¯t remember it himself, the first meeting with Eurius was something that Heinz could never forget. Eurius thought that he was just being nice to him because he had a warm and friendly impression, but in fact, Heinz had taken good care of Eurius for this reason. In fact, Eurius in his childhood was a prince who had no ws in his personality. He wasn¡¯t called a genius like Leonhardt, but he was a child who often received praise for his kindness. That¡¯s why the emperor and Marius supported him even though they heard that hecked talent. If it weren¡¯t for the schemes of Wace or the duke, Eurius would have had a high chance of living a peaceful emperor life in his previous life. His achievements after his return were also dazzling. ¡®He did go astray for a while, but he had his own reasons for that!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to be my Emperor!¡± That¡¯s why he chose to follow Eurius without hesitation. There was no other reason. Whether it was in the pce or in the north, Eurius had always shown him an ideal image. ¡®His highness has the qualities of a great ruler. There is no reason for me not to follow him as a knight!¡¯ He finished his reminiscence and heard the sound of the second duel starting. ¡°Then let¡¯s start the second duel!¡± ¡®I will win for His highness!¡¯ ¡®I saw him briefly before, but he¡¯s not an easy opponent!¡¯ Heinz and Bogr measured each other¡¯s distance carefully and waited for an opportunity. It was the opposite situation from the previous duel between Sven and Linfield. That was because Heinz¡¯ strength was his skillful defense and Bogru relied on his heavy blows with his heavy weapon. ¡°Huah!¡± The first attack came from Bogr. His huge axe de fell down as if it would split Haines in half. ng! But his momentum was easily deflected by Heinz with a simple movement of his sword. ¡®Hmm! He¡¯s really good at defense.¡¯ Nuada couldn¡¯t help but exim. He had rarely seen anyone who could defend against Bogr¡¯s powerful strike so lightly. ng! Crash! The situation continued simrly afterwards. Bogr tried tond a heavy blow while Haines maintained a stable posture and defended himself. He didn¡¯t even try to counterattack much. Bogr started to get annoyed. ¡®It feels like I¡¯m hitting a wall with my axe.¡¯ He didn¡¯t find Heinz swordsmanship scary, but it was like an iron fortress. No matter how hard he attacked, Heinz defended himself with minimal movements. This was because he had trained under Count Carlos, who specialized in defense. ¡°His highness already has his own fighting style. But you still have something to learn from me.¡± That¡¯s what Count Carlos said to him when he epted him as his disciple. While receiving guidance from Count Carlos, Heinz swordsmanship gradually resembled the duke¡¯s. It was natural that he was different from Eurius, who had trained mainly through real battles. Heinz had devoted himself to training under the duke¡¯s thorough personal instruction. Therefore, his style also became naturally defensive. And the scary part of this swordsmanship was that it started when the opponent¡¯s offense subsided. Shriek! ¡°Ugh!¡± Bogr barely dodged the attack by bending his waist back. It wasn¡¯t because he was careless. It was because Heinz defense was so solid that he pushed back his attack and induced a gap. It was clearly a one-sided offense by Bogr at first, but Heinz finally began to break his momentum little by little. Heavy weapons had the advantage of being powerful, but they also hadrge openings and consumed a lot of stamina. Considering this, Bogr was already half-defeated when he failed to suppress Heinz in the beginning and got caught up in his pace. ng! Finally, Heinz sword pushed away the axe and exposed Bogru¡¯s fatal w. sh! Bogru¡¯s chest was cut open and blood spurted out. The oue was decided. ¡°Chief! I can still fight.¡± ¡°The match is over. We lost this time!¡± Nuada also knew that losing his warriors in a duel was a big loss. He quickly called Bogr back when the situation tilted to Haines¡¯ victory. ¡°Woohoo!!! It¡¯s indeed Sir Heinz.¡± This time, apuse and cheers erupted from the knights¡¯ side. The duel itself was rather dull, but he had defeated his strong opponent without a scratch. The Thunder Rock tribe who watched the duel couldn¡¯t help but feel gloomy. They had hoped to win two matches in a row at first, but the result was the opposite. But that was only for a moment. ¡°Thud!¡± Nuada started to warm up his body lightly and their faces brightened up again. ¡®Our chief will easily win this match!¡¯ Who was their chief? He was a legendary warrior who had reached the level of a great warrior who hadn¡¯t appeared in the northern mountains for nearly two hundred years. No matter how strong the other warrior was, they had a faith in Nuada that was almost like a religion. Eurius also prepared to go out. ¡°Your highness, please be careful.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything about this opponent either. But he¡¯s not someone who would break his promise, so if I lose, just retreat.¡± ¡®I¡¯m not sure about this one either.¡¯ Eurius had devoted himself to training for this day with all his means. His skills, which were nurtured under the best environment and the best teachers, were now at a level that no one could ignore in the continent. ¡®But fighting against a superhuman-level warrior is unpredictable.¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t unsure of himself. He had his own n to defeat Nuada, which was why he challenged him to a duel. But his opponent was the loser of the north, who would rise as one of the strongest warriors in the continent in the future. It was too arrogant to guarantee victory. Nuada was equally excited! ¡®This is the first time I have a one-on-one fight with a great warrior!¡¯ The previous battle at the castle was nothing but a light greeting for him and Eurius. How many warriors had been able to withstand his strike since he reached this level? He felt his fighting spirit surge as he thought of finally unleashing his full power. ¡°The first prince of the Scharnos Empire, Eurius von Scharnos!¡± ¡°The chief of the Thunder Rock tribe, Nuada!¡± The sh of the two fates that had continued from the previous life had finally begun. Chapter 46: Nuada Chapter 46: Nuada Eurius¡¯s strategy was simple as always. ¡®I will definitely win with my ability!¡¯ Swoosh! He didn¡¯t need to scout ahead. Eurius¡¯s body disappeared as if erased by the effect of his Counterattack Ghost de. ¡°¡­!?¡± Nuada couldn¡¯t detect Eurius¡¯s presence, of course. When he barely sensed him, the attack was already almost upon him! ¡®First, one hit!¡¯ Sssss. Eurius moved to Nuada¡¯s blind spot with lightning speed and delivered a full-powered strike. Kwaaang! The ground where Nuada was standing caved in and dust flew up from the force of Eurius¡¯s sword. It was a powerful attack. ¡°Chief!!¡± Among the nomads, worried cries erupted. Anyone could see that Eurius¡¯s attack had pierced Nuada¡¯s vital point. He had taken a full-powered strike from a peerless warrior in an almost defenseless state. But Eurius clicked his tongue. He felt that he couldn¡¯t finish him off with this attack. ¡®Damn, it wasn¡¯t as fun as I expected.¡¯ He thought that Nuada had an exceptional sensepared to other superhumans, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason. ¡®Stat window!¡¯ [Nuada] Job: Chief, Grandmaster Warrior Strength S Agility S Intelligence B+ Spirit A+ Force Aptitude S+ Force S Disposition: Aggressive, Cold-blooded, Loyal [Traits] Bare-handed Fighting (S+), Spear Throwing (A+) (??? ¨C An iplete trait. The user is unaware of it, so the name is unknown, but it has the effect of enhancing defense by sense and force depending on the proficiency.) Eurius clenched his teeth as he checked Nuada¡¯s stats. ¡®That damn trait messed things up a bit.¡¯ Superhumans who reached the level of warriors had very sharp senses. And if he had a trait like that, it made sense that his attack wasn¡¯t as effective as he thought. ¡°From now on, it won¡¯t be easy!¡± ¡®You wish?¡¯ But Eurius had clearly gained an advantage. Even if he was a superhuman, he wasn¡¯t a monster who could heal his wounds in an instant. Bang! Nuada¡¯s fist and Eurius¡¯s sword collided, creating a loud noise. Nuada decided that it would be dangerous to give him a chance to hide his body, so he pressed him with punches and kicks without giving him a breath. The people around them had already moved far away from the battlefield. The ground shook and craters formed every time their attacks collided and sent shockwaves. ¡®I¡¯ve never fought in my previous life, but as I heard, this is a tough opponent to face in closebat.¡¯ Nuada¡¯s fist was barely blocked by Eurius, who bent his waist and swept his upper body, then dodged his kick. And that was Nuada¡¯s trap. His foot that aimed for his upper body suddenly dropped in a straight line towards his head. ¡°Eek.¡± Bang! ¡°Cough!¡± Eurius quickly distorted the trajectory of his foot and blocked it with his sword. But he still suffered a lot of damage from the irregr attack. He spat out blood and retreated slightly. ¡®Even though I didn¡¯t take it head-on and deflected it, it still has this much power¡­¡¯ ¡°I doubt there are many superhumans who can beat him in closebat alone.¡± That was Beatrix¡¯s impression after having fought him several times in her previous life. In closebat, martial arts that can freely use hands and feet have more merit than weapons that rely on reach. ¡°And even though he has no form in his attacks like the immigrants, I could feel some sort of grace in his movements. It was as if I was watching the martial arts of a prestigious school.¡± This was also Beatrix¡¯s opinion. As she said, Nuada used the irregr boxing of the immigrants, but strangely enough, he also smelled like a traditional martial artist who had learned properly. Usually, martial arts without a solid foundation are like sand castles. They crumble easily when they start with a big disadvantage and try to rush the oue. But Nuada calmly attacked him with boxing even after he was injured by his attack. ¡®It¡¯s hard to win like this. As expected, it¡¯s difficult for me to beat Nuada in a frontal battle. There¡¯s also apatibility issue.¡¯ ¡­ Meanwhile. Nuada also had the upper hand for now, but the situation was not good for him either. ¡®It¡¯s hard to drag this into a long-term battle with this much injury. I have to somehow finish this in a short time¡­¡¯ This foreigner had many strange skills. It was a decisive blow just now, but his attack path suddenly bent and he didn¡¯t get as much damage as he expected. He seemed to be calmly recovering from his injury, but he also thought that if things went on like this, he wouldn¡¯t know how the oue would turn out. A hint of doubt crossed his mind. ¡®But why isn¡¯t he actively using the same attack as before, and fighting me in closebat?¡¯ He could tell by looking that his opponent¡¯s skill was great, but he had the advantage when they fought head-on. He couldn¡¯t believe that his opponent didn¡¯t know that, but Eurius didn¡¯t seem to hide his presence much except for the first attack. Of course, the invisible attack itself was tricky, but his senses were so sharp that he could somehow block it. ¡°Are you mocking me if you¡¯re not ying tricks?¡± Eurius answered calmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to settle this? If you mean winning by running away until you run out of energy, I¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Nuada also snorted. He gave up on using his advantageous method to settle things with him head-on? But he liked his way of thinking. ¡°But can you ept that? Hiding your body is also your ability, right? It hurts my pride that you don¡¯t use it!¡± He was telling him not to spare him unnecessarily. He didn¡¯t want to hear any excuses about losing with his advantageous method. Snicker!! This time, it was Eurius whoughed. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you think I was using my full power until now?¡± Nuada was puzzled. How could the guy who was barely losing to him until a moment ago say such a thing? Eurius dered with a confident expression. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get serious!¡± ¡®Skill activation: Overheat.¡¯ [Skill Overheat is activated. ording to the skill effect, your Force rank increases from S+ to SS+.] [There is a time limit. If you exceed the time limit, you will damage your core and reduce the efficiency of your Quadcore trait during the recovery time.] [Duration based on current rank and proficiency: 90 seconds] [Overheat has a skill cooldown. Once you use it, you cannot use it again for 72 hours.] ¡°Gasp!¡± Nuada had no choice but to be startled. The aura he felt from Eurius suddenly increased terrifyingly. Until a moment ago, their Force ranks were equal. Therefore, their output was simr and Eurius had an edge in control, but Nuadapensated for that with his excellentbat sense. But now the situation had changed! Kwaaang! ¡°Ugh!¡± Blood dripped from Nuada¡¯s mouth. He had only blocked Eurius¡¯s sword once, but he felt his insides shake and suffered a considerable internal injury. ¡®Did he hide his strength? Or?¡¯ Eurius casually answered his question. ¡°You were more impressive than I expected. And I needed a little preparation time too.¡± Of course, half of this was a lie. The reason why Eurius didn¡¯t use his skill from the beginning was that he didn¡¯t want to win by using his skill if possible. ¡®I took the risk, but with Overheat, I can at least try to win in a fair fight!¡¯ An increase in Force output meant that the strength, agility, and other attributes enhanced by Force also increased significantly. On top of that, Eurius started to push Nuada mercilessly as his body began to slow down due to his injuries. Nuada tried his best to block Eurius¡¯s attacks, but the difference in output was too big. Bang! This time, Nuada¡¯s body flew up as if he was hit properly and slid back on the ground. ¡°Cough!¡± He quickly got up, but the tide had already turned against him. But Eurius was also in a hurry! [Remaining duration of Overheat: 32 seconds¡­ 31 seconds¡­] ¡®I have to finish this somehow within the duration.¡¯ Nuada was not an easy opponent after all. He had met him about five years earlier than in his previous life, but he couldn¡¯t imagine that he had just be a superhuman. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for the system¡¯s help, I would have most likely lost.¡¯ Atst, a gap appeared in Nuada¡¯s body, who was barely avoiding fatal wounds! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this time it¡¯s my victory.¡± Bang! Eurius¡¯s fist, which ovepped st with Overheat, hit Nuada¡¯s chest squarely. ¡°Ugh!¡± Nuada barely avoided rolling on the ground, but that was his limit. He staggered and slowly copsed. And with that, the fight was over. ¡®Skill release.¡¯ [Overheat is released. Remaining time: 2 seconds] ¡®That was close.¡¯ Eurius wiped his chest inwardly. ¡°Chief!¡± ¡°How could this happen!?¡± Among the immigrants, especially the Thunder Rock tribe, there were shock and groans. Who was their chief? He was a man who had never lost once since he became a warrior, but he only had a slight advantage over that foreigner at first, and eventually lost in a head-on confrontation and fell. And the opponent didn¡¯t seem to be seriously injured. Swish. As Eurius lifted his sword to watch the fallen Nuada, they instinctively flinched. In fact, now that Nuada had fallen, how could they stop that absurd warrior if he targeted them? Swoosh. But Eurius sheathed his sword and the immigrants who watched him felt relieved. ¡®He seems to keep his promise like a warrior.¡¯ ¡°Sir Heinz, call a healer.¡± He also gestured to call a healer, one of the few precious resources in the camp, to look after Nuada¡¯s wounds. ¡®This should be enough to earn their trust, right?¡¯ ¡°Thunder Rock tribe, take your chief away!¡± When he shouted loudly, someone came out from there and picked up Nuada with a faint fear in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve done some basic treatment, so if he¡¯s a warrior like this guy, he¡¯ll wake up in a day. Can you tell him to see me then?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Your Majesty! You did a great job.¡± As they took Nuada away, the knights also looked at Eurius with admiration. Being a superhuman was the dream of every knight on the continent. Eurius winked at them. ¡°Keep it a secret for now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The knights, including Sir Linfield, had some expectations, but they looked at him with a warm expression as if they expected it. ¡®The first operation failed, but the second one went better than I thought.¡¯ Originally, Eurius wanted to somehow overpower Nuada and knock him down. But there was also his counter skill problem, and no matter how hard he trained, he was one of those who would rank among the top superhumans on the continent in the future. It was too optimistic to expect him to be weaker than him at this point. His first n was to inflict a serious injury with the first strike and then overpower him with his strength. But when his first n failed due to Nuada¡¯s mysterious nature, he had no choice but to use his skill, which was his second option. In fact, Eurius¡¯s current physical condition was not very good. ¡®Using skills like st that temporarily increase the output and Overheat at the same time is harder than I expected.¡¯ Actually, core application skills like st or Distortion were not skills that manifested, but they were skills that strained the core a lot, so they were not without burden even when used normally. On top of that, using a skill like Overheat that temporarily increased the core¡¯s output naturally put a strain on his body. In fact, Eurius was already in a considerable internal injury. The reason he did not abuse Overheat until now was because it had great power, but it also had a short duration and side effects like this. ¡®Anyway, I sessfully defeated Nuada in a frontal battle, so I¡¯m satisfied!¡¯ The reason he insisted on a frontal battle was to gain the trust of the other races. It was an expression of confidence that he could fight anytime if he didn¡¯t like it! And another reason was his pride. ¡®After all, I¡¯m a former emperor, so it¡¯s not cool to run around like an assassin and win by surprise!¡¯ He walked towards the barracks with a proud smile. There were many twists and turns, but Eurius had won against a superhuman-level warrior for the first time since his regression. Chapter 47: The Alliance and the War Situation Chapter 47: The Alliance and the War Situation ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Chief? Are you alright?¡± Nuada woke up with a dull pain. He checked his body for a moment and looked puzzled. He had been hit so hard, but most of his wounds had healed. ¡°How did this happen?¡± The answer came from his subordinates. ¡°The foreigners brought someone who was either a healer from the sect or something, and they treated you, chief.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nuada¡¯s expression darkened for a moment. ¡®I lost.¡¯ It was the first time he had lost since he received the title of warrior and started his active career. And he was pushed back in his specialty area of strength. The shock was hard to express in words, but Nuada was also a proud man. ¡°So I lost! I lost! Hahahaha!!!¡± Heughed so wildly that his subordinates wondered if he had gone crazy from the defeat, but he soon started to sort out his thoughts. ¡®I have to ept the loss and think about the future.¡¯ He decided to brush off the pain of defeat with augh and keep it deep in his heart. ¡°I want to see the leader of the foreigners who beat me. He was called the emperor, right?¡± ¡°He said to contact him when you wake up, chief.¡± The subordinates looked reluctant, but Nuada immediately sent a message to Eurius. And the ce for the meeting was arranged. ¡°First of all, thank you for sparing my life when you could have killed me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say my condition was an alliance? I just did what was natural.¡± Eurius tried to dismiss it casually, but Nuada seemed to have a different idea. ¡°I will remember this as a debt. And!¡± Nuada spoke with more force. ¡°When I have confidence that I can beat you, I will challenge you to a rematch someday.¡± It was a rather aggressive statement for someone who proposed an alliance, but Eurius nodded. He was that kind of person. He was rough in his actions, but he was responsible for what he said. ¡°I also wee a duel with a skilled warrior like you anytime.¡± ¡°And about the alliance, I need some time to think. I agree, but I have to gather the opinions of the allied tribes¡­¡± Eurius nodded. It was obvious that the conclusion was already made since the greatest warrior of the north agreed. There was no need to wait long. ¡°Oh, and if you think you owe me a debt, I have one personal favor to ask.¡± ¡°The sooner I pay off my debt, the better for me. What do you want?¡± ¡°Take me to the mountain range where your tribe lives.¡± Nuada looked surprised for a moment. It was rare to let foreigners into the tribe, but it wouldn¡¯t be difficult if the alliance was really formed. But¡­ ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to join us in fighting against Chief Gundar¡¯s army right away?¡± ¡®So this chief¡¯s name is Gundar? It¡¯s the first time I hear it. He must be suspicious.¡¯ Eurius nodded. ¡°Of course, driving him away is the priority. But my reason for proposing an alliance is not just to get rid of the immigrant coalition that came down from the mountain.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He continued with a serious expression. ¡°From what I¡¯ve observed so far, you are Nuada, right? You seem to have a brilliant mind. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a waste of blood for your people and our empire to sh like this?¡± Nuada looked at him with a surprised expression. ¡®So he didn¡¯t need me just to get rid of Gundar. He might be more trustworthy than I thought.¡¯ Seeing the color return to Nuada¡¯s face, Eurius smiled inwardly. ¡®Well, of course he would be happy. I came here to help him with his n after subduing him with force.¡¯ But Nuada was a bit skeptical about the solution. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that simply making peace will solve the food shortage of the tribes near the ins¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s why I came here to solve that problem.¡¯ Eurius asked him to take him to the peak where Nuada¡¯s Thunder Rock tribe was located after the n to attack Gundar was over. ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say this to a warrior like you, but that ce is too dangerous for even me to wander around.¡± Nuada agreed to take him there, but he earnestly asked him to follow his instructions. The reason why there were many powerful warriors among the tribes inside the mountain range, including the Thunder Rock tribe, was because the northern mountain range was not only inhabited by many monsters, but also asionally had powerful beasts that were hard to deal with even for superhumans. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Eurius readily epted. That¡¯s how their first meeting ended, and it didn¡¯t take long for Eurius¡¯ prediction toe true. ¡°You¡¯re going deep into thend of those barbarians?¡± The knights were a bit reluctant about the second condition, but they followed Eurius anyway. They wouldn¡¯t oppose him much. ¡°I talked to them and they seemed surprisinglypatible with me. I don¡¯t think we have to worry about being attacked by them all of a sudden.¡± Nuada¡¯s side had nothing more to say. ¡°We lost. Do we have anything else to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The warriors of the north couldn¡¯t dare to go against Nuada¡¯s words. Besides his charisma, they followed the winner¡¯s decision because they lost in a fair duel. That was their way. ¡°I don¡¯t trust those foreigners, but I trust the chief!¡± ¡°Well, Gundar also has some weird foreigners by his side, but at least these foreigners settled it with our way¡­¡± That¡¯s how their alliance was formed. It was still an awkward rtionship, but it was the beginning of a force that would be the core of the storm in the northern mountain range. Around the time Euriuspleted his alliance with Nuada. As he expected, the empire and the northern tribal alliance led by Gundar shed. ¡°It will take at least another week for reinforcements to arrive.¡± ¡°I thought we wouldn¡¯t be behind in terms of skilled knights even if we were outnumbered, but this time that prediction waspletely shattered.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Count Andersen also stroked his beard and fell into thought. ¡®I don¡¯t know who that barbarian leader is, but hepletely hit me in the back of my head.¡¯ In fact, until he gathered his troops and went out for a frontal battle, he wasn¡¯t too worried. That¡¯s why he sent all the forces that could be used, including Eurius, to the rear, right? ¡®But when we actually fought them, it wasn¡¯t easy.¡¯ He recalls the memory of the first day of the frontal battle. Count Anderson is a superhuman. He knew that there were many formidable warriors among the northern barbarians, but they were still a bunch of untrained savages. ¡®With the charge of the knights, including myself, we will break through the enemy lines in no time.¡¯ It was a natural strategy for a superhuman duke. ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Waaaaah!!!¡± Thud thud thud thud! The sound of hooves pounding the ground echoed as the duke led the knights to assault the center of the enemy formation. A tactic to shatter the enemy¡¯s line with one blow and then harass them with troops from behind! ¡°¡­!?¡± But his prediction was shattered. It was impossible to defend against a cavalry charge, especially from knights who wrapped their bodies with force. Unless they faced knights of the same level, the mounted charge of the knights, who added the enhancement of force to the kic energy of their running horses, was like a huge weapon that stuck together. Crash! The barbarians who tried to defend with their shields were crushed in an instant. The bodies that were pierced by the knights¡¯ weapons or trampled by the hooves were scattered everywhere in a bloody mess. And the problem started from there. The breakthrough of the knights was just beginning. At first, they could easily destroy the enemy line with their momentum, but after that, they had to sweep through the enemy formation with their individual strength. Then, the regr soldiers would harass the broken line and easily bring down the enemy. Swish! Swish! Some formidable presences that were hiding among the shattered corpses jumped out and attacked the knights. ¡°The enemy¡¯s force users have appeared! Fight back!¡± The first charge of the knights had sacrificed ordinary soldiers to stop them, and finally, their warriors began to emerge among the barbarians. ¡®They used ordinary soldiers as shields? How cunning. But it won¡¯t work as long as I¡¯m here.¡¯ The Count swung his sword horizontally with great force. His fourth-stage secret technique, Crushing Pressure! He could press down on the area affected by his force control with a powerful pressure. Crack! ¡°Cough!¡± The front of the duke was ttened by the pressure, and the barbarians who felt it spat blood and copsed as if they were nailed to the ground. ¡®So far, everything is going ording to n. There¡¯s no problem.¡¯ ¡°Hmm?¡± As he was about to order another charge with a satisfied expression, he sensed a formidable presence. ¡®Who are these guys?¡¯ They were clearly from their side, judging by their barbarian attire, but unlike them who wielded crude weapons, they held longswords that looked suitable for knights and surrounded him. Their number was more than twenty. ¡°Get lost!¡± He used his secret technique again to sweep them away. But the result was different. ¡°¡­¡± Some of them copsed, but none of them were incapacitated in one hit. Rather, they surrounded him and counterattacked. The count¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®These guys are all master-level or close to it?¡¯ They were probably the elite chosen from among the barbarians to face him. ¡®I have to kill them all here to make things easierter.¡¯ The count¡¯s eyes glowed with killing intent. His favorite weapon was a huge two-handed sword that ordinary knights wouldn¡¯t dare to use. His heavy blow was aimed at them with sincerity this time. The pressure was so intense that a long ditch formed along his sword¡¯s trajectory! ng! ¡°¡­!?¡± But his expectation was wrong again. They amazingly stuck together and formed a barrier of force to withstand his attack. Some of them coughed blood, but he couldn¡¯t inflict any fatal wounds. ¡°Hmm?¡± And as if they knew about his dy after using his secret technique, some of them who looked more skilled than others quicklyunched sharp attacks at him. ng! The count swung his sword to push them back and bit his lip. ¡®This won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ He finally realized that they were professionals who had practiced this kind of attack technique. ¡®At a nce, there are at least ten masters¡­ And there are also those who support them?¡¯ Could it be that the barbarians had sent all their elites to his side? He looked around and saw that it didn¡¯t seem like that either. ¡°Kyahaha! I¡¯m Kecha, the best warrior of the Red Feather tribe!¡± ¡®How can this be? Were there so many force users among the northern barbarians?¡¯ There were many enemies around him that even skilled knights of the squad leader level would not take lightly, not to mention the horde that surrounded him. Of course, he was a superhuman. If he took his time and fought them slowly, he could kill them all and escape, but his n to break through the enemy lines had already failed. ¡°Knights, retreat while maintaining formation! I and a few squad leader level knights will cover the rear.¡± The first day¡¯s assault ended without much gain. The barbarians also did not make any big movements except for asional small-scale raids, so the front line was stuck like this. ¡°We need arge-scale reinforcement of knights or additional support from superhuman level knights.¡± ¡°I know that. But we can¡¯t take out knights from the southern front, nor can we call the imperial guard knightmander who has to protect His Majesty.¡± Of course, there was Grand Duke Wilhelm, who was called the Sword Saint, but his status was too high to be deployed to the front line. And it was doubtful whether he woulde to this battlefield where Eurius, the first prince, was. Moreover, as he thought of Eurius, the duke suddenly seemed to have another worry. ¡°By the way, is there still no news from His Highness Eurius, who has lost contact?¡± One of his staff shook his head vigorously. ¡°We sent scouts, but the deep part of the mountain range is an unknown territory. At this point, we can¡¯t¡­¡± Eurius had left only one letter through a messenger and marched into the deep part of the northern mountain range. [I have found a groundbreaking way to turn the tide. I wille back with good news within a month at thetest! It may be a vition of militaryw, but I will take that punishmentter.] The message brought by the messenger was brief, but it was not something to be ignored. ¡®A way to turn the tide¡­¡¯ Count Anderson was skeptical but also secretly hopeful and worried. ¡®Did His highness foresee that the situation would turn out so difficult and withdraw to the rear?¡¯ Anyway, the duke and his staff could only hope for Eurius¡¯s safe return. Chapter 48: Preparation for the Attack Chapter 48: Preparation for the Attack Meanwhile, in the camp of the tribal chief Gundar, a meeting was also in progress. ¡°Your abilities are truly amazing. I never expected you to hold back the devil under the mountain!¡± Gundar praised Dmitri, the leader of the foreigners, with an excited expression. The devil under the mountain was the nickname that the tribes at the entrance of the northern mountains gave to Andersson, the superhuman. Even the strongest warriors among them would fall like dead leaves before the superhuman, but these people astonishingly seeded in blocking him by forming a group. ¡®To be honest, I didn¡¯t fully believe them, but if this goes on, I might really be able to stop the foreigners under the mountain and be the ruler of the north!¡¯ But there was a voice that interrupted his optimistic thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. We also suffered some losses, to be frank.¡± ¡°Hmm, of course I know that.¡± Gundar answered awkwardly, and Dmitri continued with a cautious expression. ¡°Keep gathering the forces of the tribes as you are doing now. Even if we have to take some damage, as long as we sessfully stop the knights, we have the mountains behind us, which are a natural fortress. The enemies will eventually get exhausted and retreat.¡± Gundar nodded. ¡°So you mean we should drag out the time and negotiate with them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why would the empire bother to take over these worthless mountains? If we show them that we have a unified leadership and some strength, even though they used to regard us as barbarians who only know how to plunder and don¡¯t listen to reason, they will have to make some concessions at the negotiating table.¡± Gundar and the leaders of the Storm Wagon tribe nodded. It made sense. It was impossible and pointless for the empire to wipe out all the immigrants in the mountains. The empire was already spending a huge amount of military expenses by sending a superhuman and elite knights to the north. If they couldn¡¯t subdue them with additional troops, they would have to wage arge-scale war against the entire northern mountains, which was not a matter of power difference but a bad deal. If they gave up a little bit of their share to them, it would be much more profitable for the empire to safely develop the idle ins in the north. ¡®Then our food problem will be solved, and I will sit on the throne of the true northern tribal chief!¡¯ Gundar had a grand dream and ordered his subordinates to persuade more tribes nearby. ¡°Gather more warriors and troops from around the mountains!¡± Dmitri watched him with a triumphant smile inside. ¡®Your grace, your mission will be aplished safely.¡¯ They were among the best forces that His grace had secretly cultivated. As the result showed, they had enough ability to hold back even a superhuman for some time. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s not without damage.¡¯ Today they blocked Andersson while suffering some irreversible injuries, and Dmitri himself was full of wounds all over his body from fighting against him. ¡®But it¡¯s enough to hold on and fight a war of attrition.¡¯ No matter how much a superhuman was beyond human limits, he couldn¡¯t turn the tide of war by himself. In the end, he needed the power of his knights, but their quality and quantity were inferior to theirs. On top of that, they were constantly reinforced by warriors from the mountains. Even if they considered the reinforcements hastily assembled from the capital, they could handle them. ¡®And then, Prince Eurius won¡¯t be able to achieve any merit in this war!¡¯ That was what His grace intended. In fact, they didn¡¯t care whether Gundar became a tribal chief or not. They just had to buy time. And after news spread that Eurius was struggling in the north, His highness or Second Prince Leonhart would sweep them all away. Then all credit for stabilizing the north would go to His Second highness faction. But at that moment. There was another group talking about that issue. ¡­ ¡°Maybe that tribal chief guy and his suspiciouspanion have something like that in mind.¡± ¡°I roughly understand it. You also had quite aplicated situation?¡± Eurius and Nuada were discussing their next attack. ¡°This is also a suggestion for you. If things go ording to His highness n, then almost all of tribes will suffer near annihtion. You don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± Nuada nodded as well. ¡°I don¡¯t like them very much, since they are weaklings who depend on plundering, but they are still brothers who live in the mountains.¡± ¡°To minimize the damage, we have to defeat that tribal chief guy in one go.¡± The longer the warsted, the more damage both sides would suffer. Eurius proposed a quick decisive battle. ¡°But how? I know that the number of tribes that have gathered is quiterge¡­¡± Eurius chuckled here. ¡°You probably know better than me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What do you mean, I know better than you?¡± Nuada looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it means.¡± Eurius stoppedughing suddenly and stared at him with a serious expression. ¡°Nuada, you are already an unmatched warrior in this northern mountain range. ording to your words, the superhumans who are called great warriors are rare even in this wholend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I think you have your own reasons for opposing that chief who united the six tribes, am I wrong in my guess?¡± Nuada closed his eyes slightly. ¡®He seems to know me as if he had known me from the beginning. Or maybe it¡¯s natural?¡¯ In fact, his reason for confronting Gundar was very simple. He would not mind if he was a powerful warrior like Eurius who could defeat him one-on-one, but he could not tolerate him ruling over the north as a loser with the help of some suspicious people. ¡°As I said before, I came here to offer you an alliance.¡± Eurius extended his hand to him with a solemn expression. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I will make you a loser of the north like that chief, but I trust your abilities that I have personally witnessed! That¡¯s why I brought up the word alliance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nuada remained silent, looking at his outstretched hand. Eurius finished his words strongly. ¡°It¡¯s not what I do for you, but what we do together. I want to prevent unnecessary sacrifices here, and protect my people! You want to fulfill your ambition with the tribes of the mountain range!¡± ¡°Put forward your hand.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius clenched his fist instead of his hand. They bumped their fists three times and then finally shook hands. Nuada opened his mouth after that. ¡°I still can¡¯t fully trust you. You know too much about us for a foreigner.¡± Eurius sneered inwardly. ¡®Well, at this point in time, there is no one who knows their customs as well as I do.¡¯ The exchange of fists and handshake just now was a ritual of pledging to form a friendship between the chiefs in the north. ¡°But I owe you my life. And you even promised me a chance to challenge you again when I grow stronger.¡± Taking him to the vige was actually not even worth asking. And he was not the type to live with debt. ¡°Since it hase to this, I¡¯ll trust you once! Let¡¯s call this debt paid off for sure.¡± Eurius also rxed his serious expression and smiled slightly. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± Nuada answered in a blunt tone. ¡°We don¡¯t need to say that between friends who have already made a vow. By the way, I have a rough idea of your n, but can I ask?¡± Their opinions were still in agreement. ¡°We need to gather more forces first.¡± ¡°And we need to strike down Gundar¡¯s power in one breath by surprise.¡± The cooperation of the remaining tribes who kept neutrality in the mountain range! And a surprise attack from behind! It seemed simple at first nce, but it was not an easy task. ¡°If we can bring the tribes that have not joined us at the entrance of the mountain range into our alliance, we will have enough troops to inflict great damage on the enemy.¡± But Nuada looked doubtful. ¡°But there is no good way for me to deal with the tribes that deredplete neutrality¡­¡± In fact, there were quite a few tribes that did not respond to Gundar¡¯s coercive recruitment. The key to this surprise attack was to bring in these neutral tribes! Even if they attacked from behind, it would be difficult to deal a fatal blow with the current troops of Eurius¡¯ alliance. ¡°The tribes that have not left the mountain range probably have the same judgment as you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, they would not dare to touch the foreigners of the in rashly, because they would not be safe even inside the mountain range.¡± ¡°But you are different from Gundar. You are the strongest warrior in this mountain range and a reliable ally.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°If you offer them a clear benefit, you will be able to attract them.¡± Nuada looked puzzled again. ¡°Is there such a thing? I thought you meant to challenge them to a duel and force them to join us by strength.¡± ¡°Of course, for some stubborn tribes, that method might be necessary.¡± But it would be hard to bring in all the tribes with just that. Eurius finally got to the point. ¡°What do you think is the mostcking thing for you?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Probably food, right? I swear by my name as the first prince of the empire, I will solve the food problem for the tribes that follow you.¡± Nuada jumped up from his seat. ¡°Is that possible?¡± He lost hisposure for the first time. If he offered such a condition, there would be no reason for the neutral tribes not to follow him. ¡°Of course. But first, we have to get rid of that Gundar!¡± The cooperation of the tribes that did not leave the mountain range! And a surprise attack! It seemed simple at first nce, but it was not an easy task. ¡°If we can bring the tribes that have not joined us at the entrance of the mountain range into our alliance, we will have enough troops to inflict great damage on the enemy.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He slumps back into his seat after hearing Eurius¡¯s confident answer. ¡°Is this rted to your visit to our tribe?¡± ¡®He¡¯s quick to catch on.¡¯ Eurius clicks his tongue inwardly and pretends to be rxed. ¡°It¡¯s notpletely unrted.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll tell meter?¡± Nuada grumbles, but he doesn¡¯t look annoyed. He¡¯s already allied with him. He owes him a debt, so he doesn¡¯t doubt him anymore about that issue. ¡®It was worth it to beat him head-on, even if it was a stretch.¡¯ Eurius smiles inwardly and changes the topic. ¡°By the way, what will you call yourself if you unite the tribes? What will be your title as the leader?¡± ¡°Just the Great Chieftain, I suppose?¡± ¡°The Great Chieftain reminds me of that Gundar guy, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a very appealing title.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Nuada frowns. He definitely doesn¡¯t like thinking about that idiot. ¡°We call the ones who rule over our ns kings. How about you use this title too?¡± ¡°King?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be the king who rules over the northern mountains. How about the King of the Mountains¡­ or Mountain King for short?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nuada doesn¡¯t answer, but he thinks that the title sounds oddly good. ¡®King of the Mountains¡­ It has a nice ring to it, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll be called that way, even if I don¡¯t give you that name.¡¯ Eurius thinks of his nostalgic title from his previous life and asserts inwardly. Chapter 49: The Shadow’s Conspiracy Chapter 49: The Shadow¡¯s Conspiracy Despite the turmoil in the northern part of the empire, the war seemed like a distant matter for the capital and the central-southern regions. The Grand Duke nodded his head in satisfaction as he read the letter that secretly arrived from his direct territory of ndre. [It seems like we have gathered almost all of the barbarian tribes at the entrance of the mountain range. Even considering Count Anderson¡¯s first reinforcement army, we should be able to maintain the front line with our shadows¡¯ power. However, if a second reinforcement army is formed¡­] ¡®It was worth sending out the shadows that I raised with great care. Actually, I hoped they would struggle a bit more but Count Anderson is not an easy opponent.¡¯ The Grand Duke felt conflicted on one hand. He was also a knight of the empire after all. He was opposing the emperor because of his own power hunger and session scheme but he didn¡¯t want this kind of situation where he was weakening the country¡¯s strength. ¡®That¡¯s why I wished that the first prince would grow up as ipetent as possible¡­¡¯ He resorted to this kind of method because he heard too many rumors about Eurius from the north. ¡°I heard that he always shares the corrosion with the ordinary soldiers and knights. He might be an even greater war hero than the current emperor.¡± ¡°I heard that the situation in the north is not good but he is rather establishing a brilliant military achievement. Where does the bloodline of the imperial family go? He is a born genius!¡± When he received that report, the Grand Duke had to raise his evaluation of Eurius by one more level. ¡®Maybe he is much more talented than the second prince. The north is not an easy region to deal with.¡¯ The Grand Duke¡¯s original intention was to shake up the north a little bit and make it a dangerous region so that Eurius wouldn¡¯t be able to stand out with his military achievement. But if Eurius had won over the hearts of the people in the north, then it was a different story. ¡®That was his intention from the beginning. The first prince will rise to the position of crown prince by establishing a powerful military achievement this time and if the knights of the north also join him, it will be hard to suppress the emperor¡¯s faction with force.¡¯ The position of crown prince in the empire was different from that of an ordinary prince. First of all, when the emperor was absent or sick, he could act as a proxy and run the state affairs. He also had the authority to move some of the central knight order and troops directly. ¡®And the most important thing is the issue of legitimacy!¡¯ If Eurius was appointed as the crown prince, then the emperor¡¯s biggest force, the imperial guard knight order, would also likely be Eurius¡¯s side. ¡®I doubt that the first prince appointed Carlos as his swordsmanship teacher for no reason.¡¯ No matter how much Count Carlos was his son-inw, the imperial guard knight order was absolutely on the emperor¡¯s side. The Grand Duke also only took Carlos as his son-inw because he was wary of his legitimacy as an enemy in case a session dispute urred. He didn¡¯t think of the imperial guard knight order as his own force. ¡®I misjudged him from the beginning. It wasn¡¯t just a problem between Marius and the emperor. Maybe the first prince himself is my biggest enemy.¡¯ The Grand Duke¡¯s response was swift. He immediately ordered his secretly raised shadows to be sent to the north and start arge-scale war. ¡®I don¡¯t like it but I have no choice if I want to keep the first prince in check.¡¯ [Shadow] was what he called the knights that he personally trained as the empire¡¯s best superhuman. No, they were closer to a group of force users that he raised for a special purpose rather than knights. The Grand Duke¡¯s family was one of the three great martial families in the continent and they also had a special privilege of not paying taxes to the emperor as the only territory in the empire. He raised this group based on his enormous power and his skill as a superhuman. ¡®They were not something I wanted to use so soon but it¡¯s time to test them out in real battle.¡¯ He had secretly built his own power for decades, rivaling the emperor¡¯s imperial guard. Finally, he had created a group that was no less than the imperial guard in terms of strength, even by objective standards. ¡°Deploy half of the shadows to the north.¡± ¡°Do we need to deploy that many?¡± Dmitri, the leader of the shadows, looked surprised. Half of the shadows could surpass the knightly force of any small kingdom. Was it necessary to use that many people to deal with the northern barbarians? The Grand duke sneered. Dmitri was not only the leader of the shadows, but also the most talented knight among the disciples he had secretly raised. He felt a bit sorry for him, who had the potential to be the next superhuman if he was not part of a secret organization, to send him to the harsh north. ¡°I know this is not a suitable mission for you. But I want to block the path of the first prince for sure this time.¡± The Grand duke¡¯s no longer believed in coincidence. How many times had his expectations been wrong? He had been feeling a vague pressure from Euriustely. ¡®What if everything I thought was coincidence was actually nned by the first prince? Then we would have been hit hard on the back of our heads.¡¯ Dmitri nodded coolly. They were all raised to be the hands and feet of the archduke anyway. ¡°We will follow your orders, your grace.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t becent, even though I trust your abilities. I only realized this now.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± The Grand duke finished his reminiscence and nned to proceed with his n himself. ¡®Dmitri¡¯s judgment is that they can stop them until the first reinforcement arrives.¡¯ The Grand duke¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡®When the newses that the situation is difficult even with the first reinforcement, I will step in and wipe out all the barbarians!¡¯ Surprisingly, he, who was not only a noble but also one of the best warriors in the continent, was thinking of going out himself. That was how much he was wary of Eurius now. ¡®When the next war council is held, I will say it then. The emperor¡¯s expression will be very interesting.¡¯ The Grand duke smiled inwardly. How could the emperor refuse him, who was going to solve the situation quickly with his own hands? ¡®He won¡¯t be able to reject it, even for the sake of his people.¡¯ But it remained to be seen whether his n would seed. ¡­ And at that time. The Eurius alliance was backtracking inside the mountain range. They had been chasing for a week, so they were quite far from the entrance of the mountain range. They had to wander around the mountain range while looking for neutral tribes, so it was quite a march. But their march was noticeably easier. ¡°It would be better to spread out our tents around that big hill on the right. It will block some of the cold wind.¡± ¡°Indeed, an experienced person¡¯s advice is different.¡± Surprisingly, it was Nuada, the chief, who was leading them. He had taken on the role of guiding them himself to observe these foreigners. ¡®I need to learn more about them.¡¯ That was partly because he wanted to explore them, but also because he was curious how they came into the mountain range. His advice was very helpful when they were marching or camping. Even though Eurius had gained some knowledge from the books, it was no match for the experience of the natives who had lived in the northern mountain range for hundreds of years. On the other hand, Nuada was also quite amazed. ¡®These people are not ignorant of the mountains.¡¯ They could understand why they had followed them. Although they were still like childrenpared to them, they had some basic knowledge of surviving in the mountains. Crack! ¡°It¡¯s hard to start a fire with dry branches or leaves. I¡¯ll use dite ore.¡± Sir Linfield took out some of the scarce dite and lit it. Whoosh! Nuada, who was staring at the burning fire, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°So you use the blue flint like this?¡± ¡°You call dite ore blue flint?¡± Eurius asked with a gleam in his eyes. He finally got a chance to talk. One of the big reasons he came to the north was because of this dite ore. Nuada answered with a sour tone. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not amon thing for us, and only warriors can use it. But it seems that you foreigners use it quite often.¡± Now Eurius¡¯s expression was filled with doubt. ¡°You said this stone is notmon for you?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a fortune if we find it by chance. It¡¯s the best thing for warriors to prepare for hunting outside for a long time in the cold winter.¡± ¡®Something has changed again from my previous life?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s expression became serious. The reason he came to the north was because of this blue flint, or dite ore. ¡®As far as I know, there were several mines rich in dite ore near Nuada¡¯s Thunder Rock tribe.¡¯ The reason why the empire didn¡¯t bother to develop the northern mountain range was because there was nothing to gain from it. There were no mines where gold, silver or jewels were mined, and copper or iron ore were justmon in the vast empire. But dite ore was different. This ore contained a small amount of force, and there were very few ces where it could be obtained. It was so valuable that only those who had permission from the empire could mine it, not privately owned. It was so efficient as a fuel that it would bring huge profits if the mining volume was secured. Eurius had tried to negotiate with the north on the condition of developing these dite mines, but it seemed that things went wrong from the start. His expression twisted slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. Haha! By the way, you have a lot of interesting stories. Tell me more about the mountain range.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have to build more trust with Nuada forter.¡¯ There must be some reason why the mines that existed suddenly disappeared. He put that issue aside and Eurius needed more time to talk with Nuada. In fact, they were allies in his previous life, but he and Nuada were not very close. The reason was because his strength was inferior. Rather, he respected Beatrix more as a warrior, who was always guarding him by his side. The northern immigrants were very respectful of the strong. ¡®Well, this time I might be able to get closer to him since I beat him up once?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s strength was that he had a good personality and he had suffered a lot in his previous life as an emperor, so he had a good understanding of the lower people(?). In other words, he was a kind and smart person. He didn¡¯t ignore or dismiss the immigrants with a high-handed attitude, and he listened to them well. Nuada¡¯spany was not intended, but it helped his journey a lot. After a few days of alliance, he felt that his guard had loosened a lot, and Eurius also sighed with relief inwardly. ¡®I¡¯m not fully friends with him yet, but this should be enough trust to make a dealter.¡¯ It was a huge improvement from just a few days ago, when they fought for their lives with growls. In this way, he and Nuada became closer than just an alliance based on debt. Chapter 50: Three Paths Chapter 50: Three Paths This ce is a remote temple in the middle of the southern desert. ¡°Master, a level S assassination order has been issued.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jamir, a man dressed in ck, looked at the report with interest. ¡°They are just low-ranking members of Samarqand, but they are quitepetent. Did they fail?¡± ¡°Judging by the fact that we haven¡¯t heard from them for over a year, it seems likely¡­¡± ¡°So they raised the level to S?¡± In fact, the group called the Assassination Sect was only a small part of them. The fact that this report came to him meant that they needed not only the power of the Assassination Branch, but also the power of [the Guild]. ¡°S level¡­¡± In fact, even among S level orders, there was a huge difference in difficulty. Assassinate the first prince of the empire! This absurd request would also be ssified as S level if they had to. Jamir pondered. ¡®They said three teams didn¡¯te back, right? I should tell the Guild¡¯s Intelligence Department to raise the average level of the northern knights a bit.¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t even think that Eurius had single-handedly wiped out the first-ss assassination teams. ¡®Well, he¡¯s a prince with decent martial skills, and he must have had some superhuman by his side.¡¯ No matter howrge the secret forces that the Sect had spread out were, Scharnos Empire was the undisputed number one country on the continent. It would be ridiculous to not expect any failure when they designated a prince as an assassination target. ¡®And judging by the fact that there was no rumor, that Wace guy must be worth using too.¡¯ If there was an attempted assassination of a royal family member, it should have caused a huge shock on the continent. But in this case, the news was cut off so quietly that it was obvious that the first prince had covered it up. ¡®That itself is a weakness for him, since he entrusted the assassination request to the Guild.¡¯ He handled various information as he was in charge of managing the assassination orders of the Guild. The power struggle between the imperial faction and the Grand duke faction was not something he needed to exin to him. ¡®Maybe this is not all bad news. The n to shake up the empire might be moved up.¡¯ Jamir smiled brightly, which did not suit the gloomy space. But that was only for a moment. ¡°Oh right! I have to do what I have to do.¡± He hesitated for a moment here. ¡®If the north is in a fierce war right now, I don¡¯t need to report it to the archbishop.¡¯ Jamir thought about it bybining the information he had gathered about Eurius and the knightly forces of the north, and soon came to a conclusion. ¡®He¡¯s a prince who likes to fight without protecting himself. It would be easier to assassinate him during a battle, right? Let¡¯s finish it on my own.¡¯ If it was an S-ss assassin sent by him, not by the lower organization of the Sect, it would be no big deal to assassinate one person during a melee. ¡®Even with a superhuman-level warrior protecting him, this time it will be difficult, right?¡¯ He knew that the assassins sent by his sect were not themon ones who relied on numbers and rushed in blindly. They were at least at the level of special-ss, the standard set by his sect. ¡®This time, I should leave out the mediocre ones and send only a few elites.¡¯ That would be better if he wanted to discreetly eliminate the target during the battle. ¡­ Meanwhile, the situation in the north remained unchanged. ¡®It will take about a week until the reinforcements arrive¡­¡¯ Count Andersen felt tired for the first time since he became a superhuman. He had to deal with many things that required his attention. ¡°There is no significant change in the front line.¡± ¡°Is there any news from His highness the first prince?¡± ¡°That is also the same.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± No wonder he was worried sick. The count had tried several other tactics, but none of them worked. He was outnumbered and outmatched by the enemy who had set up their camp right in front of the mountain range. It was impossible to force a bloody battle with his troops. A frontal breakthrough with his knight corps was blocked by those mysterious barbarians in strange outfits. Count Andersen had spent half of his life in the north. He had shed with them a few times, but he was sure that they were not the same as the northern barbarians who were called warriors. ¡®Where did such a forcee from?¡¯ The count thought about the front line where the conflict with the empire was happening. ¡®It feels a bit like the southern desert kingdom, but I¡¯m not sure.¡¯ The swordsmanship of those so-called ¡®shadows¡¯ was not the orthodox imperial sword style that the knights learned. The sword saint, who was called a knight among knights and had earned his title with his own swordsmanship, had mixed his style with the unconventional sword style of the southern desert kingdom. It was hard to guess their background just by crossing swords with them. Besides, Count Andersen was a loyal knight. He knew that the sword saint, who was a candidate for session, had some friction with the emperor, but he never thought that he would nurture a secret force and do something like a rebellion. ¡®Then is it the western alliance?¡¯ In the west of the empire, there were several kingdoms that formed arge force together. They might also feel threatened by the empire¡¯s development and expansion in the north. The count weighed various possibilities and shook his head. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m losing both in knight power and troop strength. Maybe even the first batch of reinforcements from the capital won¡¯t be enough.¡¯ The count had been reluctant to touch the mountain tribes because of cost-benefit calctions, but he had no choice given the situation. ¡®I¡¯ll have to consult with my staff tomorrow.¡¯ In the end, he decided to request for a second batch of reinforcements, just as the sword saint intended. He couldn¡¯t sleep until dawn because of his worries. He headed to the operation room before sunrise. ¡°Huh?¡± The count was tired, but he was still a superhuman. He sensed a faint presence before he opened the door. He prepared to draw his sword in case of an attack and flung open the door. ¡°Who are you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± For a moment, the count felt like he saw a ghost. ¡°Your Highness Eurius!¡± The presence he felt inside the operation room at dawn was surprisingly Eurius, who had been missing for a long time. ¡°How did youe back? And what are you doing here¡­?¡± Eurius waved his hand with a tired tone. ¡°I¡¯d love to exin everything, but I don¡¯t have time for that. Just do as I say for now.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The duke could only stare at him with a stunned expression after hearing his request. His appearance was too abrupt. ¡°I know it¡¯s a hard favor to ask, but please trust me.¡± But before he could even process his thoughts, Eurius¡¯s presence disappeared like a ghost again. ¡®I have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡¯ The count still felt like he was haunted by a phantom as he looked at the table in the operation room where Eurius had shown up. ¡®This is a headache. How am I supposed to exin this to my staff?¡¯ The count felt his head throbbing again. What kind of situation was this? ¡­ Meanwhile, Eurius was also annoyed in his own way. Whoosh! ¡®I can¡¯t believe I have to y messenger in this life. This is the most unimperial life I¡¯ve ever lived.¡¯ He grumbled inwardly as he ran through the night mountains with his teleportation ability. There were some mountain tribes who kept watch, but it was impossible for them to notice his movement. Eurius easily avoided their surveince and returned to his allies. ¡®But no one else can do this job but me.¡¯ Without his ability, it would take too much time to cross the mountains and ask for the duke¡¯s cooperation. ¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ He finally arrived at the foothills where his allies were. ¡°Phew¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Nuada greeted him as he entered the barracks with a tired look. ¡°Did it go well?¡± ¡°If he believes me, it should be possible.¡± Nuarda marveled at him. ¡°Wow, you really went back and forth without being detected. Your ability is amazing no matter how many times I see it.¡± Even with his senses as a great warrior, he could barely sense Eurius¡¯s movement. It was like seeing a ghost. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m suffering like this.¡± Eurius smiled wryly and joked. He had run for two days straight with only rations in his mouth, even with his superhuman physical abilities. He was exhausted. ¡°Let¡¯s rest a bit and discuss our n tomorrow. Nothing happened here, right?¡± Nuada shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Two more tribes joined us. We should have no problem attacking Gundar.¡± For the past week, Eurius¡¯s alliance had been gathering neutral tribes in the mountains. Thud! ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Stop! We admit our defeat.¡± The chief of the tribe with an old wrinkled face looked at him with a bitter expression as his warrior fell down from Nuada¡¯s light punch. He didn¡¯t like the idea of bringing in a foreigner, but Gundar was no different. He thought it might be better to trust him instead. ¡°I don¡¯t trust the foreigner. I trust you, Nuada. You have to keep your promise!¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t let that bastard Gundar think he¡¯s on the same level as me!¡± Nuada snorted and bumped fists with the chief with a confident expression. His reputation and overwhelming power that he had built up in the mountains made the Eurius & Nuada alliance grow rapidly. In fact, they could attack Gundar on their own and inflict considerable damage. But Eurius wanted to strike a more decisive blow. ¡°We need to coordinate with themand base at the foot of the mountain. I¡¯ll go there.¡± And he had achieved his goal and came back. ¡®If I know Count Andersen personality, he might be skeptical but he¡¯ll follow my words.¡¯ He had set up everything. The only problem was how to hit the enemy¡¯s back of the head! The next day. ¡°There are three paths from here to attack Gundar¡¯s troops.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The mountain tribes didn¡¯t use maps, but that didn¡¯t stop Eurius from ordering his subordinate to draw a rough sketch. There were people who knew the geography of the mountains well, so the sketch waspleted in no time. ¡®There are three paths, but we don¡¯t have to attack all of them.¡¯ Eurius exined his n that he had thought of beforehand. ¡°First of all, you should take care of the first path that leads to Gundar¡¯s main camp, Nuada.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°This is your first step to take over the north. It won¡¯t mean anything if I¡¯m the main actor on the surface.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That was true. To drive out Gundar and make Nuada recognized as the master of the mountains, he had to subdue the main camp where the great chief was at least. ¡°If you can just take out that great chief, it won¡¯t be hard to subjugate the remaining tribes. That¡¯s the way with the least sacrifice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to catch that bastard Gundar.¡± And then Nuada asked him. ¡°What about you? Which path will you take?¡± ¡°I have to join the Count¡¯s main camp first because of my identity. I¡¯ll take care of the path that leads to the side of the enemy camp. And¡­¡± Eurius paused for a moment and grinned. ¡°I have something else to do there.¡± Everyone had question marks in their heads. A surprise attack was a surprise attack, what else did he have to do there? ¡°Something else to do?¡± Linfield asked curiously. ¡°When I went to the enemy¡¯s main camp earlier, I saw someone had let loose some vicious hunting dogs without even putting leashes on them.¡± ¡®Hunting dogs?¡¯ Ignoring everyone¡¯s questions, Eurius showed a rare aggressive expression and finished his words. ¡°I n to beat them all up this time.¡± Chapter 51: A Great Blow Chapter 51: A Great Blow ¡°The tribes that formed a shield against the invaders¡¯ assault are too dissatisfied.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it an inevitable sacrifice? Try to console them.¡± The main issue for Gundar and Dmitry was the problem of harmony among the tribes. They had gathered them together, but they couldn¡¯t control them properly. That was natural, since Gundar didn¡¯t secure his authority through a duel, as was the tradition of the north, but integrated the tribes at the entrance of the mountain range by using his power when they felt threatened. Especially, as the small-scale skirmishes with the empire continued, this discontent erupted everywhere. ¡°Most of the warriors of our tribe have died. Even if you are the great chieftain, this is too much!¡± ¡°There are also foreigners with unbelievable power beside the great chieftain, why don¡¯t you use them instead of forcing our sacrifice, huh¡­¡± Gundar looked at Dmitry with a gloomy expression. ¡°If you could consider the situation of the tribes a little¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Dmitry cut him off firmly. He didn¡¯t think of Gundar as anything more than a simple pawn from the beginning, and there was a more important problem. ¡®Do you think it¡¯s easy for us to maintain our strength while blocking the superhumans?¡¯ This time, Grand Duke deployed four squads of shadows, and even if they only deployed two squads, they could notpletely stop one superhuman, but they could barely hold him back. ¡®If the rotation for resting breaks, we won¡¯t have anyone to stop Count Anderson on this side.¡¯ Therefore, they were taking turns to block Count Anderson, who was a superhuman. ¡°Please bear with it a little longer. We don¡¯t have any leeway either!¡± Gundar had nothing to say. In any case, they were in a dominant position in this rtionship. ¡®Well, at least there won¡¯t be any big cracks for a while.¡¯ That day¡¯s conversation ended there. But contrary to their expectations, they didn¡¯t have to wait for a crack, as the copse had already begun. *** One of his staff members asked him with a doubtful expression as he rode his horse. ¡°Are you sure His highness really came here himself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, but I¡¯m not at the point where I see things.¡± Count Anderson also came out with his troops at dawn, but he was also uneasy. The staff member expressed his concern. ¡°But this surprise attack is too sudden. Even if it¡¯s His highness¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The count also had to worry about that part. How should he exin about Eurius, who appeared and disappeared like a ghost? But he didn¡¯t take long to decide. ¡®Let¡¯s trust Eurius for now!¡¯ That was his final judgment. It was a decision made because of the trust he had built up in the north for so long. ¡®I¡¯ll have to fight those annoying guys again.¡¯ The count prepared for a surprise attack with his knights as the core. ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Hehehehe!¡± The imperial army¡¯s night raid began with the sound of horses. *** Rustle! Ambitious Dawn Gundar woke up with a start from his sleep. He was also a remarkable warrior among those at the entrance of the mountain range. He sensed that something had happened in the camp. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± ¡°Great chieftain!¡± His close aides rushed in and reported the situation. ¡°It¡¯s an attack from the foreigners. We need to respond quickly.¡± ¡°A night raid?¡± Gundar was puzzled for a moment. If it was a sudden surprise attack that they weren¡¯t prepared for, it would be different, but there was no point in attacking a ce that had a well-established camp and a defensive line. ¡®I have a bad feeling about this.¡¯ He felt an indescribable uneasiness. The enemy wasn¡¯t stupid, why would they suddenly attack without any benefit? ¡°Call them!¡± Soon, the shadows, including Dmitry who had just woken up from his sleep, hurriedly came to Gundar¡¯s tent. ¡°They said it¡¯s a night raid, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Anyway, ording to the report of the scout warrior, it¡¯s almost a full-scale war¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Dmitry also looked pale. Did Count Anderson decide to fight them to the death? ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll go and stop the enemy¡¯s knights. You just take care of the warriors and defend well.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ The two conspirators, Gundar and Dmitry, left the tent with doubtful eyes. *** ng! Soon, the count¡¯s knights and the shadows led by Dmitry shed their weapons again. ¡®Why is this old man doing this crazy thing in the middle of the night?¡¯ ¡®I hope His highness made a wise decision.¡¯ The initial confusion was only temporary, and the front line began to regain its tense bnce. The knights, including the count, were blocked by the warriors, and even the ordinary soldiers entered a fierce battle with the immigrants. ¡°It seems that the foreigners are blocking the enemy¡¯s warriors well.¡± ¡°There is no problem with the defense of the camp either.¡± Gundar sighed with relief every time a report came in. ¡®It was just a reckless surprise attack.¡¯ But before his relief could fade away, a shout from the mountain side shook his camp. ¡°Waaaaah!¡± ¡°Great chieftain! It looks like some tribes from inside the mountain suddenly attacked us!¡± ¡°There are also foreign troops that we haven¡¯t seen before on the side of the front line!¡± ¡°What?¡± Gundar hurriedly ran out to observe the front line with his apanying warriors. But what he saw was¡­ Crash! The back door of the camp, which was made of sturdy wood and reinforced with heavy rocks behind it, waspletely shattered. ¡°Long time no see, great chieftain!¡± With a fierce smile, he stood at the front and broke through the camp in an instant. Behind him, the elite warriors of his allied tribes followed. ¡°St¡­ Stop them!¡± All the warriors and soldiers around him rushed to stop Nuada¡¯s charge at Gundar¡¯smand. ¡°Annoying pests¡­¡± Boom! Boom! Anyone who got hit by his casual punches and kicks, whether soldier or warrior, was crushed. ¡°All warriors, stop that bastard!¡± But if it was a matter of numbers, Gundar¡¯s side had the overwhelming advantage. They had gathered all the tribes from the mountain entrance. They were barely holding on with a defensive strategy. *** Meanwhile, the second attack route where Eurius was located was going smoothly. ¡°Break through!¡± Eurius also mobilized his knights to smash the barricade in one go and infiltrate the camp. ¡®Things are going as nned so far.¡¯ sh! ¡°Aaargh!¡± He easily cut down a charging warrior and led his soldiers deeper into the enemy lines. ¡°As His highness predicted, there are no outstanding warriors on the nk and the guard level is low!¡± ¡°Most of the elites must have gone to face the Count or protect the Chieftain!¡± Eurius aimed for a nk breakthrough. And his true goal, taking advantage of the gap left by the elites, was! ¡®It should be around here?¡¯ ¡°Who are you!¡± Stab! ¡®Who am I? I¡¯m here to capture you bastards!¡¯ Eurius blew off the sentry¡¯s head with his invisible sword and gave careful instructions to his knights. ¡°Regr knights, split into groups of two or three and face them. Even if they are not in normal condition, they are not ordinary elites!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The ce they raided was where the Shadow behind Chieftain, his secret force, was resting for recovery or preservation. ¡®I have to deal with as many of the Chieftain¡¯s secret forces as possible in this opportunity.¡¯ It was more than enough for Nuada and Count Anderson to copse the enemy formation. He just had to capture or kill the Chieftain¡¯s dogs who were resting here or left as reserves. Of course, even if they were injured, the Shadows behinf Chieftain was strong. But that was only when Eurius, a superhuman, did not intervene! ¡°Aaargh!¡± His counterattack and invisible sword were optimal for surprise attacks. ¡®If it was a superhuman like Count Anderson who pushed with brute force, it would be possible to block him with a formation, but not me.¡¯ Eurius¡¯ movement was truly unprecedented. The Shadows were already in bad shape, and while they were fighting with the northern knights, his invisible sword pierced them unexpectedly. They had no way to resist. ¡®Where did these guyse from?¡¯ ¡®I have to inform Captain Dmitry!¡¯ But that was easier said than done. Soon enough, the Shadows were annihted by Eurius and his knights without any chance. ¡°Any casualties?¡± ¡°Five knights were seriously injured and about ten others.¡± ¡°The damage is bigger than I thought.¡± ¡°As Your highness said, they were not ordinary opponents.¡± Eurius clicked his tongue as he looked at Linfield, who reported with a grim expression. ¡®As expected, the Chieftain¡¯s elites are hard to deal with. The Count must have had a hard time.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t have time to mourn them now. ¡°We have to join the Count¡¯s main force quickly. There must be simr bastards giving him trouble.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Eurius¡¯ detachment ran straight towards the front line where the Count was. The enemy soldiers who were already in chaos were like scarecrows. But before he could break through half of the enemy lines, Eurius met the Count. ¡°Your highness Eurius!¡± ¡°Count Anderson!¡± They looked at each other with surprised expressions. They met much sooner than Eurius expected. ¡®Didn¡¯t the Chieftain¡¯s dogs block the Count too?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for breaking the militaryw as I told you before. I¡¯ll take responsibility for itter.¡± As they drove their horses side by side, Eurius got to the point. ¡°But as I was running through the battlefield, I saw a lot of strange people who were not from this tribe. Weren¡¯t they blocking you and your knights?¡± ¡°You also encountered them, Your highness.¡± The Count widened his eyes in astonishment and exined. ¡°At first, they blocked me as usual, but when they realized that the situation behind them was unfavorable, they gave up on stopping me and ran away like ghosts.¡± ¡®There are some among the Chieftain¡¯s subordinates who can judge the situation very quickly.¡¯ Eurius nodded inwardly. They must have retreated since the situation was hopeless. ¡®It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t wipe them outpletely, but it¡¯s a big gain to deal with half of them.¡¯ He actually nned to join the Count and finish off the rest of them, but there was nothing he could do if they withdrew. Around the time Eurius and the Count made contact, the fight in the rear also ended and Nuada came running with his men. ¡°Barbarians!¡± ¡°Look at their mark! They are not enemies.¡± Eurius raised his hand to stop Nuada who was running towards him. He spat out angrily as soon as he saw him. ¡°I almost captured Gundar himself, but those weird foreigners you mentioned popped out and I lost him. I¡¯m ashamed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s a big gain to inflict a fatal blow on him. How is the situation of our allies?¡± ¡°As you said, wearing marks helped us distinguish enemies from friends. We also captured quite a few warriors and chiefs.¡± Nuada showed him the yellow cloth wrapped around his arm as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m d the identification band helped.¡± This was an idea that came up when he first discussed the surprise attack with him. When he suggested a night raid, Nuada raised a question. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to tell apart our tribes from different ones when we mix with enemies in a night raid?¡± ¡®Ah!¡¯ Eurius realized then that the situation was different from his previous life. Of course, it was different when the northern immigrants were allies. If they raided at night, it would be hard to distinguish between Eurius¡¯ allied tribes and Gundar¡¯s tribes who wore the same clothes in a melee. But it was a surprisingly simple problem to solve. [Help ¨C Viewing identification methods.] [Colors that stand out well at night are yellow, white, etc. This is calledplementary contrast and¡­ ] ¡®I still don¡¯t understand the rest, but anyway, I just have to wear a yellow band, right?¡¯ The tribes allied with Nuada who participated in this raid wore yellow bands on their shoulders ording to the information Eurius viewed from the help. ¡°As I said before, we have to be prepared for some sacrifices when we sh on arge scale, but we have to shed as little blood as possible.¡± The result was quite sessful. When they attacked at night, they could distinguish enemies from friends, so they didn¡¯t have to spill unnecessary blood. And except for the tribes who ran away quickly with Gundar, more than half of the remaining tribes were intimidated by Nuada¡¯s power and surrendered. ¡°Your highness¡­ who are they?¡± The Count cautiously looked at Eurius¡¯ expression. Eurius smiled and started to exin to the Count. ¡°I didn¡¯t exin in detail, did I? They are my allies.¡± And Eurius changed the subject. ¡°Just remember that they are allies for now. Let¡¯s start with cleaning up the battlefield.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Eurius was busy nning his next move as he drove his horse. He actually had thought of the situation when Gundar ran away. ¡®He sent more of his subordinates than I expected, so it must have been hard for Nuada to break through them all.¡¯ There were quite a few tribes who ran away with Gundar. But would they still acknowledge Gundar as a reliable Chieftain after he abandoned many of his tribes and ran away to save himself? He smiled triumphantly. ¡®I hope I can finish off the Chieftain¡¯s force and the Chieftain himself in one go with the next operation.¡¯ Chapter 52: The Final Battle Chapter 52: The Final Battle The situation was almost settled by the time the morning sun rose after the dawn raid by the allies. ¡°About thirty tribes ran away, including Gundar¡¯s Storm Wagon tribe. But more than half of them surrendered.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity we couldn¡¯t capture him, but it¡¯s a better result than I expected.¡± Eurius nodded at Nuada¡¯s exnation. A temporary camp made by the imperial army led by the Count and Eurius¡¯ allied leaders was built on the in where the battle took ce. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. First of all, Nuada, an immigrant, was there, and Count Anderson and his staff were subtly wary. ¡®How did His highness manage to capture a superhuman-level person from the north?¡¯ What Eurius exined to the Countst night was roughly this. ¡°I found an immigrant tribe that will be our reliable ally. It might be unpleasant to cooperate with them, but I hope you follow my opinion this time.¡± ¡®But how did he bring a superhuman from an immigrant tribe? What kind of magic did he use?¡¯ As soon as the meeting started, Eurius had Linfield report their actions to the Count. ¡°Huh¡­¡± The Count couldn¡¯t help but admire. Not to mention his boldness to advance into the mountain range. He even managed to persuade an immigrant tribe that was considered unable tomunicate. When the report was over, Eurius looked at the Count with a serious expression. ¡°No matter how good the result is, it¡¯s true that I broke the militaryw. I attacked the enemy¡¯s base on my own, so if you want to hold me ountable, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Count pondered for a moment and opened his mouth with a stern expression. ¡°First of all, Your highness achievement this time is too great. I would never have achieved this result if I hadmanded as usual.¡± The faces of the knights, including Linfield, brightened. ¡°But militaryw is militaryw. Normally, acting on your own in wartime is a serious crime that deserves death!¡± The atmosphere became heavy again. Count Anderson was indeed a rigid person. He would acknowledge his merit but also hold him responsible. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you the first order for viting militaryw.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Eurius agreed with a seemingly resigned expression. ¡°Please take charge of negotiating with the immigrant tribes you captured. The escort will be Linfield and your knights as usual.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The Count was smiling brightly now. This meant that he was formally holding him responsible, but his role was unchanged. He only lostmand of his troops, but he still had to act with Nuada anyway. His assistance was indispensable for a smooth alliance. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure toplete the task you entrusted me!¡± That¡¯s how Eurius¡¯ vition of militaryw was warmly resolved and the next n was to catch Gundar¡¯s force that ran away. ¡°First of all, I sent back those who wanted to and let the rest join me from among those who surrendered.¡± In fact, there were quite a few tribes who had no choice but to join Gundar¡¯s force as it grew bigger. Most of them were able to surrender easily. And the north was and that respected the strong! There were also many tribes who voluntarily asked to join him after seeing Nuada¡¯s performance on the battlefield. He still had a small force to be called the King of the Mountain Range, but his reputation would rise even more if hepletely defeated Gundar. ¡°But do we really need to send back those who surrendered? What if they join the enemy again?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡± Eurius immediately dismissed one of his staff¡¯s words. Today Gundar showed his back and ran away from Nuada. There was no reason to trust someone who ran away to save his life without fighting fair and square in the north. ¡®And that¡¯s the start of my second n.¡¯ There was a reason why he left one of the three paths down from the mountain range empty for them to run away. ¡°First of all, there is a saying that a cornered rat will bite a cat.¡± Anyway, there were still dozens of tribes on the enemy side. If they all fought desperately, it would increase their casualties. Thanks to their leaders running away quickly, many tribes who had been dissatisfied with Gundar surrendered quickly. ¡°And the remaining tribes are probablyining to high heaven by now.¡± *** As he said, Gundar was looking at Dmitry with a hollow expression. He lost more than half of his tribes inst night¡¯s raid. His dream of bing the loser of the north in one night was shattered like a bubble. He still had a lot of regr troops, but he lost a lot of warriors who were thrown in to stop Nuada. If he faced a frontal battle, he would probably lose a hundred out of a hundred. ¡°How should we proceed now?¡± Dmitry bit his lip as he looked at the weary expression on his face. He never dreamed that the situation would turn around so drastically in just one day. ¡®Shadow units two and three have lost contact. We can¡¯t stop even one superhuman at this rate.¡¯ Half of the shadows, entrusted to him by the Grand Duke, had been wiped out by Eurius¡¯s surprise attack. He had no clever n to counter that. ¡®It was my mistake not to care for the wounded. They must have run into the Count or the Northern superhuman while retreating.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t imagine that Eurius had killed them. ¡°The ckrock tribe leftst night.¡± ¡°The chief of the Thornwood tribe said he would leave too if you don¡¯te up with a solution soon.¡± To make matters worse, many of the tribes that had managed to escape with half of their forces were defecting. This was Eurius¡¯s second n. He had deliberately released the captured tribes! ¡®They have no reason to follow Gundar anymore, since the tide has turned against them.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s side was in a situation where their enemies¡¯ forces would decrease on their own if they just waited. The tribes they had released had spread the word throughout the mountains. ¡°The chief of the Lightning Rock tribe, which has newly united several tribes, is said to be a legendary warrior.¡± ¡°He also let go of all the tribes that had joined the Grand Chief, on the condition that they don¡¯t join forces again.¡± Gundar¡¯s forces were already discontented and grumbling. The defections were getting faster as the rumors spread. Some of them were not only leaving, but also joining Nuada¡¯s side. Dmitry finally rose from his seat with a determined expression. ¡°We have to end this before we lose more forces.¡± He still had thousands of soldiers left. He would lose in a head-on battle, but Dmitry only needed to achieve his goal, not win the fight. ¡°How? They have two warriors on their side.¡± Gundar looked at Dmitry with a puzzled expression. Did he want them to charge into the enemy camp and try to capture him? ¡°You¡¯re in the same boat as us, aren¡¯t you?¡± Dmitry decided to take a gamble. He could sneak away as it was, but he couldn¡¯t face the Grand Duke after losing more than half of his shadows. ¡°We¡¯ll find a ce for you and your tribe! Just help me with my task.¡± ¡°What task?¡± ¡°You just need to mobilize all your remaining warriors and block the superhumans on their side. And I have something to do in the meantime.¡± Dmitry finally came to a conclusion. ¡®We¡¯ll use our remaining forces to push them into a fierce battle. And while we do that, our shadows will infiltrate and kill the First Prince. That would still count as our victory.¡¯ Of course, his promise to Gundar was a lie. He was a sacrificialmb to block the knights who were attached to the prince while they infiltrated. His eyes shone eerily. ¡®This is ourst chance. If we can take the life of the First Prince, even if all of us die, it will be a gain for His Majesty.¡¯ *** Meanwhile, Eurius¡¯s side was also preparing for the final attack. ¡°As time goes by, more tribes will defect. Once we catch Gundar, this Northern War will be over.¡± Eurius waited patiently. He had a rough idea of what options his opponent had. ¡°They either let all of the Grand Duke¡¯s forces leave, or they use all their remaining power to try to catch me. It¡¯s one or the other.¡± Neither was a bad choice for him. If the Grand Duke¡¯s forces left, it would be much easier to catch Gundar. And if they focused all their power on him, it would be a golden opportunity to reduce the Grand Duke¡¯s forces. ¡®But they don¡¯t know my true strength.¡¯ That was Dmitry¡¯s fatal mistake. Even if his shadows somehow managed to get to him, they wouldn¡¯t have enough power to kill him. ¡®But I wonder what they¡¯ll choose. For my sake, I¡¯d rather they challenge me to a frontal battle.¡¯ The Grand Duke¡¯s shadows were his carefully nurtured force. If he could annihte them this time, he might be able to see the Grand Duke¡¯s face when he returned to the pce. And two dayster, his prediction came true. ¡°Your Highness! The enemies on the mountain areing down!¡± ¡®They chose the second option!¡¯ Eurius quickly readied himself and led his knights out. ¡°Nuada, you take care of Gundar and his warriors.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to tell me that. I won¡¯t let him slip away this time!¡± He clenched his fists with a grinding sound. He was furious that he had missed Gundar because of the shadows¡¯ interference. ¡®I¡¯ll just deal with the Grand Duke¡¯s dogs next to Count Anderson.¡¯ ¡°Please stay by my side at all times, Your Highness!¡± The Count also earnestly asked him, as this was practically thest battle. ¡®That¡¯s what I was nning to do anyway.¡¯ If he stuck to the superhuman Count, he would be safe from any unexpected situations. *** Waaaaaaah!!! The final battle of the North begins. It was a fierce battle, but the alliance side had a clear advantage with two superhumans! The enemy didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of winning from the start, so the bnce quickly tilted in favor of the alliance. However, knowing the enemy¡¯s goal, Eurius didn¡¯t let his guard down. ¡®When will theye?¡¯ Thud thud thud thud As he ran through the battlefield with his knights, he observed that Gundar¡¯s elite warriors and the Grand Duke¡¯s shadows were hardly visible. ¡®They¡¯re here?¡¯ And when his line of knights pierced through the middle of the enemy camp, the ambush finally began. ¡°Stop them!¡± The enemy¡¯s elites poured out from both sides. On one side were Gundar¡¯s elite warriors, who he had gathered for this battle! On the other side were the Grand Duke¡¯s shadows. ¡°There you are. Gundar!¡± Of course, Nuada blocked Gundar¡¯s side and the Count blocked the shadow¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. You must not stray from the protection of the knights. Huh!¡± Whoosh! The shadows left only a few people to stop the superhuman Count and rushed towards Eurius. Gundar¡¯s remaining warriors also clung to Nuada and the Count, preventing them from going to Eurius. ¡®So they were aiming for me?¡¯ As Eurius prepared to fight back, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Shriek! ¡°¡­!¡± It was a faint presence that even he barely caught, but Eurius quickly twisted his body on his horse. Swoosh! A de grazed his neck, leaving a shallow wound. ¡®What!¡¯ Eurius remembered the ones he had momentarily forgotten. ¡®I wondered when they would attack, but they were waiting for this chaos!¡¯ It was hard to tell with the naked eye because of the dust from the horse hooves and the noise of the battlefield, but their identity was none other than the special assassins of the Order! This time, they were a small elite group as Jamir had promised. There were only four of them, but they were skilled enough to target a superhuman with a surprise attack. They had waited for a gap in his attention during the melee and started targeting him. ¡°¡­?¡± Dmitry was momentarily confused. Who were these guys in ck masks who attacked before they could aim for the prince? ¡®Did His highness send more people?¡¯ But he shook his head after a moment. ¡®I don¡¯t know who they are, but it worked out well. We have to seize this opportunity and kill the prince.¡¯ Eurius scanned his surroundings with a calm expression. It was such a stealthy attack that he was wounded, but they were not enemies that he couldn¡¯t detect. ¡®There are about four of them. But their skills are not ordinary. They can target a superhuman with their surprise attacks.¡¯ He looked behind him and saw that the Grand Duke¡¯s subordinates were also rushing towards him. Nuada and the Count were also tied up by the enemy¡¯s elite who charged in recklessly. ¡®This is quite troublesome.¡¯ Unfortunately, although they had differentmand structures, two forces that aimed for him attacked at the same time. Eurius was in a serious crisis now. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if I can hold out without casualties until Nuada or the Counte to help.¡¯ He would have been seriously injured long ago if he hadn¡¯t used his Counter-Eye technique, which specialized in hiding himself. ¡°Cough!¡± One of his protecting knights fell as he saw it, and Eurius¡¯s expression twisted. ¡®Do I have to use all my power and overheat to break through?¡¯ But there were too many eyes watching here. And it would be too much of a burden to show everything he had here to deceive the Grand Duke¡¯s subordinates. ng! He blocked their continuous attacks, but more wounds appeared on Eurius¡¯s body. ¡®No choice.¡¯ The assassins used any means and methods to aim for him. If this continued, his life would be in danger too. ¡®Eek¡¯ Two crescent des crossed each other skillfully and grabbed his sword. ng! Eurius exploded a st to avoid the crisis, but that created an opening. Shriek! ¡®Opportunity!¡¯ Sharp attacks flew at him at the same time. A crescent de aiming for his head, a shadow¡¯s sword stabbing at his neck! Eurius barely blocked both of them. But because of that, he couldn¡¯t prepare for one more thinging from behind him. Squeak! It was a de flying while spinning! One of the assassins had thrown it at him, seizing the chance. ¡°Damn it!¡± A curse burst out of Eurius¡¯s mouth. It was hard to defend against it in this situation. The de was about to rip his back at that moment! ng! A piercing shot that flew like a ray of light knocked the de away. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡®What? I¡¯ve experienced this situation before, haven¡¯t I?¡¯ He felt a familiar sensation and Eurius doubted his eyes. Swoosh A faint golden hair fluttered behind him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Beatrix!¡± Chapter 53: An Unexpected Ally Chapter 53: An Unexpected Ally She was d in armor, her golden hair neatly tied back, and a simple helmet on her head. But there was no mistaking her. No, to Eurius, she was more familiar in this battlefield than anywhere else. ¡°Beatrix!¡± ¡°Protect His highness!¡± At hermand, the knights who rushed on their horses surrounded him like an iron wall. But the assassins and shadows were relentless. ng! She caught another assassin¡¯s sword that sneaked through the gaps of the knights. ¡°Upper right.¡± ng! sh! Eurius¡¯s sword broke the assassin¡¯s de and cut off his neck in one swift motion. ¡°Thank you!¡± Beatrix backed up against him. If a skilled warrior guarded his back, there was no way that those who specialized in assassination or groupbat could show their power. He was a bit worried about her, but when he checked her stats window briefly, he was rather surprised. [Beatrix Dios] Job: Senior Knight, Force Master Strength: B+ Agility: A+ Intelligence: A Willpower: A Force Aptitude: S+ Force: A Disposition: Good, Pure, Stubborn, Hardworking [Traits] Swordsmanship (S) Dual Core ¨C A circle with two auxiliary rings that help the cirction of force. You get additional bonuses in all aspects of force control. ¡®If you look at her abilities based on stats alone, you¡¯d believe she¡¯s a superhuman.¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue inwardly. He knew she was talented, but Beatrix had not beenzy in training either. ¡®We have things to talk about, but first we have to deal with these bastards.¡¯ In fact, the situation was already decided. Not only did they get reinforcements from the capital, but the decisive factor was Beatrix¡¯s participation! Her appearance made Eurius momentarily flustered, but as soon as they backed up against each other, she felt a bit confused. ¡®Why do I feel so in sync with His highness when we¡¯ve never fought together in realbat?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s because you helped me too much in my previous life.¡¯ Eurius also smirked inwardly. His sword parried the shadow¡¯s sword and created an opening, and Beatrix¡¯s sword pierced his throat. At the same time, he blocked the crescent de of another assassin who aimed at her with perfect timing as if he had predicted it. Fortunately, Eurius was reluctant to expose his full power, so he only showed a level of skill between a master and a superhuman. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve gone back to my previous life.¡¯ Their ages and situations were very different, but it had been a long time since they fought like this. It was her first time, but Eurius had already experienced this kind of synergy dozens or hundreds of times. When skilled warriors matched their breaths well, the effect was great. Just look at how the shadows of the Grand Duke could hold off a superhuman for a while even though their individual power was notparable. How could they stand a chance against two superhuman assassins and shadows who were outnumbered? ¡°Shadows, retreat!¡± Dmitry had to decide to retreat with tears of blood. He had already lost another squad of shadows. He had wasted three out of four squads entrusted by the Grand Duke due to his misjudgment. ¡®I have to at least report the strength of the first prince to His Grace.¡¯ The power he saw from Eurius was at least above master level. It exceeded Grand Duke¡¯s expectations. He actually hoped that things would go smoothly thanks to the strange people who joined forces with them (?) this time, but he didn¡¯t expect that reinforcements from the capital would arrive so quickly. ¡®¡­¡¯ The two surviving special assassins sent by the Order also exchanged nces. The assassination was over. ¡®We have to return alive and report to the priest.¡¯ One of the assassins disappeared like a ghost, buried in the noise of the battlefield. Eurius sensed his presence and bit his tongue. ¡®I have to check their corpsester.¡¯ They were more formidable than he thought. In his previous life, he had always had Beatrix by his side, so they wouldn¡¯t have sent such scum. But they sent such skilled ones on only the second attack. ¡®Maybe hiding my full power will be impossible from the third attack.¡¯ They still had more tricks up their sleeves. In his previous life, he had faced several crises because of assassination attempts. Anyway, the battlefield was easily cleared after all the dark forces retreated. Nuada finally captured Gundar. ¡°Your chieftain is here!¡± His deration echoed across the battlefield, and most of the tribes dropped their weapons and showed their willingness to surrender. Thud! ¡°I surrender.¡± The warriors they trusted and their chieftain were either captured or fled. The strangers who led the charge didn¡¯t give them any confidence. ¡°We may have lost a lot of power, but if we mobilize all the warriors and capture the key figures of the enemy, we can negotiate with them!¡± That was Gundar¡¯s reason for convincing them. They still had a numerical advantage, and they had the mysterious strangers with them. The tribes at the entrance of the mountain range had some knowledge of the strangers. If they captured Eurius, who was as good as an emperor, Gundar¡¯s n to bring the empire to the negotiating table would be a sess. But even those who had some brains on Gundar¡¯s side were skeptical from the start. ¡®Our warriors have also decreased a lot, and the enemy has two great warriors. Is that really possible?¡¯ That was why most of them surrendered so easily, even though Gundar¡¯s side still had a superior number of regr troops. ¡°Your Highness, are you all right?¡± Count Anderson ran over and checked on his well-being. ¡°You have many wounds. It¡¯s fortunate that none of them are serious.¡± ¡°How could I be harmed by such injuries? You have suffered a lot, Count. They were vicious bastards.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to think more about themter.¡± The Count also wore a worried expression. It was not enough to stop him, but they aimed to kill Eurius, who was an emperor. It must have been the work of an external force. ¡°But who is this knight?¡± He finally noticed Beatrix, who was standing next to Eurius, and looked at her with a puzzled expression. She saluted him with her sword. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Count Anderson, the White Knight. I am Beatrix Dios, who was appointed as the temporarymander of the knight squad sent from the capital.¡± ¡°Dios?¡± The Duke epted her salute with a curious look. Female knights were rare on the battlefield. And she had the name of a famous martial family from the Holy Kingdom. ¡°It seems that you are acquainted with her, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why either.¡± How did shee here as a reinforcement from the empire when she should have been in the Holy Kingdom? Eurius had no idea. Beatrix spoke calmly, regardless of what they thought. ¡°My identity is that of a temporary knightmander of the reinforcements. I will exin moreter. There seems to be a lot to clean up on the battlefield right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Cleaning up the battlefield is a priority.¡± He wanted to hear her story right away, but Eurius put his thoughts aside for now. Nuada was taking care of the surrendered or escaped immigrants. It was his job to appease the tribes of the north, so Eurius and the Count left him alone and checked on their troops and knights. A whileter, after checking on the damage, the Count sighed in relief. ¡°Except for some sacrifices of the knights, it¡¯s a great victory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to them who threw themselves to protect me. It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°How can it be Your Highness¡¯ fault?¡± The knight squad that guarded Eurius while blocking thest attack of the shadows and assassins suffered considerable damage. If Beatrix hadn¡¯te to help at the right time, Eurius would have had to reveal his full power to protect them. Some of them were knights who had gone deep into the northern mountains with him. ¡®It¡¯s lucky that Grand Duke¡¯s men retreated quickly and avoided that situation.¡¯ Eurius swept his chest inwardly. And he looked at her with grateful eyes. ¡°Anyway, thank you very much. Rize, without you, there would have been more sacrifices of the knights who fought them.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Of course she didn¡¯t know that. Even if she was powerful, Eurius could have handled them without her if he showed his full power. But she had some sense. She guessed his intention and responded humbly. ¡°I just did my duty. Thank you for giving me such excessive praise for a mere knight.¡± *** Meanwhile, Nuada was also dragging Gundar along. He wanted to smash his head right away for driving the whole mountain range into war because of his greed, but he had many questions for him. But the result was not very satisfactory. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything more about them.¡± Gundar was a greedy scoundrel. He spilled everything he knew when he said he would spare his life if he gave useful information, but there was hardly any helpful information. ¡®How could he not prepare for being abandoned when it was obvious that the unknown forces were using him?¡¯ Eurius expected it, but he sighed. Grand Duke was a formidable man. Everything about them was mixed up: their items, their traces, their speech. ¡®At least there is no evidence to conclude that they are an internal force of the empire?¡¯ In the end, Gundar¡¯s fate was obvious. St! In front of all the chieftains who surrendered, his head was smashed by Nuada¡¯s fist. Eurius felt a bit sorry for him who was only used, but it was his fault anyway. ¡®If he hadn¡¯t been so greedy, things would have been much easier in the north.¡¯ But he gained something from it. Rather, if he looked at the result only, Eurius should have thanked him and shook his hand. ¡®Thanks to him, I gained the hearts of the people in the north, as well as an unexpected military merit.¡¯ His original goal was to win the hearts of the people in the north and form an alliance with Nuada. But because Gundar started a big war, he added a military achievement to that. The hero who led the war in the north to victory! This reputation would give him a huge benefit in his future actions. ¡®There were too many unexpected situations, but the result is good, so I¡¯m d.¡¯ ¡®Oh right!¡¯ Then he remembered something he had put aside for a while. ¡®How did Beatrixe here as a reinforcement when she should have been in the Holy Kingdom?¡¯ Chapter 54: Recovery Chapter 54: Recovery
¡°Move the wounded inside!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that we only suffered this much damage from the war.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have enough supplies to rebuild. We need to request relief goods from the capital before the second reinforcement.¡± ¡°Yeah, right¡­haha¡­¡± Count Anderson scratched his chin and pondered over his happy dilemma. Just a week ago, he was devising a grim strategy for the war, but now he had a mountain of work to do for the post-war settlement. But if he and his staff looked at the reports they wrote, they would know why they couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to His Highness. I never thought I would see the day when I don¡¯t have to worry about the barbarian invasion.¡¯ One of his staff tilted his head. ¡°But I wonder if the capital will believe this report.¡± ¡°Yeah, even we who saw His Highness¡¯ actions with our own eyes can hardly believe it¡­¡± With a small number of troops, he infiltrated deep into the unknown territory of the mountains, united the immigrant tribes, and annihted the enemy army with a simultaneous surprise attack. And the leader of the allied tribes was a superhuman? If someone had brought him such a report as a n a week ago, the Count would have seriously grabbed his shoulder and said this. ¡°You must be exhausted and out of your mind. When this mess is over, I¡¯ll send you to the Holy Kingdom for a vacation.¡± But that actually happened. ¡®And they say that the invasion of the immigrant tribes will also decrease from now on. It¡¯s hard to believe.¡¯ While the Count and his staff were having this conversation, Eurius was preparing to leave for the mountains with Nuada. ¡°Do you really have to go that deep?¡± ¡°I have some data on the interior of these mountains that I researched when I was in the academy of the Holy Kingdom. It might be a great benefit for the empire, so I¡¯ll go and see for myself.¡± The Count didn¡¯t want to send Eurius far away anymore, but he was so stubborn that he had no choice. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send you more knights than soldiers.¡± The situation was already under control as most of the immigrant tribes stopped looting under Nuada¡¯smand. The Count assigned arge number of elite knights to escort him. Thinking of the knights, Eurius felt uneasy despite his joy of victory. ¡®I relied too much on my memories from my previous life. I should have taken better care of my people.¡¯ The Grand Duke was not someone who would let him off easily. In fact, it was a coincidence that the timing of the second assassin and the shadow¡¯s attack ovepped, but from Eurius¡¯s perspective, it looked like a nned crime. ¡®I need to grow more.¡¯ Otherwise, if he had been stronger, he wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about saving all his knights. As he was feeling slightly gloomy with these thoughts, he heard Nuada¡¯s voice in his ear. ¡°Everything is ready on this side.¡± Nuada had a lot to do when he returned to the mountains. Not all the tribes had joined him just because he defeated Gundar. And he also needed to soothe the tribes that he had captured by force. But Eurius was not worried about that at all. ¡®He was never meant to be a loser in the north. He won¡¯t fail.¡¯ He would soon be the king who ruled over the entire north. ¡®Of course, I¡¯ll have to help him a little bit.¡¯ For some reason, he had to find the Dite ore mine near his tribe. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready too? Then let¡¯s go¡­¡± Nuada looked at him curiously. ¡°But who is that girl who has been sticking by your side?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius made an awkward expression at Nuada¡¯s question. He was pointing at Beatrix, who was standing silently near him. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t really know either¡­¡¯ *** ¡°But Rize, how did you get here?¡± That was Eurius¡¯s first question to her after the situation was settled. ¡°I heard that there was an urgent recruitment for talent to support the northern region from the empire, so I applied and came.¡± ¡®Well, I know that much¡­¡¯ She could have be a knight in the Holy Kingdom with her talent or family background, so why did she follow him? She must have known that her exnation was not enough, so she got to the point. ¡°I wanted to stand by your side, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Eurius was speechless for a moment. How should he interpret this? ¡®Wow! His Highness is not an ordinary man.¡¯ ¡®How far did she go to follow him all the way to the battlefield?¡¯ The knights behind him didn¡¯t say anything, but their eyes were full of various thoughts. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Eurius had to ask again urgently. ¡°¡­?¡± Beatrix looked puzzled and started to exin again. She was not used to expressing herself in a roundabout way, so she said that. As she told him how she ran away from her training, Eurius finally understood. ¡®Well, that makes sense.¡¯ She was always decisive and quick in her previous life. If she had a problem with her training and couldn¡¯t find a breakthrough, it was understandable that she came looking for him. ¡®But it¡¯s awkward. She won¡¯t leave my side, saying she¡¯s observing me.¡¯ Her purpose was to find some clues by watching him, who had broken through the wall of Superhuman at a young age. The problem was that Eurius was not a genius like her, but just relied on his memories from his previous life and the system¡¯s effect. He had nothing to advise her, and she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of going back to the Holy Kingdom either. ¡®And she followed me to the northern mountains, this is troublesome.¡¯ ¡°Are you perhaps his lover?¡± Nuada¡¯s question was direct. He hit the most sensitive spot, and Eurius hastily waved his hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡®Not yet! No¡¯ Beatrix felt that it was not her ce to intervene in their conversation, so she just stood quietly. ¡°We just became close after training under the same master for a few months. That¡¯s how you should think of it.¡± Eurius tried to smooth things over. That was actually the only contact he had with Beatrix in this life. ¡°Is that so? You seem too close for that. I¡¯ve seen you too often by his sidetely. I must have misunderstood.¡± Nuada epted it easily. He was not the type to care about trivial things. If he said no, then it was no. But the knights behind him thought differently. ¡®Even if it¡¯s for training, why did she chase him from the southern part of the continent, the Holy Kingdom, to this far north?¡¯ ¡®And no matter how you look at it, this is¡­¡¯ Of course, Beatrix was not always with him. But she came looking for him whenever she had time, saying it was for training, so it was inevitable that they would misunderstand(?). And the knights who came with Beatrix as reinforcements nodded in agreement. ¡°There was someone who could treat our cold leader like that?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s that close with His highness, her actions make sense.¡± Actually, Beatrix¡¯s journey was quite smooth. Of course, there was the tearful support of her father, Duke Dios, behind her. The duke noticed her runaway after ten days. She had already gone too far to catch her and bring her back. He had pride as one of the three great martial families of the continent. He couldn¡¯t retrieve his child who had joined the knight order for personal reasons, right? ¡°Origin, Holy Kingdom¡­ Family, Dios ducal house?¡± The knight who was in charge of the entrance test almost dropped the paper in surprise. ¡°Hmm¡­ hmm¡­ But why do you want to go to this harsh north?¡± ¡°For practical experience.¡± The knight couldn¡¯t find anything to say at her brief answer. Her skill level was wless anyway. ¡°Pass!¡± Actually, even if they were reinforcements sent by the empire, Master-level knights were notmon. She quickly stood out. And the support from the Duke also helped. He didn¡¯t care about political power, but he was one of the three great martial families of the continent. He had an enormous amount of personal connections in both the Holy Kingdom and the empire. ¡°Haha. Payrun Archbishop, I heard you have a friend in the imperial military.¡± ¡°Gale soldier? No, I should call him Baron now. I heard he rose in rank in the empire. I have a favor to ask¡­¡± Duke Dios spared no effort or means to support Beatrix with his contacts rted to the imperial military. As a result, she was rmended as a temporary leader of the reinforcement knight order. In other words, she was a talentedmander. And the Duke¡¯s personal greed also yed a part. ¡®Actually, Rize¡¯s skill level is not bad enough to get into trouble anywhere. And it¡¯s an excuse to stay by his side.¡¯ It was natural for the Duke to misunderstand that Eurius and Beatrix, who had reached the level of Superhuman and were close to breaking through the wall, would get along well anywhere. ¡®Being together on the battlefield might be a good opportunity to get closer.¡¯ Of course, unlike the Duke¡¯s thoughts, Eurius¡¯s situation was not safe at all. ¡®It¡¯s troublesome. I wish I could send her back, but she¡¯s already a knight of the empire¡­¡¯ But thanks to Beatrix, he was able to ovee the crisis this time. And ording to his estimation, she wouldn¡¯t take long to break through the wall of Superhuman. ¡®But the problem is that I wanted to bring her after that, but it¡¯s still a bit¡­¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t find a reason to send her back now. He decided to think about it when he returned to the capital and opened his mouth. ¡°But you¡¯re the temporary leader of the reinforcement knight order, don¡¯t you have a position to uphold? Can you follow me?¡± ¡°I heard that this northern mountain exploration is a very important mission. I came here to see you anyway, so I want to go with you.¡± She volunteered to be his escort when she heard that he was assigned elite knights. And the subordinate knights didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping her. Of course, there were some who were unhappy when she was appointed as the temporary leader of the knight order. ¡°She¡¯s the only daughter of the Dios ducal house.¡± ¡°So what? She¡¯s still a spoiled nobledy.¡± Some of them openly badmouthed her or even threw insults at her, but they all regretted it. Beatrix silently took off her glove and threw it at them. ng! ¡°If you have a problem, let¡¯s settle it with a duel.¡± Of course, the result was obvious. Those who insulted her were beaten up badly and had to stay in bed for a while. The empire valued skill above all! She was not of low status either. And crucially, she adapted quickly to the battlefield. ¡°Leader, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not feeling good.¡± She didn¡¯t enjoy cutting down barbarians or being soaked in monster blood for the first time when she entered the north, but unlike the other knights¡¯ worries, she adjusted to the war faster than expected. It was also thanks to her quick decision that she saved Eurius this time. She had been estimating the arrival time of the reinforcements through messengers, and she insisted on sending the knights ahead. ¡°Count Anderson at the front line is having a hard time with theck of knight power.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s move quickly with the knights, including me, and join the front line.¡± Thanks to the knight order that ran day and night, Eurius was able to get out of the crisis without exposing his weakness. When he heard that, Eurius clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®She¡¯s a scary woman. She¡¯s so calm on the battlefield at this age.¡¯ ¡°¡­?¡± When Eurius looked at Beatrix with a slightly annoyed expression, she also looked puzzled. ¡°Do you feel burdened by me apanying you, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Haha, why would I?¡± ¡®I have to train harder if I don¡¯t want that to happen like in my previous life.¡¯ Eurius sweated coldly in his mind and renewed his vow. Chapter 55: Ruler Chapter 55: Ruler
Nuada seemed to be in a good mood, thinking about returning to his vige after a long time. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± The journey into the mountains didn¡¯t take long. They only moved with a few dozen elite knights, and Nuada, who knew the mountain paths well, guided them. There was no reason for their speed to be slow. But Eurius had a rather embarrassing experience here. ¡°Let¡¯s camp here.¡± The problem was the field tents. Coincidentally, there was one woman among them. Actually, the problem was not that, but the reaction of the knights. ¡°You can share a tent with her, Your Majesty.¡± Eurius made an awkward expression. They seemed to misunderstand him. ¡°She will be assigned separately. This is an order.¡± ¡®As expected, he doesn¡¯t mix personal feelings with his mission.¡¯ ¡®But he doesn¡¯t have to hide it from us.¡¯ As the days passed, he got used to their reactions. ¡®It¡¯s no use exining anyway, they won¡¯t believe me. I¡¯ll just treat her casually.¡¯ The journey went smoothly. Eurius and his party were able to enter deep into the mountains in less than a week, unlike before. ¡°That¡¯s our Thunder Rock tribe!¡± Nuada¡¯s voice was full of pride as he pointed with his finger. ¡®It¡¯s been a while.¡¯ Eurius also felt nostalgic. He had muttered to himself that this ce was shabby when he came here before, but now he was different. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful vige. It¡¯s nice to see it so lively.¡± He smiled warmly and replied to Nuada. The vige was full of life, with children ying warrior games with sticks, or young men who had not yet be warriors training and making loud noises. Eurius¡¯s main goal was the peaceful daily life of him and his followers, wasn¡¯t it? He couldn¡¯t help but watch that scene with satisfaction for a while. ¡°¡­?¡± Nuada looked at him with a curious expression, then shifted his gaze to his tribe. He didn¡¯t mind getting such an evaluation for his tribe as a chief. ¡°Hmm, then let¡¯s go down. The guys who went ahead must be ready to greet us.¡± Buzzing. ¡°The chief is back!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to wee him.¡± Even if they were allies, Eurius and the knights he brought were the first foreigners to visit their vige in hundreds of years. Nuada led them in front, but they couldn¡¯tpletely let go of their guard. ¡®I guess it¡¯s too much to expect a warm wee from the start?¡¯ Eurius watched the scene with a bitter smile on his face. But Nuada¡¯s deration changed the atmosphere. ¡°You must know that I brought some foreigners today. You must have been surprised by their appearance¡­¡± What Nuada said was surprising. ¡°I will wee them as brothers and guests who have done us a great favor. I hope you all follow my words.¡± ¡°Guests have arrived. Let¡¯s get ready to greet them!¡± In the north, the chief¡¯s words werew. And Nuada was one of the strongest and wisest chiefs since their tribe was founded. ¡®If the chief says so, they must be guests.¡¯ ¡®We just have to follow him.¡¯ ¡°Thank you for weing us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I still haven¡¯t repaid you for saving my life.¡± Nuada responded with a bright expression and started to guide them. Eurius and the knights were taken to the chief¡¯s house in the center of the vige. ¡®Huh, amazing. I never thought I woulde this far into the mountains and stay in an immigrant tribe¡¯s house.¡¯ The knights were also somewhat nervous, but they rxed a bit when they saw that they were quite weed. That night, a grand feast was held in the Thunder Rock tribe¡¯s vige. Alcohol and food were ced in front of Eurius and the knights who were taken to the chief¡¯s house. ¡°This is pretty good?¡± Various dishes like stew and meat started to appear in front of them. Linfield cautiously tasted the food and gave an unexpectedly good evaluation. They had been eating only hard rations and Mulligan stew for over a week, so it was natural. ¡®You would be shocked if you knew what it was made of, Linfield?¡¯ Eurius barely held back hisughter in his mind. He had also been disgusted by the ingredients when he first ate this food in his previous life, butter he gave up and ate it diligently. ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t tell my knights that most of the food ingredients are monster meat. I¡¯ll tell themter.¡± Eurius had already hinted at Nuada. The tribes living deep in the mountains didn¡¯t distinguish between monsters and livestock. As long as they were not humanoid monsters like trolls or ogres, they ate anything that looked like a beast or a livestock, whether it was a spirit beast or a monster. Anyway, the feast went on like that, and finally Eurius told Nuada his purpose. ¡°I came to these mountains to investigate a certain area, as I told you before.¡± ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s not too difficult. But as I also said before, this area is hard to wander around alone, even for me.¡± ¡®Now it begins.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled. There were some differences from his expectations, but this was the opportunity to fix them! ¡°Is there a wild mountain with three pointed peaks lined up near your tribe? That¡¯s where I¡¯m looking for.¡± Nuada¡¯s face showed a big confusion for the first time. ¡°How do you know about that mountain?¡± ¡°As I said before, I was looking into the northern mountains and found some records that someone had investigated. They were very old.¡± ¡®I knew it from my previous life, but you would think I¡¯m crazy if I said that.¡¯ Eurius vaguely answered and asked with a curious expression, seeing that Nuada¡¯s reaction was more intense than he expected. ¡°I won¡¯t ask your reason, but it seems that mountain is not ordinary to you either. Do you have a reason for that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nuada seemed to hesitate for a moment. That ce was quite special to him. And it was also one of the most dangerous ces in the mountains. ¡°We call that mountain the Needle Mountain. It¡¯s a very dangerous ce¡­¡± At that moment, Eurius confirmed his guess. ¡®Something must be blocking it, so no one has discovered what¡¯s there yet.¡¯ The Needle Mountain was the center of the Dite ore mine. There were several peaks around the mountain where the mine was located. He was surprised when he first came to this tribe that the Thunder Rock tribe used Dite ore as a toy for children. But Nuada in this life said that it was a valuable item. That was his biggest question. Eurius decided to gamble on his trust that he had built up with him. ¡°Can you take me there without asking why?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I found out that there is a key that is very valuable to our alliance there.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡®Does he know about its existence? But what does it have to do with our alliance?¡¯ Nuada was also deep in thought. But Eurius had kept his promise and helped him drive away Gundar. ¡®If he helps me in the Needle Mountain, I will owe him again. If he needs a favor too, it might be a golden opportunity.¡¯ He made up his mind. ¡°You are a great benefactor to our tribe. It¡¯s not hard to take you there.¡± ¡°I really appreciate it!¡± It was almost done. But there must be some obstacle blocking the Needle Mountain. Nuada spoke seriously about the main point. ¡°I know why you want to go there, but do you also know about the ruler of the Needle Mountain?¡± Eurius looked confused. What was he talking about? ¡°Ruler? I¡¯ve never seen such a record.¡± Nuada lowered his voice and told him the secret of the Needle Mountain. ¡°Actually, there is an ancient silver snake living in the Needle Mountain. We call it the ruler of the mountain.¡± Eurius finally felt like all the pieces fit together. ¡®It must be a powerful spirit beast that even Superhumans have trouble dealing with.¡¯ If such a spirit beast blocked it, it would make sense that no one knew about the Dite mine for hundreds of years. ¡°Wow, is it a monster that you can¡¯t handle either?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I still think I¡¯m not strong enough to challenge the ruler.¡± Eurius smiled slyly. ¡°But what if there are two of us?¡± Nuada also smiled and clenched his fist. They agreed with each other. ¡°Enough! You for your purpose and me for my tribe! How about we join forces?¡± Thud! They bumped their fists together. Nuada felt relieved, as if he had pulled out a toothache. Actually, the Needle Mountain was too close to his tribe. The existence of such an old spirit beast itself was a big threat. And the ruler had a very nasty temper. Whenever it got restless and flew around, it caused trouble. In its territory, monsters and spirit beasts ran away from it and fled towards the tribe, and their migration was a disaster for his tribe. If Breaking Rock was his childhood goal, then the silver snake was his new goal after bing a Superhuman. ¡®Someday I will twist that damn snake¡¯s head off!¡¯ But he wasn¡¯t confident enough to beat the silver snake yet. But what if Eurius, who had defeated him, joined him? ¡®It¡¯s worth a try.¡¯ ¡®Nuada in my previous life managed to beat that spirit beast alone somehow. If it¡¯s so hard for a superhuman like him¡­¡¯ ¡°Then when should we leave?¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Eurius quickly raised his hand to stop Nuada, who seemed ready to run to the Needle Mountain right away. It was good to catch the spirit beast! But both he and Nuada had a lot of things to do. He had to go back to the capital as soon as he finished his business in the Needle Mountain, and Nuada had to unite the remaining tribes in the north. If either of them got hurt badly, it would mess up their schedule. ¡°Tell me about the ruler¡¯s movement patterns, appearance, attack methods, and so on!¡± ¡°You want to n a hunt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We have a low chance of failing the hunt, but it would be troublesome if we suffered a lot of damage.¡± Nuada seemed to agree with his logic and started to exin the ruler in detail to Eurius. Eurius muttered in his mind. ¡®Open help¡¯ [Help ¨C You can view the list of spirit beasts.] Chapter 56: Steel Feathered Snake Chapter 56: Steel Feathered Snake
Eurius and Nuada spent a few days nning to hunt the ruler of the Needle Mountain. ¡°The first problem is the route. I heard that it detects any living creature thates near it like a ghost.¡± Nuada agrees. ¡°You seem to have done a lot of research on it. That¡¯s right, from what I¡¯ve seen in the mountains, it notices us as soon as we are within five hundred steps from it, so a surprise attack is almost useless.¡± ¡®The information from the Help is reliable.¡¯ Eurius searched the Help with the information that Nuada told him about the spirit beast and finally found the matching one. This spirit beast was not only big and ferocious, but also had a keen sense. He could approach it by hiding his presence with Counter Ghost, but Nuada would have a hard time getting into the attack range. But the conclusion was surprisingly simple. Nuada came up with a solution. ¡°I know a way to hit it without being noticed.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Eurius asked with a slightly doubtful expression. ¡°You seem to have prepared quite well. Did you hate it that much?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s say I did. I¡¯ll tell you more after I catch it.¡± ¡®Is there something else between him and its habitat besides the simple threat?¡¯ Eurius was sure that there was something else between Nuada and the Needle Mountain. ¡®Well, he said he would tell me after we catch it, so I don¡¯t have to ask for now.¡¯ The n was set up well, and finally the day came. Only Eurius and Nuada headed to the Needle Mountain. ¡®For such a spirit beast, ordinary knights are almost useless. It¡¯s better to go with just the two of us.¡¯ ording to the Help, this ruler of the Needle Mountain was ssified as an S-ss spirit beast in the system. He searched for records of simr spirit beasts flying around and found that they often caused damage at the level of natural disasters. He even left Beatrix behind. ¡°Rize¡¯s enthusiasm for training is admirable, but I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± She looked regretful, but he was so firm that she couldn¡¯t do anything. And Eurius had another worry. ¡®I hope we can kill it without any serious injuries.¡¯ If he got injured, he would bete to return to the capital. The Grand Duke who saw his achievements probably wouldn¡¯t just sit still. He had to kill the spirit beast as soon as possible and return with the information about the Dite mine. He walked while thinking hard about the future, and Nuada¡¯s rough voice rang in his ears. ¡°That¡¯s the Needle Mountain!¡± The three pointed peaks! It matched his memory from his previous life perfectly. Eurius began to tense up. If anything went wrong with the n, he had to be prepared for a long battle. ¡°Then let¡¯s stick to the n and go ahead. Nuada, you aim for the ce I told you through that path.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He answered shortly and ran to the back road of the Needle Mountain that only he knew. Eurius nned to break through from the front. He hid his presence with Counter Ghost and ran tens of meters at a time. And finally! ¡®I found it.¡¯ He spotted a huge cave in the middle of the Needle Mountain. He couldn¡¯t see it yet, but he could guess how powerful it was from the presence that came out of the entrance. Sssss Eurius entered the cave carefully, using Counter Ghost to its fullest. ¡°Sssssssss¡± ¡®As expected, it¡¯s just like the Help said.¡¯ [Help ¨C You can view information about Steel Armored Snake.] [Steel Armored Snake ¨C When a snake stays in an area full of force for a long time, it absorbs ores that contain weak force and sheds its skin to form scales that are stronger than steel.] The giant silver snake had a length of tens of meters. Even its coiled tail looked like a small hill. It looked like a normal giant silver snake, but what was strange was the bone-like scales around its neck. There were also bones sticking out like a fan at the end of its tail. ¡®Then let¡¯s start?¡¯ Nuada must have arrived by now. ¡°Sssssssss¡± The Steel Armored Snake had a sharp sense, but it couldn¡¯t detect Counter Ghost. It felt something and blinked its eyes. ¡®The first strike is the most important.¡¯ ¡®Skill activation, Overheat¡¯ [You activate Overheat skill. ording to the skill effect, your force rank increases from S+ to SS+.] Eurius prepared his strongest strike. He activated Overheat and exploded all his power with st. And his sword strike aimed at the weak point of the snake¡¯s tail end! [Help ¨C There are two ces where Steel Armored Snake can¡¯t protect itself with scales. One of them is¡­] ¡®The tail end!¡¯ The Steel Snake used this tail end to absorb the weak force from the ores and turn it into its sturdy skin. Therefore, it was a weak spot that was hard to protect with scales. Sssssssss! The snake¡¯s terrible scream shook the cave. Eurius¡¯s strike tore the tail end and ripped the inside. And that wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°The end of our tedious hide-and-seek is here!¡± A shadow fell swiftly from a hole in the ceiling of the cave, where a creature was writhing in pain. It was Nuada. He struck the head of the beast precisely. He aimed for the weakest spot among the scales that covered its body. Kwaaang! The scales on its head crumbled and a shockwave shook its brain. No matter how powerful a spirit beast it was, it couldn¡¯t withstand two full-force attacks from two Superhumans. The beast felt an intense pain that it had never experienced in its life. It rolled around the cave in agony. ¡°Shriek!¡± But a spirit beast was a spirit beast. It had umted wisdom over hundreds of years, and it lived up to its name. The Steel Snake suppressed its pain and prepared for a counterattack. Whirrrr! Its body was tens of meters long! Its girth surpassed that of arge tree trunk. The Steel Snake¡¯s body was a weapon itself. It twisted its body once and whipped it like ash at Nuada and Eurius. Kwak! A heavy sound echoed in the cave as the hard scales collided with the rocks. It smashed arge rock pir into dust with one hit. A powerful body m! But it was too slow to catch Superhuman warriors. Whooosh! Nuada and Eurius quickly soared into the air and dodged the Steel Snake¡¯s body. But that was what the cunning beast had nned. ¡°Kiiiing!¡± The bone spikes on the tip of its tail and neck began to tremble violently. The trembling turned into a grating sound that pierced their ears. And then, a shockwave followed! Boom! The Steel Snake vibrated its bone spikes to create shockwaves. This was its trump card attack. The apanying sound also damaged their eardrums and made it harder for them to escape. ¡°Shriek?¡± The Steel Snake watched the cave carefully as dust flew from the explosion. A normal enemy would have been pulverized by one shockwave, but this one didn¡¯t seem easy. Sssss As expected, the enemy was still alive. A shadow emerged from the dust at an astonishing speed. It was Nuada. ¡°Shriek¡± ¡°Kiiiing!¡± But Nuada¡¯s charge couldn¡¯t break through the Steel Snake¡¯s shockwave. It wasn¡¯t easy prey for nothing after ruling this area for hundreds of years. A hard body that was difficult to injure even by Superhuman warriors, and a shockwave that could attack and defend at the same time. These twobined made the Steel Snake a formidable foe that even two Superhumans couldn¡¯t easily defeat. ¡®This damn snake bastard!¡¯ Nuada had prepared beforehand, so he wasn¡¯t too affected by the shockwave. He was knocked back for a moment, but he got up and regained his posture. The Steel Snake didn¡¯t let its guard down and kept an eye on Eurius, who was looking for an opening. ¡°Shriek¡± Eurius¡¯ movements were too stealthy to catch, but the Steel Snake was confident that it wouldn¡¯t fall for his tricks easily. Sssss! Finally, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer and made his move. The Steel Snake sensed Eurius¡¯ presenceing at him! ¡°Kiiiing!¡± The Steel Snake unleashed its shockwave without hesitation towards Eurius¡¯ direction. ¡°Shriek?¡± But it was startled for a moment. It was still vibrating its bone spikes, but the shockwave bounced off Eurius¡¯ body as if it grazed him. ¡®As expected!¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t stop and stabbed his sword between the vibrating bone tes. [The second weak spot of the Steel Snake that wasn¡¯t protected by scales was the back of its neck that was exposed when it vibrated its bones.] This part connected its head and neck, where many vital organs were located. But it wasn¡¯t a big w because it could create shockwaves with its bones. However, Eurius was different. He used Distortion with Overheat to disperse the shockwave and pierced through its weakness with his sword. Kwaaang! Eurius¡¯ sword tore through the Steel Snake¡¯s neck. No matter how old and strong a spirit beast it was, it couldn¡¯t survive such a wound. Boom! With one more punch from Nuada that shattered the beast¡¯s head, the hunt was over. They had allowed the beast to attack them with its shockwaves, even though they knew about them from the start. It was all to create this one moment of weakness. It was a quick hunt for a spirit beast of its rank, but there were less than ten Superhuman warriors in the continent. And two of them hade with a meticulous n to exploit its ws. ¡°Phew, your defensive skill is really amazing. Is it something I can learn too?¡± Nuada seemed envious of Eurius, who had broken through the beast¡¯s shockwave alone. He tried to strike up a conversation. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is a skill that you can only get by training in my way from the beginning. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He couldn¡¯t teach him even if he wanted to. He didn¡¯t have a core, so he couldn¡¯t use the skill. Nuada nodded with a regretful expression. ¡°Well, I know from experience that it¡¯s not easy to learn someone else¡¯s skill.¡± ¡°Someone else¡¯s skill?¡± Eurius looked puzzled. ¡°Do you mean you learned your skill from someone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Nuada nodded casually. ¡°I promised to tell you when we caught this thing. If you¡¯re curious, follow me. I¡¯ll show you my training ce.¡± Then he touched the wall of the cave and slowly climbed up. ¡®Nuada has a master?¡¯ He had never heard of such a thing in his previous life. Eurius racked his brain, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what it meant. He followed Nuada up the wall for a while and saw a small hole in it. Nuada must have jumped in from there to surprise the beast. ¡°There¡¯s another hole outside this cave that you can enter. I¡¯ve been training here since I was young, avoiding that thing!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± What appeared before Eurius¡¯ eyes as he came out of the hole was a small cave. And in the center of it, there was a pile of bones that had been gnawed on. And in front of the bones, there was a faded booklet. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Ding [You have found a yer¡¯s legacy.] [Item found: White Tiger Protection Technique] ¡°¡­!¡± Chapter 57: The Secret Training Place Chapter 57: The Secret Training ce
[You have discovered a yer¡¯s legacy.] [Your achievement increases.] ¡°¡­!¡± Eurius was speechless with astonishment. ¡®It must be the White Tiger Protection Technique?¡¯ [Help ¨C Four Gods Martial Arts] [Four Gods Martial Arts: Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath (not acquired), ???, White Tiger Protection Technique (not acquired), ???] He was happy to find a legacy, but he was also confused. ¡®Why is a legacy that should be in the faraway Eastern Continent buried in this northern mountain?¡¯ [White Tiger Protection Technique ¨C A secret technique of Yi Qingwen that enhances defense and perception with force.] Eurius checked the information and looked at Nuada, who was standing nkly. ¡°Did someone teach you the martial arts in this booklet?¡± ¡°You can read those strange characters? Even the people in the nearby tribes who know foreignnguages can¡¯t read that book¡­¡± Nuada asked with a curious expression. Of course, Eurius didn¡¯t know the Easternnguage very well. He could only read the contents by using the Help function. Nuada started to exin. ¡°This ce was actually a secret training ce that I found when I was young.¡± When he was a child, Nuada was a troublemaker who ran around everywhere without fear. He wanted to see the ruler of Needle Mountain, whom the elders and senior warriors of his tribe warned him to stay away from. ¡®He sleeps most of the time in winter, so it won¡¯t matter if I just watch him from afar?¡¯ He went out with a childish whim, but even then, Nuada was a smart kid. He searched around the mountain to find a ce where he could observe the snake from a safe distance, and finally found a small hole that led to a cave. ¡°Huh?¡± But when he crawled into the cave, a question arose on his young face. ¡®Why is there a skeleton here?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t scared by the human bones. The northern mountains were so barren that even children were familiar with death. But it was strange that there was a skeleton wearing weird clothes in a ce that his tribe, who had lived on thisnd for hundreds of years, had almost forbidden. But judging by the clothes that were well preserved, it didn¡¯t seem like a very old corpse. ¡®Was he killed by that snake? He was unlucky to die in such a ce.¡¯ Nuada tried to take care of the corpse, but then he became curious about the inside of the cave. ¡®But I came here to see the ruler, so I should at least observe him once?¡¯ As he expected, there was a hole on the other side of the cave that allowed him to watch the snake from a safe distance. ¡®He¡¯s really big. Will I be able to catch him someday?¡¯ He observed the sleeping snake for a while, then decided to take care of the skeleton again. Crack! Suddenly, something fell from the skeleton¡¯s arms. It was a booklet with White Tiger Protection Technique written on it. ¡°I couldn¡¯t read the book, but there were some parts that were exined with pictures, so I managed to follow them somehow.¡± Back to reality, Eurius nodded as he listened to Nuada¡¯s story while flipping through the booklet. ¡®Indeed, this is how they exin how to move force systematically with pictures.¡¯ But Eurius couldn¡¯t help but admire Nuada. ¡®Even so, I wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it from these pictures alone. He¡¯s truly a verified genius.¡¯ The immigrants didn¡¯t have a systematic knight training system, but they had some knowledge about how to train force through oral tradition. At that time, Nuada had already been recognized for his talent and received intensive training from the warriors. That¡¯s why he could understand the contents of the booklet roughly. ¡®And now I understand why his trait wasn¡¯t shown.¡¯ No matter how genius he was, it was impossible for him to master the White Tiger Protection Technique perfectly from these pictures alone. It wasn¡¯t called a secret technique of martial arts for nothing. If it were Eurius himself, he would need a lot of time to interpret and learn the basics without the yer¡¯s system. ¡°Nuada, I have a proposal for you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He could just learn it by acquiring it as a yer¡¯s legacy, but it wasn¡¯t a bad choice to strengthen Nuada¡¯s faction, who would be his ally in the future. ¡°Thisnguage is used by people who live very far away.¡± He briefly exined about the Eastern Continent to Nuada. ¡°I see. If they are foreigners from such a distant ce, it makes sense that no one knows theirnguage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m lucky enough to be able to read thisnguage. If I trante it for you, all the warriors of your tribe can learn this.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Eurius earnestly asked. ¡°In return, can I learn this secret technique? I¡¯ll do anything else you want.¡± But Nuada¡¯s reaction was unexpected. ¡°Why do you talk like it¡¯s a very difficult favor? I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Rather, I¡¯m more grateful to you for letting all the warriors of my tribe learn this.¡± Normally, asking a martial artist to teach his secret technique is very rude. But Nuada, who had the mindset of a northern immigrant, was different. ¡®It¡¯s just something I picked up by chance, and he¡¯s a great benefactor to me. It¡¯s not even a favor.¡¯ Nuada said honestly. ¡°Actually, just helping me catch that snake was a huge favor to our tribe. It¡¯s like I owe you one more!¡± Nuada knew that his strength, which reached the level of a superhuman, was not only due to his talent, but also to the influence of that booklet. But could he expect the same from the other warriors, who didn¡¯t have his once-in-a-century talent? It was difficult for him to teach the White Tiger Protection Technique to his tribe with his ability. ¡°It¡¯s only right to repay a favor with a favor. I don¡¯t mind such a request!¡± ¡®He¡¯s really a generous man.¡¯ He had been impressed by him in the past because of this aspect. He was a cool-headed chief who thought about the future of his tribe, but also a bold warrior. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± There was no reason to hesitate once he got permission. Eurius reached for the booklet again. ¡®Acquire¡¯ [You have acquired the White Tiger Protection Technique.] [Your initial proficiency will increase depending on your current force aptitude and rank. White Tiger Protection Technique proficiency: 10%] ¡®So this is how it works.¡¯ A yer could achieve some results without training, depending on his understanding of force. ¡®The effect is good. It¡¯s like this with just one, but if I get all four, it might beparable to the core.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t fully proficient yet, but Eurius could feel that his perception had be slightly sharper. There was another advantage. ¡°Nuada, please attack me once.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Eurius smiled bitterly and exined. ¡°I think I have a rough idea of how this technique works. I want to test it.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Nuada didn¡¯t hesitate and took a stance. A normal martial artist would think he was crazy if he said he learned a technique by just looking at a booklet, but he didn¡¯t think too much. ¡®He¡¯s a warrior who can beat me, so maybe he can get the hang of it in one try.¡¯ Bang! Nuada unleashed his technique and threw a punch at Eurius. It wasn¡¯t a full-strength blow, but it was enough to shake the small cave with its aftermath! ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius groaned and was pushed back to the wall. ¡°Huh, you really got it.¡± But Nuada eximed. He knew the feeling of resistance that his fist felt when he hit Eurius because he was learning it himself. ¡®His defense has increased considerably even though he¡¯s not proficient yet?¡¯ The characteristic of the White Tiger Protection Technique was to enhance perception and apply resistance to the force field, which was called protection technique in the East. Eurius had activated his Distortion, which was an evolved form of his force field, and then increased his resistance with the White Tiger Protection Technique to receive Nuada¡¯s attack. The result was satisfactory. He couldn¡¯t defend perfectly, but theyered defense absorbed a lot of shock. If he increased his proficiencyter, he wouldn¡¯t be harmed by any ordinary surprise attack. ¡®I came here for an alliance, but I got an unexpected harvest!¡¯ ¡°Congrattions on bing stronger! It seems like our gap has widened even more? You have to teach me the exact secret technique first?¡± Nuada looked regretful at their widened gap, but patted his back. ¡®It¡¯s more troublesome for me if the gap widens.¡¯ He misunderstood him, and Eurius smiled silently. ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go out first. We have to think about how to deal with that snake¡¯s corpse too.¡± Nuada led him to the exit outside. The entrance that Nuada said he had found first was a ce that Eurius had seen several times in his previous life. ¡®It¡¯s an area where Dite ore veins are distributed. That¡¯s why that snake grew so big, and why Nuada became a superhuman at such a young age.¡¯ In fact, as he had mentioned before, Eurius didn¡¯t think that a martial artist¡¯s achievement was simply due to talent. As you can see from the stats, someone with high aptitude could umte force faster and gain enlightenment sooner, but that also required a solid foundation. ¡®Beatrix was the same case.¡¯ He knew that she had be a superhuman in her mid-twenties in her previous life. But would she have been able to do that so quickly if she wasn¡¯t one of the three great martial artists of the continent, but just a normal martial artist or a nobledy? ¡®No way!¡¯ A martial artist¡¯s growth required two conditions: talent and environment. This was Eurius¡¯s theory. That¡¯s why he also tried to use the system, which corresponded to the environment, to be stronger. Nuada was also in the same situation. ¡®Dite ore is so abundant in this area, and he found half of a yer¡¯s legacy and trained repeatedly. Then it makes sense that he became a Superhuman at the age of thirty!¡¯ Dite ore was an ore that emitted heat when force was injected. This meant that it contained a small amount of force, and the spirits were also instinctively drawn to it and came deep into the mountains Therefore, it was natural that there were many spirits that had evolved more powerfully than normal monsters by absorbing force in the northern mountains where Dite ore veins were spread, and that there were more tribes with outstanding warriors as they went deeper into the mountains. Force, which was also called Qi in the East, existed everywhere in the world, but if a martial artist trained in a ce where force was abundant, it was much more efficient than training normally. ¡®I¡¯m d I tried to develop the north early. It was a good move in this life.¡¯ If he hade to the north at the same time as his previous life, it would have been very difficult for him to get the White Tiger Protection Technique or to build such a trust rtionship with Nuada. ¡°What are you thinking about so hard? Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡®Oops!¡¯ Eurius hurriedly moved his body when he heard Nuada¡¯s voice. The booklet of the White Tiger Protection Technique that he was holding shook violently. Swish ¡°Huh?¡± A piece of yellowed paper fell from the booklet. Eurius picked it up carefully, wondering if the book was torn. [To the one who has a connection with me¡­] Chapter 58: A New Quest Chapter 58: A New Quest
Eurius felt a jolt of excitement as soon as he saw the fallen note. ¡®I had forgotten about it for a moment because of my achievement as a warrior.¡¯ The most puzzling thing he had to figure out was why the legacy of the yer Lee Cheongmun was found in this faraway northern mountain range. ¡°Nuada! Wait there for a moment, will you?¡± Eurius unfolded the note and began to read it with the help of the automatic trantion from the system. [To the one who is connected by fate¡­ I am Baek Wi, one of the leaders of the Golden Army of the Hwan Empire¡¯s royal family. At the same time, I am also the head of the White Tiger Group, which has been in charge of protecting the royal family for generations.] ¡®Hwan Empire?¡¯ Eurius could not hide his curiosity. The Hwan Empire was one of the two giant nations that received the title of empire along with the Scharnos Empire in both continents! But someone who was in charge of guarding the royal family of such a ce came all the way here and was discovered as a cold corpse. How could he not be curious about this? [Jujakmumun doesn¡¯t seem to know what they are doing. They should have noticed this movement a long time ago.] Eurius nodded his head as he read the letter. ¡®Two of Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacies were in the Hwan Empire¡¯s royal family.¡¯ ording to the letter, two of Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacies, who was known as King of All Weapons, were held by two groups that guarded the royal family. One of them was the White Tiger Protection Technique that Eurius obtained today! The warriors who mastered this legacy had extremely enhanced senses and a sturdy defense, making them ideal for guarding important people. Therefore, the White Tiger Group, which inherited the White Tiger Protection Technique from the Golden Army, was a group that yed a role of guardianship. On the other hand, another legacy that belonged to the royal family was Jujakmumun! It was a top-secret that only the emperor of Hwan could ess, so the name of the specific legacy was not known, but it was known that it was a legacy specialized in infiltration and assassination. Therefore, Jujakmumun was in charge of the head of the intelligence agency directly under the royal family, and both legacies were symbols of power in the Hwan royal family, representing the emperor¡¯s right and left arms. [There is someone behind the royal family. I couldn¡¯t catch their exact identity, but they are not ordinary forces considering that they wiped out our White Tiger Group.] ¡°¡­!¡± Ding [Main Quest ¨C You have discovered a dark cloud over the royal family.] [Main Quest is a quest rted to your ¡®Clear¡¯.] [Your achievement increases with unlocking information about ¡®Clear¡¯.] ¡°Clear?¡± Eurius unconsciously let out a hopeful sound. [Help ¨C Clear: Your ultimate goal as a yer. You need to raise your achievement more to ess more detailed information.] He had been enjoying the benefits of the system so far, but he had no clue about his existence as a yer. But if he solved this main quest, he might get some hints. Eurius, with an excited expression, continued to read the note. [They wore ck masks upside down and were persistent. Their outfits looked like mercenaries, but they were definitely not from this continent judging by their martial arts. I desperately boarded a ship heading to Western Continent, but they continued to chase me even there.] ¡®Where have I seen these guys before?¡¯ Eurius felt something uneasy as he read Baek Wi¡¯s note. ¡®Assassins, ck masks, not from this continent?¡¯ Eurius was not stupid. With this much clue, there was only one conclusion! ¡®Wasn¡¯t there a quest about those cultists or whatever?¡¯ They were the ones who tormented him terribly since his previous life, but he felt like something was starting to fit together. ¡®Desert, Leonhart, cult, Hwan Empire¡­¡¯ But so far, no concrete link has been found. That would probably be his homework to solve. The note soon reached his end. [I was lucky enough to escape to this cold mountain range where their hands couldn¡¯t reach. But I didn¡¯t expect to meet such a beast¡­] Eurius clicked his tongue here. ¡®He was really unlucky. He ran away here by chance, but what he met here was none other than the Steel Armored Snake.¡¯ He must have had a lot of injuries from running away. No matter how much he was the head of a legacy of the yer, it would have been hard to defeat such a beast alone. [I¡¯m too wounded to survive. I only regret that the legacy left by the King of All Weapons will be lost here¡­] He might have been able to live if he had met some northern immigrants, but he ended up dying here. [I beg you, the one who is connected by fate. Investigate the royal family of Hwan Empire. There must be someone on our side left in the Golden Army¡­] That was the end of the note. Eurius had no choice but to fall into a dilemma. ¡®I got some information about the yer, which is good, but how do I get to the Eastern Continent?¡¯ If he was a merchant or a normal knight, he could find a way somehow. Even if he was a high noble, he could go there under the pretext of a tour. But his status was too high for that. ¡®I have toplete the quest anyway since it¡¯s a main quest¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey, how long are you going to rest?¡± Nuada¡¯s whining voice made Eurius stop his thoughts and get up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.¡± ¡®First of all, getting everything I can from the north is the top priority.¡¯ He had an immediate goal. He could worry about itter after achieving that goal, and anyway, didn¡¯t he get a big benefit today? If he kept unraveling the threads like this, he would eventually reach the truth he wanted. ¡°I need to dismantle this thing first.¡± ¡°I should call the warriors.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help too.¡± Eurius carefully carved out the neck area that he had torn open. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s quite big since it¡¯s been around for a long time.¡¯ What he took out from the corpse of the beast was a stone the size of an adult man¡¯s fist that emitted a golden glow. ¡®I expected it from the size of the snake, but this is the first time I am seeing an S-grade force stone.¡¯ Force stones could form naturally, but they could also be created by the umtion of force inside very old beasts. They were called ¡®naedan¡¯ in the East. ¡°Nuada! You have a right to this too. How do you want to split it?¡± But Nuada didn¡¯t seem to care much about it. ¡°If you need that, take it. But I¡¯m more tempted by this body.¡± The corpses of beasts did not rot easily. The leather, which was sturdy and light, could be used to make armor that was good for activities in the north, and the meat from this huge body was also a good food source for the immigrants. On the other hand, Eurius didn¡¯t need any other parts except for the naedan of the beast. He wasn¡¯t going to stay in the north for long. Even if the leather was sturdy, he could get better armor anytime as an emperor of the empire. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be satisfied with this naedan alone. The rest is yours, people of the Thunder Rock Tribe.¡± ¡®This is also quite a fortune.¡¯ Eurius smiled contentedly. From Nuada¡¯s perspective, who was responsible for the tribe, the body was more valuable. But an S-grade force stone was a treasure that was hard to get even with money in the continent. ¡®It¡¯s not very useful for me, but it would be good to give it to Beatrix or some other talented personter.¡¯ Eurius had already raised his force aptitude from the basics to almost the limit and started training. The output of force was a problem that time could solve, and he had Overheat that could temporarily increase his output if he was in a hurry, so he didn¡¯t need it right away. ¡°Then let¡¯s start dismantling!¡± Eurius called his knights and Nuada called his warriors. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there was such a big beast here!¡± ¡°It really fell, the ruler of Needle Mountain?¡± Both sides were amazed by the corpse of the Steel Armored Snake and couldn¡¯t help but chatter. But work came first. The corpse of the beast was skinned and cut into pieces and moved to the vige of the Thunder Rock Tribe, where another grand festival was held. ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about the damage to our vige during its rampage anymore!¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a messenger sent by the mountain god, not just a foreigner?¡± Now, the people of the Thunder Rock Tribe also looked at Eurius with a faint respect instead of a wary gaze at first. As they said, strength wasw in the north. He not only defeated their chief, but also brought down a beast that was almost like a divine punishment to them, so they naturally looked at him with awe. There were many variables, but Eurius also managed to gain Nuada¡¯s and the northern immigrants¡¯ trust splendidly. The knights of the north also seemed to have adapted well unlike their initial awkwardness. ¡°I was surprised when they said it was monster meat, but it¡¯s much better than chewing jerky!¡± ¡°It seems like not all barbarians are alike as His highness said.¡± Eurius had them help with hunting or dismantling prey while staying in the vige for a few days to hunt for beasts. The knights of the north were mostlymoners and had easygoing personalities. They didn¡¯t seem to have much difficulty adapting. ¡®In my previous life, I got along well with them eventually. Why would it be different this time?¡¯ There was a difference in ethnicity, but there were many simrities between rough knights who rolled around in battlefields in the north and mountain warriors who trained by running around mountains. He smiled contentedly as he watched his knights mingle with warriors. ¡®There won¡¯t be any noise from failing to get along when we move as alliester!¡¯ ¡®There were many unexpected variables, but I got everything I wanted and even obtained a legacy of the yer.¡¯ Eurius looked at the south of the empire from atop a mountain. More than half of the unexpected events he experienced in the north were clearly influenced by Grand Duke. To be honest, he admired Grand Duke¡¯s ability to shake up the northern immigrants and start a war in the north as soon as Eurius arrived. ¡®But in this life, I have a lot of things that he doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ That was his memory of his previous life and his ability as a yer! He was able to ovee this crisis by using these two things well. His external recognition and ability were iparable to his past. If he returned to the capital, he would be involved in a huge political fight that was different from now. ¡®I have to prepare well for that.¡¯ He twisted the north a lot, but he eventually made the big situation flow as it was. It would be the same for other ces. He still had a lot of memories from his previous life that he could use. Eurius thought that this was the real beginning. ¡®Grand Duke! Let¡¯s fight again properly when I go to the capital this time.¡¯ Chapter 59: What He Gained And What He Needs To Gain Chapter 59: What He Gained And What He Needs To Gain
¡°I wish we could stay here for a few more days, but we both have a lot of things to do, so it¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have time to rx.¡± The joy of the festival after catching the beast was short-lived, and Eurius couldn¡¯t afford to rest even if he wanted to. He was saying goodbye to Nuada at the entrance of the mountain range with his knights. ¡°We had such an easy time thanks to you, but you must have a lot of work to do, so I feel sorry for you.¡± ¡°Not at all! Fighting Gundar and ying the snake were things that I had to do sooner orter. As I said before, I owe you more as a friend.¡± A few days had passed since they hunted the beast, and Nuada hade to trust himpletely. It seemed that deciphering the White Tiger¡¯s Protection had a big impact. ¡®Friend¡­¡¯ It was actually a strange word for Eurius. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t feel bad.¡¯ Maybe it was a term that only Nuada, an ally of the immigrants, could use. In his previous life, he was an emperor, and now he is a prince. His criteria for ssifying humans were very simple. ¡®If they are mine, I take care of them. If they show hostility, they are enemies.¡¯ It might be a twisted way of thinking, but his status was different from others, so he couldn¡¯t help it. Eurius smiled as he felt an unfamiliar sensation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you again, friend!¡± Perhaps by then they would both be in higher positions, as they were in their previous lives. He could see the knights and the warriors of the Thunder Rock tribe exchanging farewells with each other. And Nuada grinned and said hisst words. ¡°And when I see you next time, I¡¯ll have to prepare a gift for you.¡± ¡®No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡¯ Eurius grimaced as he bumped fists with him for thest time. The gift he was talking about was something that they brought when they celebrated marriage ording to their customs. Of course, the target was Beatrix, who was saying goodbye to the warriors with the knights. She was always by his side, so Nuada started to make jokes like this at some point. ¡®How am I supposed to send her back?¡¯ Eurius really wanted to sigh deeply inside. She didn¡¯t say much in the mountains either, so she seemed determined to stay in the empire even after returning to the capital. ¡®And if there are rumors that she¡¯s my confidant, it might be good for me, but she¡¯ll be threatened by the great nobles¡­¡¯ But he didn¡¯t even have time to worry about that. He quickly entered Valdes Fortress again after sending off Nuada. ¡°His Highness Eurius has returned!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Your Highness!¡± ¡°The officers who handled the aftermath worked harder.¡± After a brief greeting, Eurius took out a map from his pocket and spread it on the table. ¡°This is the map of the distribution of the Dite mines that I told you about.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ There really were mines in such a remote area.¡± He didn¡¯t just y around with festivals while he stayed there for a few days after catching the beast. He mobilized the knights and some of the tribesmen who were familiar with the surrounding geography and marked the locations of the mines and their distribution. ¡°But it¡¯s too far and difficult for us to send our own miners there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I made an alliance with Nuada, isn¡¯t it?¡± As he said, it was too hard for the empire to open up a mining route in such a rugged mountainous area, and they also had to consider the territory issues of the immigrants. ¡°Are you sure food is enough for trade?¡± ¡°Well, if we get some benefit from it, maybe we can also offer them some goods that are hard to get in the mountains?¡± The count and his staff were cautious. They were military experts, not administrators. ¡°Hmm¡­ We¡¯ll have to consult with someone in the capital about trade.¡± ¡°As I said before, I sent a message to Marius before leaving the mountain range.¡± The mining issue needed more detailed discussion, but he didn¡¯t have to worry about it. He had manypetent vassals and Nuada was a wise ruler who was flexible. They would probably find amon ground easily without him having to intervene. ¡°What about your preparations for departure?¡± When he asked that question, the count and his staff smiled slightly. ¡°You can leave with the reinforcements from the capital. Or rather, you can call it an upgrade.¡± The count recalled what happened a few days ago. ¡°What? You said the war was over?¡± The head of the reinforcements from the capital, Count Perez of the Third Legion of the Imperial Army, looked at Count Anderson with a dumbfounded expression. ¡®It¡¯s understandable. We were exchanging urgent messages until a few days ago.¡¯ The count held back hisughter and continued. ¡°You can go back with His Highness when he returns. He did such a great job that the situation was resolved easily.¡± Count Perez had nothing to say. He had prepared himself for a fierce battle with the barbarians, but the air was gone. More than anything, he lost the opportunity to earn military merit. ¡®Instead of earning merit, I wasted my time. Now that it¡¯se to this, I have to impress the prince.¡¯ He had nothing to do on the way except for a few minor battles with monsters or immigrants. Therefore, even if he imed victory, the reward he would receive as themander would be minimal. He thought that he had to make a good impression on the prince, since he hade this far. ¡°I apologize for being toote and causing you trouble. I congratte you on your achievement.¡± ¡°How can it be your fault? Rather, it was a great help to me that you sent the knights first.¡± Eurius smiled and greeted Count Perez. And behind him, wasn¡¯t there a familiar face? ¡°Devan! It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor that you remember me.¡± Devan bowed his head deeply to Eurius with a happy face. Count Perez tilted his head. ¡°You know Devan, the staff officer?¡± ¡°We met at the academy.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± He looked at Devan with new eyes. And he felt a little relieved inside. ¡®I¡¯m d I epted his opinion. Who would have thought that he was acquainted with the prince?¡¯ In fact, it was a risky measure to send only the knights separately from the reinforcements. He hesitated when Beatrix first suggested it. ¡­ ¡°I think we should send the knights to support the front line.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see your point, but¡­¡± He was a capable military man, but he was too cautious for his own good. He wanted to avoid such bold tactics if possible, but Beatrix¡¯s strong background was a factor. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ As he was wavering, one of the people sitting in the staff seat raised his hand. ¡°I agree with the knightmander.¡± The one who strongly supported her opinion was Devan. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Devan, was it? He¡¯s young and a low-ranking staff officer, but he graduated from Savior Academy and he¡¯s been doing well so far?¡¯ Devan applied as a military expert for the military recruitment for the northern development of the empire right after graduating from the academy. His status was amoner, so he couldn¡¯t get a decent position from the start, but he showed his worth by being included in this northern reinforcement. During the march of the reinforcements, Devan¡¯s situational judgment and leadership skills in battles with monsters or barbarians were not bad in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s less than a week left until we reach the fortress anyway. It¡¯s a regrly maintained area, so there are few monsters and the barbarians from the mountains are gathered at the foot of the mountain, so we don¡¯t have to worry about raids.¡± ¡®That¡¯s a reasonable opinion.¡¯ In the end, Count Perez agreed to send some of the knights first. As a result, he earned some merit that the prince praised him for, so his evaluation of Devan also increased. ¡®He¡¯s quite useful for amoner. I should listen to his opinions more often.¡¯ Eurius smiled and checked his stats. ¡®I can see how it happened.¡¯ Perez was a cautious type ofmander who could be considered timid. He wondered why he didn¡¯t advance carefully and sent only the knights, but it seemed that Devan had influenced him. [Devan] Job: Low-ranking staff officer Strength: C+ Agility: C Intelligence: A+ Mental Power: B+ Force Aptitude: (None) Disposition: Upright, Humble [Traits] Military Science (A+), Command (A) ¡®He¡¯s grown a lot.¡¯ He showed a lot of growth in both personality and ability. But he was still far from the fame of Devan that he knew in his previous life. ¡®I¡¯ll have to make a stepping stone for him to grow further.¡¯ Fortunately, Eurius¡¯s position as a prince was much more solid than before he came to the north, and in this case, a simple word would suffice. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you know better than me as his superior, but he was quite an outstanding talent since his academy days. I¡¯m d he met a good boss.¡± ¡°Ha ha, I was actually thinking of using him more.¡± ¡®Did he have such a close rtionship with His Highness? Do I have to line up well from now on?¡¯ Count Perez sweated inwardly. From now on, he couldn¡¯t ignore Devan¡¯s opinions or steal his credit. *** A few days passed and finally Eurius left the north. When he first arrived at Valdes Fortress, there were only a few hundred people with him, but now there were almost ten thousand people following him, including the reinforcements from the capital. His dignified appearance was no different from that of an expeditionary general who won a victory. Count Anderson and his knights saw him off with a bitter expression. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a long time, but the count and the knights of the north are honored to have served you.¡± ¡°I will never forget you and your officers.¡± The eyes of the count and his staff who looked at him were warm and a little awe-struck. ¡®He achieved so much in just over a year.¡¯ ¡®His contribution to the end of the northern war is huge. He might even be the youngest crown prince in the history of the empire.¡¯ Usually, the emperors¡¯ external activitiessted for at least five years. But his achievement was so great that it could break thatmon sense. There must be opinions about him in the capital as well. ¡°Linfield, you¡¯ve worked hard too.¡± Linfield looked at the Count with an indescribable expression. He was originally exiled to the north, but he had earned merit and returned to the capital with pride. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your kindness, count.¡± The knight squad that Eurius had led was going to follow him to the capital. They would probably receive rewards and promotions for their outstanding performance. But Linfield and his knights didn¡¯t care much about that. ¡®I¡¯d rather stay by His Highness¡¯s side if possible.¡¯ That was their unanimous opinion. It wasn¡¯t impossible. If Eurius was appointed as the crown prince, he would be allowed to form his own independent guard knight squad. Unless they were designated as the next emperor or a great noble with an independent territory, it was forbidden for individuals to have a military group like a knight squad. Even if Eurius was the favored first prince, he couldn¡¯t make his own knight squad right now. But Eurius had his own n. He couldn¡¯t let them go to waste after sharing a meal with them in the north. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the oue will be, but I won¡¯t abandon you.¡¯ He nced at Linfield and his knights with a warm look and gave the order to depart. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Their destination was Stefan, the city at the entrance of the north. And there, the final piece of his n that he had set up since a year ago was waiting for him. ¡®I wonder what answer the Azure Dragon Guild¡¯s higher ups will give me?¡¯ Chapter 60: A New Talent Chapter 60: A New Talent Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
A few weeks before Eurius left Valdes Fortress. ¡°What? You failed again?¡± A slightly hoarse voice was heard from the temple in the south. Jamir frowned slightly. ¡°I think we have no choice but to report this to the Archbishop.¡± It was a blow to the pride of the Order to fail an assassination not once, but twice. No matter how influential he was, he would face a lot of criticism. ¡®But the first prince is really lucky, isn¡¯t he? Howe timely reinforcements arrived in that situation?¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t think that Eurius had hidden his skills. But it was toote to send another assassin, and once he entered the pce, it was almost impossible to secretly kill a royal. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ He wrote a report to send to his superiors, epting the me. Then he sank into deep thought. ¡°Eurius, the first prince of the empire?¡± He muttered to himself repeatedly, then suddenly got up and prepared to leave. ¡°Priest?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be away from the temple for a while. Take care of any reports thate in while I¡¯m gone.¡± He smiled and patted his servant¡¯s back, and the servant sighed. ¡®He seems to have taken an interest in that first prince or whatever.¡¯ Jamir was a person who rose to the high priest position of the Order at a young age with the favor of the Archbishops. His initiative was well-known within the Order. And more importantly, his identity! The order had spread its influence like a spider web across the world, but especially in the southern continent, it had many connections with powerful people. He had another identity besides being a high priest of the Order. ¡®I should take this opportunity to meet that Wace guy and see if he¡¯s worth using, and also meet the first prince.¡¯ It shouldn¡¯t be too hard with his apparent identity. He grinned and walked out of the temple. *** ¡°Lord Wace, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°You must have heard the recent rumors about His Highness Eurius. You must be proud as his guardian.¡± ¡°Haha, how can I take credit for that? It¡¯s all because His Highness is brilliant.¡± The faces of the emperor¡¯s faction officials were full of smiles these days. Marius had been away for several years because of the road construction, and the pressure from the Grand Duke¡¯s faction was increasing. If it weren¡¯t for the emperor¡¯s power that supported them firmly, they would have been pushed out of the center of power long ago. But Eurius¡¯ recent achievements had greatly boosted the position of the emperor¡¯s faction. ¡°Then let¡¯s see you tomorrow. I¡¯m happy to think that I¡¯ll see His Highness soon.¡± After finishing his work at the pce, Wace returned to his mansion and slumped into a chair. ¡®Proud as his guardian? What nonsense! I¡¯m risking my neck here!¡¯ Wace felt like he was sitting on a bed of nails every day. First of all, there was the news that Eurius had made a great contribution in the north, and more importantly, those damn assassins (or whatever they were) failed. ¡®Those bastards must have taken my money and ran away!¡¯ He had requested an assassination twice, but there was no news. No, they even locked their doors and didn¡¯t answer properly. [There will probably be other measures from above.] That was thest message he received, and Eurius was on his way back after making a huge achievement. He hadmitted a crime, so Wace felt like his blood was drying up every day. But today, he had other worries for a moment. ¡°My lord, a guest has arrived from the southern desert.¡± ¡°From the desert kingdom?¡± It was not umon for him to have contact with the desert kingdom as he ran a business. But it was rare for someone toe all the way to the capital to find him. If they had something to report directly to him, they must be of considerable status. Wace got up from his seat with a curious expression. ¡®Did they bring some good deals from the desert?¡¯ *** Count Perez was busy pleasing Eurius today as well. ¡°Your Highness, is there anything ufortable on your journey?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re almost at Stefan. There¡¯s no big problem.¡± The north had stabilized a lot now, and there were quite a few cities where they could stay in between. The travel speed was slow because of therge number of people, but it gave him more time to train. And the more he trained, the more he felt. ¡®The deal with the Azure Dragon Guild was more important than I thought.¡¯ What he offered in exchange for reading the legacy of Lee Cheongmun, the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath, was a stake in the distribution of the Dite mine. By now, even if their headquarters were far away in the east, they should have some answer. Eurius had not beenzy before, but now he devoted most of his personal time to training. [The proficiency of the White Tiger Protection Technique is increasing.] [The proficiency has increased. Current proficiency of the White Tiger Protection Technique: 15%] He had gained a new technique, the White Tiger Protection Technique, which was not only as the system described, enhancing his senses and defense, but also contained information about the martial arts of the yer Lee Cheongmun. Eurius was amazed as he deciphered the secret. ¡®Now I understand why he was called the King of All Weapons. He¡¯s amazing!¡¯ ording to his interpretation, the Four Divine Techniques, including the White Tiger Protection Technique, were pieces of Lee Cheongmun¡¯s martial arts that were split into four parts. Each piece had a significant effect if one mastered it perfectly, but if he mastered all of them, he would gain an unimaginable advantage over ordinary martial artists. ¡®I have to collect all the legacy pieces, no matter what.¡¯ With those thoughts in mind, he finally arrived at Stefan with the 3rd Legion of the Empire that he led. ¡°The first prince has arrived!¡± ¡°Wow! Long live the first prince!¡± The city gate was crowded with citizens who weed him. His achievements in the north were known to everyone in the northern part of the empire. ¡®The scale of the wee is much bigger than I expected.¡¯ Stefan had developed dazzlingly in the year he was on the northern front. It was understandable, since it was a city that connected the central and northern parts of the empire. As the development of the north progressed, it grew to a sizeparable to any major city in the central part. Eurius passed through the cheers and flowers on the street with a sense of pride. He was executed in the central square of the capital after being cursed horribly just a few years ago in his previous life¡¯s memory. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not a bad feeling. I think I understand why my father cared so much about the people.¡¯ He had never received such a passionate wee even when he was an emperor. Eurius waved his hand to the citizens as he headed to the center of the city at the head of the procession. ¡°I¡¯mte, but I¡¯m really grateful, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Marius! It¡¯s been a long time!¡± When Eurius arrived at Stefan¡¯s official residence, he jumped off his horse and hugged his old man tightly. It was a light (?) greeting from the northern knights who had adapted to it, but he seemed a bit ufortable. ¡°Ouch, you¡¯re going to kill this old man, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you have more wrinkles. Tsk¡­ Isn¡¯t it time to retire?¡± Eurius joked good-naturedly with Marius who was acting coquettish, but his inner feelings were different. ¡®But you have to work for me for another five years¡­ no, ten years, right?¡¯ But Marius surprised him with an unexpected remark. ¡°That¡¯s true. My body is not what it used to be these days. It¡¯s time to choose a sessor.¡± ¡®Huh? What are you talking about?¡¯ Eurius was quite taken aback. He remembered that this old man would squeeze him for another five years or so. What was he talking about? ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯ve prepared what you asked me to do.¡± He didn¡¯t have much time because he had to report to the capital. The contact would be tomorrow night. Eurius nodded without questioning and Mareus led him into the official residence. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared amodations for the 3rd Legion that you brought with you inside the city.¡± The conversation about his knights and soldiers ended first and finally they got to the main point. ¡°The development of Dite mine is being discussed by the administration, but that¡¯s not a big problem. The mining itself is up to the immigrants.¡± ¡°Of course, distribution is the key.¡± ¡°The problem is that Wace is lobbying a lot of people.¡± ¡®Well, that greedy fox must be desperate.¡¯ Most of the northern trade was already taken by Azure Dragon Guild, but Wace was not a weak person in imperial trade. He must be using all kinds of means to get back what he lost to Azure Dragon Guild. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that problem when I go to the capital.¡± He had an assassination case as well, and he had a lot of grudges against Wace. ¡°If Your Highness solves it, this old man will trust and wait.¡± Marius moved on from that issue easily. After all, the development of the north itself was Eurius¡¯ idea. He believed that he would find a solution somehow. ¡°And I have someone I want to introduce to you on this asion.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Before Eurius could ask anything, Marius called someone and brought a young man. ¡°He¡¯s someone I hired through Dipetra¡¯s rmendation. Greet His Highness.¡± The young man was unfamiliar to Eurius. The only thing that stood out was his calm attitude as he bowed politely to him for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet Your Highness. My name is Bryan. I¡¯m amoner, so I don¡¯t have a surname.¡± ¡®Bryan?¡¯ Eurius was surprised by the unexpected name of the young man. ¡°Are you from Simon Kingdom by any chance?¡± This time, Bryan¡¯s face showed a hint of surprise. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡®Wow¡­ Is he really that Golden Merchant Bryan?¡¯ ¡°Haha. I heard rumors about you when I was at the academy. You were the most prominent talent in the administration department.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored that Your Highness knows my humble name.¡± ¡®This is an unexpected gain. Who would have thought that the famous merchant Bryan would work under Marius?¡¯ He mumbled, but Eurius was quite surprised inwardly. ¡°I see you know his name, Your Highness. He¡¯s someone I hired on Dipetra¡¯s strong rmendation. He¡¯s young, but his ability is undeniable. I guarantee it. Haha.¡± Bryan, the Golden Merchant! He was from Simon Kingdom, a small country in the Western Union, and he wouldter be one of the renowned merchants in the continent. True to his title of Golden, his skill was excellent financial management! He could squeeze out a budget and create wealth from any poor household. With his skill, Simon Kingdom, which was a weak country in the Western Union, would rise to be the richest country in the union in about ten years. ¡®It would be great if he became my subordinate.¡¯ But there was one question. ¡®Even if the dean liked me, was it necessary to send someone like Bryan here?¡¯ Chapter 61: The Second Condition Chapter 61: The Second Condition Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Why did Bryan, whoter became known as the Golden Merchant,e to the empire so unexpectedly? This started after Eurius left the Savior Academy. Dean Dipetra had carefully considered and called one of the academy graduates to his office. ¡°Oh! Bryan, wee!¡± ¡°Dean, I¡¯m d to see you looking well as always.¡± Bryan had been his favorite student since he enrolled. Dean Dipetra had a reputation for being good at judging people. As an educator, he wondered where to send such a talent. ¡®Marius, I owe you one, don¡¯t I?¡¯ Dean Dipetra actually respected Bryan¡¯s choice, as he thought he was a talent who would excel anywhere he went. He could have gone to a bigger kingdom, but his aspiration after graduation was to return to his homnd. ¡°This might be a bit sudden, but I¡¯ll write you a rmendation letter. How about going to the empire?¡± ¡°The Scharnos Empire?¡± ¡°Where else? As you know, Marius, who is the most sessful among my peers in the empire, is my friend. He¡¯ll take good care of you if I ask him.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing Bryan hesitate, Dipetra persuaded him with a subtle tone. ¡°As you know, the empire is hiring a lot of talentstely for its northern development. You¡¯re from amoner background, right? To be honest, I think the Simon Kingdom is too small for someone like you.¡± This was Dean Dipetra¡¯s honest opinion. He also felt sorry for Marius because of the issue of opposing Eurius¡¯ study abroad, but the biggest reason was that he wanted to send him to a better ce. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I think I need some time to think.¡± ¡°Sure, take your time.¡± Bryan had to think hard after that. He didn¡¯t have much ambition for sess. But Eurius¡¯ speech at the academyst year was quite interesting to him. ¡°I need talents!¡± Lately, he also heard some rumors about that first prince from faraway countries. ¡°He volunteered to go to the far north and subjugate the barbarians?¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely the most talked-about person among the high-ranking people in the continenttely.¡± On top of that, Dean Dipetra was a great benefactor to him. He trusted his talent and gave him various privileges even though he wasn¡¯t from a wealthy family. With his request added, he eventually chose to go to the empire. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to seed with this opportunity you gave me.¡± ¡°Haha! You made a good choice. Marius will recognize your talent well enough.¡± [You¡¯re my most favorite student in thest ten years, except for His Majesty whom you sent me. Please take good care of him. He¡¯s not very ambitious, so I had to work hard to send him to the empire.] -Dipetra- ¡°Hmm?¡± Marius looked at Bryan who came with the rmendation letter and frowned at first. ¡®Hmph, what can a student rmended by someone who judges His Highness by hearsay do?¡¯ ¡°Your name is Bryan, right? If you want to work under me, you better be prepared!¡± But after giving him some work and seeing him for a month or so, Marius couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡®Is this really the lucky charm he gave me?¡¯ Bryan could do more than basic tasks no matter what he asked him to do. He had excellent overall administrative skills and above all, he had exceptional talent inmerce and financial management. ¡®At least in terms of finance, he¡¯s more talented than me¡¯ As months passed by, Marius naturally came to favor him. ¡°I think he¡¯ll be mainly in charge of managing the mines. And I¡¯m nning to hand over some other things gradually.¡± ¡®I¡¯m too old already. His highness needs more loyal servants who can support him.¡¯ Marius had been worrying about this issue for a while. But he was also a genius who had no match in administration in the continent for decades. ¡®Bryan has enough talent to be my sessor.¡¯ Eurius finally understood why Marius had been acting coy after hearing his situation. ¡°Handing over? That¡¯s disappointing. I still need your help a lot.¡± ¡°Hehe. Of course I won¡¯t retire from the front line all of a sudden. But he¡¯s that good.¡± Eurius also said that but he was very happy. ¡®I unexpectedly got another good talent. It¡¯s a pleasant surprise.¡¯ Eurius offered him a handshake. Emperor andmoner! They were worlds apart in status but Bryan was a person worthy of his handshake. ¡°Thank you for choosing the empire as I mentioned at the academy! I look forward to your great work.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Bryan was also a bit flustered because he never dreamed that the first prince would wee him so much. ¡®Is it because he trusts Marius so much? Or something else?¡¯ Marius, who was watching them with a smile, opened his mouth again. ¡°Well, you must be tired from the long journey. You should rest for tomorrow¡¯s negotiation.¡± That¡¯s how their meeting ended that day. Tomorrow is finally the start of the deal he had been waiting for over a year. *** The next day. ¡°The location of the meeting is the same as before. Will you have to go alone again?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there no problemst time? As I said before, they are quite reasonable people, so there won¡¯t be any trouble.¡± Eurius, who was led to a secret room within the Azure Dragon , received a polite greeting as soon as he entered the room. ¡°I apologize for the rudenessst time. I am Jegal Hwayoung, who is in charge of the affairs of the Western Continent from our n. It is an honor to meet the Emperor, whose reputation is well-known.¡± Behind her, Jegal Geon, who was called the Guild Leaderst time, also bowed his head deeply. ¡°It¡¯s been a year since then, but it was actually a very impolite thing. Since the real Guild Leader came out this time, let¡¯s pretend that nothing happened then.¡± Eurius sat down with a dismissive gesture. His appearance was an arrogant act befitting a first prince, but Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s thoughts werepletely different. ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness.¡± ¡®He is not an ordinary person. I can¡¯t becent.¡¯ She had been using the n¡¯s power, which had established a solid foundation in the north, to monitor his activities in the north. And the conclusion she reached was this. ¡®I have to get closer to him if possible. If I make him an enemy, it will cause a huge setback in the n¡¯s migration n.¡¯ Of course, she knew the n¡¯s strength well. It was a decision made with enough confidence to abandon the foundation they had built in the Eastern Continent and move to the Western Continent. But Eurius showed outstanding performance in all aspects. ¡®His ability as a martial artist is beyond my imagination, and judging by his actions in the north, he is excellent in strategy and tactics. He is also a person with charisma that attracts people.¡¯ Her polite response had a calction behind it. ¡®She seems to recognize me as an equal or more than that.¡¯ Eurius also had a lot of thoughts inside. In his previous life, he had to pay a considerable price to borrow their skills, but this time it was different. ¡®I have to shake them as much as possible and take the initiative on this side!¡¯ And he had a few keys that would make it possible. ¡°First of all, I received a report from Marius about what happened so far. The development of the north was made possible thanks to your contribution.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your help.¡± We are inseparable now, aren¡¯t we? Her friendly response throughout was a subtle request to take good care of them in the future. After some light probing, Eurius brought up the topic. He took out a map from his pocket and spread it out. ¡°You must have heard from Marius, but this is a map of the Dite ore veins inside the northern mountains. You can judge their value for yourself.¡± She carefully scanned it and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised inside. ¡®The reserves are more than expected. If we secure a stake in this deal, the n¡¯s migration n will be shortened by several years.¡¯ The Jegal n actually had a wide foothold in the Eastern Continent and the Azure Dragon Guild was only part of their power. Naturally, it would take time to move out, but what they needed most was money! Moving their main bases from the Eastern Continent was a problem, but more importantly, they had to bribe the authorities of the Western Continent. The reason why she tried not to offend Eurius as much as possible was because his reputation was so solid in the north where the n had settled down that if they shed with him now, all their efforts would be wasted. ¡°I will give you twenty percent of the stake as I said before. It¡¯s actually too generous for a single Guild.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly true.¡± This Dite ore was a mineral that only existed in the Western Continent. But since trade with the Eastern Continent began, it was also treated as a luxury item by the royal family and high-ranking officials of the Eastern Continent. In other words, its value was considerable in the Western Continent, but it increased even more when taken to the Eastern Continent. For the n, who had connections in the Eastern Continent, this was an opportunity they couldn¡¯t miss. ¡°Then can I hear your answer now? Honestly, it¡¯s not a difficult condition, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple if you just show it to me¡­¡± She tensed up. This was actually the biggest problem. The Jegal n strictly limited the export of secrets. But that¡¯s why he offered such an outrageous condition. ¡°The answer from the n is¡­¡± She finished exining. The condition that he could view it when the n moved their basepletely or that he had toe to the Eastern Continent himself. She quickly added an excuse. ¡°We know that you have given us a very generous condition. So even if you reduce the stake¡­¡± Eurius, who had been listening with a grim expression, began to show anger on his face. ¡°Are you trying to y word games with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He certainly didn¡¯t have the value to wait for their conditions. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t expect him to get angry. As she tried to continue, he interrupted. ¡°Twenty people on the first floor, twelve people on the second floor¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And there¡¯s one person here too.¡± Eurius¡¯s gaze turned from the ceiling to the floor and finallynded on Jegal Geon, who was standing next to her. ¡°You¡¯ve moved quite a lot of your base, haven¡¯t you? Do you need to have so many martial artists on standby during negotiations?¡± Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s face froze like ice. ¡®How did he find out about the people we trained for espionage purposes so easily?¡¯ She knew he was an outstanding martial artist, but she never dreamed that he would identify the n¡¯s experts that she had prepared for contingencies so urately. They also hid their presence secretly, but they couldn¡¯t escape Eurius¡¯s senses, who had mastered the White Tiger Protection Technique. Seeing her face stiffen, Eurius smiled casually and spoke again. ¡°You seem to take me too lightly. I offered you a good condition.¡± ¡®Did I make a mistake?¡¯ She thought they had lost his trust at that moment. But the words that came out of Eurius¡¯s mouth werepletely different. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you for another condition. That would be fair, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± He was smiling brightly. ¡°Please use the martial artists of [Hidden Moon Hall], the information organization run by your n, to help me.¡± Jegal Hwayoung was so surprised that she couldn¡¯t speak. But she managed to keep her expression calm. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Do I have to say it again?¡± Eurius repeated it clearly. ¡°The Hidden Moon Hall, Jegal n¡¯s secret intelligence group.¡± Chapter 62: A Outrageous Suspicious Guy Chapter 62: A Outrageous Suspicious Guy Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The Azure Dragon Merchant Guild was one of the most famous merchant groups in the Hwan Empire. And to maintain their financial power, they needed a corresponding military force. Anyone who had some information in the Hwan Empire would know that there was something behind them, a formidable military organization. And if they were martial artists or high-ranking officials, they would also know that the military organization was one of the four great martial ns, the Jegal n. But the information that Eurius had told her was a secret that was treated as top priority even within the n. ¡°I have heard of a word that circtes in the East, [Divine Jegal].¡± Divine Jegal! This word meant that the Jegal n had many descendants who were brilliant in their minds. As the word implied, the Jegal n was slightly inferior to the other four great martial ns in terms of martial power, but they had many people who excelled in strategy or intelligence within the n. The Hidden Moon Hall was one of the secret information groups that the Jegal n managed. Perhaps there were few organizations in the Eastern Continent that couldpare with them in terms of information power. Jegal Hwayoung looked at Eurius with a serious expression. It was because no one knew that the Hidden Moon Hall was operated by the Jegal n, except for one information group that rivaled them in the Eastern Continent. ¡®Could it be that some unknown force deliberately spread our n¡¯s information to this continent?¡¯ Whether she looked at him with suspicion or not, Eurius continued his words. ¡°As I said before, I have a lot of interest in my ancestor, the yer. I also collect information rted to him personally. And as I did so, I came to investigate you in detail.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need toplicate things. I¡¯m just asking for a request from an information group, and you just have to answer me.¡± Jegal Hwayoung had nothing to say. She thought that an imperial first prince from the Western Continent would at least know something about their n, but the information about the Hidden Moon Hallpletely caught her off guard. ¡°The conditions are the same. I will give you twenty percent of the Dite Mine¡¯s shares, and what I need is ess to your secret technique, the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath. And I¡¯ll add one more condition.¡± She sighed deeply. It was pointless to stall any longer, as Eurius had already seen through her subordinates who were hiding themselves, and she decided that it was meaningless. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definite answer about the Hidden Moon Hall. I¡¯ll have to consult with the headquarters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. But it would be better for both of us if you give me an answer quickly.¡± ¡®You¡¯ll have to ept it anyway since you know everything, right?¡¯ Eurius smiled inwardly and added another condition. ¡°For now, you¡¯re an information group, so you must have a lot of requests to handle, but first, take care of my people¡¯s security with your power.¡± ¡°Security?¡± ¡°You know I have a lot of enemies, right?¡± His enemies were of course the Grand Duke faction. Eurius realized that the Grand Duke faction¡¯s full-scale resistance had started much earlier than he expected after experiencing this assassination attempt. ¡®I¡¯m fine for now, but people like Marius who are officials are too vulnerable to assassination.¡¯ In fact, he himself would have been killed long ago without the help of the system. ¡°So please secretly protect the key figures who belong to my faction. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you with your power.¡± He was able to survive despite being constantly threatened by assassination in his previous life thanks to their help. Of course, he had to pay a hefty price at that time, but it was different now. ¡°It¡¯s not really a request, but a mutual benefit, right? You want to settle down in this continent¡¯s northern region anyway and you¡¯ll have to negotiate with powerful people sooner orter.¡± The lifeblood of an information group was their clients. They did things like collecting information, protecting targets and so on, but ultimately they needed powerful people who would give them continuous requests. So Eurius¡¯s proposal was basically saying that he knew their identity anyway, so let¡¯s cooperate with him. Jegal Hwayoung remained silent for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°It may be rude, but we have one question for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How much do you know about us?¡± ¡®Well, I¡¯ve dealt with you for a long time in my previous life, so I¡¯ve heard a lot of things about you.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t answer that way. ¡°I can¡¯t answer everything, as you know. But if I have to answer one thing¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Jegal Hwayoung looked at him with shining eyes and tensed up. ¡°The disappearance of the White Tiger Martial Sect! Isn¡¯t this rted to your Sect¡¯s migration?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Her expression turned to surprise again. Eurius had almost guessed it right. ¡°If you know that much, we have nothing to say. We¡¯ll contact our headquarters right away.¡± ¡®Tsk, there must be something going on in the East, huh?¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue. He pretended to know everything and act confident, but he actually didn¡¯t know anything about the situation in the East. He didn¡¯t know why the Jegal n, who had been living well in the Eastern Continent, abandoned their territory and tried to move here. ¡®But there was a quest.¡¯ The destruction of one of the four great martial sects, the White Tiger Martial Sect! And another martial sect, the Jegal Sect, also tried to move their continent. It seemed very suspicious and dangerous to go to the East right now. But Eurius had a reason to go there. ¡®Collecting legacies is important, but I have to do the quests anyway, so I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ The problem was that it was not a good time to go to the East right now, and even if he went there, he wouldn¡¯t have much to do. So he wanted to establish a cooperative system with the Jegal n, who had a widework in the East. Information was everything, wasn¡¯t it? His biggest advantage, his previous life¡¯s knowledge, was also a kind of information. ¡°And I¡¯ll wait for your ess to the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath until you settle down here properly.¡± Jegal Hwayoung frowned. ¡°But as you know, it will take more time than you think for our headquarters to move here.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t wait any longer, I might as well go there myself. I have some ns for that.¡± He had already thought of how he, the first prince, could go to the eastern continent. It was impossible now because of the pressure from the great sects, but he had to go there someday for the sake of the quest. ¡°Anyway, if I help you, your speed of moving your base to this continent will be much faster. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s end today¡¯s deal here. I hope you have a good answer from your n.¡± Eurius left the room in a sh, leaving them dumbfounded as he did in the first negotiation. Jegal Hwayoung remained silent for a long time after he left. ¡°Mydy, what are you going to do?¡± Jegal Geon spoke to her and she finally opened her mouth. ¡°Send a letter to the main house as soon as possible. It¡¯s not our decision to make.¡± She had a doubtful expression on her face. What was that first prince doing in this faraway western continent, knowing their sect¡¯s situation? Of course, his background waspletely different. *** ¡®It was a bit of a gamble for me, but I¡¯m d it worked out as I expected.¡¯ Eurius sighed with relief inwardly. The memory of his previous life was a double-edged sword when dealing with smart people like the Jegal n. He had no way to exin how he obtained the information. But he had a lot of clues given to him and he managed to get a satisfactory result from this negotiation by putting them together. ¡®Smart people tend to make their own conclusions if you just give them some evidence.¡¯ This was also their weakness. They were too clever to think that he was bluffing. The information about the destruction of White Tiger Sect and the Hidden Moon Hall was not something that could be obtained by chance ording to theirmon sense. ¡®If I can get their cooperation, it will be a great help for my future moves.¡¯ The Jegal n¡¯s Hidden Moon Hall was an information organization that possessed a yer¡¯s secret weapon, and also had outstanding martial arts skills. They were useful not only for escorting him, but also for many other purposes. ¡®If I want to fight against those cultists in the dark, I need an information organization too!¡¯ He had also hired them in his previous life when his power was declining. He didn¡¯t know why at that time, but it seemed that the cultists¡¯ influence was strong in the south. There were many unresolved issues left, such as the yers, the cult, the south, the east, and the four great sects, but he hoped that the answers woulde out as he solved the yer¡¯s quest. And the next day, Eurius received a very wee(?) guest. ¡°Your highness! It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Count Wace! You came all this way ahead of time. What¡¯s the matter?¡± On the surface, Wace was still one of his guardians. Eurius greeted him with a seemingly happy expression. ¡°Haha, I heard that Your Majesty has achieved great feats and I couldn¡¯t contain myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see me soon in the capital anyway. Aren¡¯t you pushing yourself too hard for an old man?¡± ¡®And you must have been curious about how I¡¯m still alive.¡¯ Eurius sneered inwardly, but he kept up a friendly conversation. He had a rough idea of why he came. But there was another guest who came to see him besides Wace. Wace introduced him with a warm smile. ¡°Haha, this person is one of the influential people in the desert kingdom that I trade with. He wanted to see Your Highness so badly that I brought him along.¡± The young man greeted him with a bright smile. He looked like a nice person at first nce. ¡°I greet Your Majesty, the first prince of the empire. You can call me Jamir.¡± ¡°Haha, Your highness may not have heard his name before, but he is quite famous in the desert as the seventh prince of a kingdom.¡± Wace added an exnation. In fact, what the empire called the desert kingdom was a collective term for the numerous kingdoms that existed in the southern desert. However, unlike the north, they formed alliances and cooperated with each other to counter or trade with the empire. Some of them even relied on the natural environment of the desert and opposed the empire as a coalition, but what Wace meant by the desert kingdom was a few wealthy kingdoms that traded with the empire. ¡°It¡¯s rare for a prince toe all this way to this northern region. What brings you here?¡± Eurius expressed his doubt. It was true that Stefan was only the entrance of the north, but it was still quite far from the south. It was natural to wonder why a prince came here. ¡°Haha, who in the continent doesn¡¯t admire Your Highness fame these days? I happened to get to know Wace through Ryan Trading Company and came to see you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much praise. I just got lucky and made some achievements.¡± ¡®Look at this?¡¯ Eurius was incredulous inwardly, but he responded cordially. He said he came to admire him, but he obviously had other motives. He had a habit of unconsciously checking the stats of people he met for the first time. [Al Jamir] Job: High Priest (???Cult) Strength: C+ Agility: C+ Intelligence: A+ Spirit: A+ Force Aptitude: ?? Force: ?? Disposition: Lively, Innocent, Fanatic [Traits] ??? Chapter 63: The Night Visitor Chapter 63: The Night Visitor Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The Grand Duke listened to the report in silence. He had guessed it since he heard the news of victory from the north, but it was the worst oue for him. ¡°I have no excuse.¡± Dmitri also finished his report and bowed his head, speechless. ¡°Three shadow squads annihted, and the remaining one barely survived with half of its members?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He had lost two squads to Eurius, and in the second battle, he had to retreat with another squad while being chased by the Duke and Eurius. He lost another half of a squad in the process. Except for Dmitri, the leader who returned alive, he had wasted half of the shadows that he had nurtured for decades. The Grand Duke thought for a while and opened his mouth again. ¡°I understand that Count Anderson was formidable, but what about the Superhuman who appeared from the barbarians? Was he that strong?¡± ¡°Of course, he was no match for Your Grace, but he seemed to be more than a newly ascended Superhuman.¡± ¡°What about the First Prince?¡± He made an ambiguous expression here. In fact, he thought he had almost caught the First Prince in a trap, but he missed him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the First Prince.¡± When he told him about the mysterious attacker and the reinforcements, the Grand Duke frowned. ¡®Wace, you did something unnecessary. If you had reported to me, I might have had a chance to take the First Prince¡¯s life.¡¯ He decided to reprimand himter and spoke to Dmitri again. ¡°It¡¯s true that the First Prince was more skilled than expected, but you¡¯re not meless either. I¡¯ll hold you ountableter.¡± In fact, given the Grand Duke¡¯s personality, he should have been prepared for immediate execution, but he surprisingly let him go lightly. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± He sighed with relief and stepped back. The Grand Duke sank into his thoughts again. Dmitri was his own disciple, so he had a keen eye. He probably didn¡¯t see it wrong. Besides, he had already lost many of his subordinates, so he didn¡¯t want to lose a talented knight. ¡®But this is too big of a blow. I¡¯ve lost ten years of work in vain.¡¯ The shadows that boasted of being equal to the royal guard were halved. Moreover, Eurius had built a solid foundation that even he couldn¡¯t ignore and was returning to the capital. ¡®But I still have some cards left.¡¯ Even if the knights in the north sided with the First Prince, his overall power was still much lesser than the Grand Duke¡¯s. No matter how much potential the north had for development, it was still in the stage of development. Compared to the richnds of the central and southern parts of the empire that had prospered for over a hundred years, most of which were upied by the nobles faction, it was insignificant. Besides, he had Wace, a spy who had infiltrated the emperor faction. Although his credibility had dropped a bittely, he was also one of the Grand Duke¡¯s trump cards. ¡®The problem is the position of Crown Prince.¡¯ If Eurius used this merit as an excuse to demand the position of Crown Prince, it would be hard for him to oppose it as a member of the Grand Duke faction. ¡®But I have to stop him somehow.¡¯ If the session structure of the next emperor was decided here, all his preparations would be in vain. ¡®I¡¯ll have to mobilize my minions and put some pressure on him.¡¯ If all the nobles of his faction stood up, even the emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to make a decision easily. ¡®But if he insists on it, there¡¯s only one answer.¡¯ Until now, the Grand Duke had refrained from openly rebelling against the emperor for the sake of smooth progress. But at this moment, he decided to start a civil war if necessary, just like he did in Eurius¡¯s previous life. ¡®You better choose wisely, Your Majesty, unless you want to see this country torn apart!¡¯ *** ¡°I¡¯ve never been there myself, but I¡¯ve heard some interesting stories about the desert.¡± ¡°Well, I have some opportunities to visit there for trade purposes, but it¡¯s not really afortable ce for Your Highness to travel.¡± Meanwhile, Eurius was chatting with Wace while thinking. Of course, dealing with this old fox was also a problem, but hispanion was an unexpected person. ¡®He has quite a nerve?¡¯ He could guess who this Jamir was by looking at his stats. Judging by his title as ¡®Order¡¯, he seemed to be one of those masked guys with some status, and he came to find him on his own. ¡®And he said he was a priest?¡¯ He had only sent nameless assassins until now, but if he had a job, it meant that he really had a god to worship. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s very kind of him toe to me.¡¯ His identity must be quite famous, since he contacted him through Wace. And behind his apparent identity, there must be the Order that he was hiding. Eurius pretended to know nothing and acted as a friendly prince while talking to him. Jamir was also observing him. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look that impressive?¡¯ He was curious and wanted to finish Eurius for sure, so he came to observe him, but Eurius didn¡¯t seem to have the skills to kill the top-ss assassins he had sent. ¡®Something is suspicious, but I can¡¯t find anything wrong?¡¯ Of course, there was also the possibility that he survived with the help of reinforcements and luck. ording to the report of the survivor, they almost killed him, right? ¡®I¡¯ll have to watch him a little more.¡¯ As they were watching each other, Wace finally brought up his original purpose. ¡°By the way, I heard that you have established a merit for the Dite mine.¡± ¡°Oh, that? Did you hear about it too, Count?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m originally a merchant, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡®Tsk, his greed overcame his wariness of me?¡¯ Eurius inwardly clicked his tongue. While he and Jamir were eyeing each other, Wace was also looking for a timing to bring up his words. He had two intentions foring to Eurius this time. First of all, there was a possibility that he had tried to assassinate him, so he couldn¡¯t be at ease even if the Order had been secretive until now. The second was the Dite mine that he had discovered this time. His Ryan Trading Company had lost a lot of shares in the north and couldn¡¯t make much profit. ¡®There are some risks, but he seems happy to meet a powerful person from the desert kingdom.¡¯ In fact, he could rest assured that his assassination attempt was not exposed. From the outside, his rtionship with Eurius was as close as a guardian. Even if Eurius had been away from the north for over a year, their friendship wouldn¡¯t go away. From his point of view, it would be strange if Eurius suspected him. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to talk to Lord Marius about it.¡± ¡®That¡¯s entirely up to His Highness Eurius and His Majesty the Emperor. It¡¯s not something I can say anything about.¡¯ Marius had only rejected him harshly. So naturally, he had no choice but toe directly to Eurius and plead with him. ¡°Ugh¡­ So you¡¯re not satisfied with your share of the Dite mine, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our Ryan Trading Company is thergest in the empire, but we¡¯re undervalued in the north.¡± Wace made a pitiful face and pleaded with Eurius. ¡°Hmm¡­ But isn¡¯t that a matter for the bureaucrats rather than me?¡± ¡°I only trust Your Highness. Won¡¯t you give me a chance for this old man¡¯s sake?¡± ¡®He¡¯s so shameless that I¡¯m amazed.¡¯ Eurius knew his true intentions and admired his audacity. ¡°Well, the Count is not a stranger to me, so it¡¯s not hard to grant your request. I¡¯ll try to talk to Marius for you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Thank me? Haha!¡± The atmosphere was friendly throughout, but the three of them had different thoughts in their minds. This bizarre conversation continued for a while. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°It was an honor to meet you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± After sending them off, Eurius smiled faintly. ¡®If he needs a stake in the mine, I can give it to him!¡¯ But the price would not be cheap. Why should he help Wace out of kindness? *** ¡°Eh, what a shabby ce.¡± Stefan was bing a decent city in the north, but it was still a new city. He was provided a decent mansion considering his status, but it was nothingpared to Wace¡¯s eyes, who was one of the richest men in the empire. Wace grumbled as he sat on the bed. ¡®Well, at least it seems like the assassination didn¡¯t leak out, and Eurius said he would speak for me. That¡¯s something.¡¯ He also had a meeting with that prince Jamir. He was from a royal family that had influence in the southern desert, so he would be helpful for his business. ¡®Phew, maybe I should get some sleep.¡¯ Wace turned off the light in his room, feeling relieved. ¡®The moon is too bright tonight.¡¯ It was a full moon that night, so the room was still bright even without the light. Wace¡¯s eyes turned to the window where the moonlight came in. But at that moment, he was shocked as if he was about to faint. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± ¡°Good evening, Count Wace.¡± The one who was at the window was an unexpected guest that he never anticipated. ¡°Your Highness Eurius?¡± ¡°The moon is bright tonight, perfect for a conversation.¡± Eurius smiled and slowly walked from the window. Wace felt instinctively that something went wrong. How did Eurius get in and why did hee to see him at night? ¡°Huh. Your Highness, what can this old man do for you?¡± He had been in politics for decades and was an experienced veteran. He tried to act calm, but he was sweating profusely inside. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius looked surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say to me? That¡¯s why I came here on purpose.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He said that while racking his brain. ¡®This is wrong.¡¯ Eurius knew something about him and came here for sure. And it must be about his secret request. ¡°You seem to like hooded guests at night. So I thought I¡¯d pay you a surprise visit.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± As he said that, Wace gave up. So much for secrecy! The information about the assassination guild had leaked out. But Wace still had something to believe in. ¡®But it¡¯s useless without evidence!¡¯ If they didn¡¯t have conclusive evidence that he ordered it, it would only be a suspicion. He had taken some precautions as well. He had arranged an alibi for himself at the time of the request. Even if he left the imperial faction because of this, he was still one of the richest men in the empire! The First Prince wouldn¡¯t abandon him so easily when he still had value. He could use this opportunity to quit spying and join the crown faction. But Eurius¡¯s next words made his eyes widen. ¡°Samarqand!¡± ¡°Huh huh, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± This was fine. But Eurius continued. ¡°Fergana!¡± ¡°Khirint!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, and Samoa too?¡± ¡°What do those cities in the south have to do with me?¡± Wace felt his heart drop at this moment but tried to deny it until the end. ¡°How can they have nothing to do with you?¡± Eurius delivered the final blow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you conspiring with the Grand Duke to station the desert kingdom¡¯s troops there?¡± ¡°How¡­ how did you know?¡± Wace unwittingly blurted out. This was so shocking that he couldn¡¯t keep hisposure. ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ He felt like he was falling into an endless abyss at this moment. Chapter 64: The Emperor’s Decision and The Crown Prince’s Return Chapter 64: The Emperor¡¯s Decision and The Crown Prince¡¯s Return Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
¡®I¡¯m doomed! What should I do now?¡¯ Wace¡¯s face was not just blue, but pale as a corpse. How did the first prince know about his and the Duke¡¯s n? ¡®So this is when their n was in motion?¡¯ What Eurius had just shown him was the region where the Duke had suddenly raised his troops in the south during his reign as emperor. To overwhelm the central army, he had secretly stationed the desert kingdom¡¯s forces there. He made a bitter expression. It was true that in his previous life, his brother Leonhart, who was the emperor, had surpassed him in almost every aspect. But the current ruler was his father, who was called the Iron-blooded Emperor for his excellence. And yet, even though the emperor had not abdicated, the desert kingdom was plotting a rebellion. This was treason. He had expected it to some extent, but the Count Wace had never intended to acknowledge him as a ruler, regardless of his talent or ability. ¡®But it¡¯s somewhat satisfying to expose him. The Count is someone who must be eliminated for the sake of the empire¡¯s future.¡¯ After sorting out his thoughts, Eurius hardened his expression. ¡°Coun Wace, I trusted you, but you didn¡¯t reciprocate? You¡¯ve been conspiring with the Grand Duke to harm me since long ago.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Wace had nothing to say. Eurius continued. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated and found out that there are quite a lot of elites secretly stationed there. Can you withdraw them right away? Wouldn¡¯t it be faster for me to report this to the emperor when I return to the capital?¡± ¡°Pl¡­ please spare me, Your Highness!¡± Wace finally bowed his head to the ground and begged with a trembling voice. As Eurius said, his and the Grand Duke¡¯s n had gone too far. If Eurius reported to the emperor that the desert kingdom¡¯s forces were stationed in the south, the emperor¡¯s inspectors would be dispatched immediately and he couldn¡¯t hide them all. He might be able to reduce them a bit, but as the closest noble to the southern desert, he couldn¡¯t avoid suspicion. ¡°Please think of our friendship since childhood and spare me¡­ at least my life¡­¡± Treason was not a simple crime. He couldn¡¯t pay for it with just his life, but his lifeline, his family and n would be wiped out. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Eurius looked at him with contempt. He had thrown away his dignity and pride and was crying and sniffling on the ground. ¡®If I tie him up like this, I can rest assured.¡¯ Actually, Eurius had a reason to spare him. ¡®If I reveal the truth now, in the worst case scenario, the Grand Duke could start a civil war.¡¯ If someone with as much influence as the Grand Duke in the empire got help from the desert kingdom, starting a civil war wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. In fact, he had been stabbed in the back in his previous life. ¡®But if a civil war breaks out now, too much blood will be shed.¡¯ Eurius nned to cut off the Duke¡¯s minions one by one, just like Wace who was bowing before him. If he waged a full-scale war to overthrow the Duke, unimaginable amounts of blood would flow, so he had no choice. ¡°Then do you want to live?¡± ¡°Please forgive me, Your Highness!¡± He didn¡¯t care about his face or anything else and kept bowing his head to the ground with tears and snot. ¡®I can rx if I make him do this.¡¯ In fact, Eurius didn¡¯t get much information from him about that assassination cult or whatever they were called. He interrogated Wace fiercely, but he only knew that Jamir was a royal of the desert. They seemed to manage their information very strictly. ¡®But I learned a lot thanks to that.¡¯ First of all, those cultists or whatever they were called were not under the Duke¡¯smand. But if a royal of a country was not even the leader of a group but just a priest, then it was certain that the entire southern desert was under their influence. It was a big gain to find that out. The next day. Wace and Jamir came to say goodbye to him after he got what he wanted(?). ¡°Then let¡¯s see each other again in the capital, Count.¡± Eurius smiled and shook Wace¡¯s hand. Of course, there was a lot of meaning behind that handshake. ¡°Hehe, Your Highness has been through a lot because of me.¡± Wace was inwardly miserable, but he had no choice. Jamir greeted him with a bright smile. ¡°Please visit our kingdom if you evere to the desert. We will wee you Grandly.¡± ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever go to the desert, but I¡¯ll be sure to stop by if I do.¡± ¡®Of course, I¡¯ll have to go there someday to catch your tails.¡¯ That¡¯s how the events in Stefan ended with various incidents. ording to Wace, there were many preparations in the capital to wee his reform. ¡®There¡¯s a lot to do when I get to the capital. I hope everything goes as nned.¡¯ *** Meanwhile, the pce was noisy even before Eurius arrived. ¡°Show me someone among the past crown princes who has achieved such a feat! Then I¡¯ll ept it.¡± ¡°Hmph! But a promise is a promise, isn¡¯t it? The second prince hasn¡¯t even had hising-of-age ceremony yet, and you want to decide the session so hastily?¡± These days, the imperial court was arguing every day about the issue of Eurius¡¯s crown prince appointment. The point was the same as a year ago. Normally, the crown prince¡¯s foreign achievements should be given more time for at least five years, but Eurius¡¯s achievements were so great that they wanted to settle the session issue this time. The difference fromst time was that Eurius¡¯s achievements were so overwhelming that even the Duke¡¯s faction had little to say. But whether they liked it or not, the emperor had already made up his mind. ¡®I have to give the crown prince position to Eurius this time.¡¯ The emperor had already read the report on the northern war submitted by Count Anderson. The content was more than satisfying. ¡®The most important thing for a ruler is benevolence. Leon, he¡¯s excellent, but hecks that.¡¯ But even though he had made up his mind, the emperor didn¡¯t give a clear answer. ¡°That issue can be decidedter when Eurius returns. Let¡¯s move on to the next agenda!¡± ¡®He must have something in mind too, so I¡¯ll listen to his opinion and decideter.¡¯ But who would refuse the crown prince position when he offered it? Unlikest time, this time he had a clear reason. The emperor thought that Eurius would ept it 100 percent. ¡®What worries me more is the Grand Duke¡­¡¯ The Grand Duke rarely attended the court meetingstely, and when he did, he only gave brief opinions and nothing more. ¡°The first prince has certainly achieved a great feat, but I think it¡¯s too early to appoint him as crown prince.¡± The other nobles of the Grand Duke¡¯s faction repeated his words like parrots. The emperor recalled the mysterious force that didn¡¯t look like immigrants in Count Anderson¡¯s report. ¡®There¡¯s no evidence, but if the report is true, then there¡¯s a high possibility that the Grand Duke was behind the northern war. Is he trying to start a civil war?¡¯ Of course, the Grand Duke was prepared to start a civil war if he had to, but he was also the emperor¡¯s cousin and had a high reputation as a knight. Even if he was the emperor, he couldn¡¯t use him without evidence. He was an untouchable person. The emperor was honestly eager to cut off the Grand Duke¡¯s head right now, but suspicion was suspicion and there was no proof. Besides, the emperor was not an ordinary person either. He had an idea of how much power the Grand Duke had secretly amassed. ¡®It¡¯s a headache. I should have cut him off more thoroughly when I was young. But it¡¯s toote now.¡¯ He had shed so much blood when he was young, but if the Grand Duke really wanted to start a civil war, the emperor was willing to take him on. Was his nickname Iron-blooded for nothing when he was young? He was not the type to avoid a fight that came his way, even if he was old. ¡®But it would be a very tedious and long war.¡¯ The emperor¡¯s thoughts were simr to Eurius¡¯s. With this northern incident, it was not hard to realize that the Grand Duke had harbored ill intentions. But who would wee a civil war that wasn¡¯t conquering another country? It would be like cutting their own flesh. The current situation was precarious! If someone let go of the bowstring, this huge empire would fall into chaos. And that choice was left to Eurius. Finally, a report reached the emperor¡¯s ears. ¡°The first prince has entered the capital.¡± Chapter 65: The Start of the Second War Chapter 65: The Start of the Second War Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The name of the imperial capital was given by Emperor Scharnos himself, after his own name. ording to the yers, the name also meant ¡°the city of Scharnos¡±. ¡°Your highness! We are almost at the capital, Scharnof.¡± The expression of Count Perez, who was sitting next to him, was bright with anticipation. He was d that this tedious march was finally over. ¡®It took longer than I expected, probably because of therge number of people.¡¯ Eurius also had a lot of things to do in the capital, so he felt somewhat impatient, but he was also happy. ¡°His Imperial Highness has arrived. Open the gates!¡± As soon as the order was given, the city was filled with enthusiastic crowds who weed him. He had passed through severalrge cities on his way to the capital, so he was used to it and did not feel much excitement, but the parade in the capital was still special for Eurius. Especially when he passed through the square in the center of the city, his expression became veryplicated. ¡®That¡¯s where I was beheaded.¡¯ He still could not forget the chilling feeling of the de cutting through his neck. He put aside hisplex feelings and smiled outwardly as he passed through the city and finally entered the imperial pce. ¡°I greet Your Imperial Highness!¡± As soon as he got off the carriage, the bureaucrats of the imperial faction came out and greeted him. ¡°You have all worked hard while I was away.¡± After finishing his meeting with his subordinates, one person cautiously spoke to Eurius. ¡°It would be nice to have a banquet or something, but His Majesty ordered you toe to the war room as soon as you enter the pce¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty? I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Eurius guessed his intention. He probably wanted to ask him about his opinion before the official war meeting tomorrow. So Eurius quickly dressed up and headed to the war room. ¡°His Majesty, Your Imperial Highness has arrived.¡± ¡°Let him in!¡± The emperor greeted Eurius with a smile. ¡°I have heard about your achievements in the north through the report. But there are a few things I want to hear from you directly, so I called you separately.¡± It was natural that he was curious about Eurius¡¯s unbelievable achievements in the north. No matter how detailed the report was, it could not be as detailed as hearing it from his own mouth. ¡°It was just luck, not my pure skill.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying that luck is also a skill? Haha.¡± He exined to the emperor in detail, embellishing some parts and omitting some secrets that were hard to reveal yet, such as his skills or his duel with Nuada. Of course, the emperor was very satisfied with his expression. ¡®He is indeed the only one who can seed me.¡¯ He confirmed his thoughts and brought up the main topic to Eurius. ¡°Your achievements are unparalleled in the history of the empire, regardless of your age.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I want to give you the position of crown prince if you want it. What do you think?¡± ¡®His Majesty wants to make me crown prince at this opportunity?¡¯ The emperor¡¯s tone was different fromst time when he casually suggested it. He seemed to have made up his mind by looking at his firm tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, but that seems difficult.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The emperor looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. Then he asked in a serious tone. ¡°Do you really not want to ept the position of crown prince yet?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡®Why is he suddenly like this?¡¯ The emperor was a bit flustered because his expectation was wrong. But he had prepared for this situation too. ¡°Is it because of Grand Duke Wilhelm or his followers?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s unrted.¡± ¡°I read this report. The war broke out as soon as you went up north, and there were also some strange groups in between¡­¡± At this point, the emperor¡¯s expression changed momentarily, as if he regained his youthful spirit. ¡°If Grand Duke has a rebellious heart, I will not spare him. You must have guessed that too.¡± Eurius was also slightly surprised inside. The emperor who used to despise him in his previous life was willing to start a civil war to make him crown prince at this point? ¡®But that¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ He knew well from his experience as an emperor that a war with Grand Duke would not be easy. And he thought that now was not the time for that. ¡®If His Majesty is thinking of such a thing, I have to show him some of my intentions.¡¯ Eurius made a serious expression and began to speak in a solemn voice. ¡°Actually, I have something to ask you about that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Eurius finally revealed his n to the emperor slowly. It would be a long story. Whisper¡­ whisper¡­ The next day, the war meeting started with all the attention in the room focused on Eurius. ¡°He has achieved a great feat, that¡¯s true, but will he be able to ascend to the crown prince position this time?¡± ¡°He might wait for His Majesty¡¯s permission, since Grand Duke Wilhelm still has a strong influence. Who knows what will happen in the future?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start today¡¯s war meeting. As you know, today¡¯s topic is the reward for Your Imperial Highness Eurius¡¯s achievements.¡± With the loud shout of the nobleman who was in charge of the meeting, the war meeting finally began. ¡°First, I will report on His Imperial Highness¡¯s achievements again.¡± As Eurius¡¯s achievements were listed one by one, the nobles of the imperial faction had proud expressions and the nobles of the Grand Dukes faction became increasingly ufortable. ¡®How could this happen? A few years ago, I never dreamed of such a situation.¡¯ ¡®Maybe His Imperial Grace Duke will somehow stop it?¡¯ The hope of Grand Duke¡¯s faction was, of course, Grand Duke Wilhelm himself. He was sitting in the front row of the meeting, with apletely expressionless face unlike the other nobles. But he was also quite anxious inside. ¡®My fate will depend on today¡¯s choice!¡¯ If the emperor finally made Eurius crown prince, he would unleash all his preparations and start a civil war. In case of emergency, he even considered independence. ¡®There is no country that would hate it if the empire splits itself.¡¯ Isn¡¯t there a saying that other people¡¯s misfortune is my happiness? If the empire was in chaos, its power would decline and it would be harder to control other kingdoms. Grand Duke Wilhelm did not underestimate the emperor, but he had absolute confidence that he could survive even in the worst case scenario by breaking away from the empire. ¡®I¡¯d rather be a snake¡¯s head than a dragon¡¯s tail. Your Majesty!¡¯ He had prepared for decades and waited for an opportunity. If he could just make the second prince the emperor, he would be able to wield the unrivaled power of the empire on the continent. If not, he thought it would be better to take this chance and dere independence. ¡°That concludes the report on His Imperial Highness Eurius¡¯s achievements.¡± While he was thinking, the report ended and the emperor¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Eurius, the first prince! Your achievements in the north are very great, to say the least. So¡­¡± At that moment, all eyes in the room were focused on the emperor and Eurius. The emperor was about to say those words. ¡°You are still young, but you have proven your abilities enough, so I don¡¯t think that matters. Do you want the position of crown prince?¡± Grand Duke Wilhelm bit his lip. He thought Eurius would not refuse. ¡®He has made up his mind.¡¯ The emperor had decided to get rid of him at this opportunity. Duke Wilhelm hardened his face. But before he could think of the next move, Eurius¡¯s voice rang in his ears. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to ascend to the position of crown prince yet.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Everyone in the room made a dumbfounded expression. ¡®What is he talking about?¡¯ There is a limit to refusing a gift. The position of crown prince was not a dog¡¯s name. At that moment, the emperor and Eurius exchanged an invisible nce. The emperor pretended to be surprised and opened his mouth again. ¡°Hmm¡­ Why do you refuse?¡± ¡°Leonhart has not even be an adult yet. And I think it is unfair to decide the crown prince based on one achievement.¡± ¡®That¡¯s not a wrong argument, but what is his intention?¡¯ Everyone was wondering when the emperor continued with a sigh. ¡°I understand your concern for your brother, but I have thought about this carefully and made this decision. Do you really reject it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± The emperor clicked his tongue and sighed. The imperial faction¡¯s subordinates also looked regretful. On the other hand, Grand Duke Wilhelm looked at Eurius with a cold expression. ¡®What is his scheme?¡¯ Those reasons were nothing but excuses. What could he possibly want as a reward for rejecting the crown prince position? As if to answer that question, the emperor spoke again with a tongue click. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, I¡¯ll postpone the crown prince appointment forter. But you still have to receive a proper reward for your achievements. Is there anything else you want?¡± There was Eurius¡¯s trap. ¡°There is one thing I want, Your Majesty.¡± A reward that he wanted instead of the crown prince position! What could it be? The attention in the room was once again focused on Eurius. ¡°Please grant me the authority to create a knight order.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The room fell silent for a moment. This condition was as difficult as the appointment as the Crown Prince. Grand Duke realized Eurius¡¯s intention. ¡®He gives up the legitimacy based on session rights and asks for power instead?¡¯ The biggest authority of the crown prince was to act as a proxy for national affairs based on legitimacy. He could lead the national affairs in the absence of the emperor, as well as create his own faction. Eurius took out only the right to create his own faction and asked for it. The emperor seemed to hesitate for a moment and then turned his gaze to Duke Wilhelm. ¡°Hmm¡­ Grand Duke Wilhelm, what do you think as Leonhart¡¯s guardian?¡± Grand Duke seemed to think for a moment too. ¡®I have already lost half of my shadow. As long as I prevent him from bing the crown prince, my goal is achieved. I don¡¯t want to take more risks here.¡¯ ¡°I think His Imperial Highness Eurius deserves that right for his achievements in this war.¡± ¡°I think so too. If you don¡¯t object, I¡¯ll ept this request.¡± At that moment, an unspoken agreement was reached between Eurius, the emperor, and Grand Duke Wilhelm. But Grand Duke was grinding his teeth inside. ¡®Do you want me to give up the whole empire?¡¯ He had also suffered quite a lot from knight forces in this war. Starting a civil war was not an easy decision. But he had achieved his goal of preventing Eurius from bing crown prince. He interpreted this as a challenge from Eurius to try to suppress or eliminate him with his own faction. More importantly, it was who made this challenge. ¡®The emperor is someone who would fight me head-on, not someone who would think like this.¡¯ Duke Wilhelm realized that this idea came from Eurius¡¯s head. ¡®Do you want to have a real power struggle with me?¡¯ It seemed like a very reckless decision at a nce. Eurius was still a child in his eyes, even if he had gained some support in the north. ¡®But it¡¯s a different story if he has the emperor¡¯s favor.¡¯ Grand Duke felt Eurius¡¯s intention to pressure him gradually with his personal faction. ¡®If His Imperial Highness Eurius challenges me, I¡¯ll ept it. But you¡¯ll regret it!¡¯ At that moment, Grand Duke recognized Eurius as his rival for the first time. He had made him suffer in the north, and he had proposed such a deal. He was not an immature twenty-year-old brat anymore. Eurius also felt Duke Wilhelm¡¯s gaze piercing him and smiled. ¡®This is the first war for you, but the second war for me! I won¡¯t let you win this time.¡¯ Chapter 66: Questions Chapter 66: Questions Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The day before the conference, the Emperor and Eurius had a secret conversation that went something like this. ¡°You want me to give you a chance to create your own personal force?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Emperor looked serious. He knew what that meant. ¡°Grand Duke is not someone you can easily deal with. I admit that you are talented, but I heard that you faced a dangerous situation this time.¡± Eurius opened his mouth again with a stiff expression. ¡°But I think that would be better than a civil war breaking out.¡± However, the Emperor refused once more with a firm tone. ¡°This is for your safety. You can¡¯t stay in the capital forever, and Grand Duke will keep aiming for your life. I can¡¯t stand to see that!¡± Grand Duke was already showing his tant moves. He didn¡¯t dare to touch him in the capital, but who could guarantee that something like the incident in the north wouldn¡¯t happen again? Eurius smiled bitterly at his words. ¡°Then you mean that if I have the ability to protect myself, you will allow me to do it?¡± ¡°Yes. But outside the capital¡­ Huh?¡± The Emperor blinked his eyes. Eurius, who was in front of him, suddenly disappeared. ¡®Is it because of my age that I see things?¡¯ ¡°¡­?¡± But soon Eurius appeared again in front of him. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Emperor groaned. He was also trained as a knight of considerable level. No matter how old he was, he wouldn¡¯t miss someone disappearing in front of his eyes. There was only one possibility that came to his mind if a person could do such a trick. The Emperor looked at Eurius with a surprised expression. ¡°You said you had no talent, but did you already reach it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eurius told the Emperor about how he broke through the fourth stage barrier, excluding the details about the yer¡¯s System. Only then did the Emperor realize why Eurius was able to establish his own force. ¡°But that¡¯s not the important thing.¡± Eurius started to persuade the Emperor again by telling him about the risk of civil war. ¡°It seems that the empire could really be split in half if we¡¯re not careful.¡± The Emperor honestly didn¡¯t care about that. He wasn¡¯t called the Iron-blooded emperor for nothing. But he nodded his head with a pleased expression, contrary to his inner thoughts. ¡°Then try it as you wish. But if you think you can¡¯t handle it, I will make you crown prince and deal with Grand Duke.¡± The biggest reason why the Emperor opposed him was for Eurius¡¯s safety. But if he reached the level of Superhuman, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry much about protecting himself. Moreover, what he appreciated most was Eurius¡¯s discretion in hiding it until now. ¡®It¡¯s a bit annoying that he didn¡¯t tell me, but he had a reason for it and more importantly, he thwarted Grand Duke¡¯s scheme once, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to trust him once.¡¯ He thought that it was a result of many coincidences that things went well in the north despite Grand Duke¡¯s involvement, but if Eurius¡¯s words were true, then it was almost as if Grand Duke got hit hard by Eurius¡¯s surprise attack. ¡®Looking at it overall, I thought he was less intelligent than Leonhart, but it turned out that he wasn¡¯t.¡¯ If he could act like that at his age, then he could trust him and leave him alone for a while. Even after Eurius finished talking and left, the Emperor still smiled and nodded his head repeatedly. *** As soon as the conference ended, most of the officials had to leave with puzzled expressions, except for a few. ¡°Why did he give him only the authority instead of giving him the crown prince position?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? It was also unexpected that the Grand Duke didn¡¯t have much opposition.¡± It was still one of the crown prince¡¯s authorities to have a knight order, even if it was just one. Eurius was still young and had many opportunities to establish his own force, but once he gave him this authority, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to have his own military power like Grand Duketer. In other words, it was almost the same as the Emperor marking Eurius as his sessor without directly appointing him. As expected by the officials, the Emperor nned to gradually increase Eurius¡¯s authority. If he did so, the session structure would be solidified eventually, even if he wasn¡¯t officially crown prince. Of course, this was only possible when Eurius could resist Grand Duke¡¯s interference well. Although they had some kind of negotiation, Grand Duke was still grinding his teeth. ¡®I really need to call Wace and scold him. What the hell did he see for over ten years?¡¯ He avoided the worst situation of the civil war, but Grand Duke was not happy at all. *** On the other hand, Eurius also felt a question from his conversation with the Emperor, although he got what he wanted. ¡®It¡¯s good that he corrected himself, but is he healthy enough to think about starting a war at this point?¡¯ ording to his memory from his previous life, he would ascend to the throne in about five years. But the emperor he knew was different from the one he saw this time. He seemed too vigorous, no matter how he thought about it. ¡®Could there be a reason for my father¡¯s death?¡¯ It was originally a ridiculous story that could beughed off. As far as he knew, his father, the current emperor, died of old age and it was confirmed by the Medit Church who worship the God of Healing. ¡®But there are no impossible things in the world.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t his case like that? yer? Regression to childhood? No one would believe it if he told them. ¡®I have to keep an eye on him. I don¡¯t know what will happen to my father.¡¯ *** As soon as the Emperor gave him permission, the creation of the knight order proceeded quickly. ¡°Move the residence of First Prince Eurius to Eles Pce and station the knight order and guard troops there!¡± Eles Pce was a pce located a little away from the capital. It was rarely used, but it was also a fortress that could defend the way to the capital in case of emergency, so it had facilities to station soldiers. He couldn¡¯t give him territory because he was a prince, but he prepared a basis for him to create his own force. Depending on how much merit he umtedter, he could expand his scale as much as he wanted. Eurius felt grateful for the Emperor¡¯s consideration and started working on creating the knight order. ¡®The first problem is recruiting knights¡­¡¯ First of all, the knights who worked with him in the north were all under hismand. Their loyalty and skills were unquestionable. But they were not enough to call it a knight order, so he nned to recruit a lot of people this time. ¡®I hope some good talents will join me.¡¯ As soon as he posted the announcement, applications started pouring in from all directions. But even as he saw the amount of documents piled up, Eurius shook his head inwardly. ¡®Most of the skilled knights already belong somewhere. It¡¯s not very meaningful to gather them like this.¡¯ His position had risen, but for those who wanted to advance, the prince¡¯s personal knight order was not as attractive as the ancient guard knight order or the central knight order. ¡®I¡¯ll just weed out the trash and gather the ones with some potential and train them harshly. That should do it.¡¯ At least, the knights he brought from the north were quite elite, so he wasforted. ¡®First, I have to decide on the organization.¡¯ The recruitment of knights was ongoing, so he could conduct it when he thought there were enough applicants. ¡°First of all, Heinz, you¡¯ll be themander. You¡¯re the best for it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He answered crisply, unlike his humble appearance. In fact, there was an implicit agreement among the knights who followed Eurius. ¡®Themander should be the most skilled one. Among us, there is no one else but Heinz.¡¯ The next thing to decide was the deputymander. This was also almost decided. ¡°And Linfield, you¡¯ll be the deputymander. You¡¯re good at it!¡± Linfield was also a knight with excellent skills and intelligence. He had outstanding abilities as a lieutenant, so he had faith that he would assist Heinz well. ¡°Thank you for entrusting me with such a heavy responsibility, Your Highness!¡± ¡®So far, it¡¯s practically decided, but the next one is a problem.¡¯ As he thought that, Eurius felt his head ache again. Of course, what he was looking at was a woman standing with other knights. As soon as his knight order creation was decided, Beatrix also volunteered to join. He tried to refuse at first. ¡°Rize, you¡¯ve gained enough experience and merit in the field, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to go back to the Holy Kingdom and focus on training?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still want to stay in the empire.¡± A clear expression of rejection. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so stubborn, so he even sent a letter to the Holy Kingdom. [Duke, your daughter ran away, aren¡¯t you going to take her back?] He wasn¡¯t worried at that time. ¡®That eight-armed duke would use any means to take his daughter back this time.¡¯ But contrary to Eurius¡¯s expectation, the answer was polite but in summary it came like this. [Hmm¡­ We have a reputation as a noble martial family, so we can¡¯t take back our daughter who joined a foreign knight order. She¡¯s immature but please take good care of her.] In fact, Duke Dios was smiling happily. Everything went well anyway, didn¡¯t it? He pushed her to stay in the empire, but he had no intention of bringing her back to the Holy Kingdom. But Eurius was confused. ¡®Huh? That¡¯s not it?¡¯ He thought Duke Dios would drag her back by force, but his expectation was wrong. In the end, his n to send her back to the Holy Kingdom waspletely scrapped. ¡®Well, she¡¯s too determined anyway, and it¡¯s safer for me to keep her than to leave her under someone else.¡¯ Besides, her skills were outstanding. In fact, considering his future ns, he needed more talents than ever. ¡°Rize, you¡¯ll be one of the squad leaders. I know it¡¯s not a position that matches your skills, but you still need to gain more experience.¡± In terms of skills alone, Beatrix was slightly better than Heinz. But she was young and had to get along with other knights, so he decided that putting her in a high position was premature. ¡°I understand.¡± She also didn¡¯te to the empire for promotion purposes, so she epted it willingly. He also appointed a few verified knights as squad leaders andpleted a simple organization structure. ¡°Then focus on training for now. We¡¯ll see who we¡¯ll pick as new recruitster!¡± He still had a weak forcepared to Grand Duke, but he was gradually increasing his people like this. Chapter 67: A Strict Standard? Chapter 67: A Strict Standard? Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Eurius shook his head without changing his expression. ¡°You can go back.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Do I have to say it twice? You failed.¡± The knight who was pointed out felt somewhat wronged. Eurius had only asked him to swing his sword a few times dryly. ¡®Why did I fail?¡¯ The level of the applicants was not much different. He did not do anything rude to the emperor either. ¡°Stop! You passed.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± He looked no different from himself, but he passed and he failed. ¡®At least tell me the reason. Do you think I have nowhere else to go?¡¯ He grumbled inwardly as he left the training ground attached to the Eles Pce. He had some reason to be dissatisfied, but Eurius did not do that because of any feelings for him. ¡®Anyway, the abilities of the applicants are mediocre. I need to recruit people who are persistent and mentally strong so that I can train them hard.¡¯ ¡°Your highness, are you saying that you personally examine all the applicants?¡± The knights all frowned, but they could not stop him from doing so. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for me to see and choose them myself since they are the knights I willmand?¡± ¡®Maybe he wants to remember their names one by one since they are the knights who will serve him?¡¯ ¡®But still, you could have left the first screening to us, Your Majesty.¡¯ However, Eurius¡¯s intention was a little different from that. ¡®It¡¯s a bit annoying, but I have to see it myself to pick them by looking at their stats.¡¯ For example, the knight who just left had stats like this. [Bill Wise] Job: Intermediate Knight Strength: B+ Agility: B Intelligence: C+ Mental: C+ Force Aptitude: B Force: B Disposition: Cheerful, Arrogant [Trait] Swordsmanship (B) ¡®His mental is a problem and his skill is so-so¡­ But he is too confident and arrogant. Fail!¡¯ Eurius¡¯s judgment standard was simple. Unless the applicant was exceptionally talented, he chose cases with diligence, sincerity, and high mental strength. Of course, he met the basic standard of talent, but he thought it was better to choose people with growth potential than those who had achieved some level of sess. ¡®Anyway, I can provide a good training environment for them, so their skills will rise if they work hard.¡¯ The knights who passed this time would probably suffer a lot in the future, so he selected only those who could endure it. And of course, the person who could provide a good training environment for them was Wace. ¡°It¡¯s not someone else but between you and me, right? It will cost a bit to raise a knight order this time¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, how can I refuse Your highness request?¡± ¡®He has no shame at all.¡¯ It was no joke to make and maintain a knight order. From custom-made armor for everyone to well-trained warhorses, and the costs of group training or operations! On top of that, Eurius demanded arge amount of elixirs and force stones necessary for knight training. It was a huge amount of money that would make even Wace wobble in the long run. Eurius thought it was a small revenge. ¡®If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t mess with me from your previous life?¡¯ Wace had no choice but to ept Eurius¡¯s request. First of all, he was the second-inmand of the emperor faction on the surface, so it would be a problem if he did not support the emperor. And Eurius was in a situation where he held his life line. ¡®How did I end up like this? Sigh¡­¡¯ He recalled when he was scolded by the grand duke. ¡°You know what? That bastard first prince turned out to be more cunning than the emperor or Marius. Now that things havee to this point, how are you going to take responsibility?¡± Wace had to kneel down and beg again in front of the duke. He had to keep his head attached first. He had a grand dream of shaking up the empire¡¯s market under him when he volunteered to be the Grand Duke¡¯s spy. ¡®The problem is not that I¡¯m scolded by one side only!¡¯ What made him more angry was that he had to report everything that happened here to Eurius. The Grand Duke coldly pressured him and Eurius smiled and took everything from him. Of course, both of them would not hesitate to get rid of him if they were annoyed. ¡°Sigh¡± Wace¡¯s sigh seemed tost for a while. *** Meanwhile, Eurius¡¯s knight recruitment situation was not so good. ¡®Unexpectedly, there are not many people left after I weed out the weak ones?¡¯ In fact, his eyes for knights were ridiculously high. He grew up surrounded by excellent imperial knights, and the knights he worked with in the north were also elites who were in charge of the main front of the empire. And the important thing was that he realized the importance of power after experiencing the elite group like the ¡®shadow¡¯ of the Grand Duke. ¡®They can¡¯t be all of them. If I know the Grand Duke, he must have hidden at least twice as much power as that.¡¯ Even considering his own strength, the level of the applicants now was far from what he wanted. Generally, the empire¡¯s knight order consisted of a hundred people and twenty people formed a squad. ¡®I want to fill at least the squad leader and deputy squad leader with master level or close knights¡­¡¯ The problem was that the standard was the level of the imperial knights, the best elite in the empire. It was a secret power that the Grand Duke had cultivated for decades with hard work. He who blew up half of that power had such a thought. If he knew this, even the cold-hearted Grand Duke would draw his sword and rush at him. ¡°Fail!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Please tell me why¡­¡± ¡°You have talent but you look insincere.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The knight became speechless. How could the first prince know his personality when he had never met him face to face? It seemed like a baseless usation, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He just didn¡¯t catch the first prince¡¯s attention, that was all. But there was another reason why the rejected knight was flustered. ¡®It was a task entrusted by His Highness the Grand Duke himself¡­ How can I exin this?¡¯ When he heard that Eurius was recruiting knights, the Grand Duke also quickly reached out his hand. ¡®I have to nt some loyalists in the First Prince¡¯s knight order this time.¡¯ The First Prince must becking talent right now. He secretly sent some of his own men who were quick-witted and skilled to apply for the knight order. Of course, it didn¡¯t work. They were also rejected by Eurius¡¯s standards. ¡®Those who look too talented and smart are also out.¡¯ The knight he had just rejected looked suspicious at first nce. He had enough skill to aim for a high position in the central knight order, and his personality didn¡¯t appeal to him either. Because of his strict criteria, he unintentionally got rid of the Grand Duke¡¯s minions, which was a good thing, but the problem was that there were not many left as a result. ¡°Your highness, you have been interviewing for three days already. How about taking a break while you do it?¡± ¡°If they want to join my knight order, they should be willing to endure this hardship.¡± He said it casually, but after three days, hisplexion started to darken enough for the knights to notice. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because he was tired. ¡®There is no talent. Really none.¡¯ The ones who passed his direct examination were barely meeting the minimum standards. It would take at least two or three years to train them properly before they could be called elites. ¡®I thought there would be at least one or two who could be used right away, but it seems like I¡¯m out of luck this time.¡¯ He grumbled inwardly as he looked at the knights today. Then, a young knight caught his eye. Eurius¡¯s first impression of that knight was this: ¡®He looks unlucky and scrawny, doesn¡¯t he?¡¯ His face was handsome and he seemed to have trained well, as he had a toned aura. But from his slow steps to hisnguid eyes, he looked like he was dragged here against his will. ¡®He must be some spoiled son of a provincial noble family. He looks talented, but I don¡¯t need to see his stats to know that his mental strength is a mess.¡¯ But the examination was still an examination. He lifted his eyes and checked his stats window. And then he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly surprised. [Bernard Keynes] Job: Intermediate Knight Strength: B+ Agility: B Intelligence: B+ Mental Strength: B+ Force Aptitude: A+ Force: B Disposition: Lazy, Irresponsible, Kind [Traits] Swordsmanship (B+) It was rare to find someone with a force aptitude above A. He looked like he was in his early thirties at most, and this achievement would put him in the category of a genius. But what Eurius paid attention to was his name and disposition. He looked at the document again. [Bernard Keynes ¨C Eldest son of Keynes Viscount from the south, graduated from the Knight Academy in the capital, no other special notes] ¡®Is that Dull Sword Keynes Viscount? I heard he waszy, but he has been like that since he was young?¡¯ If you asked who was the strongest warrior in the continent, everyone would name the Superhumans. But even without them, there were many famous martial artists in the continent who had their own reputation. In Eurius¡¯s previous life, Dull Sword Keynes Viscount was one of those swordsmen who everyone would mention first among them, excluding the Superhumans. The remarkable anecdote about him was that he only started to gain fame when he was almost forty years old. That meant that he lived quietly in his territory until then and suddenly made a name for himself with an opportunity. And that opportunity was a territorial dispute. Sometimes there were conflicts between provincial nobles over their interests, and the simplest way to resolve them was through proxy duels. They would ept the oue based on the victory or defeat of the knights they sent as proxies. Keynes Viscount¡¯s territory was notrge, but it was a primend in the southern part of the empire. He waszy and entrusted the management of his territory to his steward while he enjoyed himself. The greedy nobles around him couldn¡¯t leave his territory alone. As soon as he inherited the viscount title, they started to challenge him to territorial disputes over trivial matters. But the one who came out as a proxy for the duel was surprisingly Keynes Viscount himself. ¡°Hmm, I have to finish quickly and take a nap, so I can¡¯t keep youpany for long.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The spectators who initially looked at him with disbelief were more astonished by the oue of the duel. Keynes Viscount had his sword on the opponent knight¡¯s neck in a few moves. ¡°It¡¯s over, right? The negotiations behind this will be handled by my representative.¡± This happened several times, and Keynes Viscount never lost a single territorial dispute. When he heard the rumor, famous martial artists from the continent came to find him. Keynes Viscount was very annoyed, but he didn¡¯t avoid the challenge. And after that, his fame rose rapidly. No one could handle his sword that seemed to swing casually. There were only a few among them who could do that. That¡¯s why he got the nickname Dull Sword! He was sozy that he didn¡¯t join the Grand Duke¡¯s side even though he was a southern noble, but anyway, he was a proven person in terms of skill. But Eurius was in a situation where he needed talent urgently. He didn¡¯t have time to consider other things. ¡°Pass!¡± ¡°What?¡± It was like a bolt from the blue for Keynes. He came here with a tant attitude of irresponsibility, but what was this? The people who knew him also murmured. ¡°His highness has a good eye, but can he really adapt him to the knight order?¡± ¡°The instructors at the academy also had a hard time reforming him, tsk¡­¡± ¡°Well, he can¡¯t be irresponsible in front of His highness, so maybe he¡¯ll have no choice even if he¡¯s like that?¡± ¡°No way. If he was going to change, he would have done it long ago.¡± Among the people who looked at him with worried eyes, there was Heinz. ¡°Your Majesty, Knight Keynes is indeed a possessor of outstanding talent, but¡­¡± ¡°Do you know him, Knight Heinz?¡± ¡°He was my junior at the Knight Academy. He was quite a famous entric.¡± ¡°Is there any problem with that?¡± Heinz had an expression of difficulty. It was hard to exin howzy Keynes was with words. ¡°Aha!¡± Eurius got a rough exnation from Heinz and smiled with interest. ¡°Then I want to see him in my knight order even more.¡± ¡°If Your highness says so, I have no choice, but I don¡¯t have confidence in assimting him into the knight order.¡± Eurius smiled slyly. ¡°That¡¯s my role to do.¡± His eyes with a smile on them were directed at Keynes who was standing in the line of passers-by. Shiver Keynes felt an unidentified chill for a moment. The first prince was looking at him with a smile. ¡®There are many ways to reform a disobedient guy!¡¯ Wasn¡¯t he himself the epitome of a disobedient guy in his previous life as the crazy emperor? Anyway, Eurius finally hit the jackpot and felt very good today. Chapter 68: Ranking and Competition Chapter 68: Ranking and Competition Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
¡®I¡¯m going crazy. I was pushed toe here, but why did they choose me?¡¯ Cain was the eldest son of a fairly wealthy noble family. He had a considerable age gap with his younger siblings, so he thought he could easily inherit the title. He also had some talent, so he graduated from the Capital Academy without much trouble(?). The problem was his talent in swordsmanship! As he didn¡¯t have much interest in that. At first, people praised him until their mouths were dry. But that praise didn¡¯tst more than a month and turned into disappointment and criticism. ¡®He has talent, but hecks perseverance and motivation. He won¡¯t achieve greatness.¡¯ The problem was that even considering that, his talent was very outstanding for his age. Bing a knight was not a difficult task for him. But when he returned to his territory, the pressure from the people around him began. ¡°Sir, you have talent in swordsmanship, so why don¡¯t you try to advance in the Capital?¡± ¡°You¡¯re almost thirty years old, how long are you going to live like this?¡± But he stubbornly resisted all this pressure. He had no big problem with inheriting the territory. He could live peacefully andzily for the rest of his life, why would he bother to work harder here? If he had any habit that could be considered diligent, it was swordsmanship training. ¡®I have to exercise to stay healthy and live longer!¡¯ He would wake up in the morning and swing his sword, and spend the rest of the day as he pleased. That was his daily life. ¡®Someday they¡¯ll give up on me, right?¡¯ He applied for Eurius¡¯s knight recruitment just to get away from the nagging of his family and to take a trip to the Capital. He had heard rumors about him at the Academy, and he never imagined that he would be selected. ¡®But what¡¯s going on now?¡¯ ¡°These knights are not officially named yet, but they are the ones I personally selected and approved. I will not spare my support for them, so I hope you will train hard.¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± ¡®I feel like my efforts are finally paying off!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m confident that I can work hard if you give me a chance.¡¯ Most of the knights had lively eyes. They looked full of confidence and hope. Eurius smiled with satisfaction. He had chosen these knights after carefully checking their stats and their character and mental strength. If he trained them himself, their skills would improve day by day. But there was one person who caught his special attention, who was still looking a bit sluggish and answering perfunctorily. ¡®Why does His Highness have to make things so hard for himself? He¡¯s the first prince, he should just give orders from above.¡¯ Cain had a feeling that this knight¡¯s life was not for him from the first day. But he couldn¡¯t help being chosen. He couldn¡¯t say ¡®I don¡¯t want to train¡¯ in front of the first prince. ¡°Then let¡¯s start the training!¡± Usually, the training of a knight order was to set a time for practice and let each one do it on their own. Of course, there were some knights who boldly asked for advice from senior knights ormanders. But that was not enough to increase their power in a short period of time. But there was no choice, because the training methods of knights were usually passed on secretly among master-disciple rtionships. It was even more so for Eurius¡¯s knight order, which mixed knights from different backgrounds. ¡®But it¡¯s different if they have the will and perseverance to work hard.¡¯ ¡°All knights will have the opportunity to receive personal guidance frommanders or higher-ranked knights.¡± The knights in the hall all looked surprised at this remark. This meant that he would share some of his know-how with them. And Eurius added some more radical conditions. ¡°I will also conduct periodic tests through duels. If you prove that you have achieved excellent results in the test, you will receive a special reward for your training.¡± A reward for training would be something they could guess, right? Elixirs, force stones, and other things that were essential for knights¡¯ achievements. As mentioned earlier, most of the applicants were not very noticeable knights. If they were outstanding talents, they would have already risen long ago. Eurius¡¯s words gave them hope. It meant that he would open up a path for them depending on their efforts. At some point, the eyes of the knights were fixed on Eurius as if they were drawn to him. ¡®His highness wouldn¡¯t lie to us.¡¯ ¡®I heard that His highness is also an excellent knight with great talent.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s achievements so far backed up his words. Finally, Eurius made hisst deration. ¡°So I¡¯m going to apply a strict ¡®ranking system¡¯ to this knight order.¡± ¡°Ranking system?¡± ¡°Do you mean you¡¯ll divide us into ranks?¡± ¡°The ranking will be determined by duels, and to prevent excessivepetition, they will be done in front of other knights.¡± Eurius had selected about a hundred knights this time! He intended to give them support based on their pure skills. The higher-ranked knights would receive better support, so the lower-ranked knights would naturally try harder to improve their training. ¡®There has to be a clear reward for the effort to be effective.¡¯ It was the introduction of a perfectpetition system. The reason why this system was radical was not only because it applied to the new knights, but also to the existing ones. ¡°This ranking system will also apply to the existing members. If you lose your rank due to your skills, you must ept it!¡± Eurius finished his speech and smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s start with the ranking. For now, I¡¯ll ban personal duels among the members for a week.¡± Of course, there was no one who expressed dissatisfaction. The knights who followed him from the north believed that Eurius was a fair person as if it was their faith. The new knights were rather grateful for this opportunity. ng! Bang! For about three days, the sound of knights¡¯ fighting and weapons shing continued in the Eles training ground. And at the entrance of the training ground, there was a ranking board written in bold letters. (Temporary name) First Prince¡¯s Knight Order Ranking Board 1st ¨C Beatrice Dios (1st Squad Leader) 2nd ¨C Heinz Brewing (Commander) 3rd ¨C Gareth Linfield (Vice Commander) ¡­ 42nd ¨C Bernard Cain (3rd Squad) ¡®Well, the rankings are not far from what I expected.¡¯ Eurius eximed with a cheerful voice. ¡°Looks like the hierarchy is pretty much settled, huh? Then I hope you all focus on your training.¡± His orders were obeyed by everyone. The knights who ranked high were mostly those who followed him from the north, but he knew that could change in the future. At first, the new knights were not very trusting of him, but after a few weeks, their eyes started to sparkle with determination. ¡®To maintain or improve their ranks, they have to train with a life-or-death attitude.¡¯ The difference in strength between the higher and lower ranked knights was significant. And the promise that the captains and above would guide their subordinates regrly was also kept. It could have been a loss of training time for them, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°I will personally guide the captains and above.¡± He didn¡¯t need to prove his skills to them. They were already aware of his prowess as a Superhuman. For them, it was a great benefit to receive guidance from Eurius in exchange for teaching their junior knights. And so, a month passed by quickly. ¡°The growth rate of our members is astonishing. As you said, having visible rewards really boosts their motivation.¡± Heinz reported with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m also surprised by how effective it is.¡± ¡®Indeed,petition and rewards are essential elements for a group.¡¯ He had consulted the yer¡¯s knowledge when he created this ranking system. [You open the Help menu. ¨C Leadership section] [Rted materials ¨C Motivational leadership, Factors that make new employees grow in apany¡­] ¡®The yer¡¯s world seems to have more equal opportunities than this ce.¡¯ He had been browsing the help menu so much that he had umted some knowledge about the yer. As he understood more aspects of it, he also found more applicable knowledge that expanded his range of use. ¡°But there is one thing I need to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Is it about Cain?¡± Eurius cut off Heinz¡¯s cautious words as if he didn¡¯t need to hear them. ¡°Yes.¡± As Heinz feared, Cain was not taking advantage of this opportunity. ¡°As I told you before, he has a serious w in his personality.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled with mischief. He had not bothered him much until now because he had given him some leeway. ¡®Does he think he can live up to his reputation as a notorious cker in this continent?¡¯ Actually, he could have let him grow at his own pace. He was not neglecting his trainingpletely, even though hecked diligence. But Eurius wanted knights who could be ready for battle immediately, so he needed him to improve his skills quickly. He had some knowledge about this area without even needing the help menu. He knew how to tame someone who could do it if they wanted to. The next day. ¡°I greet Your Highness.¡± Cain entered the inner office with a tense expression. He thought that hisziness had finally been reported to the emperor. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t chop off my head right away, would he? It would be best if he just kicked me out of the knight order¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh, Cain? Is that you?¡± But Eurius greeted him with a bright smile. ¡°I heard that you have a lot of talent.¡± ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ As soon as he heard those words, Cain regarded him as simr to those instructors who had tried to reform him before. ¡®It¡¯s going to be very annoying from now on.¡¯ Cain muttered inwardly, but Eurius continued. ¡°I think it¡¯s a waste of your talent, so I prepared a special training for you.¡± That training was sparring. And he had three opponents. The first one was Heinz. ¡°This sparring will be different from the others. Be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He answered well, but if he could have changed his habits by being trained hard, he would have done so long ago. He was not very enthusiastic. But from the very beginning, Cain had to admit that his smooth life had gone wrong here. Bang! ¡°Cough!¡± With one blow, Cain flew into the air and fell down without any strength. ¡°You¡¯ll get seriously injured if you don¡¯t tense up!¡± Heinz felt sorry for him inside, but he had no choice but to follow the order. He was faithfully carrying out Eurius¡¯s instructions. The second opponent was Linfield. Of course, being from the rough north, he was even more ruthless. ¡°If you get injured and lie down in a real battle, you¡¯ll go straight to hell! Get up quickly.¡± He also mercilessly knocked Cain down and urged him to get up. Until then, he could barely think of it as a harsh training. But from the third sparring, he started to feel that something was terribly wrong. Thud thud thud! ¡°Aaargh!¡± The previous ones had knocked him down with heavy blows, but this opponent was different. He was beaten all over his body with relentless attacks, leaving him no time to recover. ¡°Get up. There¡¯s still a lot of time left.¡± Beatrix looked down at Cain with indifferent eyes. Eurius¡¯s order to them was very simple. ¡°Don¡¯t think of it as training. Just think of it as beating him up.¡± Sparring was usually meant to teach something. Even the brutal training that Eurius had received under the name of Superhuman training had told him what hecked. But this training(?) was different. They just beat Cain up without any teaching purpose or exnation. ¡°This is crazy. I have to get out of here!¡± Cain started to feel threatened for his life after the special training went on for three days. But they didn¡¯t even give him a chance to rest. ¡°He fainted? Apply some medicine and give him some elixir. And let him rest for half a day or so. That should do it.¡± The first prince made a generous decision. No matter how much he was beaten up, he couldn¡¯t die if he received proper treatment and good elixirs. The ones who beat him up were all top-notch knights. They could easily adjust their strength. ¡®What kind of grudge does he have against me?¡¯ Cain was going crazy. Leaving the knight order without permission was a serious crime. He couldn¡¯t say anything even if his head was chopped off. And they didn¡¯t answer him when he asked why they were beating him up. ¡°The first prince must have a reason for this. It probably won¡¯t turn out bad for you.¡± Only Heinz left him with these meaningful words. The reason why the three of them couldn¡¯t answer him was simple. ¡®We don¡¯t know either.¡¯ Chapter 69: The Escape Attempt and the Outcome Chapter 69: The Escape Attempt and the Oue Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
¡°Tsk, tsk, I was envious of him at first, you know.¡± ¡°I wonder what Cain did to make His Highness dislike him so much.¡± The fellow knights looked at Cain with pity as he writhed on the floor like a worm after being beaten up again. It seemed like a great deal at first nce, didn¡¯t it? He got to spar with the top three knights in the order, and even if he got injured, they used precious elixirs to heal him without hesitation. But that was only for a day or two. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a new torture method that His Highness invented?¡± Even those who knew Cain well started to sympathize with him in this situation. ¡°I want to see His Highness.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t grant you permission.¡± Cain failed to meet Eurius again today. The training had been going on for more than a week now. It was amazing that he endured it with his personality. If it wasn¡¯t for the first prince who ordered this, he would have run away long ago. But Cain was reaching his limit. Eurius, from his previous life, knew Cain as someone who spent his whole lifezing around in his territory. ¡®I can¡¯t live like this even if it costs me my neck!¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t answer him and the people who beat him up didn¡¯t say anything either. In this situation, he had only one choice! Midnight Cain was sweating coldly as he hesitated in front of the castle gate. He had finally decided to execute his escape n. But it was natural that he wavered when he stood in front of the gate. ¡®If I run away, I can live anywhere, but it would be a disgrace to my family¡­¡¯ And he had livedfortably as a noble for so long that it was hard to give it up. But he hated dying (or being beaten) like this even more. ¡®Maybe I should just endure it for a few more days?¡¯ As he was thinking about various things, he heard a voice from behind. ¡°What are you doing here at this hour?¡± ¡°Eek!¡± He turned around and felt his heart drop. It was Eurius who greeted him at a time when everyone should be asleep. ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing here at this time?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I thought I¡¯d take a walk around the castle. Did you do the same?¡± ¡°Ha ha¡­ yes.¡± Cain desperately tried to act casual. It was a matter of life and death for him if he got caught. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been looking for me for a few days.¡± Eurius looked at him with a curious expression. But Cain didn¡¯t care about that right now. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to thank Your Highness for giving me such good training!¡± Eurius smiled faintly. ¡°I have high expectations for your talent, Sir Cain. Please don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Cain couldn¡¯t open his mouth that night and couldn¡¯t sleep well either. The next day, he had to suffer from the torture disguised as training again. The problem was that this happened every time he tried to escape. ¡°You really like taking walks at night, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, yes. Ha ha¡­¡± He had some sense. He realized after meeting him three times that Eurius had some reason for tormenting him like this. But how could he ask him directly when it could cost him his head? He had no choice but to agonize over it every night. ¡®Damn it. This is driving me crazy!¡¯ Another month passed like this. ¡°He really has an amazing talent. I can see why His Highness is pushing him so hard.¡± Heinz sighed as he submitted the report for that month. ¡­ 31st ¨C Bernard Cain (3rd Squad) He had only trained properly for a month, but his rank jumped by 10 ces. Of course, part of it was because he didn¡¯t try hard at first, but Heinz also felt that Cain¡¯s skills were improving very fast. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say his personality was the problem? No matter howzy he is, he¡¯ll do something if you squeeze him hard enough!¡± ¡°Buttely he looks so depressed. I¡¯m worried something might go wrong.¡± ¡°I have an idea for that too. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± If you force someone who hates doing something to do it, they will resist at first. But that¡¯s only temporary. If you block all the ways to escape, they will eventually give up and do whatever they can. And the final step is¡­ ¡®It¡¯s time for thest stage¡­¡¯ *** Cainy down on his bed like a corpse after receiving treatment today and thought hard. ¡°Why does His Highness care so much about me trying to escape?¡± His situation was literally a dilemma. He hated receiving this training any longer. But Eurius blocked hisst resort, which was escape. He got up abruptly. ¡°Let¡¯s end this today!¡± He tried to escape for the seventh time today. Of course, as always, Eurius greeted him warmly in front of the gate. ¡°Did youe for a walk again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cain shook his head silently with a determined look. Then he knelt down and handed him something politely with both hands. It was an envelope. [Resignation Letter from the Knight Order] ¡°Please ept it.¡± He knelt down and didn¡¯t get up for a while. The first prince must have had some reason for blocking his escape. ¡®But I can¡¯t live like this even if I die!¡¯ He had reached the end of his patience. He had nothing to say even if Eurius cut off his head right now for trying to leave the order without permission. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius didn¡¯t get angry or look at him coldly. ¡°But I like you, Sir Cain.¡± He smiled slightly after thinking for a moment. ¡°How about we make a bet?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°A duel.¡± A littleter ¡°Are you really going to keep your promise?¡± ¡°I swear on my name. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The condition that Eurius gave him for epting his resignation was this. ¡°If you cannd a single hit on me, I¡¯ll let you go from the order peacefully.¡± Normally, Cain wouldn¡¯t even imagine raising his sword against the royal family with his personality. But he was so fed up with the training for the past month that he couldn¡¯t think rationally. ¡®Just one hit¡­ one hit and I¡¯m free¡­¡¯ He repeated that in his mind as he faced Eurius. Swoosh! At that moment, Cain swung his sword with the most concentration in his life. But his opponent was too strong. Swish Eurius dodged all his attacks with simple movements without even shing swords. But Cain didn¡¯t chase him recklessly. What he needed now was not victory, butnding a single hit on the first prince. ¡®Just one hit!¡¯ At this moment, his concentration and talent, honed by a month of harsh training like a de, created a miraculous feat. Shiiik Unlike the first time, Cain¡¯s sword seemed to swing slowly, as if he was doing it casually. ¡°¡­!¡± But Eurius felt the sword approaching his face in an instant. Surprisingly, Cain¡¯s sword had pierced through his superhuman senses and reached him. Swish! Cain¡¯s sword barely grazed his face and passed by. ¡®I heard it was tricky swordsmanship, but I would have been hit if I didn¡¯t have any prior knowledge.¡¯ He felt relieved, but Cain tried to keep swinging his sword in a trance. ¡®I got what I wanted, so let¡¯s end it here for today!¡¯ ng! Eurius finally swung his sword earnestly and pushed Cain back. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Cain seemed to snap out of his trance and realized that his face was pale. He had just pointed his sword at the first prince¡¯s neck. But Eurius asked him calmly. ¡°That attack was very good. Is it a secret technique of your family?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± His family was not a martial one. He didn¡¯t even know how he moved his sword just now. ¡°It was a pity this time. But if you polish that skill well, you might be able to challenge me with your sword.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Cain was trembling pitifully. He thought Eurius was mocking him. But the result waspletely different. ¡°Although you failed, it was a pity, so I¡¯ll reduce your special training time by a third from now on. The intensity will also be much lower.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡°And the promise about leaving the knight order is still valid. You can go for a night walk anytime you want to quit.¡± Cain couldn¡¯t understand what the emperor was saying. Did he mean that he would let him go if he really hit him? ¡°I know you¡¯re not very diligent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius continued with a regretful tone. ¡°But I don¡¯t like seeing people with good talent wasting it, so I deliberately made you do such training.¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Cain bowed his head deeply. He had been dancing on the first prince¡¯s palm from the beginning. ¡°But I also understand your feelings to some extent. It¡¯s not a bad thing to want to live peacefully.¡± Eurius smiled brightly and gave him hisst words. ¡°So if you want freedom, work hard andnd a blow on me.¡± ¡°I havemitted a grave sin.¡± ¡°No, this is not a joke, but a sincere offer. It¡¯s also a virtue of a ruler to let go of a servant who wants to leave.¡± He put on a serious expression this time. ¡°But your talent is too precious and the knight order hasn¡¯t been established for long, so I¡¯m asking you to think about it.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Soon after, Eurius disappeared in front of him like a ghost. ¡®He mastered the swordless technique faster than I expected. His innate nature is unavoidable, but I have to win his heart before he grows more.¡¯ The strike that Cain showed just now was his own original swordsmanship from his previous life. It looked like he was swinging slowly without any form or technique, but it was an extremely difficult swordsmanship to defend against. [Bernard Cain] Job: Intermediate Knight Strength: B+ Agility: B Intelligence: B+ Spirit: B+ Force Aptitude: A+ Force: B Disposition: Lazy, Irresponsible, Kind [Trait] Swordsmanship (A) Swordless: A free and formless sword style. It is hard to gauge the point of attack and it has the characteristic of confusing the opponent. The enlightenment of the swordless technique could be solved by time, but there was also a high probability of awakening when the mental state was pushed to the extreme. In his previous life, he had realized this swordsmanship while doing his usual morning exercise. If he had trained harder because of hisziness, he might have achieved enlightenment much sooner. ¡®But he might run away before that, and that would be troublesome for me.¡¯ So Eurius tried to keep him by offering him a duel as a condition. But Cain¡¯s talent was much better than he expected, and he seemed to have grasped the sense of the swordless already. ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is his choice.¡± In fact, Eurius thought he knew Cain¡¯s personality better than anyone else. He was a lord who didn¡¯t participate in the civil war even though he had such great power in his previous life. He did it only because he was toozy. He didn¡¯t think it would be a good result if he forced him to stay in the knight order. *** Cain was also lost in thought. Hisziness was like a natural trait and it was not easy to change such a long habit. But the generosity that Eurius showed him this time was too big for him to ignore. The next day. He visited Eurius¡¯s office early in the morning and bowed his head deeply. His purpose was simple. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the knight order.¡± Eurius smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°Good choice!¡± Of course, even after that, Cain was basicallyzy and Eurius made him do harsh training, though not as much as before. But the important thing was that Cain volunteered to stay as his knight. ¡®That¡¯s enough for now.¡¯ He would have to do a lot of activities with this knight order in the future. Then he would have a chance to build trust with him. Eurius had gained azy but skilled knight. Chapter 70: The Request Chapter 70: The Request Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Today, a rare guest visited the secluded temple in the south where Jamir lived. ¡°It is an honor to have you here, Master.¡± Jamir, who usually had a casual attitude, bowed his head respectfully as soon as he saw the guest. ¡°You look well.¡± A hoarse and dull voice of an old man answered Jamir¡¯s greeting. The guest was an old man who looked over seventy years old. His wrinkled face had ck spots and his back was slightly bent. At a nce, he looked like an ordinary elderly person. But no one would think that the old man was ordinary if they saw his eyes. The old man¡¯s eyes werepletely white, without any trace of ck. He was not blind. He just had white pupils that gave him a creepy impression. The old man rolled his white eyes around and then opened his mouth. ¡°You disappointed me for the first time. You should have paid the price for that.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Jamir remained silent and the old man continued. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t trust you anymore. I raised you, after all.¡± The old man slowly lifted his right hand. Even Jamir, who was not easily intimidated, flinched at this moment. That hand was dry and twisted, with bones protruding out. It was a typical hand of an old man, but Jamir knew better than anyone what would happen if that hand touched him. The hand slowly approached him andnded near his heart. ¡®Am I going to die?¡¯ Jamir closed his eyes tightly, but he did not feel the pain he expected. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let this go as a warning. You must have had a reason for failing. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s time to catch the target.¡± The old man slowly walked into the temple. Only after his figure disappearedpletely did Jamir let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That was lucky. I thought he would at least take an arm or something.¡± The part of his chest where the old man¡¯s hand had briefly touched was torn as if someone had cut it with a knife. His bare skin was exposed. He soon stopped sweating and started to smirk again. He had a lot to do now. Even with his position, if he failed again, his life would be in danger. But he secretly thought that there was no way that would happen. ¡°Can that first prince escape from our master¡¯s hand, no matter how lucky he is?¡± His master was one of the seven Archbishops in the Order. To be honest, he thought it was too much to use him to kill one first prince. He wondered if he should send another assassin from his line, but he had no choice but to make sure that he would end the first prince¡¯s life this time, or else his own life would be at stake. ¡®As long as my master is here, there won¡¯t be any problem, but I still have to be careful about the timing of the attack.¡¯ Jamir¡¯s mind began to spin rapidly. *** ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Sir Cain! You¡¯ve improved your skills a bittely, but you¡¯ve bezy again?¡± Cain¡¯s special training still continued in the training ground regardless of rain or snow. He had not gotten rid of hiszy habits yet, but his attitude towards training had improved remarkably. Heinz was secretly amazed. ¡®How did His Majesty manage to tame thiszybones so well?¡¯ Heinz was curious about that, but he could not let go of Cain who had cked off during his training. He was basically gentle, but very loyal to principles as a knight. Thud thud thud! Cain groaned and staggered under his merciless treatment. ¡°Sir Heinz, please be gentle!¡± Another surprising thing was that Cain¡¯s swordsmanship had progressed amazingly. He tried to beat him up seriously, but he did not fall down easily like before. ¡®Well, that¡¯s why His Highness took notice of him.¡¯ Heinz was astonished but also sternly scolded him again. At least he taught him properly unlike before. ¡°You couldn¡¯t block the attackpletely because your lower body defense was weak. Don¡¯t rely too much on your talent and train your basics diligently!¡± He had improved from before, but Cain¡¯s hardship would continue for a while. Eurius watched them with a satisfied smile from afar. ¡®The knights are growing well!¡¯ Of course, what the knights needed was not just individual strength. They also needed to train for group magic battles, and learn the discipline required for group actions by squad. Eurius estimated that it would take about six months for that. ¡®It won¡¯t be toote to start the real activities then!¡¯ ording to his memory, around that time, there would be a suitable incident to test the knights¡¯ achievements. As the knights, including Cain, strengthened their skills, Eurius felt that it was time to pay attention to other things. ¡®Father said he would support me fully.¡¯ The emperor¡¯s support was the most reliable shield for him who had not yet established the foundation of his power. He had regr discussions with the emperor about the future situation after returning to the capital. The emperor no longer treated him as a child. ¡°I never thought I would have this kind of conversation with you. Haha¡­¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes were full of affection and warmth as he watched him. A lot had changed and he had to change more. ¡°Your Majesty, the carriage to the capital is ready.¡± The voice of his attendant interrupted Eurius¡¯ thoughts. ¡°Good job.¡± The distance between Eles Vi and the capital was not long if they rode fast horses. It would take less than half a day. Usually, he would go to see the emperor, but his purpose today was different. The carriage headed to a quiet ce in the city, not the pce. ck ck The ce where Eurius arrived was a building that was still under construction. But unlike other buildings in the empire, it had a sign written in Eastern characters that stood out clearly. [Azure Dragon Trading Company] ¨C Scharnof Branch ¨C ¡°We apologize for inviting you to this humble ce. The building is not yetpleted.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, you¡¯ve already expanded to the capital? Your skills are impressive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to His Highness¡¯s generous support.¡± The person who Eurius greeted was Jegal Geon, the deputy head of the Azure Dragon Trading Company. They had expanded their business from the north like an octopus and finally reached the central part of the empire. This was also thanks to Eurius who threatened Wace and made other tradingpanies in the south not interfere with their expansion. Of course, they felt grateful and somewhat fearful of Eurius. ¡°I don¡¯t have much interest in small talk, as you know. Let me get straight to the point! How is the request I made at Hidden Moon Hall going?¡± He hade to the capital this time for two reasons: to enter the capital of the Azure Dragon faction and to hear their answer. Jegal Gun also had a cautious expression. He and the first prince were now in the same boat. ¡°The order from the Sect is to fully support Your Highness.¡± Thismand was unexpected for him, who had been dispatched to the Eastern Continent. But he had to obey the decision of the Sect. ¡°That¡¯s good news. I appreciate your cooperation once again.¡± ¡°Thank you for your trust.¡± After a warm exchange of greetings, Eurius and Jegal Geon discussed the future requests. ¡°Actually, I have a question and an additional request for you today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°How long will it take for you to advance to the southern part of the continent? And I want to request an investigation on the southern desert kingdom.¡± Jegal Geon thought for a moment and answered confidently. ¡°Assuming that Your Highness continues to support us, I think we can reach the south within two years at most. As for the southern desert kingdom¡­¡± He trusted the experts of Hidden Moon Hall. In fact, the average level of martial artists in the Eastern Continent was far ahead of the Western Continent. And if they were trained by the Sect¡¯s experts, how formidable would they be? ¡°Although not all of Hidden Moon Hall¡¯s forces have arrived yet, it will take some time, but I think we can investigate anyone who is not too powerful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring.¡± But Eurius looked more careful. ¡®They have skills to be proud of, that¡¯s true. But are they underestimating the desert kingdom too much?¡¯ ¡°Then I¡¯ll make a request. The target of the investigation is Jamir, the seventh prince of Parthia Kingdom.¡± And he added cautiously. ¡°It might be a ¡®gap¡¯ level request by your standards. Please proceed carefully.¡± Jegal Geon was startled by his words. Eurius¡¯s request was unusual, and he even knew their request stages in advance. Hidden Moon Hall ssified their requests into four stages:gap, metal, water, wood, and fire respectively. A gap level request was only applied to core figures of major factions or high-ranking officials in Hwan, so he couldn¡¯t help but be serious. He remembered what Jegal Hwayoung had earnestly asked him. ¡®Don¡¯t be surprised by whatever this first prince knows and deal with it calmly.¡¯ Jegal Geon was more of a martial artist than a schr. The reason he came out today was as a proxy for Jegal Hwayoung, the head of the group. He just had to meet the conditions of the other party¡¯s request. ¡°I will keep Your Highness¡¯s words in mind.¡± ¡°Please report as soon as the investigation is done.¡± And that was the end of their deal that day. ¡®The quest is important, but going to the southern desert without preparation is dangerous.¡¯ He nned to investigate both Jamir, whom he had met before, and the Order in parallel. He thought he would find clues to the quest if he dug into their backgrounds. That was how Eurius¡¯s first n ended. He currently ssified his enemies into two groups. The first was an unidentified group called the Order! They were very secretive and he didn¡¯t know much about them even from his previous life¡¯s memories, so they were the group that he had to prioritize and restrain. And the second was Grand Duke. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything tant against him who was under the emperor¡¯s protection yet, but it was time to start a hidden fight with them. ¡®And there are second and third ns as well.¡¯ The second and third ns were not things that he could control, but things that would happen when external factors intervened. ¡®Based on my previous experience, unless I get involved directly, other major events in the continent will happen at the same time.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s gaze was directed to the west of the empire. ¡®The Western Alliance!¡¯ His second n was to trigger a fuse there. Chapter 71: Challenge Chapter 71: Challenge Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The Grand Duke did not show it, but he felt very ufortable every time he attended the recent war council meetings. The reason was obvious: it was Eurius, who sat on one side of the council. ¡°The n to infiltrate spies failed?¡± ¡°The First Prince personally examined them and did not let anyone pass.¡± ¡°How is that possible? We didn¡¯t just send some riffraff, did we?¡± The Grand Duke felt a headache whenever he thought about Euriustely. He realized that none of his ns had seeded in the past few years because of the First Prince¡¯s interference. ¡®There must be something about that bastard.¡¯ It was hard to believe that it was just luck that he avoided his traps so skillfully. The problem was that he had no clue what the cause of his failure was. It was annoying enough that he could not figure it out, but Eurius also acted very rxed at the war council meetings. The princes who became adults had some authority to participate in state affairs. They could express their opinions at the war council meetings and they would count as official deeds. ¡®It feels like there are two emperors sitting there. How can a brat who just turned twenty be so familiar with the meetings?¡¯ Of course, Eurius spoke from the side of the emperor¡¯s faction and shared his thoughts on state affairs, but it was hard to ignore his words because of his recent achievements and the emperor also subtly supported what Eurius advocated, so the Grand Duke¡¯s faction lost momentum continuously. It was as if the situation had changed from the emperor versus the Grand Duke to the emperor & Eurius tag team against the Grand Duke, so naturally he lost his influence. This was also one of the factors that the emperor and Eurius intended. The First Prince¡¯s achievements were not only about martial arts. ¡°You have already umted enough martial arts in the north. I think it would be better for you to participate in internal affairs at this point.¡± ¡°I will follow your will, Father.¡± As he said, now was the time to build up his foundation and achieve other things. That meant strengthening his political position. He had been a part of state affairs in his previous life, even though they were not well managed, and he had also experienced being an emperor while suffering from the Grand Duke¡¯s faction. It was different from before, when the emperor stood firmly by his side. What was there to be afraid of? Thus, today¡¯s war council meeting also flowed smoothly in favor of the emperor¡¯s faction. ¡°Then, we will reject the proposal to lower the nobility tax, which was today¡¯s main topic.¡± With that deration that ended the meeting, the faces of the nobles from the Grand Duke¡¯s faction darkened. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ ¡®What is the Grand Duke thinking?¡¯ ¡®I have to console those stupid guys again today. What a useless job.¡¯ The Grand Duke also felt bitter. He was the strongest warrior in the empire and had thergest single force, but he never dared to think about overthrowing the empire with just that. [The ¡®Shadow¡¯ group, a secret military organization that he raised] [The force of the southern nobles who supported him] [The connection with the Desert Kingdom through Wace] If one of these three things went wrong, it was almost impossible for him to overthrow the empire as he wished. That was why he volunteered to represent Wace and their interests whileining that there were no talents among the southern nobles. But as Eurius and the emperor kept pressuring them at the war council meetings, there was no way that there would not be a rift among the nobles who followed him. ¡°What is the Grand Duke doing?¡± ¡°At this rate, there is no difference from when His Majesty was young.¡± A few years ago, it was quite difficult to break down the opinion of the nobility faction, but as the power of the officials who followed the emperor increased with the development of the north and Eurius¡¯ military exploits, the situation gradually changed. There were hardly any proposals from the Grand Duke¡¯s faction that were approved at the meetingstely! It was inevitable that they would be dissatisfied in this environment. As they were leaving after finishing their discussions among themselves, a loud voice suddenly rang out. ¡°Your Majesty! An urgent envoy from the Western Alliance has arrived.¡± ¡°The Western Alliance?¡± ¡°Did theye toin about this year¡¯s tribute?¡± There were murmurs among them. The Western Alliance was a group of seven kingdoms in the northwest of the empire. Each country was a small kingdom with little power, but they were hard to ignore as an empire when they united. Sometimes they caused trouble for the empire over tribute or trade issues. But the purpose of the envoy who came today seemed to be different. The envoy, who said he came from the Carvan Kingdom, one of the Western Alliance, knelt down as soon as he entered and began to plead. ¡°Your Majesty, the great emperor of the empire, I beg you to save our kingdom!¡± ¡°What is wrong with the Western Alliance?¡± The emperor asked with a curious expression. ¡°That is¡­¡± The envoy of the Carvan Kingdom exined the situation with a desperate expression. Even though it was called an alliance of kingdoms, there was usually a country that acted as the leader. That was the Carvan Kingdom. It was the most influential among the seven countries that formed the Western Alliance. But there were also several kingdoms that were dissatisfied with that and they seemed to have started a civil war within the alliance. ¡°Your Majesty! Our Carvan Kingdom has maintained a close rtionship with the empire for two hundred years since the establishment of the empire. Please show us mercy.¡± The Scharnos Empire was the only empire on the continent. It was also the duty of the empire to mediate disputes between kingdoms. There was nothing that made the Carvan Kingdom particrly disliked by the empire as the leader of the Western Alliance. They used that as a pretext to request salvation from the empire. ¡®This meeting will be longer than I expected.¡¯ The first prince thought that the war council meeting was over, but he summoned his officials again to discuss this issue. The conclusion was already clear. They had a reason to send salvation to the Carvan Kingdom and the empire would take as much benefit as they shed blood in return. ¡°Then, who do you think is appropriate to send as themander of the expedition?¡± The emperor¡¯s question was met with silence in the hall. And strangely enough, their eyes were all focused on Eurius. He smiled inwardly. ¡®As expected.¡¯ He knew what wasing when the envoy entered. [The Great Turmoil in the West] In fact, a dispute between kingdoms seemed like nothing to the empire, but this incident was quite big. This civil war would unify the seven countries of the Western Alliance into a single country in less than five years. The reason why they focused their attention on him now was something like this: ¡®He¡¯s not going to go to war again, is he?¡¯ ¡®Actually, whoever goes as themander, it¡¯s a golden opportunity to build up military achievements.¡¯ The continent had been rtively peaceful under the leadership of the empiretely. The opportunities for warriors to umte military achievements were very limited. It was only one great victory, but Eurius¡¯ reputation had risen so high in the north because of that reason. It seemed like it was not a difficult task to lead the empire¡¯s elite troops and suppress the rebellion of small kingdoms. The nobles from the Grand Duke¡¯s faction were tense. ¡®If we let the First Prince gain more military achievements here, it will be really dangerous!¡¯ Eurius had already proven his military ability in the north. It would not be strange if the emperor appointed him as the expeditionmander. The Grand Duke also had to think for a moment. ¡®At least, shouldn¡¯t the second princee to the capital by now?¡¯ The second prince, Leonhart, was still stationed at the southern front. He had achieved remarkable feats of arms, but they were overshadowed by Eurius¡¯s achievements. The northern front was already at peace, while the southern front was still in a state of minor skirmishes. However, this deployment was an urgent matter and there was no reason to waste time by recing themander. Of course, they could send himter, but if Eurius became themander, there would be no need to send two princes to the same front. On the other hand, the emperor looked at him with a curious expression. He wondered what he would choose this time. ¡°It seems that your subjects want to hear your opinion. First prince Eurius, who do you think is suitable for this deployment?¡± Eurius pretended to ponder for a moment. Everyone in the hall held their breath and watched his lips. ¡°I would like to participate if I could.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°But!¡± He changed his words with a regretful expression. ¡°The training of the knight order that I epted is not yet finished, so it would be difficult for me to go.¡± At that moment, the nobles of the Grand Duke faction sighed in relief. ¡®Well, he must have decided that he had enough achievements and didn¡¯t need to go to the far west.¡¯ ¡°But I have a rmendation for themander.¡± His words made the subjects perk up their ears again. What did he mean by that? The onlymander that the prince knew personally was Count Anderson, who was guarding the northern front. Eurius spoke with a serious expression. ¡°As you know, the imperial third army was formed for the northern war, but they ended up doing nothing because the war ended quickly. I think it would be fair to give them another chance.¡± Whisper whisper ¡°Is he talking about Count Perez?¡± ¡°Did he impress the first prince when he returned to the capital?¡± The emperor also looked at Eurius with surprise for a moment and then nodded. His words made sense. The third army had gone all the way to the north but barely contributed to the war. Giving them another chance was a reasonable excuse. ¡°Is there any objection to Eurius¡¯s suggestion?¡± Of course not. The central military officials were on the emperor¡¯s side, but they didn¡¯t need to send their soldiers to help another kingdom. They were satisfied with the result that Eurius didn¡¯t participate in this war. ¡°Then let¡¯s appoint Count Perez as themander again and send him to the west!¡± The emperor¡¯s decision was swift. He didn¡¯t want to send Eurius, who had enough achievements, to a dangerous battlefield. Eurius added one more thing with a casual expression. ¡°Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. I have something to ask Father.¡± *** The Grand Duke was lost in thought in his carriage heading back to his territory after the emergency meeting ended. ¡®First prince¡­ what is he thinking?¡¯ He could understand that he didn¡¯t want to go to war because he felt threatened by an assassination attemptst time. But his request this time was quite odd. The emperor raised his eyebrows at Eurius¡¯s sudden words and asked. ¡°What do you mean by asking? What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Eurius smiled and answered. ¡°I want to send my knight order to the royal martial arts tournament team event this summer. I want them to gain some real experience with my guidance.¡± The emperor looked worried. ¡°It¡¯s been only three months since you formed your knight order. Are you sure they are ready for the team event?¡± ¡°Of course they are not fully skilled yet. It¡¯s just my intention to give them some experience.¡± The royal martial arts tournament was apetition held every three years in the empire where martial artistspeted. It was one of the festivals that honored the will of Scharnos, the great emperor who revered martial arts. The team event was where knight orderspeted against each other. Some foreign knight orders also participated and it was a very entertaining spectacle as almost all of the imperial knight orders joined. ¡®Some experience¡­ he says that but it sounds suspicious¡¯ The emperor granted his permission easily but the Grand Duke felt uneasy. The team event had been one of his ways of building his reputation for a long time. The Golden Lion knight order raised by Grand Duke Wilhelm! They were his best personal force excluding his shadows and they wereposed of elite knights only. ¡®Does he want to challenge my Golden Lion knight order with his ragtag knight order?¡¯ The Grand Duke made a doubtful expression but he couldn¡¯t ignore it since he had been hit by Eurius¡¯s tricks many times. ¡®I better prepare thoroughly just in case.¡¯ He knew that Eurius¡¯s knight order had some talented people. But his knight order was much better in terms of overall quality. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the first prince is aiming for but I can¡¯t refuse such a challenge!¡¯ The Grand Duke smiled grimly. The royal martial arts tournament was not a friendly event. Thepetition was fierce and idents could happen. *** ¡®He must be plotting something to humiliate my knight order with an overwhelming defeat.¡¯ Eurius was also thinking about various things in his carriage returning to his pce. The western upheaval was his second trap and the third one was the royal martial arts tournament. ¡®Are there only three months left?¡¯ He was also eager to win. He had lost many of his elite knights in the north while fighting the Grand Duke¡¯s dogs. ¡®Let¡¯s see who will have trouble in their knight order this time!¡¯ Chapter 72: The Inside Story Of The Western Front Chapter 72: The Inside Story Of The Western Front Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
A few days after Eurius¡¯s appointment as the chief of staff and the deployment to the western alliance, a messenger from the Grand Duke arrived at the southern front. ¡°So, ording to this letter, you want me to leave the south for a while and build up some military achievements on the western front?¡± ¡°That is the Grand Duke¡¯s intention. But he said that the choice is yours, of course.¡± The messenger, who was one of the Grand Duke¡¯s confidants, knelt down and answered in front of Leonhart. ¡®This is just a way of telling me to go up there, right?¡¯ Although he was a prince, he had been a good nephew who followed the Grand Duke¡¯s words for a long time. Even if he refused here, there was a high possibility that the Grand Duke would send more messengers ore personally to persuade him that this was a golden opportunity. ¡®I don¡¯t really feel like it.¡¯ In fact, it was hard to make any significant military achievements by going therete and suppressing a few rebellions of small countries. ¡®But it¡¯s better than doing nothing, right?¡¯ He thought sourly to himself, but Leonhart nodded his head. ¡°Tell him that I¡¯ll be there soon. And thank him for giving me this chance.¡± ¡°You have made an excellent choice, as expected of your highness.¡± ¡®Yeah, right¡­¡¯ He had never used the so-called ¡®vulgarnguage¡¯ unlike Eurius, but not because he didn¡¯t know how to. But he didn¡¯t decide to go to the west just because he cared about his uncle¡¯s wishes. ¡®I can also see my brother¡¯s face on my way up to the capital and breathe some fresh air instead of this annoying desert.¡¯ To be honest, Leonhart was very curious about the rumors that had spread throughout the empiretely. He didn¡¯t think Eurius had the ability to achieve such amazing military achievements, based on hisst memory of him. And there was also that strange guy who still visited him regrly. He probably wouldn¡¯te all the way to the capital. ¡°It¡¯s been two months since west met. Are you interested in doing business with us?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Leonhart looked at him with an incredulous expression for a while. He was so used to his periodic visits that he almost felt familiar with his voice. ¡®Should I just tell the Grand Duke about him?¡¯ If they could sneak into the prince¡¯s residence for almost a year, they must have a powerful force behind them. But he had a reason not to do that. ¡®Does the Grand Duke¡¯s faction need any more wings?¡¯ He thought that his chances of bing the crown prince were quite slim by now. So he hoped that Eurius and the Grand Duke would fight each other until they ran out of steam. Leonhart didn¡¯t consider either the imperial faction or the Grand Duke¡¯s faction as his allies from the beginning. That was why he could think like that. ¡®If my brother dies and the Grand Duke¡¯s faction loses a lot of power, that would be the ideal scenario for me.¡¯ ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°We know we are suspicious. But what if we do something that proves our credibility?¡± The masked man usually asked his intentions briefly and left, but today he unusually brought up another matter. ¡°¡­?¡± Leonhart felt that he smiled behind his mask that only showed his eyes. ¡°Do you know about the royal martial arts tournament that will take ce this summer? We will take your first brother¡¯s life there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡­¡± The royal martial arts tournament was a big event that was favorable for assassins to infiltrate. But the guards who protected the royal family in the capital were not a joke either. ¡°As we told you before, nothing bad will happen to you, your highness. And we heard that you are going to the west for a while. We wish you good luck.¡± ¡®They knew I was going to the west and they nned to assassinate my brother¡­¡¯ The Grand Duke¡¯s letter had arrived not long ago. He hadn¡¯t even officially announced his intention to go up yet, but they knew about it. That meant their intelligence was not ordinary. ¡®They are not trustworthy after all.¡¯ Leonhart hardened his face. He had no interest in bing an emperor who was only a shell. What would he do with their dubious power? ¡®But my brother¡¯s assassination is interesting.¡¯ Could they really seed in killing a royal family member in the capital? And without causing any harm to him? As soon as such a suspicious incident happened, the Grand Duke who backed him up would be suspected first, and then himself. That was where his interesty. He spoke to the masked man who was about to disappear quietly as usual for the first time. ¡°Wait!¡± *** ¡°Your Majesty, Count Perez has requested a meeting with you.¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± Eurius greeted his guest who came to his pce today with a smile. ¡°Your highness, thank you so much for entrusting me with this deployment!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you miss the chance to earn any merit because of mest time? It¡¯s just my way of showing some consideration!¡± Eurius weed him warmly as if it was nothing, but Count Perez was at a loss for words in front of him. ¡®Was it worth it to serve(?) his majesty diligently on my way up to the capital?¡¯ He knew that Eurius, who was known for his fairness, had taken care of him who had barely achieved anything in thest war. He had some acquaintance with him, and it was better to know him than not, right? The deployment was urgent, so he had to leave soon, but it wasn¡¯t so urgent that he couldn¡¯t visit the pce near the capital. He thought this was an opportunity to make another impression on him. But Eurius didn¡¯t favor Perez because he liked him. His real purpose was the person he brought with him. ¡°By the way, you brought Devan with you? I thought he was still a low-ranking staff officer. He must have impressed you a lot, huh?¡± ¡°Haha, isn¡¯t it the empire¡¯s policy to favor young and talented people? He¡¯s a capable friend as your majesty said, so I promoted him a lot recently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, your highness!¡± As expected, Perez brought Devan, who he thought had yed an important role in making him look good in front of the prince. ¡°How is the situation of the third army? I¡¯m worried that there might be some problems with your strength because of the long march¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been resting for several months, haven¡¯t we? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem to face a few kingdoms.¡± ¡®It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, as he said, but I should let him know anyway.¡¯ As they exchanged some casual talk about the expedition, Eurius suddenly remembered his original purpose and brought it up. ¡°By the way, weren¡¯t you from the Kingdom of Carvan, Devon?¡± Devon looked surprised. He knew that Eurius was interested in him, but he never dreamed that he would remember his origin from a small western kingdom, let alone the Western Alliance. ¡°Yes, I am. I didn¡¯t expect you to know that.¡± ¡°I heard it somewhere.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Count Perez looked at Devon with a new interest. This expedition was a war to help the Kingdom of Carvan and suppress the other hostile kingdoms of the Western Alliance. If he was from that kingdom, he would be somewhat familiar with the culture and geography of that ce. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? If you¡¯re from there, I¡¯ll have to listen to your opinions more in this war.¡± ¡°I was going to tell you after we deployed, but I guess it¡¯s out now.¡± Eurius smiled triumphantly. ¡®It seems like there won¡¯t be any problem now, but if his origin is revealed properly, I can use him more effectively.¡¯ Now that he had mentioned it himself, Devon¡¯s opinions would carry a lot of weight in this war. When the conversation was about to end, Eurius asked Perez to step aside for a moment. ¡°I want to talk to Devon about some unfinished stories from our academy days. Can I borrow him for a while?¡± ¡°We still have plenty of time. I¡¯ll wait outside then.¡± After sending Perez away, Eurius and Devon finally faced each other. Devon looked somewhat puzzled. Of course, Eurius was a great benefactor to him, but why did he care so much about him? He had done enough for himst time. But he had some sense. He didn¡¯t think that Eurius had called him separately just to hear some stories from the academy. As he expected, Eurius opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°Devon, I think this war is a great opportunity for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I gave the 3rd Legion a chance as well. My words at the academy were not empty. I saw your talent and wanted to keep you by my side.¡± ¡°Your highness is too kind.¡± Devon couldn¡¯t hide his gratitude. He had shown his abilities at the academy, but he was still a low-ranking staff officer without any notable achievements. Yet Eurius trusted him and cared for him. He was the one who had gained a great reputation recently. He was very thankful for that. ¡°But unfortunately, neither you nor I are in a good position to stay together.¡± Eurius didn¡¯t have the authority tomand an army yet, and Devon was still a mere staff officer. They wanted to work together, but there was no way. ¡°So I want you to make a brilliant achievement in this war. I think you have enough ability to do that!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. No, I¡¯ll definitely do it!¡± Devon knew what Eurius wanted from him and answered with confidence. He wasn¡¯tcking in confidence in his abilities either. But if Eurius had arranged for Perez to push him forward like this, he could now voice his opinions more actively. That meant he could change the course of the war depending on his abilities. ¡°Then work hard ande up to where I am! I¡¯ll support you as much as I can until then.¡± Eurius patted Devon¡¯s back. Devon¡¯s growth was indispensable for his future ns. If he rose to a higher position, it would be a great help for him to build his own faction. ¡®And there¡¯s no way Devon will fail in this war. The war will be almost over before Leonhart can do anything.¡¯ The Grand Duke would probably send Leonhart to the west in a hurry, but he could only send him as additional support. If Devon was as capable as he knew, he would have already made a remarkable achievement by then. This was not an expectation but a certainty. This was where Devon Calios, whopeted for the best strategist in the continent in his previous life, started his brilliant career. In his previous life, Devon didn¡¯te to the Empire, but he started from a low-ranking staff officer of the Kingdom of Carvan and gained recognition for his abilities through this war and gradually became famous in the continent. Eurius also heard that the Western Alliance, which consisted of seven kingdoms at this point, became one under the Kingdom of Carvan thanks to Devon¡¯s outstanding performance. ¡®Leonhart wille up to the west and get nothing. This is a good opportunity to raise Devon¡¯s reputation!¡¯ This was the core of his second n. No matter how talented he was, he couldn¡¯t use him well in the Empire¡¯s culture that valued abilities without a proper achievement. ¡®Please do as well as you did in your previous life, Devon!¡¯ Chapter 73: Reason Chapter 73: Reason Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Jamir scratched his head and asked. ¡°You¡¯re taking over the assassination of the first prince?¡± ¡°It seems that the higher-ups have approved it. Even the Archbishop came here, it¡¯s so embarrassing.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that we made a big mistake by failing twice¡­¡± Jamir looked at the order that had just arrived from the upper echelon with a troubled expression. [As part of the n to shake the empire, the request for the assassination of the first prince is temporarily transferred to the Bartuk faction.] ¡°The Bartuk faction¡­¡± Their sect also had factions ording to their branches. Just as they mainly handled assassinations, the characteristic of the Bartuk faction was that they had many disciples who specialized in frontalbat. ¡°What if those brute guys really n arge-scale attack to kill one first prince in the imperial capital?¡± ¡°I heard that they sent a considerable number of knights and priests after hearing that we failed twice.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we help them?¡± ¡°I tried to say it in advance, but aren¡¯t there many stubborn people on that side? We don¡¯t get along well with them either.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Jamir clicked his tongue. It seemed that they didn¡¯t want to share the credit with them. It would have been much easier if they helped them, who specialized in assassination, but it was a problem caused by their bad rtionship with the Bartuk faction, which had many pure warriors. ¡°How do I exin this to Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jamir and Shim Bok were silent for a while. What would happen to their master, who was an Archbishop expelled from their faction, if the Bartuk faction seeded in the request that they failed twice? ¡°I think we might die?¡± They couldn¡¯t help but pray earnestly at this moment. ¡®I hope that the first prince¡¯s skill is better than expected and he survives.¡¯ *** At that time, the emperor and Eurius were talking about the royal martial arts tournament. ¡°I roughly understand your intention, but do you have to participate in the martial arts tournament at this point? I heard you only founded your knight order half a year ago.¡± The emperor wondered why he had to do it. Did Eurius really want to give his knight order some experience by participating in the martial arts tournament? But Eurius had his own reasons for carrying out this n. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s a pretext.¡± ¡°A pretext?¡± ¡°If I get good results in this martial arts tournament, won¡¯t there be more ces where my knight order can be active?¡± ¡°Your words are theoretically correct, but¡­ There are many formidable knight orders in the empire. And it¡¯s hard topete with the Golden Lion Knight Order of Grand Duke.¡± It was natural for the royal martial arts tournament to be won by the Grand Duke almost every time. Their record was overwhelming. The history of the royal martial arts tournament was quite long, but at least for the past twenty years, the Golden Lion Knight Order had never lost. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we defeat them? It would be fun to see Grand Duke¡¯s face if we lose this time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®He must have some thoughts on this, right?¡¯ It was definitely a good event to ruin Grand Duke¡¯s external reputation. What if he lost to a new knight order that was founded just half a year ago? Eurius opened his mouth again. ¡°And actually, there are many benefits if you win the martial arts tournament, right? I have a few things to ask you personally if I win.¡± ¡°Heh, you have some requests¡­?¡± If he won with a new knight order, Eurius¡¯ requests would be almost granted as his status would rise. The emperor chuckled. He hadn¡¯t even started yet, let alone won, but Eurius seemed to think he had already won. ¡®He doesn¡¯t think Grand Duke will give up easily, does he? He might get a worse result than not participating if he¡¯s careless.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t help but have some expectations because of Eurius¡¯s achievements so far. ¡°Then let¡¯s say you won and what do you want to ask?¡± Eurius changed his expression to a cautious one. One of his real reasons for participating in the martial arts tournament was here. ¡°First of all, I want to ess the royal report as a personal request.¡± ¡°The royal report?¡± The emperor looked at him with a surprised expression. The royal report was literally the treasure house of the royal family. The only thing that was unusual was that only the emperor who had properly seeded to the throne could open it, so only the emperor could grant ess. ¡°Is there anything you want there? Don¡¯t tell me you believe in some nonsense like the legendary weapon or something¡­¡± ¡°Haha, of course not. I just found some interesting items while researching the history of the empire and I want to take a look.¡± The emperor didn¡¯t believe his words either. He was curious about Eurius¡¯s recent moves and was investigating them. ¡®There are definitely some things he¡¯s hiding from me¡­¡¯ But unlike his inner thoughts, the emperor easily agreed. ¡°It¡¯s not much to see, but that¡¯s not a difficult thing. Then what¡¯s your second request?¡± ¡°Actually, the second one might be a bit difficult. I think I need to do this much to have a pretext for participating in the martial arts tournament.¡± Eurius answered with a worried expression. His real goal was to ess the royal report. The other goals, such as ruining Grand Duke¡¯s reputation, were secondary. He believed that there was something worth it in the royal report. ¡°If you say it¡¯s difficult, it must be quite a difficult request. Just tell me what it is.¡± Eurius began to speak with a still cautious expression. ¡°Actually, this is a request rted to my knight order.¡± After finishing his conversation with the emperor and leaving the pce, one person approached Eurius cautiously. ¡°I have something to tell you, your highness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The person was careful to speak. It was a rather sensitive topic. ¡°Actually, the second prince asked to see you.¡± ¡°Leonhart wants to see me?¡± Eurius nodded his head. He and Leonhart were known as enemies in the pce. It was understandable that the person was hesitant to speak. ¡®He must havee up to the capital for a while to be dispatched to the western front.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s nothing difficult for brothers to meet! Where is Leonhart now?¡± He epted it willingly, unlike what the person thought. In fact, it was not a bad thing for him to see Leonhart. ¡®Rather, he¡¯s a guy I can¡¯t see often, so it¡¯s good that I have a chance to observe him.¡¯ He followed the person and arrived at a separate room in the pce. ¡°Second prince! The first prince has arrived.¡± ng! ¡°Brother, I¡¯m d you¡¯re well! Pleasee in.¡± Surprisingly, Leonhart opened the door himself and greeted him warmly. At that moment, Eurius smirked inwardly. ¡®He seemed cute when he was young, but his head is still big and he looks like a snake, just like in his previous life.¡¯ ¡°Long time no see, brother. We were both busy on the front lines, so we couldn¡¯t even have a simple meeting. But you came up just in time, that¡¯s good.¡± Eurius also entered the room with a friendly expression and sat across from him. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look much different from a few years ago, does he?¡¯ That was Leonhart¡¯s first impression of Eurius. In fact, he had been puzzled by his brother¡¯s reputationtely, which was far from the person he knew. But of course, Eurius didn¡¯t seem to have changed much. On the other hand, Eurius also had some doubts about his younger brother. ¡®Why did such a smart guy y the role of a puppet for the Grand Duke in both lives?¡¯ [Leonhart von Scharnos] Job: Emperor, Intermediate Knight Strength: B+ Agility: B Intelligence: A+ Spirit: A+ Force: B+ Force Aptitude: A Personality: Cold, Ambitious, Charismatic [Traits] Imperial Bloodline ¨C You have inherited the yer¡¯s bloodline. All your abilities grow faster. Versatile ¨C You learn any field faster and more proficiently. ¡®Nothing much has changed, huh?¡¯ It was true that he had exceptional talent because of his yer¡¯s bloodline. But there was something that didn¡¯t match Eurius¡¯s expectations. ¡®Did he have nothing to do with those cultists or whatever until this point?¡¯ As far as he knew, the emperor¡¯s death and those cultists had nothing to do with the Grand Duke. Then the only suspect was this guy, but Leonhart didn¡¯t seem to have any connection when he looked at his stats. Besides, Eurius didn¡¯t know much about him in his previous life either. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look like someone who would bow to the Grand Duke ording to his personality stats. It¡¯s strange.¡¯ Leonhart must have had something else to rely on besides the Grand Duke in his previous life. But he still couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Of course, despite these inner thoughts, the conversation they had was cordial. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your achievements in the north.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve also done quite well in the south¡­¡± They were busyplimenting each other¡¯s faces, but their minds were working hard. Leonhart actually wanted to see Eurius because of the assassination proposal that those suspicious people made. ¡®I didn¡¯t give them a definite answer, but if they really seed in assassinating my brother, this will be thest time I see him.¡¯ But he heard an unexpected question from Eurius. ¡°Oh right! I forgot to ask you something since you were in the south.¡± ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen people wearing ck masks in the southern desert?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Leonhart was inwardly shaken, but he hid it perfectly. How did Eurius know about the masked ones? ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such people. Is there a problem?¡± Eurius bit his tongue. Leonhart¡¯s expression was so wless that he couldn¡¯t tell if he was really clueless or pretending to be ignorant. ¡®I just asked him casually, but there¡¯s no gain.¡¯ Eurius opened his mouth again. In fact, the incident where he was attacked by those masked ones in the north wasn¡¯t widely known, but the emperor and the Grand Duke knew about it, so it wasn¡¯t something to hide from Leonhart. ¡°Actually, I almost died because of some ck-masked bastards in the north.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were threatened with assassination.¡± But Leonhart couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty when he heard that. He didn¡¯t explicitly ept their cooperation, but they might have done something. ¡®Is he asking me this to test me?¡¯ Leonhardt interpreted Eurius¡¯s question as a warning or a probe. ¡®Then it means that those masked ones are definitely his enemies.¡¯ Then they might be useful to him in some way. Time passed as they tested each other and soon it was time for Eurius to leave. ¡°I hope youe back safely with more honors from the western front.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well in this royal martial arts tournament.¡± They both ended their meeting with friendly greetings as they started, but their hearts were different. ¡®He must be hiding something¡­ I need to meet him more often and observe him.¡¯ ¡®If they do as they promised and assassinate my brother this time¡­.¡¯ Chapter 74: Declaration of Victory Chapter 74: Deration of Victory Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
A month had passed since the issue of deploying troops to the western front, where various interests were intertwined, was settled. Like usual, Eurius was watching the training of the knights from early in the morning. ¡®Now it feels like a real knight order. The only thing left is to show some results.¡¯ ng! ng! ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, but your footwork is slow! Focus on practicing your steps!¡± The training in the practice field was fierce. And among the knights, it was already a well-known story, but it was also the day when Eurius would make his official announcement. ¡°Gather! After today¡¯s training, there will be a message from His Highness the First Prince as promised.¡± Soon, about a hundred knights lined up orderly in front of the practice field. Eurius opened his mouth with a smile on his face. ¡°I think many of you already know, but I have some news to tell our knight order, so I called you.¡± He dered in a quiet but powerful tone. ¡°It seems that our knight order is finally taking shape, so I decided to enter our knight order in the group tournament of the royal martial arts tournament this time!¡± Whisper whisper It was a fact that many people already knew, but there was still a murmur among the knights. ¡°A prime tournament might be worth a try, but isn¡¯t a horseback spear tournament or a regr tournament too hard?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s taking us for the purpose of gaining experience.¡± ¡°Anyway, we have a chance to test our training results!¡± The knight order had been repeating training and training since its establishment. In fact, since the royal martial arts tournament was one of the best festivals in the continent, their expressions could not help but be bright. ¡®The reaction is not so bad. This should be enough to expect something.¡¯ Eurius smiled inwardly, but opened his mouth again with a seemingly stern expression. ¡°You may all have different thoughts, but what kind of results do you expect from this martial arts tournament?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± This was something that even the captains and above-level knights, including Heinz, could not easily answer. Objectively speaking, the current strength of the knight order was not weak. But this martial arts tournament was a group tournament as its name suggests, and it was not easy to get good results with just a few knights¡¯ skills. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt!¡± Eurius uttered a shocking statement here. ¡°Our knight order will aim for overall victory in this martial arts tournament. I hope you all do your best!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Most of the knights had lost their words. They were objectively not a weak knight order, but no matter how they thought about it, they did not have enough power to win. But looking at Eurius¡¯s expression, it didn¡¯t seem like a joke at all. With that said, that day¡¯s assembly was over. Most of the knights dispersed with an expression of not knowing what to do. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit too much for them.¡± As the captain, only Heinz quietly came to Eurius and expressed his concern. But he smiled quietly and asked Heinz. ¡°Then what do you think is the limit realistically?¡± Heinz had something in mind, so he opened his mouth without hesitation. ¡°The horseback spear tournament would be at best in the upper middle rank. And if it¡¯s prime, we might be able to aim for first ce. But if overall victory is our goal, then we have to worry about the regr tournament.¡± Heinz¡¯s thoughts were rational. The royal martial arts tournament group tournament scoredprehensively on the basis of three matches. The first was the horseback spear tournament. Most knights practiced swords, but spears were useful when charging on horseback or breaking through enemy lines, so they had to have at least some skills. The horseback spear tournament was literally a match where they formed a formation with spears and fought against other knight orders. This was not only important for individual skills, but also for how well they assisted each other among knights. Therefore, knight orders with a long history of battling together had a much greater advantage than the quality of knights. The second was the prime tournament. This was literally no different from a group duel as one would normally think. They chose three skilled people from each knight order and gave victory to whoever had more wins. Eurius¡¯s knight order had excellent skills among the top-ranked knights. Just Beatrice and Heinz alone could easily take two wins. The problem was the third regr tournament. This system was a device to prevent certain knight orders from getting good results in the martial arts tournament with just two or three outstanding knights. The condition was that knights who were already famous in the continent or who held a certain position in the knight order could not participate. Of course, it was impossible to have good skills even for ordinary knights unless they had a decent talent pool. ¡°Hmm, then what do you expect the overall results to be?¡± ¡°Honestly, we need some luck with the draw. Except for the Golden Lion Knight Order, we have a good chance of winning the regr tournament because we can deploy the elites from the north.¡± ¡°Is the problem still the Grand Duke¡¯s knight order?¡± ¡°Yes. If we don¡¯t meet them early, we might be able to aim for second ce overall if we¡¯re lucky.¡± In fact, that alone was an unbelievable result for a knight order that was half a year old. But Eurius wanted to break the Grand Duke¡¯s nose with this opportunity. ¡®Besides, there¡¯s no way that old man won¡¯t interfere with this opportunity.¡¯ The Grand Duke was not someone who would leave his knight order alone as it rose. He would try to defeat his knight order thoroughly, either openly or secretly, to break his momentum. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was second or third ce. The fact that he lost to the Grand Duke¡¯s knight order itself would dampen the morale of the imperial faction. The Emperor also trusted Eurius, but he was worried about it on one hand. The record of the martial arts tournament was a double-edged sword. *** ¡°Did you call me?¡± The Grand Duke summoned the shadows again for the first time in a long time since the northern war. ¡°Some of you will have to go to the royal martial arts tournament that will be held this time.¡± Dmitri and the others looked puzzled. Didn¡¯t the Grand Duke already have an official direct knight order, the Golden Lion Knight Order? ¡°To be precise, you¡¯ll have to temporarily join the Golden Lion Knight Order.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± They eximed only then. They realized the Grand Duke¡¯s intention. ¡°First of all, Dmitri! I trust that you won¡¯t fail this time.¡± ¡°Thank you for giving me another chance!¡± The Grand Duke also named a few shadow-level captains. ¡®I didn¡¯t really want to use this kind of trick against the young first prince, but I have to be prepared for any case.¡¯ He smiled triumphantly. He had eyes and ears. He thought he knew enough that some of the knights in the First Emperor¡¯s knight order had formidable skills, even though most of them looked like a bunch of riffraffs to him. ¡®He probably wants to score well in the horseback spear tournament and then aim for overall victory by winning both the prime and regr tournaments¡­ But I can¡¯t let him have either of them.¡¯ The highlight of the royal martial arts tournament was of course the prime tournament, where the best knights shed. The score of the horseback spear tournament was not that high. In fact, the Grand Duke was not very worried about the prime either. He trusted the Golden Lion Knight Order as much as the shadows. The reason he summoned the shadows was entirely to secure a sure victory in the regr tournament. The knights trained by the shadows naturally had no reputation. He could temporarily join them to the Golden Lion Knight Order and disguise them as ordinary knights and send them to the tournament without any problem. The Grand Duke thought he highly valued Eurius. He expected that he might face him in the final if he was lucky with the draw. But as far as he thought, there was almost no chance of losing in the tournament if he slightly hurt his pride and did this much. The shadow-level captains were all skilled enough to be captains or vice-captains in any knight order. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be bad to step on the First Prince¡¯s knight order once with this opportunity.¡¯ It would be quite a sight to see his face and the faces of his subordinates and that damned First Prince, who would lose overwhelmingly to them in the martial arts tournament, which was almost their first career since they made their knight order. *** A week after Eurius¡¯s shocking deration of aiming for overall victory! Finally, the list of participants for the knight order¡¯s tournament was announced. ¡°Think of it as gaining experience and don¡¯t feel pressured in the horseback spear tournament. But the knights who participate in the tournament will have special training separately!¡± The knights looked at the list posted in the middle of the practice field with curious eyes. [Prime Tournament Participants List] Beatrice Dios Heinz Brewing ¡­ There was no need to look at this much. As expected, the knights from first to tenth ce ording to the existing ranking participated. They had to y three matches, but they had to have a total of ten people because of the knights¡¯ stamina or injury problems. But when they saw the list of regr tournament participants, their eyes widened. [Regr Tournament Participants List] Bernard Cain ¡­ Eurius von Sharnos The person written at the end of the list was surprisingly Eurius himself. The lower down on the list, the more likely they were to be candidates with little chance of participating, but it was quite surprising that he himself participated in the tournament like an ordinary knight. ¡°Cain is a skilled guy, but is he saying that His highness himself is participating?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no big problem with the rules, but¡­¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s leading by example to boost our morale?¡± The new knights all tilted their heads, but those who followed him from the north nodded as if they understood. ¡®Indeed¡­ If His highness goes out himself, maybe we can hope for victory¡¯ Very few people knew Eurius¡¯s true nature yet. What was known externally about his achievements in the north was his ability as amander. The training of captain-level knights was also done without showing it to ordinary knights, so new knights did not know much about Eurius¡¯s level as a warrior except Cain. Of course, those who knew his skills exactly were all on his side. ¡°The regr tournament is 3:3 anyway, right? We just need to get two wins. We have one person who can guarantee us almost one win.¡± Heinz smirked. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Captain Cain. Judging by how fast his skills are growing now, if he improves a little more in the remaining time, he¡¯ll be able topete with any captain-level knight from the Golden Lion Knight Order.¡± And he didn¡¯t stop him when Eurius said he would go out himself. He also lost quite a few knights who had shared hardships with him in the north. It was a bit unfair, but it was the Grand Duke who made a move first. ¡°If His highness goes out himself, we might be able to aim for overall victory.¡± ¡®There¡¯s another benefit to that.¡¯ Eurius smiled inwardly. Of course, this was the case when the martial arts tournament went normally. He had a lot of things to do to crush the Grand Duke¡¯s tricks, if any. Whisper whisper. ¡°You may all have a lot of questions, but for now, trust me and follow me.¡± At Eurius¡¯s words, the new knights also became serious again. In fact, it had been half a year, but he was a fair and exemry superior to them. ¡®Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a knight order that we had high expectations for at first. If His Majesty says so, we just have to follow him.¡¯ After that, the knight order¡¯s training changed to special training for the martial arts tournament. ¡°Ordinary knights, focus on the horseback spear tournament training for now. If you don¡¯t score well there, overall victory is impossible.¡± Of course, one person was an exception among the ordinary knights. Eurius smiled and pointed him out. ¡°Captain Cain, you will have to extend your special training time for a while.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± It was a pity for him, but he had high expectations for him in the regr tournament, so it was inevitable. ¡®Is there about two months left?¡¯ That¡¯s how the royal martial arts tournament, which would be full of talk and trouble this year, was approaching. Chapter 75: Preliminary Round Chapter 75: Preliminary Round Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The capital city of Sharnof was already one of thergest cities on the continent. But now, with the festival just a week away, it was literally crowded with people. The Royal Martial Arts Tournament was finally approaching in a week. ¡°Today, the Bronze Cross Knights of the Holy Kingdom are entering the city. Do you think they will make it to the top three this time?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°No, they will. The Western Alliance¡¯s Vingoro and their top-ranked knights couldn¡¯t make it this time, so they have a good chance!¡± The capital city became bustling with people a month, no, a week before the tournament started. There was a reason for that. It was because the parade of the famous knight orders from various countries and regions within the empire was quite a spectacle. Of course, the reaction of the weing crowd varied depending on the reputation and quality of the knight orders. ¡°That¡¯s the Eastern Third Knight Order, right? They should be d if they can settle in the middle or lower ranks this time.¡± The knight orders that received lukewarm reactions were mostly those with low achievements or poor knights. On the other hand, the knight orders that received tremendous wee were mostly those that had made a name for themselves on the continent. After a few knight orders had passed by, the highlight of today¡¯s parade finally arrived. The reaction was explosive, iparable to any other knight order. ¡°Woah! It¡¯s the Golden Lion Knight Order!¡± ¡°They already have an unprecedented record, but if they win this year, it will be their tenth victory, right?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s kind of boring. It¡¯s like a tournament where the winner is already decided.¡± As the spectators said, the Golden Lion Knight Order from the south, led by the Grand Duke, was impressive. First of all, their size was different from other knight orders. The number of squires and apprentice knights who followed behind the knights riding horses at the front was not inferior to that of an average knight order. People came to watch the Royal Martial Arts Tournament to see the Golden Lion Knight Order dominate thepetition! These days, there were people who said that it was no different from a fixed match because of their overwhelming strength. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough of the Golden Lion Knight Order. Let¡¯s go back to our lodging now.¡± The main attraction had entered, so there was nothing more to see. The crowd that had gathered like clouds began to thin out. There were still some knight orders with big names entering, but none of them received half as much wee as the Golden Lion Knight Order did. Being undefeated in any field had its own weight. tter, tter. Finally, when most of the weing crowd had left, a small group of knights began to pass through the gate. They were not veryrge in size, and what was peculiar was that they did not have any emblem or motto that symbolized their knight order. Seeing their strange appearance, some of the curious spectators began to observe them. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching the tournament for over twenty years, but I¡¯ve never seen them before. They must be a newly established knight order.¡± Their curious eyes soon moved past the knights and to the g they were carrying. ¡°Wait! That g is the royal g!¡± ¡°Then are they royal guards? Is that possible?¡± Then a small exmation came from among the crowd. ¡°Oh, I remember seeing him at the coronation ceremony. He¡¯s His Highness Eurius, the First Prince!¡± ¡°Then is his knight order his personal guard or something?¡± ¡°Long live His Highness Eurius!¡± It had been just over a year since the Northern War ended. There were still many people who remembered Eurius¡¯s name. But his knight order was not well known, so there was little or no reaction from them. ¡°Don¡¯t pay too much attention to their reaction right now.¡± Eurius, who was riding a horse at the front,forted his knights who had bitter smiles on their faces. ¡®When this Royal Martial Arts Tournament is over and my knight order leaves through this gate, their reaction will surely change.¡¯ That¡¯s why he nned to participate in this tournament to make that happen. In fact, there weren¡¯t many knight orders on the continent that had usible names attached to them. Most of them were divided into First Knight Order, Second Knight Order, or Eastern, Western, etc., which was moremon. If there was a knight order with a separate name, it was likely to be a knight order with a long history and achievements. For example, the Golden Lion Knight Order of the Grand Duke was a name bestowed by the emperor himself after he ascended to the realm of the superhuman and umted considerable achievements. Eurius was confident that this tournament would give him that achievement. That¡¯s why he deliberately didn¡¯t make any shoddy names or mottos. *** ¡°Father Gideon, we have received information that the target has entered the capital.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The man called Gideon rubbed the snake-like tattoo on his wrist and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that they failed twice already in the Pluto branch. But it will be different if we step in. Right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°We, the Bartuk branch, are different from those who make money by assassination.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Gideon nodded with satisfaction and got up from his seat. ¡°As you said. But they are also one of the seven branches of the main temple of the cult. Don¡¯t becent.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°The timing of the attack will depend on the opportunity, but I think it would be best to do it during the tournament.¡± ¡°I heard that the emperor also watches the matches. Wouldn¡¯t the security be tighter?¡± One of his subordinates asked with a puzzled expression. But Gideon had a different idea. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re aiming for. If the elite knights are all stuck to the emperor¡¯s side, what will happen to the prince¡¯s guard at the arena?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± They understood then. Of course, it would be very difficult to escape if they touched the prince in front of many eyes. But they were basically fanatics. They were willing to throw away their lives at any time to ensure their target was eliminated. Chapter 76: The Incident in the Finals Chapter 76: The Incident in the Finals Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The next event after the tournament preliminaries was the horsebackncebat. However, this was not a very popr event among the spectators, as it had a low score and was rather dull. It was mostly about charging in a formation, and itcked the excitement of the knights¡¯ fights using force. ¡°It¡¯s not a morous event, but we need to get some points for the overall victory.¡± Eurius was not too worried. He had trained them hard, and more importantly, the senior knights who would be the backbone of the formation were of excellent quality. ¡®It¡¯s not entirely an empty promise to give them some experience by participating in this martial artspetition.¡¯ Unfortunately, except for Cain, the new knights¡¯ skills were still far from being the main characters of this martial artspetition. But a knight order was not run by a few skilled knights alone. The horsebackncebat was a necessary step to increase the cohesion of the knights. ¡°I trust you all.¡± Eurius shook hands with each knight and encouraged them with words. He wanted to make sure that they were not just extras in this martial artspetition. ¡®His Highness seems to have high expectations for this martial artspetition.¡¯ ¡®Maybe he is really aiming for victory.¡¯ The performances of some knights in yesterday¡¯s preliminaries were dazzling. What knight would not want to be in the most honorable ce with their affiliated knight order? With Eurius¡¯s encouragement, his knight order performed much better than he expected. Heinz reported to Eurius with a bright expression. ¡°We made it to the semifinals. It¡¯s an unexpected achievement.¡± ¡°The problem is that our next opponent is the Golden Lion Knight Order.¡± Heinz¡¯s expression hardened slightly. To be honest, they were too much for them at this point. *** The rules of horsebackncebat were simple. Since it was not a real battle, the knights wore fragile practicences and thick armor, and decided the winner by horsebackbat. It was also forbidden to infuse force into the weapons to increase their strength. That would make the oue depend too much on individual power. What was needed was the individual knight¡¯s quickness and the ability to maintain formation! Of course, physical enhancement by force was also important, so it was not that skilled knights were not needed. However, no one could withstand a concentrated attack from a dense array ofnces. The conditions for a knight¡¯s elimination were falling off the horse or breaking thence. ¡°I heard you did well in the preliminaries. How about His Majesty First Prince¡¯s Knight Order?¡± Horsebackncebat was not very popr, but there were always fanatics in any field. One of them was an old nobleman with a dignified appearance who nodded his head. ¡°They will have a hard time with this event. They are behind in both experience and skill.¡± With various murmurs, the match finally began. ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Hehehe!¡± Dududu! The Golden Lion Knight Order raised their speed first and charged with a fierce momentum as soon as they started. Eurius watched the match with a cold expression. ¡®This doesn¡¯t look good.¡¯ If the opponent used such a brute force from the beginning, they had no choice but to raise their speed and collide head-on. ¡°Everyone, focus on maintaining formation!¡± With Heinz¡¯s shout, the two knight orders shed head-on. Kwaang! A dull sound of metal hitting metal and dust rose up. ¡°Tsk, they are still too weak overall.¡± Eurius bit his tongue as he saw through the dust and confirmed the result of the first sh. Many of his knights had fallen off their horses or broken theirnces and had to retreat from the ranks. He had tried to prevent the formation from copsing by cing elite knights here and there, but since the quality of the elite knights of the Golden Lion Knight Order was simr, it did not have much effect. After the charge, there was only a melee left. But there was not much hope for his knight order that had lost a lot of its formation. On top of that, the Golden Lion Knight Order took out some of their knights and turned them back tounch a surprise attack. Eurius had no choice but to make a decision. ¡°Stop! We admit defeat.¡± They suffered a loss in the charge, and they could not withstand such an attack. As Grand Duke said, his knight order hadpletely lost. Eurius frowned. ¡°Are there any seriously injured knights?¡± ¡°Fortunately, none of the knights who are going to participate in the tournament are injured. But some of the regr knights have suffered severe injuries. To be honest, I think we were very lucky.¡± But Heinz also rarely spoke with a bitter voice. ¡°They were trying to provoke us from the first charge, and even after the oue was decided, they deliberately tried to cause more injuries to our side. If Your Highness had not made a quick decision, the damage would have been much worse.¡± Grit. Eurius clenched his teeth. Grand Duke, you really mean it, don¡¯t you?¡¯ He did not expect it, but he did not expect him to pick a fight right from the horsebackncebat, which was not very important. ¡®Let¡¯s see who wins in the tournament.¡¯ He had lost the horsebackncebat to Grand Duke, but he had achieved a higher rank than he had expected. *** ¡°You did well in the horsebackncebat.¡± Grand Duke summoned the officers of the Golden Lion Knight Order for the first time in a long time. It was to crush Eurius¡¯s knight order thoroughly in tomorrow¡¯s final tournament. ¡°Gilbert, Hendricks, you two have to show your skills in the tournament as well.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± They were the core officers of the Golden Lion Knight Order and his disciples whom he had raised with care. They were going to participate in the prime tournament. And he did not forget the shadows, including Dmitri, who he had brought in case of emergency. ¡°You guys, crush the First Prince¡¯s knights in the regr tournament.¡± Grand Duke had already obtained some information and went to watch the preliminaries of Eurius¡¯s knight order for a rare asion. The conclusion was that there were more formidable ones than he thought. ¡®They have enough power to make it to the finals. The First Prince¡¯s challenge to me was not based on groundless confidence.¡¯ Especially in the case of Heinz and Beatrix, who were participating in the prime tournament, he thought that their skills were not inferior to those of the Golden Lion Knight Order¡¯s officers. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter in the regr tournament.¡¯ However, Grand Duke was confident of winning overall. Even if there was an unexpected result in the prime tournament, there was no chance of him losing as long as he had put shadows in the regr tournament. ¡®The First Prince may have some luck with talent, but the result will be the same.¡¯ Finally, the day of the tournament finals came. Eurius smiled with satisfaction after seeing the bracket. ¡®Fortunately, we are in the opposite group from the Golden Lion Knight Order. We¡¯ll meet them in the finals.¡¯ ¡°But our first opponent is not easy. It¡¯s the Bronze Cross Knight Order of the Holy Kingdom.¡± But Eurius smiled at Heinz. ¡°You must feel pressured as a leader, but you don¡¯t have to be too humble. There is no knight order that canpete with us until the finals in the prime tournament.¡± Today was the main event of the royal martial arts tournament, which could be called the highlight of the festival. Apart from the battlefield, there was no other spectacle where the outstanding knights couldpete with their full strength. This was why the stands of the arena were already filled with heat. ¡°Who do you think is the eye of the storm in this tournament? Which knight group has the most chance of winning?¡± ¡°It has to be the First Prince¡¯s knight group, right?¡± At first, people thought they were a hastily assembled knight group, but their reputation soared rapidly after the first and second days. There were some knights who showed impressive performances in the preliminary rounds, and even though the horsebacknce skillspetition was not very popr, it was impossible for ordinary knights to rank high in it. People¡¯s attention was naturally drawn to the first match of the main event. ¡°The Bronze Cross knight group is a traditional powerhouse in this tournament. The question is how well the First Prince¡¯s knight group can defend themselves.¡± That was the general prediction, but when they saw the first result, everyone was speechless. ¡°He defeated Sir Florence so easily¡­¡± The Bronze Cross knight group was one of the top three knight groups in the kingdom. Of course, their officers were alsoposed of remarkable knights. But they lost without even fighting fifty bouts against the knights from the First Prince¡¯s knight group. Especially, Sir Florence, the leader of the group, had to kneel before a young female knight without even fighting thirty bouts. ¡°Haha¡­ It seems that Duke Dios had a reason for not having a sessor.¡± The man from the kingdom looked at Beatrix with a bitter expression. He was old enough to have half-white hair, and he had a lot of experience. But he waspletely defeated by her, who looked like she was not even twenty years old. ¡°I am far from my father. You are too generous.¡± She gave a brief answer, but it also left a strong impression. After that, the First Prince¡¯s knight group¡¯s prime tournament was literally unstoppable. They advanced to the final without losing a single match in the main event. ¡°This tournament has a scary new powerhouse. They might even defeat the Golden Lion knight group.¡± ¡°No matter how young they are, can they do that?¡± The main event progressed for half a day, and the First Prince¡¯s knight group became a strong candidate for winning the tournament. ¡®This is ording to n.¡¯ Eurius thought that his knight group had enough ability to win the prime tournament without his intervention. But he needed to step in a little for the general tournament. The opinions of the crowd were divided on the general tournament. ¡°The general one seems a bit shaky, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°They were overwhelming in the prime one, but I guess they are still not fully grown because they have a short history.¡± As they said, Eurius¡¯ general tournament was not as smooth as his prime one. Even if he won, it was by a narrow margin or he barely got two wins after one loss and one win. But there was a reason for that. ¡°Sir Jamie will go for the next match. He should be able to win by a slight margin.¡± In fact, there were ten candidates who could participate, but in most cases, it was more efficient and faster to send out only the best three. But Eurius deliberately hid himself and Cain in order to prepare for the final. And he started to use the remaining eight as much as possible and win the tournament faithfully. He was a martial artist who reached superhuman level. His eye for skill was quite urate. He could also see their stats, so he could know their tendencies and characteristics as well. He could almost certainly predict their wins and losses. To the audience, it seemed like he barely won many matches, but Eurius sent them out with confidence. ¡®As long as I get two wins, I can advance.¡¯ Eurius decisively gave up on matches that he could lose and preserved his knights¡¯ stamina while securing two wins. As a result, it looked precarious, but his general tournament was also sailing smoothly by his standards. He could easily advance to the final. ¡®If only that cunning Grand Duke didn¡¯t y tricks, I could have gone up morefortably.¡¯ Originally, he nned to use himself and Cain actively to give an overwhelming impression in both tournaments. But after seeing the Golden Lion knight group¡¯s matches, he had to change his strategy. The Grand Duke tried to hide them, but they couldn¡¯t escape his eyes that could see stats. Come to think of it, it was suspicious in the horsebacknce skillspetition too. No matter how strong they were, it was too easy for their formation to copse like that. At that moment, Eurius¡¯ eyes turned to the general knights of the Golden Lion knight group. ¡®They are the Grand Duke¡¯s subordinates that I saw in the north. And one of them is almost a superhuman level knight. He must be the leader of those guys fromst time.¡¯ Eurius looked at Dmitri and pondered. ¡®I can handle him, but I don¡¯t know if Cain can deal with the other one.¡¯ Cain had grown rapidly recently, but he was still a step behindpared to the Grand Duke¡¯s subordinates. ¡®I need to prepare some countermeasures somehow.¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t expect that the proud Grand Duke would tantly cheat like that. Of course, the Golden Lion knight group on the other side of the bracket advanced to the final with an overwhelming record of no losses. It was the result of mobilizing the Grand Duke¡¯s secret forces, so it was natural in a way. Meanwhile, there were others who were waiting for the final to start. ¡°Father, it seems like thest match will start soon.¡± ¡°Is everything ready?¡± ¡°The inmates have blended in with the audience smoothly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, but the most important thing is to target him precisely. We will execute the n as nned.¡± Gideon was aiming for a clear opportunity to catch Eurius. It didn¡¯t matter if it was during or after the match, as long as it was when his guard was down. ¡°Then we will start the final match.¡± Eurius, Grand Duke, Order. No one knew yet what the oue of this final match, where these three forces were intertwined, would be. Chapter 77: The Final Match And The Stakes Chapter 77: The Final Match And The Stakes Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The sound announcing the start of the final match echoed and the knights began to enter the central arena. ¡°Huh? Why are there only twenty of them?¡± ¡°The regr tournament still has some matches left.¡± ¡°So we have to wait for the final match until then?¡± As the voices of the spectators reached him, the nobleman who was in charge of hosting the event looked embarrassed. ¡®This tournament ended too early for the prime tournament.¡¯ Normally, the final matches of both tournaments entered together and proceeded in the order of regr-prime. It was natural because the prime tournament, where the best knights gathered, had high expectations. But the problem that urred this time was that the prime tournament ended much faster than the regr tournament. The knights of Eurius and the Golden Lion Knight Order, these two knight orders, had no fierce battles and overwhelmingly crushed their opponents, so the time to reach the final match was shortened. ¡®I can¡¯t make the spectators wait idly either¡­¡¯ The person who ultimately received this awkward report was the emperor. But he asked back with a nonchnt expression. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we start with the prime first?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Your Highness, but then the reaction of the spectators¡­¡± ¡°What do you think, Grand Duke? I think this tournament has a lot of things to see in the regr tournament as well.¡± At the emperor¡¯s question, Grand Duke also opened his mouth without any change in expression. ¡°I think it doesn¡¯t matter if that¡¯s what your Majesty intends.¡± It was a trivial conversation, but it contained various intentions. ¡®Didn¡¯t Eurius say he woulde out in the regr tournament?¡¯ The final match was essentially a confrontation between Eurius and Grand Duke, and the emperor was more interested in the regr tournament side. It was the same for Grand Duke. ¡®The first prince seems to be confident in his skills, but it won¡¯t be easy since I sent a shadow.¡¯ That¡¯s how the final match of the prime tournament started first. ¡°I hope you have a fair and splendid match.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about Count Gilbert¡¯s reputation. I look forward to sparring with you.¡± ¡®A fair match¡­¡¯ The leader, Heinz, politely shook hands with the middle-aged knight while making a bitter expression inside. That middle-aged knight was Count Gilbert, the leader of the Golden Lion Knight Order. He was treated as nothing less than Grand Duke¡¯s disciple externally and was one of the top knights in the empire excluding superhumans. Sending him out first meant that he had a firm intention not to give up victory to Eurius¡¯ side. Heinz didn¡¯t have much trouble either. The order of appearance was already decided. Swoosh. A knight of small stature slowly moved onto the arena. Eurius¡¯ vanguard was Beatrix. ¡°Hmm? The one on Prince Eurius¡¯ side is that female knight?¡± ¡°The opponent is the leader of the Golden Lion Knight Order, isn¡¯t he? She did show an impressive performance, but does she have a chance?¡± A murmur broke out among the audience. She had proven her skills in the main match, but she was still no different from an unknown knight. At least in terms of external reputation, it was a difference between heaven and earth. The emperor also watched the scene with an amused expression. In fact, he had been quite interested in her since the time of Beatrix during the Northern War. ¡°She¡¯s from Dios Duke House of Holy Kingdom, right?¡± ¡°Yes. She is a knight who Prince Eurius brought as a friend when he went to study abroad.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± There were also many people who were curious about the direction of the final match in the audience. It was mostly about money. ¡°Does that female knight, who looks like she¡¯ll break if you hit her, have a chance against Count Gilbert? This match is not worth watching.¡± ¡°Who knows? After all, Dios Duke House is a famous noble family in the Holy Kingdom.¡± Of course, most of them bet on Golden Lion Knight Order, so they didn¡¯t have a good evaluation of Beatrix. ¡°Geon, what do you think?¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure.¡± Jegal Hwayoung looked at him with a puzzled expression. He had never given such a vague answer in this tournament before. ¡°So you mean they are equally matched?¡± ¡°Their martial arts realms seem to be not much different. But if I had to say, that middle-aged knight has an advantage in terms of conditions.¡± Jegal Hwayoung realized what he was implying with his evasive answer. ¡°But with His Highness¡¯ insight, anything could happen, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And the duel of martial artists is full of variables, especially among the experts.¡± The emperor, who was watching from the stands, was also somewhat doubtful. ¡®Does she want to face Gilbert head-on?¡¯ The emperor acknowledged Beatrix¡¯s skill. But that was different from the oue of the match. ¡®She has achieved remarkable feats at this age, but Gilbert has the upper hand in terms ofpatibility and experience.¡¯ Being a woman was not a big disadvantage for knights who could use force. They mightck basic physical strength or endurance, but they had the benefit of being light and flexible. But when the realms were simr and the opponent had more experience, the difference in basic physical conditions was significant. ¡®She might fight evenly or even have the upper hand at first. But eventually, she will run out of steam and fall behind.¡¯ The emperor thought that Gilbert, who was cunning, would have the advantage if he dragged the match into a long battle. ¡°Beatrix Dios.¡± ¡°Golden Lion Knight Commander Gilbert. I hope for a good match.¡± Gilbert had the Grand Duke¡¯s request and he was not careless, but he also did not doubt his victory. ¡®He told me to focus on defense and drain her strength.¡¯ Shriek! As soon as the match started, Beatrix¡¯s body disappeared as if it vanished. She closed the distance of several meters in a blink of an eye and thrust her sword fiercely. ¡®She¡¯s fast. But not fast enough to escape me!¡¯ But Gilbert was also one of the best knights in the empire. He quickly assumed a defensive stance, as he expected her move. He moved smoothly like flowing water, as befitting one of the best knights in the empire. ng! From the start, there was a fierce explosion and the match went as the emperor predicted. Beatrix used her main weapon, speed, to attack swiftly. Gilbert defended skillfully against her attacks. Every time their swords shed, a loud shockwave shook the arena. Jegal Hwayoung scowled and opened her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t see it clearly with my eyesight, but it looks like a close match. But won¡¯t she be at a disadvantage if she raises her pace like that from the beginning?¡± But Jegal Geon, who was watching closely, finally gave a definite answer. ¡°I think His Highness¡¯ side will win.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She looked surprised when Jegal Geon confidently dered the result of the match. ¡°Did she hide her skill or something?¡± Kwaah! Before she could finish her sentence, another explosion erupted in the arena. The one who staggered back was Gilbert. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Gilbert spat out curses in his mind as he fended off her attacks. He was not supposed to be pushed back so much by Beatrix. ¡®I got caught up in her pacepletely. How can such a thin arm deliver such a heavy blow?¡¯ Beatrix¡¯s attacks were much stronger than in previous matches. Gilbert was caught off guard by her unexpected power and his posture copsed in an instant. Of course, the emperor¡¯s insight was notpletely wrong. Gilbert and Beatrix were both martial artists who were close to superhumans, and their realms were not much different. Jegal Geon saw Gilbert being pushed back while barely blocking her attacks and lowered his head as he answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly either, but unlike His Majesty, I think my insight is not wrong this time. It¡¯s not her achievement as a martial artist, but maybe she revealed some hidden trump card.¡± The reason why Beatrix could perform well this time was because of her core. The reason why it was not revealed until now was because of Eurius¡¯s request. ¡°Rize, please refrain from using your core until the finals. That will be the key to your victory.¡± Core was one of the characteristics of yers. Even if they were inferior in basic physical conditions, they could ovee that difference by amplifying their core. That was why the emperor¡¯s prediction was off. No matter how great his insight was, he could not foresee that unless he could see her stats like Eurius. ¡®Your Grace, I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Gilbert, who had been losing all along, closed his eyes tightly. He could not avoid a blow that hit his chest. Boom! ¡°Cough!¡± Gilbert¡¯s armor crumbled like a cookie and he spat out blood. He rolled on the floor of the arena without any strength. The arena fell into silence for a moment. The ordinary spectators could not analyze the fight between the high-level knights. To them, it looked like Gilbert was just pushed back recklessly and then knocked out. As soon as the silence was broken, the stands became noisy and chaotic. ¡°Wow! That was amazing!¡± ¡°Long live the First Prince!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ I invested a lot in the Golden Lion Knights this time!¡± Despite themotion, Jegal Hwayoung was deep in thought. ¡°Mydy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just d that our investment was sessful.¡± She had trusted Eurius and put half of the annual operating budget of the Azure Dragon Upper Branch in the capital as a bet. It was a huge amount of money that she could not ignore even from her position. But she did not look very happy, so Jegal Geon asked her with a curious expression. ¡°Should I have bet everything?¡± And her small murmur was drowned out by the noise. ¡°Then we will start the second match.¡± The second match was started by Eurius¡¯ side sending out a knight first. ¡®His Highness told me to finish this quickly, right?¡¯ The knight who came out was Heinz. His opponent was Hendrix, the vice-captain of the Golden Lion Knights. He was also a well-known knight from the Grand Duke¡¯s side, but Eurius thought that Heinz was at least half a level above him. Heinz was also a person who had an extraordinary talent from the beginning and had trained diligently under the guidance of Carlos, the superhuman Duke, and himself. The Northern War had given him enough practical experience to melt his insights. ¡®He can¡¯t handle him unless he¡¯s Gilbert, let alone a vice-captain!¡¯ Since Gilbert, who was considered to be the sure-win card of the Grand Duke¡¯s side, had lost, the situation was already tilted. The Azure Dragon Upper Branch had been confident that their investment would seed because they were sure that Eurius¡¯ side would win with a hundred percent probability if they passed the first match. Puff! ¡°Kugh!¡± ¡°Stop! The winner is Sir Heinz!¡± Hendrix did his best, but he could not break through Heinz¡¯ iron-like defense and suffered a deep wound from his counterattack. He had no choice but to admit defeat. It was not a satisfying victory like Beatrix¡¯s case, but he also defeated a knight who had a much higher reputation than him in front of everyone. ¡°The winner of the Prime Tournament is the First Prince¡¯s Knights.¡± With the announcer¡¯s deration, the arena had to stir again. The General Tournament was usually less recognized and lower in level than the Prime Tournament. But this result changed the final match of the General Tournament into an important match that would decide the overall winner. ¡°Is this really going to be an overall victory for His Highness?¡± ¡°Nah, no way¡­ The record of the General Tournament was overwhelmingly in favor of the Golden Lion Knights.¡± ¡°What if it happens?¡± *** ¡°Heh¡­ This is really an unexpected result, huh? It¡¯s good for me since it¡¯s Eurius¡¯ knights, but the Grand Duke was unlucky this time.¡± He said it as if he was consoling him, but anyone could see that the Emperor was barely holding back his joy. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed with this result, but it was nice to see young knights doing well.¡± The Grand Duke answered, barely keeping his expression. The Prime Tournament was the most prestigious event in the Royal Martial Arts Competition. Losing it was already a blow to his reputation. ¡®But I can¡¯t give up on the overall victory.¡¯ He winked at Dmitri and his shadows who came out for the General Tournament from afar. ¡®I have to be careful this time. If I save Dmitri forst, I can handle whatever tricks the Prince has.¡¯ In fact, his most outstanding knight was not Gilbert, but Dmitri. Of course, the officers of his shadows who were also deployed were at least master-level knights. ¡®No matter what trick he uses this time, he won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡¯ Meanwhile, Eurius called Cain before the final match of the General Tournament began and talked to him. ¡°This is something I¡¯m only telling you¡­¡± Cain, who had been listening with a nervous expression from the beginning, jumped up when he heard Eurius¡¯ words. ¡°I have to face a master-level knight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it turned out. I didn¡¯t n on this, but it seems like the Grand Duke is up to something¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s notpletely hopeless!¡± Cain widened his eyes at Eurius¡¯ words. It was true that he had grown rapidly recently, but reaching the master level was still a long way off. ¡°First of all, the opponent has eyes too, so he won¡¯t use his full power as a master-level knight, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± But Cain did not look very confident. Of course, the big criterion that distinguished a general knight from a master-level one was the typification of force. But naturally, such a skill was restricted in the General Tournament. If the opponent did not use the force control that only a master-level could do, he might be able to hold on well considering his skills. But winning was a different matter. Eurius chuckled here. ¡°That¡¯s why I have something for you to do with me for a while.¡± Shiver. Cain felt a familiar chill for a moment. He had a feeling that something very unfortunate was going to happen to him. Chapter 78: The Hidden Card Chapter 78: The Hidden Card Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Themotion about the anomaly in the Prime Tournament was only temporary! The important thing was the result of the General Tournament, and the crowd¡¯s attention was all focused on the final match that would start soon. ¡°The final match of the General Tournament will begin now.¡± Dmitri was extremely sensitive because of his failure in thest Northern War. Moreover, he was in a situation where they had lost in the Prime Tournament, wasn¡¯t he? If he lost by any chance and missed the overall victory, he would not be able to avoid the Grand Duke¡¯s severe punishment this time. No, it would be a shame for shadow soldiers to lose to a knight group that was loyal to the first prince. He might even incur the Grand Duke¡¯s wrath for losing even one match. ¡®I must win. And overwhelmingly!¡¯ Dmitri looked at the two shadow officers who followed him. ¡°Whatever opponentes out, don¡¯t be careless and deal with them.¡± Fortunately, this time, it was the first prince¡¯s side that sent out a knight first. Dmitri watched the arena with a sharp expression. Did the first prince¡¯s side decide on a knight to send out? A knight walked out. ¡®He came out¡­ Huh?¡¯ Dmitri looked at the knight who walked out with a slightly puzzled expression. The knight that Eurius sent out as the vanguard was Cain. But his condition seemed a bit strange. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look very skilled, but why does his eyes look a bit dull?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Dmitri stared at Cain for a moment and then opened his mouth. ¡°Glen, you should go first. He looks like a weakling, but don¡¯t becent.¡± The man called Glen nodded silently and slowly walked towards the arena. ¡°I am Glen Howard of the Golden Lion Knights.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He greeted politely, but Cain didn¡¯t seem to look at him properly. Glen was a skilled knight as well as a shadow officer. He felt a bit angry that Cain showed such an attitude to him. ¡®He¡¯s rude. I won¡¯t spare him and finish him quickly.¡¯ In fact, it was not that a master-level knight¡¯s skill would go anywhere when he fought with a general-level knight with limited power. Glen thought he could subdue Cain without much trouble. Swoosh. Glen drew his sword, and as if reacting to that, Cain¡¯s eyes seemed toe back a little and he also drew his sword. And he seemed to mutter something. ¡°One hit¡­ freedom¡­ vacation¡­¡± ¡®He must be crazy. Why did they send out such a guy as my opponent?¡¯ ng! Glen swung his sword mercilessly from the start, but Cain blocked his sword lightly. And he even counterattacked with a somewhat slow but sharp move. ¡®Did they send him out because he can do something even though he has a screw loose in his head?¡¯ Glen was surprised and tried to block Cain¡¯s sword that came towards his waist. He smoothly switched from offense to defense like a great knight, but he soon felt something was wrong. Swoosh. ¡°Ugh!¡± Cain¡¯s sword that wasing towards his waist suddenly bent at a right angle and aimed for his neck. His sword¡¯s trajectory twisted without any warning. ng! Glen barely blocked Cain¡¯s sword, but his ordeal was just beginning. ¡®What kind of guy is this!¡¯ Cain¡¯s sword was not powerful or shy, but Glen started to sweat profusely as he was pushed back by him. This was the power of his trait, Dull Sword. It seemed like nothing at first nce, but it had a huge merit to make it hard for the opponent to read his sword¡¯s trajectory. The higher the level of martial arts, the more important it was to fight with skills rather than simple collisions of power. Dull Sword was a trait that exploited this weakness brilliantly. ¡®It¡¯s as I expected.¡¯ Eurius smiled contentedly as he watched the scene. ¡®I was worried, but luckily he fell into the state of no-mind quickly and things went smoothly.¡¯ For the past few months, Eurius had treated Cain quite harshly. He had to win one match with him in the final no matter what happened. Of course, Cain tried to trick him somehow in the meantime, but he had no choice but to agree with Eurius¡¯ words. ¡°If you can even touch my clothes, I¡¯ll stop training and give you a vacation right away.¡± Like the night of escape, Cains had to do personal duels with Eurius every night. But that duel was also the only hope of escape for thezy him. And during the duel, Eurius discovered a strange fact. ¡®When he is cornered and his concentration reaches its peak, he can enter the state of no-mind like that night?¡¯ Cain usually showed the trait of Dull Sword, but he was not skilled enough to use it freely. But when he entered the state of no-mind like that night, he could use the Dull Sword as freely as if he recalled the reputation of Cains the Dull Sword in his previous life. In that state, Cain almost seeded in attacking Eurius, who was both a superhuman and yer. ¡®He won¡¯t lose to a master-level knight in that state.¡¯ As Eurius expected, the match between Glen and Cain ended quickly. sh! Cain¡¯s sword stopped at a line where it slightly pierced Glen¡¯s neck. He came to his senses after seeding in the attack. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Stop! The winner is Cain!¡± ¡°Woohoo!!!¡± The crowd cheered loudly as he pushed back the opponent¡¯s knight and won. But he just walked out of the arena with a bewildered expression. Thump. Eurius patted his back and chuckled. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Your Highness?¡± Only then did Cain remember the surprise duel he had with Eurius, who had set a condition before the final match. ¡°There are about twenty minutes left until the final match. The condition is the same as before. If you even touch my clothes, I will exempt you from the special training for a month, regardless of the oue of this tournament.¡± Of course, Cain epted the condition without hesitation. And as soon as the final match began, he was sent to the arena in a state of trance, without knowing why. ¡°As promised, I will exempt you from the special training for a month after the tournament is over.¡± Cain grinned from ear to ear. He didn¡¯t know how it happened, but he got a month of rest from that hell. ¡°Thank you!¡± Eurius also chuckled here. ¡®Maybe he doesn¡¯t need to change his personality after all.¡¯ On the other hand, Dmitri¡¯s side was gloomy as if they had lost their faces. ¡°I never thought there would be someone who could beat Glen in that makeshift knight order¡­¡± Glen received first aid and couldn¡¯t even open his mouth, as if he had no face. It was understandable, since he had lost to a regr knight, even with some limitations. ¡®I have no choice but to go out next time.¡¯ Dmitri hardened his expression. He had to win in the next match, because everything would be over if he lost. ¡®You¡¯ve finallye out, huh?¡¯ As he showed himself in the arena, Eurius also changed to a serious expression. [Ivan Dmitri] Job: Senior Knight, Force Master Strength: A+ Agility: A Intelligence: B+ Spirit: A Force Aptitude: A Force: A+ Disposition: Loyal, Cold [Traits] Swordsmanship (A+) Eurius knew that he was the chief of the Grand Duke¡¯s subordinates in the north since he first heard Dmitri¡¯s name. He had mentioned his name when he interrogated Gundar, and his stats were also worthy of being cherished by the Grand Duke. ¡®It¡¯s time for me to pay back my debt from the north.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll go out this time.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± When Eurius suddenly stood up, all the new knights in his seat looked bewildered. He had put his name on the roster, but he never participated in any matches in the preliminaries or the finals, only giving orders. But Eurius had saved Cain and his participation for this moment. As soon as he came out to the arena, the stadium buzzed. ¡°The First Prince himself ising out?¡± ¡°He may have gained some martial arts skills in the north, but was he capable enough to show them in this tournament?¡± ¡°Even if he is a royal family member, isn¡¯t he a knight if he receives a knight title? There is no use that prevents him from participating. Anyway, it¡¯s an interesting spectacle.¡± But Dmitri had no choice but to be tense. He had been warned by the Grand Duke beforehand. ¡°If the First Princees out, try to gauge his skills regardless of victory or defeat.¡± ¡®The only variable is the First Prince¡¯s martial prowess, but it¡¯s hard to dismiss him as just talented among his peers.¡¯ In fact, the Grand Duke was still not sure about Eurius¡¯s martial prowess. He couldn¡¯t prate Eurius¡¯s Camouge with his insight, so it was natural. But it was also doubtful that Eurius had gained enough skills to beat Dmitri in his tight schedule as a prince. It was understandable for Beatrix, who was originally one of the three great warriors of the continent, but how much time did Eurius have to train after subtracting his education time as a prince? Leaving behind the Grand Duke¡¯s suspicious gaze, Eurius and Dmitri exchanged greetings. ¡°It is an honor to meet Your Highness. I am Dmitri of the Golden Lion Knight Order.¡± ¡°d to meet you. But it feels a bit disappointing to hear you say that so formally.¡± At that point, Eurius smiled faintly. ¡°Haven¡¯t we met once in the north?¡± For a moment, Dmitri couldn¡¯t hide his confusion. ¡°What do you mean? Haha¡­¡± Trying tough it off, Eurius just smiled thinly at him. But inside, he was sharpening his de. ¡®Today I¡¯ll just take a little bit of blood for my knights who died unjustly.¡¯ ¡°Then I hope for a good match.¡± With that said, Eurius made the first move. ng! Their swords shed and made a loud friction sound. They were both hiding their skills, so it wasn¡¯t an earth-shattering fight, but one was a superhuman and one was a knight very close to a superhuman. There were few people in the stadium who recognized them, but a fairly high-level battle continued for a while. After dozens of exchanges, Dmitri was inwardly flustered. ¡®He¡¯s not an easy opponent to overpower.¡¯ He was using all his skills except for limiting his force output. But Eurius was defending his attacks too lightly and fighting on equal terms. ¡®He was hiding his martial prowess, that snake of a First Prince.¡¯ The Grand Duke watched the scene with a sh in his eyes. Dmitri was his most devoted disciple, who had no sessor yet. He also had a secret trick that he had told him before the match. ¡°If you feel like you¡¯re losing, you can use the secret technique.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Dmitri was very surprised. The Grand Duke¡¯s family was also one of the three great martial families of the continent! Of course, they had a secret martial art that was passed down. But the Shadow was a group that was raised secretly, so he was not allowed to use the secret technique even during the Northern War. ¡®I have no choice.¡¯ Dmitri finally decided that it was impossible to overpower Eurius with a normal battle. ¡®I have to end it with an unexpected attack.¡¯ As soon as he finished his thought, he deliberately exposed a gap in his waist. Shriek! As soon as he saw the gap, Eurius¡¯s sword flew mercilessly. But Dmitri dodged his body slightly as if he had been waiting for it, and pointed his sword at Eurius. It looked like nothing special, but this was the secret technique that was handed down in the Grand Duke¡¯s family. The so-called Air Strike Sword! It was a skill in which the sword struck in empty air can hit a target far away from the sword. Dmitri¡¯s proficiency was not high yet, so he could use it only a few times and the range was not very long, but it was enough to use it as a surprise attack. At that moment, Dmitri¡¯s sword aimed precisely at Eurius¡¯s shoulder. ¡®I can¡¯t take his life because he¡¯s a prince, but I¡¯ll make a hole in his shoulder instead!¡¯ Bang! The Air Strike Sword hit Eurius¡¯s shoulder and made a very small explosion sound. And Eurius¡¯s sword barely grazed Dimitri¡¯s waist. ¡®I won.¡¯ Dmitri was confident of his victory. It was a hastily used secret technique, so it wasn¡¯t powerful enough, but he thought he had inflicted enough injury to make him unable to use his shoulder. But before his thought was finished, Eurius¡¯s voice rang in his ears. ¡°That was an interesting skill.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± At the same time, Eurius began to attack Dmitri fiercely. He didn¡¯t need to raise his force output, because he had many other advantages. The traits he had learned, such as Core, White Tiger Defense Technique, Camouge, etc., were enough to give him an edge in closebat while hiding his skills. He had just received Dmitri¡¯s immature Air Strike Sword with his body using the rebound force of the White Tiger Defense Technique. Of course, if it was the Air Strike Sword used by the Grand Duke himself, there would have been a big hole in his shoulder, but there was no way Dmitri could hurt him at his level. ¡®And I¡¯ve been hit by that technique several times, how could I not know?¡¯ He had been threatened by the Grand Duke countless times in his previous life. Even if it was a martial art that was passed down secretly, he had to use it to catch him, who was the emperor. Eurius smiled slightly here. ¡®You aimed for my shoulder?¡¯ His sword disappeared like a ghost and reappeared near Dmitri¡¯s shoulder. Puck! ¡°Aaargh!¡± Dmitri fell down at once, clutching his shoulder. He hit him with the back of his sword, but this blow shattered his shoulder bonepletely. As he copsed, the announcer quickly dered the result. ¡°Stop! The winner is His Highness the First Prince. And¡­¡± The announcer seemed a bit flustered by this oue and continued stuttering. ¡°With fourth ce in the Sacred War Tournament, first ce in the Prime Tournament, and first ce in the General Tournament, the overall winner of this Royal Martial Arts Tournament is His Highness the First Prince¡¯s Knight Order!¡± Buzz buzz The stadium plunged into chaos for a moment. The crowd needed time to ept this result with their hearts, even though they understood it with their heads. For nearly twenty years, the Royal Martial Arts Tournament had been dominated by the Golden Lion Knight Order as a custom. But that twenty-year feat was broken here today. After that brief confusion passed, a louder cheer than ever filled the inside of the central arena. ¡°Woohoo!!!¡± ¡°Long live His Highness the First Prince!!¡± ¡°Those who invested safely on the Golden Lion Knight Order this time are all screwed.¡± ¡°Hey man! How many people do you think bet on His Highness the First Prince¡¯s Knight Order?¡± The crowd had no spare time to talk about this unexpected incident with their excited faces. ¡®Phew, I managed to solve this somehow.¡¯ Eurius sheathed his sword and looked at Dmitri who was receiving emergency treatment with a cold expression. He hit him with the back of his sword, but it was a blow from a superhuman. No healer could restore the bone that waspletely pulverized. Dmitri¡¯s one arm was crippled for life. ¡®It serves him right. Actually, I wanted to cut his throat with one stroke for the knights who died unjustly, but I can¡¯t do that in a martial arts tournament¡­¡¯ He was the one who provoked him first, along with the Grand Duke. And if they hadn¡¯t sent them out in this martial arts tournament, this wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce. Eurius lifted his head and looked at the VIP seat where the emperor was. And he bowed deeply to the emperor. The emperor nodded his head repeatedly with a pleased expression. And as Eurius moved his gaze, he met eyes with the Grand Duke. Snicker. Eurius let out a smallugh. It was a subtle change of expression that only the Grand Duke, who had superhuman eyesight, could notice from such a distance. ¡®That bastard dares to¡­¡¯ The Grand Duke was a person who became colder as he got angrier. He was making a terrifying expression that anyone who looked at his face would freeze in an instant. But Eurius faced him directly with a calm expression. ¡®If you¡¯re so unhappy, why don¡¯t youe out yourself? You¡¯re a knight too.¡¯ He smiled at him again and tried to move away from the arena. But at that moment! ¡°Start the Holy War!¡± An unidentified eerie voice echoed throughout the stadium. ¡°¡­?!¡± Chapter 79: Ei-Jae Chapter 79: Ei-Jae Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
A sinister voice echoed in the arena, followed by a thick ck smoke that began to spread. The smoke quickly engulfed the VIP seats where the emperor was sitting. Count Carlos, who led the royal knights, was shocked and quickly blocked the front of the emperor with a sturdy barrier. ¡°Your Majesty! Are you all right?¡± Boom! ¡°¡­?!¡± His barrier was hit by a heavy impact. As soon as the smoke covered the area, a group of assants surrounded the VIP seats. They each wielded a crescent de and attacked the royal knights who were guarding the VIP seats. ¡®This ck smoke and those outfits are?¡¯ The same thought crossed the minds of Count Carlos and other nobles. ¡®The kingdom of Calihara!¡¯ ¡®Tragedy of Shahar¡­¡¯ The nobles gasped and hurriedly moved to the side of the royal knights. ¡°They are the crazy fanatics of Calihara!¡± ¡°They dare to raid the capital! They are really insane!¡± The kingdom of Calihara in the southern desert was the only country that was hostile to the empire. The reason was absurd¡­ ¡°We do not associate with the heretics like the pigs of the eastern desert.¡± There were some pseudo-religions on the continent, but almost everyone believed in one of the three Gods and Goddess for a reason. That reason was the existence of an independent [Sacred Power]! The God of War had a sacred power for fighting, as its name implied. The God of Healing had a sacred power for healing, which was the mostmon one to encounter. The God of Wisdom also had a distinct sacred power that differentiated it from other sects. Sacred power could only be converted from force by priests or knights who received blessings from their respective sects. But Calihara had its own unique religion that had no sacred power at all. Naturally, other Gods did not recognize their god. The problem was that half of the southern desert was in agreement with Calihara. The leaders of Calihara were religious fundamentalists. Unlike the eastern desert kingdoms that had umted wealth through trade with the empire, they had been in conflict with the empire from the beginning. The most famous incident was the ¡®Tragedy of Shahar¡¯ thirty years ago. At that time, Shahar, which was considered as the core of trade in the south, became a ruin where no one lived because of this incident. ording to the few survivors, ck smoke covered the entire city and desert warriors attacked from all sides, ughtering the citizens mercilessly. After this incident, the empire sent arge army to annihte them, but it was very difficult to catch them, who were mostly nomads moving around in the desert. Eventually, the southern front in the desert became one of the headaches for the empire along with the northern front that was resolved recently. ¡®ck smoke and the holy war cry!¡¯ These two elements were symbols of Calihara¡¯s terror. Of course, that ck smoke was not because they had some power, but just a smoke screen for deception. But Carlos felt something strange about it. ¡®This smoke is not just a simple deception. It¡¯s lowering my senses.¡¯ And everyone was too surprised to notice it, but it was more like a dense ck fog than smoke. ¡®I¡¯m worried about the damage to the knights and nobles.¡¯ There would be no problem with the emperor since he guarded him like an iron wall. But he couldn¡¯t help worrying about them being attacked by many assants in this fog. ¡®I want to rush over there right now, but who will guard His Majesty then?¡¯ But his worry was surprisingly solved easily. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Swoosh! Someone flew over him after cutting down a warrior who blocked his way. He moved so fast that only Carlos noticed him. ¡°The Grand Duke!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with these scum here.¡± The Grand Duke spoke coldly, but he was actually furious like a volcano because of the result of the martial arts tournament and Eurius¡¯s provocation. And this attack added fuel to his anger. ¡®If I could, I would help them kill His Majesty, but I can¡¯t do that¡­¡¯ If something happened to His Majesty here, who would be suspected first? It would be himself, the Grand Duke. And most of those who upied this VIP seat were nobles from his faction. In other words, if he wanted to preserve his power and avoid being used of treason, he had to do his best to protect His Majesty. How frustrating was it for him? He vented his anger by ughtering them. Swoosh. His sword made a light sound and pointed at the assants who were rushing towards the nobles. It was a distance of several tens of meters, but it didn¡¯t matter to him. Bang bang bang! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Aaargh!¡± This was the true Air Strike Sword. It was different from the clumsy attack that Dmitri showed. Every time his sword pointed, arge hole that could fit an adult¡¯s fist was formed on the bodies of the assants. It didn¡¯t matter if they had force-based defense, shields, or hid behind obstacles. His sword shattered everything, whether it was an iron pir or an armor, and blood sttered. The Grand Duke continued his massacre while calmly observing the situation. ¡®It seems like I¡¯ve almost eliminated them all, but I don¡¯t understand why these scum attacked His Majesty?¡¯ *** ¡®Huh?¡¯ Eurius was about to leave the arena when a dark smoke covered his sight. ¡®What is this smoke?¡¯ Ding! [You are affected by the ¡®Dark Curtain¡¯. Your senses and mental power are reduced.] [Additional information about the quest ¡®The Forgotten Sect of God¡¯ is unlocked.] [Unlocked information: Dark Sacred Power, Heimdall Sect] Eurius made an annoyed expression for a moment. ¡®I don¡¯t know what grudge they have had against me since my previous life.¡¯ The smoke that blocked his sight and lowered his senses was nothing to him, who could see through it easily. ¡®It¡¯s clear that they are targeting me, even though the smoke started from the VIP seats.¡¯ Squeak! Before he could finish his thought, a dark object flew out of the darkness towards him. Eurius quickly dodged the object by creating some distance. It was a hammer that emitted a faint ck light. He looked at it with curiosity. ¡®It seems like a weapon infused with force, judging by its speed and momentum, but why does it shine in ck?¡¯ Normally, weapons enhanced by force have a blue light. But there were exceptions, such as the superhuman¡¯s secret techniques or the red force of pdins serving the God of War. But these guys were wielding weapons that had a dark ck light and were not red. And their power was not ordinary either. ¡®Well, maybe it¡¯s because they are a sect?¡¯ Swoosh! Eurius started to swing his sword with full power from the beginning. Since they blocked his surroundings with smoke, he could unleash his skills without any restraint. ¡°¡­!?¡± The assants who were in the front had their necks cut off by his invisible sword in an instant. But the rest didn¡¯t flinch at all and surrounded Eurius in a formation. ¡®These guys are different from the assassins before?¡¯ The assassins who had attacked him until now were irregr, but these guys smelled like knights who had trained in a orthodox way. Even if there was a gap in their levels, it was quite difficult for even a superhuman to defeat them all in a short time when they formed a group. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Eurius resisted their attacks for a while and pondered. His skills had improved a lot since the northern war, so he had no trouble holding on. The problem was that if he dragged on for a little longer, the knights who would find it strange that he didn¡¯t return from the arena woulde to rescue him. If that happened, the casualties of the ordinary knights could be high. ¡®Wait¡­ knights? Aha!¡¯ Finally, a good idea came to his mind. Bang! With a loud noise, two of the assants were pushed back. He took advantage of the gap and disappeared from their sight. ¡°¡­!?¡± Gideon, who was watching from afar while hiding in the corner of the arena, was startled when Eurius suddenly vanished. He was already surprised that His Highness resisted so well without any escort. ¡®There was a reason why Jamir failed several times.¡¯ This dark curtain not only reduced the enemy¡¯s senses, but also increased their sacred power and recovery speed for their sect members. In this situation, he deployed many of their high-ranking pdins to form an encirclement, but they still couldn¡¯t catch Eurius. But Eurius reappeared several tens of meters away from them. ¡°Chase him!¡± Gideon became anxious. While the scum in the VIP seats were buying time, he had to catch Eurius somehow. He ordered all of his reserve forces to chase Eurius. But Eurius avoided their pursuit by keeping a close distance from them and ran towards the outskirts of the arena. And finally, where he jumped into was! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Your Highness?¡± It was the waiting room of the Golden Lion Knights who were still staying in the arena. Crash! At the same time, the door of the waiting room broke and assants in ck clothes rushed in. And they attacked the knights to catch Eurius. ¡°What is this?¡± The Golden Lion Knights were shocked and drew their swords. From the perspective of the assants, it seemed natural that Eurius ran away to ask for protection from the knights. ng! ng! Crack! ¡°Aaargh!¡± The waiting room turned into a hell in an instant. Surprisingly, the Golden Lion Knights, who were said to be one of the best in the empire, were being pushed back. It was partly because of the skills of the assants, but the biggest problem was that many of their officers had been severely injured in the previous match, so their overall strength was greatly reduced. And then another group joined the fray. ¡°Your Highness! Are you all right?¡± They were the elite knights of his own knight order, led by Heinz. They also participated in this fight. Eurius smiled slightly. ¡°You came just in time. Cooperate with the Golden Lion Knights and eliminate them.¡± The Golden Lion Knights and the assants had already shed with each other, causing significant damage to both sides. Eurius had cunningly avoided helping them by dodging around. But now that his knights had arrived, his reaction was different. He moved swiftly to protect his knights and fend off the assants. ¡°Damn it¡­ tell the pdins to retreat quickly!¡± Gideon had no choice but to order a retreat with tears in his eyes. The high-ranking pdins were the forces that their sect had cultivated with great effort. If they could catch Eurius, it would be worth it, but there was no way to catch Eurius who was surrounded by knights. It was a wise choice to preserve their strength. The priests who secretly spread the smoke also began to withdraw quickly. When the smoke disappeared, the situation in the VIP seats was also almost settled thanks to the Grand Duke¡¯s unintended (?) feat. The emperor looked dumbfounded. ¡®There was surprisingly little damage?¡¯ The warriors of Calihara that Gideon had used as bait were numerous, but most of them were nothing but cannon fodder. Some nobles were seriously injured, but apart from that, there were no deaths. And especially in the general audience seats, there was only smoke and no attack. ¡°Anyway, you did a great job, crown prince. I¡¯ll reward you for thister¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The emperor had never seen such an expression on the Grand Duke¡¯s face, who had been cold for decades. The Grand Duke was trembling with anger as he looked at the arena. The emperor naturally followed his gaze and turned his head. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Hurry up and call a healer. There are many injured people!¡± Eurius was urgently requesting first aid with a desperate expression. But those injured were¡­ A momentter. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that they attacked me and Eurius at the same time?¡± The emperor nodded repeatedly as he received the report. Of course, Eurius was also there with him. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the Golden Lion Knights supported me in time. I would have been in danger otherwise.¡± Eurius bowed his head to the Grand Duke with a calm expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grand Duke Wilhelm. It was such an urgent situation that I lost my mind and pushed them towards the Golden Lion Knights.¡± At this moment, the Grand Duke felt like his blood was boiling. ¡®Eurius¡­ I¡¯ll remember this!¡¯ The Grand Duke barely answered and left the VIP seats. His Golden Lion Knights had suffered a huge blow this time. Dozens of ordinary knights had died, and many of their officers were also seriously injured. The biggest problem was that his disciple Dmitri had suffered an irrecoverable injury. But it wasn¡¯t so rare for such idents to happen when the martial arts tournament got heated. If Dmitri had been a famous knight, he could have protested, but no matter how powerful he was, he couldn¡¯t use a royal family member for a seemingly ordinary knight. ¡®Eurius¡­ I¡¯ll pay you back for this!¡¯ The Grand Duke clenched his teeth and vowed revenge. Watching his back, Euriusughed inwardly. ¡®There¡¯s a word among yers called Ei-Jae.¡¯ It means using an enemy to hit another enemy. That¡¯s exactly what happened this time. The unexpected intrusion of the enemy brought him a better result. Chapter 80: The hit list Chapter 80: The hit list Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The award ceremony of the martial arts tournament was postponed for a few days because of the attack in the final match. It was not possible to end the festival among the corpses and the injured. They needed time to clean up. And an urgent war council was convened. The topic was, of course, about the terror of Calihara Kingdom. ¡°This is unprecedented! We have to form arge-scale punitive force and search the entire desert to annihte them.¡± ¡°Now that the northern front has entered a stable period, we have to show them the power of the empire!¡± Today, both the bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction and the nobles of the Grand Duke¡¯s faction agreed to request the punishment of Calihara. The bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction could not tolerate them for daring to touch the emperor and Eurius, and the nobles were angry with them for threatening their lives in the VIP seats. ¡°Enough!¡± The emperor shouted with a furious voice. The war council was silent at once. And he opened his mouth. ¡°I have no objection to punishing them. But do you have any clever ideas to do what the troops on the southern front have failed to do for over twenty years?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, there was no concrete solution. The emperor continued with a frustrated tone. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s easy to wipe them out. But what if they retaliate with arge-scale massacre in a southern city like Shahar after we anger them?¡± The officials were all speechless. How could they root out all of them in that vast desert? It was physically impossible. But they couldn¡¯t just leave them alone after they did such a bold thing in the capital of the empire. It was a tricky problem. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As groans of worry and sighs flowed in the war council, Eurius was deeply immersed in his thoughts. ¡®Open help.¡¯ [Help ¨C Viewing Heimdall Sect.] [Heimdall Sect ¨C A sect that worships Heimdall, the God of Darkness who created the world with Mars, Medit, and Odin in ancient times. More information is avable when you raise your achievements.] [Dark Sacred Power ¨C Heimdall¡¯s power given to his followers. A more aggressive type of sacred power than other sects.] ¡®So I know their name and that their base is in the south, right?¡¯ Until now, they had only sent assassins, but this time they deployed their real forces with sacred power. He couldn¡¯t be sure yet, but it seemed certain that there was a powerful force in Calihara Kingdom. ¡®And Calihara is probably a subordinate force of this Heimdall sect, like the assassin sect that Wace mentioned before.¡¯ He reviewed various thoughts and finally made a decision. ¡°May I say something?¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes widened. How many cases had Eurius solved so far? ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°I oppose punishing Calihara right away.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The officials looked at Eurius with surprise. They heard that he had received a life-threatening attack this time. But he opposed punishing them? ¡°As His Majesty said, unless we have a way to annihte them, sending a punitive force right now won¡¯t solve much.¡± ¡°Then do you have another idea?¡± Eurius got to the point. ¡°I think we should ask for cooperation from other kingdoms in the desert.¡± The emperor looked puzzled. It was true that other kingdoms in the southern desert had trade and friendly rtions with the empire. But would they lend their power to the empire while antagonizing Calihara, who were crazy fanatics? If they did that, their target might change to their nearby kingdoms. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not easy. But isn¡¯t it better than doing nothing?¡± It would be much easier if other kingdoms in the desert cooperated with the empire. The supply lines would be diversified and more importantly, it would help the soldiers adapt to the harsh desert environment. ¡°So please send me as a goodwill ambassador to the desert kingdoms. I¡¯ll ask for an alliance.¡± ¡°You want to go by yourself?¡± Eurius smiled pleasantly at the emperor¡¯s question. ¡°I thought my knights needed some rest after working hard for this tournament. I heard that desert kingdoms are famous for their resorts. I¡¯ll take them with me.¡± ¡®What is Eurius thinking?¡¯ There were three kingdoms in the eastern part of the southern desert where Calihara Kingdom, which was hostile to the empire, was located. Parthia, Amon, Kenta. They were called desert kingdoms because they were so close to each other. It meant that he had to persuade not one, but three kingdoms at the same time. It was a difficult task. ¡°But you also persuaded those barbarians in the north, right? Maybe it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°You already have a high reputation, do you need to earn more merit? You¡¯re just going for a vacation, right?¡± The emperor was skeptical and the opinions of the officials were divided. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s just for vacation, I don¡¯t mind¡­ but if you have such a thought, it might be good to try it.¡± The emperor reluctantly agreed. If he went as a goodwill ambassador, he could give him some escort troops besides his knights, and Eurius had his own power, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy for something big to happen. But the emperor felt something uneasy. ¡®I don¡¯t think the Grand Duke will stay still¡­¡¯ *** ¡°Wace, which kingdom did you say the influential person you captured in the desert belonged to?¡± The Grand Duke spoke quietly, but he emitted a murderous aura, so Wace stuttered as he opened his mouth. ¡°Pa¡­ Parthia. It¡¯s the one with the strongest voice among the three kingdoms, so I¡¯m sure His Highness won¡¯t be able to form an alliance.¡± That¡¯s right! The desert kingdoms were originally connected to the Grand Duke through Wace. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t stop Eurius from going to the south.. ¡®He¡¯s going into the tiger¡¯s den by himself. Why should I stop him?¡¯ The Grand Duke was determined to get rid of Eurius this time. If he was gone, the emperor would only have Leonhart left. He wouldn¡¯t need to start a civil war. ¡®And if we end up going to war with the desert, that¡¯s even better.¡¯ What would the emperor¡¯s mood be like when he heard of Eurius¡¯s death in the desert? He probably wouldn¡¯t spare Calihara or the desert kingdoms. ¡°Use all the forces you captured to erase Eurius this time. Got it?¡± The Grand Duke clenched his teeth and vowed revenge. Wace felt the Grand Duke¡¯s terrifying gaze on him once again and answered nervously, unable to do otherwise. ¡°I will try to contact the Tohos of the desert. The desert is their territory, so there must be a way.¡± It was not an unrealistic thing to say. Why else would the empire still leave Calihara alone despite the overwhelming difference in national power? There was a world of difference between facing the warriors of the southern desert in their own backyard and in other regions. The Grand Duke had lost half of his Shadows in the Northern War and practically lost Dmitri in this martial arts tournament. On top of that, the knights of the Golden Lion Order had also suffered considerable damage. ¡®It would be better to use the card of the desert kingdom to eliminate the First Prince.¡¯ He had already suffered enough damage to make it difficult to guarantee victory in a direct confrontation with the emperor after starting a civil war. And above all, there was the existence of Eurius. ¡®If he defeated Dmitri, he must be at least close to a superhuman¡­ or maybe even more.¡¯ Then he might have to revise the power gap with the first prince. Even if a war could not be changed by one or two people¡¯s strength, the power of a superhuman could not be ignored. This was the biggest reason why the Grand Duke had decided to eliminate Eurius at any cost. ¡®I have to get rid of the First Prince¡¯s Knight Order as well. Only then can I restore the bnce of power.¡¯ ¡°Good job. So the Grand Duke said that?¡± Eurius smiled as he sat down and reviewed the documents. [Parthia Kingdom ¨C Al Karim, Al Ibrahim, Al Hazard¡­] ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you, but are these all the people involved?¡± ¡°Of course. How dare I lie to Your Majesty? Haha¡­¡± Wace wiped his cold sweat with a handkerchief and cautiously opened his mouth again. ¡°But Your Majesty¡­ what should I do about this?¡± His lifeline was in Eurius¡¯s hands. But the Grand Duke had ordered him to kill him. It was a dilemma where he couldn¡¯t do anything. But Eurius¡¯s reaction was very blunt. ¡°Well, you have your position too, so I can¡¯t help it. You can do as the Grand Duke asks.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Really, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I swear by my name. I won¡¯t hold you responsible for this.¡± ¡®No, you bastard! He ordered me to kill you, you damn first prince!¡¯ Wace had nothing to say. How could he not know what would happen when Eurius died and the report reached the emperor? Eurius looked at him with a contemptuous expression. ¡°So are you going to disobey the Grand Duke¡¯s order?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No matter how much Wace thought about it, if he didn¡¯t do anything, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t let him go. ¡°There won¡¯t be any trouble, right?¡± ¡°Do I look like someone who would let it happen knowingly?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll send an assassin¡­ But my life is on the line too, so please be safe?¡± It was a strange conversation to watch. The one who sent an assassin to kill him was asking for his safety. When Wace left, Eurius burst intoughter. He thought it was too funny. ¡®Then shall I start nning to catch those rats in the desert?¡¯ He spoke lightly, but Eurius was carefully reviewing his n with his memories from his previous life. The Heimdall Cult and the warriors of the desert were not enemies to be underestimated. ¡®They say there are three kingdoms, but in reality there is only one enemy to face!¡¯ He picked up a pen and circled the word Parthia on the document. The influential people of the desert kingdom on Wace¡¯s document were those he would inevitably sh with if he went down to the desert. But on the other hand, wasn¡¯t it like this? Eurius recalled his meeting with Jamir. Wace was conspiring with Parthia¡¯s influential people to prepare for a civil war. And that prince of that kingdom was a pawn of that cult. Could this be a coincidence? ¡®So if I get rid of these guys and that cult here, an alliance with the desert kingdom wouldn¡¯t be impossible?¡¯ Of course, going down to the desert now as the Grand Duke wanted was like jumping into a tiger¡¯s den. ¡®I need thorough preparation.¡¯ The first ce Eurius visited after making his decision was Azure Dragon Sect¡¯s capital branch. He was soon led to the reception room and greeted them warmly. ¡®It¡¯s good that the chief is here. It¡¯ll make things easier.¡¯ ¡°Huh? The representative came up to the capital this time?¡± ¡°Your highness participated in the martial arts tournament, and we couldn¡¯t help bute as your business partners. It was an impressive match.¡± Jegal Hwayoung greeted him politely. But Eurius tilted his head. ¡®The representative and that woman, why do they look so serious?¡¯ Usually, they would wee him with a business smile. But Jegal Hwayoung and Jegal Geon looked very grave. ¡°I have a question for Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jegal Hwayoung hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°Do you know about [Magyo]?¡± ¡®Magyo?¡¯ Chapter 81: Joint Front Chapter 81: Joint Front Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
What kind of nonsense is this, Magyo? Of course, Eurius had never heard such a thing in his previous life. ¡®Open help¡¯ [Magyo-You do not have enough achievements to ess this information.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Opening the help did not give him any useful information. But looking at their expressions, it seemed to be a very important matter. Eurius decided to bluff a bit here. If they were a religious group, then they must be rted to the Heimdal Cult that attacked him this time. ¡°I vaguely heard that they are a religious group in the east, but I don¡¯t know much about them. Do they have anything to do with this attack?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jegal Hwayoung, who had been silent for a while, asked earnestly. ¡°This is one of the most important matters in our n. We really want to hear some information about them. Please, I beg you, consider our trust so far.¡± ¡®No, I mean, I don¡¯t know anything about them¡­¡¯ Eurius felt quite awkward inside. But seeing their reaction, it seemed that they were really serious about this issue. ¡®I need to get some more information from them here.¡¯ He shook his head as if he had no choice. ¡°As I said before, I can¡¯t tell you everything. Isn¡¯t that the same for you?¡± ¡°How about we make a deal then?¡± ¡°Do you think this is something that can be traded with ordinary conditions?¡± Eurius¡¯s firm bluff made Jegal Hwayoung falter slightly. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡®Look at that?¡¯ Eurius was a little surprised. He just guessed a few times, but judging by their expressions, it seemed like a really serious problem. But if they gave up here, he would be in trouble too. ¡°Then, as you said, I¡¯ll tell you a few things based on our trust so far.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eurius put on a serious expression. He had done the same before, but it was useless to lie poorly in front of these people who were good at negotiating and had good brains. ¡°The first thing is that I¡¯ve been fighting with them for quite a long time.¡± This was an undeniable truth. He didn¡¯t sh with them much in this life, but he suffered from assassination threats in his previous life. ¡°The second thing is that they use a different kind of energy than the Force in this continent or the Ki in the east.¡± ¡°You mean Magic.¡± It seemed that they called the dark energy or whatever it was Magic in the east. ¡°Thest thing is that their power is spread all over this continent. Even as a first prince, I honestly don¡¯t have the courage to face them alone.¡± Eurius¡¯s words were all from his own experience. His sincerity was evident from his expression and tone. ¡°Thank you for telling us.¡± Jegal Hwayoung was sure that Eurius was telling the truth. The most obvious evidence was that he saw those who were using Magic to attack him like a mob. She looked at Eurius with a more serious expression and opened her mouth. ¡°You probably noticed it already, but our n and the four martial arts sects have been fighting with them for over a hundred years.¡± Eurius felt that one of his secrets from his previous life was revealed here. ¡®So that¡¯s why they helped me so much in my previous life when I had no power?¡¯ He smiled triumphantly here. The attack of those cult bastards brought him an unexpected result. It happened that he came to visit Azure Dragon n for a reason rted to the cult. ¡°Actually, I came to see you today because of that issue.¡± The reason why Eurius visited Azure Dragon n today was to ask for their active cooperation. He had already asked them to investigate Jamir, but that was not enough. ¡°You know that I¡¯m going down to the southern desert soon.¡± Jegal Hwayoung understood right away. She also collected some information, so she knew that something was fishy about the desert kingdom. ¡°You mean you want to build a joint front against Magyo there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It seems like one of their branches is there. How did the investigation on Jamir go?¡± ¡°If you mean the investigation on the prince named Jamir, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Jegal Geon took over the report instead of her. ¡°First of all, he is a very famous person in the Parthia Kingdom.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he was the seventh prince?¡± ¡°ording to what we found out, his actual influence is second only to the second prince Karim, who is the most likely heir to the throne.¡± ¡®So he was a bastard with a good background as I expected.¡¯ Why would such a royale to see him in the north? Well, he had guessed that much. But then the next words followed. ¡°There was nothing suspicious about him, but he likes to travel alone without any attendants. No one seems to stop him because they are used to his behavior.¡± ¡°Did you investigate his whereabouts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually the problem.¡± Jegal Geon looked slightly serious. This was a matter that touched the pride of Hidden Moon Hall. ¡°We sent some of our top informants, but sometimes we lost track of him.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to go down and investigate him myself.¡± Eurius felt the need to thoroughly dig into that Jamir guy. But to do that, he needed their cooperation. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t heard your answer yet. Do you want to form a real alliance with me? Not just as a trading partner. If we have the same enemy, I think that¡¯s enough reason, don¡¯t you?¡± Jegal Hwayoung hesitated for a moment. It was hard for her to give a definite answer in her position. But if it was about Magyo, the n would never oppose it. She decided to trust her judgment. ¡°This is a matter rted to the safety of our n, so we can¡¯t refuse. We will form an alliance with your highness.¡± ¡°You made a good decision.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Eurius smiled and reached out his hand. He did it without any thought, but holding a woman¡¯s hand in the east was considered extremely rudepared to the west. But how could she refuse the hand of the emperor? She held his hand with as calm an expression as possible. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± ¡®Huh? Did I do something rude?¡¯ Eurius saw herplexion change slightly and looked puzzled. ¡°What, is there another problem?¡± ¡°No. Then let¡¯s discuss the details of the n now.¡± She quickly changed the subject. *** ¡°It happens sometimes, right?¡± He meant tofort him, but Gideon, who knew his personality well, barely suppressed the anger that rose in his head. In fact, he was smiling brightly in front of him. But he couldn¡¯t retaliate because he had failed miserably. ¡®I didn¡¯t lose many priests, but I lost quite a few knights¡­ It will be hard to avoid punishment when I return.¡¯ He was lucky that he didn¡¯t lose everything. If he had, it might have been better for him to bite his tongue and die here. Jamir, who was smiling brightly, was also feeling like he had the world in his hands. ¡®See? I told you it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡¯ It was not a wrong choice to call his master here. He saw that Gideon was not a foolish person. But he was too confident. Jamir¡¯s rule for doing his work was to always be prepared for any situation. That¡¯s how he was able to rise to a promising high priest in the church at a young age. The reason why he came to see Gideon, who had failed and was trying to retreat, was also rted to that rule. ¡°Hmph! Do you think I¡¯ll believe your offer?¡± ¡°I swear by Heimdall¡¯s name! Isn¡¯t this enough to trust me?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Gideon seemed slightly interested then. A promise sworn by their god¡¯s name in the church was absolute. ¡°Plus, if this seeds, I¡¯ll ask my master to share the merit with you and also ask for immunity.¡± ¡°Do you mean the archbishop will do it himself?¡± Gideon couldn¡¯t help but be tempted, though he was skeptical. It was well known among the high priests of simr rank that Jamir was especially favored by the archbishops. ¡°If you say that much, I¡¯ll at least hear the conditions.¡± ¡®He¡¯s almost hooked.¡¯ Jamir smiled inwardly and started to exin what he would do for him. *** The emperor and Eurius stood in front of a huge door. This door, which was said to be the first thing built when the imperial pce was constructed, was not only several meters thick, but also made of an unknown material that was hard to scratch with any means. In fact, there were some emperors who tried to destroy the door by force with a knight who had reached the superhuman level, but surprisingly, even the attack of a superhuman who could destroy a wall with one blow only left a little scratch on the wall. It was a miracle that even the strongest metal known as mithril or the eternal iron from the east did not have such strength. ¡°Are you sure this is it? I¡¯ve been there several times since I became emperor, but there was no treasure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s personal interest. But it¡¯s true that it¡¯s a difficult favor, isn¡¯t it?¡± The emperor nodded his head reluctantly with an unhappy expression. The only way to open this door was for the legitimate sessor of the empire to spill his own blood into the engraved inscription on the authentication device. It was not an ordinary condition for the emperor to bleed willingly. And what if the emperor was old like now? Eurius had actually tried to open the door secretly with his own blood in his previous life when he was the first prince, but unfortunately, the door did not open. This strange door blocked the way to the imperial treasury! The treasury was not a treasure house where wealth was piled up like a mountain. It wasn¡¯t even a secret what was inside. ording to what the previous emperors had revealed, there were only relics of Scharnos the Great and some yers. And they weren¡¯t anything like amazing weapons or powerful secrets of martial arts. But since the door blocking it was so peculiar, there were various rumors about it. But from the emperor¡¯s point of view, they were all baseless rumors. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you again, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to Father.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ I have to bleed at this age¡­¡± The emperor grumbled as he rolled up his sleeve and approached the authentication device on the wall. It was a small sword carved delicately. Poke The emperor stabbed his hand slightly into the tip of the sword. The blood from his hand flowed down along the de as if it would drip off, but surprisingly, not a single drop fell and the blood began to be absorbed by the entire de. When the whole de turned red, the emperor took his hand off. He had to bleed quite a lot to open the door, so the old emperor looked slightly tired and finished a simple hemostasis with a healer who had been waiting. ¡°The door will open soon.¡± Rumble! A littleter, the door shook with a heavy sound and a small passage that a person could pass through appeared. ¡°As I said, the time limit is two hours. If it passes, the door will automatically close. If you don¡¯t want to kill this old man with blood loss, just take a quick look ande out.¡± Eurius smiled bitterly at his grumpy voice and answered. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know what the result will be, but I have to get out quickly.¡¯ Eurius had been to this treasury in his previous life, and as the emperor said, there was no special treasure. ¡®But what if I¡¯m a yer now?¡¯ Chapter 82: Trash Sword Chapter 82: Trash Sword Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Eurius slowly walked into the dark corridor. ¡®As expected, nothing has changed much from my previous life.¡¯ As he passed through the narrow passage, a fairlyrge room appeared. On the ceiling, there were beads called night pearls that were imported from the East and emitted light on their own, illuminating the room softly. ¡°You can take one or two things from inside. However, be careful with them, even if they look like useless junk. They are national treasures listed in the report.¡± That was what the emperor had told him when he received the report. But Eurius was not very interested in the spoils of the yers inside. There were quite a few items on disy in the room, but most of them were not very impressive for a royal report, as the emperor and Eurius had thought. [The cloak that Emperor Scharnos wore at his coronation] [The armor of Knight Commander ¡®yer¡¯ Hector] [The uniform of yer Yi Chengwen] . . . ¡°Isn¡¯t this more like a royal souvenir museum than a royal report?¡± That was what he had muttered in his previous life, as he was astonished when he first came in. The other items were also simr cases. But he had another reason toe to the royal report this time. Eurius opened another door on one side of the royal report and entered. The first thing he saw was a statue of a middle-aged man with a dignified expression holding a sword. [Emperor Scharnos] This ce was a separate memorial hall that described the achievements of the emperor. The walls on all sides were filled with pictures and descriptions of the emperor¡¯s achievements. Eurius fixed his gaze on the wall to the north. What he wanted was right there. [The emperor spread a systematic method of training force to this continent. First, the method of feeling the first stage force is¡­] It was true that Emperor Scharnos was the one who widely spread the force training method to this continent, as rumored in the world. There were four stone tablets hanging on the north wall, and they contained the training methods and advice for up to four stages that the emperor had established. This was called ¡®Emperor¡¯s Insight¡¯ in the royal family. It was not unrted to the fact that many outstanding knights were produced from generation to generation in the royal family. But the emperor already knew that Eurius had entered the fourth stage, so he thought he didn¡¯t need this insight. However, what Eurius was interested in was not the stone tablets. Ding! [You have found a legacy of a yer.] [Found item: Scharnos¡¯s Insight] [Achievement increases.] ¡®Sure enough, the original of this stone tablet was definitely a legacy of a yer.¡¯ What he picked up was a booklet ced under the stone tablet. When this royal report was built, the emperor ordered the trantion of the contents of this book to be made into a stone tablet. No one could trante thenguage of this book. ¡®But I can read it.¡¯ Eurius opened the first page of the book with confidence. As expected, it was an unfamiliar letter, but he could read it. [Chapter 1: Basics of Circle, Chapter 2: Application of Force, Chapter 3: Materialization of Force¡­] ¡®The third chapter of this book is what is written on the stone tablet?¡¯ Eurius nodded his head. The first three chapters of this book covered up to four stages of force training methods that weremonly known in this continent. ¡®Materialization¡¯ meant superhuman¡¯s secret skills in the East. ¡®As expected, only part of his insight was tranted. Compared to his legend, superhumans are nothing.¡¯ The emperor who was called Sword God cut mountains and split seas with one sword. Of course, most people thought it was an old legend, but what difference does it make between someone whoes back from death and goes back to the past and someone who cuts mountains? Eurius couldn¡¯t hide his excited expression at this moment. There were two more chapters in his insight. [Chapter 4: Spatial Domination, Chapter 5: (You cannot read it because youck achievement.)] ¡®Sure enough, he doesn¡¯t reveal all his contents easily.¡¯ He felt a bit regretful at this point, but unlike Yi Chengwen, didn¡¯t Emperor Scharnos leave his legacy as one instead of splitting it? [Do you want to read Chapter 4: Spatial Domination? This legacy has video data. Do you want to watch it?] ¡®Video data?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what it meant, but Eurius decided to watch it anyway. Click! Whoosh! He doubted his eyes for a moment. Wasn¡¯t he indoors just now? Eurius found himself in a deep forest. He looked around with a surprised expression and heard a grumbling voice in his ear. ¡°Ah, you dragged me here and did everything you wanted, so why don¡¯t you send me back quickly? What is this, a martial arts novel?¡± ¡®Could that be Emperor Scharnos?¡¯ Eurius tilted his head. He looked simr to the statue, but the grumbling person was a young man who didn¡¯t look much older than himself. The hero who ended the era of war! The pioneer who brought the development of the continent! Compared to his grand reputation, the behavior of this young man who was presumed to be the emperor was nothing but a street thug. He swung his sword in the air as if he was annoyed and started toin. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I guess you¡¯re a talented guy who has mastered materialization since you¡¯re watching this video. Shall I show you once?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor began to move his sword. His sword was infused with force and left a blue trail. The sword¡¯s trajectory began to float leisurely in the air. He didn¡¯t feel any great momentum or power, but Eurius opened his mouth wide as he watched the scene. Boom! Every time the emperor¡¯s sword passed by, the giant trees in the forest fell down. This was not surprising, but the problem was that it exceeded his imagination. A few minutester, when he stopped his sword, there was arge clearing in the forest that spanned hundreds of meters in radius around him. ¡®Is it force output? Or a secret skill? It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡­¡¯ If you are a skilled martial artist, it is not very difficult to cover a few meters of distance as your attack range. If you are one of the strongest martial artists in the continent who can rival the sky, you can even reach tens of meters. Eurius¡¯s intangible sword was also a secret skill that could cover up to ten meters. But this was only limited to secret skills. It meant that you had to concentrate your mind and increase your force output as much as possible. However, the emperor¡¯s sword just slightly injected some force and swung it, but it covered hundreds of meters of distance as his attack range. The emperor who did such a miraculous thing still looked annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ve shown you the demonstration, so the rest is up to you to train hard by reading the book. If you really can¡¯t do it, try practicing with Yellow Dragon. It might help.¡± That was the emperor¡¯sst advice (?). ¡°Then do your best. You probably have a hard way ahead of you, so cheer up.¡± Click! ¡°Huh?¡± At the same time, Eurius¡¯s consciousness returned to the royal report. Seeing the real Emperor Scharnos was quite shocking, but his expectation for a new stage pushed that thought away. ¡®This stage of spatial domination must be a clue that surpasses the superhuman stage!¡¯ His intangible sword was a skill that even superhumans had a hard time grasping. But what if such a sword suddenly flew from tens or hundreds of meters away? How many people could stop it? Eurius began to read Chapter 4 with a more excited heart. [Chapter 4 Spatial Domination: The stage of controlling the surrounding space with force. You need a certain level of force control to reach this stage.] [Control training method: Meditate and observe your inner self. The energy called ki or force exists everywhere in the world. Harmonize with this flow and¡­] ¡®What is this nonsense?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s expression became gloomy. It seemed like there was some profound meaning in it, but he had a hard time understanding it. Unfortunately, Eurius was not a genius. He became superhuman by ident after being hit hard many times. Compared to the martial artists who trained in a standard way, his basics werecking in many ways. ¡®It would take years to train by reading this.¡¯ Of course, Eurius was still young. If he trained hard, he might be able to understand it someday, but he had too many enemies to face. The reason he came to the royal report was also to get the emperor¡¯s legacy and be stronger in a short time. ¡®Is there any other way?¡¯ As he pondered, a word that the emperor said shed through his mind. ¡°If you really can¡¯t do it, try practicing with Yellow Dragon.¡± ¡®Yellow Dragon? Does he mean that?¡¯ He pulled out one of the exhibits, an old-fashioned longsword. [Yellow Dragon Sword ¨C Emperor Scharnos¡¯s favorite sword] That¡¯s how it was recorded on the exhibit, but no one in the royal family believed it, including Eurius. The reason was as follows. What kind of sword is this that pushes away all the force no matter how much you inject it? First of all, it looked different from the record. The Yellow Dragon Sword that Emperor Scharnos used had a dazzling golden de. But this sword was just an ordinary longsword with a dull color. And above all, what made this sword called trash was¡­ ¡®How can this damn sword not ept any force at all!¡¯ That¡¯s right, this strange sword didn¡¯t ept any force at all. There is a saying that a great martial artist doesn¡¯t care about weapons, but that¡¯s only because they use the power of force. The only advantage was that it was incredibly hard and difficult to scratch by any means. But the problem was that without being able to use force with this sword, it was just a hard stick. ¡®But surely Emperor Scharnos wouldn¡¯t lie.¡¯ [Help ¨C Reading Yellow Dragon Sword.] [Yellow Dragon Sword ¨C A longsword made of adamantite. You need to unseal it to use its full potential.] ¡®Adamantite?¡¯ It was a word he had never heard before. [Adamantite ¨C A metal that does not exist in this world and has the property of repelling all energy generated by force.] ¡®So it¡¯s the same material as the outer wall of the royal report?¡¯ If this metal called adamantite had such properties, then even superhumans would not be able to destroy the wall. But then the question arises: how did Emperor Sharnos use this sword? Swoosh Eurius drew his sword. Ding! [Quest ¨C You have found the seal of the Yellow Dragon Sword.] [Yellow Dragon Sword¡¯s ability is unlocked ording to the owner¡¯s ability. Earn its recognition. Prove your skill by holding the sword.] ¡®Recognition?¡¯ What kind of metal piece is this that chooses its owner? Eurius was confused for a moment, but decided to swing his sword anyway. He was a superhuman martial artist. The Yellow Dragon Sword in his hand swung wildly, making a loud noise. Woong woong woong! As he swung his sword, at some point the de began to tremble. ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius stopped his movement and looked at the sword for a moment. At that moment, he saw something familiar in front of his eyes. [Yellow Dragon Sword (Sealed)] Category: Intelligent Weapon (The weapon has a self-awareness) Current state: No talent! Come back after ten more years of training Trait: (You cannot read it because it is sealed.) Eurius¡¯s forehead twitched. ¡®What is this sword saying?¡¯ He tried his best to swing his sword after that, but the stat window didn¡¯t change. He slumped down on the spot. He realized that there was no answer like this. ¡®How can I use this damn sword?¡¯ The quest said to prove his skill. Skill of a martial artist meant swordsmanship, right? But he was a superhuman who tried his best to swing his sword and still failed. Of course, it was because of the special material of this sword that he couldn¡¯t inject any force. ¡®Wait¡­ force?¡¯ Eurius tilted his head. Come to think of it, force maniption was also part of a martial artist¡¯s skill. But it was absurd to say that he had to prove his skill without being able to inject any force into the sword. He decided after a moment of hesitation. ¡®Nothing to lose!¡¯ Eurius began to inject force into the Yellow Dragon Sword. Woo woo woo! The dull de trembled and tried to push back the injected force. Eurius patiently continued to inject the force back into the de. This tug-of-warsted for a long time. And while doing so, Eurius checked the stat window of Yellow Dragon Sword from time to time. [No talent, no talent] ¡®This is it, right? Then I¡¯ll do it my way.¡¯ He decided to take a gamble here. He had seen with his own eyes how amazing the previous owner of this sword was, but he had to get something out of this ce today. Wasn¡¯t that why he volunteered to participate in the risky martial arts tournament? [Skill Overheat activated.] If one had to choose the best point of Eurius as a warrior, it would be his force output. He had built a solid foundation since he was young, and he had raised his aptitude to the limit through the core. He could also amplify it with skills. When he used Overheat, there was probably no one in the continent who could match his force output in swordsmanship. He started to inject a huge amount of force into the sword through the core. It was an application of st. Vroom vroom vroom!! The sword resisted fiercely. Eurius¡¯s lips bled from the strain of controlling the enormous force that kept flowing back. But no matter how strong a dam was, it would break if the water kept hitting it. Finally, the majestic sword began to turn blue gradually. He was injecting more force than the sword could push out. Vroom! As a result, the sword that had been vibrating violently became quieter. When the sword waspletely dyed blue, Eurius spat out a bowl of blood. ¡°Cough!¡± Ding! [You havepleted the first stage of the test.] ¡®This damn sword finally gave up.¡¯ Eurius felt dizzy from the internal injury, so he leaned on the wall and slowly headed to the entrance. But there was a smile on his lips. [Yellow Dragon Sword (1st stage)] Category: Intelligent Weapon (The weapon has a self-awareness.) Current state: Ignorant bastard¡­ Trait: It is extremely difficult to inject force into this sword. If you can use this sword as a normal weapon, it means that your force control has reached the extreme. Refer to the help for training methods. Meanwhile, the emperor was waiting for Eurius with an anxious expression. ¡®It¡¯s been almost two hours. Why isn¡¯t heing out?¡¯ Boom boom boom! ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, the whole warehouse shook violently. It was the aftermath of Eurius and the sword¡¯s struggle. ¡®Should I go in and check?¡¯ But the shaking stopped soon after, and the emperor who was watching the passage closely saw Euriusing out with difficulty and felt relieved. Eurius was using the majestic sword as a cane and walking out of the passage with a pale face. ¡°What on earth happened there?¡± ng! ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius walked out with a faint smile, but copsed at the door of the passage as he ran out of strength. And at the same time¡­ Bang! ¡°¡­¡± The emperor looked dumbfounded. The door of the passage closed because Eurius copsed right in front of it. That day, the father and son had to lie down for a whole day, one from internal injury and one from excessive bleeding caused by opening the door twice. Chapter 83: Scharnos Chapter 83: Scharnos Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
¡°Ugh¡­¡± The emperory on the bed with a displeased expression as he looked at Eurius. ¡°Is that all you brought after making me lie down like this?¡± Eurius was in his prime and had reached a high level as a warrior. He received proper treatment and was able to get up in a day and visit the emperor. Hehe But even with that unhappy gaze, Eurius was only smiling sheepishly. ¡®What did he eat wrong?¡¯ The emperor wondered as he looked at the bulky sword that Eurius had brought. In fact, if it was really the beloved sword of the Scharnos Emperor, it would be a big problem to bring it, but no one would believe that anyway if they tried to use that sword, so it didn¡¯t matter to give it to Eurius. The problem was that the sword was useless in the emperor¡¯s eyes. But Eurius didn¡¯t stop smiling and asked him. ¡°May I draw the sword in front of you, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°The sword? Do you want to do some gymnastics with that club?¡± The emperor still looked annoyed, but he gave his permission. ¡®There¡¯s no way he brought that thing without any thought.¡¯ Shrrr This dragon sword was ck in both the hilt and the de. And it wasn¡¯t even a shiny ck gloss. Nor was it sharp enough to be called a treasure sword, so it was literally nothing more than a club as the emperor said. ¡®But it¡¯s different now that the seal is broken!¡¯ Eurius looked confident as he sent a signal to the sword in his mind. ¡®Second form transformation¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± The hall was suddenly filled with a chilly atmosphere. The emperor looked at him with a why-are-you-doing-this expression as he just stood there holding the sword. Eurius panicked inside. ¡®Why is this thing acting up again?¡¯ He quickly checked the status of the sword. [Not for show, ungrateful son, be filial first] ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯ Eurius momentarily considered throwing this sword out for real. Why did he have to receive moral education (?) from this sword? ¡®Well¡­ but it¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡¯ ¡°Please wait a moment. I have something prepared beforehand.¡± Eurius hurriedly searched his pocket and took out something he had brought as a gift for the emperor¡¯s visit. The gift was a small pill contained in a jade box. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is a medicine I obtained by chance when I traded with the East. I heard that it was made from an herb called red lotus, which has been aged for decades, and it has excellent effects on restoring vitality.¡± In fact, Eurius felt guilty for making the old emperor lie down after fighting with this sword (?). After making the deal, he asionally received some rare elixirs from the East as a courtesy, and he carefully picked one of them to give to the emperor as a gift. ¡°Hehe¡­ I appreciate your sincerity, but you should avoid such things next time.¡± There is no parent who is not happy to receive a precious gift from their child. Especially if it¡¯s their favorite child? In fact, Eurius had never done much filial piety in his previous life as a troublemaker, so he didn¡¯t know much about this kind of psychology. ¡®This seems to have more effect than I thought?¡¯ The emperor¡¯s expression softened considerably as he saw the gift. Eurius looked at the sword with a curious expression. nk! At that moment, the bulky de of the Yellow Dragon Sword suddenly peeled off and revealed a dazzling silver de inside. ¡°Hooh¡­¡± The emperor looked at the sword with interest. It looked like an ordinary sword just before, but now he could see that it had a sharp edge that showed its extraordinary quality. ¡°It seems like it had a hidden function?¡± ¡°I had a hard time finding it too. Haha!¡± [Yellow Dragon Sword (Stage 1)] Category: Intelligent Weapon (The weapon has its own ego.) Current state: Sincerity, recognition, leniency. Trait: It is extremely difficult to infuse force into this sword. Being able to use this sword as a normal weapon is proof that your control of force has reached its limit. Refer to the help for training methods. Second form: You can adjust the property of repelling force. Use it for training. The yellow dragon sword at stage 1 was no longer useless as a club. It could be used as a normal sword depending on Eurius¡¯ will. And it was also an excellent treasure sword at first nce. Anyway, the emperor was pleased with the gift that Eurius had given him, and he understood that he didn¡¯t lie down for nothing. He suddenly felt very good. ¡°By the way, tomorrow is the award ceremony for the royal martial arts tournament.¡± ¡°That was not an ordinary request. You can decide, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Can I do that? It¡¯s unprecedented for a new knight order to win the royal martial arts tournament. I¡¯ll prepare a suitable reward for you.¡± Eurius had two requests when he dered his victory in the martial arts tournament and asked the emperor. One of them had already been executed. The first was to ess the royal report, and the second was the prize that came with the tournament. *** The award ceremony was held in the central square of Scharnof so that as many people as possible could see it. ¡°We will now begin the award ceremony for the 80th Royal Martial Arts Tournament!¡± As the announcer¡¯s voice rang out, the crowd began to stir. ¡°It was a really amazing tournament.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one thing that the Golden Lion Knight Order lost, but who would have thought that the fanatics of Calihara would terrorize the capital¡­¡± ¡°Not only was their record of consecutive wins broken, but they also suffered a lot of damage. It must have been a nightmare for them.¡± As they said, the sight of the Golden Lion Knight Order climbing up to the podium was terrible. Their uniforms were intact, but if you looked closely, you could see that their numbers had decreased a lot and there were many knights with bandages all over their bodies. ¡°Overall second ce! The Imperial Golden Lion Knight Order!¡± Second ce wasn¡¯t a bad result, but their faces were miserable. They had given up their 20-year record of consecutive wins to a new knight orderposed mostly of greenhorns. The Grand Duke also looked at the knight order on the podium with a cold eye. ¡°The Golden Lion Knight Order, who came in second ce, will receive an additional prize money of the first ce winner, besides the original prize money. This is the generosity of His Highness the First Prince for the Golden Lion Knight Order, who suffered a great loss this time.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s eyebrows twitched again. ¡®That bastard First Prince must have had a lot of fun mocking me.¡¯ ¡®Well, it¡¯s better than not getting anything, right?¡¯ Their eyes briefly met. In fact, this was also a clear provocation from Eurius. The tournament prize money was a huge amount, but it wasn¡¯t that important for someone like the Grand Duke or Eurius. But the people around them seemed to think differently. ¡°Indeed¡­ The prize money for the first ce in the royal martial arts tournament must be equivalent to the annual budget of seven mid-tier knight orders. His Highness the Prince is very generous.¡± ¡°He is also very considerate of his subordinates, as shown by his achievements in the north.¡± Among the nobles and the crowd who were watching the podium, sporadic praises for Eurius burst out. The Grand Duke felt bitter, but he couldn¡¯t show any disrespect to Eurius in this atmosphere. He bowed his head slightly toward Eurius. ¡®You better be prepared for how long this leisure willst.¡¯ ¡®To be precise, I achieved great results this time because the Grand Duke didn¡¯t know much about me. I can never becent in the future.¡¯ A quiet battle of nerves passed by, and finally it was time for the overall winner to receive their award. ¡°The overall winner of this tournament is His Highness the First Prince¡¯s knight order. In recognition of their amazing achievement as a new knight order, His Majesty the Emperor has decided to personally award them!¡± ¡°His Majesty the Emperor?¡± ¡°Well, he must love His Highness the First Prince very much.¡± The murmurs stopped as soon as the emperor came up to the podium. The emperor spoke with a dignified voice. ¡°First Prince Eurius and his knight order have shown an astonishing achievement that is unbelievable for a newly established knight order. Therefore, I will give them a special prize with my authority, in addition to the existing rewards.¡± Everyone in the audience watched the emperor with bated breath. The prize given by the emperor would not be an ordinary thing. Soon, the emperor opened his mouth. ¡°I heard that Eurius¡¯ knight order doesn¡¯t have an official emblem or name yet. Is that true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eurius answered and the emperor finally announced the prize. ¡°It is uneptable that a knight order that won the royal martial arts tournament doesn¡¯t have a name. Bring me the g!¡± At that moment, two guards behind the emperor quickly brought arge g. The people who saw the emblem on the g couldn¡¯t help but widen their eyes. Anyone on the continent who was decent enough would know that emblem. The emblem was a picture of an azure dragon and a golden sword crossing each other. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the g of the Emperor? Could it be¡­¡± At that moment, the emperor shouted with a hoarse voice that didn¡¯t suit his age. ¡°From this moment on, by the authority of the emperor, I grant the name [Scharnos] to the knight order under First Prince Eurius!¡± The dragon and sword emblem and the name Scharnos! This was the symbol of the knight order under Sharnos Emperor, who founded the empire. But since his era, there was not a single knight order in the empire that was allowed to use this name. But shockingly, the emperor allowed Eurius¡¯ knight order to use this name. The weight of this name was not light. Even Eurius was slightly surprised. His original second wish was to receive an official name from the emperor for his knight order, just like the Golden Lion Knight Order. A knight order that broke down the Golden Lion Knight Order and won overall received a name! This symbolic event was necessary to raise his external evaluation beyond his achievements. That was one of his goals for this tournament. ¡®But it¡¯s also a name that suits my knight order best?¡¯ His knight order had many talents who would make their names known on the continent. And he was decisively a yer like Scharnos Emperor, his ancestor. The emperor didn¡¯t know that and granted him this name, but it couldn¡¯t be more appropriate for Eurius. ¡°I thank you for your generous kindness, Your Majesty!¡± He took the g directly from the emperor and raised it high so that everyone in the square could see it. ¡®I may not have enough fame for this name yet, but I can build it up!¡¯ And Eurius smiled at the other knights who were standing with a stunned expression. ¡°What are you doing? You should be happy too!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The knights, including the leader Heinz, all knelt on one knee and bowed to the emperor and Eurius. p¡­ p p ¡°Woohoo!!!¡± ¡°Long live His Majesty the Emperor!!! Long live His Highness the First Prince!!!¡± The cheers and apuse that started sporadically among the crowd soon covered the entire square. He didn¡¯t know what would happen in the future, but Eurius¡¯ achievements so far were not ordinary, and he was still young. In fact, his achievements in the north were so far away that they didn¡¯t feel much even when they heard the news of his victory. But this royal martial arts tournament was different! They watched a new knight order achieve an unbelievable feat with their own eyes. The excited crowd psychology and excitement created this passionate cheer. Even among the Grand Duke¡¯s faction of nobles, there were murmurs. ¡°It¡¯s like a coronation ceremony for the crown prince. This is why the lowly ones are tsk!¡± ¡°But what if this really happens? The Grand Duke also suffered a lot this time¡­¡± No matter how loud the cheers were, their discussion couldn¡¯t escape the ears of the Grand Duke, who was a superhuman. He could see that his absolute trust was gradually copsing. He looked at Eurius and the emperor with colder eyes. ¡®If this was nned from the beginning, it would be really scary.¡¯ The Grand Duke felt that he had to revise his npletely. If Eurius and the emperor had this ability, he couldn¡¯t guarantee his victory even if he started a civil war. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll have to fight with all my strength.¡¯ He had mostly used his subordinates and forces to keep Eurius and the emperor in check. But he judged that if he suffered more losses, his n might copsepletely. On the other hand, Eurius was lost in thought. He enjoyed the sense of aplishment from his achieved n, but he still had ns that he hadn¡¯t executed and seen the results of, and ns that he had to make in the future. One was the western front! Another was the alliance with the desert kingdom! ¡®I wonder how Devon is doing. I should hear some news soon.¡¯ Chapter 84: Quarrel Chapter 84: Quarrel Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
After the award ceremony of the martial arts tournament, Eurius¡¯s pce was very busy. It was not because of the usual training or schedule. ¡°A goodwill ambassador to the desert kingdom! The first prince Eurius will be dispatched!¡± It was finally decided at the recent conference. If Eurius goes, they will naturally follow him as escorts, as they are his knight order. They finished their preparations for the march and lined up in an orderly manner. Eurius opened his mouth with a cheerful tone. ¡°Will there be any trouble? The capital of the Parthia Kingdom, Harun, where we are going this time, is a famous resort in the south. You can think of it as a vacation!¡± In fact, they only had to escort him, and it was not very likely that someone would openly attack Eurius, who was the first prince, in a big city. The negotiation would be done by Eurius and this person. Of course, that person was Count Wace, who was smiling warmly. ¡°Count, don¡¯t you have many friends in the southern desert? Please help me out this time.¡± ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t know how much help this old man can be¡­¡± Wace had no choice but to ept his request. He reluctantly joined this delegation as if he was eating mustard while crying. Of course, Eurius was not really going to rx in Parthia. ¡°This is a friend I personally got to know. You can call him Jegal Geon.¡± ¡°I am Jegal Geon of the Azure Dragon Merchant Group. I wanted to learn more about the southern desert, so I asked His Majesty the Emperor.¡± Of course, Wace knew Jegal Geon, who was nominally the head of the Azure Dragon Company Group. Wasn¡¯t he the one who snatched a lot of money from him in the north? ¡®I have to live with these annoying people for a while. Sigh.¡¯ He sighed as if the ground was copsing. Anyway, Eurius secretly hinted at Jegal Geon. ¡°How are your preparations?¡± ¡°I have ced some experts above the peak level from my n among the people of the merchant group, in addition to the members of Hidden Moon Hall who were sent in advance for information gathering.¡± Eurius looked at the people of the Azure Dragon Merchant Group and expressed his surprise. ¡®The peak level is equivalent to a master knight in this continent. They must have a deep grudge against those bastards from Magyo?¡¯ And Jegal Geon himself was also a formidable force. He was also an amazing expert whose stats were not much different from those of a superhuman. ¡®With this much, we can handle any unexpected situation in the south.¡¯ The full support of the Jegal n! And his personal power and Scharnos Knight Order added to that, he would be able to deal with them without much trouble even if they had as much power as those who attacked the stadium. As far as Eurius was concerned, he had prepared thoroughly enough to cope with anything. Finally, the time passed and it was the day of departure for the delegation. ¡°Parthia is a rtively safe area in the south, but you have to be careful.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± In fact, the emperor still looked unhappy. There were many good ces in the empire if he needed a vacation. Why did he have to go overseas? But it was also true that the emperor trusted Eurius. ¡°Open the gate!¡± But before the emperor could give the order to depart, an urgent message came through the gate of the capital and ran to the pce. ¡°Your Majesty! An urgent message has arrived from the western front!¡± At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on the dusty messenger. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± ¡°The western front? It¡¯s been three months since then. Did something happen to the 3rd Army or Leonhart?¡± The messenger took a breath for a moment and knelt down in front of the emperor. ¡°No! This time, it¡¯s a great victory on the western front! The 3rd Army led by Count Perez sessfully defeated the main force of the western kingdom!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± At that moment, all the officials in the hall, including the emperor, were surprised. The Western Alliance may be small countries, but they are a coalition of several kingdoms. It took a lot of time for them to move from the empire to the west, but they achieved a great victory by defeating their main force only three months after they decided to dispatch troops? As everyone was surprised, there was only one person who smiled with satisfaction. Of course, it was Eurius. ¡®The messenger said it was the 3rd Army, not Leonhart. He must have done it!¡¯ ¡°Is there a detailed report on the battle results?¡± ¡°Here is the official report sent by Count Perez.¡± The emperor took the report and quickly skimmed through it. [Report on the subjugation of the Western Alliance by the 3rd Army of the Empire] . . . . . The first contributor of the operation: Devon (junior staff officer) ¡°Devon? Is there a noble with that name in the 3rd Army?¡± As an emperor, he had no reason to remember his name, who was amoner and had just been appointed. ¡®Anyway, he¡¯s the biggest contributor of this operation?¡¯ The emperor slowly began to read the details of the report. *** This was about a month before the martial arts tournament award ceremony. Coincidentally, contrary to Eurius¡¯s expectation, the western front was not in a very good situation. ¡°We have no face to show to His Majesty the Emperor. We lost more than half of our important knights due to our mistake.¡± The king of Carvan Kingdom bowed his head to Perez, who was only a Count, with a very sorry expression. Perez also had no choice but to harden his expression after hearing the situation. It was not an ordinary situation. ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to have a siege battle relying on the walls if we lose the number and quality of the knights and cavalry.¡± The most important position in the military system of the continent was upied by the knight order and the cavalry equipped with heavy armor. They had overwhelming mobility that could break through the enemy line in an instant even if the arrow rain of the archers fell, and they were almost invincible against infantry. But this time, Carvan Kingdom used the knight order excessively to defend some key points on the way to the capital and suffered a huge loss. ¡°We will do our best to defend the key points on the way to the capital until the reinforcements arrive. The additional troops from the empire will arrive soon.¡± Perez was amander with a fair amount ofbat experience. He made the most appropriate decision at that point. It was also around that time that he heard the news that Leonhart, the second prince, was leading the support troops. ¡®If His Highness the Second Princees, he will have elite knights given by His Majesty, so we can replenish our knight force that is being pushed back.¡¯ But even when he waited for the support troops of the second prince to arrive, the situation did not improve much. The reason was that they were too arrogant. ¡°We are not knights assigned to the 3rd Army, but knights of His Grace¡¯s family. Even though you are themander-in-chief, we cannot follow you unless it is an order from His Highness the Second Prince.¡± ¡®No, is that really a problem when we are in such a situation? We need to train together to match our breaths!¡¯ Perez was dying of anger. If they cooperated actively, they would have crushed those small kingdoms long ago. He was a person who came up to this position with a stablemand. The imperial army usually had more quality and quantity than their opponents, and if he repeatedly won battles steadily, he would never lose. But as soon as he joined forces with the powerful knight force of the second prince, he could not help but be embarrassed as they tried to dominate over the 3rd Army. It was called amand dispute. Of course, he was timid and did not dare to go to Leonhart and protest. As he hesitated, before long, the front line was pushed back almost near the capital of Carvan Kingdom. ¡°Did he refuse again today?¡± ¡°Of course. How can we let him get credit when His Highness the Second Prince is here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Although he said so, Leonhart was smart enough to know Perez¡¯s feelings. If the 3rd Armybined their power with his elite knights and steadily advanced, they would not have been pushed back so far. ¡®But then I have to share credit with the 3rd Army!¡¯ He wanted to get as much credit as possible in this western front without being overshadowed by his brother Eurius. What he needed for that was a decisive victory under hismand. When it finally reached a situation where it was almost broken through to the capital, Leonhart requested to attend the 3rd Army¡¯s operation meeting. ¡°I greet His Highness the Second Prince.¡± Perez and his staff quickly got up and bowed their heads to Leonhardt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not attending your operation meeting until now. I tried to persuade my knights, but they have their own reasons, so please understand.¡± ¡®Yeah right!¡¯ Perez and his staff wanted to curse at their behavior, but what could they do if even the second prince couldn¡¯t control them? The knights of the Grand Duke¡¯s family were not technically owned by Leonhart. He cleverly shifted his responsibility to them. ¡°But since the allied forces have reached almost near the capital, we can¡¯t dy any longer.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Perez looked at Leonhart nervously. In fact, he was known as a very talented military man who was overshadowed by Eurius, who was the first prince. What kind of operation would he propose in this situation? ¡°ording to my discussion with my knights, I think this in is the most advantageous ce for us among the key points leading to the capital.¡± There were quite a few key points on the way to the capital of Carvan Kingdom, but there were not many ces where arge army could pass. ¡°You mean the Corum in.¡± ¡°If we fight here, we can end the war in one breath by using the quality and quantity of the imperial army.¡± The reason why Leonhart left the front line to be pushed back until near the capital was for this ambush. Because the front line had been pushed back so much, the enemies would think that their knight force was not very strong. Logically, why wouldn¡¯t they use their existing power when they were losing and umting damage? Annihte thecent enemy army in arge-scale battle! This was Leonhart¡¯s n. Of course, he would be the proposer of this operation. He would take most of the credit, not the 3rd Army. Knowing that, Perez began to worry with a serious expression. ¡®He will definitely win for sure.¡¯ The knights of the Grand Duke¡¯s family were elites. No matter how many small kingdoms they teamed up with, they would destroy their lines with the knights of the 3rd Army, who were superior in both troops and quality. ¡®I don¡¯t mind not getting credit.¡¯ He was not a man who had the audacity topete with the second prince. But he had a different problem that troubled him. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ However, before he could make a decision, another voice came from the side of the 3rd Legion. ¡°I strongly oppose that n, Your second highness.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Everyone in the hall turned their eyes to that direction. Who was the bold one who openly contradicted the second prince¡¯s opinion? Leonhart also showed a brief expression of surprise, then looked at the person who uttered those words. The knights beside him shouted with fierce expressions. ¡°How rude! You look like a staff officer of the 3rd Legion. What is your name and family?¡± The person who spoke also bit his lips. He knew what he had done. ¡°My name is Devan. I have no surname because I am amoner.¡± ¡°Amoner!?¡± The knights were momentarily puzzled, but soon their faces became twice as vicious as before. ¡°How dare amoner-born staff officer with little experience spit on His Highness¡¯s opinion? Do you think you have the position to do that?¡± ¡°Even if we cut off your head right now, you would have nothing to say!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± The one who stopped the knights was Leonhart. He was still acting to keep up his good image in public. If he cut off his head just because he didn¡¯t listen, what would his position be? ¡®I have to at least pretend to listen.¡¯ ¡°Devan, right? What part of my n do you think iscking?¡± ¡®Am I crazy! It¡¯s because His Highness has been so kind to me that my head has gone wrong.¡¯ Devan also stood up well, but half of it was an impulse of youthful blood. He still hadn¡¯tpletely corrected his habit from the academy. He barely steadied his trembling legs and began to answer. ¡°I think Corum in is a terrain that favors the imperial army, which has a numerical advantage. It would be even better if Your Highness¡¯s knights join us.¡± ¡°Then why do you oppose it?¡± ¡°If we fight on the in, the casualties of the ordinary soldiers will be too high. The knights may receive your support, but it¡¯s different for the infantry.¡± In fact, Devan¡¯s opposition was a result of his long-standing dissatisfaction exploding with youthful blood. If they had joined in more actively earlier, they could have repelled them with much less sacrifice. Why didn¡¯t the second prince help them? He didn¡¯t betray his homnd even though he joined the empire. His hometown was Carvan Kingdom. He couldn¡¯t feel good about his country being trampled on. Snicker But the knights on the side of the second princeughed as if they were incredulous. ¡°Do you want to give up a sure victory for such a reason? Then at least suggest an alternative.¡± ¡°The walls of the capital are strong. If we siege them with the help of the knights, we can exhaust the enemy with much less sacrifice.¡± Devan¡¯s suggestion also made Perez nod inwardly. As he said, if they shed on the in, they could win at once, but the damage to the soldiers would be too great. War is not only for knights. No matter how big a victory it is, if arge number of troops face each other head-on, the sacrifice will be no joke. As amander leading a legion, he wanted to avoid such a situation. ¡°That¡¯s a saying that you can¡¯t win if you¡¯re afraid of sacrifice in war tactics. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t ept your suggestion.¡± However, Leonhart firmly rejected it. He didn¡¯t think he had to worry about the lives of ordinary soldiers. ¡°But!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Unable to tolerate Devan¡¯s rudeness any longer, one of the knights drew his sword. He belonged to a different faction, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to execute this greenhorn staff officer. Shriek! ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I have to make a contribution this time.¡¯ Leonhardt also anticipated the knight¡¯s action, but he didn¡¯t bother to stop or intervene. But then something surprising happened. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°I apologize on behalf of my subordinate who seems to have offended Your Majesty. Please forgive him.¡± The knight¡¯s sword stopped right in front of Count Perez¡¯s nose. Surprisingly, he blocked Devan¡¯s front and stopped the knight. ¡°Count?¡± Chapter 85: You Take Care Of The Aftermath. Chapter 85: You Take Care Of The Aftermath. Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Devan was staring at Perez with a stunned expression, as he thought he was dead for sure. A very unexpected situation urred in an instant. Perez looked surprisingly calm. ¡°Your Highness, the Second Prince. I apologize for my rudeness. Devan, you should also beg for forgiveness quickly!¡± He bowed his head deeply to Leonhart. Devan came to his senses at his words. ¡°I havemitted a grave sin.¡± Perez was themander-in-chief and a Count, so neither the knights nor Leonhart could question him further. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t stop him in time.¡± ¡°The mood seems to be ruined today. I will discuss your proposal with the Third Army and make a decision.¡± That¡¯s how the meeting ended awkwardly that day. ¡°Devan, follow me for a moment.¡± Perez called him quietly, and Devan had no choice but to follow him, expecting a severe punishment. Perez took Devan to his quarters, but he didn¡¯t get angry or scold him. ¡°First of all, your actions today were very rash.¡± ¡°I have no excuse.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Perez sighed and looked at Devan, then opened his mouth again. ¡°Do you know why I shielded you with my body today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± Devan was from amoner background, and he had no special merit except that the First Prince Eurius favored him. It was a situation where Perez could have been seriously injured if he had been careless. Why did he do that, when he was known for his timid personality? ¡°It¡¯s partly because of the First Prince¡¯s request. But that¡¯s not enough to exin it, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What Perez said next was really surprising. ¡°First of all, I want to thank you. What you said was what I wanted to say too. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of talented and upright people like you in the army. But most of them didn¡¯t end well.¡± Eurius¡¯s request, Devan¡¯s talent that he noticed, and Perez¡¯s personality. If any of these three were missing, Devan¡¯s head would have been cut off by now. Perez was worried about that. ¡°You must have thought I was timid, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like taking risks. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have any significant achievements at this age. Even though I¡¯m leading the Imperial Army, which is said to be the strongest in the continent.¡± ¡°You are a goodmander, sir.¡± Devan thought Perez was sometimes frustrating, but he basically considered him a decent superior. He was not someone who would treat soldiers as tools for victory like the Second Prince did. Perez smiled at Devan¡¯s sincere words. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have anything to advise you on military tactics. But I have something to say about your conduct.¡± Devan had a lot of regrets as he talked with Perez. He thought he was a very timid person, but he was actually someone who had a clear opinion and made such choices. ¡°And since I¡¯ve shielded you, I don¡¯t think I have any more room for choice!¡± Perez decided to side with Eurius this time. He also had some resentment towards Leonhart, who had been watching from afar since he came as reinforcements. And now that he had shielded amoner in front of him, he had already ruined his image in front of the Grand Duke. ¡°Now that we¡¯re on the same boat, what are you going to do? The First Prince seems to want you to get some merit¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Devan thought for a moment. He didn¡¯t know why Eurius liked him so much. His tactics were too radical, so he had to submit a mediocre paper to graduate from the academy. But strangely enough, Eurius seemed to be interested only in the parts that no one else cared about. And Perez would probably not ignore his opinion now. After thinking hard, Devan finally spoke. ¡°Actually, there is a tactic that I want to try out, but it hasn¡¯t been verified yet.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± *** There were four countries that raised their gs against the Carvan Kingdom in this Western Alliance civil war. Among them, thergest kingdom Kestin¡¯s Duke andmander-in-chief Beyerin was in a hurry. ¡°We have to take over Carvan¡¯s capital before the Empire sends more reinforcements.¡± Of course, the Empire¡¯s reinforcements were already here. But Leonhart had only brought a few elite knights and soldiers, so they still hadn¡¯t noticed. But Beyerin didn¡¯t know that, so he had to urge the march. If he could take over the capital and kill all the royal family, including the king, the Empire would have no reason to interfere with a country that was already destroyed. He had inflicted a huge damage on Carvan¡¯s knights with a sudden attack, and that was his merit. Now, even with the help of the Imperial Army, defending the capital would not be easy. The so-called Western Alliance Army, formed by four kingdoms, marched day and night and reached near the capital. ¡°The Imperial Army is holding a position in the Kale Forest and trying to confront us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Beyerin looked at the Third Army¡¯s deployment with a puzzled expression. The Kale Forest was a terrain that was absolutely advantageous to his side, as far as he knew. ¡°Break through quickly. If we can defeat the Imperial Army this time, taking over the capital will be a piece of cake!¡± A day before the Western Alliance Army arrived, a hasty staff meeting was convened in the Third Army. ¡°This ce will allow us to use the terrain advantage to block the enemy¡¯s assault!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± All the staff members looked at Devan with a look of disbelief. That ce was usually the most favorable terrain for meleebat. ¡°Hey, Devan. I know you¡¯repetent, but it doesn¡¯t make sense to have a frontal battle in the Kale Forest.¡± As he said, the Kale Forest was one of the narrowest passages to enter Carvan¡¯s capital. The narrow road between the forests was so narrow that there was no space for anything but meleebat. If they shed head-on with the knights outnumbering them, the result was obvious. But Devan didn¡¯t budge from his im. And Perez, themander and duke, didn¡¯t oppose Devan¡¯s idea either. ¡°I¡¯m from Carvan Kingdom, as you know. It¡¯s June now! It¡¯s the rainy season in Carvan.¡± Devan began to exin his tactics in a confident tone. *** The rain had been pouring down for days, turning the road into mud. The Western Alliance Army had no choice but to slow down their march, while the Third Army waited for them in ambush. ¡°What is this? Why are there archers in front?¡± Beyerin frowned as he saw the Imperial Army¡¯s formation. It was very strange that they ced archers on both wings of their front line. Didn¡¯t they know that archers were useless in such close quarters? He felt a bit uneasy, but he was confident in his overwhelming strength. He had followed the conventional tactics of meleebat. ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Hehehe!¡± The knights led the way, breaking through the road, and the heavy cavalry followed them to pierce through the enemy line. This was the standard tactic of meleebat. Beyerin thought he could crush his enemy with this tactic. ¡°Shoot arrows! Stop their charge!¡± Swoosh! The archers on both wings let loose their arrows at once. But they were not aiming at the enemy soldiers. They were aiming at something else. ¡°Wh-what is this?¡± Beyerin¡¯s eyes widened as he saw what was flying in the air. It was not ordinary arrows. It was something wrapped in cloth soaked in oil. And then¡­ Boom! The arrows hit their targets and exploded into mes. The targets were wooden poles that had been nted along both sides of the road by Devan¡¯s order. The poles were connected by ropes soaked in oil, forming a wall of fire that blocked the enemy¡¯s advance and retreat. ¡°A trap!¡± Beyerin realized toote that he had fallen into a trap. He had been lured into a narrow road where he couldn¡¯t maneuver or escape, and then surrounded by fire. He looked around frantically for a way out, but there was none. The fire was too high and too hot to cross. And behind him, there were more enemy soldiers waiting for him. He had been caught in a pincer attack. ¡°Damn it! How did theye up with such a tactic?¡± He cursed as he saw Devan leading his troops from behind. Devan had devised this tactic based on his knowledge of Carvan¡¯s geography and climate. He knew that during the rainy season, there would be plenty of water and oil avable from nearby viges. He also knew that fire would be effective against heavily armored enemies who couldn¡¯t move fast or see well. He had prepared this trap in advance, using his archers to ignite it at the right moment. He had also ced some infantry units on both sides of the forest to prevent any escape attempts. It was a brilliant tactic that used both natural and artificial elements to create an advantage. Devan smiled as he saw his n seed. He had finally proven his worth to Eurius and Perez. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finish them off!¡± The Imperial Army rained down countless arrows. But Beyerin rxed his expression as if it wasughable. ¡®How can they stop the knights with arrows in such a narrow terrain?¡¯ Of course, even the heavy cavalry and the knights who wielded force would be in danger if they were exposed to the arrow rain continuously. But this was a straight line, wasn¡¯t it? They could close the distance in an instant. But his expectations began to go wrong from the beginning. ¡°Hehehe!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, the horses of the knights who were charging at the front went crazy and threw off their riders. Screams erupted among the knights. ¡°It¡¯s caltrops! Be careful, everyone!¡± Caltrops were iron obstacles that were scattered on the ground to stop the horse¡¯s charge. Beyerin was slightly taken aback, but soon hardened his expression. ¡®A clumsy tactic.¡¯ The knights wouldn¡¯t be seriously injured just by falling off their horses. It might slow down their attack speed a bit, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop their charge. If that was the case, he would have considered this strategy a long time ago. Of course, there were some knights who were injured by falling off their horses or got arrows stuck in their bodies in the meantime, but as he expected, most of the knights got up without any serious injuries and ran towards the archers at a terrifying speed. ¡®At least they seeded in slowing down their attack speed.¡¯ Devan smiled with satisfaction. Now, the next obstacle would catch the enemy¡¯s ankles. It was the mud that had turned into a swamp by the rain that fell during the rainy season! Ssh! ¡°Damn mud.¡± The knights who got off their horses grumbled as they sprinted through the mud that reached their knees. It was hard to cross such a swampynd with human height. On top of that, the Imperial archers kept hitting their armor with arrows. They were knights who wielded force, so they endured it, but the cavalry and infantry behind them lost their horses and suffered casualties. ¡°Damn archers, we¡¯re almost there, it¡¯s over!¡± But what greeted the knights who had almost reached the archers were sturdy wooden stakes that Devan had installed in advance. ¡°Archers, retreat while continuing to shoot! Knights, protect the archers!¡± The archers moved back and forth between the stakes while pouring arrows. They were light and agile because they didn¡¯t have much defense. Devan had also ced some knights and heavy infantry behind the stakes to help the archers retreat. On the other hand, most of the Western Alliance Army had sent heavy cavalry or infantry in armor for meleebat. But they couldn¡¯t move properly in such heavy armor in the swamp. If the knights had easily crushed the archers as nned, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if their attack speed was slow, but Devan had wickedly focused on protecting the archers instead of using them for attack. The orderly retreat of the Imperial archers while moving between the stakes and raining arrows! The enemy soldiers who couldn¡¯t move well in the swamp! The result was obvious. The knights managed to chase after the archers with tenacity, but the ordinary soldiers who were supposed to support them copsed. ¡®Preserving the front-line troops is already impossible. I have to save at least the knights and rear troops.¡¯ Beyerin bit his lip and decided to retreat. He had to abandon his front-line troops. The troops he retreated with also suffered a lot from the Imperial Army¡¯s relentless pursuit. Devan swept his chest as he saw that scene. ¡®It was my first time trying this strategy, but I¡¯m d it worked out well as you said.¡¯ He thought of the conversation he had with Eurius before leaving the Imperial capital. ¡°The reason I trust you is because I found your theory very interesting. If you have a chance this time, try that strategy.¡± Devan looked bewildered. That paper was the cause of his repeated failures to graduate from the academy. ¡°You mean the paper on fire power?¡± ¡°Yes. I also thought that the knights were useful on the battlefield, but they were too dependent on them.¡± Eurius exined to Devan with a serious expression. The knights who wielded force were human after all. They had physical limits and they could get injured if the arrows hit them properly. ¡®I felt it when I saw you at the academy, but your words seem to read my mind. I agree with youpletely.¡¯ The two had a lively discussion about fire power before they parted that day. Of course, Eurius felt guilty inside. ¡®Actually, everything I said was what you would develop in your previous life. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ *** ¡°The Third Army defeated the enemy¡¯s main force by themselves?¡± Leonhart tried to control his expression as he heard the oue of the battle in the Kale Forest. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing for the reinforcements to do?¡± Perez bowed his head again as if he had no face. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s not entirely true.¡± ¡°I came here to serve the Empire, so I have to do something. You are themander, so you can order me without worrying about me being the second prince.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Perez raised his head with a troubled expression. ¡°The war is almost over since we crushed the enemy¡¯s main force. But there are still remnants of the enemy in various ces. And most of them are knights from noble families, so they are very difficult to deal with using guerri warfare.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leonhart almost failed to manage his expression. He understood what Peres meant. ¡°As you brought elite knights with you, I¡¯m asking for your help¡­¡± ¡®So the war is already over and you want me to take care of the leftovers.¡¯ There was hardly any merit for Leonhart to take in this war. But he was sent as reinforcements. Since there was no big enemy left to defeat, he had to deal with any small tasks and somehow raise his evaluation. In the end, the process was slightly different, but as Eurius expected, Leonhart ended up in a situation where he had to take care of all kinds of chores without getting any credit for the war. Chapter 86: Changes Chapter 86: Changes ¡°His name is Devan, right? Even if he is from the Carvan Kingdom and had the advantage of terrain and various other factors, he is still an outstanding talent!¡± The emperor could not help but admire as he skimmed through the report. He was also a busy man in his active days, fighting against the rebellious nobles who did not listen to him. The strategy that the 3rd Legion devised this time was quite novel in his eyes. ¡°He was a prominent talent even when I was at the academy. I think this war was not just a matter of luck.¡± Eurius added his words here. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°He does not discriminate talents based on their status. Is this not thew of the empire that Your Majesty established?¡± ¡®This is the first time I hear him praise someone so much. Did he already have his eyes on this talent?¡¯ The emperor immediately read Eurius¡¯s intention. He wanted him to push Devan forward. It was not a difficult thing for the emperor to favor a proven person in a war. ¡°That¡¯s right. When the 3rd Legion finishes cleaning up the remnants of the western front and returns to the capital, I will reward him with a suitable honor!¡± He would have to sh with the Grand Duke sooner orter anyway. He could never have too many excellentmanders. He finished taking care of Devan and Eurius, who had almost finished preparing for the departure of the delegation. ¡°We will finally depart in a few hours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the desert before. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± He chatted with the knights about various things, when an unexpected report came to Eurius. ¡°Your Highness! A letter has arrived from the western front.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t I already submit a detailed report? What else does Count Peres have to say to me?¡¯ He looked at the letter with a curious expression. But as he read it, his expression changed constantly. At first, he looked surprised, then he looked shocked, and finally he put down the letter with a serious face. ¡°Your Highness, did you hear any bad news from the western front?¡± The knights around him asked with concern, but Eurius soon returned to his cheerful face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The talent I rmended did a great job and expressed his personal gratitude to me.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Rather than that, I heard that the journey through the desert is not easy. You should rest when you can.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After dismissing the knights, Eurius fell into thought. ¡®This western front did not go exactly as I nned, did it?¡¯ He was not 100 percent sure either. It was the same war, but Devan¡¯s position and situation werepletely different. In his previous life, when he remembered this war, Carvan Kingdom did not suffer such a big damage in the early stage. Therefore, the imperial army could easily suppress the enemy after they arrived, and Devan, who showed outstanding performance in the meantime, quickly rose up and yed a big role in unifying the western allianceter. ¡®But in this life, if things went normally, there was no way for Devan to do anything, no matter how talented he was!¡¯ Leonhardt¡¯s deliberate neglect, the already retreating front line, and most importantly, the difference in talent between the kingdom and the empire. Even if he pushed Devan forward, his opinion could not be epted 100 percent by the 3rd Legion, which already had many excellent staff officers. But despite all these unfavorable conditions, Devan achieved a great merit this time. Eurius thought of two main reasons for this. The first was that Count Peres was much more humane than he thought. The summary of his personal letter was like this: [It may be rude to Your Highness who is from the imperial family, but I was greatly disappointed by Prince Leonhardt¡¯s attitude of treating soldiers like objects. You have the ability to recognize talents like Devan, and I want to follow you.] ¡®It¡¯s a big gain to have one of the legionmanders of the empire on my side!¡¯ There were five legions in total in the empire, and unfortunately, the 5th Legion in the south was under the influence of the Grand Duke. And the 4th Legion in the north and the 1st Legion in charge of defending the capital were firmly loyal to the emperor. The problem was that the 2nd and 3rd Legions in the central and southern parts of the empire were ambiguous in terms of factions. But now he had secured the 3rd Legion for sure. And the second reason was no less important than the first. Devan had grown faster than he expected. ¡®Based on the stats I saw when I briefly met him in the north, he was not yet at the level of an unrivaledmander. But judging by how he handled this war, he must have grown for sure!¡¯ The genius strategist Devan Calios did not build his reputation overnight. He was a very humble and calm person who never got angry easily. But the Devan described in Peres¡¯s letter was still full of youthful vigor. And he was in a situation where he could lose his head at any moment by Leonhardt. ¡®Peres was a much better superior than I thought. It was his luck. The Devan of the previous life must have also grown through some trials and errors.¡¯ That¡¯s right! What Eurius felt this time was that even if someone was called a genius in his previous life, the oue could change depending on his arrangement. He could die before his talent fully blossomed, but he could also grow faster than in his previous life depending on how he prepared. He nced at the seat in front of him. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a brief silence. The person sitting in front of him was Beatrice. The knights were taking turns staying in the carriage for escort. ¡®She also changed a lot because I went to the holy kingdom early.¡¯ He did not know her skills at this point in his previous life, but her external status had changed greatly. [Swift] This was the nickname that was given to her after the martial arts tournament. It was also the name that she was called as a superhuman in his previous life. ¡®She seems to have grown faster than I expected through real battles. But I don¡¯t have anything else to offer her, so it¡¯s awkward.¡¯ Eurius was busy packing his bags for his trip to the desert when he heard some surprising news from the distant eastern continent. ¡°The Demon Sect has risen in the western continent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The head of the Jegal n and his eldest daughter have confirmed it with their own eyes.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± He had thought he could finally move most of his base to the western continent, but this was like a bolt from the blue. ¡­ The middle-aged man who was stroking his beard and sighing was none other than the head of the Jegal Sect. ¡°Call for a meeting.¡± A few minutester, several people entered his room. It was called a sect meeting, but it was only attended by the leaders of each n, so there were only five people sitting around his room. ¡°The Demon Sect, you say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Some doubted the truth of it, while others remained silent. That¡¯s how much weight the name of the Demon Sect had for them. ¡°Since things havee to this, why don¡¯t we fight to the death here in this continent where we have our roots?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote for that. We¡¯ve already moved half of our sect¡¯s power to the western continent.¡± The matter was so serious that they had no choice but to argue among themselves. ¡°May I say something?¡± The head looked surprised. The person who spoke was a young man who looked no older than thirty. He had been quiet and observant from the start, without giving any opinion. ¡°Seongun, go ahead.¡± ¡°ording to the information I collected from Azure Dragon Company in the western continent, it is indeed a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So you¡¯re saying we should withdraw?¡± Surprisingly, the person in charge of Azure Dragon Company, one of the best intelligence organizations in Hwan, was this young man. Seongun. Jegal Seongun shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I think we stillck enough information to make a decision. And I also see our ally in the western continent as a big variable.¡± ¡°The first prince of that empire? I heard he¡¯s just over twenty years old. He may be good at martial arts, but¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°What do you want to say to me, Your Highness?¡± She widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s nothing important. By the way, aren¡¯t you bored of this long carriage journey? How about we have some fun in Parthia to rx our bodies?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always looking forward to it.¡± She answered quickly with a rare sparkle in her eyes. Eurius sighed inwardly as he looked at her. ¡®But has her personality changed? Is that what I should call it?¡¯ He recalled the profile of Beatrice that he knew from his previous life. [Beatrice Dios, became a superhuman at 25, married Eurius, who was rumored to be a good-for-nothing at the time, in a political marriage the next year after bing a superhuman, and then¡­] Eurius shivered. ¡®My father in my previous life must have hated me so much. But he made the right decision.¡¯ The emperor at that time was getting weaker and weaker, and most of the officials who supported Eurius, who was the crown prince then, were civil servants. The emperor took an extraordinary measure and brought in a superhuman as the crown princess. In fact, 26 years old was way past the normal age for a nobledy to get married. If she wasn¡¯t a superhuman, she would have been kicked out of her family or sent to some monastery. ¡®The first prince should be able to handle Lize, right?¡¯ Of course, that was what he thought at first. But after he became the emperor and a civil war broke out, Eurius had to swing his sword more and more to survive, and as a result, the kind of marital rtionship (?) that he remembered now was formed. ¡®By the way, what kind of rtionship should I build with her in this life?¡¯ He finished his reminiscence and another question popped up in his mind. How did she see him? They had been together for quite a long time, but she was so sparse with her emotional expressions that it was hard to tell. ¡®At least she seems to like me somewhat¡­¡¯ Eurius shook his head slightly as he thought this. ¡®I was too lost in my thoughts. There¡¯s a lot to do in the desert. It would be better to review my ns instead of wasting time like this.¡¯ Beatrice just stared at him nkly as his expression kept changing. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the border with Parthia, so let¡¯s check the detailed n.¡± ¡°As I told you before, Parthia is a kingdom with a king, but not all power is concentrated in him.¡± The one who exined was Wace, who knew a lot about the desert. ¡°Then is it like the north where several tribes gather and hold meetings?¡± ¡°You could say it¡¯s simr. Parthia has six ns, and their representatives have independent authority in their own territories. Of course, the royal family has the most power.¡± ¡°Then we just need to persuade the king, right?¡± ¡°That might be a bit difficult. The current king of Parthia is old and frail, and he doesn¡¯t have the energy to care about politics.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked puzzled. If the king was lying down, who was doing the politics? ¡°Actually, Parthia doesn¡¯t have a system where the eldest son inherits the throne or a crown prince system. It¡¯s usual for the prince who gets the approval of more than half of the six ns to seed the throne.¡± Wace paused for a moment as if his throat was dry and continued. ¡°The one who is currently acting as the king of Parthia is Prince Karim. I¡¯ve dealt with him a few times, and he¡¯s not an easy person.¡± ¡°Karim?¡± Eurius¡¯s expression became slightly serious. Wasn¡¯t that the name that was written first on the list of traitors who colluded with the desert kingdom that Wace gave him? Knowing that, Wace sweated profusely and started to make excuses. ¡°Actually, I think it would be very difficult to form an alliance with him as long as Karim is holding on. He¡¯s an inscrutable person, but he never loses out on anything.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°In my old opinion, do you remember Prince Jamir among the people you saw before?¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you join hands with him? In fact, there¡¯s hardly any force in Parthia that can counter Karim.¡± Snicker. Eurius smiled faintly. It was quite a tricky situation. ¡®So you¡¯re saying I have to persuade one of them, but both of them have ulterior motives?¡¯ Chapter 87: Mirage of the Desert Chapter 87: Mirage of the Desert While Eurius was busy preparing to leave for the desert, a surprising news reached the faraway Eastern Continent. ¡°The Dark Sect has risen in the Western Continent?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s confirmed. The head of the Jegal n and his eldest daughter witnessed it with their own eyes.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± He thought he could finally move most of his base to the Western Continent, but what kind of bolt from the blue was this? The middle-aged man who stroked his beard and sighed repeatedly was the head of the Jegal Family. ¡°Call for a family meeting.¡± A few momentster, several figures entered the room where he was. It was called a family meeting, but only the leaders of each branch attended, so there were only five people sitting around in the head¡¯s room. ¡°The Dark Sect, you say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Some doubted the truth, while others remained silent. That¡¯s how much weight the name of the Dark Sect had for them. ¡°Since things havee to this, why don¡¯t we fight to the death here in this continent, our homnd?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote for that. We¡¯ve already moved half of our family¡¯s power to the Western Continent.¡± Since the matter was so serious, they had no choice but to argue among themselves. ¡°May I say something?¡± The head showed a hint of surprise on his face. The person who spoke was a young man who looked no older than thirty. He had been quiet and observant from the beginning, without giving any opinion. ¡°Seongun, speak your mind.¡± ¡°First of all, ording to the information we collected from Azure Dragon Company in the Western Continent, it seems that it is indeed a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So you¡¯re saying we should withdraw?¡± Surprisingly, the person in charge of one of the best intelligence organizations in Hwan, Azure Dragon Company, was this young man. The young man. Jegal Seongun shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough information to confirm that yet. And I think our ally in the Western Continent is also a big variable.¡± ¡°You mean that First Prince of the Empire? I heard he¡¯s just over twenty years old. He may be skilled in martial arts, but¡­¡± They didn¡¯t judge Eurius lightly as they were core members of their family. But generally, people in Hwan tended to look down on martial artists from the Western Continent. And experience was something they couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to assess him, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Do you have a specific n?¡± ¡°No matter how smart someone is, they can¡¯t see through their intentions unless they see them in person.¡± Jegal Seongun quietly began to speak his thoughts. **# The scene changed to Partia Kingdom¡¯s capital city, Harun. ¡°The First Prince of the Empire has arrived at the border?¡± ¡°Yes! Prince Jamir went to greet him personally.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Well, that shady merchant wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± The man who heard the report was a middle-aged man who looked around forty years old. His sturdy physique and bronze skin showed his solid muscles that indicated he was an experienced warrior. He was none other than Partia Kingdom¡¯s most influential figure, Prince Karim. He looked like a born warrior with his imposing body, but his eyes also had an extraordinary sharpness. ¡°Did hee as an envoy to ask for our support against Kalihara Kingdom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd. Why should we shed blood for the Empire?¡± *** As soon as Eurius reached Partia¡¯s border, he received a warm wee. ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s an honor to see you again.¡± He knew who it was who greeted him with such fuss. ¡°Jamir, was it? Long time no see. But you¡¯re a prince with many things to do. How did you find time toe all the way to the border?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? If you evere to the desert, I¡¯ll be your personal guide.¡± Jamir smiled brightly and ttered Eurius with ease. He was very happy. ¡®This is surely Heimdall¡¯s blessing! I had many problems to deal with anyway, but now I can take care of them all at once with this opportunity!¡¯ ¡®If this pale-looking guy has such influence in Partia, then those cultists in Partia must have no ordinary power.¡¯ [Al Jamir] Job: High Priest (Heimdall Cult) Strength: C+ Agility: C+ Intelligence: A+ Spirit: A+ Dark Power: A+ Personality: Lively, Innocent, Fanatic [Trait] Dark Soul Arts: A power granted to Heimdall¡¯s priests. You can use various spells depending on your skill level. ¡®He¡¯s more talented than I thought. He¡¯s a priest, but he doesn¡¯t seem to have nobat ability at all. He¡¯s someone to watch out for.¡¯ After checking his stats, Eurius smiled and opened his mouth again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you until we get to Harun. You said you¡¯d treat me well. Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± ¡°Haha! You don¡¯t have to worry about that at all.¡± Jamir seemed to have prepared thoroughly to wee him. ¡°All the cities from the border to Harun are tourist attractions that I designed myself! You won¡¯t be bored at all on your way.¡± ¡°You designed the tourist attractions yourself?¡± When Eurius looked at him with a feigned interest, Wace also joined in with augh. ¡°Actually, one of the reasons why Partia became the most prosperous among the desert kingdoms recently is thanks to this prince.¡± The people who followed him were skeptical. In fact, they had a disdainful rtionship with Kalihaara, like looking at a chicken or a cow. Calihaara treated the three kingdoms of the eastern desert as traitors who abandoned their traditional faith and traded with heretics, but he did not bother them because of their main enemy, the empire. But it was a different story if they actively cooperated with the empire. They knew very well how crazy Calihaara¡¯s fanatics were. ¡°It¡¯s an alliance that has no value to ept rationally.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it suspicious enough that hees with that Prince Jamir?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Karim stopped them and opened his mouth with an expression that it was not a big deal. ¡°If it¡¯s such an absurd condition, then why don¡¯t we just refuse? Anyway, I heard that Jamir and his group areing here while having fun recklessly. Maybe they¡¯re justing for a vacation.¡± He said so, but Karim had a different view of Eurius. ¡®Wace asked me to eliminate the first prince this time, right?¡¯ It was not impossible considering his power in the desert. But assassinating the emperor was too risky. ¡°The emperor¡¯s death will cause a huge shock, but His Excellency will take responsibility and block it for you! You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Wace swore with his chest pounding when he met him, but Karim thought it was suspicious. ¡°How can I trust that? As far as I know, the current emperor of the empire loves the first prince very much.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Give me a convincing reason. If you say you¡¯ll increase your financial support, I¡¯ll refuse.¡± Wace, who had nothing to say, cursed inwardly. ¡®Damn¡­ I thought he was just an ambitious royal.¡¯ *** Eurius looked down at Wace, who bowed his head in shame, with a pathetic expression. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s better to join hands with Jamir.¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, it¡¯s hard to say with my mouth, but I still have some value to use, don¡¯t I?¡± Wace tried hard to persuade Eurius. The grand duke¡¯s request was to use his connections to bury Eurius in the desert. But the problem was that Karim, who was supposed to cooperate with him, was unexpectedly stubborn. He used to secretly help him send troops to the empire until then, but why suddenly? But whether Eurius lives or dies, he still needs to have an attack in the first ce. Wouldn¡¯t the grand duke think he carried out his order? ¡°So you¡¯re going to help Jamir and overthrow Karim in this opportunity!¡± Wace ranted. It was an argument that he would have an excuse to exin to the grand duke and Eurius would not have to worry about being attacked if Karim was destroyed. ¡°Your highness! Please¡­ for this old man¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see Karim first and decide. By the way, exin again how their power structure is.¡± Eurius cut off his words and asked another question. Wace started exining with a gloomy expression. ¡°You must have heard of the warriors of the desert. Karim himself is brave and favors warriors, so he has sworn allegiance from many tribes that have excellent warriors.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the real power of Parthia for nothing.¡± ¡°Yes. But Jamir is not easy either. He has iparable financial powerpared to Karim.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You must know that Parthia has be the best tourist destination for the nobles of the empire in recent years.¡± ¡°Is that his merit?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Wace ranted again. It was quite interesting for Eurius. ¡®So he developed the cities on the trade route with the empire and Harun, the capital city, and made a huge profit from tourism?¡¯ In fact, what could be traded in the barren desert? But in recent years, the tourism business started by Jamir under his leadership came as a fresh shock to the nobles of the empire. ¡°They say you can enjoy all the pleasures of the world in the desert kingdom¡¯s tourist course.¡± ¡°Is it such a good ce?¡± Recently, Parthia tourism was considered a mandatory course for wealthy sses or nobles in the empire. Of course, since it targets nobles, the money spent is enormous. Parthia Kingdom was already a traditional powerhouse of the desert, but now it was richer than ever. The other two kingdoms in the eastern desert would probably not oppose the alliance if Parthia agreed. After hearing all the exnations, Eurius couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly. ¡®He¡¯s hiding in the shadows as a cult, but he¡¯s surprisingly active in the sun? He¡¯s a funny guy.¡¯ *** Jamir smiled brightly and led the delegation to a city on the way to the capital. ¡°The soldiers have prepared a ce to rest nearby. Your highness, please follow me with the knights.¡± ¡®He did a good job of decorating it.¡¯ The city was full of exotic charm unique to the desert kingdom. But would nobles flock to it just because of some peculiar buildings? ¡°Please enter here. I guarantee you¡¯ll have a night you¡¯ll never forget!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius, who was led to a bright secret room through a dark corridor in the building, finally realized what that unforgettable night was. ¡®Ah¡­ Is this the famous harem of the desert kingdom that I¡¯ve only heard of?¡¯ In the secret room, there were women in transparent outfits who bowed politely in a row. p p Jamir pped his hands and opened his mouth with a bright expression. ¡°Today, we have a very precious guest whose identity I can¡¯t tell you. Serve him with all your heart!¡± Then he approached Eurius and whispered in his ear. ¡°If you like any of the girls, you can take them to the door over there. Please tell the knights as well.¡± ¡®Tsk¡­ I thought it was more than just tourism by looking at his poprity, but was this the reason?¡¯ Eurius smiled outwardly, but inwardly he clicked his tongue. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but this kind of wee is not suitable for the knights. Just guide us to our amodation.¡± Eurius refused tly. Did he think he would enjoy(?) this suspicious secret room where he and his knights could be tricked? ¡®And to add another reason, there¡¯s something else.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice was unusually pale. It was natural, since the holy kingdom was a ce where even nobles valued frugality and abstinence. She grew up as a forbidden flower in such a ce, so she had no immunity to this decadent environment. Eurius refused as if he didn¡¯t need to think about it, and she sent him a grateful look with a relieved expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s one of the greatest traditions of our tribe to wee guests, but I guess I didn¡¯t consider the cultural differences.¡± Jamir also bowed his head as if he was sorry, but his inner thoughts were quite flustered. ¡®How can an emperor of that age be so chaste? Is this n going wrong from the start?¡¯ The tradition he mentioned was half true and half false. The harem of the desert! This was nothing more than a tourism product that appropriately mixed the fantasy that the nobles of the empire had about the desert kingdom where polygamy was allowed. Not every ce in the desert had such a tradition. For example, the tribes that supported Karim, the second prince, acknowledged that Jamir¡¯s business made money, but they looked at it with disdain. Jamir tried to change the atmosphere and opened his mouth with a bright expression as soon as he came out. ¡°Even so, I have to treat you well since I weed you. I¡¯ll open another party that suits the etiquette of the empire.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡± Eurius also readily epted. It was rather a good opportunity to observe his enemy as long as the ce was not a suspicious secret room. He signaled Je Gal Geon, who was following behind the knights, with his eyes. ¡®Watch what he¡¯s doing closely.¡¯ ¡®I understand.¡¯ Chapter 88: The Mirage Temple Chapter 88: The Mirage Temple ¡°It will take us about a day to reach Harun, the capital.¡± ¡°Thank you for your care and attention during this journey.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural, since you are a precious guest. Haha!¡± Jamir smiled warmly, looking like a genuinely nice person rather than a suspicious one. ¡®He¡¯s more cunning than I thought¡­ It¡¯s not easy to evade the surveince of the Crescent Moon Sect, even if he¡¯s from the capital.¡¯ The envoy group had receivedvish wees in several cities along the way, guided by Jamir. But they had made little progress in finding out who was behind him. Eurius recalled the conversation he had with Jegal Geon. ¡°Did you find out anything about Jamir¡¯s whereabouts?¡± ¡°We confirmed that he had some contacts with shady people in some of the cities we passed through, but none of them seemed to use magic.¡± ¡°It seems that we¡¯ll have to wait until we arrive at Harun to catch his tail.¡± ¡°Actually, we did have some results in the capital. We couldn¡¯t track him down very well, but his subordinates were rtively easier to follow.¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°That¡¯s good news. Report to me in detail when we get to the capital.¡± Jegal Geon looked slightly gloomy. He had been investigating Jamir for almost half a year, but he still couldn¡¯t find out who was behind him. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any special skills for hiding or infiltrating, but I feel ashamed to face your highness.¡± ¡°I have some ideas about that.¡± ¡®If they can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll have to do it myself!¡¯ No matter how hard the Crescent Moon Sect tried, they couldn¡¯t match Eurius in terms of infiltration. He had learned from his previous life that he had to take the lead (?) in these situations. With these thoughts in mind, Eurius and the envoy group finally approached Harun, the capital of Parthia. *** ¡°We¡¯re almost there. That¡¯s Harun.¡± Eurius also expressed his honest admiration. ¡°Indeed¡­ Harun is worthy of being called the jewel of the desert.¡± As they said, Harun was thergest and most beautiful city in the southern desert. It was already a magnificent sight to see buildings of imperial scale in the midst of a barren desert, but what caught his eye the most was the splendor! The cities they had visited before were also decent as tourist attractions, but they couldn¡¯tpare to the capital in terms of size or mour. Especially the royal pce, which was located in the center of the city, seemed to be no less splendid than the imperial capital. ¡°Actually, it was much more rustic until recently, but I put a lot of effort into renovating the exterior of the buildings.¡± Jamir looked proud as he heard Eurius¡¯spliment. The reason why he was trusted by the archbishops was not only because he was good at his work, but also because he shared arge portion of the ie he earned from developing the city and attracting tourists with the upper echelon of the sect. It was only natural that money was needed for any activity, even for a secret organization. ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch!¡¯ Karim and his faction hated Jamir for corrupting the tradition of the desert, and even within the sect there were many who envied him for gaining the trust of the archbishops like Gideon. But he didn¡¯t care. ¡°The pce is already prepared to wee the envoy group.¡± ¡°Is it true that Prince Karim is in charge?¡± ¡°Yes, as I told you before, my father is not in a condition to move around, so my brother is taking care of state affairs.¡± ¡°Are you not going with us?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ To be honest, my second brother doesn¡¯t like me very much. I think it might cause some trouble for your negotiation if I go with you.¡± ¡°Tsk! Brothers should get along well with each other.¡± It wasn¡¯t something that someone who had been killed by his brother in his previous life should say, but anyway Eurius made some polite remarks and parted ways with Jamir. ¡°The first prince of the empire has arrived as the leader of the envoy group.¡± It was an envoy group from the empire. They entered the pce without any problem or dy. But the atmosphere was cold. ¡®The wee is rather modest?¡¯ The pce was surprisingly simple. It waspletely opposite to Jamir¡¯s extravagant wee, so Eurius felt a bit curious. ¡°I am Prince Karim, who is taking care of state affairs on behalf of the king.¡± ¡°I am Eurius von Scharnos, the first prince of the empire.¡± The kingdoms of the desert were different from the other kingdoms of the continent, as they didn¡¯t serve the empire as their suzerain. Therefore, they didn¡¯t have to bow down to the imperial prince. Jamir¡¯s obsequious attitude was rather exceptional. But Eurius liked this blunt wee better. ¡®Karim, was it? He¡¯s ambitious and capable, but why did he ally with someone like Wace?¡¯ [Karim] Job: Prince, Senior Warrior Strength: A Agility: A Intelligence: A Spirit: B+ Force Aptitude: B+ Force: A Traits: Ambitious, Brave, Stubborn He didn¡¯t remember hearing the name Karim in his previous life. But his stats were impressive, both in civil and military affairs! He had high intelligence and was at least a master-level warrior. There was only one possibility why he didn¡¯t exist in his memory. ¡®That sect must have done something to him.¡¯ ¡°First of all, let me tell you my position on the alliance request¡­¡± Karim clearly expressed his refusal. ¡°We are not a vassal of the empire. We refuse to spill our blood for your sake.¡± ¡®This was expected.¡¯ ¡°Then, would you consider it if we offer you a fair trade?¡± Eurius asked again with a seemingly regretful expression, but Karim was as firm as a rock. ¡°You know how reckless your request is! I don¡¯t want to waste time on pointless arguments.¡± It was a rude response, considering Eurius¡¯s status, but he didn¡¯t mind. Eurius smiled wryly and said hisst words. ¡°But I can¡¯t go back empty-handed aftering here. I¡¯ll have to stay longer and try to persuade you.¡± Karim didn¡¯t rx his face at his smooth reply. ¡°You can try, but it won¡¯t do any good.¡± The envoy group had no choice but to go to the amodation provided by the pce without any gain. ¡°It¡¯s too rude to his highness, even if we came here to ask for an alliance first.¡± The knights were all angry, but Eurius didn¡¯t look very upset. ¡°Well, they might find it an unreasonable demand. We¡¯ll just have to convince them gradually.¡± To be honest, Eurius didn¡¯t care much about the alliance. He had a different reason foring to this faraway desert. *** That night, Eurius sneaked out of the pce. He arrived at the rendezvous point and received a cloak and a mask from Jegal Geon. He quickly changed his clothes. ¡°I thought it would be suffocating to cover my face and wear tight clothes, but it¡¯s not bad.¡± He joked as always, but his partner looked serious. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send you some elite agents to escort you. But are you sure you want to go alone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have trouble hiding yourself? It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Jegal Geon didn¡¯t like the idea of letting him go alone, but he was a orthodox martial artist who wasn¡¯t good at this kind of thing. The elite agents of the Crescent Moon Sect didn¡¯t show it, but they wondered if the emperor could keep up with their movements. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back soon. It was northwest, right?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as he said that, Eurius¡¯s presence gradually disappeared. The two agents were shocked. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and guide him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They closed their mouths and started moving as fast as they could. As he moved, Eurius thought for a moment. ¡®He always lost track of him in the northwest area?¡¯ ording to what he heard, Jamir didn¡¯t hide his whereabouts very well. But there was a ce he visited regrly where he suddenly disappeared without a trace. ¡®He¡¯s been by my side for the past few days.¡¯ If he had a base near the capital, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed away for so long. He decided to follow him himself when he heard that the Crescent Moon Sect detected his movement at night. The desert was so deste that they had to keep some distance while following him. No matter how well he hid his traces, there weren¡¯t many ces to hide in the first ce. ¡®I found him.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t see him with his eyes, but he finally spotted Jamir. He was walking briskly towards somewhere and stopped at a certain point. ¡°¡­¡± One of the agents signaled Eurius with his eyes. This was where they always lost track of Jamir. Swoosh As soon as he gave the signal, Jamir¡¯s body disappeared without leaving any trace. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius slowly approached that ce. The agents looked skeptical. They had investigated several times, but they couldn¡¯t find any clues. Swoosh ¡°¡­!?¡± But soon they were surprised. Eurius¡¯s body also vanishedpletely as he approached that ce. *** Ding! [You have found the Mirage Barrier.] [You can avoid being deceived by your senses.] ¡®So there¡¯s a temple in this remote ce? He must have had a base here.¡¯ As expected, Jamir didn¡¯t disappear because he moved somewhere else, but because there was a spell that deceived anyone who came near. He was a superhuman who had sharpened his senses with the White Tiger Protection Device, so he barely managed to find the right way. It was no wonder that even the elite agents of the Crescent Moon Sect couldn¡¯t detect it. Creak Jamir opened the door of the temple and Eurius quickly slipped in after him. He followed him carefully through the corridor and thought to himself. ¡®It¡¯s surprisingly spacious. This might be more difficult than the capital raid.¡¯ But when Jamir opened his mouth, he had to stop thinking. ¡°Master, the target has arrived at the capital.¡± ¡®Master?¡¯ They had entered a room deep inside the temple. The person Jamir greeted was an old man with wrinkled skin. ¡°Well done.¡± The old man answered with a hoarse and raspy voice. But Eurius was shocked by his next words. ¡°But why did you bring an unwee guest?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jamir turned around with a surprised expression. Eurius wasn¡¯t a fool either. As soon as he heard that, he drew his sword and stared at the old man. [Ismael] Job: Archbishop (Heimdall Sect) Strength: C+ Agility: B+ Intelligence: A Spirit: A+ Dark Force: SS Traits: Evil, Cruel, Fanatic [Skills] Dark Soul Arts (A-rank): A power granted to the priests of Heimdall. You can use various spells depending on your proficiency. Eye of Heimdall (S-rank): You lose your sight, but your ability to sense your surroundings increases greatly. Hand of Decay (S-rank): You can dpose anything you touch. A unique power of the highest priest. ¡°Damn¡­¡± As soon as he checked his stats, Eurius cursed for the first time in a long time. He had encountered a formidable enemy who surpassed his counter-ear ability. On top of that, this ce was the enemy¡¯s territory. ¡®I¡¯ll have to hit him hard and run away.¡¯ Chapter 89: Negotiation or Threat Chapter 89: Negotiation or Threat Crash! As soon as Eurius¡¯s intangible sword hit the old man in a surprise attack, a loud noise erupted and the room was turned into a mess by the aftermath. ¡®I managed tond a hit, but I didn¡¯t feel any resistance.¡¯ He frowned and quickly retreated. He was wearing a mask, so the other party hadn¡¯t recognized his face yet. He had to get out of there before they did. As Eurius expected, as soon as he moved back, the old man¡¯s withered hand closed the distance with a terrifying speed. Eurius swiftly raised his sword to block it. Or so he thought. Whoosh ¡°¡­!?¡± To his astonishment, the force that was covering his sword disappeared in an instant. He was lucky that he twisted his body in time to avoid it, or he would have been hit right in the chest. Normally, someone of Eurius¡¯s caliber could condense force in an instant and protect any part of his body, but that was easily ignored and his clothes were reduced to dust by a slight touch. It was certain that if he touched that hand, his force barrier and everything else would be disintegrated. ¡®What a monstrous old man.¡¯ Eurius decided that there was no point in fighting any longer after exchanging one move with him. Fortunately, only the old man could detect him and he wasn¡¯t faster than him. Bang! Eurius broke the door of the temple in a hurry and ran away without looking back. ¡°¡­!?¡± The agents of Azure Dragon n who were waiting outside were stunned when Eurius suddenly popped out of nowhere. He was wearing a mask, so they couldn¡¯t see his expression. ¡°Get out of here as fast as you can.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Luckily, the old man didn¡¯te out of the temple and Eurius was able to escape safely. *** ¡°You should have been more careful. You disappointed me again.¡± Ismail blinked his wrinkled eyes and interrogated Jamir. He had no choice but to kneel down and beg for forgiveness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Who was that intruder?¡± ¡°He seemed to be rted to the East by his attire. Come to think of it, there were some Easterners among the first prince¡¯s entourage.¡± ¡°The East?¡± Ismail¡¯s eyes changed subtly. The East was actually an area where the Order had a deep influence. Besides, the average level of martial artists in the East was higher than in this continent. That would exin the intruder¡¯s identity. Jamir hadn¡¯t been idle either. ¡®It seems that there are others who are trying to hinder me besides Karim.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s possible that Karim has joined hands with the enemies of the East. Or it could be surprisingly the first prince.¡± At Jamir¡¯s words, Ismail made a grim expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your original goal to get rid of both of them? Just do it at once.¡± He had absolute confidence in his power. But Jamir seemed to have a different idea. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master. But I need you to wait a little longer. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for you to take the emperor¡¯s life if you step in yourself, but it¡¯s for the sake of the future event.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ismail rolled his gray eyes as if he was thinking for a moment. ¡°After all, Parthia was under your jurisdiction. If you have a specific n, tell me.¡± In fact, if there was a martial artist who could escape from his grasp as the archbishop of the Order, it wasn¡¯t entirely Jamir¡¯s fault. ¡®Phew! It seems that I have one more chance.¡¯ Jamir was relieved and kept smiling as he started to tell his n. ¡°This time, if we do well, we can put Parthia under the Order¡¯s controlpletely, following Calihara.¡± *** Meanwhile, Eurius was in a dilemma. ¡®I really got unlucky this time.¡¯ His problem was the old man named Ismail, who was suspected to be the leader of the Order. ¡®He has the most annoying abilities for me.¡¯ Strictly speaking, the old man¡¯s skill itself was not much different from Eurius¡¯s. No, if anything, he had an advantage because of the yer¡¯s bonus. ¡®But thepatibility is too bad.¡¯ First of all, he had an eye that could see through his counterattack, which made half of his advantage disappear. And then there was that ¡®Hand of Decay¡¯ trait that was equally annoying. His biggest strength was attacking from an undetectable angle, but Ismail could sense his attacks and easily block them. On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t block his attacks. ¡®If only I had a different type of superhuman.¡¯ For example, if he was like Nuada who had keen senses, he could have fought him in a closebat by giving up some flesh and taking some bones. Or if he was like Duke Dios, a top-tier superhuman, he could have dealt with him without shing swords. ¡®But I¡¯m not.¡¯ Of course, if he teamed up with others, he could somehow handle him, but that would cause too much damage to his allies. Eurius wanted to avoid that situation. ¡®I guess I have to change the n a little.¡¯ Eurius thought he had brought enough forces with him, but he had to modify his n because of an unexpected enemy. ¡°Call Wace.¡± Wace thought he was called because of the alliance as soon as he came and opened his mouth impatiently. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Karim will never agree to an alliance.¡± ¡°I told you before, there won¡¯t be any harm to the duke because of this envoy. Or do you doubt my word?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wace couldn¡¯t say anything and shut his mouth. Then Eurius smiled and told him the real reason why he called him. ¡°First of all, you have connections as a grand duke, so you have to make a meeting ce with Karim.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult, but¡­¡± ¡°And listen carefully. There¡¯s something else you have to do for me.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Wace was shocked by Eurius¡¯s whisper. ¡°Do you intend to assassinate him at the meeting ce?¡± ¡°Hey! Do you see me as such a barbaric person?¡± ¡®No? You¡¯re capable of doing even more vicious things!¡¯ Wace cursed in his mind, but he had to move quickly. Watching him, Eurius had another thought. In fact, even if it wasn¡¯t for this unexpected situation, he wanted to meet Karim once and ask him something. ¡®If my guess is right, I might be able to solve one of the secrets of my previous life in the south.¡¯ Meanwhile, Karim couldn¡¯t help but be wary when Eurius requested a meeting through Wace, of all people. ¡®He asked for an assassination and now he wants to meet the target? How suspicious.¡¯ But this pce was like his own backyard. Karim was confident that he could handle any situation here. ¡°Lead them to the Sandpit Room.¡± His attendant flinched for a moment. That was the ce where Karim liked to eliminate his enemies. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare everything.¡± The Sandpit was literally a swamp of sand. Once you fell in there, you couldn¡¯t get out unless you were very lucky. It didn¡¯t need much exnation why he called someone to such a ce. ¡°I hope nothing goes wrong. Karim is a decisive person. I heard that only Prince Jamir survived among those who crossed him. Your Majesty is a martial artist, so you can protect yourself, but this old man is¡­¡± ¡°If you keep talking like that, my ears will get sore! Do I have to stake my name on it?¡± While bickering with Wace who kept nagging in his ear, Eurius was led to a secret room in the pce. Except for him and Wace, he only brought two guards with him. ¡°What a nice room. It¡¯s splendid and has some charm.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment, but let¡¯s hear your purpose first. You clearly said you would refuse. What¡¯s your reason for calling me?¡± Karim responded coldly to Eurius¡¯s praise. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a cautious person, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re judging too quickly? Isn¡¯t it basic etiquette to hear my terms first?¡± ¡®He talks well and seems to have some skills, but he reminds me of Jamir.¡¯ Karim sneered inwardly. He had done a lot of research on Eurius as well. He couldn¡¯t be careless, but how much could an emperor offer? ¡°Wace. Give him that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± Wace looked anxiously at Karim and Eurius and took out a few documents from his pocket. He handed them over and Eurius smiled. ¡°These are our terms.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Karim wasn¡¯t surprised when he saw the documents. He had anticipated this situation to some extent when Eurius brought Wace with him. ¡°You think you can threaten me with just this?¡± ¡®He didn¡¯t even get angry as I expected. He¡¯s more calm than I thought.¡¯ It was rather Eurius who admired him slightly. The documents contained detailed reports on Karim¡¯s key allies and troops who were colluding with Wace. It was a situation where he was stabbed in the back, but he maintained hisposure like that. Did he have a way to silence them? But Eurius provocatively challenged him instead. ¡°Who do you think I should tell this to? For example, your brother Jamir would be good¡­¡± Karim cut him off coldly without listening to the rest. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to get out of here alive!¡± Thud! The floor of the secret room where Eurius was standing suddenly copsed. ¡°Hmm?¡± The floor below was all coarse sand. In an instant, they were buried up to their waists in sand. Shriek. At the same time, dozens of sharp des sprang up from the wall. The mechanism on the wall turned and revealed the elite warriors that Karim had hidden around them. ¡®See? I told you Karim was dangerous!¡¯ Wace trembled like a leaf as he protested to Karim. He didn¡¯t expect him to threaten Eurius, an emperor, like this. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± Karim¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but he had a clear intention behind his actions. ¡®If the first prince or the empire is threatening me with this, it means that they already have my information in one of their ears.¡¯ It seemed reckless to trap Eurius, an emperor, in such a way, but it was undeniable that he had sent his army to the empire. ¡®If it¡¯s going to be exposed anyway, I might as well take him hostage.¡¯ The current emperor of the empire loved Eurius, the first prince, very much. If he held him hostage, he would negotiate rather than send his army to the desert and start a war. Even if Eurius colluded with Jamir and threatened him, it was the same! Jamir was also someone he had to get rid of anyway. Why would he spare an ally of his enemy? In this way, Karim¡¯s response was very quick and urate in this crisis situation. In this environment where they were stuck in sand up to their waists, the knights in armor were slowed down. On the other hand, his elite warriors were very familiar with fighting on the Sandpit. Karim thought that two guards and one emperor couldn¡¯t escape from this situation. ¡°If you don¡¯t resist, you won¡¯t get hurt.¡± But this time, he had a bad opponent. ¡°I¡¯ll return those words to you.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± In an instant, two of the guards behind Eurius were flung away by a st of sand. In fact, such sand was no obstacle at all for knights above a certain level. Of course, the two that Eurius brought with him were both people who exceeded that standard by far. Two streaks of light-like attacks flew towards the desert warriors. The first one was a sword! It was Beatrice. ¡°Argh!¡± Blood and screams followed the trail of her sword wherever it went. The other one was no less formidable. The second one was Jegal Geon. He wielded a short spear instead of a sword, and the spear pierced through anything it aimed at, whether it was a steel de or tough leather, leaving gaping holes behind. ¡®How can this be¡­¡¯ Karim¡¯s cold expression had long been shattered as he watched the situation around him. A few momentster, the soundproofed room prevented any noise from leaking outside, but the situation inside was gruesome. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Dozens of warriors were groaning on the floor, all of them battered and bruised in one ce or another. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them, so don¡¯t be too angry.¡± Karim looked at Eurius with disbelief. His warriors were among the elite in the desert. But they were all subdued by just two people in less than ten minutes. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡®If only you had listened to me when I spoke. But this was a situation where a show of force was necessary.¡¯ Eurius muttered to himself and then opened his mouth. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re finally willing to listen to what I have to say.¡± ¡°Is this a negotiation, or a threat?¡± Karim felt absurd. From the beginning, he had provoked him with his political weaknesses, and then he had beaten up his warriors and now he wanted to negotiate. But his answer was different from what he expected again. Eurius smiled and replied. ¡°It¡¯s both.¡± Chapter 90: Intangible Poison Chapter 90: Intangible Poison Karim was defiant. ¡°If you think you can threaten me with force, you might as well cut my throat. I don¡¯t know about Jamir, but I have no intention of surrendering.¡± ¡°You seem to misunderstand something, but I really came here to make a deal with you. And the one who attacked first was you!¡± Eurius sheathed his sword. ¡°¡­!?¡± Karim did not rx his guard, and finally Eurius brought up the main point. ¡°Join me in capturing that man Jamir. Then I will turn a blind eye to the army you sent to the southern part of the empire.¡± ¡°Is that all you offer? Just by looking at the people behind you, I can tell that you could go and cut Jamir¡¯s throat yourself if you wanted to.¡± Karim made a face of disbelief. But Eurius looked serious. ¡°If that were possible, wouldn¡¯t you have caught him long ago?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Karim, who was groaning, was finally able to infer that Eurius did note to the desert as an ally, even though he did not know what his purpose was. ¡®But how can I trust this guy?¡¯ It was a situation where he could end up driving away a fox and bringing in a tiger. Karim had no choice but to be cautious. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Eurius let out a sigh as if he was frustrated. ¡°I was going to save it for thest negotiation card, but I guess I have no choice.¡± ¡®What trick is he up to this time?¡¯ Karim made a suspicious expression again, and Eurius finally asked him the question he wanted to ask the most. ¡°Is it true that the king of Partia has be weak from a simple old age? I don¡¯t think so, do you?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Karim¡¯s eyes widened. That was the biggest reason why he and Jamir started to sh. ¡°Judging by your reaction, it seems like I¡¯m notpletely wrong. Am I right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s hard for you to believe me easily since I¡¯ve been with that man Jamir for a long time. Let me exin a little bit.¡± Eurius told Jegal Geon, who was standing next to him, to take off his helmet. He had been disguised as a knight, so Karim didn¡¯t notice him until now, but when he saw him, he opened his mouth. ¡°A man from the east? But what does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°You may not know this well since you grew up in the desert, but our empire has been trading with the Hwan Empire in the east for quite a long time, so we get a lot of information from there.¡± He looked at Jegal Geon with a smug face and began to exin. ¡°Actually, in the east, they don¡¯t have healers like in this continent, so their medicine is very advanced. The friend I brought with me is not actually my subordinate, but someone who knows a lot about that kind of knowledge.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Karim looked surprised and Jegal Geon maintained a poker face on the outside, but he was quite flustered inside. ¡®The east may be superior in using qi for internal injuries than this ce, but I¡¯m not a doctor.¡¯ Of course, the martial artists of the east learned some basic knowledge about blood vessels and the human body along with their martial arts training, so they were notpletely ignorant. But Jegal Geon was a pure martial artist! He was not a doctor who specialized in medicine. So Eurius¡¯s words were nothing but nonsense. ¡®What is he thinking?¡¯ ¡°If you give us a chance to examine the king of Partia¡¯s symptoms, we will try to find a way to heal him.¡± Karim thought for a moment and then gave up with a resigned expression. ¡°Honestly, this condition of yours is very difficult. It¡¯s absurd to show my father to someone who has drawn a sword against me.¡± ¡®He seems almost convinced.¡¯ Eurius sighed inwardly. ¡°But if I didn¡¯t do this, would you have epted my terms? I¡¯m d that your ears are not deaf ears, but you¡¯re too stubborn.¡± This was why he had no choice but to subdue Karim with something close to intimidation. If he could have eliminated Jamir by force, he wouldn¡¯t have had to do this and he would have had a chance to build his trust slowly, but in this situation, he didn¡¯t think he could see the king of Partia at all. ¡®It¡¯s called old age, but the symptoms are too simr to my father¡¯s in my previous life.¡¯ It wasmon for old age symptoms to gradually lose strength and die one day, but as far as he knew, both the emperor and the king of Partia had no serious illnesses until a few years ago. ¡®If it¡¯s really old age, then there¡¯s nothing I can do, but judging by Karim¡¯s reaction, it seems like my guess is somewhat correct.¡¯ ¡°My father is recuperating in the depths of this pce. He has been unconscious for several months now¡­¡± ¡°Do you know how long ago he started having health problems? And what exactly are the symptoms?¡± ¡°He started to get sick a little bit four years ago. And a year ago, he becameatose and recently he can¡¯t even get up.¡± ¡®It seems like Jamir didn¡¯t lie about the king¡¯s symptoms.¡¯ He had heard about the king¡¯s symptoms roughly on his way here, but he asked again just in case, and the answer was the same, so it seemed like he didn¡¯t need to doubt Karim. ¡°Can¡¯t you trust me once and let me see him? I heard that you¡¯ve tried everything you could, but nothing worked.¡± Eurius spoke in a light tone, but he tapped his sword on his waist, indicating that it was still half a threat. Karim finally had to indicate his surrender. ¡°I will show you to my father. But if you have any other intentions, you won¡¯t get what you want even if you cut my throat.¡± As he followed Karim from behind, Eurius recalled the conversation he had with Cheongryong Sangdan a while ago. ¡®If my guess is right, I might be able to find some answers.¡¯ ¡°I have a question for you about the magic sect. Can you answer it?¡± ¡°What is your question?¡± Jegal Hwayoung answered quickly. ¡°Is there any way or poison in the magic sect or other ces in the eastern continent that can slowly kill people naturally? Something that even the healers of the Healing Church can¡¯t detect.¡± She thought for a moment and then gave an answer. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the priests can diagnose it, since there are no healers in the east. But if it¡¯s just a matter of slowly driving someone to death, I think it¡¯s not impossible for an expert who specializes in poison.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± ¡°Or as you said, there might be poisons that have such effects. Do you need an investigation?¡± ¡°Can you show me a list of such methodster? I think I might need it sometime.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± *** Following Karim, Eurius was led to the deepest part of the pce. There, an old many stiffly on a bed. He looked so frail that he seemed to be half a skeleton. ¡°I¡¯ll examine him now.¡± Jegal Gun lightly grasped the old man¡¯s wrist. It was a cemonly called the pulse in the East. He sent his inner energy into the old man¡¯s body and checked his condition. He couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled inwardly. ¡®There is no sign of any turbid energy or poison in him. Why did they ask me to y the role of a doctor?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The two exchanged secret nces. ¡°Karim, please wait a moment. It seems that I have found the problem, but I need some time to discuss it with him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± No one had been able to find out the cause until now and only diagnosed it as old age. Was there another reason? Karim stared at him with a half-pale and half-suspicious face. On the other hand, Jegal Gun was in a situation where his heart could jump out at any moment. He had clearly sent a signal that there was nothing wrong. ¡®Are you crazy? What do you trust to say that?¡¯ Jegal Gun and Eurius, who came out of the room for a moment, looked at each other with serious expressions. ¡°In my opinion, he seems to be poisoned by something. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t find anything abnormal.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of [Formless Poison]?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Gun¡¯s face changed in an instant. He hadn¡¯t thought of that possibility. ¡°Are you saying that the reason why the old man is like that is because of that?¡± ¡°It seems to be certain.¡± ¡®If it says so in the stats, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s wrong.¡¯ [Al Sdin] Job: King, Intermediate Warrior Strength: D- Agility: D- Intelligence: A Willpower: A+ Force: B+ Force Aptitude: B+ (Your physical abilities are greatly reduced due to the effects of being poisoned.) Disposition: Good, Gentle [Traits] Poisoned ¨C You are in a state of being eroded by a powerful poison (Formless Poison). ¡°As you may know, Formless Poison is one of the most vicious poisons made by the Demon sect. It is a liquid that is colorless and transparent, and it is impossible to detect it by normal means.¡± Eurius paused here with a troubled expression. ¡°So I have a favor to ask you¡­¡± ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°What is blood path? I know how to detoxify it, but I don¡¯t know what it means.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Gun looked dumbfounded. He knew about Formless Poison and how to detoxify it, but he didn¡¯t know what blood path was? ¡®I didn¡¯t know that the help message would be so unhelpful (?)¡¯ [Help ¨C Viewing Formless Poison.] [Formless Poison ¨C A deadly poison made frompressing the poison extracted from more than a hundred kinds of poisons. It is a liquid that is colorless and transparent, and it is impossible to detect it by normal means.] ¡®What about the antidote?¡¯ [You need one 4th stage martial artist who can control their inner energy (force) and move it to every corner of their three meridians, and two 4th stage martial artists who can help maintain their force connection. Combine their inner energy and burn away the poison.] Eurius couldn¡¯t hide his absurd expression at this point. So to detoxify this Formless Poison or whatever, he needed three martial artists who had reached the superhuman level? And when he searched for what three meridians were, it was even worse. [Three Meridians ¨C There are eightrge main vessels in the human body called Eight Extraordinary Meridians¡­] ¡®I guess I have no choice but to ask him.¡¯ And when he asked him, the answer was disappointing. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I have to study.¡± ¡°Yes. In Hwan, they teach this as a basic when you enter martial arts, but it seems that it¡¯s not like that in the Western Continent.¡± ¡°Is there no other way? I think we need to do some emergency treatment at least.¡± ¡°Well, there is one way, but¡­¡± Eurius¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I can inject some of my inner energy into you and show you the way. It¡¯s impossible to reach every corner of your three meridians, but I can do it for the big main vessels.¡± His tone was cautious. In fact, injecting one¡¯s inner energy into another person¡¯s body was a dangerous act that was rarely done in Hwan unless they were rtives or close friends. If the other person had a bad intention, they could inflict serious damage. But Eurius, who didn¡¯t know much about that, readily agreed. ¡°That sounds easy. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A momentter Karim, who had lost his calm expression, asked anxiously. ¡°Are you saying you can really cure my father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a difficult condition, but I think I can at least alleviate the symptoms a bit right now.¡± ording to the information he had checked with the help message, the horror of Formless Poison was not the poison itself, but the fact that it secretly infiltrated the three meridians of the human body and caused the symptoms to worsen again due to the poison that came back up. ¡®But I can handle the poison in the big ces by myself, right?¡¯ Three superhumans were a condition that he couldn¡¯t meet anyway. But if he wanted to gain Karim¡¯s trust, he had to show him some possibility of treatment, didn¡¯t he? ¡°Then I¡¯ll guide you and you just need to direct your inner energy to burn away the poison.¡± Eurius held the old man¡¯s wrist for the first time and started to inject his force into the old man¡¯s body following Jegal Gun¡¯s instructions. A small amount of force flowed out from Jegal Gun, who had his hand on his back, and showed him the way through his body. ¡°This is where the poison vessel is.¡± ¡®So I just need to stimte it and burn away the poison thates out, right?¡¯ As soon as Eurius poured a huge amount of force into the ce called the poison vessel, a strange energy started to leak out. He began to gather and burn away that energy carefully. ¡®This is not an easy task. No wonder it requires three superhumans.¡¯ Even though he was only burning away the poison in one ce, sweat beads formed on Eurius¡¯s forehead, who was a superhuman. ¡°Next is the thoroughfare vessel.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± In this way, Eurius burned away all the poison that was located in the big main vessels. It was only an emergency treatment, but it would have some effect. ¡°You were telling the truth!¡± Karim spoke to him with a slightly excited tone. As he said, the old man¡¯splexion had returned to a reddish color from being pale as a corpse. ¡®I¡¯ll be exhausted if I do this a few more times.¡¯ While grumbling inwardly in his worn-out state, he heard Jegal Gun¡¯s voice in his ear. ¡°Then I¡¯ll retrieve my inner energy that I injected into His Majesty¡¯s body.¡± If someone else¡¯s inner energy remained in their body, it could cause a collision with their own inner energy and result in injury. But as soon as he tried to retrieve his inner energy from Eurius¡¯s body, something unexpected happened. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There seems to be a problem.¡± Jegal Gun was momentarily flustered. The inner energy that he tried to retrieve didn¡¯t move at all, but rather was being sucked into Eurius¡¯s side. ¡°Hmm?¡± YEurius also felt the energying into his body and hardened his face. What was going on? Ding! [Death God Martial Art ¨C You are absorbing the energy of Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath.] ¡®Absorbing?¡¯ Chapter 91: The Six Tribe Meeting Chapter 91: The Six Tribe Meeting Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Meanwhile, Jamir was also busy devising a scheme to eliminate Eurius. ¡°This is also a good opportunity to get rid of Karim and put Parthiapletely under the control of the Order!¡± He nned to get rid of both Karim and Eurius at once. He had prepared everything in advance. ¡°But there was a mysterious intruder who broke into the temple¡­¡± It was better to eliminate any variables in his n. But he couldn¡¯t think of any force that could do that. ¡°Well, I have insurance for any contingencies, so should I go ahead with this?¡± He finally finished his thoughts and got up from his seat. He headed to the pce. ¡°I want to see my brother Karim. Is he here?¡± ¡°He is having a meeting with His Highness Eurius, the first prince of the Empire.¡± ¡°Really? Then please deliver a message to him.¡± He smiled. *** The people in the hall were all stunned. Karim was curious about what they were doing after treating them well, and Eurius was surprised by the sudden appearance of the stat window. Finally, Jegal Geon was flustered at first, but he quickly recovered hisposure as befitting his calm personality. ¡°I will take care of it. Your Majesty, please stay still.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°The influx of energy is gradually stopping. If you try to block it clumsily, you might get injured.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He was an expert, so Eurius decided to look at the stat window carefully for now. [For yers only, the fusion of four energies belonging to Death God Martial Arts is possible. You have partially absorbed the characteristics of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath. When you learn it yourselfter, your proficiency will increase faster.] [ording to the characteristics of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath, your force control and agility increase.] ¡°Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy, Death God Martial Art, was originally a martial art that was split into four pieces. It seems that the more pieces you collect, the more effective it bes.¡± If White Tiger Defensive Technique gave him excellent senses and defensive skills for closebat, then the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath had the characteristic of improving his overall ability to move his body. Soon, the energy that flowed in waspletely absorbed by Eurius. ¡°Do you feel any difort?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small amount of energy that leaked out. But¡­¡± Jegal Geon looked at him with aplicated expression. Normally, the energy that was blown into someone else¡¯s body would never be theirs. ¡®He didn¡¯t use any means to forcibly take away my energy.¡¯ If he had done that, Jegal Geon wouldn¡¯t have been so safe. Then there was only one answer. ¡°Your Majesty, have you already learned the inner arts of our n?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Unless you have trained in the same lineage of inner power, this shouldn¡¯t happen.¡± Eurius sneered at this point. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you after this desert incident is over. Isn¡¯t there someone waiting over there?¡± It was Karim who had been watching them with a curious expression. Jegal Geon also came to his senses. ¡®My mission from the n is to assist His Majesty, not to question him.¡¯ ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave you two alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± Jegal Geon stepped back and Karim bowed deeply to Eurius. ¡°First of all, I thank you for healing my father. I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but I was wrong and I¡¯m ashamed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for starting a fight with you.¡± Eurius and Karim finally started to show signs of harmony. It was natural since he had used the most appropriate means to gain trust. ¡°But it¡¯s notpletely cured yet.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s a fact that I owe you a favor.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about something more serious now.¡± ¡°You mean that Jamir bastard.¡± ¡°You must have guessed it too. He¡¯s not unrted to this situation. And¡­¡± ¡°You came here to negotiate with me for a reason.¡± Karim was quick to catch on. This was something Eurius had been suspicious of since he first entered the desert. ¡®What I had originally thought of Karim was an ambitious person who would collude with Wace. But when I met him in person, he didn¡¯t seem like someone who would take such a risk.¡¯ Karim had refused Wace¡¯s assassination offer and also showed a cold attitude to the imperial delegation. There was only one thing that could be inferred from this! ¡®Something big must have happened to him in thest few years that he needed external help.¡¯ There was only one conclusion. It was the seventh prince Jamir, who had risen as Karim¡¯s biggest enemy in Parthia. Karim sighed and began to tell his story. ¡°Actually, I started to suspect and check on him a year ago.¡± ¡°I thought so. You don¡¯t seem like someone who would make enemies by picking on trivial things.¡± The conflict between Karim and Jamir was known to be because of Parthia¡¯s entertainment tourism business. But as soon as he met Karim, Eurius felt doubtful. He was stubborn, but he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would oppose a business that would benefit the country. ¡°I tried to cure my father by using every possible method but nothing worked. However!¡± At this point, Karim¡¯s eyes shed with killing intent. ¡°That bastard Jamir brought some precious medicine from somewhere and gave it to my father. After that, his symptoms seemed to ease a little.¡± ¡°Is that why he rose to be the real power of Parthia in a short time?¡± ¡°Yes. After gaining my father¡¯s favor, Jamir was able to interfere with the state affairs to some extent.¡± And when Jamir¡¯s power grew enough to counter Karim, the king¡¯s condition worsened again as if it was a lie, leading to the current situation. ¡°There were some people who doubted him. But there was no evidence, and more importantly, nothing was found even after investigating.¡± Eurius nodded. ¡°First of all, we need to find some way to catch his tail.¡± ¡°Do you have a way to do that? This capital is like my front yard, but I couldn¡¯t find any evidence.¡± ¡°There must be a way!¡± Eurius firmly refuted Karim¡¯s words and opened his mouth again. ¡°If you have proper evidence, can you arrest Jamir with your power?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. It might have been possible a while ago, but there are many ns who support him, so there will be a lot of resistance.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s troublesome¡­¡± Eurius made a troubled expression. The Order was already hard enough to deal with. If Parthia¡¯s forces also helped Jamir, it would be almost impossible to catch himpletely. Click But at that moment, the door opened and an unexpected news came to Karim. ¡°Excuse me. I have an urgent report.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be such an urgent matter if it came to this inner chamber of the pce. Karim looked at his subordinate with a puzzled expression. ¡°Actually, Prince Jamir said he had something to say at the meeting. It¡¯s about the empire¡¯s alliance request.¡± Karim and Eurius looked at each other. ¡°What is he up to now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡± A momentter. Jamir was smiling brightly and giving a speech in the meeting hall. ¡°What do you think is the reason why our Parthia became so wealthy? It wouldn¡¯t have been possible if it weren¡¯t for the guests from the empire.¡± ¡°So your opinion is to ept the alliance?¡± Karim replied with a displeased tone to Jamir¡¯s words. The people in the hall who supported him were also looking at them nervously. ¡°Of course! This is a matter rted to national interest, so I don¡¯t think my opinion is right without any doubt.¡± Jamir replied cheekily and made a suggestion. ¡°Since His Majesty the King is not in a condition to make a decision on this matter, how about we decide in another way?¡± ¡°What other way?¡± ¡°I think we should hold a six ns meeting to decide on such a big issue.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°A six ns meeting? Wouldn¡¯t that make things moreplicated?¡± ¡°But it makes sense in a way. If the second Prince and the seventh Prince have different opinions, there won¡¯t be an answer, right?¡± At that moment, among the murmurs, one hand shot up. The owner of that hand was Eurius. ¡°Since it¡¯s an alliance, it¡¯s my business too, so I have a question. What is this six ns meeting?¡± ¡°Oh! Your Majesty must not know well.¡± Jamir smiled and began to exin to him. ¡°You know that Parthia is a union of six ns, right? It¡¯s a tradition that was created to mediate conflicts among them.¡± ¡°Mediate? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It means that if the six ns decide something in a council, even the king has to follow their opinion without question.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°There is a catch, though. You need the agreement of five ns out of six, excluding the Parthian royal n.¡± Karim red at Jamir sharply. ¡®What is he up to?¡¯ Out of the five ns other than the royal n, three were on Karim¡¯s side and two were on Jamir¡¯s side. There was no chance of a unanimous decision in this situation. ¡°That sounds like a good idea. It might be an interesting spectacle. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a proud tradition of Parthia! Your Majesty is truly wise.¡± Eurius and Jamir were busy ttering each other¡¯s faces. Smirk. Eurius sent a signal to Karim with his eyes. It meant to ept it. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there will be any result, but do as you please.¡± Karim also replied coldly to that signal and turned his body to leave the conference hall. ¡°My brother is very stubborn. Please understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not offended at all. He seems like a good person after talking to him for a while.¡± Eurius answered with a smile, but he was actually very happy. ¡®He probably thinks he can get rid of me in that six n council or whatever it is. But will it go as he wishes?¡¯ Rather, creating such an authoritative position was what he wanted. ¡®That¡¯s the first problem solved.¡¯ The first problem was how to bring down Jamir, who had some influence in Parthia. ¡®The important thing is the next n, but I have to find a way somehow.¡¯ The second problem was the power of the Order. It was a situation where a rather troublesome enemy appeared contrary to his expectation. He felt that it would be difficult to face him one-on-one right now. ¡®It takes about a week for all the ns to gather, right?¡¯ He had to find a way to catch Ismail or whatever his name was in the meantime. The next day. ¡°Did you call me?¡± Jegal Geon, who came after receiving Eurius¡¯ call, was not in a very good mood. He had suffered some loss of inner energy, and he was also curious about the first prince. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°Please tell me anything.¡± ¡°Can you teach me some martial arts?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jegal Geon could only stupidly ask back. Chapter 92: Bak-tu Chapter 92: Bak-tu Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
A weekter ¡°All the representatives of the six ns have gathered.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± After receiving the report, Karim looked at Eurius and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything as you said. But can we really catch that bastard Jamir?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much and just follow the n. We already have him by the tail.¡± ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Karim¡¯s tone had noticeably brightened over the past week. It was because Eurius had helped him detoxify the king of Parthia several times. He didn¡¯t show it much on the surface, but he had no reason not to trust Eurius¡¯s words in this situation. ¡®Whatever his purpose is, he is a great benefactor to me right now.¡¯ Karim sorted out his thoughts and then spoke again with a strange tone. ¡°By the way, what have you been doingtely? It¡¯s not like the first prince to walk around like that¡­¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± Eurius looked at his outfit with a sheepish expression. He had changed into a blue martial arts uniform that he said he wore when he trained in the east. The problem was not his unusual attire, but his appearance. ¡°Did you get into a fight or something? That doesn¡¯t seem likely.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s something simr, haha!¡± Eurius was covered in sweat and dirt all over his body. He actually wanted to wash up, but he heard that the six ns meeting was about to start soon, so he hurried over to Karim for the final n review. ¡®It¡¯s not very prince-like, I admit. But the result is pretty good, so I¡¯m d.¡¯ Eurius recalled what happened a while ago. ¡°You¡¯ve been saying this for a week, but your progress is really fast. You can even use it in realbat now¡­ It¡¯s honestly a miracle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because of your good teaching. And I¡¯ll tell you why after I finish my mission in the desert.¡± ¡®This can¡¯t be just a matter of that.¡¯ Jegal Geon didn¡¯t show it outwardly, but he was shocked on the first day. The martial art that Eurius asked him to teach was very mysterious. ¡°By the way, have you arranged the seats in the meeting hall?¡± ¡°The experts from the three ns are all ready.¡± ¡°Then do your best ording to the n!¡± ¡®Today, no matter what the oue is, things will be settled in the desert.¡¯ Eurius called some knights and entrusted them with something. ¡°This time, it might be a more fierce battle than the northern war. What do you think you have to do?¡± ¡°Of course, we have to win, don¡¯t we?¡± Linfield opened his mouth with a puzzled look. What else could there be for a knight who goes into battle? ¡°No.¡± Eurius cut him off sharply. ¡°¡­¡± As silence fell among the knights, Eurius opened his mouth again. ¡°All of you here are the ones I trust the most and also have the best skills in our Scharnos Knight Order, right?¡± The people he gathered were Beatrix, Heinz, Linfield, some squad leaders, and finally Cain. ¡°Take care of the other knights, especially avoid casualties. This is a foreign country and we don¡¯t need to seek glory here.¡± As Eurius said, the knights here were skilled enough to protect themselves even in the worst situation. ¡®Actually, I¡¯m asking you to carry a heavy burden. But please do me a favor!¡¯ For a moment, all the knights felt a lump in their hearts. ¡®It¡¯s rare to have a lord who cares about not only the officers but also the ordinary knights.¡¯ Among them, the mostplicated person was Cain. He was actually one of the most ostracized people in the knight order at first. But after going through harsh special training and fighting in the martial arts tournament, his reputation changed. ¡°Cain. You¡¯re a good fighter. You endured that kind of training. That¡¯s not something you can do with ordinary perseverance.¡± ¡°I saw your performance in the tournament! You¡¯re one of our knight order¡¯s pride!¡± Cain never dreamed that he would receive such attention from the knight order, so it was an unfamiliar feeling. He still looked awkward as he looked at Eurius. In fact, everything he achieved was dragged by Eurius by force. ¡®Protecting people¡­¡¯ That¡¯s how a small change urred in his mind. *** ¡°From now on, we will start the six ns meeting!¡± With Karim¡¯s voice as the leader of the meeting instead of the king, the meeting finally began. ¡°Today¡¯s agenda is to ask for help from the empire to attack Kalihara. What do you think of each faction¡¯s representatives?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be bad if they offer fairpensation, right? We have some loyalty to them too¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! They say they¡¯re allies, but they¡¯re asking us to be their shields. How is that different?¡± ¡°Our faction will follow the result without any objection if there is a unanimous decision from the other factions.¡± As expected, the meeting was divided into three opinions. The factions that supported Jamir generally expressed favorable opinions to the empire, and the factions that followed Karim were strongly opposed. Of course, there were also factions that maintained neutrality. But since the pros and cons were so fierce, it was hard to see a conclusion. In the midst of that, someone raised a question. ¡°By the way, where is the first prince who came to negotiate?¡± ¡°Are they noting out today because it¡¯s up to us to decide? Tsk!¡± There was no one to answer theirints, as Eurius, the representative of the empire who should have exined something, was nowhere to be seen in the meeting hall. ¡®What do you want me to do? Seriously!¡¯ Wace, who attended the meeting on behalf of Eurius, felt like his stomach was burning. He could see that this meeting was meaningless. In the meantime, he also had a question in his head. ¡®Where is Prince Jamir, who is on our side?¡¯ He thought that Eurius and Jamir were the core of this negotiation, but he couldn¡¯t find out where they went. ¡®And Karim doesn¡¯t give any answers either.¡¯ Karim only intervened quietly as the moderator when things got heated, but he didn¡¯t express his opinion or anything. He looked like aplete bystander. As the fruitless meeting went on, suddenly the door of the meeting hall opened. Squeak. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry for interrupting the meeting.¡± ¡°Prince Jamir?¡± ¡°Jamir?¡± The person who ran into the meeting hall was none other than Jamir. ¡°You didn¡¯t show up at such an important meeting, what¡¯s going on?¡± Karim interrogated Jamir with a sharp tone. But Jamir had already regained his color and spoke with a rare serious expression. ¡°I apologize to you, brother, but I have obtained important information. I thought I had to tell you here, so I ran over.¡± ¡°Important information?¡± All eyes in the hall focused on Jamir in an instant. ¡®He won¡¯t be able to escape this time, right?¡¯ Jamir smiled inwardly and opened his mouth. ¡°There is someone among our Parthia¡¯s influential people who is secretly colluding with the enemy and moving the army!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Karim asked hastily, and Wace, who was sitting next to him, turned pale. It was obvious who it was. Jamir looked disappointed as he shook his head and looked straight at Karim. ¡°Isn¡¯t it you, brother? And the trader Count Wace next to you!¡± Buzz buzz. The meeting hall plunged into chaos in an instant. There were suspicions about Karim, but Wace was a noble of the imperial faction, wasn¡¯t he? It was hard to say that he had nothing to do with Eurius, who was not here. ¡®With this, I can trap both Karim and that first prince!¡¯ Of course, he couldn¡¯t execute Eurius right away with such a thing, but he could at least imprison him and then deal with himter. ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± Karim answered emotionlessly, but of course Jamir was confident about that too. ¡°You still don¡¯t admit your guilt.¡± He took out a document from his pocket. ¡°This is the status of the faction¡¯s warriors andmanders that you moved to the empire. If you investigate, you can confirm their absence right away!¡± The status of the troops could be dismissed as impossible to verify immediately because the desert was so vast. But high-ranking personnel such as unitmanders and warriors were not something that could be hidden anywhere. ¡®I investigated thoroughly using the informationwork of the sect. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s wrong!¡¯ As long as decisive evidence came out, Karim was in a situation where he couldn¡¯t do anything. Everyone in the hall watched his reaction in silence. ¡°Is this what you brought as evidence?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Karim gestured to his subordinate and opened his mouth. ¡°Check the people on this list.¡± A momentter, Jamir found himself in a difficult situation. The people on that list were all fine in the capital. Karim scolded him coldly. ¡°Did you try to frame me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®That can¡¯t be?¡¯ Jamir couldn¡¯t help but panic inwardly. It was certain information that Karim had joined hands with the empire for years to keep him in check. Squeak At that tense moment, the door opened again. ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡± The person who opened the door was Eurius himself. ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Your highness.¡± And Karim bowed politely. The situation in the hall was bewildered again. But those who saw him soon showed a look of horror. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you in aa?¡± Eurius had brought in Parthia¡¯s king. At that moment, Jamir¡¯s face turned ashen. He knew what this meant. Parthia¡¯s King Sdin III still had a weak expression, but the poison had mostly worn off and he opened his mouth with difficulty. ¡°You know what crime youmitted. The things you gave me as medicine were all deadly poisons.¡± Eurius also opened his mouth. ¡°And ording to my personal investigation from the empire, you have been in contact with Kalihara continuously. You must have been supporting them financially.¡± He had already obtained a list of rted people by investigating Jamir¡¯s surroundings through the Hidden Moon Hall He also withdrew Karim¡¯s warriors from the empire by working with him. ¡°The reason why you held this six factions meeting is probably to politically oust him.¡± ¡°My only weakness is that he somehow noticed that I sent troops to the empire.¡± ¡°The troop dispatch itself can be denied by saying it wasn¡¯t me who did it. But it would be troublesome if there were nomanders.¡± A week was not enough time to withdraw the troops, but it was enough time for the dispatchedmanders and warriors to secretly return to the capital. ¡®This is an unexpected blow.¡¯ The eyes of everyone in the hall were already focused on Jamir. It was a meeting where all the influential people of each faction gathered. It was the worst situation for him to be exposed here. Soon a message came into his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t forgive mistakes three times.¡± As soon as he heard that voice, Jamir closed his eyes tightly. This time he would receive a proper punishment. His body glowed ck faintly and then flew toward Karim in an instant. ¡°Stop him!¡± The warriors who were ready to capture Jamir quickly threw themselves toward Karim. ¡®Glory to Heimdall¡­¡¯ That was Jamir¡¯sst thought in his life. Boom! Jamir¡¯s body swelled up and exploded in a sh. And his flesh and bones turned into terrifying weapons and flew in all directions. ¡°Aaargh!¡± All the warriors around him were either killed or severely injured by the intense explosion. ¡°Prepare for the attack!¡± The knights and the people of the Hidden Moon Hall who were on standby rushed into the room at Eurius¡¯smand. ¡®They¡¯re not ordinary lunatics, are they?¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect them to sacrifice Jamir, who looked like a high-ranking official, so casually. But that decision was very appropriate. Most of Karim¡¯s warriors were incapacitated. ¡°Cough cough, that bastard made a pretty good choice at the end. The annoying ones have been reduced by half.¡± An old man with gray eyes, Ismail, walked slowly into the room, smiling wickedly. His intense magic made Jegal Geon and the people of the Hidden Moon Hall frown. ¡°Your highness, is he perhaps?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with him. You take care of the others with the knights.¡± ¡°Be careful. I can feel at least an elder-level magic from him.¡± ¡°I know. Isn¡¯t that why I went through all that trouble with you?¡± Eurius also moved slowly and blocked Ismail¡¯s way. It was time to test what he had prepared. ¡°Hm?¡± When a young man in blue blocked his way, Ismail looked at Eurius with curiosity and scanned him up and down. Soon his eyes pierced Eurius¡¯s Camouge and changed to a sharp expression. ¡°So you were the rat from back then. You said you were the first prince?¡± He was already annoyed by the fact that he had let him go at that time. His hand stretched out toward Eurius in an instant. ¡®Eek!¡¯ Eurius dodged Ismail¡¯s hand that was attacking him. He admired him inwardly, but he didn¡¯t doubt his victory for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good for your age, but you¡¯re still a brat!¡± As he said, if they fought normally, Eurius had almost no chance of beating him. But did he have to fight him head-on and win? ¡®He can¡¯t even hide his presence. And on this side, it¡¯s instant death if you get hit properly, and defense by force is impossible. Then there¡¯s only one answer.¡¯ Swoosh. Ismail¡¯s left hand barely grazed Eurius¡¯s shoulder again. The skin on his shoulder died ck where his hand touched. ¡°¡­!?¡± But Ismail¡¯s expression changed to confusion. Normally, he would have backed away because he didn¡¯t want to die, but Eurius rather jumped forward. And the speed at which he charged was as fast as lightning. Bang! He rammed Ismail with his shoulder. ¡°Cough!¡± Ismail had prepared a defense magic in advance, so he didn¡¯t suffer a fatal injury, but he had no choice but to retreat. His Hand of Decay was powerful. But his main job was a high priest of the Archbishop level. If he had to fight in such a close range, he would be disadvantagedpared to a warrior. ¡®Sure enough, that movement is the martial art of the White Tiger Sect¡­¡¯ Jegal Geon was observing Eurius while dealing with the assassins of the sect who followed Ismail into the room. The movement that Eurius showed looked like a martial art at first nce, but it was a precise movement calcted by forms. He had been teaching Eurius about closebat for the past week. The knights of this continent mostly learned only swords, but the warriors of the eastern continent learned martial arts such as fists and palms as well as closebat when they entered martial arts. ¡°That damn brat!¡± Ismail was furious. If he had a little gap to widen the distance, he would have retreated and restrained him with magic, but Eurius was stubbornly holding him and forcing him into closebat. Of course, his hand was still threatening in closebat, but Eurius¡¯s senses were sharp beyond belief. He kept dodging his hand by a hair¡¯s breadth and attacked him with closebat using fists, feet, shoulders, and anything else. This was the closebat technique that he learned from Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy, the White Tiger Defense Technique. He had been training steadily, but he couldn¡¯t master it very well. It seemed that martial arts had to be trained in the eastern way to improve quickly. On top of that, he absorbed Jegal Geon¡¯s inner energy a while ago and increased his agility with Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath. Finally, he had been training steadily and he was able to master the closebat technique in just a week with the help of the system! In one corner of his sight where he was fighting against a strong enemy, the system¡¯s notification window kept popping up. [The proficiency of Life-and-Death Fist, a derivative martial art of White Tiger Protection Technique, increases.] [Life-and-Death Fist ¨C If youplete it with Lee Cheongmun¡¯s bare-handed closebat technique, it is one of the top-ss martial arts that has no match in closebat.] Ismail felt an unexpected threat to his life as he was being hit hard. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ Chapter 93: The Observer from the East Chapter 93: The Observer from the East Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Eurius and Ismail who were fighting in the hall. The Pluto branch, led by Ismail, had a characteristic that didn¡¯t fit well with openly attacking like this, as they were skilled in assassination and magic. But since almost all of their forces, including the Archbishop, had mobilized, their power was not to be underestimated. However, even though they were outnumbered, Eurius¡¯s knights and the experts of the Hidden Moon Hall were still pushing the enemy back. The reason why they were gaining an advantage even though they were outnumbered was because in this elite battle, a few skilled fighters could sway the situation. ¡°Knights, form a barrier and block them! Squad leaders support the ones who are falling behind.¡± Heinz was giving orders while blocking the assassins¡¯ irregr attacks steadily. Other than that, Linfield, Cain, and others were also holding on somehow while being attacked by several people at the same time. In the case of Beatrix or Jegal Geon, they were showing brilliant performances. Swoosh! Their sword and spear left blood and corpses of assassins wherever they went. Of course, Ismail wasn¡¯t unaware of that situation. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for this damn brat, I could have killed them myself.¡¯ He bit his lips while still fighting with Eurius. ¡®If I get out of this situation, I can turn the tide.¡¯ Anyway, even if there were a few skilled fighters among them, he didn¡¯t see anyone who could match him. ¡®There¡¯s no choice.¡¯ Ismail eventually took Eurius¡¯s fist that wasing to his chest head-on. Bang! ¡°Cough!¡± Even though he hadyered a shield in advance, he couldn¡¯t be safe from receiving a superhuman¡¯s attack head-on. Blood sprayed from his mouth. ¡®I have to finish this.¡¯ Eurius quickly tried to narrow the distance again. But Ismail wasn¡¯t going to let him do that. Ding! [You are cursed with Weakness. Your Strength rank decreases.] [You are cursed with Swamp. Your Agility rank decreases.] [You are cursed with Confusion. Your senses are impaired.] Ismail, befitting an Archbishop, cast three curses on Eurius consecutively in the short time he bounced back. ¡°You damn brat! You only get away with it once!¡± He stretched out his arm and made a gesture of pulling something. Swoosh! ¡°¡­!?¡± It was faster for him to pull one of his followers near him than for Eurius to approach him again. Bang! Just like Jamir, the follower that Ismail pulled exploded near Eurius. ¡°Damn it!¡± He raised his self-defense technique and distortion to the maximum and blocked the shock. Fortunately, the explosion wasn¡¯t very powerful because the material (?) wasn¡¯t good. But that wasn¡¯t the important thing. Once the distance was widened, it was hard to drag him into closebat again. Bang! As he dodged Ismail¡¯s hand and tried to dive in again, another explosion went off behind him. ¡°Ugh!¡± This time, his reaction speed was dyed because of the curse that reduced his physical abilities and the shock of the explosion. He couldn¡¯t avoid itpletely and a piece of flesh was torn from his shoulder. ¡®He¡¯s more tenacious than I thought.¡¯ ¡®He said he was an Archbishop? He lives up to his name.¡¯ That¡¯s how the standoff continued for a while. The situation was somewhat unfavorable for Eurius, but Ismail didn¡¯t have a hidden card that could subdue him right away either. ¡®I need some way to break this deadlock¡¯ The same thought shed through their minds at the same time. *** Meanwhile, there was a group observing the battle from a distance, far from the pce. It was Gideon¡¯s faction, which had failed to attack the capital. ¡°It seems like our side is at a disadvantage, but should we intervene?¡± ¡°However, we could potentially disrupt the Archbishop¡¯s intentions.¡± The situation was slightly unfavorable for the Order, but Ismail, in fact, had a slight advantage over Eurius. Intervening now could also intercept the initiative, a reason to provoke Ismail¡¯s anger. ¡®Jamir, who had a reason to intervene, died pathetically as well. What should I do?¡¯ Originally, they hade here as a reserve force under Jamir¡¯smand. However, it was a situation where they were hesitant to intervene, even if it was a matter concerning the Order, as it involved the affairs of another faction. ¡°Hmm¡­ this is quite an interesting fight, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Gideon suddenly looked to his side in surprise at the voice he heard in his ear. ¡®An Easterner?¡¯ The voice belonged to a middle-aged man who appeared to be from the East. He seemed rather intrigued as he observed the battle between Eurius and Ismail. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°One side wants to keep their distance, and the other wants to narrow it. If you don¡¯t have a way, the young man who¡¯s already injured may be at a slight disadvantage.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Ah, if only I could have jumped in there and enjoyed the fight using the footwork. Our friend here doesn¡¯t seem to have much skill in footworkpared to the level he achieved.¡± The Easterner continued to watch the confrontation between Eurius and Ismail with an unconcerned attitude. He asionally expressed admiration or sighed. Gideon was left speechless by his nonchnt demeanor. Moreover, the middle-aged man was quite detailed in hismentary on their duel. Gideon and his subordinates, without realizing it, began to be captivated by the man¡¯s exnations. *** As the duel dragged on, just as the middle-aged man had said, Eurius, who was umting injuries, was getting tired first. ¡®This won¡¯t do. I need toe up with some means¡­ Huh?¡¯ Hum Eurius felt a vibration from his waist and looked at his Yellow Dragon Sword. [Draw it.] ¡®Using a sword against him wouldn¡¯t be a good choice?¡¯ Ismail¡¯s hand easily blocked his intangible sword. That¡¯s why he was trying to drag him into closebat that he wasn¡¯t familiar with? [Draw it.] But the situation was more serious than he thought. He had no chance of winning if he continued like this because his body was dulled by the curse and he had quite big wounds here and there. ¡®But this sword wouldn¡¯t try to kill me¡­ Ah!¡¯ A thought shed through Eurius¡¯s mind like lightning. ¡®It¡¯s risky, but it¡¯s worth a try.¡¯ Swoosh As he drew his sword, Ismail also showed a slight interest in his eyes. But what could he do with a sword now? ¡°So you¡¯ve given uppletely.¡± He sneered and stretched out his hand in an instant. He was confident that he could break that sword like a twig with one hand. ng! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®As I thought!¡¯ Eurius smiled triumphantly. Surprisingly, the Yellow Dragon Sword didn¡¯t break, and it didn¡¯t even let the effect of the dark energy from Ismail¡¯s hand pass through. [Adamantite ¨C It has the property of repelling all energy generated by force.] Eurius was holding the Yellow Dragon Sword, which was immune to any force, in a state where no force could pass through it. Dark force, or magic, was also a kind of force or energy. There was no way he could deal with the Yellow Dragon Sword that did not allow any force to enter. ¡®This is as good as blocking his hand!¡¯ Ismael was originally a priest by profession. The reason he had the upper hand in the fight was simply because Eurius could not face him directly with his weapon. ¡°How can this be?!¡± ng! His absolute power was blocked by his hand, and Eurius pushed him fiercely in confusion. ¡®I¡¯ll defend with the sword and attack with boxing!¡¯ He blocked his hand with the sword and once again Eurius¡¯s shoulder hit Ismail¡¯s torso. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ismail was also running out of force due to repeated attacks. Each of Eurius¡¯s attacks was a fatal blow, and he couldn¡¯tst long. *** ¡°The young one will win. He must have brought a new weapon that doesn¡¯t work with magic, right? But why didn¡¯t he use it until now?¡± The middle-aged man who had been watching the battle until then kept shaking his head, and Gideon finally came to his senses. ¡®Oh no! The Archbishop is in danger.¡¯ As the middle-aged man said, Ismail was now being beaten up by Eurius. This would be a good time to save him and have an excuse. Gideon gave orders to the pdins behind him with a murderous look in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but thank you for your kind exnation. But now that we¡¯ve been exposed¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The middle-aged man also turned his head toward them as if everything was going as nned. Shiver Gideon felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. Come to think of it, he could barely follow the fight between the first prince and the Archbishop, even though he was a high priest himself. But who was this strange middle-aged man who could urately observe and exin such a duel from this far away? The middle-aged man smiled faintly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on letting go of those who are emitting magic either.¡± *** ¡°Kraaak!¡± He was almost out of force now. Ismail was hit by Eurius¡¯s kick and flew back. ¡®There¡¯s no chance of winning. Why doesn¡¯t my power work on that damn sword?¡¯ Of course he had no way of knowing the reason. But he couldn¡¯t see any way out of this situation in his current state. ¡®It¡¯s hard to escape, and judging by the situation, it¡¯s hard to hope for salvation.¡¯ Ismael¡¯s wrinkled eyes became thinner and his eyes sharpened. He gathered all the remaining force and pursed his lips. ¡°¡­¡± Then he rushed toward Eurius with a terrifying momentum. He squeezed out hisst strength. ng! His hand was easily blocked by the Yellow Dragon Sword again. But that wasn¡¯t his real intention. [You have been cursed with Binding. Your movement is temporarily restricted.] ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Eurius realized Ismail¡¯s intention. Hadn¡¯t he seen him blow up his subordinates like Jamir one by one? If the explosion of a weakling had such power, what would happen if this Archbishop exploded right next to him? ¡®I¡¯m done for.¡¯ Before he could finish his thought, Ismail¡¯s body began to turn dark. It seemed like Eurius¡¯s body would be swallowed up by the explosion at any moment. Crack ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, a blue line cut through the ground and separated Ismail and Eurius. The blue line hit Ismail hard and lifted him into the air. Ismail had a dumbfounded expression on his face. He wanted to die together, but what was this situation? Kwang! Ismael¡¯s body exploded in midair with a loud noise. It was such a powerful explosion that even though it exploded in the air, the ground around it flipped over and the buildings that were caught in it turned into dust. ¡°Cough¡± The dust settled and Eurius spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡®If that explosion had happened right next to me, I would have died instantly.¡¯ Fortunately, thanks to the help of an unknown person who separated him and Ismail, he was able to escape with serious injuries. ¡®Oh no! What about the knights?¡¯ He had somehow eliminated Ismael, but there were still many subordinates left. Eurius hurried to go that way. But a voice he had never heard before stopped him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go there. I¡¯ve already sent reinforcements.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The owner of the voice was the middle-aged man from before. He had amanding presence with his blue uniform and sturdy build. Eurius was shocked to see his stats. [Jegal Unhyeon] Job: Spearman, Grandmaster (Superhuman) Strength: A+ Agility: S+ Intelligence: A Spirit: A+ Force Aptitude: A+ Force: S+ Disposition: Free-spirited, Chivalrous [Traits] Spear Technique (SS) Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath ¨C Depending on your skill level, you get an additional bonus to your agility and force control. Spatial Distortion ¨C A fourth-level force control. You can change the trajectory of your spear at will within the range that your spear touches. Chapter 94: The Man Who Gives Generously Chapter 94: The Man Who Gives Generously Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The middle-aged man smiled and answered. ¡°I¡¯m Jegal Unhyeon, who has been living off the Jegal ntely.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a special envoy from the Jegal n. Thank you for saving my life.¡± Eurius expressed his gratitude to him, knowing his stats since he saw them. The cultists were not easy opponents. If it weren¡¯t for several coincidences, Eurius would have been seriously injured or killed this time. ¡®Fortunately, the reinforcements didn¡¯t arrivete, so there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems on the knights¡¯ side.¡¯ ¡°How is the damage situation?¡± Heinz had a slightly gloomy expression. ¡°Overall, we suffered minor damage thanks to the timely support. However, there are some casualties among the ordinary knights who are not used to such a fierce battle.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way to avoid damage when facing this many enemies. Don¡¯t me yourself too much. As a leader, you did your best.¡± Eurius patted Heinz¡¯s shoulder. In fact, he was prepared for the worst when he was pushed back by Ismail, so this was rather a good oue. As he checked the damage situation of the knights, someone approached him. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s been a long time since I saw you.¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes widened. The person who politely greeted him was Jegal Hwayoung, who should have been in the north. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe all the way to this far desert.¡± ¡°Actually, I received an order from the n. I¡¯ll tell you moreter.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± It was Eurius who requested additional support as he was concerned about the loss of ordinary knights. But Jegal Hwayoung saw an unexpected person. ¡®Sending a superhuman-level warrior across the continent¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell the exact skill level of the middle-aged man who called himself Jegal Unhyeon, but he was at least not below him by looking at the move that drove Ismail away at the end. Jegal Geon also greeted him with a happy expression and quickly hugged him. ¡°Uncle! It¡¯s been a long time since I saw you.¡± ¡°Tsk! You haven¡¯t grown much since I saw you in the n. You should not neglect your training as a warrior while focusing on your business n.¡± Jegal Unhyeon nced at him and clicked his tongue. Jegal Geon bowed his head deeply. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed.¡± In fact, he had less time to devote to training since he came to this continent because of his work as the Azure Dragon Company¡¯s leader. Jegal Unhyeon was his uncle by blood, but he was also his master who taught him martial arts in the n. ¡°Your Majesty, this is my uncle who is in charge of the overallmand of the n¡¯s warriors.¡± ¡°I see. You have an extraordinary aura. I¡¯m Eurius, the first prince of the empire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also impressed by your talent. There are many geniuses in the world, but I never thought I would see a warrior who reached the fourth stage at your age.¡± Jegal Unhyeon uttered pure admiration. In fact, he was a bit rude to his favorite disciple Jegal Geon because hepared him to Eurius¡¯s achievement. ¡®I reached the fourth stage at this age, but I can¡¯t even figure out his martial arts level.¡¯ He was one of the top experts in the Eastern Continent, but he couldn¡¯t fully grasp Eurius¡¯s Camouge technique. So he had more questions. His curious gaze made Eurius feel ufortable. ¡®He knows my identity but he doesn¡¯t show any respect. He looks like a weirdo who only cares about martial arts. I remember that these people are not very normal (?)¡­¡¯ It was good that one more powerful force was added, but he had a feeling that something troublesome would happen. ¡®Well, anyway, the Jegal n is an ally, so nothing big will happen, right?¡¯ Eurius decided to think positively. In fact, it was a very good thing that a superhuman came at this time. ¡®It worked out well. If things go well, I can use this opportunity topletely solve the problem of the desert.¡¯ Meanwhile, the people from the Jegal n were having a meeting in a separate ce. ¡°Geon, I have something to ask you. What do you think it is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about His highness the first prince.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s an outstanding young man, but there are too many things I don¡¯t understand about him.¡± Jegal Unhyeon shook his head. He was using the White Tiger Protection life-and-death technique when he saw him fighting the cultist. ¡®But his movements arepletely like a swordsman, right?¡¯ He could tell what kind of weapon technique the other person had mastered deeply by just looking at their slight movements in daily life. When he saw Eurius¡¯s movement, he was a typical Western Continent knight who only focused on the sword. ¡°I can¡¯t understand how he learned the White Tiger Protection martial arts¡­¡± And ording to Jegal Geon¡¯s words, he was also good at information and brain games, as he negotiated with their n and maintained the initiative throughout. How was this possible? The Jegal n was also a famous n with both literary and martial arts, but they didn¡¯t have anyone who achieved such feats in their twenties among those who were trained as pure warriors. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one more thing I want to tell you.¡± He originally nned to answer him after Eurius left the desert, but Jegal Geon cautiously started to talk. ¡°It¡¯s about His highness¡¯s true inner power.¡± Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s face showed more curiosity. ¡°Inner power?¡± *** ¡°Thank you for eliminating Jamir this time. It would have been impossible for me alone.¡± Karim bowed his head deeply to Eurius with a sincere expression of gratitude. He knew that there was some force behind Jamir, but he never dreamed that it would be such a powerful group. However,pared to the great damage his warriors suffered, the group that Eurius brought annihted them with only minor injuries, so it was not unreasonable for him to be grateful. ¡°It was nothing but killing amon enemy. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about it. How is your father¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually what I wanted to consult with you about.¡± The formless poison was not something that could be eliminated by burning it a few times. What Eurius did was merely an emergency measure. ¡°It must be impossible for you, the first prince of the empire, to stay here all the time. Isn¡¯t there any way?¡± Karim asked him earnestly, and Eurius smiled reassuringly and answered. ¡°I think I might be able to solve that problem this time.¡± A momentter. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you can burn the formless poison with your inner power?¡± Jegal Unhyeon asked Eurius with an expression of interest. ¡°It might be a bit of a difficult request, but I agreed to pay enough for the help in the desert. Can¡¯t you help me?¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t one person missing? ording to the conditions you mentioned, you need at least three experts who have reached the fourth stage to barely meet the standard.¡± ¡®I am going to borrow his power, but he doesn¡¯t seem to mind?¡¯ To his surprise, Jegal Unhyeon did not ask anything about the method, but rather agreed without much opposition. Eurius secretly felt relieved and revealed his n. ¡°If the amount of force is insufficient, why not fill it in another way?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Eurius took out an object that emitted a faint golden light from his pocket. Jegal Unhyeon eximed. ¡°The core of a spirit beast! And it looks like a very powerful one¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was quite hard to hunt it, but I have to use it now that there¡¯s a need for it!¡± What Eurius took out was the S-ss force stone, which was the core of Imugi that he had caught before. He had been thinking about how to use it for a while, but he decided to use it this time. Thud! Eurius split the core in half exactly. He would use the other half someday. ¡°This should be enough to cover theck of inner power.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ You said you were the first prince? You¡¯re generous. It¡¯s a bit of a waste in terms of efficiency, but if that¡¯s what the owner wants, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Jegal Unhyeon licked his lips as if he regretted it. Usually, in the case of cores, if you take them slowly and absorb them into your inner power, you can expect a significant increase in your inner power, but if you use them right away like this, you lose most of their effects. ¡®But does it matter to the first prince?¡¯ For someone like Eurius who was already a superhuman, it was hard to see much effect from increasing his force a little bit. He knew that and Jegal Unhyeon didn¡¯t object either. However, he wasn¡¯tpletely without any demands. ¡°I don¡¯t need anypensation. But can you do me a simple favorter?¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°You can refuse after hearing it.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± If he could refuse, there was no reason to hesitate. Eurius readily agreed. ¡°Then let¡¯s get started right away!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about meridians, so you take care of the Three Meridians. It seems more efficient that way.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jegal Unhyeon was not only an expert from the East who knew well about blood vessels and meridians, but also had a much more refined skill in using his inner power than Eurius. It would be very difficult and time-consuming for two superhumans to do this work. Gulp Eurius swallowed half of the core first and then started working. Eurius and Jegal Unhyeon grabbed the king¡¯s wrist and injected their inner power at the same time. Kwaaaa! It was equivalent to three superhumans¡¯ inner power. The inner power that poured out like a torrent swallowed up the formless poison and burned it in an instant. As the work reached its midpoint, sweat beads began to form on Eurius and Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s foreheads. ¡®He¡¯s amazing for reaching the fourth stage at this age, but how can he have such inner power? Even considering the beast core, it¡¯s hard to believe.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon was amazed as he worked. He had reached the fourth stage more than twenty years ago. He never cked off in his training for a single day, but surprisingly, his inner power was almost equal to that of Eurius. The work on Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s side ended much earlier. Unlike Eurius, he was an expert from the East who knew well about blood vessels and meridians, and the level of his inner power usage was different. ¡®This is also a mystery.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon saw that Eurius was very poor at using his inner powerpared to his realm. Most of the knights of the West were like that, but Eurius was more so because he benefited a lot from the system. ¡°I¡¯m done with my work, so I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really different from the experts of the East.¡± As soon as Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s inner power moved to Eurius¡¯s side, the same phenomenon urred again. [You are absorbing the energy of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath.] ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It might be a sensitive issue, but it won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll exin it to youter.¡± Eurius smiled bitterly and apologized, but surprisingly, Jegal Unhyeon chuckled and said. ¡°If my inner power is absorbed by you, I guess I have to increase the amount.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Kwaaa! [You are absorbing the energy of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath.] [You are absorbing the energy of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath.] ¡®What is this old man doing?¡¯ Eurius couldn¡¯t help but be confused for a moment. Normally, when someone feels their inner power being sucked away, they should adjust it to prevent it from escaping, right? But Jegal Unhyeon kept pouring out his inner power to Eurius while burning the poison. What was more surprising was that he didn¡¯t seem tired at all unlike him. After thinking for a while, Eurius found the answer. ¡®He must have seen the effect of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath.¡¯ The Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath was a secret technique that made one¡¯s reflexes and force flow smoother. Of course, there was also a difference in the level of inner power usage between him and Jegal Unhyeon, who was an experienced expert, but he couldn¡¯t know that. ¡®I guess this is what he meant by absorbing it¡­ I think I have more questions to ask this young man.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon also examined the flow of inner power carefully while pouring out his inner power. After a long time, Eurius finally got up. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m finally done.¡± He had poured out his inner power for almost half a day, and Eurius was exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m done too.¡± Jegal Unhyeon smiled and got up too. But he looked much better than Eurius. ¡°Then let¡¯s see each other tomorrow since we¡¯re both tired? I¡¯ll tell youter about the favor I asked for aspensation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Jegal Unhyeon left with a swish as he said that. Eurius couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®He must have felt his inner power being sucked away by me, but he didn¡¯t say anything?¡¯ But unlike Jegal Geon, he didn¡¯t panic much and even left with a smile. ¡®Did he hear something in advance? Or maybe¡­¡­.¡¯ Come to think of it, it was strange that he gave him more inner power even though he felt it being sucked away. ¡®Why did he give it to me so generously?¡¯ Eurius had no choice but to stare at the door where he had left from for a while. Chapter 95: Looting the Empty House Chapter 95: Looting the Empty House Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
As Eurius was lost in thought, he heard the voice of Karim, who was waiting outside. He looked somewhat anxious, unlike his usual calm demeanor. ¡°Is my father¡¯s treatmentpletely done?¡± ¡°Yes, this time we havepletely driven out the poison, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Karim looked at him with aplicated expression that was hard to describe, then bowed his head deeply on his knees. It was the highest form of gratitude to a benefactor in the desert. It waspletely different from his cold attitude at their first meeting, so Eurius momentarily put aside his thoughts and looked at him with curiosity. ¡®I thought he was a cold-hearted person, but he must have been very filial. Well, that¡¯s why he epted my offer.¡¯ Eurius smiled and grabbed Karim¡¯s shoulder to lift him up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me so much. I also gained a lot from this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karim did not say anything else. He remained silent with his head bowed towards him even after he stood up. But such a stubborn person would not make a fuss about repaying his debt. Eurius looked at him with a gentle gaze for a while, then opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a few days and talk moreter. You also need to wait until the king recovers before we can have a proper conversation, right?¡± Eurius, who came out like that, was very tired, but he had something to do quickly. Outside, it was already pitch-ck midnight. Swoosh. He started to sprint through the desert at night, hiding his presence. What he had to do was! ¡®I worked so hard for this, I have to get some loot!¡¯ The ce where he stopped was the Mirage Temple. He couldn¡¯te here right away when he killed Ismail because he had too many things to worry about. Ding! [You have killed the Archbishop of the Heimdall Cult.] [Additional information about the quest ¡®The Forgotten God¡¯s Cult¡¯ is unlocked.] [Unlocked items: Archbishop, Authority, 13 Branches] [Your achievement increases greatly.] This was the notification that popped up when he killed Ismail. If he searched the temple, he would be able to get more information. *** Inside the temple, those who did not participate in the raid were talking with nervous expressions. ¡°Is there still no news from the Archbishop?¡± ¡°All the elites went out, but there is still no news. Could it be¡­¡± sh ¡°¡­!?¡± The one who was talking had his neck severed from his body. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡®It seems that they mobilized most of their forces for this raid. Judging by the presence I feel, there are hardly any skilled ones left.¡¯ What Eurius was doing now was looting an empty house! Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t empty, but the result would be no different. Swoosh He disappeared like a ghost and moved his sword in an instant towards the next target. He was also quite exhausted, but this level was enough for him to handle alone. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Is the Archbishop still not back? Could it be?¡± The temple at night was suddenly swept by a bloody wind. ¡®My force recovery is much faster than I thought. I¡¯m reaping the benefits of getting injected with true energy by Jegal Unhyeon.¡¯ In fact, if he hadn¡¯t received true energy from Jegal Unhyeon, even Eurius would have hesitated to attack right away. But his current state was that his force was not exhausted, but rather replenished like a spring that never dried up. ¡®Is it because I inherited the trait of Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath? I¡¯ll have to find out why he gave me inner energyter.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for him to clear out the inside of the temple. It wasn¡¯t a very big building in the first ce, and there weren¡¯t many people left. Besides, there was no point in sparing them and interrogating them since they weren¡¯t the type to answer anyway. Crash! ¡®Is this thest one? Now it¡¯s time to investigate the temple.¡¯ Eurius, who had easily chopped off thest assassin who rushed at him, carefully walked into the temple. The first room he investigated was where Ismail and Jamir had their conversation. It seemed to be a ce for office work as there were various documents lying around. Eurius checked the contents and clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk! I¡¯ll have to give this to Karim. It will be a great help for him to take over the desert kingdom.¡± The documents were reports on the assassination sect¡¯s contracts. The only client from the empire side was Wace, but there was clear evidence that many power holders in the desert had secretly requested them. If this secret was revealed, it would be obvious what would happen. Eurius could hold the leash of the clients through Karim. The second room was not very rted to the cult, but it was not without ie. ¡°They must have ripped off a lot of money. I didn¡¯t expect them to have this much wealth.¡± The second room was a vault. He broke the locked door and entered, and the inside was shining with gold and jewels. ¡®Come to think of it, Marius said that the northern development fund was running low.¡¯ Money was always scarce no matter how much you expand your power. He would move itter through the Azure Dragon Company. There were also manyrge rooms, but they were mostly used as dormitories or training grounds, and there was not much ie. ¡®Hmm¡­ Is there no clue rted to the quest?¡¯ Eurius was slightly disappointed when he searched all the rooms and there was no notification. But there had to be some clue in the ce where the cult leader was. He walked along the corridor and finally found the ce he was looking for. Ding! [You have found the relic ¡®Heimdall¡¯s Statue¡¯.] [Destroy the statue. Your achievement will increase.] ¡®As expected, there was something to gain.¡¯ Eurius was ovee with joy and drew his sword again. The deepest part of the temple had a huge pit, and in the middle of the pit was a statue of a snake that radiated a sinister aura at a nce. Crash! Without saying anything, the statue was shattered by a single sh of his sword, and at that moment, numerous notifications appeared before Eurius¡¯s eyes. [The destruction of the artifact containing thest holy power caused the seventh branch of Heimdall, Pluto, to bepletely annihted.] [Your achievements have increased significantly.] [Due to the huge increase in achievement, your achievement progress will be disyed from now on. Current achievement progress: 30%] [Additional functions of your status are unlocked by the increase of your achievements.] ¡®A branch, huh? That means there are still others out there.¡¯ Eurius decided to sort out his thoughts carefully after seeing the many notifications that suddenly popped up. [Help ¨C View Heimdall¡¯s 13 branches.] [It refers to the 13 branches that inherited Heimdall¡¯s power. Current number of remaining branches: 6] ¡®There were 13, but some of them are already gone?¡¯ He opened up more help. [Each branch has a unique power that is only given to the archbishop. When the session of this power is cut off, destroying the relic of that branch will cause the holy power of that branch topletely disappear from the continent.] ¡®This is crazy. That means there are at least six more monsters like that Archbishop¡­¡¯ Eurius couldn¡¯t help but make a bitter expression. To be honest, killing Ismail this time was partly due to luck. But there were six more ces like that. He had such a hard time clearing one ce, how was he supposed toplete the quest? ¡®First of all, I need to expand my power and gather talents. That¡¯s the only way I can make a chance.¡¯ As he thought so, Eurius realized something he had forgotten for a while. ¡®By the way, they said I got an additional function for my status. What did I get?¡¯ *** Time passed quickly. King Sdin III of Parthia, who had been poisoned by formless poison, was finally able to get up and do his job properly after a week. After that, it was time to discuss the alliance in earnest. Sdin III was very gloomy because of Jamir¡¯s incident. ¡°I never thought my foolish son would collude with Kalihara and do such a thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they are so cunning. It¡¯s fortunate that it was resolved well.¡± It was rather a good thing for Eurius. Kalihara picked a fight with Parthia on their own. ¡°I ept your proposal for an alliance. But I¡¯m too old to handle such big things like war. Instead, I¡¯ll entrust it to my second son Karim.¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled. It meant that he delegated full authority to Karim. ¡°Karim is someone I can trust too. Then let¡¯s discuss the details after I report back to the empire.¡± There was no reason to stay longer after achieving his goal of forming an alliance with Parthia. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to the empire as soon as I¡¯m ready in a few days.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re leaving so soon. I feel like I haven¡¯t repaid you enough¡­¡± Karim answered bluntly as usual, but he and Eurius had be quite close over the past few days. It was natural since Eurius had solved all the problems he had been worrying about for years in just a few weeks. But Eurius felt rather ufortable with his gaze. ¡®He seems to be clear about cutting and tying things up, but it¡¯s awkward when he treats me differently.¡¯ Whatever he thought, Karim seemed to be really sorry. ¡°Then I¡¯ll throw a banquet for you as ast treat. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could attend.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re throwing me a farewell party.¡± He answered cheerfully, but Eurius was actually nervous. He had a rough idea of his intentions. And at the banquet that night, what he feared finally happened. ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± After a few rounds of drinks at the banquet, Karim finally coughed and revealed his true feelings. ¡°Actually, I owe you a debt of gratitude that I can¡¯t repay even in my lifetime.¡± ¡°Haha! You¡¯re too ttering.¡± Alcohol usually opens up even the most taciturn person¡¯s mouth. Karim¡¯s tone was still blunt, but from Eurius¡¯s point of view, words that made him sweat came out. ¡°No. I was in awe of you in every aspect, from the strategy to drive out Jamir to your military prowess. I would like to have you as my [Mentor] if you don¡¯t mind. Would you please grant me that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius was speechless for a moment. Mentor was a word that meant a teacher among the desert tribes. But the problem was that he and Karim were more than ten years apart in age. ¡®Even if I add up my previous life, I¡¯m only a little older, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡¯ Karim was so blunt in his personality that he didn¡¯t act very friendly until then. But Eurius knew his inner thoughts very well, and the reason was as follows. [Al Karim] Job: Prince, Senior Warrior Strength: A Agility: A Intelligence: A Mental Power: B+ Force Aptitude: B+ Force: A Disposition: Ambitious, Brave, Stubborn Current State: Grateful, Respectful ¡®Even though I just pushed through the other problems with brute force, is this something to respect?¡¯ The additional function of his status was the ability to see the current psychology of the other person! He couldn¡¯t see the details, but it was still an amazing ability to see the mind of the person he observed. ¡®This ability will make my future moves much easier.¡¯ At first, he was happy to get a new ability, but now he was in trouble because of it. If he didn¡¯t know that Karim was sincere, he would have taken it as a joke, but it was hard to refuse because he knew. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be a mentor when I¡¯m so young¡­¡± ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter when ites to learning. Please, I beg you.¡± Karim even tried to bow his head again. ¡®No, why do I have to be a mentor? Why can¡¯t we just be brothers or friends?¡¯ Eurius couldn¡¯t help but scream inwardly. Chapter 96: Jegal Unhyeon’s Question Chapter 96: Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s Question Trantor: MarcTempest Editor: Himanshu02
The next day, the delegation finished their preparations to depart for the empire. ¡°Do you really have no intention of epting me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s justpromise as friends.¡± ¡°Then I have no choice but to¡­¡± Karim looked regretful, but Eurius firmly refused to take him as his disciple who was ten years older than him. It would be awkward to be sworn brothers with Karim who was too old for him, and it would be even more shocking if he asked him to treat him as his elder brother. After bickering for a day, they agreed to be friendly with each other. ¡®At least it¡¯s good to have a reliable ally in the desert.¡¯ Just by pulling Karim to his side, he had effectively destroyed one of the pirs of the Grand Duke¡¯s power. ¡®And I can use him in reverse as well.¡¯ ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to withdraw the troops you secretly sent to the empire?¡± Eurius smiled brightly at Karim¡¯s question. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to use them more effectively than withdrawing them?¡± Originally, Karim wanted to withdraw his troops from the empire as soon as he began to trust Eurius. But Eurius asked him to keep them stationed there instead. Karim was not a foolish person either. He immediately caught on to Eurius¡¯s intention. ¡°So you want me to pretend to cooperate with the Grand Duke¡¯s side if they ask me to attack the empire, and then counterattack them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a difficult request. I owe you a favor as a friend, so I¡¯ll make sure to fulfill it!¡± That way, Eurius not only seeded in his original goal of forming an alliance with the desert kingdom, but also gained a strong friend. ¡°Then take care, friend.¡± Karim bid farewell to Eurius with a brief greeting. ¡°Let¡¯s see each other again when the alliance is fully established.¡± Eurius also smiled and waved his hand at him. ¡®I made a new connection that I didn¡¯t know in my previous life.¡¯ It was a great achievement to make an ally out of the desert kingdom, which he had only regarded as an enemy in his previous life in contrast to the north. ¡®But there are still some questions that are not answered.¡¯ He looked at a group of people who were following him from afar. They were the warriors sent by the Jegal n. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me for one condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we arrive at the capital of the empire. I still need some time to think about it.¡± Jegal Unhyeon was still calm. He had given him his inner power and he seemed to have something he wanted, but Eurius couldn¡¯t guess what it was. ¡®Well, at least he doesn¡¯t seem to have any suspicious intentions.¡¯ He had gained a new ability to see the psychological state of others this time. And ording to that ability, Jegal Unhyun didn¡¯t seem to have any resentment towards him. [Jegal Unhyun] Current state: Curiosity, Doubt It was natural for him to feel doubtful about Eurius. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to think that I stole his martial arts or something like that. Then there must be another reason¡­¡¯ With those questions in mind, Eurius returned to the capital of the empire. *** ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. Of all times, a civil war broke out there when the first prince went to Parthia.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Wace, who returned to the empire before Eurius, went straight to the Grand Duke¡¯s territory. He hurriedly started his excuses that he had prepared. To be fair, there wasn¡¯t much that could be med on Wace in this situation. He asked Karim for a favor, and although Karim didn¡¯t do it, Eurius was attacked by the Order in Parthia and almost lost his life. If only looking at the result, Wace tried hard but was unlucky and failed to take Eurius¡¯s life. That was how it seemed. But Wace was sweating profusely. Even if it was such a situation, his failure was not just once or twice? ¡®He won¡¯t cut my neck right away, will he?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s so? If you were unlucky, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. Go to the capital and report to the emperor.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Wales was dumbfounded. Even though it wasn¡¯t his fault objectively, failure was failure. He came prepared to face the Grand Duke¡¯s fiery anger, but unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t question Wales. ¡°I understand.¡± Afraid that the Grand Duke¡¯s mind would change, he quickly left the office. ¡®Phew! I saved my life this time too. This tightrope walking is really a thankless job!¡¯ While Wace was sighing with relief, the Grand Duke was thinking of something else. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect those useless guys or the desert rats to assassinate the first prince anyway.¡¯ The Grand Duke had raised his evaluation of Eurius significantly after the award ceremony of thest martial arts tournament. It was a natural judgment for him who didn¡¯t know the existence of the Order. He decided not to trust his subordinates anymore. Sending Wace to the desert was thest step to check that fact. ¡®If there is no one around who can deal with the first prince, then I¡¯ll have to do it myself.¡¯ To be honest, it was not very pleasing to his pride to move himself, the strongest warrior in the empire, to catch one prince who had just passed his twenties. But on the other hand, it was also the most certain method. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll do it myself. I can¡¯t do anything while the first prince is in the capital, but he will surely try to execute his n to checkmate me again somewhere.¡¯ At that point, the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes shone eerily. ¡®The next time the first prince leaves the capital, it will be hisst outing.¡¯ *** The way back for Eurius and the delegation was smooth and easy. Unlike when he apanied Jamir, there were no unnecessary wees, and since he had a lot to report, he chose the fastest route and crossed the desert in a straight line. The delegation was able to return to the capital in less than ten days. Of course, as soon as he entered the capital, Eurius had to go to the pce and report to him. ¡°The first prince has returned.¡± ¡°I heard that you were injured quite a bit in Parthia¡¯s capital. How are you doing?¡± The emperor asked about Eurius¡¯s well-being first. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a serious injury, so I recovered quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± He said that, but the emperor knew Eurius¡¯s skills and asked him with a look. ¡®If you were hurt enough, it wouldn¡¯t have been an ordinary situation?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll exin it to you properlyter.¡¯ After exchanging nces with him, Eurius checked the emperor¡¯s current state first. After seeing the king who was poisoned in Parthia, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. [Theopold II von Scharnos] [Job: Emperor, Intermediate Knight Status: Worried, Proud, Happy] He sighed with relief inwardly. It seemed that no one had tried to harm his father with any tricks so far. The emperor¡¯s health was as good as ever. And that made him more suspicious. No matter how hard it was to detect the intangible poison, the only way to secretly affect him was to inject it little by little and make him addicted. But the emperor of the empire was the supreme being in the continent. Not to mention his meals, even his every move was guarded by irond escorts. Who would dare to do such a thing? ¡®There are only a few people who can use such a method.¡¯ He had suspicions but no evidence yet. But at least he had figured out the enemy¡¯s technique, which was enough to make this desert trip a great sess. After quickly sorting out his doubts about the emperor¡¯s assassination, Eurius opened his mouth again. ¡°First of all, I will exin the reason for the civil war.¡± He began to report slowly what had happened in Parthia. Of course, he passed off the attack of the Heimdal Order as just assassins hired by Kalihara with Jamir¡¯s help. The emperor and his ministers gasped in astonishment. ¡°You arrived in Parthia and faced such a fierce civil war in the capital, but you still managed to form an alliance¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, I was skeptical, but I have to admit that the first prince¡¯s ability is outstanding. Even the nobles of the Grand Duke faction had to acknowledge Eurius¡¯ achievement this time. He had fought a fierce battle with the Heimdall Order in Parthia and came back with an alliance despite being injured. Who could say anything against that? The emperor looked pleased and asked Eurius for his opinion. ¡°Then, since we have formed an alliance with Parthia, what do you think about attacking Kalihara right away?¡± ¡®That¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡¯ Eurius shook his head here. ¡°For now, Parthia is just after a civil war, so it would be too much to join forces with the desert kingdoms and attack Kalihara right now.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor nodded as if he agreed. In fact, Parthia had suffered a lot of damage from the fierce battle with the Heimdal Order in the capital. It would be possible for Karim to recover quickly with his ability, but he still needed some time. And even if the other desert kingdoms followed Parthia¡¯s opinion, it would take time to coordinate them since there were three kingdoms in the alliance. ¡®And most importantly, now is not the time to attack Kalihara.¡¯ In fact, Eurius wanted to postpone the Kalihara expedition as much as possible. Kalihara was likely to be the main base of the Heimdal Order, and from what he had experienced in Parthia, he was not sure if he could subdue them with his current power, and even if he did, he would have to pay a huge price. ¡°We will postpone the Kalihara expedition for a while since you think so.¡± The meeting ended with that conclusion and Eurius was finally able to leave the pce with the emperor¡¯s consideration to rest. But Eurius had no time to rx. He had somewhere to go right after he finished his report. *** [Azure Dragon n Hall] ¡®I have no idea what he will ask me.¡¯ Eurius was led to a secret room in the Azure Dragon n Hall again with suspicion. The room already had Jegal Unhyeon, Jegal Geon, and Jegal Hwayoung waiting for him. ¡®He said it was a private promise, but why are all the leaders here?¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon still didn¡¯t show much emotion, but the other two were clearly tense. ¡°First of all, thank you foring here right away after such a long journey. You must be tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just as tired as you are.¡± Eurius replied casually. ¡°So what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Young friend, you are impatient. Sit down and listen first.¡± Jegal Unhyeon said calmly. ¡°My request is just to ask you a few questions.¡± ¡°Questions?¡± ¡°About your martial arts and inner power.¡± ¡®As expected!¡¯ Eurius bit his tongue inwardly. He had used the White Tiger martial arts openly and even absorbed their inner power. It would be strange if they didn¡¯t question him. But Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s question waspletely different from what Eurius expected. ¡°Have you ever heard of ¡®Four Gods¡¯ or ¡®Four Gods Conference¡¯?¡± ¡®Four Gods Conference?¡¯ Chapter 97: Azure Dragon Law Chapter 97: Azure Dragon Law Before Eurius and his party left the desert, there was a slightly heavy atmosphere in the residence of the Jegal n. ¡°It¡¯s as you said, Geon. I felt my inner power being absorbed by that young man who ims to be the first prince.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any hostility from him. What do you think, master?¡± Jegal Gun asked with a serious expression. ording to theirmon sense, this phenomenon was impossible unless they had learned the same inner power technique. But Eurius didn¡¯t seem to have learned any evil technique that forcibly absorbed inner power, and he even showed a rather clumsy skill in using his true energy. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± However, Jegal Unhyeon seemed to have some idea of what was going on. ¡°Come to think of it, you guys don¡¯t know much about the core secret of our n.¡± Jegal Hwayeong and Jegal Gun were the most prominent sessors in the literary and martial arts fields of the n, but they were still young. They were talented, but they were not yet the backbone of the n. But Jegal Unhyeon was not only the best martial artist of the n, but also a person who had a more important position than the n leader in some sense. He slowly began to tell them the secret of the n. ¡°You must have heard of the Four Gods Conference that happened fifty years ago.¡± *** [Help ¨C Four Gods Conference ¨C No information avable.] ¡®Look at this?¡¯ Eurius was browsing through the help menu with a look of concern. He wanted to get some information beforehand, as it seemed like a situation where he could make a mistake with one wrong word. ¡®I found it.¡¯ [Four Gods Body ¨C A body that can learn all four martial arts of the Four Gods. It is impossible for anyone who is not a yer to have this body, because their inner power attributes are different.] ¡®I don¡¯t know what the Four Gods Conference is, but I guess I know why Lee Cheongmun divided his legacy into four pieces.¡¯ The reason was that it was impossible for anyone who was not a yer to learn all four techniques. Then it was obvious why they asked him about that. But it was awkward because he had already revealed that he had learned Lee Cheongmun¡¯s martial arts, which meant that he had exposed his intention to collect the Four Gods techniques. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius looked at the three people again, but he couldn¡¯t see any other emotion than curiosity. ¡®Even if they find out the secret, they won¡¯t be hostile to me unless they are here.¡¯ Eurius bowed his head slightly with a solemn expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hiding the fact that I have a Four Gods Body.¡± ¡°As expected¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon sighed softly. As he expected, Eurius had a body that could learn all four techniques of the Four Gods. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no point in hiding it anymore, so I¡¯ll tell you my purpose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The three waited for Eurius¡¯ answer with tense expressions. ¡°My purpose is to collect the legacy of my ancestor, who was a yer! I got the White Tiger Protection Technique by chance along the way.¡± ¡°Can I hear more details?¡± Jegal Unhyeon asked with a serious expression. ¡°First of all, I got the legacy from a mountain range in the north. ording to thest note he left, I got the secret book from the corpse of someone named Baekwi.¡± ¡°What a pity¡­ He passed away in this faraway continent.¡± Jegal Unhyeon sighed as if he knew him personally. Eurius also told them everything else except for the fact that he was a yer: how he had a strong bloodline of a yer that allowed him to learn the legacy, why he contacted them first, etc. Then Jegal Hwayeong asked him a question. ¡°Then how did you figure out our n¡¯s situation in this faraway western continent? Is it also because of your bloodline as a yer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr, but not exactly. It¡¯s a secret of the imperial family, so I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t reveal it.¡± He couldn¡¯t say that he just guessed based on his previous life¡¯s knowledge. That would be too unbelievable. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I understand now.¡± The three people who heard all the truth(?) from Eurius became even more solemn and stood up. Swoosh ¡°¡­!?¡± When they all stood up, Eurius couldn¡¯t help but flinch for a moment. ¡®There¡¯s no killing intent or hostility, right?¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t true that one had to have killing intent to harm someone. There were also crazy people who swung their swords while smiling. Click. With Eurius tense in front of them, the three knelt down on one knee and bowed their heads. ¡°We greet you, our lord.¡± ¡°We greet you, the descendant of the yer!¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Eurius looked at them with a dumbfounded expression. ¡®Lord? What kind of nonsense is this?¡¯ Even Jegal Unhyeon, who had been talking to him casually even after knowing that he was the emperor, suddenly changed his attitude and spoke politely. ¡°First of all, let me tell you my identity. I am in charge of the Azure Dragon Law in the Jegal n.¡± ¡°Azure Dragon Law?¡± ¡°The Azure Dragon Law is a special position that represents the Four Gods Conference as one of the four martial arts schools, not the leader of the n.¡± ¡°What is the Four Gods Conference, by the way?¡± Eurius asked with a curious expression. It didn¡¯t seem to be part of the yer¡¯s knowledge, since it didn¡¯t appear in the help menu. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about the Four Gods Conference?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wondering about.¡± ¡°Then let me exin it to you.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Eurius cut off Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s words sharply. ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Unhyeon asked cautiously. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Eurius answered with a slightly annoyed expression. ¡°Can¡¯t you just talk to me like before? It¡¯s awkward when someone who was friendly with me suddenly changes their attitude just because they know I¡¯m the Lord of something!¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a moment of silence in the room. *** ¡°No, it¡¯s ufortable!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. As the descendant of the yer, you deserve respect ording to the distribution.¡± Now Eurius was more puzzled than annoyed. ¡®What are these Four Gods Body and descendant that make people change their attitude so much?¡¯ This was a question that he couldn¡¯t help but have, since he didn¡¯t know much about the eastern priestly rtions. Their argument, which had been going on for a while, ended when Eurius used hisst resort. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯m your superior, right? Shouldn¡¯t I give you an order?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon had nothing to say. He realized that it was unreasonable to expect Eurius, who was from another continent and didn¡¯t even get a proper exnation, to ept everything. A momentter. ¡°Hmm, hmm, if you insist, I¡¯ll listen to the secret of the four martial arts schools and then decide.¡± He cleared his throat and began to get to the point. ¡°First of all, the Four Gods Conference is an organization that was established to continue the legacy of the yer Lee Cheongmun, who founded the four martial arts schools two hundred years ago.¡± ording to his exnation, Lee Cheongmun passed on his martial arts to his four disciples and left these words: ¡°Someday, someone who can learn all four of my martial arts will appear in this world. If you find such a person, you must help him.¡± That was hisst words. Like other yers, Lee Cheongmun also disappearedpletely at some point. ¡°The leaders of the four martial arts schools interpreted it as a sign that Lee Cheongmun¡¯s sessor would appear someday. That¡¯s why they created the Four Gods Conference.¡± Originally, each of Lee Cheongmun¡¯s four legacies was so excellent that it was hard to find a match in the world even if one learned only one of them. In fact, Jegal Unhyeon, the best martial artist of the Jegal n, was also a peerless master in the eastern continent. But what if someone who could learn all four martial arts at the same time appeared? In other words, someone who had a [Four Gods Body]? He would be an absolute master who couldpare with Lee Cheongmun, who was the best martial artist in the world two hundred years ago! They decided to select the most talented person from each of their schools and assign them a special position called Law. They needed someone who could inherit all their martial arts in case their schools were destroyed. The Four Gods Conference also yed a role in mediating between the four martial arts schools and finding the sessor. For over two hundred years, the Four Gods Conference tried hard to find someone who could inherit Lee Cheongmun¡¯s martial arts, but they couldn¡¯t find anyone. ¡°Eventually, from the point when they waited for a hundred years, cracks began to appear in the Four Gods Conference.¡± ¡°Cracks?¡± ¡°First of all, the descendants of Hyunmu disappearedpletely. It was already over a hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®Then I won¡¯t be able to recover all of Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacies even if I go to the east.¡¯ Eurius frowned. He had a quest and he thought he could find them somehow if he went to the east, but how could he recover his legacy if it had been a hundred years? ¡°And as you know, an unknown force destroyed Baekho School and Jujak School also stopped sending people to the Four Gods Conference thirty years ago.¡± ¡°They¡¯re practically gone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s why we tested you by injecting true energy into you. Unless you have a Four Gods Body, injecting too much inner energy with different attributes will cause a collision.¡± ¡°What happens if there¡¯s a collision?¡± Jegal Unhyeon hesitated a bit here. ¡°Well, in the beginning, they tried to force true energy fusion, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°No matter how talented they were, they became disabled by the collision of true energy.¡± Eurius broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Wait! You were pouring inner power into me without hesitation. What if I didn¡¯t have a Four Gods Body?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s all in the past now. Anyway, you¡¯re someone we have to serve.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He looked at him with disbelief. Eurius felt that his initial guess was right. This guy was not normal either. But Jegal Unhyeon was not old for nothing. He noticed Eurius¡¯ mood and quickly took something out of his chest. It was a secret book that looked old-fashioned at first nce. This was the Azure Dragon Breath. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯ve proven yourself to be Lee Cheongmun¡¯s sessor, you have to learn the Azure Dragon Breath. I always carry the secret book with me as the Law!¡± Ding! [You have found a legacy of the yer.] [Found item: Azure Dragon Breath] He looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, trying to divert Eurius¡¯ attention. Jegal Unhyeon started to exin eagerly. ¡°You¡¯ve already achieved a considerable level of inner energy fusion, so if I help you well, you¡¯ll be able to master it quickly. So¡­¡± Eurius shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Learn.¡¯ [You have learned the Azure Dragon Breath.] [Your achievement increases.] [You have already absorbed the true energy of the Azure Dragon Breath. Your initial proficiency will increase ordingly.] [Your initial proficiency will increase depending on your current force aptitude and force rank. Azure Dragon Breath proficiency: 40%.] ¡®Is this how you use it?¡¯ As soon as he learned it through the system, he knew how to raise his true energy. When Eurius lightly raised his true energy of the Azure Dragon Breath, the people of the Jegal n widened their eyes. ¡°¡­!?¡± He didn¡¯t even open the secret book or get any guidance, but he had already mastered the technique to a considerable extent. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Jegal Unhyeon looked at him with astonishment. Eurius smiled and answered him. ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Chapter 98: Divine Sword Fusion Chapter 98: Divine Sword Fusion ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a relief that you mastered the Breath of the Azure Dragon so easily.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I have a special attribute technique.¡± Eurius, who had verbally hit Jegal Unhyeon, replied cheerfully to Jegal Hwayeong¡¯s words. It was such an unexpected situation that he had momentarily forgotten about it, but if the Jegal family was not just cooperating with him but actually joining under hismand, it was an enormous benefit. The people of the Jegal family were dumbfounded at first, but soon they started to understand it in their own way. ¡®Well, he might be a descendant of yer or something like that. He could see stats after all.¡¯ ¡®He might have figured out how my inner power moves when I infused him with my energy.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon nced at Eurius with admiration in his eyes and opened his mouth again. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that your achievement is so fast. Collecting the remaining martial arts is not something we can do right away. For now, it would be better for you to learn from me as a senior and master at least one of them perfectly.¡± The position of a senior in the Four Gods Conference was originally meant to guide the junior. But Jegal Unhyeon had some doubts as well. ¡®He could master the Breath of the Azure Dragon without seeing the secret manual. He must have a heavenly talent, but why is he so unbnced as a martial artist?¡¯ ¡°Do you have one more question for me? Can you answer it?¡± Eurius spoke to Jegal Unhyeon who was lost in thought. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I just remembered something. You said you felt your energy fusest time, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you ask me then? Why did you need time to think until you came to the capital?¡± That made sense. Didn¡¯t he say that there were even people who became disabled by the collision of energies? He should have known just by seeing his energy fuse. Why didn¡¯t he ask sooner? ¡®This is a bit awkward.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon showed a troubled expression for the first time. ¡°Is it a difficult question to answer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Just what?¡± He sighed and told him the truth. ¡°This might sound unpleasant to you, but honestly, your energy control was too poor even for someone who was inexperienced.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time Eurius was hit hard. He couldn¡¯t help but make a sour face. ¡°So in other words, you thought I was toocking to be a legendary figure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But seeing how you mastered the Breath of the Azure Dragon in one breath today, it doesn¡¯t seem like that anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius had nothing to say. He was not a genius by any means. But hearing someone say ¡®You look talentless!¡¯ directly was not a pleasant feeling. ¡®But I gained a lot, so I¡¯ll just train hard and make it work.¡¯ He was not so stupid as to deny his shorings. He rxed his expression as if he had noticed Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s words. ¡°I can fill in the gaps for you as a martial artist.¡± ¡°To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing. But I¡¯m grateful if you can teach me.¡± In fact, since he left the empire, Eurius had no proper master, and until recently, he had been stuck in a wall even when he trained. Normally, if he reached the level of a superhuman, he would not have to rush, but unfortunately he could not be satisfied with that. The enemies he had to face were too strong. The issue of honorifics was alsopromised by training. ¡°As long as you have something to teach me, I think it¡¯s fair to call you my master.¡± Jegal Unhyeon nodded reluctantly. ¡°Then I hope you don¡¯t me me for being respectful to you in publicter. This is something I can¡¯tpromise on either.¡± That¡¯s how the issue of honorifics was settled for now. *** The next day. The Azure Dragon Hall had a fairlyrge training hall underground, as it was a group made by the martial artists of the Jegal family. Eurius and Jegal Unhyeon were facing each other with their weapons drawn. It was their first sparring to test each other¡¯s skills, so Jegal Unhyeon spoke with a serious expression. ¡°First of all, I need to see your exact skill level. I¡¯ll give you three chances as a senior!¡± He was saying that he would just take three attacks from him as he was the teacher. ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as you don¡¯tinter.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Jegal Unhyeon slowly raised his spear and took his stance. Eurius knew at a nce that he was higher than him in terms of realm, but if he gave him three chances without attacking, he thought he could make him struggle a bit. Shh! ¡°!?¡± As he hid his presence with the Counterattack Ghost Technique, Jegal Unhyeon also momentarily widened his eyes. Eurius secretly attempted his first attack with the Invisible Sword. ng! Sparks flew as the de of the spear shed with the sword. Jegal Unhyeon spoke calmly. ¡°A peculiar attack. That¡¯s one.¡± It was his best move, but Jegal Unhyeon easily blocked it with the tip of his spear. Eurius had no choice but to make a bitter expression. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s hard to gain much advantage with the Invisible Sword against a superhuman who is among the top ranks.¡¯ From the second time on, Eurius gave it his all. His sword flew silently with tremendous force towards Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s neck. Bang! A loud noise erupted and the shockwave from their collision cracked the walls of the training hall. ¡°That¡¯s two. Your inner power is really amazing for your age.¡± He praised Eurius¡¯s inner power, which was his force output, for being higher than expected, but he defended it skillfully. Eurius couldn¡¯t help but be surprised inwardly. He had already mastered two of the secret techniques of Lee Cheongmun, albeit ipletely, and he had grown considerably stronger through constant training, but Jegal Unhyeon blocked his full-powered attack without much effort. ¡®It¡¯s all or nothing.¡¯ Shiiik! Eurius decided to unleash his full power for the third time. He aimed at Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s whole body with his terrifying explosive force. ¡°Hooh¡­¡± But it was useless again. No matter how fast, stealthy, and powerful his attack was, Jegal Unhyeon blocked it like a ghost. His Invisible Sword was something that even a superhuman could not sense properly, but Jegal Unhyeon somehow managed to deflect it with the most efficient movement just before it touched his body. Watching him, Eurius remembered an old memory with a question. ¡®Come to think of it, didn¡¯t the Count Carlos block my attack like this too?¡¯ ¡°This time it was a continuous attack, but I¡¯ll just count it as the third one. Then it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°!?¡± Eurius had to focus on defense right away. Dozens of shadows of spears wereing at him. ¡°Damn!¡± Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s attack was not simply stabbing in a straight line. Surprisingly, the trajectory of the spear twisted like a snake or bent in an unexpected direction. This was his fourth-stage secret technique, Space Distortion. It was harder to block than the Invisible Sword. The spear that aimed at his neck suddenly shot at his head and the shadow of the spear disappeared and then the tip of the spear popped out from under his feet. ng ng ng! Eurius raised his senses to the extreme and somehow fended off the attack, but anyone could see that he was absolutely inferior. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly. Being weaker was a problem, but there was something more important. ¡®He only attacks as much as I can defend. The gap is bigger than I thought.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon pushed him back while having some leeway. If he had attacked with the intention of killing him, Eurius would have been seriously injured. For about ten minutes, Eurius was busy defending himself and Jegal Unhyeon did not give any advice either. He just silently swung his spear. And at some point he stopped his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll end it here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon still looked calm and Eurius couldn¡¯t help but feel gloomy because he couldn¡¯t counterattack properly. Soon Jegal Unhyeon opened his mouth. ¡°I think I know your problem.¡± ¡°Problem?¡± Eurius looked puzzled. He thought it was just a difference in skill, but was there something wrong? ¡°Do you know about [Dominance]?¡± ¡°What is Dominance?¡± Eurius asked stupidly. It was a word he had never heard before. But Jegal Unhyeon looked at him strangely. ¡°That¡¯s weird? Even if you¡¯re from the Western Continent where there is no systematic training method, you should have mastered the basics by now.¡± Jegal Unhyeon saw Eurius as someone who had just reached the fourth stage as a chick. He looked like he had trained for a few years after bing a superhuman. ¡®Is it because he reached the realm at such a young age?¡¯ He tilted his head and started to exin. ¡°Dominance is the distance that a martial artist can perfectly control. Simply put, it¡¯s putting a certain space under your control.¡± ¡®Controlling space?¡¯ Eurius looked at the Yellow Dragon Sword. Come to think of it, the Emperor said that the next realm was domination. Was that rted to this Dominance? ¡°What does it mean to control space?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ From what I saw, the ability you gained from the fourth stage is the ability to hide your presence, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you wonder? How could I block your attack without any presence?¡± ¡°Did you block it with your senses?¡± ¡°If I had learned the martial arts of the White Tiger Association like you, I might have been able to. But unfortunately, I¡¯m not that good at sensing.¡± ¡°!?¡± Eurius was shocked. How could he block his Invisible Sword without sensing it? He was frustrated, but he kept listening. Then Jegal Unhyeon swung his spear a few more times. Dozens of shadows of spears covered about thirty meters around him. Crack crack crack! The stone floor cracked and dust flew as the shadows of spears passed by. After a while, there was nothing intact within thirty meters of Jegal Unhyeon except where Eurius was standing. ¡°This is the distance I can control as my range. Of course, I can block the enemy¡¯s attack at this distance too.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius finally understood the meaning of Dominance. ¡°You understand now. If you narrow down the distance of your Dominance, you can do more precise defense or attack.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t fully understand. I don¡¯t get this Sword-Spirit Fusion either.¡± ¡°Actually, this has nothing to do with inner power. It¡¯s just that your weapon naturally draws out energy ording to your will when you swing it hard enough.¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ How could an inanimate object like a spear have a will and draw out inner power? He was annoyed, but Eurius continued to listen. ¡°We call this Divine Spear Fusion. You use a sword, so it would be Divine Sword Fusion.¡± ¡®What the hell?¡¯ Eurius almost tore his hair out. ¡®Is there no way? If I were a yer, there must be some way¡­¡¯ [If you can¡¯t do it, why don¡¯t you practice with the Yellow Dragon?] ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Eurius remembered the Emperor¡¯s advice and drew out the Yellow Dragon Sword again. And he earnestly asked for help. ¡®Please give me some way.¡¯ [You¡¯re talentless, remember?] The Yellow Dragon Sword had rejected him at first because of this point. But listening to the Emperor¡¯s words, he hinted that there might be some way using this damn sword. Ding! [Quest ¨C The Trial of the Yellow Dragon has begun.] ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius felt that the sword in his hand suddenly became heavy. No, it wasn¡¯t that the sword became heavy. ¡®My force is gone?¡¯ The force that filled his body was gone. Therefore, the physical enhancement by force was released. No! ording to the system¡¯s exnation, it wasn¡¯t gone. [Stage 1 ¨C Your sense of force is sealed.] Chapter 99: Divine Sword Fusion Chapter 99: Divine Sword Fusion ¡®My senses are sealed?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s face showed a moment of panic. The force that had filled his body until a moment ago hadpletely disappeared. It was enough to make him scream in horror. ¡®Hey! This is ridiculous!¡¯ [¡­] There was no answer from the Yellow Dragon Sword. Eurius stared at the sword with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He could barely reply to Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s voice, as he was in a serious situation. He was a superhuman-level expert who had be a mere mortal with a healthy body due to a system message. ¡®I¡¯m going crazy. If I don¡¯t clear this quest quickly, my life could be in danger.¡¯ He had more than one or two enemies in the Order and even the Empire. No matter how strong his escort was, the reason why Eurius had been confident until now was because he trusted his own strength. ¡°How do I reach the Divine Spear Fusion or the Divine Sword Fusion?¡± ¡°As I said before, there is no definitive answer. Didn¡¯t I mention that it usually depends on the amount of training?¡± ¡°Even so, wouldn¡¯t there be some secret techniques in the prestigious martial arts families?¡± Eurius was anxious. If he didn¡¯t clear this damn quest given by the sword, there would be a huge setback in his future ns. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After pondering for a while, Jegal Unhyeon opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not so much a secret technique as an advice based on experience.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled. He was desperate to grab any straw he could. *** A few dayster. Buzzing. The knights of the Scharnos Knight Order looked at the Eles Pce with worried eyes. ¡°He hasn¡¯te out of the training hall for a week now.¡± ¡°Did he achieve some enlightenment? But it seems like too much time has passed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that he might hurt himself.¡± As they said, Eurius had locked himself in the training hall as soon as he returned from the capital, and he didn¡¯t let anyone in, saying that he was training. His week was nothing but training. ng! ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Euriusy sprawled on the floor of the training hall, soaked in sweat. The Yellow Dragon Sword also rolled around in a corner of the hall. In one corner of his vision, a number was disyed. [Stage 1 Proficiency: 0.0%] ¡®What are the clear conditions for this quest?¡¯ He didn¡¯t even have the energy to be frustrated and annoyed anymore. Eurius tried to recall what he had learned. ¡°In our world, it is said that one can enter the realm of Divine Spear Fusion when one masters the Harmony Divine Spear, which is a martial art that is passed down with the breath of the Azure Dragon.¡± If the White Tiger Martial Arts School had Baktoosul, which was a martial art of life and death, along with Hoshinki as their secret techniques, then the Jegal Family had a spear technique called Harmony Divine Spear. Of course, it was very rare for someone to master it as much as Ichungmun¡¯s martial art, and even Jegal Unhyeon, who was one of the top absolute experts in the East, was still at nine stars. ¡°Then does it mean that the proficiency of the sword technique or spear technique that I am learning is the problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your sword technique seems to be a very well-made sword technique of ascension, from what I can see.¡± ¡®Of course it is. It¡¯s the sword technique of the Emperor¡­¡¯ The knights of the Empire usually learned the Imperial Sword Style as their basic sword technique unless they learned martial arts from a prestigious martial arts family. ¡®But what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Shiiik! He couldn¡¯t draw out even a speck of force right now. His muscles were screaming from repeated training, but he tried to perform the movements of the Imperial Sword Style from the beginning anyway. ¡°Ugh!¡± But the result was the same as before. He dropped his sword while swinging it fiercely until halfway through and Eurius rolled on the floor. [Stage 1 Proficiency: 0.0%] He sighed as hey on the ground. ¡°How can I train if I can¡¯t even unfold thetter part of the sword style?¡± The Imperial Sword Style was not a basic sword technique for nothing. The Imperial Sword Style consisted of seven sword styles in total, and only three of them, which belonged to thetter part, were essible to the knights who joined the Imperial Guard, the elite of the Empire. And there was a good reason for that. ¡®Thest three sword styles require a certain level of force to connect the movements. It¡¯s impossible without it!¡¯ Eurius knew that fact better than anyone else, as he had trained in the Imperial Sword Style for thirty years in his previous life and ten years in this life. That¡¯s why no matter how much he practiced other movements, they would always break off in the middle. He thought that this was the only reason why his proficiency didn¡¯t increase at all. One, to clear the quest, he had to train the Imperial Sword Style more perfectly. Two, to unfold the Imperial Sword Style perfectly, he needed force. Three, he couldn¡¯t use force right now. Logically speaking, this was an absolutely impossible condition to clear. [¡­] But the sword didn¡¯t answer his question. He clenched his forehead. ¡®Fine, let¡¯s see who wins, you or me.¡¯ Eurius started to swing his sword, forgetting about corrosion. Anyway, what he was swinging was this damn sword. A day¡­ two days¡­ a week¡­ time kept flowing. He repeated his fruitless training for half a month. Of course, his proficiency didn¡¯t increase at all, but he had a different intention. ng! Crack! Bang! How could the sword be fine when he kept falling? The Yellow Dragon Sword, which rolled on the dusty floor of the training hall with him, finally began to react. [Stop it.] [You have no talent.] He kept swinging his sword silently, regardless. If he went out like this with his force sealed, he would be exposed to danger right away. ¡®All I can do is what I can do now.¡¯ Besides, he could also give this annoying sword a hard time. How desirable was that? ng! After falling so many times, he eventually learned how to throw his sword hard on the ground when his posture copsed. [You crazy bastard!] ¡®You¡¯re reacting well. That¡¯s good!¡¯ Eurius decided to focus on researching this technique(?). Two dayster. Tatatadak! ng! ¡°I did it!¡± He rolled on the floor with a bright smile. He finally managed to bounce his sword five times on the ground while falling! [¡­] Swoosh ¡®Huh?¡¯ At that moment, he felt his consciousness flying somewhere. What he saw in his eyes was a scene from somewhere else, just like when he saw the Yellow Dragon Pce. Eurius smiled inwardly. ¡®As expected, there was something when I squeezed the sword.¡¯ How could there be no hint for a quest given by the sword itself? From the beginning, his primary goal was to break the sword¡¯s stubbornness. ¡®There must be some decisive clue.¡¯ Eurius focused on observing the scene in front of his eyes. ¡®Is that really the first prince, or just a ruffian?¡¯ The scene he was watching looked very majestic on the surface. gs were fluttering everywhere, and knights in armor were lined up orderly. The identity of the knights was none other than the first Sharnos Knight Order. Of course, the Emperor who stood in front of them also exuded an extraordinary aura, but the problem was what he said. ¡°Ha! I can understand if you¡¯re not a yer! But how can you not master it when the system gives you proficiency?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Eurius, who was watching, couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. But what could he do if it didn¡¯t work even after practicing? ¡°Watch carefully! This is thest time.¡± After spitting out such rude words, the Emperor slowly moved his sword. As Eurius expected, it was the Imperial Sword Style. ¡®His movements are so smooth that they can¡¯t bepared to mine.¡¯ He might look like a ruffian, but he was a legendary hero after all. The Emperor demonstrated each movement slowly, and his sword was much smoother and sometimes more refreshing than Eurius¡¯s. ¡®I¡¯ve learned one thing that Ick.¡¯ Eurius was also a martial artist who could be counted among the top ten in the continent, even though there were many monsters around him. He realized his first problem by watching the Emperor¡¯s demonstration. ¡®It¡¯s not important to unfold each sword style urately. They have to be connected smoothly as if they were one movement.¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like a big problem. He had already seen the most ideal movements, so he could achieve it with effort regardless of talent. ¡®But the most important thing is next!¡¯ His eyes were already looking at the Emperor who was unfolding thetter part of the sword style. How would the Emperor unfold thest three styles without force? ¡°Did you see it? Now disperse!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Snap! His consciousness returned to the training hall, and Eurius had to stand there stupidly for a while. After a while, he picked up his sword and shouted. ¡°Hey, even if you¡¯re a great guy, isn¡¯t that too much for your lord?¡± As expected, the Emperor used force for thest three styles, even though he unfolded them with an ideal posture. [Stupid.] Swoosh ¡°¡­¡± Eurius prepared to throw his sword again. This time, he nned to challenge six times. [Wait!] ¡°What?¡± [I never said don¡¯t use it.] ¡°¡­!?¡± [That¡¯s it. No more.] ¡®Can I use force? But how?¡¯ Eurius was puzzled, but he also nodded his head. In fact, those three sword styles were so difficult that they couldn¡¯t be performed with human strength alone, no matter how hard they tried. Therefore, they needed to enhance their body with force. ¡®That¡¯s right. I was wrong from the start.¡¯ He had assumed that he couldn¡¯t use force at all. But the system message said that his senses were sealed, not that his force was gone. As his connection between sword styles became smoother, he unconsciously drew out force and linked it with thest three styles that he had been familiar with. ¡®So this is what he meant by realizing it while swinging a weapon!¡¯ And he also realized why this training existed as a quest. If one relied on the system, one would grow faster than one could control their force finely with their output and quantity. It was like pouring liquor into a small ss too quickly and spilling it over. All this time, Eurius had been wasting his force by solving hisck of control with his output and quantity that depended on the system. As a result, he ended up bing an unbnced martial artist who only had a lot of inner force, as Jegal Unhyeon said. ¡®I¡¯ve grown another step!¡¯ Only now did Eurius realize that he had entered the threshold of bing a true expert. Perhaps his enemies who he would have to fight in the future had already surpassed this realm. A weekter ¡°Hooh¡­ You want me to check your skills?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gained some insight this time.¡± Jegal Unhyeon looked puzzled. He had only checked Eurius¡¯s skills a month ago. How much could he grow in such a short period of time? Besides, Eurius added this. ¡°Unlikest time, don¡¯t hold back and attack me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± But Eurius¡¯s expression was not a joke. He held his spear and advised him in a serious tone. ¡°You¡¯d better be careful this time.¡± The two of them stood still with their weapons drawn, facing each other. And after a little time passed, Eurius felt that Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s spear shook slightly. ¡°¡­!?¡± At that moment, the shadow of the spear that reached the sky fell on Eurius like a shower. ¡°Ah!¡± Jegal Hwayeong, who was the weakest martial artist among the people in the hall, couldn¡¯t even see when Jegal Unhyeon moved his spear. ng! Surprisingly, the sound of the explosion came after the shadow of the spear touched Eurius. The speed of the spear was much faster than the speed of sound reaching his ears. The floor of the sturdy training hall was shattered mercilessly by the aftermath of the force from the spear. ¡°Isn¡¯t uncle being too harsh on his lord, even if he¡¯s a great martial artist?¡± ng! Eurius blocked the spear with his sword and counterattacked. The sound of metal shing echoed in the hall. [Proficiency increases. Stage 1 Proficiency 50%] ¡®Yes, I can¡¯t feel it, but it¡¯s not gone!¡¯ He had finally awakened his force. ¡°Lord must have something in mind.¡± Jegal Geon and Jegal Hwayeong widened their eyes and watched the situation in the training hall. The dust that rose from the shattered floor cleared up, and Eurius¡¯s figure, who had been exposed to the fierce attack, was revealed. ¡°Huh¡­ I congratte you on your achievement. It¡¯s truly amazing.¡± A sincere admiration came out of Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s mouth. Surprisingly, Eurius was not injured at all, except for being covered in dust. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being ruthless, but why did you have to aim for the floor? I need to wash up first.¡± He grumbled with his mouth, but Eurius also had a smile on his lips. He was able to withstand Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s sincere attack without any wounds. ¡®It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t counterattack.¡¯ But that would be solved by time. He still had a long way to go to be stronger. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Jegal Unhyeon stopped Eurius, who was about to leave the training hall covered in dust. And then he bowed his head and assumed a posture of respect. ¡°I pay my respects to your lordship¡¯s achievement.¡± ¡°We pay our respects!¡± Jegal Hwayeong and Jegal Geon quickly followed suit. It was a courtesy that they showed as the Azure Dragon Martial Artists of the Four Gods Conference. And it was also the first sincere greeting that he gave to Eurius, who had a keen eye for martial artists. He had many suspicious points, but he acknowledged his talent as genuine. Of course, Eurius could see that clearly. ¡®I¡¯m not a real genius, so I¡¯m a bit sorry¡­ But I¡¯m close enough, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ [You have cleared the quest ¨C Yellow Dragon¡¯s Trial Stage 1.] [Your achievement increases.] [A trait ¨C Divine Sword Fusion (A rank) is created.] Chapter 100: The Difference In Merit Rank Chapter 100: The Difference In Merit Rank Shiiik! Dozens of sharp sword lights flew towards Eurius, threatening to turn him into a beehive in an instant! Chachachang! But they were all barely blocked just before they touched his body. ¡°Lize! That was unlike you to be so hasty. No matter how confident you are in your speed, it is better to mix appropriate feints than to stab multiple times in a fight with a master.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your advice.¡± Eurius¡¯s daily life was unchanged. He handled the affairs of the northern region through the Azure Dragon Hall and helped the training of the squad leader-level knights during the day. Today was his turn to guide Beatrice. ¡°You have worked hard today.¡± ¡°So have you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Lately, Beatrice sometimes looked at him with a curious expression after the training. ¡°It seems like you have something to ask me. Is there any problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel like the gap has widenedtely.¡± She blushed slightly. Her expression didn¡¯t change much, but how did Eurius know that? She was bothered by it. [Beatrice Dios] Current state: Embarrassment, Anxiety, Curiosity ¡®Embarrassment? That¡¯s a bit surprising. Was she that kind of person?¡¯ But anxiety is a hindrance to growth for a warrior. Eurius began to give her serious advice. ¡°Lize, I was lucky and you are still growing steadily. Impatience is the biggest enemy for a warrior.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have worried you. My apologies.¡± ¡°No, well, I¡¯m not scolding you or anything¡­¡­.¡± She bowed her head slightly as Eurius scratched his head. But she also had a reason for being anxious. She felt that his momentum had changed somehow after he locked himself in the training ground for almost a month, iming that he was training. ¡®He blocked it too easily just now, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ It was an attack that she was proud of and she expected it to be blocked, but the important thing was that Eurius seemed to barely block it, but in her judgment, he had already seen where the sword would fly before the attack approached. She had felt this sense before. ¡®That¡¯s right! It¡¯s like when I sparred with my father.¡¯ Then did Eurius already reach a simr level to Duke Dios, one of the three strongest people on the continent, at that age? [Beatrice Dios] Current state: Admiration ¡®I think I¡¯ve caused another unnecessary misunderstanding.¡¯ But Eurius, who noticed that, was very embarrassed. It was true that his level had improved significantly after creating the Sword Fusion, but he still had a lot of shoringspared to those whopeted for the first finger on the continent. Eurius had been nning to strengthen the knight order along with recruiting Segal n as his subordinate. H e just couldn¡¯t do it because he was busy with personal training. ¡°Your highness, it¡¯s time to leave.¡± ¡°Is it already?¡± His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of an attendant from the pce. Today was a very important day. It was the day when the 3rd Army Corps returned after finishing the western front and received theirmendation. ¡®Today is the start of the real n!¡¯ *** ¡°We will now begin themendation ceremony for the 3rd Army Corps!¡± The loud voice of the announcer echoed throughout the hall. On both sides of the hall were nobles and bureaucrats lined up, and in the center were the members of the 3rd Army Corps who were receiving theirmendation. The first person in line was none other than Count Perez and Devan. The second line consisted of other staff members and key figures of the 3rd Army Corps. And at the very end of the line was¡­ Whisper whisper. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Count Perez was such an outstanding person. He surpassed Prince Leonhardt and achieved great merit.¡± ¡°I heard it was thanks to thatmoner next to him. Finding talent is also a skill. He caught the eye of His highness, so he might do better than expected.¡± ¡°By the way, sending Prince Leonhardt was Grand Duke decision, but hepletely misjudged it. Maybe it¡¯s time to change sides.¡± ¡°Shh! Be quiet. Do you know how sharp Grand Duke ears are?¡± Leonhardt cursed inwardly without showing it. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He didn¡¯t hear it clearly, but he knew what kind of talk was going on among the nobles. His stomach was boiling with anger. He had always been praised as a genius since he was born, and when had he ever received such treatment? ¡®Those bastards who said they would assassinate my brother are nowhere to be seen, and the merit goes to some randommoner. This is the worst.¡¯ [Leonhardt von Scharnos] Current state: Anger, Inferiority ¡®Tsk! It¡¯s not even worth it. That cold-faced bastard also has such emotions.¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue as he watched Leonhardt. In fact, it was the opposite in his previous life. He was the ipetent brother who envied his younger brother who always achieved merit. ¡®Sorry as your brother, but you¡¯ll have to suffer a little more. I still have a lot to get from you.¡¯ With Eurius¡¯s thoughts behind him, themendation ceremony finally began. ¡°First, we will start with the first-ss merit award. Count Perez, themander of the 3rd Army Corps,e forward.¡± The emperor looked at Perez with a stern expression. The emperor¡¯s eye for talent was quite urate. But the Perez he saw was not a brilliantmander who could achieve such a great merit. ¡®Indeed, Eurius that bastard is a troublemaker. I didn¡¯t expect this result.¡¯ ¡°Count Perez, you are themander who led this war to victory. I raise your rank to Duke and grant you the southern region of Brussels as your territory!¡± ¡°Long live Your Majesty.¡± Perez smiled so hard that his mouth almost tore. It was a dream that he could hardly dream of to raise his rank. And he was given a fairlyrge territory when he had no decent territory. ¡°Next, the one who will receive the first-ss merit award is Devin, the intermediate staff of the 3rd Army Corps. Come forward.¡± Devan walked forward cautiously, his legs trembling slightly. When had he ever entered such a grand hall as amoner? And the emperor, who had a dignified appearance even as a ve, looked at him with a stern gaze, making him nervous. On the other hand, the emperor was interested in him. ¡®Is he really such an outstanding talent as Eurius said?¡¯ He heard that his strategy was decisive in winning the western front quickly. The emperor softened his expression. ¡°Are you DevAn?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right.¡± He answered hastily to the emperor, who smiled and continued. ¡°I have heard of your achievements. The empire has always upheld the legacy of the great king and favored talent regardless of status since its founding. I am grateful that you chose the empire as such an excellent talent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth it. Long live Your Majesty.¡± Devan replied with a trembling voice to the emperor, who gave him an unprecedented reward. ¡°Devan, the staff officer of the Third Army, is granted the title of Viscount and appointed as the deputymander of the Third Army!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°A title for amoner? And a deputymander of an army at that?¡± The nobles in the hall were all shocked. It was an unprecedented meteoric rise, even if his merit was great. Devan was also too surprised to close his mouth. He quickly bowed his head. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± After that, the awarding of the second-ss merit was held, but it was overshadowed by the first-ss merit and ended quickly. But the problem was the third-ss merit. ¡°The third-ss merit goes to His Highness Leonhardt von Scharnos, the Second Prince. Pleasee forward.¡± The Emperor looked at Leonhardt with a slightly sympathetic gaze. He was his son after all, wasn¡¯t he? ¡®To be honest, this brat Leon has a great talent, but the problem is his brother. He¡¯s too outstanding.¡¯ The third-ss merit was just a constion prize for Leonhardt, who was a prince. He had barely achieved any merit in a situation where the enemy¡¯s main force was already crushed. ¡°Hm! Hm! I heard you didn¡¯t have much chance to show your merit because you rushed from the southern front. But it¡¯smendable that you achieved this much merit before you even became an adult.¡± The Emperor consoled Leonhardt. It wasn¡¯t a lie either. ¡°No, Your Majesty. I received more praise than I deserved for my merit.¡± Leonhardt answered with a smile, but his heart was burning with anger and inferiority. ¡®Yeah! If it wasn¡¯t for the next order, maybe it would be.¡¯ He had another reason to be furious and frustrated besides losing the first-ss merit. It was the next non-military award. ¡°That concludes the non-military award for the western front.¡± And then the announcer took a breath and brought up the next agenda. ¡°Now we will begin the non-military award for the southern delegation.¡± That¡¯s right! This time Eurius went as a delegate to the south and seeded in forming an alliance while being injured. He should have been rewarded right away, but he asked to postpone it. ¡°The Third Army from the western front will return soon. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to do it together then?¡± Leonhardt knew very well why he deliberately chose this order. Leonhardt, who barely got the third-ss merit after running from the south to the west! And right after him, Eurius, who came back with a great merit as a delegate! They were bound to bepared, and it would only make Eurius¡¯s position more solid. In fact, there were already rumors among the nobles. ¡°Isn¡¯t it almost decided who will be the crown prince? Even if he¡¯s His Highness brother, how can he change this situation?¡± ¡°He¡¯s merciless to do this order on purpose. Well, I guess he wants to crush any potential seeds of discord just in case¡­¡± The Emperor looked at Eurius with a stern expression. He didn¡¯t really want to step on his second son Leonhardt, but he had no choice. Eurius wasn¡¯t someone who would kill his brother for no reason. ¡®But I can¡¯t help it. Eurius has to execute the n we made together.¡¯ *** About a week before the non-military award, the Emperor and Eurius had a secret meeting. ¡°What¡¯s this about? Why do you want to meet me alone?¡± The Emperor asked with curiosity. He was also interested. Eurius¡¯s unexpected actions usually brought good results for the Emperor¡¯s faction, didn¡¯t they? He wondered where Eurius was going next. ¡®What kind of trouble(?) is he going to cause this time?¡¯ Eurius answered quietly but confidently. ¡°I think it¡¯s time topletely get rid of Grand Duke Faction.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Chapter 101: Preparing oneself Chapter 101: Preparing oneself Chapter 101: Preparing oneself The emperor quicklyposed his expression after a brief moment of surprise. ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems that you are not joking.¡± He looked at Eurius with a serious expression. To expel the grans duke meant to cut off the duke¡¯s territory and all the forces that followed him from the empire. ¡°Are you confident?¡± His eyes were burning with a youthful vigor. But there were many things to consider before that. ¡°It is true that the duke still has many forces that he can mobilize.¡± ¡°Indeed. But it is something that we have to do sooner orter. I want to hear why you suddenly changed your mind after opposing itst time.¡± To expel the grand duke, they had to ept a significant loss anyway. Thanks to Eurius¡¯s achievements, many of the nobles in the south were wavering and the connection with the desert kingdom was cut off. But even considering that, the duke¡¯s territory was a fertilend with almost the size of a kingdom. The number of soldiers and knights was not inferior to his. ¡°That is because I have prepared enough power to restrain the grand duke.¡± ¡°Enough power?¡± The emperor frowned. Of course, the empire¡¯s power was stronger than one duke. But Eurius meant something different. ¡°I have enough power to hold back the grand duke with my own strength.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± The emperor let out a sarcasticugh. What did that mean? And did he say restrain? Did he not intend to start a war? Eurius slowly began to exin. ¡°Of course, we will have to subjugate the grand duke¡¯s soldiers by war in the end. But before that, we have to weaken his main forces to minimize the damage.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said before? Do you think he will suffer more here?¡± ¡°That is not what I mean. I n to provoke him first from our side. Then he will have no choice but to respond as a grans duke.¡± ¡°You are twisting your words too much. Tell me your real n.¡± Eurius finally revealed his main point. ¡°Actually, I have a favor to ask you at this merit award ceremony.¡± ¡°A favor? Do you want the crown prince position now?¡± It was not a difficult thing anymore. The grand duke¡¯s power was greatly reduced and if they nned to expel him anyway, they did not need to care about the nobles¡¯ opinions. *** Eurius¡¯s merit award ceremony was actually a tricky matter. The reason was the problem of what he would receive. ¡°Is there anything more that His Highness First Prince can receive now?¡± ¡°If there is, it would be the crown prince position, but isn¡¯t that already promised after His Highness Second Prince¡¯sing-of-age ceremony?¡± ¡°But it is not a very important promise either. Even if His Highness First Prince has achieved such great merits, it is not like he can get anything he wants?¡± Of course, the emperor¡¯s first question was about appointing him as the crown prince. ¡°I would like to postpone that for a little longer as we agreedst time.¡± ¡®Phew¡­ One less worry.¡¯ The nobles sighed in relief. They did not think that Leonhardt would be the crown prince now, but they did not need to strengthen Eurius¡¯s foundation from now on either. ¡°Then do you have anything else you want?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± How could he say he did not want anything after achieving such great merits? Eurius smiled inwardly. In fact, he had already obtained everything he wanted in the south. As the nobles worried, the only thing he really needed was the crown prince position. ¡®But that is not toote even after Ipletely expel the grand duke!¡¯ His eyes swept over the hall once. Among the nobles who showed curious expressions, there was only one person who calmly observed the situation. It was the grand duke. ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, the eyes of the emperor, the grand duke, and Eurius crossed. In fact, the duke wanted to eliminate Eurius and he did not care much whether he became the crown prince or not. ¡®He does not seem to have any intention of leaving for a while, does he?¡¯ That alone ruined his n of confronting Eurius directly when he left next time. ¡®And sending the third army to the south is also a move to restrain me.¡¯ It was about sending Perez to the south. Uf an armymander received a territory in the south, naturally his troops would move there too. It was a kind of personnel transfer. Of course, it was not without reason. After the capital terror in Calihara, there was a need to reinforce the troops in the south where the war clouds were looming. But the Grand duke thought differently. ¡®Does he want to mess with me in my front yard?¡¯ The problem was that the territory that Perez would receive, the Brussels region, was adjacent to the direct territory that he ruled. In other words, it was like cing Eurius¡¯s power right next to the duke¡¯s base. It was obviously a tant provocation from Eurius. The grand duke nced at Eurius. He gave him a wink with a smiling expression. ¡®Don¡¯t you want to get rid of me and my power? It is a golden opportunity, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®You are too arrogant after a few minor victories. Perez? Devan? Do you think you can restrain me with these guys?¡¯ The merit award ceremony ended as a fire was lit on the invisible fuse. Eurius decided to expel the grans duke for good after receiving a report from his double agent, Wace. He had visited the duke a while ago and reported to Eurius with a nervous expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the duke didn¡¯t me me much.¡± ¡®He must have something up his sleeve. Well, he is not the type to sit and take it.¡¯ Eurius guessed that the duke was nning to do something anyway. He didn¡¯t know if it was a civil war or a scheme against him, but he thought it would be better to take the initiative by attacking first rather than waiting. ¡®And I have enough power to do that!¡¯ The first people he had to meet were Devan and Perez, who had returned from the western front. ¡°Count! No, you are a marquis now. Congrattions on your achievement. I was right to choose you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Your Highness. Haha¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m d I made the right choice too.¡¯ Perez realized that it was the best decision of his life to side with Eurius at the merit award ceremony. His merit was great, but it was not enough to receive such a reward. ¡®It must be because His Highness helped me.¡¯ Devan also bowed his head with a touched expression to Eurius. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Your Highness. I don¡¯t know how to thank you enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of your talent. I only gave you a little opportunity.¡± Eurius smiled brightly and patted Devan¡¯s back. Then he casually brought up a topic as if he remembered something. ¡°By the way, have you decided on your family name? You are amoner, so you don¡¯t have a surname, right?¡± ¡°Actually, I was a bit worried about that.¡± Devan scratched his head awkwardly. It was an unexpected problem to choose his own surname. But Eurius offered him a surprising suggestion with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s good. If you don¡¯t mind, can I give you a name?¡± It was quite shocking that a royal, especially someone like Eurius who was likely to be the next emperor, would personally name a family. ¡°How can I deserve that?¡± ¡°No, I think you deserve it more than enough.¡± He cut off Devan¡¯s modesty and continued with a serious expression. ¡°The name I will give you is¡­¡± *** A whileter. ¡°¡­¡± Devan looked at the direction where Eurius had left and pondered for a while. ¡°What are you thinking so hard about?¡± Perez, who still looked happy, tapped Devan¡¯s back. ¡°Oh! The armymander is here and I was rude¡­¡± ¡°You are also a noble with a title and a deputy armymander now. You don¡¯t have to be so formal.¡± He cut off Devan¡¯s words and showed him a friendly smile. ¡°Then I hope we get along well. Deputy armymander Viscount Devan Calios !¡± ¡°Haha¡­ That title is still embarrassing.¡± Devan was truly shy. It was because of what Eurius had said when he gave him that surname. ¡°This name is not well known now, but it was the name of a legendary strategist who shook the whole continent.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ept such a name!¡± ¡°I believe that you will be such a person soon.¡± Eurius confidently gave him the surname ¡®Calios¡¯ as if he had seen his past life. ¡®Because that is your future!¡¯ In fact, when he saw Devan at the academy, he was doubtful, but now he was sure. Eurius recalled the yer¡¯s proverb that said that those who were destined would seed anywhere and nodded his head repeatedly. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a waste of time to find him at the academy!¡¯ Devan also muttered to himself. ¡°A genius strategist and Devan Calios¡­¡± ¡°We have to lead the army and depart for the south soon. We have to keep our promise to His Highness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to hurry up and prepare for departure.¡± He left with Perez, but he kept thinking about what Eurius had said for a long time. But if there was someone who trusted him so much when he was nothing until recently, wouldn¡¯t it be worth risking his life? Especially when that person was the most noble person in the world. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can ever repay His Highness¡¯s kindness. But I will try my best to live up to this name!¡¯ A new determination rose in Devan¡¯s eyes as he made this vow. *** Eurius was not idle either after the merit award ceremony ended. He had to check his power that he had umted so far and aim for a sure victory. ¡®First of all, Devan should be able to do more than his share in Brussels.¡¯ He asked the third army to block the south of the duke¡¯s territorypletely. It would be hard for him to be restrained in his front yard, but he wouldn¡¯t be easily pushed back either. And hisst move would start tonight. ¡®He¡¯s here!¡¯ Jegal Gun came to him with a polite expression and reported. ¡°My lord, the people you asked me to bring have arrived.¡± ¡°Good job. They are quite rough guys, did they cause any trouble?¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± He looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°There were some shes with the master. But they said they would settle it by fightingter.¡± Eurius chuckled. ¡°Well, they are both peculiar personalities, so they might get along better after a fight. That¡¯s why I called them.¡± As soon as he entered the Azure Dragon Hall at midnight, Eurius heard a familiar voice. The conversation was taking ce in a secret room, but he could hear it with his sharp senses. But the content was very harsh. ¡°You seem to be impatient. Why don¡¯t you follow your predecessor¡¯s example and be more courteous?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing about my predecessor, my predecessor, but I¡¯m just the one who inherited his legacy, not his rtion.¡± The owner of the growling voice was showing hostility to Jegal Unhyun. ¡°Then why did youe all the way here?¡± ¡°For the sake of friendship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s vague. You should respect the person who should be your master as a friend.¡± ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me since earlier? Let¡¯s fight here and now.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± ¡®Oh no!¡¯ He felt a fierce sh of energy in the secret room and rushed in without hesitation. It was troublesome to fight in this situation. Bang! As he jumped in, a loud noise erupted from the secret room. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The two people who were arguing in the secret room both looked at Eurius. He had barely stopped their collision by jumping in at the right moment. ¡®Why are all the people who have connections with yers so difficult?¡¯ He grumbled inwardly, but outwardly he smiled and greeted one of them warmly. ¡°Long time no see!¡± Chapter 102: The Reason for the Call Chapter 102: The Reason for the Call A young man with a rough tone of voice. Nuada greeted him with a friendly expression. ¡°Friend! Long time no see.¡± ¡°Nuada. I see you¡¯ve settled the matters in the north, since you answered my request.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have nothing left to do, but how could I refuse a friend¡¯s favor? And there¡¯s also someone here who can match me¡­¡± He grinned and looked at Jegal Unhyeon, who was his target. The person who received his gaze also smiled slyly and provoked Nuada. ¡°I admit your youthful spirit, but as I said before, you should show some respect to your senior. It will be better for you in the future.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to knock me down first?¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s settle our personal grudgester. Jegal Unhyeon, you should act your age too!¡± Eurius shook his head and intervened again. They both had strongpetitive spirits, so he couldn¡¯t get to the main point if they kept bickering like this. ¡°If you say so, my lord.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold back for now, for the sake of my friend.¡± They seemed ready to sh again at any moment, but they surprisingly obeyed Eurius¡¯s words. Nuada owed him a great favor, and Jegal Unhyeon was here as his subordinate today, as his polite speech indicated. After calming down the situation, Eurius opened his mouth again. ¡°You must already know the reason from Jegal¡¯s family, and did they tell you why I called you here, Nuada?¡± Nuada scratched his head. ¡°Something about the owner of the martial arts I acquired turned out to be your subordinate? I don¡¯t know much about the rest of theplicated story.¡± ¡°Typical of you. Well, I don¡¯t intend to force you to obey me as a friend anyway.¡± Eurius smiled faintly, but Jegal Unhyeon looked a bit displeased. ¡®He¡¯s supposed to be the leader of the White Tiger Hall, but he¡¯s like that¡­¡¯ That was why he deliberately picked a fight with Nuada. He knew that Nuada was a talented warrior, but he couldn¡¯t ept his attitude towards Eurius. ¡°But I¡¯m going to revive the White Tiger n here for now.¡± ¡°Sasinjihoe?¡± ¡°An excellent choice, my lord.¡± Nuada looked puzzled, while the people from Jegal¡¯s family nodded with anticipation. ¡°As you know, White Tiger Hall is connected to the north and Nuada took it over, so we can say that it has inherited its legacy.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly like a mudoon in the eastern continent, but White Tiger Hall was practically revived by Eurius. Weren¡¯t Nuada¡¯s tribe¡¯s warriors learning Baekho Hosinki? ¡°But I¡¯m going to change its form a bit. This is the western continent, and White Tiger Hall is practically severed here, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There is Jeonin as long as he is here, so it¡¯s hard to say that it¡¯spletely severed even in the western continent¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s dissatisfaction was exactly that. In hismon sense, even if it was the western continent, Jeonin was Jeonin! Nuada should have served Eurius as his lord. But Eurius chuckled here. ¡°That¡¯s why you allowed him to speak casually in private, right? This is an order, so don¡¯t bring it up again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon became speechless. It was a subtle revenge on his part. ¡®Do you have anything to say about manners when your first impression was like that?¡¯ He had anticipated that there would be a problem with honorifics when he heard Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s nder about Sasinjihoe. What if he had made Nuada his subordinatepletely? It was awkward to do that now, and anyway, if he moved his base to the western continent, he had to adjust to them somewhat. ¡®If youe to my empire, you have to follow myws!¡¯ It was a famous saying of the emperor that was only passed down in the imperial family. He needed to sort out his power firmly here. How could he unite them when they had different values and continents? ¡®And I don¡¯t think I have to worry too much.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon was peculiar in his personality, but surprisingly a typical warrior who would never disobey his words. Nuada was also a born fighter who had a simple value system. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, my lord, we have no choice but to follow.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re practically brothers, aren¡¯t we? You can think of it as something simr.¡± As he expected, the two agreed readily. But even then, sparks flew when their eyes met. ¡®I have to sort out the hierarchy clearly. No matter how talented he is, he¡¯s a young punk with no manners¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s an easy opponent, but I have to try it first to find out!¡¯ Eurius watched them with a sneer and finally moved on to the real point. ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll tell you why I temporarily revived the White Tiger n.¡± Jegal Hwayeong, who was sitting on a chair, opened his mouth with sparkling eyes. ¡°Excuse me, but is that rted to the Great Emperor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our true goal is to collect the legacy, but there are too many factors that hinder it right now!¡± Eurius exined that he had to go to the eastern continent for the problems rted to the cult, or Magyo, and for collecting the legacy. But how could he go there when Grand Duke was sharpening his knife behind him? ¡°So I¡¯m going to get rid of Grand Duke first and then head to the east.¡± Jegal Unhyeon raised a question here. ¡°My lord, I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Grand Duke is one of the top-notch experts in this continent. But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s too much for your status and our power.¡± Eurius was the emperor of the empire. And there were three superhumans here! And Jegal Unhyeon couldn¡¯tpare him exactly, but judging by his age and position in the eastern continent, his skill wouldn¡¯t be much inferior. He had gathered such a level of power, so why didn¡¯t he attack Grand Duke right away? But Eurius shook his head. ¡°It would be if you onlypare the power. But Grand Duke is one of the most prestigious people in this continent.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s one of the three great warriors of the western continent¡­ Is that so important?¡± ¡°He¡¯s practically the face of all imperial knights. It¡¯s a pity that his character doesn¡¯t match, but his skill and reputation are unmatched.¡± Eurius began to exin slowly. Why did his father, who was called the Iron-blooded Emperor, fail to eliminate the Duke even though he knew of his treachery? *** After the era of the yers, the Scharnos Empire maintained a feudal system on the surface, but in reality, the Emperor¡¯s authority was extremely strong. He had themand of the Imperial Guard and the powerful central army. No matter how high-ranking a noble was, the scale of their private soldiers was strictly limited. And since most of the outstanding knights came from the Knight Academy in the capital, the power was concentrated in the Emperor¡¯s hands. But there was one exception: the Wilhelm Ducal House. This prestigious martial family,monly known as the Sword n, had a vast territory that was almost equivalent to a kingdom. They also enjoyed the privilege of tax exemption. ¡°It was practically a kingdom¡­ No, if you consider the southern forces that sided with the Duke, you should think of it as more than that.¡± ¡°But even if he was an excellent warrior, why did he get such privileges?¡± ¡®That¡¯s one of the reasons why I have to catch the Duke!¡¯ Eurius opened his mouth again with a stiff expression. ¡°That¡¯s because the first Wilhelm Duke was not a yer, but a very talented knight who was the only disciple personally taught by His Majesty. His merit was highly valued and His Majesty granted him such special favors.¡± Just like Beatrice¡¯s family, the three great martial families of the continent were all rted to yers in some way. ¡®There¡¯s a high chance that I¡¯ll find something rted to yers¡¯ legacy if I investigate the Duke. And it¡¯s likely to be directly connected to His Majesty.¡¯ But this was a secondary issue. Eurius had already obtained His Majesty¡¯s legacy from the royal report. ¡°And the most important thing is legitimacy!¡± Eurius had decisive evidence that the Duke had a rebellious heart through Wace. But if he could have branded him as a traitor with one person¡¯s testimony, the Emperor would have cut off his head long ago. ¡°What about his knightly forces? Even if there are some losses, if we secretly join forces with this side, we might be able to eliminate that bastard.¡± Eurius corrected him as well. ¡°We¡¯re not dealing with just one superhuman. And his knights are not easy to deal with.¡± The Golden Lion Knights had suffered a lot of damage recently, but the Duke¡¯s family had many excellent knights under them as a martial family. They were a formidable force whenbined. ¡°And Patrick Marquis, who is guarding the southern front and is also a superhuman, will probably side with the Duke unless something happens. He¡¯s almost like his disciple!¡± ¡°It would be hard to eliminate them for sure even if we step in with two fourth-stage warriors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s difficult to get rid of him for sure unless we iste him so that no one can side with him.¡± Eurius also exined about the Duke¡¯s soldiers. On the surface, they were known to be much smaller than the central army, but ording to the Emperor¡¯s investigation, they had trained a considerable number of troops separately. And if you add the soldiers of the southern nobles who followed him, although they were shakytely, they would probably form a huge army that was bigger than any ordinary kingdom. The Emperor wondered why Eurius said he was ready to catch the Duke when even he couldn¡¯t do it easily if he intervened personally. ¡°It¡¯s true that in a small-scale skirmish, it might not matter, but war is not something that can be decided by one or two strong people.¡± The Jegal family was also good at military affairs enough to enter that field. Everyone nodded at Eurius¡¯ exnation. ¡°So are you going to fight him head-on? Or avoid him? It sounds like you don¡¯t want to wage war. Why did you call us here? What¡¯s your reason?¡± Finally, Nuada asked bluntly. Why did Eurius dere the revival of Sasinjihoi while emphasizing the risk of war? ¡°¡­¡± After hesitating for a moment, Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°The reason I called you separately is to ask you to prepare for a counterattack.¡± ¡°A counterattack?¡± Everyone in the hall tilted their heads. The current situation was that they couldn¡¯t attack first because they were worried about damage, but overall, this side had a significant advantage. But he said that the Duke would attack first? Eurius smiled meaningfully. ¡°Soon enough, the Duke will try to pick a fight with us.¡± And he finished his sentence with full confidence. ¡°That will be our golden opportunity to strike him down!¡± Chapter 103: Conditions for Enhancement Chapter 103: Conditions for Enhancement Chapter 103 > Conditions for Enhancement The southern part of the Western Continent was mostly a barren desert. However, the southeastern part was rtively better off. There were quite a fewnds with oases or other water sources, which allowed cities to be built and kingdoms to be established. Therefore, the three kingdoms of the south, Parthia, Amon, and Kentra, did not differ much from the image of a kingdom that the continent generally had. But the southwestern desert was a different story. Thisnd was much harsher than the east, and it was not suitable for forming a proper city, let alone a nation. But strangely enough, there were many nomadic tribes living in this deste wastnd. They said that this ce was their sanctuary and that no foreigner should ever enter thisnd. The Kingdom of Calihara was a kingdom in name only, but it was more like a coalition of these nomadic tribes. Some of them were so aggressive that they were like bandits, and they were one of the biggest headaches for the empire on the southern front. The empire tried various methods to appease them. [If we establish diplomatic rtions and stop raiding, wouldn¡¯t that be better?] They answered like this. [We do not negotiate with heretics.] It was absurd. They would suffer a lot if they came all the way to the border and raided. So they tried another proposal. [Then how about we give you free aid and you stop raiding?] The answer to that was even more outrageous. [Taking from the heretics is our rightful duty.] After that, the empire basically treated them as lunatics who could not be dealt with and tried tounchrge-scale campaigns against them, but what was the point of stationing troops in that worthless desert? The reason why they offered aid in the first ce was because it was more profitable than sending troops. And even though the tribes were scattered most of the time, they would unite like ghosts when war broke out and wage guerri warfare, so Kalihara remained a thorn in the side of the empire. In an underground temple in Kalihara, a peculiar meeting was taking ce. ¡°¡­¡± A faint light shed in the eyes of a bronze snake carved intricately. ¡°Are you all here this time?¡± It was a thick male voice. The voice came from the bronze statue. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be the case?¡± The answer came from another bronze snake. This time it was a somewhatnguid female voice. ¡°Then are there only five of us this time?¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯re slow on news. You still say that after seeing that?¡± Pssst. There were six bronze snakes on disy, but one of them had a crack and slowly crumbled down. ¡°Isn¡¯t that old Ismail?¡± ¡°Tsk! A man who became an archbishop¡­¡± Four snakes were talking. When one of them grumbled with a frivolous voice, the thick voice retorted. ¡°He might have faced a formidable opponent.¡± His opinion was cautious, but the other¡¯s answer was sarcastic. ¡°Oh, really? Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you fail once in the imperial capital?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Are you picking a fight?¡± The other sneered at him, and the thick voice became somewhat angry. ¡°If you¡¯re just going to bicker, why don¡¯t you just leave?¡± The female voice seemed to have no interest in the content at all. As the atmosphere in the room became tense, finally thest voice intervened. ¡°How about we stop this? This is not why we gathered.¡± Thest voice was dignified and gentle unlike the others. But surprisingly, all of them agreed with that voice. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a joke since it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The gentle voice spoke again. ¡°Losing one of our branches, including an archbishop who was not good atbat but good at external activities, is a big loss.¡± ¡°I think so too. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s just a minion, but Ismail, that old bastard, shouldn¡¯t have died so vainly.¡± The thick male voice agreed, and the frivolous male voice started to grumble again. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s no contact from those two guys in the east even in this situation? Did they forget about our organization while ying boss over there?¡± ¡°They have their own heavy duties over there. Let¡¯s just discuss among ourselves here for now.¡± ¡°Where did that old man lose contact? Was it Parthia?¡± ¡°Not only that. The main force of our branch was almost annihted. It¡¯s practically cut off.¡± At this point, the frivolous voice expressed doubt. ¡°But who could they target to cause such a thing?¡± It was unimaginable for them that anyone on this continent could cause such a thing as wiping out an entire branch including an archbishop. ¡°I sent the information beforehand, didn¡¯t you receive it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with my own stuff, you know.¡± The thick voice whined, but the frivolous voice just smirked. ¡°The First Prince of the Empire.¡± The female voice answered briefly. The frivolous voice finally nodded. ¡°Ah! The famous prince of the continent these days?¡± ¡°Have you met him?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t, but he¡¯s been making quite a name for himself in this industrytely. I wanted to meet him once.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take care of that side then, if you¡¯re interested in him?¡± The gentle voice suggested. ¡°Hmm¡­ The thing is¡± ¡°That¡¯s an interesting story. Do you mind if I join in?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As the frivolous voice was about to answer, a new voice cut in. A light came on in one of the bronze statues that had been off. The voice was that of an old person, heavy and somewhat elegant. ¡°Huh? Weren¡¯t you too busy with the eastern affairs to contact us?¡± ¡°I had something to tell you over here too. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± The frivolous voice asked, and the heavy voice lowered his tone and answered seriously. ¡°ording to my investigation, it seems to be not unrted to the topic we are talking about now.¡± ¡­ ¡°So I have something to ask you for the counterattack.¡± After Eurius dered his counterattack yesterday, he called two people separately and had a conversation with them. ¡°It¡¯s not right for you to ask us, my lord. Just give us your orders.¡± ¡°It must be something important if you call me too. What is it?¡± They were Jegal Geon and Jegal Unhyeon. The two looked at Eurius with curiosity. Eurius grumbled a bit here. ¡°Actually, I would have told you yesterday if you hadn¡¯t quarreled with Nuada.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ We¡¯re going to work together from now on, so it¡¯s better to clear up any old grudges, right, my lord!¡± ¡®You¡¯re good at using your position at times like this.¡¯ He shook his head helplessly at Jegal Unhyeon and started to bring up the topic. ¡°It¡¯s about strengthening our forces here!¡± ¡°Um¡­ When you say strengthening our forces¡­¡± Jegal Geon quickly realized what it meant, as he had worked with him for quite a long time. ¡°You mean the Scharnos Knights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They might not seem like much to you, but they are the face of the knighthood in the Western Continent.¡± The role of the knights was quite important in Eurius¡¯s n for a counterattack. And to be honest, he was worried that his personal forces were too unbncedpared to other ces. ¡®Jegal Seo is a given, and Nuada has almost unified the north, so he must have plenty of excellent warriors under him. But the knights still have a lot to improve, except for a few squad leaders.¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t overlook that point. But if he could grow outstanding knights overnight, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it, would he? ¡°So I wanted to consult with you. Don¡¯t you have some kind of attribute technique in the Eastern martial arts?¡± Jegal Geon opened his mouth with a troubled expression. ¡°The achievement of a martial artist dependsrgely on one¡¯s own temperament and talent in the Eastern Continent. And objectively speaking, your knights are already quite decent.¡± ¡°What I want is a bit higher than that.¡± When they heard Eurius¡¯s condition, Jegal Geon looked even more troubled. ¡°Do you mean you want to fill most of the knights with experts above the peak level? Frankly, I think that¡¯s impossible.¡± In the Eastern Continent, the peak level meant the same as the master level of knights in the Western Continent. But wanting to fill more than half of the hundred or so knights with master level experts was unthinkable. Even in the Eastern Continent, there were only a few factions that had such a level of single group, such as the Imperial Pce and the Demon Sect. Eurius shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you have to raise them to that level right now. But isn¡¯t there any way to increase their power in a short time?¡± Then an unexpected suggestion came in. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll have to see their faces first. As Geon said, individual talent is an important factor, so¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, joined in with a smirk. In fact, the martial artists of the Eastern Continent looked down on those of the Western Continent. That was because their training methods were more systematic and better for producing high-level experts. But in the end, to be a true strong one, one¡¯s innate talent yed a big role. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you personally picked those knights?¡± ¡®No, I didn¡¯t pick them because they had outstanding talent, but because they were willing to work hard¡­ Maybe talent difference is something that can¡¯t be ignored.¡¯ He wanted to warn him not to be disappointed in advance, but he soon changed his mind. Anyway, his advice would be helpful no matter how it turned out. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re the best expert here, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could take a look.¡± The next day. ¡°All Scharnos Knights have assembled.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Eurius answered lightly to Heinz¡¯s report and opened his mouth. ¡°It may sound out of the blue, but I¡¯m going to conduct a little test for all of you today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± The knights were puzzled by Eurius¡¯s exnation. They looked at Jegal Unhyeon who was standing behind Eurius with suspicious eyes. ¡°Do you want us to fight that Easterner? I¡¯ve heard that there are many great martial artists in the Eastern Continent.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s start with the ordinary knights. There are too many of them to have one-on-one duels.¡± Eurius thought for a moment and made a somewhat sorry suggestion. ¡°The ordinary knights will form groups of five and duel at once. And the squad leaders will pair up and do it. And those who I call separately will be allowed to have one-on-one duels.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Even if it was Eurius¡¯smand, this proposal was quite humiliating for them as knights. But they couldn¡¯tin to him who was an emperor. Their resentment was directed at Jegal Unhyeon who was smiling smugly. ¡®Let¡¯s see how good you are that His highness has to say such things!¡¯ ¡°Are you ready? You cane anytime!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the knights who rushed in eagerly to fall apart. Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Huk!¡± The first group of knights felt their bodies floating in the air as soon as they charged. ng! Theynded on the ground miserably and heard Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s voice. ¡°Your coordination is poor? But aren¡¯t you supposed to be trained together as knights?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The veins on their foreheads bulged. It was a perfect provocation. But no matter how angry they were, it didn¡¯t change the oue. In the end, the first group was beaten up until they couldn¡¯t move and heard Eurius¡¯s voice. ¡°Stop! Let¡¯s switch to the next group.¡± Jegal Unhyeon was honestly disappointed at first when he faced the first few groups. ¡®They¡¯re supposed to be the ones His highness picked, but their talent is too mediocre?¡¯ But as the test progressed, his expression changed a little. He thought it would be over soon, but they were surprisingly persistent. ¡°You all have great perseverance. But unfortunately, that¡¯s not enough!¡± He taunted them, but the knights didn¡¯t get angry anymore. They just silently fell down and got up again to form a line. ¡®I¡¯llnd at least one hit on him!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not a bottomless pit of stamina either!¡¯ That was their goal after seeing their previousrades fall down helplessly. It took a whole day for all the knights to finish the test. ¡­ ¡°How was the result?¡± ¡°It was great. I realized that your eye for people is extraordinary. To be an expert above the peak level, one needs talent, but also persistence and effort, and they all have that.¡± Jegal Unhyeon started with a good word in response to Eurius¡¯s question. But his next words made Eurius unable to hide his disappointment. ¡°But to be honest, there¡¯s hardly anyone among them who can reach the peak level in a short time.¡± ¡®That¡¯s natural, since I chose them for their hard work rather than their talent¡­ Talent difference is something that can¡¯t be ignored.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon noticed his disappointed look and smiled slightly. ¡°But if you want to increase their power quickly, there¡¯s something I can help you with in this world.¡± ¡°Is there such a way?¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled as he asked him. As the yer said, it would be fine if he could get to the same destination by another route. Jegal Unhyeon spoke with a slightly serious tone this time. ¡°Actually, this is also a difficult way in a short time. But seeing their perseverance, I think there¡¯s a possibility.¡± Chapter 104: New information Chapter 104: New information [Your Majesty Eurius, how have you been? I wanted to visit you in the capital often, but I have been busy with a lot of worktely. I haven¡¯t seen your face even once since winter began. By the way, I am very pleased that you have shown interest in the internal affairs besides the external activities for the past few months. I always told you that what the emperor needs is not only military power but¡­(omitted)¡­] Eurius quickly skimmed through the letter. He skipped the nagging parts coolly! He had exchanged letters regrly, but he knew exactly what he would say after hearing the same thing for decades, including his previous life. Eurius turned the letter over and grumbled inwardly. ¡®Back then, I thought he nagged a lot because I was so ipetent, but now I see that this is just a habit, right?¡¯ He chuckled. As he turned a few pages of the letter, he finally got to the main point. First of all, it was about the progress of the northern development. [As you said, the exchange with the immigrants is going well. The development situation is also fast. They are a bit cautious, but I think we will be able to build a trade route that leads to the mountains soon.] ¡®Cooperation with Nuada is going well. After all, I never broke my promise!¡¯ He nodded his head as he read the letter. ¡®Uh?¡¯ [By the time this letter reaches you, I will be preparing to go to the capital. It seems that you have something important to ask this old man after a long time. Then I will tell you properly when I see you. -Marius-] ¡®Father called him to the capital?¡¯ It was not strange to call Marius, who was originally the emperor¡¯s reliable right arm, to the capital. But the northern development was busy and Eurius was also helping with the state affairs quite well, so there was no big problem even if he didn¡¯t call him. In fact,pared to theplicated power struggle in the capital, the northern development had a lot of issues to deal with but less things to worry about. For someone like Marius who specialized in administration, it was almost like giving him a vacation. ¡®What could Father need him for¡­?¡¯ It was definitely not a political problem. The aristocratic faction had been greatly weakened recently and the grand duke did not take any noticeable actions either. ¡®He informed me in advance by letter, which means it¡¯s not irrelevant to me either. What on earth is it?¡¯ *** At that time, Marius was really preparing to leave from the north. He called a young man with a neat impression and said goodbye. ¡°You can handle all the work without me. This business in the capital seems to take quite a long time. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stillcking a lot. Thank you for trusting me and leaving it to me.¡± ¡°Thank His highness Eurius instead of me. If it weren¡¯t for his consideration, no matter how good your ability was, they wouldn¡¯t have used you so much as a foreigner.¡± ¡°I hope to thank him someday. For now, please convey my gratitude instead of me.¡± ¡°Tsk! Are you making this old man work for you?¡± He said grumpily, but Marius smiled warmly. The person he was handing over his work to was Bryan. He showed amazing ability and rose from a low-level official to a manager he could trust in no time. ¡®Eurius really has an excellent eye. I knew he was a talented young man, but I didn¡¯t expect him to rise so fast.¡¯ Marius originally wanted him to start from the bottom and climb up slowly even if he came in with a rmendation. He was so stubborn that he didn¡¯t want topromise on that point. But Eurius seemed to have a different idea. ¡°Isn¡¯t it right to give him more opportunities if you think he¡¯s excellent? He looks like a pretty good talent to me.¡± ¡°If Your highness says so, I will give him more chances to show his achievements.¡± And Bryan did all those things better than Marius expected. He was young and quick-witted and decisively good at handling work. Marius had been thinking of making him his sessor from the beginning when he saw Bryan¡¯s talent. With his outstanding achievements added, they became close enough to joke with each other like this. ¡°By the way! Speaking of which, a frozen corpse was found in front of the office today.¡± Marius frowned. It was not umon for poor people to freeze to death in the city in winter, but the location was the problem. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the third time this winter? Why did they die in front of the office, not in the back alleys of the city?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Actually, I came to see you before you left because I had something to tell you about this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bryan lowered his voice a little. ¡°I think these series of incidents are not coincidental.¡± *** ¡®First prince, does he have no intention of leaving the capital at all?¡¯ It had been three months since the non-aggression treaty. The grand duke rarely attended the meeting with a slightly anxious mood. He had been waiting for a chance to strike for the past three months, so he stayed in the capital without returning to his territory. ¡®Have the shadows wait near the capital.¡¯ Ever since he decided to entrust Eurius to himself, the Grand Duke had nned to use radical means to strike at the Emperor¡¯s faction. He had ordered all the remaining shadows to stand by near the capital, ready to target Eurius at any time. But Eurius did not even go out, using the excuse of learning state affairs to stay in the capital. Of course, the Grand Duke did not take it seriously at first. ¡®There are many ways to deal with the First Prince without directly attacking him.¡¯ The first way was assassination. ¡®First, I just have to eliminate some of the Emperor¡¯s faction¡¯s forces in the north.¡¯ He secretly hired assassins and sent them to the north. Of course, they were not careless enough to leave their guard down, being part of the Emperor¡¯s faction. But even if they failed, he thought that it would be enough to shake Eurius or the Emperor. ¡°I received a message that all the assassins sent to the north have lost contact.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As I said. They disappeared like ghosts.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± The Grand Duke was more puzzled than angry. The ce he had entrusted the assassination was not a shoddy one. He did not expect them to eliminate high-ranking officials like Marius, but he should have heard some news of incidents or idents in the north. But not only did they lose contact, but the north was also said to be peaceful. ¡®How on earth are they managing that vast north?¡¯ The Grand Duke¡¯s worries deepened. The more time he wasted, the more his loyal nobles would waver and Eurius¡¯s position would strengthen. ¡®I have to break the momentum of the Emperor¡¯s faction somehow. If this goes on, the worst situation might happen.¡¯ *** Meanwhile, Eurius was visiting the Azure Dragon Hall again. There was someone who greeted him warmly as he opened the door and entered. ¡°My lord, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°How is the training of the knights going?¡± ¡°So far, so good. If this continues, they will reach a level where they can use it in realbat in a few months.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Especially, some of the young ones have amazing talents. I feel like I¡¯ve broadened my horizons too.¡± Jegal Unhyeon sincerely admired them. In fact, even with his eyesight as one of the best warriors in the Eastern Continent, most of the Western Continent knights looked somewhat crude. Didn¡¯t Eurius also go through a lot of trials to earn his recognition? But after his duel with Nuada, Jegal Unhyeon became interested in the Western Continent¡¯s warriors. They had been bickering since they first met, but they eventually shed in the underground training hall of the Azure Dragon Hall. ¡®I thought he wouldn¡¯t get hurt too much since I told him beforehand and there¡¯s a level difference.¡¯ The result was as expected by Eurius. ¡°Damn¡­ I admit defeat.¡± ¡°Call me senior from now on. We¡¯re in the same position anyway, but I¡¯m older than you, so there must be some hierarchy, right?¡± ¡°I understand. But I¡¯ll definitely get my revengeter!¡± ¡°Hehe, suit yourself.¡± Nuada was very frustrated by his second defeat in his life after losing to Eurius, and Jegal Unhyeon answered leisurely, but he was quite surprised inside. ¡®Huh¡­ He¡¯s just over thirty and he achieved that much. Maybe I should revise my prejudice against the Western Continent.¡¯ Nuada was not a bad guy in terms of talent and fighting sense either, but Eurius had restored his White Tiger Protection Technique and started learning it earnestly not long ago. And crucially, Jegal Unhyeon had learned martial arts from the same Four Great Martial Sects, but he overwhelmed Nuada in terms of skillpletion and sophistication. In other words, it was a natural result considering the training time, but it was rather amazing that Nuada could keep up with him at his age. ¡®My lord is a legendary Death God Body, so I can understand that, but his talent is really unexpected. He might catch up soon.¡¯ He finished his brief reminiscence and Eurius asked him with a smile. ¡°Who are you talking about when you say some young ones?¡± ¡°The young soldier and the slightly cheeky one.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon had only one body and there were more than a hundred knights, so even with the help of other experts from different sects, only three knights had the chance to receive personal training from him besides group training. Eurius looked slightly disappointed and asked again. ¡°You don¡¯t like Sir Heinz as much as them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that hecks anything. I just meant his potential for growth ording to his age.¡± ¡°That makes sense if you look at talent alone. But he doesn¡¯t lose to anyone in terms of effort.¡± ¡°I know that too. It¡¯s just an honest assessment, not a favoritism or anything, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Beatrice, Kains, and Heinz were the three who passed the strict test and received Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s personal guidance. Among them, Beatrice and Kains had such talents that even Jegal Unhyeon was amazed. ¡°In fact, they are the ones who only need time. If they devote themselves to training, they don¡¯t need a teacher at all. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°After training him, I noticed a few things that bothered me, but I think I should tell youter.¡± Eurius quickly sensed the intention behind this vague answer. ¡°So you have some new information from the Hyunwoljeon, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually why Hwayoung asked to meet with you, my lord.¡± A momentter, Eurius was having a private conversation with Jegal Hwayoung. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you, my lord.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sangdanju. You asked for me, so I assume you have some urgent news?¡± His status was such that they rarely called him directly for information, unless it was by letter. [Jegal Hwayoung] Current state: nervous, agitated ¡®It must be quite a serious matter. I¡¯ve hardly seen her so rattled before.¡¯ Eurius first checked Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s state and listened to her story with a cautious expression. ¡°The first thing I have to report is that there were assassination attempts on several emperor faction members in the north.¡± This was expected. It had been three months since the Tournament, and there was no way that Grand Duke would stay still. It would have been more suspicious if he had been quiet. ¡°You did well to prevent any casualties. I haven¡¯t heard any news of damage from their side.¡± However, her nervous state did not ease even under his praise. Eurius became more curious. ¡®Did they make a mistake somewhere?¡¯ Along with his question, she continued to speak. ¡°But as I investigated the route of the assassination, I found some new information.¡± ¡°New information?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She hesitated for a moment, then said with a serious face. ¡°My lord, have you ever heard of an organization called [Illuminati]?¡± ¡°Illuminati?¡± Chapter 105: The Illuminatis Veiled Shadows Chapter 105: The Illuminati''s Veiled Shadows Eurius was momentarily surprised, but soon smirked. ¡®What did I say?¡¯ The information that Jegal Hwayoung brought was the name of an organization that he knew from his previous life. It might seem like a big deal to them at this point, but it was not something that he, who had been an emperor, would not know. ¡°You know them? Did you have any conflict with them?¡± ¡°Your highness, you already knew about them?¡± Eurius tapped his head with his hand. ¡°Think about my identity. It¡¯s not something that anyone knows, but I¡¯m sure I know better than you guys who came from the far eastern continent.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Jegal Hwayoung nodded with wide eyes. It was convenient for her that Eurius already knew, since she could skip the detailed exnation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just tell you the result and leave out the details.¡± But he shook his head. There were some things that he was curious about. ¡®I remember they were not that impressive, but their attitude bothers me.¡¯ ¡°First, tell me what you investigated about the Illuminati. I need to check if you did it properly.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll start with that.¡± Jegal Hwayoung opened her mouth again with a cautious expression. ¡°Our saga had been wondering since we decided to migrate to the western continent if there was any information organization here that could rival our saga.¡± Jegal Saga was a group of intelligence force, but they mainly dealt with trade and information. Trade was fine, but information was tricky if there werepetitors. Eurius asked again with interest. ¡°Are you talking about the information guild? From what I know, they are notparable to Current Moon War.¡± ¡°Of course, we did not see the information guild as our rival.¡± There was a hint of pride in her eyes for her saga. There was also an information guild in this continent that bought and sold information. But to get high-quality information, they needed proper connections and skills. The reason why Current Moon War contacted Eurius in the first ce was to make connections. ¡°With your Majesty¡¯s help, we were able to see and hear most of what happened in the north through Azure Dragon Guild.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± But despite Eurius¡¯s praise, her expression was serious. The problem was from now on. ¡°But after we established our base in the north and advanced to the south, things were not easy there.¡± ¡°Is that rted to the Illuminati?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The north was almost an unexplorednd before the road construction. That¡¯s why Jegal Saga had an easy time settling there. But the central and southern parts of the empire were the heart of the continent with hundreds of years of history. They had to be careful when they reached out. ¡°As we expected, it was not easy to expand our influence after we entered the south.¡± ¡°The south is the old territory of the nobles, so it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°But we were still making progress. But the western continent was not as easy as we thought.¡± Jegal Hwayoung made a bitter face and got to the point. ¡°As we investigated, we found out that there was a group that had been dominating the dark side of information, trade, and assassination for a long time in the western continent. That¡¯s when we learned about the Illuminati.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius uttered nonsense without realizing it. ¡®What nonsense is this?¡¯ The Illuminati he knew from his previous life had a grand background, but they were not such a terrifying (?) group. ¡°Did you investigate something wrong?¡± ¡°No, just keep talking.¡± Jegal Hwayoung looked at Eurius with a puzzled expression for a moment and then continued. ¡°The Illuminati is not a single group. It seemed like there were at least two or three secret forces that cooperated or sometimes shed with each other.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°This is the main point, but it seems that one of the forces belonging to the Illuminati carried out the assassination of the imperial faction officials this time.¡± Eurius looked puzzled. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it grand duke doing?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly who hired them because their identity protection is very thorough. But you remember that you exterminated the assassination group of Magyo before?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡± ¡°The level of the assassins this time was not something that we couldn¡¯t handle at Current Moon War, but they deployed quite an elite. But except for Magyo, there is no other group that would do such a thing.¡± Jegal Hwayoung finished her statement firmly and then asked Eurius a question. ¡°Your Majesty, have you ever heard of [ck Market]?¡± It was an unfamiliar group to Eurius. He had no idea, and it would not help to pretend to know here. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know much about them.¡± ¡°ck Market is one of the secret groups belonging to the Illuminati. They control the ck market of the continent.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ck market?¡± ¡°They deal with all kinds of goods. But the most important thing is that they deal with ¡®people¡¯.¡± Eurius frowned. He realized what that meant. ¡°You mean ves. I heard that there were secret transactions going on, but I didn¡¯t know there were crazy bastards who made a business out of it.¡± The ve system in this continent waspletely abolished after the yer¡¯s era. But he heard that there were secret trades in the dark ces like Kali Hara that the empire could not reach. They seemed to be the culprits. ¡°Dealing with people does not only mean ves.¡± Eurius caught on right away. ¡°So the ce that sent the assassins was also the ck Market? Grand Duke must have paid them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They may have the name of a market, but they are likely to be arge force with their own power.¡± Eurius realized that there were many differences from his previous life¡¯s memory. ¡®In this case, it¡¯s more likely that I didn¡¯t know than that it changed.¡¯ Many thoughts crossed his mind. And finally, he asked. ¡°You said that the Illuminati was a coalition of several groups, but did you hear about any other ces besides the ck Market?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems like you need to give me more time. I haven¡¯t learned much about them yet¡­¡± With that, Jegal Hwayoung cautiously asked another question. ¡°By the way, how much do you know about the Illuminati, my lord? If you tell me, it might help me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather secretive matter, so I can¡¯t reveal it right now. But I¡¯ll tell you what I know soon enough.¡± Eurius cut off his words sharply, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit stung inside. ¡®The Illuminati I know and the Illuminati that Jegal Se has investigated are too different.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t give a definitive answer until that question was resolved. It was another problem for Eurius to worry about. But surprisingly, the answer was solved in a ce he never expected. *** ¡°First Prince, His Majesty the Emperor calls for you.¡± ¡°His Majesty?¡± ¡®It must be about the matter I asked him.¡¯ Eurius immediately headed to the imperial pce. This time, too, it was a meeting with the emperor alone. ¡°Hehe¡­ I heard you¡¯ve been busy with training the knightstely. Did you achieve anything?¡± ¡°Thanks to your concern, it¡¯s going well.¡± After a few words, the emperor said with a smile, but with a serious meaning. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared to make the ¡®justification¡¯ you mentioned.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Eurius bowed deeply to the emperor. Unfortunately, it was not possible to overthrow the archduke with his own power alone. ¡®He has too much influence in the empire to just push him away with force.¡¯ He recalled the conversation he had with the emperor three months ago. *** ¡°I know your ability is outstanding. But it¡¯s impossible to get rid of that archduke bastard realistically.¡± Simply using him of treason or rebellion was enough. But usations and evidence could be fabricated or overturned. Unfortunately, there were many people who trusted the archduke more than the emperor. That¡¯s why the emperor had said he would even risk a civil war. ¡°But what if there is evidence that everyone can ept?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Something that makes the archduke do something that clearly proves his treason in front of everyone.¡± The emperor tilted his head. ¡°Unless that bastard suddenly pulls out a sword and attacks me in the capital, that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Of course he won¡¯t do that, but something simr.¡± ¡°Are you not going to tell me the details of your n again?¡± The emperor grumbled at Eurius¡¯s smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the day of action is near.¡± ¡®I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a bit difficult to tell you right now.¡¯ To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to use this method if possible, but he thought the emperor would ept it. Eurius began to tell him what he wanted him to do. ¡°First of all, what I want you to do is¡­¡± *** ¡°But I¡¯m not the one who can tell you that.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius was a bit flustered. Wasn¡¯t this a secret between him and the emperor? ¡°You cane in now.¡± But when he saw who came in, Eurius smiled. ¡°Marius, long time no see.¡± ¡°Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor.¡± Marius bowed to the emperor first and then smiled at his wrinkled mouth. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve been busytely.¡± ¡°I guess this was why you came up here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, Marius was a trustworthy and reliable person as the emperor¡¯s right-hand man. But Eurius couldn¡¯t help wondering. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he very busy with developing the north?¡¯ He also seemed irrelevant to what he had asked for. The emperor spoke as if he didn¡¯t notice his mind. ¡°In fact, I called you today because there is an important handover.¡± ¡°What kind of handover are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor continued with a heavy tone. ¡°This secret is something that you can never hear unless you be an emperor. But in your case, if you get rid of the grand duke this time, it¡¯s practically no different from having no enemies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Eurius knew that if only the archduke was gone, he could be appointed as crown prince right away. ¡°So I¡¯m going to give you a bit early, but I¡¯m going to hand over themand of one of the secret organizations under the imperial emperor.¡± ¡®Ah.¡¯ Then Eurius realized what the emperor was going to give him. And the emperor¡¯s words were as he expected. ¡°Do you know anything about [Oculus]?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much.¡± He actually knew, but how could he say yes here? Eurius pretended to be confused. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Oculus is one of the secret organizations under the imperial emperor¡¯s secret organization, the Illuminati.¡± This was something that Eurius knew because he was the emperor in his previous life. He had doubts about the Illuminati when he heard Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s report because it was very different from what he knew. The Illuminati was a term used to refer to three secret organizations that the imperial emperor had. The information organization [Oculus] that could be called the head. [dius], which was in charge of force. And finally, [lesia], which had almost no records left but was rted to the Holy Kingdom. The emperor exined these organizations and said regretfully. ¡°But by the time I came to power, all of them except Oculus had disappeared when I received the handover from the previous generation.¡± ¡®They were all gone when I got them.¡¯ Eurius sneered inwardly. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but when he took the throne, Oculus and everything else were gone and he had no organization to control. But now he knew why. ¡°So Marius is the leader of Oculus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but yes.¡± He did not have a proper session because he banished Marius, who only spoke the truth, as soon as he became the emperor in his previous life. The emperor handed him a document with a faint smile through Marius. ¡°This is the information you requested about the cooperation forces of the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Wonderful!¡± Eurius eximed in admiration. It was much more detailed than the information he received through Jegalsega. It was not because they werecking in skill, but because high-level information usually came from above. It was inevitable that their information was more detailed, as they had been watching over the continent for over a hundred years as the eyes of the emperor. ¡®If Ibine Jegalsega¡¯s current moon war and their information, I can get more detailed information.¡¯ The current moon war was strong in military power, and Oculus had a vast amount of umted information. They couldplement each other¡¯s weaknesses, as Jegalsega had not yet established a deep root in the western continent. Eurius was happy, but he had two questions. The first was that the imperial power was stronger than expected. ¡®No matter how much I banished Marius, how could an organization with this much information power disappear all of a sudden?¡¯ In fact, Eurius did not think much of Illuminati or Oculus. He may have been called ipetent even after he ascended to the throne in his previous life, but judging from the fact that they disappeared without a single report in an instant, he thought they were just namesake organizations at this point. ¡®But Father and others are too heavy for the name of Illuminati?¡¯ After all, the emperor was a person who had been called iron-blooded when he was young. He could chalk it up to his inability to handle what he gave him, but he had a hard time guessing the reason for his second question. ¡®Then what are those ck market guys?¡¯ Was this Illuminati the same as that Illuminati? It was aplicated question that even confused him. But he had no time to be immersed in his thoughts, as the emperor seemed to have more surprising news for him. The emperor suddenly looked embarrassed. ¡°Actually, this is also my shame as an emperor, so I wanted to take it to my grave if possible.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius opened his eyes wide. Judging from the tone of the emperor¡¯s words, it was likely that he had never told him this information in his previous life. This information might be the answer to his questions. ¡°Did I tell you that two groups belonging to Illuminati disappeared?¡± ¡°I heard that, but¡­¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, one of them did not disappear. They just turned their backs on me.¡± The emperor spat out hisst words in a bitter tone. ¡°It was [dius], which was led by Wilhelm Grand Duke, who was the only disciple of the Grand Emperor. They followed the imperial family without question until the previous generation, but they suddenly started to harbor resentment after this Grand Duke inherited the leadership.¡± Chapter 106: Owner Chapter 106: Owner Chapter 106 > Owner At that time, Grand Duke had returned to his castle for the first time in several months and was preparing to go out. ¡®I wanted to stay in the capital as much as possible to keep an eye on that first prince bastard, but I have no choice.¡¯ It was a secret outing, so it took some time to get ready. His gaze moved to the several portraits in the room as he waited. ¡®My ancestors all sacrificed themselves as the emperor¡¯s loyal subjects for almost two hundred years.¡¯ Those portraits were all of the warriors who had been called sword saints in the past generations. He had heard that his father, the previous Grand Duke, had a close rtionship with the imperial family. ¡®But I will be different. I can¡¯t be satisfied with being a second-rate person!¡¯ He thought that he had enough qualifications to run the empire. It was also an act for that purpose that he took dius out of the emperor¡¯s influence as soon as he inherited his title. ¡°Your Highness Grand Duke, we are ready to depart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He silently got on the prepared carriage. The coachman also started to drive the horse towards a certain ce that Grand Duke secretly visited without any instructions. ¡®They are vulgar and unlucky, but I have to ask for their help this time.¡¯ ¡­ ¡®Grand Duke and dius¡­¡¯ Eurius¡¯s expression was filled with doubt as he left the pce. This imperial secret was something he had never thought of in his previous life. He was recalling the conversation he had just had. ¡°So what exactly is dius?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much either, because the information was cut off in my generation.¡± The emperor said that and seemed to think for a moment. ¡°But what is certain is that they were the group in charge of ¡®force¡¯ in Illuminati. After all, aren¡¯t you and I having this conversation because of Grand Duke alone?¡± ording to the emperor¡¯s exnation, the three groups belonging to Illuminati each received a ¡®gift¡¯ from Grand Duke that corresponded to their position. ¡°Then Oculus must have some characteristics too, right? But Marius seems like just a civil official to me?¡± Marius exined with a sheepish expression. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m just a leader. The people who work on the front lines will be introduced to you someday.¡± That was the end of the conversation between him and the emperor. The emperor did not give him all the authority of Oculus. However, since he could ess all the information through Marius, it was practically equivalent to a handover. Eurius smiled as he checked his future ns again in his head. ¡®It¡¯s a wee thing to have more cards to y with!¡¯ A littleter. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I never thought you would have such detailed information beforehand.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible for you guys to catch Grand Duke¡¯s tail with your skills with this much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say for sure, but it seems possible. The central part of Grand Duke¡¯s territory was as hard to investigate as Illuminati, but it¡¯s possible to touch it if we have this much prior information.¡± ¡®Of course, Grand Duke is part of Illuminati, so it makes sense.¡¯ While hiding a bitter smile inside, Eurius faced Jegal Hwayoung, who was looking over the information with a slightly flushed expression. The information was a document that detailed Grand Duke¡¯s forces in detail, which he had just received from Marius. She opened her mouth again with a slightly cautious tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but you are like an onion, my lord. It seems like there are always moreyers when I try to peel you off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an absurdpliment. To me, it¡¯s more amazing that you guys bring such information when you haven¡¯t been in this continent for long.¡± He answered as if it was not a big deal and then said his next words. ¡°As I said before, the most important thing is to catch Grand Duke¡¯s dogs who participated in the martial arts tournament before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we said we weren¡¯t sure. They seem to be very confidential even within Grand Duke¡¯s forces.¡± The subject of their conversation was none other than Grand Duke¡¯s shadow, who had caused the northern war and secretly participated in the royal martial arts tournament. In fact, he thought it would not be difficult to catch them if it was Current Moon War. All he had to do was investigate their movement route after they were taken out by Grand Duke and joined the Golden Lion Knights. But surprisingly, Grand Duke did not give up his tail easily. ¡°We looked at the movement routes of the suspicious knights who participated as members of the Golden Lion Knights, but there was nothing special.¡± ¡°How can that be? They must be the ones that Grand Duke took out separately, right?¡± ¡°We thought so too, but their identities were surprisingly normal. There was clear evidence of their joining time and origin.¡± ¡°Well, Grand Duke is secretly raising a force, so he wouldn¡¯t be so careless about security.¡± Eurius agreed, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry. ¡®If we leave a group of knights who are almost master-level or equivalent, the damage on our side will be great.¡¯ Besides, the existence of such a group was suspicious in itself. Even if Grand Duke was the strongest warrior in the continent, could he create a forceparable to the imperial guard knights so easily? He didn¡¯t know how at that time, but after hearing about Illuminati¡¯s secret this time, Eurius had a slight clue about that problem. ¡®But this time, that mystery will be solved to some extent.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what method it was, but there was a high probability that Grand Duke had a way to raise excellent knights as his subordinates. ¡®It must be rted to the gift from Grand Duke that dius received.¡¯ He finished his thoughts and opened his mouth again with a firm tone. ¡°Anyway, with this, it will be easier for you guys to work. There¡¯s not much time left until we execute the n, so cheer up.¡± ¡°Thank you for your encouragement.¡± He left the secret room of Azure Dragon Hall after receiving Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s greeting. But there were still some unsolved mysteries. ¡®Why is Grand Duke so frustrated that he can¡¯t bite me?¡¯ Looking back on it now, after a few years of his return, his expectations based on his previous life¡¯s knowledge were slightly off, except for what he intentionally changed. They were all Grand Duke¡¯s tricks. ¡®Yeah, I can understand that he tried to push his nephew Leon in my previous life because I was ipetent.¡¯ But in this life, he had achieved more than Leonhardt in his previous life. He thought that Grand Duke¡¯s personality was cold but fair and rational, as he was the best knight in the empire. There were also many warriors who respected him. ¡®Why does he have to covet the imperial power and hate me so much?¡¯ He had thought of him as an enemy because he had been attacked by him, but when he tried topletely drive him away, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°¡­¡± But when he thought about it, he felt that he could get some clues if he drove Grand Duke away this time. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll find some clues if I interrogate Grand Duke or search his family.¡¯ Come to think of it, all the factors that had made him curious in his previous life were connected to the yer. He had thought about it a lot, but in the end there was only one conclusion. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± A few people who wore ck hoods that hid their faces greeted the duke. This was also one of the reasons why the duke disliked this ce. The mansion interior was splendid, but the ones who weed him were shabby hooded men. What a bad taste. The duke was led to the reception room, where he sat down and listened to their words. ¡°Would you like some refreshments while you wait?¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The grand duke refused coldly. This was a usual exchange, so the hooded men quietly withdrew. ¡°The owner will be here soon.¡± ¡°Hmph! I hope he¡¯s notte because he¡¯s dressing up like a clown again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The sharp-eyed duke noticed that the hooded men briefly sent him a faint killing intent. ¡°Are you dissatisfied with my expression?¡± The grand duke was already annoyed, and he felt even more irritated by these trivial men who seemed to ignore him. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The killing intent he released instantly engulfed the hooded men. The atmosphere turned ominous in an instant! The splendid door on one side of the reception room swung open. Then, a yful voice was heard. ¡°Sorry for beingte. Did our kids do something rude?¡± ¡®Tsk! He¡¯s still unpleasant as ever.¡¯ The duke inwardly clicked his tongue. He knew that the owner of this voice had intervened at the right moment, even though he seemed toe in suddenly. If his voice had been a littlete, the hooded men would have suffocated and died from his killing intent. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You guys can go out.¡± The owner of the yful voice was also wearing a bizarre outfit. His face was covered by a golden mask that had aical expression like a clown¡¯s makeup. The only part that was exposed, his mouth, was smiling slyly. The clothes he wore were also extravagant ones that even high-ranking nobles would only wear at parties. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my business first. The assassination I requested was useless. What happened?¡± The duke wanted to leave this unpleasant ce as soon as possible, so he started with a sharp inquiry. But the masked man did not lose his yful tone. ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve received the report yet?¡± ¡®This guy?¡¯ Crack. The handle of the luxurious chair that the duke was sitting on shattered. Along with that, a killing intent that was iparable to before swept over the masked man. The masked man raised his hands as if he had no choice, while shaking his head slightly. ¡°Sorry, sorry. I was just joking. You¡¯re still impatient, ¡®dius¡¯.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be the owner of the ck market and act like a clown.¡± The duke retorted lightly, while ring at the masked man. This guy was none other than the head of the ck market, one of the branches of Illuminati that Je Gal Hwayeong mentioned! He was also known as ¡®Owner¡¯. Chapter 107: Ready Chapter 107: Ready ¡°This is my personal preference. It might be a bit unpleasant for a stiff knight like you.¡± The masked man was unfazed by the duke¡¯s sarcasm. He shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth again. ¡°So? Do you want me to send another assassin?¡± The grand duke snapped back coldly. ¡°This is not a request, but a question. How many scum did you send that even the low-ranking officials, let alone knights, are all safe?¡± ¡°That was a bit surprising to me too. But we are short of manpowertely, you know? Don¡¯t me us too much.¡± The masked man sounded slightly apologetic for the first time. There was a reason why his ck market had a shortage of decent assassinstely. He was grumbling inwardly at this moment. ¡®If that old bastard Ismail hadn¡¯t suddenly died, I could have just left it to him¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­!?¡± The grand duke also looked surprised by his honest answer. He had known the masked man for quite a long time, but it was the first time he heard him apologize. ¡°Then, sending additional assassins is impossible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but I didn¡¯t have much fun this time, you know? Even if I send more, it will be useless.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The grand duke pondered for a while with a sigh. He came toin, but he didn¡¯t think that it was entirely the ck market¡¯s fault that things turned out this way. ¡®Is it the emperor¡¯s doing? Or maybe it¡¯s that first prince bastard.¡¯ But how did he protect all the bureaucrats scattered in the vast north? And judging by the fact that the attack was not even reported, it must have been handled very cleanly. ¡®Our power is already shaky. If assassination is useless, then we have no choice but to confront them head-on.¡¯ ¡°How about I offer you some other support instead of assassins? You seem to have trouble with your worktely. How about some high-level warriors?¡± As if he had read the duke¡¯s thoughts, the masked man made a tempting offer. But the grand duke snorted. ¡°Are you going to offer me knights from your side?¡± His dius had excellent quality and quantity of knights, if nothing else. He had suffered a lot of damage recently, but he could still squeeze out enough topete with the emperor. He thought that even if the ck market belonged to Illuminati, what help could a merchant offer him? But the masked man seemed to have different thoughts. ¡°Of course, I know that your eyes are high.¡± p! He pped his hands lightly and a door on one side of the reception room opened. ¡°¡­!?¡± Clink, clink. Someone entered the reception room with a dull sound of metal shing. The grand duke looked at him and made a slightly stunned expression. ¡°But this should be enough to be a force, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After some time passed, the grand duke got up from his seat. He had no reason to stay in this unpleasant ce any longer since he had finished his business. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you for now.¡± ¡°Thank you for using our service every time!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The duke nced at the man who didn¡¯t stop his yful act until the end and left the building. ¡°Phew! Did I finish one thing with this?¡± The masked man who saw off the duke shrugged his shoulders and tried to leave the reception room. But he heard angry voices from around him. ¡°How dare that old man who only knows how to swing a sword!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too patient? We don¡¯t have to bow down to him like this!¡± Thud! One of the men in ck hoods who was about toin more suddenly twisted his mouth in pain as if he was hit by something. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to call him ¡®owner¡¯ instead of that name here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°dius is not an easy opponent. We are in a cooperative rtionship for now, so it¡¯s not a good choice to offend him.¡± The masked man was still smiling, but he was secretly annoyed by his subordinates. ¡®They couldn¡¯t say a word against his pressure earlier¡­¡¯ The grand duke didn¡¯t like talking with him, so he dominated the room with his overwhelming presence throughout. But the masked man didn¡¯t flinch and calmly finished the negotiation. ¡°But owner. Providing ¡®that¡¯ is too much of a loss for us.¡± One of his subordinates who he usually favored because of his good skills cautiously raised his doubts again, but the masked man still didn¡¯t erase his smile. ¡°That¡¯s already agreed upon by ¡®us¡¯. And no matter what the oue is, we won¡¯t lose anything.¡± Whether the grand duke swallowed the empire or was defeated in the middle, the original goal of causing chaos in the empire was achieved. What he provided to the grand duke this time was a little investment for that. ¡°Hehehehe!¡± The masked man looked outside and saw that the duke¡¯s carriage had already left. He recalled the meeting that had taken ce a while ago. ¡®Did he say that his target was the first prince of the empire?¡¯ He was quite interested in whether the grand duke could achieve his goal or not. ¡­ A month had passed since Eurius heard about Illuminati¡¯s secret from the emperor. ¡°Stop! That¡¯s it for today¡¯s training.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± ¡°Now we can rest a bit.¡± Thump! As soon as he said that, there were people who fell to the cold ground without caring about their knightly dignity in the training ground of the pce. It was winter outside, but almost a hundred people were wearing armor and training hard, so the knights felt hot from the heat. Eurius smiled and watched the scene and spoke to Jegal Unhyeon. ¡°You did well. It seems like you have shaped up quite well, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°As you said, sir. I think they have reached a level that is enough to use in realbat, as long as they improve the problem I mentioned before.¡± Jegal Unhyeon also looked satisfied. He thought it would be hard to meet Eurius¡¯ deadline, but Scharnos¡¯ knights did better than expected. ¡°I have prepared a solution for that problem. But what about your personal training? Has there been any improvement since then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something that can be improved in a short time, as I said before.¡± While they were having such a conversation, the person who was the main topic of their talk approached Eurius. ¡°Your Highness, I greet you.¡± ¡°Lize, how is your training going?¡± ¡°Thanks to your kindness, I have no major problems.¡± Beatrice answered like that, but Eurius could see through her mind. [Beatrice Dios] Current state: Anxious, nervous ¡®She seems to be suffering a lot.¡¯ But since it was a problem that he couldn¡¯t solve for her, he clicked his tongue inwardly and looked at Jegal Unhyeon. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not easy to ovee one wall.¡± ¡°As I said before, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a case, so I don¡¯t know the solution.¡± Eurius exchanged nces with Jegal Unhyeon and felt sorry for her. Besides the group training of Scharnos¡¯ knights that he had just seen, there were three knights who received individual training from Jegal Unhyeon. His evaluation of them was as follows. ¡°That captain has talent, but not enough to be called a genius. Training with me will help him, but only constant effort can break through the wall.¡± This was what Eurius expected. Heinz had grown steadily with his help, but he was not a talent who stood out greatly in his previous life. ¡®But the problem is after that¡­¡¯ In fact, he had high expectations for the other two. Beatrice and Cains were both famous talents in his previous life. He thought that if they trained properly with an absolute master like Jegal Unhyeon, they would achieve fast results in a short time, but the actual oue was not so good. ¡°First of all, that young brat has a very poor foundation in martial arts. He seems to be trying hard, but it will be difficult in a short time.¡± Eurius pursed his lips in disappointment when he heard that. Cains would have been shocked if he heard his thoughts. ¡®I should have trained him harder from the beginning.¡¯ Cains¡¯ problem was that he was a typicalzy genius. No matter how talented he was, if his foundation was weak, he would hit a wall at some point. ¡°Especially his inner power, or what you call force here, is not well trained. That¡¯s the biggest factor that holds him back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s not from a martial family. In the West Continent, unless you¡¯re a martial artist, you usually enter a knight academy and get educated there.¡± ording to Jegal Unhyeon, in the East Continent, if someone was judged to have talent, they would start training their inner power from an early age. ¡°So his biggest problem is the foundation of force.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡®That¡¯s something I can help him with.¡¯ Cains¡¯ problem was quite tricky, but Eurius could solve it easily. But he was stuck by an unexpected person who he thought would have no problem. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that Beatrice soldier.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jegal Unhyeon started to speak cautiously. ¡°When I checked her skills, I was honestly surprised. I felt the same when I saw the new sessor of White Tiger n, but I wondered if all the talents in the West Continent had gathered around you.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s stuck at the fourth stage wall.¡± Eurius tilted his head at that. Wasn¡¯t it normal for even talented people to face walls that they had to ovee? ¡°Isn¡¯t that how walls are?¡± But Jegal Unhyeon said it wasn¡¯t. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ even considering that, her talent should have reached the fourth stage long ago by my standards. She has a good foundation, whether she had a good teacher or not, and she has quite a lot ofbat experience for her age.¡± Hearing that, Eurius recalled how things had changed from his previous life. ¡®Come to think of it, she came out much earlier this time.¡¯ Beatrice had only made a name for herself in her mid-twenties in his previous life. But now she had been stimted by Eurius and trained harder than before, and she had also experienced many life-threatening battles unlike when she stayed at the duke¡¯s house. ¡®So she has everything ready but can¡¯t ovee the wall?¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon scratched his head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help you. But there must be a reason for this. She needs constant training too, but finding that clue is also important.¡± ¡°If you say so, then there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Eurius answered coolly. He had too many things to do to hold on to a problem that he couldn¡¯t solve right now. ¡°Anyway, thank you for the analysis. Then the reinforcement of the knight¡¯s power is done for now.¡± He had Jegal Unhyeon and Nua on his side anyway. It would be nice to have one more superhuman, but it wasn¡¯t an urgent problem. ¡®Everything is ready. Now all I need is for the duke to move as nned!¡¯ Eurius¡¯ eyes sparkled. And less than a weekter, the incident happened. ¡­ ¡°Open the door!¡± Someone opened the door of the pce where Eurius was staying and ran towards him. It was a messenger from the imperial pce. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At Eurius¡¯ question, the messenger shouted urgently. ¡°First Prince, Your Highness! You need toe to the imperial pce as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Did Father call me?¡± ¡°No!¡± The messenger shook his head quickly and opened his mouth with a grave tone. That was the beginning of the events that would follow. ¡°I report to Your Highness, the emperor suddenly copsed!¡± Chapter 108: Hidden Title (At the End) Chapter 108: Hidden Title (At the End) The inside of the imperial pce was as chaotic as a beehive that had been stirred up. ¡°How can I not enter?¡± ¡°His Majesty asked us to do onest thing before he copsed. He said not to let anyone in.¡± ¡°Sir Carlos!¡± Even with Eurius¡¯s angry shout, the head of the Imperial Guard, Count Carlos, did not change his expression at all. The emperor¡¯s bedroom was already surrounded by the Imperial Guards. It would be hard for even an ant to get in. The bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction who followed Eurius murmured. ¡°Surely Sir Carlos wouldn¡¯t lie. What if something really bad happens?¡± ¡°He should have taken the crown prince¡¯s position sooner¡­¡± ¡°The situation in the parliament is also a problem, but I¡¯m worried about here too.¡± Eurius¡¯s expression looked very serious as he stared at Carlos. Swoosh. ¡°¡­¡± Carlos¡¯s eyebrows twitched. It was because Eurius had drawn his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t distrust you, sir, but in this situation, no one can enter or leave, isn¡¯t it too suspicious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just following His Majesty¡¯s orders. Please step back.¡± Bang! The corridor shook as if there was an earthquake with a loud noise. It was their swords shing. The ceiling and walls of the corridor cracked and dust flew. ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Your Highness! Please calm down.¡± Only Marius, who was standing behind him, calmly pulled Eurius back. The other servants were covering their heads and couldn¡¯t even lift them up. Swoosh. The Imperial Guards quickly drew their swords as well. Did the first prince want to fight with them here? The knights of the Sharnos Order who came to escort him also couldn¡¯t hide their astonishment. When did he ever act so emotionally? Heinz, the leader, bit his lip first. ¡®We have to stop him.¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, there is nothing good about fighting with the Imperial Guard here. Please calm down.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Beatrice also looked unusually worried and appealed to Eurius with her eyes. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Even though they pulled him back, Eurius kept looking at the door of the bedroom for a while. But maybe their earnest plea worked, he soon returned to his calm expression. And he threw a word and turned his back on the door of the bedroom. ¡°I¡¯ll remember this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± The atmosphere was tense, but anyway Eurius had given up. The bureaucrats and knights sighed. Eurius turned around and moved to another ce. ¡°Your Highness! Where are you going?¡± Marius, who followed him, quickly asked. ¡°To the parliament.¡± Eurius answered briefly and disappeared from the corridor with quick steps. Marius hurriedly led the bureaucrats after him. ¡®Are you going to take care of the state affairs? The situation there is not very good either¡­¡¯ Meanwhile, although he had turned away obediently, Carlos¡¯s eyes did not erase his suspicion of Eurius. ¡®His Majesty only allowed him to enter alone recently. But suddenly His Majesty is in aa for no reason?¡¯ ¡­ The situation in the parliament was a mess. ¡°Of course, Prince Eurius should temporarily take over the state affairs!¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! He is not even the crown prince yet.¡± ¡°Then who should lead the state affairs?¡± The opinions of the parliament were divided into two sides. The bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction said that Eurius, who was the most likely candidate for the throne, should temporarily take over the state affairs! But the nobles faction resisted fiercely. Their thoughts were the same. ¡®We have to hold on until Grand Dukees back. This might be a golden opportunity!¡¯ The emperor had been losing his strength gradually since a few days ago and then fell into aa. Even if they called a high healer from the temple, it was useless, and no doctor could find out the cause of his illness. If there was no cause for his illness, there was only one thing left, wasn¡¯t there? In the continent where peace hadsted for over a hundred years, the number one cause of death for emperors was overwork and old age. ¡®Considering his age, it¡¯s about time he lost his strength.¡¯ ¡®Why did Grand Duke have to leave at this time? He¡¯s unlucky.¡¯ As he thought, Grand Duke had returned to his territory a while ago saying he had something to do. He must be rushing back now. The nobles faction stuck together and tried to avoid the worst situation of Eurius taking over the state affairs. Such arguments continued endlessly. But both the emperor¡¯s faction and the nobles faction were in a situation where their respective centers of gravity were absent. It was not a situation where a decision could be made by a verbal fight. ¡°The first prince has arrived.¡± Suddenly, the door of the parliament opened wide and Eurius entered. ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡± ¡°First Prince!¡± The people of the emperor¡¯s faction brightened up, and the nobles faction frowned. Anyway, the most likely candidate for the state affairs had arrived. What would Eurius do in this situation? ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Surprisingly, Eurius walked into the middle of the servants and sat down on the emperor¡¯s jade throne. His posture was so natural that the audience lost their words for a moment. ¡°Since His Majesty is in critical condition, I will take over the state affairs for a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The parliament was silent. How should they interpret this? ¡°Your Highness is not even the crown prince yet! And you sit on the throne? How dare you¡­¡± A momentter, one of the nobles with a fairly high status in the nobles faction started to protest. That was the signal for the nobles to swarm up and try to tear Eurius apart. ¡°Are you dissatisfied?¡± [The trait ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ is activated.] [Charisma and charm increase.] ¡°Huh!¡± The nobles closed their mouths at once at the aura that poured out from Eurius. No, they couldn¡¯t open them. ¡°Your Highness, even so, this is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Stay still, all of you.¡± Even the bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction had an expression that they couldn¡¯t understand this behavior. ¡°What is this?¡± Swoosh. When Eurius raised his hand, knights began to enter the parliament. It was the Scharnos Order. The situation became twice as tense when the knights entered the parliament. The Imperial Guard was all on standby for the fallen emperor¡¯s protection. There was no force to stop them here. The nobles faction turned pale. ¡®What does the first prince rely on to act like this?¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t this look like he¡¯s trying to start a rebellion while His Majesty is absent?¡¯ Eurius finally returned from his fierce expression to his emotionless one. ¡°It seems you have noints now. Then let¡¯s start the meeting.¡± The first thing he ordered was the doctor who was allowed to enter the emperor¡¯s bedroom and the priest who was on standby for the emperor¡¯s health. ¡°First of all, report on His Majesty¡¯s condition.¡± The doctor started to report with cold sweat. ¡°I have been examining His Majesty regrly for thest twenty years, but this is the first time I see him in this state. His heart is beating very weakly, but it seems like it could stop at any moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius kept silent for a while and then looked at someone else. ¡°Bishop Aurel, what do you think as a healer?¡± ¡°As you know, if it¡¯s not a disease or a physical injury, the church¡¯s power is not very useful.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that His Majesty suddenly got old?¡± At Eurius¡¯s cold question, they bowed their heads. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. But in our opinion as doctors, it¡¯s not umon for His Majesty¡¯s age.¡± ¡°In this case, if we use our power rashly, it might consume his remaining strength more, so it¡¯s hard to make a decision.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s no way?¡± ¡°For now¡­¡± They all bowed their heads with gloomy expressions. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do. You two are the only ones who can enter the bedroom, so please take good care of His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± After asking them a few more questions, Eurius surprisingly let them go. When he called them, he seemed like he would hold them responsible and cut their throats. The parliament was stunned. And his next words were even worse. ¡°Then let¡¯s move on to the next agenda.¡± ¡°Your Highness! What agenda?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would take over the state affairs?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were many servants who wanted to say something, but they were too scared to say anything more after seeing Eurius¡¯s chilling aura. For the next two days, Eurius¡¯s actions did not change. The state affairs were not a big problem since there were manypetent bureaucrats, and the nobles were rolling their feet. ¡°Do we have to give up all our power to him?¡± ¡°Is there any news from Grand Duke? If His Majesty really passes away¡­¡± ¡°Shh! Lower your voice. If the first prince hears you now, you might lose your head.¡± On the other hand, Eurius¡¯s bureaucrats and knights looked at him with pity in their eyes. ¡°How can a person change so much? He doesn¡¯t even sleep properly every day¡­¡± ¡°Some insolent ones are spreading rumors that Your Highness is trying to seize control of the state affairs with this opportunity. But that can¡¯t be true.¡± Eurius¡¯s daily routine for thest three days was simple. He took over the state affairs instead of the emperor all day long. He even handled them faster and more efficiently than the emperor. Of course, his ability was part of the reason, but also because the nobles faction couldn¡¯t say anything. And after finishing the state affairs, he always went to one ce without fail. ¡°Are you still not going to let me in?¡± ¡°My answer is always the same.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to keep doing this until the count gives up.¡± Eurius sat down on the bare floor in front of the emperor¡¯s bedroom and started a silent protest. ¡°Your Highness! You have to take care of yourself.¡± ¡°How can an imperial sit on the ground and go on a hunger strike?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But no one could sway Eurius¡¯s will. Of course, his opponent was also formidable. The Imperial Guard, including Carlos, did not leave the emperor¡¯s bedroom for a moment. And on the fifth day after the emperor copsed, the person that the nobles had been waiting for arrived in the capital. They greeted him with delight. ¡°Grand Duke!¡± ¡°Right now, the first prince is oppressing us with the excuse of taking over the state affairs. Please¡­¡± ¡°Get out of my way! I have to see His Majesty¡¯s condition first.¡± Finally, Grand Duke entered the pce. He brushed off the nobles coldly and headed towards the emperor¡¯s bedroom. They looked at him with curiosity. ¡°Come to think of it, Grand Duke could have arrived in the capital in a day or two, why did he take so long?¡± ¡°He must have some n. Anyway, he is the only one who can stop the first prince now.¡± ¡®You ipetent fools, even without me, there is no one who can check the first prince.¡¯ He snorted and arrived in front of the emperor¡¯s bedroom. ¡°I greet you, first prince.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. But where is Leon, who was in your territory?¡± ¡°Second prince ising up soon. I came first.¡± Eurius spat out coldly. ¡°Do you have any ulterior motives for noting up?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do I have to exin it to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Grand Duke and Eurius stared at each other for a while. Grand Duke was slightly surprised inside. ¡®Is this some kind of trap prepared by the first prince?¡¯ He didn¡¯te up right away because he stopped by the ck market, but also because he wanted to prepare for any contingencies. How many times had he been tricked by Eurius? ¡®And that clown said something disturbing at the end¡­¡¯ The owner of the ck market left him these words at the end. ¡°You¡¯re a regr customer of mine, but it¡¯s hard without any service.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Then he left him a meaningful message. ¡°You seem to be running around these days, maybe you¡¯ll have some good news in the near future.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** After finishing his shback, Grand Duke asked Carlos first. ¡°Can¡¯t I go in either?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Carlos repeated the same words to Grand Duke and just guarded the door of the bedroom like a stone statue. Seeing that, Grand Duke asked onest question. ¡°Are you sure His Majesty is in critical condition? You and the two who are treating him are the only ones who saw His Majesty¡¯sst appearance.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was a short answer, but he knew Carlos was not someone who would lie about the emperor. ¡®Then it¡¯s certain that the emperor is lying down.¡¯ At that moment, Grand Duke¡¯s mind was filled with countless thoughts. ¡®The emperor copsed and the first prince took over the state affairs¡­ And the ck market said it was good news?¡¯ But it was too suspicious to trust blindly. Grand Duke never trusted anything he didn¡¯t see himself 100 percent. The silent confrontation between Carlos, Eurius, and Grand Dukested for a while. But it was broken by something they never expected. Creak. ¡°¡­!?¡± The door of the bedroom suddenly opened. It was the doctor and Bishop Aurel who were checking on the emperor¡¯s condition. ¡°How is His Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius asked anxiously. But they bowed their heads with gloomy expressions. The doctor even knelt on the floor and buried his head. ¡°His Majesty has just passed away.¡± <108: Great Chaos> Chapter 109: Capturing the Capital Chapter 109: Capturing the Capital ¡°¡­¡± Eurius did not rampage or suddenly draw his sword and cut the neck of the minister. The Grand Duke also lost his cold expression in an instant because he was too dumbfounded. ¡®Did the emperor really die?¡¯ Eurius opened his mouth again in a calm tone. ¡°Can I go in now? I couldn¡¯t even watch his deathbed at the door, but I hope you don¡¯t tell me not to see his corpse either.¡± His attitude was calm, but anyone could see that it was a sarcastic tone. ¡°I have no face to His Majesty.¡± Carlos bit his lip so hard that he bled from his mouth and obediently withdrew the royal guards. That¡¯s how Eurius and the Grand Duke entered the emperor¡¯s bedroom together. Instead of the minister who was almost in a panic state, Bishop Aurel exined. ¡°He was barely beating his heart until just before. But now his heart haspletely stopped.¡± Eurius first put his hand on the emperor¡¯s heart. He was using force to check his body condition. ¡®His heart has definitely stopped.¡¯ He took his hand off and the Grand Duke checked it too. The result was no different. ¡®The emperor is definitely dead.¡¯ The Grand Duke had aplex and subtle expression on his face. The emperor had been his lifelong enemy. But he died so absurdly that he couldn¡¯t even imagine it. ¡®Anyway, this is a golden opportunity.¡¯ This eliminated any doubt. There was no way that the first prince, who was not crazy, would kill the emperor. It would be much more advantageous for him to have the emperor alive in terms of power. But to make good use of this opportunity, one thing needed to be confirmed. He spoke to Carlos. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± This implied a lot of things. The emperor is dead now. There is no one tomand the royal guard. ¡°We only follow the orders of His Majesty who inherited legitimacy.¡± The Grand Duke smiled inwardly. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s a good thing.¡± The Carlos he knew was not someone who would follow anyone else¡¯s orders except the emperor. And personally, he was his son-inw, wasn¡¯t he? He said it a little roundabout, but his intention was clear. ¡®I won¡¯t follow the orders of the first prince who is not even the crown prince yet.¡¯ He looked at Eurius. He had already called Mareus and gave him instructions. ¡°I need to prepare for the funeral. Please do it without any trouble.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Mareus was not a person who could not distinguish between public and private affairs. He didn¡¯t have time to lie down and cry right now. The emergency council meeting convened by Eurius gave them a shock as expected. ¡°How could His Majesty pass away so vainly¡­¡± ¡°Sniff¡­¡± The nobles were mostly stunned and the bureaucrats of the imperial faction were crying on their knees. ¡°Everyone be quiet.¡± Eurius¡¯s soft words drew everyone¡¯s attention to him. By the way, what about the sessor? Whether it was by legitimacy as the eldest son or by achievement, Eurius was in the best position to be the emperor right now. ¡°First of all, we need to prepare for the funeral, so I¡¯ll postpone the official announcement until tomorrow.¡± This was understandable. If the rumor that the emperor died suddenly spread in the capital, it would shake the people¡¯s hearts. But what followed was a shock and horror for the nobles. ¡°And to prevent chaos in the capital, you all have to stay in the pce until tomorrow¡¯s announcement.¡± Boom! At the same time, the heavy door of the council closed. The nobles tried to protest at once. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much even for His Highness the crown prince?¡± Shriek! But when the knights drew their swords, they all had to shut their mouths. Was this a way of suppressing them with force? ¡®Damn it, what¡¯s going on here?¡¯ ¡®Is he going to start a bloody purge from now on? He¡¯s not even his father¡¯s son.¡¯ But the nobles also had someone they could rely on. They looked at the Grand Duke with desperate eyes. He was the only one who could restrain Eurius here. As expected, the Grand Duke opened his mouth with an expression of embarrassment. ¡°This is a bit difficult.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I understand your intentions, but not everyone can be here.¡± ¡°Do you want to get out of here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± At that moment, everyone in the hall felt a chill down their spine. The aura of Eurius and the Grand Duke collided head-on. The Grand Duke bit his tongue inside. ¡®First prince¡­ he was hiding his skills.¡¯ He had to be at least a superhuman to withstand his aura. He was thinking of subduing Eurius right here, but it seemed difficult. ¡°Then let me go out. I want to tell the second prince the news first as his guardian.¡± Of course, this was an excuse. He couldn¡¯t do anything to Eurius right now, so he wanted to prepare everything outside. ¡®But he can¡¯t refuse, can he?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t confidently subdue Eurius as much as Eurius couldn¡¯t stop him from leaving. If he wanted to stop him from getting out of here by force, he would need at least enough power to subdue him. But judging from the aura he had just released, Eurius¡¯s skills were not that much. ¡®He¡¯s amazing for his age, but that¡¯s it.¡¯ Eurius nodded reluctantly. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Tell Leon toe up to the capital as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± The Grand Duke bowed to him unusually. The Grand Duke and the emperor were almost equal in status, but he showed such excessive respect for a reason. ¡®Think of it as a deration of war when we meet next time.¡¯ That¡¯s how the Grand Duke left the council alone and headed to his mansion in the capital. Now that the emperor was dead, it was time to fight for real. He summoned all the forces he could mobilize as soon as he returned to his mansion. He had already infiltrated some forces into the capital in advance to target Eurius, plus new recruits. ¡®I don¡¯t know if the first prince heard about dius from the emperor, but I¡¯ll have to make him feel it this time.¡¯ dius referred to the knights who were trained with a secret method passed down in his family. He had selected the elite among them and named them shadows. ¡®I lost some of my forces to the first prince, but I¡¯m not out of reinforcements!¡¯ He had scraped up the remaining skilled ones from dius and somehow filled half of the shadows. ¡®I wish Dimitri was here.¡¯ The regrettable thing was that he had almost no knights who were superhumans or close to them, but the overall quality was so excellent that it was not a problem if he joined them. The most important thing was that he had received a confirmation from Carlos. ¡®If the royal guard doesn¡¯t interfere, there¡¯s no reason for me to lose.¡¯ The Grand Duke had a firm confidence in his skills, which were among the top three in the continent. ¡°dius! All assembled!¡± ¡°Good job.¡± The Grand Duke nced over a hundred people and dered with a satisfied smile. ¡°We¡¯ll raid the pce at dawn. The goal is to capture the council and capture or kill the first prince.¡± The key to this n was to take over the capital. If he killed all the key figures of the imperial faction in the council and proimed the second prince as the sessor, there would be no power to oppose him. ¡®I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to start a civil war.¡¯ ¡°How about the Golden Lion Knights?¡± ¡°They said they were ready to leave three days ago. They should be able to arrive in the capital tomorrow.¡± His smile grew thicker. ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem if we take over the pce.¡± His second card was the Golden Lion Knights. If he attacked the first prince and another rescue came from outside the capital, the Golden Lion Knights would handle it. He had waited for this day for decades with patience. He felt a little deted when his lifelong enemy, the emperor, died so ndly, but the first prince was also a worthy opponent for him. ¡®Finally, this annoying fight will end.¡¯ *** Soon it was dawn. Normally, the pce would be bright even at night, but today was a little different. The pce was now shrouded in darkness like pitch ck. Eurius had blocked off the inside of the pce for infiltration. Only the central pce where the servants were confined was dark, so a faint light leaked out of there. ¡°¡­¡± The Grand Duke pointed to that direction with his eyes and he and dius¡¯s knights headed for the central pce. ¡°Hmm?¡± The Grand Duke, who had almost reached the central pce, let out a groan with a puzzled expression. ¡®No sign?¡¯ If he were Eurius, he would have ced at least one or two knights at the entrance. But there was no one at the door of the central pce. Creak. He cautiously opened the door and entered, and focused his senses again. ¡®But I can definitely feel many signs inside. I just need to take over the council quickly.¡¯ He probably thought it was safer to secure the council than the entrance. The life of a surprise attack is speed! The Grand Duke made a quick decision and flew toward the council. Squeak! Following him, dius¡¯s knights who had been hiding their presence also flew in. The target was of course, the council. Crash! Hended in front of the council in a few leaps and smashed the door with his sword without opening it. He was doing well until he entered the council with momentum. ¡°What is this?¡± The Grand Duke stared at the inside of the council with an incredulous expression on his face. It was understandable. The spacious council was empty of servants. No, to be exact, except for one person. ¡°¡­!?¡± dius¡¯s knights who followed him also looked confused for a moment. What they saw was the empty center of the council! It was exactly where the throne was. ¡°Wee. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Eurius, who was sitting alone on the throne, fixed his eyes on him with a cold expression after sweeping them once. [Fried Wilhelm] Job: Knight, Superhuman (Grand Master) Strength: S Agility: S Intelligence: A Willpower: A Force Aptitude: A+ Force: SS Disposition: Cold, Ambitious Current State: Confused [Traits] Swordsmanship (SS) Destructive Sword ¨C A secret technique that can destroy space within his range of control. The power and range increase depending on his proficiency. Adamantine Body ¨C A fourth-level force control. His physical strength increases exponentially depending on his proficiency. Chapter 110: Corpse Chapter 110: Corpse The Grand Duke regained hisposure as he met Eurius¡¯s cold gaze. ¡®Did he notice that I was going to attack?¡¯ He could understand that much. But he never imagined that Eurius would confront him alone, leaving behind his main force. ¡®There must be some trick. This is definitely a trap.¡¯ He quickly finished his thoughts and spat out cold words. ¡°Do you intend to surrender your neck willingly? Then I will grant you a clean death as a courtesy to the Imperial family.¡± ¡°Thank you for speaking on my behalf.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°If you and your friends behind you surrender peacefully, I will preserve your honor as the empire¡¯s best knight.¡± As he saw calmly counter him, the Grand Duke almost burst into a hollowugh. ¡°Did you lose your mind from the shock of the emperor¡¯s death?¡± ¡°Is that a refusal?¡± ¡°What confidence do you have, first prince¡­¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s expression changed drastically as he tried to continue his words. He saw two figures walking out from behind the throne. ¡°It¡¯s a bit annoying to keep quiet. Can I warm up now?¡± ¡°You should make a quiet entrance like a secret weapon. Don¡¯t you care about the dignity of your lord who set up this stage?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense again.¡± The two people seemed to be joking lightly as they walked, but the Grand Duke couldn¡¯t help but change his color as he examined them. ¡®They are superhumans. And one of them is not a novice who just reached the realm.¡¯ A middle-aged man with a refined appearance who looked like an easterner and a young man with a fierce expression and a proud stature. They were Jegal Unhyeon and Nuada. The Grand Duke looked slightly surprised, but he soon regained his calmness. He judged that they would cause some damage, but not enough to change the oue. ¡°I see you had some backup.¡± ¡®I can handle them. If worsees to worst, I can use other reserve forces.¡¯ He opened his mouth again with a confident tone. ¡°But if you think you can stop me with just three people, you are mistaken.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± ¡°Are you the leader of those suspicious guys who were with Gundar?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s arrogant remark provoked the two men¡¯s fighting spirit. But Eurius nodded his head as if he agreed. ¡°Of course, it would be insufficient to face dius and the empire¡¯s best knight.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The Grand Duke was shaken again, but he didn¡¯t show it. ¡®He knows about dius?¡¯ The information about Illuminati was only avable to the leaders of each faction or the emperor. And he knew that and still lured him into this situation? A faint groan escaped from his mouth. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± At the same time, he sensed multiple presences entering the central pce. ¡®What are these presences?¡¯ They quickly jumped into the hall. And the person who was at the front of their ranks was someone the Grand Duke knew well. ¡°Grand Duke Your Highness, I¡¯m disappointed about this.¡± ¡°Calos¡­¡± The person who looked at him with a reproachful expression was Calos, the Grand Duke of the Imperial guard and his son-inw. In front of him were Eurius and three superhumans! Behind him were Calos and the Imperial guard! The Grand Duke was perfectly surrounded from front and back. He asked calmly how Eurius had persuaded Calos. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to not move without the emperor¡¯s order?¡± ¡°I never broke my word.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You confirmed that His Majesty had passed away, didn¡¯t you?¡± And as the Grand Duke asked Calos, who shook his head, he heard another familiar voice. ¡°His words are true without a single lie.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He heard more footstepsing into the hall. The person who led them was someone he was sure had died. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± To his surprise, it was the emperor who entered with his servants. Moreover, he looked healthy and radiant, unlike yesterday¡¯s paleness. ¡°I greet Your Majesty.¡± Eurius also got up from the throne and bowed. Hearing his voice, the Grand Duke quickly looked at him. ¡®This first prince bastard?¡¯ Eurius also smiled brightly, unlike his cold demeanor before. ¡°How did you¡­¡± The Grand Duke was furious, but he barely uttered a question. How did the emperore back to life? He confirmed that his heart had stopped. The physician and bishop who took care of him also agreed. How could the emperor be alive? But Eurius didn¡¯t seem to want to exin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to tell you that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s face twisted even more as he saw Eurius¡¯s smile. Eurius smiled inwardly. ¡®There are sometimes methods that you can¡¯t even imagine in this world.¡¯ *** This happened about three days before this situation. ¡°The preparations are done.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± The emperor looked at Eurius with an interested eye. How could he eliminate the Grand Duke¡¯s core forces without starting a war? But the person who spoke, Eurius, hesitated a bit. ¡®Should I have just asked Marius to say it?¡¯ But it would be torture for him to say such words to the stubborn man. The emperor became more curious as he waited. ¡°Tell me quickly.¡± ¡®I have to do it anyway.¡¯ He wanted to close his eyes tightly, but he kept a calm expression and finally said the shocking words. ¡°Your Majesty! Could you please be a corpse for a day?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The emperor made a face that he had never seen before in his life. How could he make a living person into a corpse? And how could he fool the eyes of the Grand Duke, a fierce warrior? ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Eurius showed him with his actions. It was better to demonstrate once than to say a hundred words. Bang! ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, he copsed and lost his color. The emperor was momentarily flustered. But he was not a fool. He roughly guessed Eurius¡¯s intention and went to check his pulse himself. ¡®How did he stop his heart and lose his vitality?¡¯ He only copsed for a moment. Eurius¡¯s body faintly started to beat again, and his pale face gradually regained its color. As he got up, the emperor opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s an amazing method. Surely, the Grand Duke won¡¯t doubt your death with this.¡± He was not a stubborn person. It would be normal to be outraged if he was told to disguise himself as a corpse, but what was a day or two of lying downpared to getting rid of his decades-old enemy? But there was another question. ¡°Can I learn that too? If someone else does it for me, I have to rely on them to wake me up.¡± But even if the emperor became a corpse, not anyone could enter there. He would always have guards around him. That meant he had to get up on his own. ¡°That¡¯s why I hesitated too.¡± Eurius smiled bitterly and started to exin the method. The origin of this n was the intangible poison he saw in the desert. If it could make people die naturally without any evidence, couldn¡¯t he use it in reverse? ¡®But it¡¯s not poison. It would be too much for Your Majesty who is already old.¡¯ Even if he removed the poison, his weakened body wouldn¡¯t recover. He heard that the king of Parthia was still having trouble moving. And crucially, he doubted if he could make the cautious Grand Duke move with just aa-like condition. ¡®The intangible poison came from the east. Maybe they have other methods if I consult them?¡¯ But surprisingly, when he consulted with Jegal¡¯s people, the problem was solved. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult for someone who has mastered inner energy to disguise themselves as a corpse. Depending on the level of inner energy, it¡¯s not hard to stop your heart for a day or two.¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a method?¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled as they exined the method that the eastern spies or assassins used to fake their death. ¡°[Returning Breath Technique]?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no big side effect, but if I have to say something¡­¡± *** ¡°Ah¡­ it was a good idea, but I can¡¯t do it twice. This is the first time I¡¯ve trained so hard since I became emperor.¡± Thud! The emperor grumbled in a sullen tone as he received Eurius¡¯s greeting. His arms and body twisted as he moved. The muscles and joints that he hadn¡¯t used screamed. It was natural after not moving for a week. And the Returning Breath Technique was not a difficult skill, but it wasn¡¯t easy for the emperor who wasn¡¯t very good at martial arts. ¡°Still, I¡¯m d you learned it in time.¡± Eurius smiled bitterly as he epted hisint. The first time the emperor copsed and his heart beat weakly was all part of the training. He used his illness as an excuse to practice the technique. And after a week, he finally achieved enough to stop his heartpletely. ¡°Well¡­ normally, you have to stop your heart momentarily to master it perfectly, but it doesn¡¯t matter if you gradually turn into a corpse while pretending to be sick.¡± The people from Jegal¡¯s side were also impressed by this ingenious n. The people of the western continent wouldn¡¯t know such a method existed. Even if they heard about it, how many would suspect that the emperor who had aged naturally had used the Returning Breath Technique? The emperor stopped grumbling and returned to his solemn expression. ¡°Wilhelm Grand Duke, do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Grand Duke had nothing to say. He didn¡¯t know what kind of method it was, but he waspletely trapped. He had no chance of winning against them head-on. ¡®I have to get out of here first. I still have some cards left¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s really something to congratte you on. I didn¡¯t expect Your Majesty toe back to life so suddenly. Could you share your secret with me?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The emperor raised an eyebrow at the Grand Duke who pretended to be rxed. But before he could answer, Eurius intervened annoyingly. ¡°He¡¯s trying to buy time. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange, Grand Duke?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Eurius smiled. ¡°Your subordinates who should have arrived by now haven¡¯t arrived yet. If they had crossed the closed gate, we would have heard about the sh by now.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The Grand Duke realized that something else was wrong. He had lost his sense of time in this sudden situation. ¡®Now that I think about it, the Golden Lion Knights should have joined me by now. They should have at least arrived in the capital.¡¯ He groaned and looked at Eurius again. He noticed that he hadn¡¯t mobilized any forces except for the two superhumans. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably fighting with my knights right now.¡± ¡°Do you think you can stop the Golden Lion Knights with them?¡± The result of thest tournament showed that the Scharnos Knights were not very good in terms of the overall quality of the knights, except for a few skilled ones. What did he rely on to be so confident? But Eurius still smiled and said thest words. ¡°Of course, the overall power is different. But if I didn¡¯t have a chance to win, would I be joking with you right now?¡± Chapter 111: Knights and Formation Chapter 111: Knights and Formation Thud, thud, thud! The dark road leading from the south to the capital was filled with the sound of horse hooves. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re almost there.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Gilbert, the leader of the Golden Lion Knights, was driving his horse while grinding his teeth. He had suffered a humiliating defeat by a young girl who was not even half his age. ¡®I had no face to see His Grace after losing the grand prize as well.¡¯ But finally, he had a chance to redeem himself. ording to His Grace order, he was to engage in a full-scale power struggle with the First Prince in the capital. ¡®This time, I must crush the First Prince¡¯s knights.¡¯ He had faced some of them before, and some of them were indeed formidable, but the overall quality was still inferior to the Golden Lion Knights. He was confident that he would win if it was a sh between knight orders, not a one-on-one duel. The skill of a knight was not something that could be cultivated overnight. ¡°¡­!?¡± But he had to stop his horse before he could see the city gate. He saw gs with lights in the distance. ¡°Those gs are?¡± Gilbert¡¯s face hardened. The gs bore the emblem of Scharnos Empire, a golden sword and dragon crossed. But what really made him tense was not knowing who they were. His deputy Hendrix also spoke with a slightly panicked tone. ¡°They have red bands on them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The meaning of putting bands on the gs that symbolized the knight orders varied depending on the color of the bands. White meant unconditional surrender! Green meant peace! Yellow meant friendly match to strengthen friendship! And finally, red meant the most brutal intention. ¡°Do they want to fight us with full force here, when the capital is right in front of us?¡± ¡°There might be some trap.¡± As he said, the red band meant that they wanted to fight until one of the two knight orders was annihted. It was an extreme intention that was rarely seen unless the other side had an overwhelming advantage or was desperate. Gilbert thought for a moment and gave an order. ¡°Everyone, get off your horses!¡± He did not know what kind of trap they had set up in the pitch-ck night. If he fell off his horse suddenly, he would be a good target for their attack, so he needed to organize his formation first. ¡®The numbers seem simr. Are they trying to buy some time?¡¯ The numbers were about a hundred for each side. Of course, the Golden Lion Knights had more reserves, but they had only brought their elite members, so their quality was much higher. ¡®There doesn¡¯t seem to be any trap?¡¯ The road leading to the capital was well-paved and wide open. It was not an environment where they could pull any tricks. But he had been warned by His Majesty before he came, so Gilbert had to be careful. ¡°The First Prince, that snake, might have prepared some tricks. Your goal is to join me as soon as possible.¡± ¡®First of all, I have to follow His Grace orders.¡¯ He thought so while time kept passing by. Eventually, Gilbert made a decision. ¡°We will break through as quickly as possible. Everyone, get ready to charge.¡± What he thought of was a frontal breakthrough. It was a natural choice since he had confidence in his strength. Squeak! The knights of the Golden Lion Knights began to sprint towards the g like a gust of wind. ¡®It may be a full-force battle, but I don¡¯t have to ept it! If I break through the front line, I can still run all the way to the capital even if I get tired.¡¯ He followed His Majesty¡¯s words faithfully. But who would have known that it would be the worst choice for him and the Golden Lion Knights? Swoosh. The knights of Scharnos Empire did not receive their frontal attack. Rather, they moved aside and let Gilbert and his front line pass through their formation. And then, in the next moment, they moved swiftly and surrounded the Golden Lion Knights. Their movements were so smooth as if they had practiced countless times together, but Gilbert looked puzzled. ¡°¡­!?¡± Normally, surrounding was something that should never be done unless you had an overwhelming advantage over your opponent. Otherwise, you would risk dispersing your strength and being defeated one by one. ¡®Are they just trying to hold us back?¡¯ Then he just had to concentrate his breakthrough power on one point and break through. Gilbert drew his sword and charged forward. ng! His sword pushed back the Sharnos knight who blocked him. He swung his sword again to cut his throat, but two more swords stopped him. ng! ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Gilbert clicked his tongue and poured more force into his sword, intending to deal with the three knights at once. But his intention was thwarted again. ¡°Damn it!¡± Two more knights joined from the side and stabbed their swords at him. He could not handle the five knights¡¯ attack at once, no matter how great he was. ¡®But while I¡¯m holding them, the other elites should be able to break through.¡¯ Gilbert was one of the best knights in the empire. He resisted the five knights¡¯ attack and even maintained a slight advantage. ng, ng, ng! He momentarily unleashed a fierce attack and made the five knights retreat. He had a chance to look around the situation. But he turned pale when he saw the surroundings. It was a sightpletely different from his expectation. ¡®They can¡¯t break through?¡¯ He and the other elites of the Golden Lion Knights were fighting against multiple knights, but there was no hole in the encirclement. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Every time we try to break through where the wall of knights is thin, they reinforce that spot like ghosts.¡± ¡°How can that be? Their numbers should be simr to ours, but they have enough power to surround us so tightly¡­¡± The next moment, a loud noise interrupted his words. ¡°Hendrix?¡± His eyes went to where his deputy Hendrix was spitting blood and retreating. His attempt to break through the thin part of the encirclement also ended in failure. Gilbert finally realized that something was wrong and carefully observed the surroundings. He could only figure out the reason after watching for a while. ¡®It seems like the encirclement itself is alive and moving. And they are supporting each other by alternating between attack and defense without any waste.¡¯ As he thought, the Sharnos knights¡¯ encirclement was moving like one body, replenishing their strength wherever it was thin. This series of movements was so fast and swift that it felt like they had twice as many as them. And they were constantly moving around, making it impossible for them to tell where their main force was. ¡°Cough¡­¡± Gilbert had been leading the Golden Lion Knights for over a decade, fighting in battles. He groaned as he realized that breaking this encirclement was no easy task. ¡®This is a very borate formation. Where did they learn such a method?¡¯ *** ¡°Formation?¡± ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s a way of arranging the troops more finely than the usual formations.¡± Here, Jegal Unhyeon puffed up his chest proudly. ¡°Fortunately, our Jegal family has many people who are good at military tactics and formations, even though our martial arts are weaker than other four great martial arts families.¡± Eurius tilted his head after hearing the brief exnation. Could they fill the gap in their strength just by forming a formation? ¡®Help open¡¯ [Formation ¨C Basically, it refers to the three elements of heaven, earth, and human, and more broadly, the nine pces, the trigrams, etc¡­] ¡®What kind of nonsense is this?¡¯ It seemed to be a method that contained some profound (?) principles, but he couldn¡¯t ess more detailed information with the help function. Hmm [Check out X Martial Arts Wiki.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Hwangryong Sword seemed to be nagging him again, but he couldn¡¯t understand what it meant either. ¡®Anyway, it sounds unpleasant.¡¯ ng! Eurius lightly stabbed his sword into the muddy ground and opened his mouth. ¡°Can you exin more about this formation?¡± Jegal Unhyeon dly exined. ¡°There are two main types of formation. The first one is to avoid interfering with each other when attacking together.¡± This method was the simplest form of formation. If they coordinated their movements when facing a smaller number of enemies, they could maximize the effect of their attack. ¡°Isn¡¯t this method also used in the Western Continent?¡± ¡°We learn how to synchronize with each other when we join the knight order. But isn¡¯t that just a way of surrounding them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! But what I rmend is the second method, which is a bit more difficult to get used to.¡± The second method was the one that could make the power of the formation vary greatly depending on thepletion and the members of the formation. ¡°It¡¯s to move the remaining troops ording to the master who is the core of the formation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference from the first method?¡± ¡°If you train properly, you can increase your strength by two or three times depending on the ability of the master who is the center. But there is a drawback!¡± That drawback was that they needed an outstanding martial artist who could be the core of the formation. And if that core fell, the formation could copse and the troops could be destroyed in an instant. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time and the knights of the Western Continent are not familiar with formations. So I¡¯m going to teach you a basic formation that starts with the most basic three elements.¡± ¡°Three elements mean heaven, earth, and human?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a symbolic meaning. Since there is a number three in it, there must be three axes in the formation. That is, three supreme masters have to be the pirs of the formation.¡± ¡°Supreme masters mean master-level knights at least.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And they have to understand formations in a short time, so they need outstanding talent as well.¡± Even though it was a basic formation, it required a lot of practice to set up the axes and move them wlessly. And since they had to change their positions constantly, it also consumed a lot of stamina. All of the group battles that Sharnos Knight Order had received so far were for getting used to formations. And the most important thing was the three axes needed for formations. *** ¡°This is crazy. If only one of those three falls, we can make our way out.¡± Soon after, Gilbert noticed that this formation was revolving around three knights. In fact, those three were moving diligently to maintain the encirclement. Gilbert also tried hard to gather his elites and make a hole in the formation, but every time those three appeared like ghosts and helped out, he failed. ¡®One of them is weaker than me and Hendriks. I¡¯ll target him.¡¯ His eyes sharpened and turned to one side. He had set his target. ¡°You bastard!¡± Gilbert quickly closed the distance with his target. He swung his sword with a fierce look in his eyes, determined to catch the knight he had chosen. ng! The opponent exchanged swords with him a few times and then staggered back as if he was pushed back by his strength. ¡®Now¡¯s my chance!¡¯ Gilbert smiled triumphantly. As expected, one of them was not strong enough to face him head-on. Wasn¡¯t it Sharnos Knight Order¡¯s biggest weakness that they had few knights? But his carelessness brought a fatal mistake. As he confidently rushed towards his opponent again, a cold sword light shed in front of his eyes. Swoosh. ¡°¡­!?¡± Surprisingly, the sword of the opponent who seemed to have retreated cut through Gilbert¡¯s attack like a ghost and grazed his chest. Ssh! Gilbert¡¯s chest split open and blood spurted out. ¡°Cough!¡± He had no choice but to retreat with a groan. His expression also turned gloomy. He couldn¡¯t think of any way to break through this strange formation now that he was injured. ¡®This is the worst. I didn¡¯t know he was such a skilled knight.¡¯ On the other hand, the knight who inflicted a deep wound on Gilbert was also sweating coldly. ¡®That was really dangerous. If he hadn¡¯t let his guard down at thest moment, I would have been done and the formation would have copsed.¡¯ His identity was none other than Kains. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Beatrice finally ran over to him. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Cains answered with a stiff voice. Thanks to the special training, he had been beaten up by her so many times that he felt a chill down his spine just by hearing her voice. ¡°If you¡¯re in danger, ask for help.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± There were a few more minor crises after that, but Kains managed to survive them and breathed a sigh of relief inside. ¡®Phew¡­ If it weren¡¯t for His Grace gift, I would have died several times in this battle.¡¯ That¡¯s how the Golden Lion Knights, who were the pride of Grand Duke, were slowly crumbling inside the encirclement of the formation. ¡°But I have one question¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already have enough strength in your army? Why do you gamble by making them learn formations?¡± Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s question was natural. If he mobilized the masters of Jegal family together, he wouldn¡¯t have to bother with formations to annihte the Golden Lion Knights. Eurius smiled slyly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about formations as you don¡¯t know about knights.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°My knight order lost to them in the group battle of thest martial arts tournament. And there are many who me themselves for receiving the excessive name of Sharnos.¡± ¡°You mean revenge for their defeat?¡± Eurius shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s only half right. The other half is the honor as a knight.¡± ¡°Honor?¡± ¡°Grand Duke will be destroyed anyway. This is theirst chance to redeem their defeat. But if they work with outsiders, what will happen to their morale?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You seem to understand roughly.¡± Jegal Unhyeon couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly at Eurius¡¯ answer. ¡®They and I seem to have a good lord.¡¯ Chapter 112: Reality and Illusion Chapter 112: Reality and Illusion ¡°Judging by the look on his face, they must have done well.¡± Eurius finished his brief reminiscence and looked at the Grand Duke in front of him. ¡°This is really yourst chance. If you surrender, I will spare your honor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Grand Duke silently drew his sword again. His face was still twisted, but he did not think that he could not escape from here. ¡®I did well to visit that clown for a contingency.¡¯ He did not want to use them if possible, because they were too suspicious to show publicly, but the situation was his absolute disadvantage. He had to get out of here by mobilizing all his avable forces. The Grand Duke slightly raised his left hand, which was not holding a sword. Then there was a small movement in the ranks of dius. ¡°¡­¡± The movement was caused by seven knights. But unlike the other knights of dius, they wore armor but had a sinister aura. A creepy blue light leaked from the gaps of their hoods, which covered their heads. Ding! [You have discovered the Knights of the Abyss.] [Your achievement increases.] [New information is added to the help.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius¡¯s face changed slightly when he heard the system message. Jegal Unhyeon also stiffened his expression a little. ¡°My lord. They are emitting an ominous magic.¡± ¡°I know.¡± [Knights of the Abyss] Strength: S Agility: A Dark Power: A+ [Traits] Spectral Body ¨C Their flesh is made of pure dark energy. You can only damage them with force. Regeneration ¨C They can heal their bodies with their power. ¡®I¡¯ll tie up the most skilled one first.¡¯ As the Grand Duke gestured, the seven knights began to approach Jegal Unhyeon. A master recognizes a master. The Grand Duke had been observing him carefully from before to restrain him. ¡°If you want to destroy them, you have to hit them with pure force as much as possible. Otherwise, they will regenerate.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen all kinds of weirdos since I came to this continent. I got it.¡± Jegal Unhyeon quickly flew to the left side of the hall after hearing Eurius¡¯s advice. ¡°¡­¡± The Knights of the Abyss also slid towards him like ghosts. But Jegal Unhyeon would not just watch them. ¡°You¡¯re too slow.¡± Kwaaaa! His spear whipped like a snake and attacked them in turn. The shadow of his spear, which stretched out at a terrifying speed, drew an arc and pierced all seven of them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! Do I have to pulverize them so they can¡¯t regenerate?¡± Jegal Unhyeon clicked his tongue. He had not only pierced their armor, but also tore apart the left wall of the hall with the aftermath of his powerful attack, but the Knights of the Abyss¡¯s bodies only had holes for a moment and soon filled them with ck energy. On top of that, they rushed at him with a fierce blue light in their eyes. Even for a master like Jegal Unhyeon, it was hard to settle quickly when they attacked him with such reckless momentum relying on their regeneration. ¡°My lord! It seems to take some time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this side and be careful.¡± Eurius did not look very flustered, but his inner feelings were slightly different. ¡®Indeed¡­ They must have prepared well to catch me.¡¯ He also felt that his biggest force, Jegal Unhyeon, was temporarily blocked. ¡®He must have some connection with the Order after all.¡¯ ¡°Nuada, it¡¯s a little different from what we expected, but let¡¯s stick to the n. Support the knights. I want to minimize the sacrifice.¡± ¡°Is that so? I wanted to fight with that old man too. What a pity.¡± Nuada moved aside with a sigh and flew towards where the royal knights were. The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes shed when he saw him. ¡®Does that bastard think he can stop me alone?¡¯ He originally expected to face both of them. But judging by the situation, it seemed that the first prince wanted to confront him alone. But the Grand Duke¡¯s decision was quick in this urgent situation. ¡®No matter how much he flies high, it¡¯s impossible for him to stop me one-on-one. I have to capture or kill him quickly and escape.¡¯ ¡°Attack!¡± As he said that, dius clenched their teeth and blocked the royal knights. Even if they were inferior in strength, they were still elite among elites. It was not impossible for them to hold on. And they had faith in the Grand Duke that was almost like a religion. ¡®The Grand Duke will quickly defeat anyone who opposes him and open our way out.¡¯ In fact, the Grand Duke felt that there was no need for unnecessary talk anymore and pointed his sword at Eurius. ¡®Eek!¡¯ Eurius quickly slid to the side. He barely dodged it, but instead the throne behind him waspletely shattered. Crack! With that sound, the vast hall turned into a bloody battlefield in an instant. The battle took ce in three ces. At the south where the entrance of the hall was, dius vs. the royal knights! At the west, Jegal Unhyeon was surrounded by the Knights of the Abyss. And at the north where the throne was, the Grand Duke attacked Eurius with a terrifying killing intent. ¡®It¡¯s impossible to avoid any more.¡¯ The Grand Duke ran at him like a storm, so Eurius also drew his sword and faced him. Kwaaaaang! A loud noise erupted from the center where their swords collided, and not only the throne, which was already battered, but also the splendid structures on the ceiling and walls were all broken. When the sight that was hidden by the debris and dust was revealed, the result of the first sh was shown. ¡°Cough! I¡¯ll charge you for the repair costster.¡± ¡°Are you still making jokes in this situation?¡± Eurius had blood on his mouth, as if he was injured, and the Grand Duke was rtively fine, except for some dust on him. Eurius grumbled and raised his sword again. ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t beat him head-on? He¡¯s still an old man who has a lot of strength.¡¯ In a sh of strength and strength, Eurius was at a disadvantage. But the Grand Duke, who had a cold sneer on his face, was also quite surprised inside. ¡®Using his power to swing his sword with full force, he blocked my attack to that extent? Maybe I should give up on capturing him.¡¯ It was something that was impossible in hismon sense, considering Eurius¡¯s age and the Grand Duke¡¯s martial prowess. The Grand Duke¡¯s family had a power called the Extreme Sword, but in fact, his true specialty was not the petty tricks of measuring here and there, but pure closebat. The reason was the power he obtained after bing a superhuman. [Adamantine Body]. Just by hearing the name, one might not understand what was so special about a power that simply enhanced the body, but the Grand Duke¡¯s true valuey here. In fact, Eurius had never shed swords directly with the Grand Duke before, but he realized painfully from the first collision why he was called the empire¡¯s best knight. ¡®I can¡¯t believe his basic physical abilities are better than mine, who has various characteristics of a yer.¡¯ Enhancing the body meant that the body¡¯s reinforcement by force was also more efficient. In addition, he could withstand the bacsh that came when he excessively injected force into his body or weapon. The strength of the body that Adamantine Body referred to was not just the flesh or skin, but also the muscles, blood vessels, and bones of the whole body, making them stronger than steel. Moreover, thanks to the simple effect of enhancing the body, he wasted less force. Since it was not a way of raising his strength momentarily, he probably had enough stamina left even if he poured out a powerful offensive for three days and nights. In short, he was just purely strong, without any weaknesses. ¡®I guess I have to stick to the n. It¡¯s suicidal to confront him head-on.¡¯ ¡®I have to cut off his breath as soon as possible.¡¯ The two quickly racked their brains and flew towards each other again. But this time, the result was different. ¡°¡­!?¡± The Grand Duke felt Eurius¡¯s presence disappear momentarily, but after catching it with his senses, he swung his sword again. Bang! Eurius was pushed back by the force again and retreated. But he failed to deliver a decisive blow. Swoosh His body disappeared again as if it had gone out, and the Grand Duke couldn¡¯t pinpoint his location urately. Then Eurius¡¯s intangible sword slid like a ghost and shed at the Grand Duke¡¯s waist. ¡°Where did you get that trick!¡± ng! The Grand Duke let out a rare roar and repelled the attack again. But he couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious inside. The first prince was holding on better than expected. But he didn¡¯t know why. ¡®His strength, speed, and swordsmanship are all inferior to mine, but that bastard doesn¡¯t give up easily.¡¯ ¡®As expected, I was right. The Grand Duke is strong in both offense and defense without any gaps, but hecks a decisive blow.¡¯ As expected, the Grand Duke was hard to find an equal in frontalbat due to his power¡¯s characteristics, but hecked unexpectedness that could create a decisive gap like Nuada¡¯s destruction or Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s space distortion. In fact, Eurius¡¯s goal was not to defeat him head-on. If that were possible, wouldn¡¯t he have challenged him to a duel long ago? Even if his skills were improving rapidly, there was still a big gap between him and Jegal Unhyeon, just like the Grand Duke was one of the top martial artists in the Western Continent. ¡®But there are many people who will help meter in this ce.¡¯ Fortunately, after acquiring Sword Fusion, he had also improved a lot from being a mediocre martial artist. In addition, he also advanced his way of using his characteristics. He wasn¡¯t ying around while training the knights. He had entered a new realm, so naturally he had to train for a short time to get used to it. Among them, there was one thing that he achieved the most. *** His real enlightenment began with a question that Jegal Unhyeon asked him with a curious expression one day. ¡°But what about your power¡­ Aren¡¯t you abusing it too much?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When you fight, you always hide your presence and fight. But if you do that, it might be easier for experts above a certain level to detect you.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯ve been feeling something wrong with this powertely.¡± Eurius felt a bit unfair. The biggest advantage of his power was hiding his presence, but even among superhumans in the upper ranks, they could block his attacks even if he hid his presence. In other words, it wasn¡¯t very useful when facing true experts. Hmm. [Massacre Tool for Commoners.] He didn¡¯t know what this damn sword was saying, but it was clear that it was mocking him. But Jegal Unhyeon shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your power. You just don¡¯t know when to use it properly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the concept of real and fake attacks.¡± ¡°Fake attacks?¡± Jegal Unhyeon looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded as if he understood. ¡°Now that I think about it, all the knights I¡¯ve seen in the Western Continent focus on learning swordsmanship that emphasizes strength. It¡¯s understandable that you don¡¯t know that.¡± He began to exin. ¡°It¡¯s not just strength and speed that make up swordsmanship. Especially if you have a power that can make unconventional attacks like you, it¡¯s better to focus on change rather than strength!¡± *** The Grand Duke looked around with an anxious expression. He wasposed, but the situation around him was the problem. ¡®It¡¯s going to be tough at this rate.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Seven of the Abyss Knights had already been destroyed. Jegal Unhyeon hadpletely pulverized them without giving them a chance to regenerate. The remaining four were also in an uncertain situation. ¡°Kraaak!¡± The situation in the south was worse. It was natural, since there were two superhumans on the other side. Just now, one of them was turned into dust after taking Nuada¡¯s fist head-on. The dius, which had been over a hundred strong, had already fallen by half. He should have subdued Eurius before this happened, but he failed. ng! The Grand Duke caught a subtle presence again and swung his sword, but as soon as the sword collided, Eurius was already gone from there. And before he knew it, he reappeared andunched a powerful strike from the front. Boom! This was the concept of real and fake attacks that Jegal Unhyeon had talked about. ¡®It¡¯s not just about being fast and strong, right?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s sword sometimes swung honestly, but sometimes it targeted the Grand Duke¡¯s blind spots like a snake hunting its prey. Whenbined with his characteristic of hiding his presence, it made it difficult for the Grand Duke to rush in recklessly and suffer a loss. In fact, Eurius, who was inferior to the Grand Duke in both strength and speed, was already full of minor injuries all over his body from the first collision. But it wasn¡¯t a wound that madebat impossible. The Grand Duke bit his lip. ¡®I have to make a decision. If I dy any longer, it will be irreversible.¡¯ Eurius couldn¡¯t subdue him right now, but if one superhuman came to rescue him, it would be hard to even escape. As he looked around, his reaction speed to Eurius¡¯s attacks began to slow down. Bang! For the first time, the Grand Duke staggered back from Eurius¡¯s attack. He attacked from the front and then suddenly appeared behind his back, making his reaction a stepte. Soon, his cold face began to show signs of impatience. ¡®I have to end this quickly. It¡¯s only a matter of time before help arrives.¡¯ Chapter 113: The Secret of the Grand Duke Chapter 113: The Secret of the Grand Duke The interior of the pce had lost its former grandeur and splendor, reduced to almost ruins by dust and debris. Especially near the entrance, where arge-scale battle was taking ce, the scene was like hell, filled with the screams and shouts of the knights, and the sounds of swords shing. Kwaang! ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Every time a fragment flew towards them, most of the servants who followed the emperor had to shrink their bodies in fear. ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s dangerous, please move back a little¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, all of you! I¡¯m concentrating!¡± But the emperor shouted angrily, trying to focus his eyes on the dust-covered pce. He didn¡¯t have to worry much about the south, where his forces were overwhelming. Originally, Eurius had risked his life to send Nuada to the knights because protecting the emperor was his top priority. Of course, when he first brought up the idea, the emperor was reluctant. ¡°You¡¯re going to face the Grand Duke alone? Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°I think I have to do that. We don¡¯t know what tricks the Grand Duke will pull, so we need at least one superhuman to pay attention to your security.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor agreed, but he looked unhappy. The purpose of this n was to reveal the Grand Duke¡¯s treason to his servants. It was to show them undeniable evidence that would silence the nobles who followed him. In fact, the nobles who followed the Grand Duke looked gloomy and shrunk their bodies even more. ¡®Did I choose the wrong side? How can he rebel against the emperor, even if he is the Grand Duke? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®This is crazy. Is this going to be another bloody purge?¡¯ But the emperor had no time to care about them. He was watching the center of the pce, where Eurius was. It was hard to identify them with his eyes because they were superhumans fighting fiercely, but it was clear from their movements that Eurius was being pushed back by the Grand Duke. ¡®He seems to be holding on well for now, but that bastard doesn¡¯t have a scratch on him.¡¯ As he said, Eurius hadrge and small sword wounds all over his body, and blood stains were visible on his lips as if he had internal injuries, but the Grand Duke was fine without any serious injuries. No wonder the emperor felt angry. It would take some more time to suppress the other side and go to help Eurius. ¡°Hmm?¡± The emperor¡¯s expression changed slightly. The fierce battle in the center suddenly stopped. Eurius and the Grand Duke suddenly backed away from each other as if they had agreed. *** ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at the Grand Duke with a puzzled expression after backing away. The Grand Duke, who had been attacking him relentlessly, suddenly retreated. ¡®What is he up to? He¡¯s not going to surrender, is he?¡¯ He must have been very angry, because he spat out his words with a bitter tone. ¡°I admit that I underestimated you. This situation was beyond my expectations.¡± ¡°So? Are you finally going to surrender?¡± Eurius pretended to be calm on the outside, but he felt bitter when he saw the Grand Duke without a scratch. ¡®Damn old man. He didn¡¯t earn his title of Sword Saint by gambling.¡¯ He was momentarily shaken by the unexpected situation, but the Grand Duke quickly recovered hisposure as a veteran knight and attacked him again. He was barely holding on thanks to his characteristics, but he doubted if he could defeat the Grand Duke even if there were two of him. ¡®But I can hold on until reinforcements arrive.¡¯ He forced himself to smile casually, hoping to make the Grand Duke more anxious. If one of the battles in the pce ended, he could turn the tide in an instant. ¡®I need to buy more time.¡¯ By chance, Eurius had many questions for the Grand Duke. He would wee it if he gave up and wanted to talk. ¡°Let me ask you something if you want to stop fighting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But the Grand Duke remained silent for a moment and then slowly answered. ¡°If you have any questions, you can ask me after you defeat me face-to-face.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He didn¡¯t say much, but he was ten times more bitter than Eurius. The current situation touched his inferiorityplex. His eyes red at Eurius with rage. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I have to use this trick to catch a brat who is half my age¡­¡¯ Kwaang! Suddenly, an overwhelming aura burst out from him. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius looked at him with a curious expression. There was something suspicious about the Grand Duke¡¯s condition. [Fried Wilhelm] Disposition: Cold, Ambitious Current State: Inferiority, Anger ¡®What kind of inferiorityplex does he have? He was overpowering me until a moment ago.¡¯ Well, maybe it was because he was young. But what really surprised Eurius was that the Grand Duke¡¯s current state was simr to a [skill] that he knew. Boom! The ground where the Grand Duke stomped his foot sank in a circle. His movement was so threatening that it seemed to break the ground. And it wasn¡¯t just his strength. He was so fast that his body stretched out like an afterimage and rushed towards Eurius. ¡®Damn!¡¯ He was caught off guard and reactedte. It was toote to dodge or deflect his attack! Eurius had no choice but to defend himself as best as he could. First, he raised his White Tiger Protection to the maximum. He also used Distortion to alter the trajectory of the attack and prepare for the impact. Finally, he confronted the Grand Duke¡¯s strike with his Intangible Sword. The moment their swords collided, a deafening explosion shook the pce. Kwaang! But even that effort was in vain, as the Grand Duke¡¯s strike sent Eurius flying in one blow. He broke the pirs of the pce and flew back dozens of meters before crashing into the wall. ¡°Cough cough!¡± Eurius spat out a mouthful of ck blood. He avoided being split in half thanks to his desperate defense, but his insides were a mess. ¡®The internal injuries are worse than I thought. I was stunned by the unexpected situation.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t have time to heal himself. The Grand Duke seemed to be in a hurry and charged at him again. ¡°First Prince Your Highness!¡± ¡°Master!¡± The collision was so violent that everyone in the pce turned their eyes to them. It was obvious that Eurius was in a life-and-death crisis. Crash! Another violent explosion erupted. But could Eurius, who couldn¡¯t withstand the attack of the Grand Duke even when his body was rtively intact, survive this time? The emperor and Eurius¡¯s allies all turned pale. Soon, the dust from the copsed wall cleared and revealed the situation on Eurius¡¯s side. First, it was the Grand Duke who was staring at the wall where Eurius was buried. He was confident of his victory in his mind. ¡®He even used an iplete secret technique, but he must have been reduced to dust at least to the point where he can¡¯t move.¡¯ And if he threatened the emperor with the first prince as a hostage, he could easily return to his territory and seize the opportunity to recover. ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But the Grand Duke doubted his eyes for a moment. It was because Eurius walked out of the wall slowly, spitting blood. And then he smiled slightly as if he felt relieved and opened his mouth. ¡°I have one more question for you, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He lost his words. The aura that Eurius exuded was familiar to the Grand Duke. [Skill Overheat is activated. ording to the skill effect, the rank of Force increases from S+ to SS+.] [You are receiving the fusion effect of Death God¡¯s de. The duration is slightly increased. The bacsh after use is reduced.] ¡°How did you, first prince?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s face, which had beenpletely shattered, asked incredulously. But what was more curious was rather on Eurius¡¯s side. How did the Grand Duke learn this skill? ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I should ask? Do you have any connection with the yer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s face became stiff again as if he had put on an iron mask. And he quickly rushed towards Eurius again. ¡®I have to finish this in time!¡¯ ¡®No way.¡¯ The skill that temporarily increased Force greatly gave him a huge boost in strength for a moment, but the side effects were too severe to use it unless necessary. He didn¡¯t use it this time because he knew well that he couldn¡¯t defeat the Grand Duke even if he became stronger for a few minutes. Rather, it would be a bigger loss in the long run if he suffered severe internal injuries from the bacsh. But since the Grand Duke used such a skill first, it was a different story. The situation was exactly the same as before. The skill that the Grand Duke used, which was presumed to be Overheat, seemed to be slightly inferior to Eurius¡¯s skill in terms of amplification, but his basic skills were still superior. ¡®But I can maintain the same level of resistance as before.¡¯ A few minutes passed like that. The Grand Duke, who had been overwhelming Eurius all along, suddenly backed away. ¡®This is a bit bad. How could I make such a mistake here¡­¡¯ The Grand Duke regained his calm expression, but hisplexion had already turned pale. The bacsh of forcibly increasing Force was finallying. And the price was much worse than Eurius¡¯s. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± Thud! First, his whole body muscles and bones screamed. His secret technique Diamond Body gained overwhelming power and speed by enduring more than the limit of Force. But there was also a limit to strengthening the body. So his body began to copse from overloading Force. Not to mention the internal injuries that were inherent in Overheat. On the other hand, Eurius still had some time left. Thanks to his diligent efforts to raise achievements and collect the yer¡¯s legacy. ¡®You dug your own grave by trying to get rid of me quickly.¡¯ His judgment was off, but not wrong. The Grand Duke¡¯s attack that increased Force and rushed in just now was really scary. If Eurius didn¡¯t have the same skill, he would have been subdued or killed by his two attacks that blew him away at first. But it didn¡¯t mean that the Grand Duke waspletely powerless when the bacsh came. The gap in their skills was still insurmountable. [Remaining duration of Overheat 60 seconds] Eurius sighed as he checked the remaining time on one side of his vision. ¡®I¡¯ll be in real trouble after a minute. I have to find a way out somehow.¡¯ The Grand Duke was not in afortable situation either. The price of increasing Force recklessly was eating away at his body every moment. ¡®I can¡¯t fight for long. I have to end this in one go.¡¯ Chapter 114: One-on-one Chapter 114: One-on-one As the fight between Grand Duke and Eurius reached its climax, the situation of the battle was also gradually settled. ng! Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s spear shredded thest remaining knight of the abyss. It was a powerful blow that could not be healed by regeneration. ¡®I have to go to my lord. They were really annoying.¡¯ They had not only high regeneration, but also clung to him so persistently that it was hard to find a chance to get away. He didn¡¯t even have time to celebrate his victory, as he tried to fly to the center of the battle. But at that moment, he tilted his head. ¡°Huh?¡± Contrary to his expectation, Eurius was not in a situation where his neck would fall off at any moment. Of course, Eurius, who was covered in blood, was being pushed back, but it was not as one-sided as before. ¡®Maybe I can still trust my lord.¡¯ For now, he decided to watch for a while, ready to jump in at any time. In the worst case scenario, he could save Eurius¡¯s life if he intervened. ¡®Fighting against a superior warrior is a good opportunity to break new ground! My lord seems tock enlightenmentpared to his potential. Maybe he can gain some insight this time.¡¯ He made a very oriental warrior-like judgment. He thought it would be rude to interfere in this golden opportunity(?). But Eurius, who was barely holding on, was really miserable. ¡®No, if they¡¯re done, they should hurry up and run over. Why are they just staring at me!¡¯ [Remaining duration of Overheat: 30 seconds] He was burning inside, but Grand Duke seemed to have different thoughts. Swish! He briefly made a surprised expression and backed away. He was also injured all over his body from forcing his copsing body to move. Grand Duke opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°First Prince¡­ Did you really think you could fight me one-on-one and win?¡± He had almost given up on escaping and was only thinking of somehow catching Eurius. But if another superhuman joined in, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. But unexpectedly, the one who looked like Eurius¡¯s subordinate was only watching silently and not helping. ¡®There¡¯s no way!¡¯ Eurius frowned inwardly. He didn¡¯t know what Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s intention was, but would he really leave him to die? ¡°Think whatever you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that curt answer, Grand Duke fell silent for a moment and then raised his sword again. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you how you knew about the yer or how you found out. It¡¯s not important anymore.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius widened his eyes, not understanding Grand Duke¡¯s intention at all. He looked like he had something heavy on his mind, but he couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. ¡°Then I¡¯ll face you with this swordsmanship, even if it¡¯s iplete. Get ready.¡± Swoosh. Grand Duke held his sword with both hands and took a stance. Just by doing that, a different aura than before flowed out of him. If he felt an explosive power from him before, now his eyes and aura were calm and serene. Eurius broke out in a cold sweat inside. ¡®This is really dangerous.¡¯ His sense as a warrior warned him. He didn¡¯t know why Grand Duke was doing this, but Grand Duke still had a trick up his sleeve. ¡®How far are Nuada and the Imperial Guard?¡¯ He nced at the south for a moment and almost made an incredulous expression. The fight there had stopped altogether. dius had lost more than half of its members, but their attention was all focused on the center of the battle. The emperor and Nuada also stopped fighting and looked at him with expectant eyes. ¡®Eurius has some trick up his sleeve against that guy. He¡¯s fighting against Grand Duke at that age. He¡¯s really something.¡¯ In fact, when Eurius flew back earlier, the Imperial Guard tried to rush over even if it was risky, but the emperor stopped them. He remembered Eurius¡¯s words from before very well. ¡°I have enough power to hold off Grand Duke with my own strength.¡± Because of that remark, the emperor misunderstood him a little. And weren¡¯t the superhumans who had finished their battles not rushing over either? But Nuada didn¡¯t rush over because he was swept away by the atmosphere. ¡®My friend asked me for salvation, but looking at the situation now, it¡¯s not an intervention duel. After all, it¡¯s a one-on-one match between warlords. There¡¯s no need to do such ame thing.¡¯ The servants who were watching the situation from outside the battle, especially the nobles, were shocked. ¡°The First Prince was hiding his skills. He established a war college while hiding his skills. He¡¯s really scary.¡± ¡°But can he defeat Grand Duke? He¡¯s not an ordinary person¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius was speechless with frustration. Grand Duke was creating a needless atmosphere and everyone misunderstood him. ¡®I¡¯d rather be in a desperate situation like before, then they would havee quickly. This backfired.¡¯ [The duration of Overheat is over. If you don¡¯t release it, you may damage the core.] ¡®Keep it for now.¡¯ Eurius had no choice but to take a stance as well. ¡°You seem to be ready too.¡± Grand Duke still maintained a calm expression and uttered a short word. It looked like a solemn scene where two superhumans were preparing for the final showdown with serious expressions, but Eurius was very tense. ¡®He¡¯s not kidding. If I¡¯m not careful, my neck might fly off before anyone intervenes.¡¯ ¡®Even if I can¡¯t escape after this duel, killing the First Prince here will fulfill part of my wish.¡¯ Was it a case of different dreams in the same bed? They hadpletely different thoughts as Grand Duke¡¯s sword moved first. Swoosh! It was different from his previous powerful aura. Eurius hastily stepped back as he saw the smooth sword. nk! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®What is this?¡¯ He felt a chill in his chest as he was cut by the cold de. It was partly because Grand Duke¡¯s swordsmanship waspletely different from before, but also because he had seen that swordsmanship somewhere before. Swoosh. But he didn¡¯t have time to think about it. Grand Duke shed his sword diagonally again. Blood spurted from Eurius¡¯s shoulder again. ¡®This is definitely the swordsmanship of the Grand Master that I saw in the Imperial Pce report.¡¯ The swordsmanship that Grand Duke was showing now was exactly the same as the one that dominated hundreds of meters of space and turned a dense forest into a logging site in an instant. It was stealthy and fast! Above all, there was no trace or trajectory of the sword swinging, and the attack came across the space in a single breath, making it too difficult to block. He somehow avoided fatal wounds twice, but the third one aimed at his neck. [Right.] ng! ¡°¡­!?¡± Grand Duke showed a slightly surprised expression. He thought he would at least inflict a wound, even if he couldn¡¯tpletely cut off his neck, but Eurius blocked his sword as if he had foreseen it in advance. ¡®Was it a coincidence?¡¯ [Left waist, right ankle and knee.] ng! ng! But it wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Eurius blocked Grand Duke¡¯s sword like a ghost. ¡®How can this swordsmanship be so easily blocked?¡¯ Grand Duke¡¯s calm momentum was momentarily shaken. But soon he regained hisposure and moved his sword calmly again. On the other hand, Eurius sighed with relief and looked at the sword in his hand. ¡®This damn sword is ticking, but it does help when it needs to, huh?¡¯ The reason why he seemed to easily block Grand Duke¡¯s attack was thanks to the Yellow Dragon Sword¡¯s foresight. ¡®I don¡¯t know how he learned the swordsmanship of the Great Emperor, but it¡¯s worth a try in this situation!¡¯ If he could read where the sword was aiming in advance, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to counterattack as well as defend? On top of that, the Yellow Dragon Sword also gave him this help. [Center, weak point.] Shriek! In an instant, Eurius¡¯s thrust broke through Grand Duke¡¯s offensive in one breath. Grand Duke quickly defended his chest area, but was pushed back by the momentum. Bang! ¡°Cough!¡± As soon as the explosion sounded, Grand Duke staggered back. His expression, which had been calm, gradually turned into doubt and astonishment. ¡°¡­!?¡± *** Jegal Unhyeon watched their duel with a rare expression of astonishment. ¡®I had a hunch, but I didn¡¯t know there was such a master in the Western Continent.¡¯ The swordsmanship that Grand Duke was showing now was soplex that even he couldn¡¯t confidently guarantee defense. But what was more surprising was Eurius¡¯s response. ¡®It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? My lord shouldn¡¯t have reached that level yet, but he¡¯s too easily handling it.¡¯ As he said, the situation in the arena was Eurius¡¯s one-sided advantage. Except for a few times when he grazed at first, he was rather blocking the opponent¡¯s sword unterally and pushing him back. If his martial arts were inferior to his opponent, there was only one conclusion for that case. ¡®Either the side that is being pushed back has an iplete swordsmanship or my lord already knows how to break all the sword paths, one of the two,¡¯ And there were people who watched their battle with surprise from the south of Daegon as well. ¡°Tsk! That Eurius bastard was hiding his skills from me too.¡± ¡°When this incident is over, His Majesty¡¯s reputation will spread throughout the continent.¡± The emperor and the knights who were Eurius¡¯s allies were surprised but also pleased, while the nobles were gaping with their jaws dropped. ¡°His Majesty the First Prince is pushing back His Majesty Grand Duke?¡± ¡°How did this happen?¡± It was something they couldn¡¯t imagine at all from Grand Duke¡¯s reputation that spread throughout the continent. *** ng! ¡®There¡¯s no answer. He¡¯s reading mepletely.¡¯ Grand Duke bit his lip as his sword was blocked again and received Eurius¡¯s counterattack. He had brought out his trump card, but he was rather being pushed back. It was something he couldn¡¯t understand with hismon sense. ¡®I can¡¯t lose here. Not here¡­¡¯ He squeezed out hisst strength and prepared for his best attack. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius, who had been pushing Grand Duke for a while, tensed up. Grand Duke¡¯s momentum, which had been calm regardless of his emotions, became even more serene. This was a sure sign that a more terrifying attack woulde. Swoosh! Soon Grand Duke released his momentum that he had gathered quietly in one go. It sounded like a downpour as Grand Duke¡¯s sword split into dozens and aimed at Eurius¡¯s whole body. Just as a gentle breeze turned into a fierce storm that destroyed buildings and uprooted trees, Grand Duke¡¯s attack had a fearsome power. [It¡¯s sloppy, right upper beam.] But the Yellow Dragon Sword, which had been silent except for giving advice until then, suddenly criticized harshly. ¡®That¡¯s harsh. I honestly wouldn¡¯t dare to do such an attack.¡¯ Eurius wondered about that while following the direction that the Yellow Dragon Sword told him and shed with all his strength. Kwaaang! The moment a deafening explosion hit Daegon again, everyone¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t leave thisst sh. Eurius had the upper hand, but Grand Duke¡¯sst momentum was so intense. ¡®What¡¯s the result?¡¯ ng! ¡°Cough!¡± Eurius, whose arm and shoulder had be ragged, groaned and wrapped his right arm and retreated. ¡°Ah!¡± His appearance made the emperor and the knights worry for a moment. But that was only for a moment. ¡°¡­¡± ng! Grand Duke, who had been standing still with a calm momentum, had his chest deeply shed diagonally and blood spurted out. He had suffered a deep sword wound that almost exposed his bones and organs. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± He writhed in pain, but he didn¡¯t show any resentment. Rather, he looked at Eurius with a regretful expression. ¡°I lost.¡± [Overheat release.] ¡°Cough!¡± Eurius, who spat out blood again and suffered a severe internal injury, was not in a good condition either, but he still had the strength to hold his sword. But that wasn¡¯t important. He had a lot to ask Grand Duke now. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡± Grand Duke, who barely stood up again with a deep wound, closed his eyes quietly. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to end up like this. It¡¯s really pathetic.¡¯ ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Chapter 115: I kept my promise. Chapter 115: I kept my promise. ng! Time rewound briefly to the moment when thest remaining Abyss Knight was crushed by Jegal Woonhyun. ¡°Ugh!¡± The man in the golden mask staggered and groaned. He clutched his head with one hand, as if his brain was being torn apart by a severe headache. The room where the man was located was quite far from the capital of the empire, but he was affected by the aftermath of his summoned creatures being annihted, since he was linked to them by mana. ¡°Master! Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man silently waved his hand, preventing his subordinates from supporting him. And he grumbled inwardly. ¡®These bastards, they can¡¯t even eat what I feed them. Well, I admit this was a bit of an exceptional situation.¡¯ The man shook his head vigorously to shake off the pain and resumed his observation. Even though his summoned creatures were reduced to dust to the point of being unable to fight, the link was notpletely severed. He had many things he could do as long as there was some mana left. *** As soon as the duel between Eurius and the Grand Duke ended, the situation of the battle was also decided. The faces of the knights belonging to dius were as dark as death. They hadpletely lost their will to fight. ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± The emperor ordered them to be captured and decided to watch the situation for a while. He should have rushed over and arrested the Grand Duke right away, but Eurius had signaled him to wait a moment with a wink. The Grand Duke still had his eyes slightly closed. ¡®What do you want to ask him?¡¯ Eurius had to think a little bit here. At first, when he returned to his childhood, he didn¡¯t have much thought. He thought that even if he were in the Grand Duke¡¯s position, he would want to make his nephew the emperor. ¡®But no matter how I think about it, that alone doesn¡¯t exin it.¡¯ There was another problem. It was well known that the Grand Duke¡¯s ancestor was a disciple of the Great Master, but how did he use the yer¡¯s skills? Numerous questions shed through Eurius¡¯ mind, but soon he opened his mouth. ¡°First of all, I want to know why you hate me so much. Did I do something to offend you when I was young?¡± This question included his doubts from his previous life. He could not ask about the yer-rted things right away because there were too many eyes watching, and the hostility that the Grand Duke showed him since he showed his talent after returning to his childhood was too suspicious to be simply a power struggle. The Grand Duke opened his eyes slightly and showed a hint of surprise in his pupils. ¡°You knew that too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Eurius nodded silently, the Grand Duke made a condition. ¡°Can you promise me something before I answer you?¡± ¡°What condition is that?¡± ¡°Second Prince Leonhardt has nothing to do with this. It was my own n. Can you spare his life?¡± ¡°I know that. I won¡¯t hold Leon ountable for this. I¡¯m sure Father knows it too.¡± The emperor did not want to eliminate Leonhardt either. He would not punish him for being involved in this matter. But Eurius added a word in his mind. ¡®As long as he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid.¡¯ When he got a confirmation from him, the Grand Duke opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s my little regret about the sword.¡± ¡°Regret?¡± Eurius asked back, and he frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know about my ancestor and dius?¡± ¡®Come to think of it, I should ask him about that too.¡¯ Eurius changed the topic. ¡°Then what about Illuminati and the cult?¡± ¡°Cult? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Only then did Eurius realize that they were not on the same page. The Grand Duke was not lying by looking at his condition. I t was fortunate that he was willing to answer him obediently. ¡°Then where did you get those strange monsters?¡± Eurius pointed to the fragments of the Abyss Knight that were shattered. The Grand Duke¡¯s answer was brief. ¡°ck market.¡± ¡®So Illuminati and the force that the Grand Duke mobilized are somehow different.¡¯ ¡°Then let me change the question! When did you join Illuminati? The secret force that is talked about in the royal family seems a bit different.¡± ¡°They contacted me after I inherited my title. The other forces too then¡­¡± Whirring! Suddenly, a violent vibration sound echoed in the battle area. The Grand Duke cut off his words when he noticed it. Screech! The source of the vibration was the fragments of the Abyss Knight that Eurius had pointed out earlier. The remains of the armor that were broken into hundreds and thousands of pieces scraped the floor incessantly and then rose into the air. ¡°¡­!?¡± The risen fragments flew towards the Grand Duke and Eurius at the speed of light and began to circle around them. Crack! The moment a fine crack appeared on the fragments, Eurius remembered something that had happened before. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ ¡°This is really bad luck, First Prince.¡± As soon as a crack appeared on the fragments, a familiar but very unpleasant voice rang in the Grand Duke¡¯s ear. ¡°You¡¯re trying to expose your partner, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The manughed as if he was enjoying himself. ¡°Don¡¯t you at least have to die with me? It was fun while itsted.¡± As he said that, the Grand Duke also slowly raised his sword again and aimed at Eurius. He had suffered a life-threatening injury, but he still had the strength to do that. ¡°But this is a good opportunity for me.¡± Rustle. As the Grand Duke spoke, the fragments finally turned to dust. And the room was filled with a dull explosion that deafened the ears. Boom! The floor of the battle area shook once more. The explosion that urred in the center was really terrifying. It was not only the explosion itself. The shockwave that followed swept across the entire battle area. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Carlos quickly erected a barrier to protect the emperor and his officials. ¡°Cough!¡± The knights also vomited blood from blocking the shockwave. It was a fierce explosion. It didn¡¯t matter that there were no deaths among those who were inside, since they were all outstanding knights! ¡°Eurius!¡± ¡°Master!¡± The battle area was already half-destroyed by the shockwave alone, but what had happened at the center of the explosion? Everyone in the room had no choice but to fix their eyes on the center of the explosion. Some, including the emperor who had forgotten his dignity, even ran towards that direction. They couldn¡¯t help but worry about Eurius¡¯ life or death. They pushed through the dust that had risen high from the explosion and approached the center. And when they reached a distance where they could identify with their eyes, they widened their eyes and looked for Eurius and the Grand Duke. ¡°Eurius?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite such a powerful explosion, the Grand Duke and Eurius were still standing in their original confrontation. Surprisingly, Eurius was not seriously injured. Of course, there was the previous fierce battle, and he was not unaffected by it. His clothes, which were already a mess, had almost turned into rags, but it was a very good resultpared to the power of the explosion. Eurius saw the emperor and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°I¡¯m fine. But the Grand Duke is dead.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as he confirmed Eurius¡¯ life or death, the emperor swept his chest and finally looked at the Grand Duke. He was still holding his sword upright and standing in a dignified posture, but if you looked closely, he was frozen without moving. He died in that posture. It was too pathetic for a warrior who hadpeted for the strongest in the continent. ¡°Hmm¡­ No matter how great he was, he couldn¡¯t survive with such a sword wound that made his guts spill out, and being caught in an explosion. Right?¡± The emperor also made aplicated expression with a groan. But he still couldn¡¯t believe his death, who had been his strongest enemy for his whole life. Eurius also opened his mouth with a stiff expression. ¡°Actually, I have something to tell you about that.¡± *** When the Grand Duke raised his sword, Eurius felt a threat to his life. Countless thoughts shed through his mind like a carousel. ¡®This explosion is not normal. Can I survive it while injured? And while blocking the Grand Duke¡¯s attack?¡¯ The answer was ¡®No way.¡¯ He had ovee the one-on-one duel with the Grand Duke somehow, but Eurius was in the worst crisis. Eurius squeezed out his remaining force to defend himself. But the power of the explosion broke through his barrier in an instant and collided with his White Tiger Protection Skill. ¡°Cough!¡± He felt death for a moment. He couldn¡¯t defend himself with just his protection skill. The shockwave of the explosion would soon tear his body apart. But at that moment! Something happened that no one expected. sh! ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius opened his eyes wide. The moment the shockwave tried to swallow his body, what he saw in his sight was countless traces of swords. Those blue traces cut through his surrounding space innumerable times in an instant and stretched out like a to protect him from the shockwave. It was such a strict defense that not even an ant could enter. But what surprised Eurius was not just that he saved his life. ¡°Why?¡± The Grand Duke also changed his expression several times in response to his question. At first, he looked incredulous, then embarrassed, and finally calm again. ¡°I really yed a ridiculous farce. I worked so hard, but this is where I seeded¡­¡± It was the Grand Duke¡¯s sword that protected Eurius. And it was a technique he had never seen before. [Good job, 80 points.] Even Hwangryong Sword gave him a low evaluation this time. Curious about it, Eurius asked him. ¡°Is that rted to the yer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Grand Duke did not answer him. He just took something out of his pocket and threw it at him. Thud! Eurius caught it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°If you take that to my domain n Dure, you will hear what you want.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As Eurius stared at the object in his palm with an iprehensible expression, the Grand Duke smiled faintly. It was not his usual cold sarcasm, but a smile that Eurius had never seen before in his previous and current life. ¡°I kept my promise.¡± He didn¡¯t need to hear the rest of his words. It meant that he should keep his promise too. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius realized the Grand Duke¡¯s intention. He and the Grand Duke were both dead anyway from the explosion just now. The Grand Duke was badly injured, and he had no strength to defend himself. ¡®This is not only a matter of promise, but also practically a debt I owe to the Grand Duke.¡¯ ¡°I understand.¡± There was no voice to answer Eurius¡¯ consent. The Grand Duke had already died standing upright. But why did he protect Eurius at thest moment? It couldn¡¯t be exined by just making him owe him. ¡®Did he say his domain n Dure?¡¯ Come to think of it, he had never visited a ce that could be called the Grand Duke¡¯s base. It was risky enough to visit the southern part of the empire, let alone jump into such a tiger¡¯s den. *** After finishing his shback, Eurius looked at the emperor and opened his mouth. ¡°Father, I have a request.¡± ¡°First, you need treatment. Your wounds are serious.¡± ¡°There is something more urgent than that.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The emperor also asked again when he heard his serious tone. ¡°Please send me to the Grand Duke¡¯s domain n Dure right now. I need to get there as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 116: Heavengard Chapter 116: Heavengard Pop! A pure white light spreads and seeps into Eurius¡¯s body. At the same time, the wounds all over his body start to heal noticeably. Aurel, the bishop who was waiting in advance, gave Eurius a simple emergency treatment. ¡°You are a superhuman warrior, so you should recover quickly with this much. Please don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Even after finishing the treatment, he looked at Eurius with curiosity as if he was amazed. ¡°By the way, you survived that explosion even with such injuries¡­ I don¡¯t know much about warriors, but I can guess how outstanding you are.¡± The surrounding servants also nodded their heads in agreement with his praise. ¡°Thinking about what happened, it seems that His Majesty the Emperor already knew everything.¡± ¡°I finally understand why he favored the First Prince so much since he was young.¡± They looked at Eurius and the Emperor with admiration or fear. The Grand Duke, who had virtually unlimited power except for the Emperor, was reduced to this state in just a week after the incident. And it was not hard to guess who came up with this scheme. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to say anything for a while. At least we had the Grand Duke to open our mouths.¡¯ Regardless, Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°I will leave now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what your intention is, but I can¡¯t allow you to go alone. I will assign some knights to you after things are settled.¡± It was impossible for the Emperor to leave far away without even a minimum escort, no matter how urgent his business was. But he didn¡¯t have time to wait until then. However, Eurius had something in mind. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. The battle outside the castle should be over by now.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± *** Meanwhile, outside was dawn when the sun slowly rose from beyond the horizon. On the dimly lit in, curses, screams, and metallic sounds of weapons shing echoed throughout the night. ng! ¡°Hold on! Damn it!¡± ¡°Maintain the formation! Push them back!¡± And the fierce battle between the two knight orders that took ce near the capital was heading towards its end. Whoosh! As Beatrice¡¯s sword pierced through the chest of thest knight, the battle was over. In the end, the Golden Lion Knight Order failed to break out of the encirclement and waspletely defeated. ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± The captives who survived were also in a daze. They didn¡¯t expect that they would fall so miserably as one of the elite knight orders on the continent. But it was a natural oue in hindsight. They certainly had an overwhelming advantage in power until the martial arts tournament, but they lost a lot of skilled fighters in the attack by the Order. On the other hand, Scharnos Knight Order¡¯s power had been steadily increasing. Even without encirclement, their individual skills and coordination were iparable to when they were first established. Moreover, it was a forced march from ndre to the capital that took at least three days even if they ran fast. In that situation, they were slowly worn out by encirclement and couldn¡¯t perform well. It seemed like a reckless challenge at first nce, but it was a situation where everything was prepared and waited for the opponent considering all factors. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the capital.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was time to celebrate their victory, but Scharnos Knight Order didn¡¯t show much excitement and hurriedly got back on their horses. There was someone waiting for them in the capital. ¡°Open the gate!¡± As they arrived, the gate opened easily as promised. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°His Highness!¡± As soon as the gate opened, they saw Eurius. ¡°You all did well.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ck! The knights of Scharnos Knight Order all got off their horses and saluted as knights. But they were rather worried about him. His appearance was as if he had no time to change his clothes, covered in blood all over his body. His usual neat appearance was gone and he looked quite tired. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Did you suffer any serious injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. First of all, report me on the damage situation.¡± Heinz, the leader of Scharnos Knight Order stepped forward and started reporting. ¡°Twenty minor injuries, fifteen serious injuries, and those who died or suffered fatal injuries¡­¡± He hesitated here and Eurius¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Heinz and Eurius looked at each other and recalled what happened before they left yesterday. Eurius gathered them all to give them a final encouragement. *** ¡°You all know what our goal is today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The knights were holding their breath and staring at Eurius. They had gone through hellish training for months, but their opponent was not easy. Could they really win? But the words they heard were different from what they thought. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you to win for my pride.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Juste back alive. That¡¯s my order.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere became solemn for a moment. It was more difficult than the condition of winning. It was to return alive without any casualties against the Golden Lion Knight Order, which had superior individual power. *** A momentter, Heinz smiled. ¡°There are no casualties! And we won!¡± ¡°I trusted you.¡± As soon as they got Eurius¡¯s confirmation, the knights also finally rxed their stiff expressions and smiled broadly. Bang! They mmed their sheathed swords on the ground and shouted. Revenge for the defeat in the group match of the martial arts tournament! Eurius¡¯s order! They fulfilled them all. ¡°Woohoo!¡± The shout of a hundred people was so loud that the citizens living near the gate had to rub their eyes and get up to look out the window. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are they training the knight order?¡± ¡°What are they doing at dawn! I woke up.¡± Regardless, the shout continued for a while. Eurius smiled as he watched them. ¡®The most important thing in encirclement is to prevent any possible holes!¡¯ The most important thing in maintaining encirclement was to avoid sudden holes caused by major injuries or deaths. If they exploited that part, the formation could copse. So Eurius ordered them to reduce casualties by helping each other even if they slowly surrounded them, rather than trying to end it quickly with some sacrifices. And the result was very good as expected! He raised his hand to stop the shouting and finally revealed his purpose. He came out to greet them because he wanted to praise them, but he had another urgent matter. ¡°I know you want to rest, but I¡¯m sorry. Everyone except the seriously injured must follow me to the south.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Scharnos Knight Order¡¯s morale was sky-high right now. They would probably follow him without hesitation even if he ordered them to attack the Grand Duke¡¯s stronghold directly. But the battle they would face there would be a different kind. Eurius also got on his horse and shouted. ¡°Then let¡¯s go right away. We have to run without resting, so be prepared!¡± *** ¡°There, you can see Heavengard Castle.¡± They had left the capital and ridden their horses non-stop for three days. Finally, Eurius and his knights approached the distance where they could see the castle of the Grand Duke. The castle of Heavengard, or the fortress as it was called, was enormous in size, but ironically, there was no enemy country or border nearby. However, in the era of the Grand Emperor, it was one of the key points in the south and boasted an impregnable reputation despite countless enemy attacks. As evidence, there were countless scars of battle on the walls that could not be hidden even with constant repairs. Of course, the impregnable castle gate was tightly closed because the Grand Duke was away. The knights looked at the castle with a perplexed expression, but also with some expectation. ¡®We have been running for three days and we are exhausted. Can we ovee such a fortress?¡¯ ¡®His Majesty must have a n.¡¯ But Eurius didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of giving them any orders. He got off his horse and approached the gatehouse. Then he shouted loudly. ¡°I am Eurius von Scharnos, the first prince of the empire! Open the gate!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± The knights couldn¡¯t hide their dumbfounded expressions. It was not a difficult task for excellent knights to climb over the walls. But why announce himself when he could surprise them at night? There was also amotion on the wall. ¡°The first prince?¡± ¡°How did he find this ce? Where is the Grand Duke?¡± They had no choice but to be confused. Normally, if the prince asked them to open the gate, they should do so, but they had seen the Grand Duke leave for the capital with a grim expression and his knights a few days ago. Something must have happened. Themander in charge of the wall defense had to think hard. ¡®He brought his knights with him¡­ Is he trying to take advantage of our weakness and annihte us?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± As he was pondering, a calm and dignified voice came from behind. ¡°Ah! You came at just the right time.¡± Themander greeted the owner of the voice with a relieved face. A momentter. The wall and Eurius were still in a standoff. But it didn¡¯tst long. Creak. Suddenly, a small side gate of the castle opened and a man on a horse came out. ¡°I greet Your Highness.¡± The man on the horse was an old man in his prime. He got off his horse and bowed to Eurius with a dignified voice. ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius looked at his stats for a moment and was quite surprised. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look like a knight by his outfit?¡¯ [Victor f] Job: Butler, Force Master Strength: B Agility: A Intelligence: B Spirit: A Force Aptitude: B+ Force: A+ Disposition: Loyal, Stubborn, Cold Current State: Suspicious [Trait] Swordsmanship (S) ¡®A master butler?¡¯ Eurius almostughed out loud. The old man was definitely not wearing armor and he wore a neat uniform that only servants would wear, although it was luxurious. He opened his mouth after greeting him. ¡°I am Victor f, who is in charge of managing the castle while His Grace is away. It is an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too. Should I call you Sir Victor?¡± ¡°I used to be called that once. But now I¡¯m retired, so you can call me whatever you want.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Victor.¡± The old man Victor asked him bluntly. ¡°Pardon me, but may I ask what your purpose is foring to Heavengard?¡± Eurius silently showed him the token that the Grand Duke had given him. ¡°This is¡­¡± Victor lost his words for a moment. To him, this meant the worst case scenario. The token was a silver wing-shaped ornament made of borate craftsmanship. ¡°What happened to His Grace who went to the capital?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. He had a glorious end worthy of a warrior.¡± At Eurius¡¯ answer, Victor stared at him with a suspicious look. He regained hisposure soon and opened his mouth again. ¡°Once again, pardon me, but can I check if this is genuine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He briefly handed over the wing to him and let him examine it. He sighed after looking at it from various angles. ¡°It¡¯s definitely made of orichalcum. The meaning of showing me this is¡­¡± ¡°He said this would clear my doubts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Victor fell into deep thought. Eurius also waited for him silently. He seemed to have made up his mind and opened his mouth. ¡°The knights who apanied you cannot enter yet. Can youe to the inner castle alone?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± It was a risky thing to enter the castle of the Grand Duke alone, even if it was empty. The knights tried to dissuade him. But Eurius waved his hand. If he was in danger in the castle, why would the Grand Duke protect him at the end? ¡°I¡¯ll go in first. Maybe they¡¯re preparing a wee for you.¡± He smiled sarcastically and followed behind Victor. The knights who trusted his judgment waited silently, but they looked worried. Creak. The outer gate opened and he entered. Victor started to exin. ¡°Heavengard Castle has a clearer distinction between the outer and inner castles than other castles.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± ¡°Usually, even other knights or nobles live in the outer castle and only a few people can enter the inner castle.¡± ¡°Then what I¡¯m going to see is in the inner castle?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± They chatted as they entered Heavengard¡¯s inner castle. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any trap?¡¯ Eurius had some doubts, so he asked Victor a question. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I killed the Grand Duke and stole this wing from him?¡± ¡°His Grace was a thorough man.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was enough. This Victor must have been one of the most trusted and loyal subordinates of the Grand Duke. They walked for a while after entering the inner castle and finally stopped in front of a room. ¡°This is His Grace¡¯s office.¡± ¡®He really lived modestly as I heard.¡¯ The office only had simple furniture such as a desk, and it was almost empty. It was inevitable that the building, which was designed with the role of a fortress in mind, had a in exterior, but with the Grand Duke¡¯s wealth, he could have indulged in luxury inside, which was also surprising. Eurius entered the office and opened his mouth again. ¡°Is there something I should see here?¡± ¡°Can I borrow that wing for a moment?¡± ¡°This thing?¡± He took the wing-shaped token from him and opened one side of the wall. Rumble. The wall was doubleyered and it slid to the side when he pushed it with his strength, revealing the inside. Eurius watched the scene with a curious expression. ¡°This is the secret training room of the inner castle. You need the wing to enter.¡± He said that and inserted the wing-shaped ornament into a slot on the wall. Boom! ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius groaned. A staircase leading down appeared with a heavy sound. ¡°I can¡¯t go any further from here. You have to check it out by yourself.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As soon as Eurius walked into the passage, Victor looked at his back with a surprised look. ¡®Doesn¡¯t he doubt me?¡¯ It was obvious that he could be trapped if he closed the door behind him in this suspicious passage, but Eurius had already checked Victor¡¯s psychological state and stepped in without hesitation. [Victor f] Current State: Grief ¡®At least he didn¡¯t have any revenge.¡¯ The descending staircase seemed endless. ¡®It looks like it¡¯s heading to the underground of the inner castle.¡¯ Eurius¡¯ guess was right. At the end of the staircase, there was another small door. He opened it and entered. He heard an expected notification. Ding. [You have found a legacy of the yer.] [Your achievement increases.] There were only simple items in the room, and among them, there were three books on the desk. He heard the notification as soon as he saw them. He checked the titles of the books. [Severing Sword] [Circle Vibration Technique] [???] Chapter 117: Bloodline Chapter 117: Bloodline ¡°One of them doesn¡¯t have a title?¡± Among the two books, both looked very old, but the one without a title was rtively new, with only a little burn mark on it. It was clear that it was not a legacy of the yer. Eurius checked the titles of the two books with the help function. [Severing Sword ¨C A secret technique that cuts the space and blocks everything with the sword. The swordsmanship of Emperor Sharnos] [Circle Vibration Technique ¨C A method that applies vibration to the circle and temporarily smooths the flow of force along the circle. It also has the effect of increasing force aptitude as the proficiency increases.] ¡°The swordsmanship of the First Emperor?¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled at the first book. The First Emperor was known to have performed miraculous feats with his sword, such as splitting mountains and parting seas. His swordsmanship was finally in his hands. ¡°Learn!¡± Ding. [You do not qualify (S-rank Sword Fusion required).] [You do not qualify (Hidden information).] ¡°As expected¡­¡± He sighed. Things didn¡¯t always go as he wanted. If the emperor¡¯s swordsmanship was so easy to learn, wouldn¡¯t all the great lords have learned it by now? He decided to learn what he could and reached for the second book. ¡°Learn.¡± [You have learned Circle Vibration Technique.] [The rted trait ¡®Quad Core¡¯ is slightly enhanced.] Eurius briefly circted his force in the circle and nodded. ¡®This is like a minor copy of Core.¡¯ Core was a secret technique that greatly increased force aptitude by controlling force when creating a circle, and it was only for those with outstanding talent. On the other hand, Circle Vibration Technique was a method that could increase force aptitude little by little regardless of talent, as long as it was practiced diligently. In other words, it was a secret technique that was good for training many knights rather than prepared geniuses. Perhaps dius¡¯s knights were trained in this way. ¡®I can see how the great lord could raise so many master-level knights.¡¯ It was a good thing to get a secret technique that could strengthen his knight order, but Eurius looked slightly disappointed. ¡®This is less rewarding than I expected for all the trouble I went through.¡¯ Most of the legacies he had obtained so far had brought him great benefits that could be called fate. Butpared to defeating someone who was as powerful as a great lord, the reward was too small. But there was still a third book. It was certain that it was not a legacy, but it must have contained important information to be ced here. Eurius began to turn the cover of the book without even a title. Fallen. ¡°¡­!?¡± But from the first page, he was greeted by a title that waspletely different from his expectation. [XXX year X month X day ¨C The first prince was born. Will this prince be qualified as a yer? . . . The first prince turned six years old. ording to the test results, he had more talent for sword than the current emperor, but he did not meet the conditions. The bloodline of the imperial family is too thin.] ¡®Is this the diary of the great lord?¡¯ He thought it would be a swordsmanship or magic passed down by the great lord¡¯s family because it was ced with secret techniques, but it seemed not. Anyway, he was curious about the rest of the content. What did he mean by qualification and bloodline of the imperial family? [The second prince showed more ¡®yer factor¡¯ than the first prince. But it is regrettable that he has no talent for martial arts. . . . But it seems that the emperor prefers the first prince. But ording to my ancestor¡¯s will, I have to support whoever has a better bloodline. The current emperor is a really outstanding person regardless of bloodline, but too many royals died because of blood cleansing. It¡¯s unfortunate.] ¡®yer factor? Superiority?¡¯ Eurius read up to here and suddenly got a new notification. Ding. [Information on ¡®yer factor¡¯ has been opened.] [Achievement has increased significantly. Current achievementpletion rate 40%] [yer factor ¨C A criterion that determines awakening as a yer contained in blood. This value limits the skills or traits you can learn.] ¡®yer factor?¡¯ Eurius looked incredulous. Was there such a condition to be a yer? ¡®Well¡­ Objectively speaking, Leon is better than me.¡¯ His talent before regression was not very impressive. On the other hand, Leonhart showed an iparable genius from his childhood, as he saw from his stats. Eurius quickly checked his own stats. [Eurius von Sharnos] yer factor (1%) ¡°¡­¡± He stared at the diary of the great lord with a dumbfounded expression. ording to the help function and the diary, he had no chance of bing a yer. There was one more thing that bothered him. He reached for the first book with the emperor¡¯s swordsmanship again. ¡°Learn!¡± [You do not qualify (S-rank Sword Fusion required).] [You do not qualify (Required condition: yer factor 50%).] ¡°¡­¡± He looked at the book with a frustrated expression. It was an absurd condition. He opened the help function again in desperation. [How to increase yer factor: It is determined only by the factor in your blood when you are born. There is no way to increase it.] ¡®So what do you want me to do?¡¯ If this was true, he would never be able to collect more than a certain level of legacy, even if he died and came back to life. ¡®But I actually died and came back to life?¡¯ But his reversal of time and awakening as a yer seemed more than just luck. Eurius shook off his disappointment and continued to flip through the diary of the great lord. [At this rate, the yer¡¯s bloodline will surely be cut off. It¡¯s a pity that the emperor¡¯s swordsmanship will disappear. So I decided to resume my research. After all, it¡¯s the heart of a martial artist, and the emperor was also human. Can¡¯t I reproduce his secret technique without the help of yer factor?] Eurius nodded here. It had been two hundred years since the yers disappeared from the continent. Perhaps the thinning of the imperial blood wasrgely due to time. ¡®And the great lord must have seeded in the end, right?¡¯ The fact that he confirmed that Yellow Dragon Sword was excellent was proof. The diary continued even after that. It was the result of his research over decades, shedding blood and sweat. [It was hard, but I finally seeded in interpreting the first chapter after ten years. However, the second chapter seemed to be beyond the realm of humans. Could it be that the yers, including the First Emperor, were not human but something like messengers of God?] The content of the Grand Duke¡¯s struggle for the interpretation of the Secret Art soon shifted to Eurius. [That bastard, the First Prince,pletely fooled me. He was a snake more cunning than the Emperor. But he didn¡¯t seem to have any talent as a yer, was he just a natural genius? . . . If¡­ If the First Prince surpasses me, whether it¡¯s because of his yer aptitude or his own talent, then I should rightfully hand over the Secret Art to him. But can I get anypensation for the decades of hard work that I have shed blood and sweat for?] ¡®He felt something like inferiority towards me because of that.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but make a bitter expression. After all, he had spent his whole life researching and somehow producing results without any yer factors, but someone who would snatch it away from him appeared. [I will leave for the capital tonight. It could be a scheme of the First Prince and the Emperor. But if they can¡¯t defeat me in a way that I can acknowledge, they won¡¯t get anything.] That was the end of the Grand Duke¡¯s handwriting. But there was more than half of the book left. ¡®Then?¡¯ Eurius turned to the next page with a throbbing heart. Ding. [You have found an iplete Secret Art of a non-yer.] [If it is rted to the legacy left by a yer, you can immediately acquire it.] ¡°Acquire!¡± Eurius shouted out loud without realizing it. [You have acquired the Severing Sword (Iplete).] ¡°As expected!¡± What the Grand Duke left for him at the end was bigger than he thought. No matter how powerful a legacy was, if it couldn¡¯t be used right away, wasn¡¯t it just a piece of paper? Even though what he got was iplete, it would have an extraordinary power considering the divine might that the Grand Duke showed at the end. ¡®I feel a little sorry for him. He tried to fulfill his mission in his own way.¡¯ [Severing Sword ¨C Video data is avable. Do you want to see it?] Whirring. He wasn¡¯t surprised anymore. The scenery he saw changed in an instant and he was standing in front of a wideke. [Severing Sword Chapter 1 ¨C Spatial Domination] Kwaaang! ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as the scenery changed, a violent shockwave shook where he had been standing. It had no effect on him, but waves rose on theke due to its aftermath and trees on thekeside were uprooted. He was startled for a moment, but Eurius moved his gaze to the ones who caused this phenomenon. ¡®One is the Emperor and one is an Easterner?¡¯ The ones who created that incredible aftermath were two young men. One of them was the Emperor he had seen so far. The trajectory of his golden sword filled the air. ¡®This is the swordsmanship that the Grand Duke showed at the end.¡¯ The shape was slightly different, but even though he cut through empty space, the Easterner had to dodge or block his attacks with his hands and feet. Sometimes he found a gap and counterattacked the Emperor. Every time their fist and sword collided, there was a loud noise and thekeside that had been fine turned into a mess in an instant. This was what Chapter 1 of the Secret Art looked like. He had seen this swordsmanship through the Grand Duke and also when he obtained the Yellow Dragon Sword. ¡®Was it called domination?¡¯ Now that he had obtained Divine Sword Union, he vaguely understood its principle. A technique that dominates a distance with one¡¯s own authority! Their sh was nothing different from that, except for its scale. Eurius nodded his head here. ¡®Then Chapter 1 is just a matter of my proficiency, it¡¯s no different from learning it already. The important thing is from Chapter 2.¡¯ Speaking of which, even the Grand Duke wrote in his handwriting that interpreting from Chapter 2 was difficult. What would be in Chapter 2? [Severing Sword Chapter 2 ¨C Spatial Severance] Soon, the sh between the Emperor and the Easterner entered a temporary lull, but they didn¡¯t have any reckless collisions like before. But Eurius brightened his eyes here. ¡®They are looking for each other¡¯s gaps. It seems like they are waiting for the timing to use their Secret Art.¡¯ ¡°Is this your technique? Then take this too!¡± As he expected, the Emperor widened the distance and swung his sword down with a yful smile. ¡°¡­¡± The Easterner silently took a defensive stance at first. But as soon as the Emperor¡¯s attack touched his body! ¡°¡­!?¡± The Easterner made a puzzled expression and quickly twisted his body to get out of the range that the Emperor was aiming for. Chwak! A thin line of blood was drawn on his arm and blood spurted out. He suffered a minor injury, but it was nothing short of amazing reflexes. ¡°Huh?¡± But Eurius let out a snort. The Easterner¡¯s skill was amazing, but what the Emperor¡¯s sword did was too absurd. ¡°Did he really cut the sea with a single sword as they said?¡± Surprisingly, the Emperor¡¯s sword split theke behind him in half. It was something that made no sense logically. [He was also an outstanding warrior, but even if he cut a stream, the water would only scatter for a moment and then fill up again. But the Emperor seemed to have erected an invisible wall in the middle of theke, and momentarily divided the water precisely into two. Where his sword passed, the bottom of theke, which looked hundreds of meters deep, was exposed.] Eurius groaned continuously and focused more on the scene in front of him. ¡®If such an impossible thing is possible in Chapter 2, then what about Chapter 3?¡¯ Zzzz! He waited, but suddenly the surrounding image began to distort. [The viewing is limited because it is an iplete Secret Art.] Whirring. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Eurius returned to the basement and sighed. He realized anew that the path he had to take was still long. ¡®But to view Chapter 3, I need more yer factors. How do I solve that?¡¯ If it was something that he could never raise as mentioned in the help, then there was no way in the system at least. Even before that, he had no idea how to learn Chapter 2 of the Severing Sword that he got this time. He pondered for a moment, but Eurius soon got up. There was no use in worrying about something that had no answer. ¡®The Grand Duke also somehow restored up to Chapter 2. There must be a way if I practice.¡¯ He started to climb up the stairs of the basement again. The Grand Duke was one of his biggest enemies, but he left him a lot at the end. ¡®Did he say he kept his promise?¡¯ He owed a big debt to the Grand Duke this time. He thought about it as he arrived at his office again. ¡°You¡¯re back. Did you get what you wanted?¡± ¡°More than enough.¡± Victor was still waiting for him at the entrance even though quite some time had passed. He answered with a bright face and opened his mouth. ¡°But what are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Victor seemed to think for a moment. The Grand Duke was already dead. Because he was used of plotting a rebellion, he couldn¡¯t choose a suitable sessor and inherit his title. Maybe his territory would be torn apart instead of session. What should the Grand Duke¡¯s loyalists do in this situation? ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a really honest answer.¡± Eurius snorted with a smile and finally brought up the main point. It was time for him to keep his promise to the Grand Duke. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you an immediate task.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Grand Duke told him to hand over his legacy, but he never said that they should join Eurius¡¯s side. Rather, wouldn¡¯t they be enemies? But Eurius changed his expression from a smiling one to a serious one and opened his mouth again. ¡°Prepare for the defense of the fortress first. If theye fast, some scary enemies might attack this castle tonight.¡± Chapter 118: Evidence Destruction Chapter 118: Evidence Destruction Eurius¡¯s guess was simple. ¡°They must be trying to get rid of the Grand Duke even inside the pce, so they wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity to attack this ce where the main force has left.¡± In other words, it was evidence destruction. Of course, he could tell that this castle¡¯s strength was not that weak just by looking at the old man named Victor, but the enemy would know that too. ¡°Who are they, if you call them enemies?¡± ¡°You seem to be a close aide of the Grand Duke, since you know about the basement and all. Then you should have some idea, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Victor fell into a brief silence. The Grand Duke had asionally taken him along to ¡®some ce¡¯ for years or months. He was the coachman who drove the carriage when they contacted the ck market. Eurius asked again. ¡°And can you tell me more about the Grand Duke? I¡¯ve read some of his writings, but they don¡¯t answer all my questions.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Victor finally let out a heavy sigh and opened his mouth. ¡°You must already know about dius.¡± ¡°So they are rted to their secret?¡± ¡°The Grand Duke was a very spirited person in his youth. He was one of the rare talents among the Grand Dukes in history.¡± His tone sounded like he was treating the old Grand Duke as a young man full of vigor. Eurius asked with a curious expression. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m over eighty this year.¡± ¡®My goodness¡­¡¯ Victor¡¯s age was at least twenty more than Eurius had expected. He thought he would be simr to the Grand Duke, but he wasn¡¯t. He got up and bowed politely to Eurius. ¡°I wanted to bury the past, but I guess I have no choice. I am Victor f, the former leader of dius.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Then it made sense why he had such a strong man as a mere butler. ¡°As you saw, the fragment of the feather is a sacred object that has been passed down to the Grand Dukes of Heaven Guard. As you can see, dius was not only a secret military organization, but also a keeper of the emperor¡¯s legacy.¡± ¡°And they also had the role of delivering it to those who inherited the blood of the emperor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But the first Grand Duke was the only disciple of the emperor, so he was not forbidden to learn it in principle.¡± ¡°Huh? You mean even those who don¡¯t inherit the blood of the yer can learn the legacy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the emperor said. Otherwise, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t have been so obsessed with his research.¡± Here Victor cautiously added. ¡°The Grand Duke didn¡¯t seem to care much about passing on the legacy itself. He was just bothered by the fact that he couldn¡¯t learn it himself.¡± The reason why the Grand Duke hated the Imperial Family except Leonhardt was not because of their aptitude as yers, but because he had an absolute confidence in his talent and yet he couldn¡¯t learn the legacy properly. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear much about it, but I heard that those who have thick blood of yers can learn the legacy much easier.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s not exact, but it¡¯s simr.¡± Eurius bit his tongue here. He could understand some of the Grand Duke¡¯s feelings. ¡®Damn! The yer¡¯s acquisition function is really cheating.¡¯ It was just a matter of proficiency, as long as he simply touched the legacy, he would get all the basic information in his head. It would have been frustrating for the Grand Duke who had devoted his life to swordsmanship to know this. The legacy must have been lost at some point because there was no one in the Imperial Family who could learn it. But understanding didn¡¯t mean that his sin was gone. ¡°Even so, the first Grand Duke didn¡¯t tell them to raise a rebellion against the Imperial Family. You have to admit that crime. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I have nothing to say about that.¡± Victor bowed his head with a solemn face. Treason was treason. Eurius could leave them alone now that he had recovered the legacy. No, it would be better. It was called evidence destruction, but why should he save one side when they were fighting each other? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll help you guys.¡± This was both a promise and a deal. He would have been disappointed with what he got this time if there were no results from the Grand Duke¡¯s research. In fact, until he arrived, Eurius¡¯s thought was half to save them and half to leave them alone. They might have attacked him outright. But Victor, who didn¡¯t know that, had no choice but to look at him with surprise again. ¡®Is he generous or does he want us to join him?¡¯ Actually, Victor was thinking of taking the remaining remnants to Leonhardt, who the Grand Duke had loved in his lifetime. He was the second prince, so he wouldn¡¯t treat them harshly. As he received his doubtful gaze, Eurius got up. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough, so I guess we should prepare for defense now?¡± *** A whileter, the two who came out to the outer castle were discussing the attack. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a serious conversation from the beginning. ¡°Are you really going to help us?¡± ¡°Do I have to swear by the name of the Imperial Family? Don¡¯t worry and let my knights in first. They must be tired after running for three days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Eurius¡¯s calm tone, Victor finally decided to trust him. If he wanted to wipe them out, he wouldn¡¯t bother to lie. ¡®And there¡¯s nothing to see in this ce that¡¯s already a shell without the Grand Duke and the main force.¡¯ He finished his thoughts and finally talked about the castle¡¯s strength. ¡°There are quite a few knights left in Heaven Guard, but if you pick out the elites, there¡¯s not much. It¡¯s impossible to defend everywhere against arge-scale attack.¡± But Eurius shook his head. ¡°The enemy¡¯s goal is not simple ughter, but evidence destruction.¡± It was difficult to get rid of everyone in a castle of this size. So he thought they only had to defend the main points. ¡°Do you know where the enemy¡¯s targets are?¡± ¡°First of all, the knight¡¯s quarters in the outer castle and the ces where the Grand Duke¡¯s rtives live will definitely be targeted.¡± There were also other ces in the outer castle, such as the office where the officials lived and the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion where important documents were stored. ¡°And the inner castle will be the whole area of ??the enemy¡¯s attack.¡± The inner castle was a forbidden area where only the Grand Duke and a few followers could enter. It looked like a mysterious area even at a nce, and they would probably try to get rid of him even if he was an intruder. ¡°So I think it would be better to give up other ces and gather all the people in the inner castle and defend it.¡± The inner castle would be the enemy¡¯s ultimate goal anyway. So he suggested that it would be better to stick together and defend only the most important ce than to split up their scarce power. But Eurius had a different opinion. ¡°What if the outer castle ispletely destroyed or burned by the enemy? Can you bear that?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a pity, but¡­¡± Victor also wanted to minimize the damage as the manager of the castle. But the enemy they were facing this time was not easy. The Grand Duke had warned him several times about their fearsomeness in his lifetime. Eurius didn¡¯t know much either, but he guessed the enemy¡¯s strength by looking at his reaction. ¡®They must have a lot of power, that ck market ce.¡¯ It was natural, since they seemed to be rted to the cult. It wouldn¡¯t be a weak enemy that made him rush over. He smiled and gave his opinion. ¡°I have a different idea, can you hear me out?¡± ¡°Please tell me.¡± Victor widened his wrinkled eyes when he heard Eurius¡¯s opinion. ¡°Are you sure you want to do that?¡± ¡°Of course. Then we can reduce the damage to the castle and save our people, so it¡¯s a win-win situation, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But what about His Grace¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I defeated to get here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Victor remained silent. He had guessed it when he heard that the Grand Duke had left his legacy and died, but if he said it so confidently, there was only one conclusion. ¡®Did he really win against His Grace in a frontal battle at such a young age?¡¯ The silence was broken and Victor opened his mouth. His eyes were still doubtful, but the evidence was so clear that he couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Then I guess we can go with this n.¡± ¡°That¡¯s settled then! I appreciate your cooperation.¡± Eurius grinned and reached out his hand to him. *** It was the second night since Eurius arrived at Heaven Guard. ¡°Yawn.¡± Two soldiers were patrolling the wall with two people per shift. One of them yawned as if he was bored with the night shift. The other soldier also looked anxious and asked. ¡°Sergeant, how long will this alertst?¡± The older soldier who had yawned first grumbled and answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been working here for ten years, but this is the first time this happened. The first prince, the alert order, what¡¯s going on?¡± Who would dare to attack the Grand Duke¡¯s castle? And the first prince suddenly visited with his knights and stayed in the castle withouting out properly. ¡°Anyway, the thoughts of those high-ups are¡­ Huh?¡± Swoosh. The soldier who had beenining turned his head back. He felt something cold passing by his neck. Ssh. His head was cut off cleanly as if slicing an apple, and blood spurted out like a fountain. ¡°¡­!?¡± The rookie soldier opened his eyes wide and looked at the scene, then quickly reached for his waist. His seniors were socent in the long peace that they didn¡¯t even carry their weapons properly, but he was diligent and always carried a signal whistle with him. Whoo! The sound echoed throughout the wall. The rookie soldier flushed and then his face darkened again. Someone who could approach without any sign and cut off the soldiers¡¯ necks would not leave him alone. Hepleted his mission and closed his eyes tightly. He also felt a cold touch on his neck. Swoosh ¡®Oh¡­ Being a guard at Heaven Guard is not a sweet job! I¡¯m going to hell at this young age.¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± The next moment, the rookie soldier opened his eyes that he had closed. Surprisingly, his body was intact. Then what was that cold feeling on his neck? Whoo! He blew the whistle again with force and tilted his head. ¡®It was cold, but it felt like someone was stroking my neck?¡¯ *** ¡®Yeah! Soldiers should be diligent like that!¡¯ The man wearing a golden mask hummed a tune and jumped over the wall lightly. The cold feeling that the soldiers had felt was his doing. Of course, he didn¡¯t stroke them because they were pretty. ¡®I need to cause some chaos in the castle so that it¡¯s easier to do my job.¡¯ There was no way he would fail this time since he came here himself. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to show some mercy to one or two soldiers, right? He heard a signal from his followers who were connected by telepathy in his head. ¡°Owner, all the other prisoners havepleted their infiltration.¡± ¡°Then just go ahead. Don¡¯t miss any of the knights or important people I told you about.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± His followers were all deployed to the outer castle. He thought they would be enough for that. Swoosh! The man hummed a tune and walked lightly, but he crossed the outer castle in an instant and reached the wall of the inner castle. ¡®I¡¯m sorry to the dead dius, but this is the cult¡¯s business, so I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ He jumped over the wall and moved to the inside of the inner castle. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± He stretched his arms and kept them up. ¡°What are you going to start?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ng! The man twisted his waist back. At the same time, blood spurted from his chest. An invisible sh had grazed his chest. The sh was deep enough to cause serious injury to anyone, but the man jumped back andughed. ¡°Who are you, I thought you were the prince?¡± ¡°You seem to know me too, huh?¡± Eurius also smiled back and looked at him. ¡®He¡¯s bigger than I thought, but why does his stat look like that?¡¯ [???] Job: Merchant, Archbishop (Heimdall Cult) Strength: C Agility: C Intelligence: S Spirit: A Dark Power: SS Disposition: Greed, Fanatic [Trait] ??? Chapter 119: Storm of the Water Star Chapter 119: Storm of the Water Star ¡°¡­!?¡± Pwoo! The sound of a soldier blowing a whistle and Eurius noticing a suspicious movement happened almost simultaneously. He didn¡¯t know exactly when the raid woulde, so he was staying near the outpost of the outer wall. ¡®They¡¯re here.¡¯ He jumped up from his seat and spoke to Victor, who was waiting with him. ¡°As I told you before, I¡¯ll take care of the defense of the inner wall by myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Victor stared nkly at his back as he walked out of the outpost. As expected, the enemy seemed to be causing amotion on purpose, and there was a high possibility that the main force of the enemy would infiltrate the inner wall in the confusion. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit strange for me to say this, but please be careful.¡± Eurius turned his head and smiled at him. ¡°We¡¯re not allies anyway, right? If you¡¯re really worried, finish your side quickly ande help me.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Eurius had a fair amount of confidence in defending the inner wall this time. But when he arrived and faced the enemy, he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly flustered. ¡®No matter how I look at it, he looks like a ragtag, but he¡¯s an archbishop?¡¯ In fact, even though it was a sudden surprise attack, the man in the mask allowed his attack too easily. Swoosh. But when he saw the wound on the man¡¯s chest heal in an instant, Eurius corrected his thought. ¡®He had some faith? He has a regeneration ability beyond that of a troll, and his body is as hard as steel.¡¯ The blow he had just inflicted was enough to cut the man in half, but surprisingly, it only made a dent in his chest. And seeing that the wound healed in an instant, he must have some other ability as well. ¡®This is a bit troublesome.¡¯ The man in the mask was also surprised. Eurius and dius were enemies who couldn¡¯t kill each other, so how could he be waiting here? He was able to observe the situation inside the war through the knight of the abyssst time. Eurius¡¯s skill didn¡¯t seem to be beyond his reach, but he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent to subdue either. ¡®I¡¯ll have to modify my n a bit.¡¯ Swoosh. While he was thinking that, Eurius disappeared in front of his eyes like a ghost. ¡°¡­!?¡± By the time he noticed, the de was already touching his neck. ng! The previous attack was a surprise, but this time Eurius struck with almost full force. The man staggered back as his neck was half severed and his head dangled. Normally, even if a monster or a spirit had regeneration ability, it couldn¡¯t recover if its head flew off or it lost more than a certain part of its body. But this guy in the mask seemed to be different. First of all, even though his neck was cut, there was hardly any blood flowing and he had a calm expression. ¡°Ja¡­ uh¡­¡± The man couldn¡¯t make any sound from his mouth because his throat was torn. Thud! The man raised both hands and grabbed his dangling head and pressed it tightly against his torso. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius let out an involuntary gasp at this bizarre sight. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s it. Now I can talk. Just a moment!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amazingly, just by holding and fixing his torn neck with both hands, the wound healed in an instant. Click! The man in the mask casually turned his neck a few times and then opened his mouth. ¡°Do you have any intention of backing off by any chance?¡± The guy who killed the soldier and broke into the inner wall without warning was shameless. But surprisingly, Eurius epted his words. ¡®I might be able to get some information out of him.¡¯ ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°We were enemies from the start with dius, right? He and I were just business partners. If you quietly back off here, I might not take any requests that would harm your side in the future!¡± ¡°What business do you have with the castle when dius is already dead?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s a trade secret that¡¯s hard to reveal.¡± The man in the mask still didn¡¯t seem very tense. But his words that he wouldn¡¯t harm them if they backed off seemed true. [???] Job: Merchant, Archbishop (Heimdall Sect) Current state: Annoyed, flustered ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t like losing money. I don¡¯t know aboutter, but I don¡¯t want to fight with a superhuman here.¡± ¡°So you helped dius and sent those suspicious monsters?¡± ¡°That was just a request. I don¡¯t have any grudge against you unlike the others.¡± He shook his hand yfully as if he was really wronged. Eurius made an incredulous expression at him. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Chop! His sword cut through the man¡¯s waist this time. The upper and lower body were separated in an instant and the man fell to the ground. But Eurius didn¡¯t think he had knocked him down. But the reason he bothered to answer such absurd questions was because he had another reason besides getting information. ¡®I¡¯ve bought enough time. Now I just have to catch this guy¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­!?¡± *** Swoosh! At that moment, more than a hundred ck shadows were climbing up the wall of the outer wall. Their goal was the outer wall! Their mission was to destroy all the evidence rted to dius. ¡°¡­¡± They exchanged opinions with their eyes and split into groups of dozens. They didn¡¯t know when the raid woulde, so the soldiers and knights who were on guard ran out and the castle was noisy. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it an enemy invasion?¡± ¡°Where did Victor go at a time like this?¡± While the knights were in a panic, the group that was at the forefront secretly sneaked into dius¡¯s mansion in the center of the outer wall. Since dius¡¯s departure was long, the mansion was shrouded in pitch-ck darkness. His family lived elsewhere, and it was a space that only dius used, so there was no special security. Creak. ¡°¡­¡± They opened the door and slipped into the room in an instant. They each took out a small bottle from their pockets. A pungent smell of oil filled the room. The most reliable way to destroy evidence is to burn it, isn¡¯t it? But just as they were about to light a fire! tter! There was a dull mechanical sound from the wall. ¡°¡­!?¡± Surprised, they stared at the wall. The wall lifted slightly and slid sideways, revealing a passage. Squeak! The knights came out of the passage. Their merciless des tore through the invaders. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Aaargh!¡± It was the same elsewhere. In various ces of the castle, secret passages opened or stairs led up to a secluded room that was good for ambushes, and the invaders suffered damage. The most brutal attack was on the quarters where the knights¡¯ officers resided. They had invested the most power there, but so did the people who were waiting for them. sh! Victor¡¯s sword mercilessly cut through the raiders¡¯ bodies as he passed by. Here, the ceiling of the upper floor copsed entirely, and the knights who jumped down from above ambushed them. Victor swung his sword and sneered inwardly. ¡®Heh¡­ I¡¯ve been in charge of managing this castle for over thirty years, but I never imagined that I would activate the mechanism.¡¯ Heavengard Castle was originally a fortress that was also called a defensive base. Naturally, there were countless devices inside the main facilities that could wee (?) intruders since its construction. But until now, he had oftenined that they were useless and costly to maintain, but they did their job well this time. Even if the main force of the raiders was almost annihted, the remaining elites and the support of the Scharnos Knights, along with the effect of the surprise attack, inflicted great damage on the enemies from the start. *** The masked man lifted only the neck of his upper body lying on the ground and stared at Eurius. He still had a smile on his lips, but his first ridiculous gesture was gone and he was frozen like a statue. ¡°Did you wait for this from the beginning?¡± In his head, he heard the screams of his subordinates connected to him. ¡°The number of enemies is not as small as we expected. We need reinforcements urgently!¡± ¡°Boss! It¡¯s a trap. We can¡¯t take over the outer castle with our power¡­ Ack!¡± This time, Eurius shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s why I ambushed you from the beginning, but didn¡¯t you ask me to talk first?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The masked man fell into thought for a moment. Who would have thought that the factions that fought fiercely against each other a few days ago would join hands? Moreover, he never dreamed that they would dig a trap in advance and wait for him. ¡®It was a mistake to bring only mediocre ones toe quickly.¡¯ As he thought, he couldn¡¯t bring almost any of his forces that could show his true value in order toe as fast as possible. But wasn¡¯t that why he came himself? ¡®I have to change my npletely, not just a little.¡¯ Snap! As he lightly pped his hands, three more shadows jumped into the inner castle. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked puzzled for a moment. The four who suddenly appeared looked exactly like the masked man. He couldn¡¯t see their faces because they were wearing masks, but their outfits, physique, and body shape were exactly the same. And finally, their stats were identical! [???] Job: Merchant, Archbishop (Heimdall Sect) Strength: C+ Agility: C+ Intelligence: S Mental: A Dark Power: SS Disposition: Greed, Fanaticism [Traits] ??? ¡®They look suspicious at first nce. I can¡¯t be careless just by trusting their stats.¡¯ One of them picked up the upper body of the first man and fitted it to his lower body, and the separated wound healed immediately. ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this.¡± ¡°I have to deal with you for sure.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you go anymore?¡± The four men opened their mouths in turn. It was like watching a puppet show. He remembered what Grand Duke had said in his head. ¡®Didn¡¯t Grand Duke say he was a clown?¡¯ The masked men shrugged their shoulders and drew their swords from their waists. At the same time, their bodies began to be dyed with a faint ck light. ¡®From my experience, these guys are dangerous if I let them use some kind of skill.¡¯ Eurius attacked without dy. His intangible sword stretched out momentarily and split the first man in half. But this time, the result was not satisfactory. The man¡¯s flesh split and blood sttered, but he didn¡¯t split in half. sh! ¡°¡­!?¡± What was surprising was that the same wounds appeared on the same parts of the other men who were not attacked by him. And of course, thanks to their regeneration ability, they healed their split wounds in no time. Eurius bit his lip with an astonished expression. ¡®Do they share damage among themselves?¡¯ Then it made sense why their stats were so low. Considering their regeneration ability, they were very annoying enemies. When their swords shed, his thought became a certainty. ng! The men¡¯s strength and speed were nothing special. If it was one person, he could easily handle them at his level, but their swordsmanship itself was threatening enough, and they used various bizarre means to hinder him. ¡®Is it their head?¡¯ Thud! Eurius pierced one¡¯s head in an instant, but the one who was pierced rather smiled. Crack! ¡°What?¡± The one whose head was pierced rather grabbed his sword and wouldn¡¯t let go. Crash! But the force he gripped was not strong, so Eurius exploded his force and turned his hand and head into rags. But thanks to that, his blood sshed on him for the first time. Squeak! ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as his blood touched him, the clothes and flesh that touched him burned. The sticky blood was as hot asva. ¡°My blood can get hotter than magma when it leaves my body.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better be careful.¡± ¡°Take this!¡± They kindly exined to him. As if to prove it, one of them suddenly grabbed his own arm and pulled it out, then threw it at Eurius. Whoosh! Eurius had to quickly back away. The man¡¯s arm turned into a firestorm with a diameter of several meters and engulfed him. ¡°Ugh!¡± Even though he avoided it, he felt the hot heat enveloping him. Eurius realized then why the man had entered the inner castle alone. ¡®He intends to burn the whole inner castle with this method?¡¯ And now the target has moved from the inner castle to Eurius. As if they had read his mind, the menughed and attacked him again. ¡°Correct!¡± ¡°Then what do you think I¡¯m going to do now?¡± Ding! [You have been cursed by the swamp. Your agility rank decreases.] [You have been cursed by bondage. Your movement is temporarily restricted.] ¡°¡­!?¡± One of the masked men cast curses on Eurius one after another, and three of them attacked him at the same time with his feet tied. Whoosh! Boom! Suddenly! A firestorm of iparable scale to before burned everything in front of the inner castle. It was so hot that the walls of the inner castle, which were tens of meters away, melted like cheese. Especially in the center of the fire where Eurius was, the ground was burned ck, so it seemed that there would be no ashes left if there was a person there. No matter how superhuman he was, he couldn¡¯t survive inva. ¡°Chew¡­ Was three too much for catching one superhuman? I think I lost too much this time.¡± The man tried to walk into the inner castle as if he had nothing more to see. But at that moment! ¡°Huh?¡± A blue line sprang up from the center of the fire that was supposed to have turned into ashes. Whoosh! The line of blue light sliced through thest remaining masked man in a straight line and passed by. A voice came from the center of the storm, where the heat and steam had not yet subsided. ¡°You really seem to love this kind of method. But this is the third time you¡¯ve tried it. Do you think I¡¯ll fall for it again?¡± The masked man showed a bewildered expression for the first time. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re still alive?¡± He had just seen the blue light cut him precisely in half vertically. His opponent still had enough strength to counterattack. ¡®But it¡¯s useless to split me in half when I can regenerate¡­ Huh?¡¯ Crack! The mask cracked first vertically. The man was too shocked to speak. ¡°My regeneration¡­ isn¡¯t working?¡± The man¡¯s body was split in half along with his mask, and quickly turned into ashes by the heat. At the same time, the voices of the knights who rushed into the inner wall were heard. ¡°Your Highness! Are you all right?¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­!?¡± The first ones to arrive from outside were Jo and his elite knights from the Scharnos Order, who had followed Victor closely. They saw the horrific state of the inner wall and lost their words. The surroundings were covered with such intense heat that even they, as knights, could not approach without raising their force. They looked at the scene with a helpless expression. The heat left by the storm was so intense that they wondered if Eurius was still alive. Someone from the ranks of the knights tried to jump into the center of the heat. Victor quickly blocked him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Even a superhuman can¡¯tst long in there.¡± ¡°We have to go.¡± The one who tried to jump into the heat was Beatrice. She had a rare pale face and looked ready to sh with Victor. But before their confrontation could end, someone emerged from the mes. ¡°I know, I know. So please shut up. Cough!¡± Eurius coughed incessantly and grumbled. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Huh? You guys are here too. Did you take care of the outside?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a strange silence in the hall for a moment. He had just jumped out of such a terrible heat, but surprisingly, Eurius only had some ash on his clothes and no other injuries. ¡°Why are you all looking like that?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Victor, who was the first to grasp the situation, turned his gaze away from the heat. He looked at where the blue light had passed by. He looked at Eurius and groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You reallypleted it?¡± Eurius answered with a slightly dumbfounded expression. ¡°It¡¯s a 30-point one.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ There¡¯s something like that. As you can see, I¡¯ve achieved some sess.¡± Victor looked at the inner wall. The wall, which was melted in some ces by the heat, was split vertically on one side. The blue light had cut through the wall, which was made of solid stone that was more than two meters thick, as if it were nothing. Chapter 120: Breaking Off with the Knife Chapter 120: Breaking Off with the Knife The moment Eurius split thest masked man¡¯s body in half, someone far away felt a tremendous impact. Crack! The ridiculous mask shatteredpletely, and the man bled profusely from the seven holes in his face, going berserk. ¡°Kraaaak!¡± Thevishly decorated table broke with a squishy sound. This time, he didn¡¯t send a simple summoning that only connected his senses, but a ¡®part of his main body¡¯ directly, so the damage was enormous. The fallen man had no choice but to writhe on the floor in agony for a long time. ¡°¡­¡± When his convulsions subsided a bit, one of his subordinates cautiously approached him. ¡°Archbishop¡­ are you all right?¡± The man silently raised his hand and grabbed the subordinate¡¯s leg. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me Owner here?¡± Whoosh! ¡°¡­!?¡± He had no time to make a sound as he was instantly burned to ashes. The man didn¡¯t care about it. He had plenty of people who could rece such an oblivious subordinate. In fact, the other subordinates who entered the room after hearing the man¡¯s scream saw the scene and froze with pale faces. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The man shook his head once as if the pain had subsided, and then opened his mouth. His tone was different from usual, full of anger. He seemed like apletely different personpared to before. ¡°Send a message to the others. I¡¯ll take care of the First Prince!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but didn¡¯t they say they would take care of it from the East?¡± One of the subordinates cautiously spoke up, but the man stubbornly shook his head. ¡°They said it would take time for them toe here anyway. I¡¯ll just finish it here before then.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± As they hurriedly ran out, the man finally seemed to find some relief and sighed again. ¡°Sigh¡­ I said it in a fit of rage, but how do I catch him?¡± He wasn¡¯t showing his full power at Heavengard. But the prince had easily (?) defeated him. What if he had more hidden tricks? But he couldn¡¯t let it go as it was. The damage he suffered was too immense. He lost four puppets that were hard to make, and many subordinates as well. What annoyed him more was that he had been beaten by Eurius twice in a row, but it was difficult to deal with him in a direct confrontation. ¡®If puppets are not enough, maybe I should pull out some pirs from this side¡­¡¯ The man thought for a moment and nodded with a nk expression. He didn¡¯t have much time left now. ¡°I guess I need to make a new mask first.¡± He walked out of the room with the same expressionless face. *** When Eurius came out safely from the heat, the castle was soon cleaned up. He was now listening to Victor and Haines¡¯ reports in the knight¡¯s waiting room. ¡°The knights have some minor injuries, but no major damage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Eurius nodded at Haines¡¯ words first. In fact, when four masked men appeared, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. He used an iplete technique to quickly finish them off and go to help the knights, but fortunately, the enemy¡¯s strength seemed to be just that. He turned his head and looked at Victor. ¡°How¡¯s the damage to the castle?¡± ¡°Some ces were slightly scorched by the fire that we couldn¡¯tpletely stop. But it was quickly extinguished.¡± ¡°You did well. Then can I consider that I¡¯ve repaid my debt to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just repaying, it¡¯s a great favor. I thank you on behalf of Heavengard.¡± Victor bowed deeply to Eurius in gratitude. The damage to the castle was one thing, but if Eurius hadn¡¯t warned him beforehand, Heavengard would have been reduced to ashes in a day. Despite his calm tone, he was quite shaken inside. ¡®I thought it was hard to believe when I first heard that he fought one-on-one with His Majesty, but it seems like I was wrong. My judgment must have declined as I got older.¡¯ Eurius also smiled quietly inside. ¡®You seem to havee around now?¡¯ Eurius recalled the situation a few days ago. *** ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve finished deploying our troops, we just have to wait for them toe.¡± Eurius stretched and got up from his seat after finishing the ambush n for the defense battle. ¡°I can¡¯tpare it to the pce, but I¡¯ll prepare a ce for you to rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but I have a favor to ask.¡± Eurius stopped Victor who was about to get up quickly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you have a quiet and spacious training ground in this castle? I need to test what I¡¯ve learned this time.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Victor couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. He was one of the closest confidants, so he knew what the Grand Duke was studying. But he just came out of the secret room and said he was going to test it. What did that mean? ¡®Could it be¡­ But what if it¡¯s true that His Grace defeated him?¡¯ He moved his steps back to the inner castle with doubt and disbelief. The ce where Eurius was guided was an open space inside the inner castle. There was a small river flowing on one side of the open space, which was used to supply water to the entire castle, and the t and well-trimmed floor proved that it was well maintained. ¡°This is the training ground exclusively for His Grace. Since he has no owner now, you can use it as you please.¡± The words ¡®he has no owner¡¯ were a bit ufortable for the person who had killed that owner. ¡®He¡¯s quite stubborn. Does he find it hard to trust someone who killed his master, even if he has no grudge against the Grand Duke?¡¯ Eurius smiled sarcastically and answered. ¡°It¡¯s a nice training ground. The person who takes care of it must have worked hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty as the one in charge of the castle¡¯s maintenance.¡± They exchanged some sharp words. In fact, Eurius had been subtly pressuring him to join his side. Actually, the secret organization dius had lost almost all of its main force, but there were still a considerable number of people left, including those who were captured in the pce and the trainee knights. His intention was to let them go back to the pce side if they had no grudge against the Grand Duke. ¡®There¡¯s no reason not to absorb such a good force.¡¯ In fact, if the Grand Duke had been closely rted to the cult, he might have thought differently, but surprisingly, he was a much cleaner person than Eurius had expected, except for his contact with the ck market. But Victor seemed to be old for nothing. He kept avoiding his answer with clever replies. It would be hard for him as a knight to go to someone who killed his master right away. ¡°Can you leave me alone for a while? I have something to think about.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After confirming that Victor¡¯s presence was gone, Eurius headed to the center of the open space. He had to test how much he could use what he had learned by ¡®acquisition¡¯. He slowly drew his sword. Shiiing! The sword that rose slowly into the air swung down at a terrifying speed. The target of Eurius¡¯ sword was the small river flowing on one side of the open space. It was a small tributary that was not even a few meters wide, but if he had mastered the secret technique, there would be some consequences. Ssh! The water split slightly and the bottom became visible. But that timested less than a second. The sh cut through the water and advanced a little bit, but soon lost its power. ¡®It seems like I can imitate it to some extent?¡¯ Normally, trying to cut water with a sword would only make a ssh and bounce off the surface. Although it was a small river, he split it cleanly enough to see the bottom for a moment, so it seemed possible to use the secret technique itself even if he learned it by acquisition. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± But Eurius looked strange. He staggered and copsed on the spot. Just once! He used an iplete technique, but his whole body was drained of energy. [Failure, 1 point.] The Dragon Sword judged it as a failure before he could decide. ¡®It seems that what I learned by acquisition is not fully mine without enlightenment? Is it because I¡¯m not an official yer? Or is enlightenment necessary in the first ce?¡¯ The techniques learned by acquisition usually have their usage automatically remembered in his head. But this time, since his realm did not match the technique, he couldn¡¯t split the waterpletely, and it consumed a lot of force and stamina in an instant. Eurius pondered. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t use it in realbat until I raise my proficiency more.¡¯ [Breaking Sword Proficiency: 1%.] It was useless to have an iplete secret technique that made him faint after using it once. But he still didn¡¯t know how strong the enemy who would attack this time was, so he wanted to have one more trump card if possible. ¡°Is there no way?¡± [¡­] He asked the Dragon Sword after thinking for hours by himself, but this sword was too expensive to deal with as usual. Hmm. But it seemed to have recognized him somewhat, as it gave him more usible hints these days. The sword moved on its own and pointed to one side of his chest. ¡®Do you mean His Grace manual?¡¯ Eurius looked puzzled as he took out the book from his pocket. There wasn¡¯t much content in it. It was just a diary containing His Grace struggles. Why did he tell him to read it again? [I came to a conclusion recently. No matter how fast and strong a strike is, it can¡¯t cut mountains or seas. I might have made a mistake from the beginning by focusing on power.] His Grace struggle for the second stage training ended here. Then did this mean there was a hint here? [Not result.] The Dragon Sword added a word. Eurius thought hard. ¡®Does that mean process?¡¯ If so, His Grace had judged that neither strength nor speed was the answer. Then what did he use to split theke? Process meant swinging the sword, and result was splitting the water. And swinging the sword with speed or power was not the subject of consideration in the second stage. ¡°But don¡¯t you need strength and speed to cut something?¡± Hmm. The Dragon Sword vibrated more strongly as if it was frustrated. [No, stupid, word, cut, not.] ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ The meaning of the word was also strange. Normally, when you cut something, you use the word ¡®cut¡¯, not ¡®break¡¯. The two words had different meanings. [Me, knife, not.] ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ He could easily cut through any metal or stone with a kitchen knife if he reached his peak. A kitchen knife was not much different from a regr sword or even a treasure sword like the Yellow Dragon Sword. ¡°What does it matter if it¡¯s a kitchen knife or a famous sword? They¡¯re both tools for cutting things¡­ Huh?¡± Eurius, who had been thinking this far, suddenly pped his knee. ¡°Ah!¡± He got up again with his sword. He had recovered quite a bit since some time had passed. He realized two things this time. The first was the difference between the process and the result! ¡®I¡¯m not cutting through the water. That¡¯s just the oue!¡¯ His sword swung very slowly from top to bottom, like a turtle crawling. [Your proficiency has increased greatly.] [Cutting Sword proficiency: 10%] Swoosh. His expectation was right. ¡°As expected!¡± His sword had clearly cut through the water, even though it was only a few meters deep. For a moment, he could see the riverbed through the gap that had been split. Eurius couldn¡¯t help but stick out his tongue at the sight, even though he had done it himself. ¡®This was a more terrifying ability than I thought. Who would have guessed that it was a sword that cut off space and severed objects!¡¯ As he thought, the meaning of cutting was literally to separate the space. The mountains and seas were split simply because that part was cut off by the separated space. The second hint that the Yellow Dragon Sword gave him was that the cutting sword had a very different meaning from the usual ¡®cutting¡¯. Wasn¡¯t there not much difference between cutting a person with a sword or cutting meat with a kitchen knife physically? That¡¯s why it was called cutting, not severing. And the reason why Eurius could figure out this principle in a short time was the skill he showed at the end of the battle with Grand Duke. He had barely been injured in the center of the explosion that had blown away half of Grand Duke¡¯s body, because Grand Duke¡¯s sword had blocked his surrounding space from the impact of the explosion. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The joy of gaining an edge was short-lived. Eurius had to sit down again. He was better than before, but it was still not a skill he could use recklessly. ¡®I can only use it twice in a row at most.¡¯ But those two cutting swords had yed a decisive role in this battle. He had blocked the surrounding space and covered himself with resistance, enduring the fiery storm that enveloped him, and then attacked him by surprise, knocking down the one with regeneration ability in one shot. ¡®He can¡¯t regenerate unless his body is attached first!¡¯ For a while, it was impossible for flesh to touch each other in the blocked space, so he fell down without any resistance. ¡®If I can master this sword perfectly, I won¡¯t have any problem no matter what crisises.¡¯ He had faced many hardships, but Eurius was able to grow another step. *** Eurius, who finished his shback first, spoke up. ¡°Then isn¡¯t it time to decide your whereabouts? You have something to tell me too.¡± He asked jokingly this time. Victor seemed to have realized his intention and thought for a moment. ¡°I know all the contact locations of those ck market guys¡­ but if they have any thoughts, they wouldn¡¯t have left any traces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for me. And what¡¯s the second thing?¡± Eurius urged him to answer. Victor seemed to be quite conflicted. He finally opened his mouth after some hesitation. ¡°Actually, I have an impudent request. Would you be willing to listen?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius sensed that this request would be crucial in deciding whether dius would join them or not. ¡°Tell me anything. I¡¯ll talk to Father about it. I¡¯ll send you a signal as soon as I get to the capital, so you cane up then.¡± Victor bowed his head deeply again. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Eurius waved his hand at him and left Heaven Guard with his knights. He had a lot of things to do when he arrived at the capital. First of all, there was still an enemy left unfinished. ¡®The first round was my victory. But they won¡¯t go easy on me in the second round!¡¯ The enemy he was thinking of was the ck market. He had eliminated the archbishop, but no quest message came up. The reaction was different from when he eliminated Ismailst time, so there was a high possibility that the enemy was still alive. Eurius had only one thought in his head as he rode his horse. It was to find their base! ¡®I¡¯ll have to prepare to catch their tails when I get back to the capital.¡¯ Chapter 121: As An Emperor Chapter 121: As An Emperor ¡°I can see the capital.¡± ¡°Ha! We can finally rest a bit.¡± The knights of Scharnos looked exhausted. It was understandable, since they had fought a fierce battle in the capital and then headed straight to Heavengard, where they had to defend the city. ¡®I did make them do something terrible. It was a cycle of marching and fighting for almost ten days.¡¯ Eurius gave a bitter smile and ordered. ¡°Once you arrive in the capital, you can rest for a while. I have to report to Father.¡± But as soon as they reached the gate of the capital, an unexpected event disrupted their rest. A crowd of enthusiastic people greeted them as soon as the gate opened. ¡°Waaaa! Long live the First Prince!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Long live the Scharnos Knights!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius and his knights had no choice but to march slowly through the capital, receiving the inexplicable wee. When they reached the halfway point of the procession, someone came out of the pce to greet them. ¡°First Prince! The Emperor is waiting for you.¡± ¡°They are very tired, so please prepare a ce for them to rest in the pce.¡± Only after the servants and knights who came to greet them dispersed the crowd like a cloud did they manage to enter the pce quickly. Eurius headed to the room where the Emperor was waiting, tilting his head. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ He had promised with the Emperor that he would not announce his rebellion until he returned, at his request. ¡®But judging by the atmosphere, something seems wrong.¡¯ It was unlikely that the Emperor had carried out a massive purge before he returned. But the crowd just now seemed like they were celebrating a victory, didn¡¯t they? ¡°Oh! You must be tired from repeated battles. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Greetings, Father.¡± ¡®Huh? Battles?¡¯ The Emperor weed him with a smile, which was unexpected. Normally, he should be slightly angry at him for leaving after suppressing his rebellion and then running off to a faraway ce for no reason. And what did he mean by repeated battles? He hadn¡¯t reported that he had fought with the ck market in Heavengard, and the Emperor didn¡¯t know about it. Eurius gave a bitter smile and asked for an exnation. ¡°It seems that something happened while I was away.¡± ¡°I had no choice but to do so because you asked me not to announce anything about that bastard. Don¡¯t you need another reason to detain all the nobles who were there?¡± The Emperor chuckled. The incident of attacking the pce a week ago, which he had exined, was announced like this. The citizens of the imperial capital had roughly this reaction. ¡°They say that while His Majesty, who is ill, was suffering from a serious illness, the terrorist group that attacked the capital before targeted the pce this time. How dare they attack the heart of the empire? They have no fear!¡± ¡°Tsk! That¡¯s not important. Do you know who repelled them?¡± ¡°Of course it must be the Imperial Guard Knights who guard the pce. Who else could it be?¡± ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re slow on news! Of course, the Imperial Guard Knights helped, but it was none other than the First Prince and his knights who defended the pce decisively!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Really? It hasn¡¯t been even two years since he returned from the northern war, but every time I hear from him, he brings back one great merit after another¡­¡± ¡°There was an official announcement from the pce aboutst night¡¯smotion, so there¡¯s no doubt about it. And now, they say that the First Prince and his knights have left the capital to wipe out their remnants.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I heard a rumor that there was a loud cheer from the gate around dawn.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s amazing. Except for His Majesty, has there ever been anyone who umted such achievements before bing emperor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And yet, they say that he hasn¡¯t even ascended to crown prince yet because he cares for his younger brother who hasn¡¯t reached adulthood yet. Not only is he brave in war, but he is also virtuous like that. He truly has all the qualities of an ideal ruler!¡± . . . . After hearing all the exnations, Eurius looked dumbfounded. It was true that an emergency situation required a usible announcement, but why did he have to praise him so much? The Emperor spoke again with a rxed tone. ¡°Now that there is no more Grand Duke, what difference does it make if I add some more merits to you? Just ept itfortably.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius could only give a bitter smile. He knew that it was a prank by the Emperor who deliberately gave him all the credit. ¡°That¡¯s how it is and let¡¯s get to the point.¡± The Emperor finally erased his smile and became serious. ¡°I already heard that the Grand Duke saved your life. But that doesn¡¯t erase his treason.¡± Eurius bit his tongue inwardly at his stern tone. ¡®As expected, Father has no intention of forgiving the Grand Duke.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll ask you first. He¡¯s already dead, but what do you think we should do with those rted to him? Just in case, I¡¯ll tell you, I have no intention of being swayed by sentiment now that this has happened.¡± The Grand Duke was not only the leader of the nobles, but also the Emperor¡¯s cousin. The fact that the Emperor said such a thing meant that he was determined to carry out a ruthless purge. ¡®But I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¯ Eurius answered quietly but firmly. ¡°I oppose the purge of the nobles.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, there was a long silence in the room. It was the first time that Eurius had opposed the Emperor¡¯s opinion so firmly, even though he had pleaded with him earnestly before. ¡°You must have a valid reason, right?¡± The Emperor¡¯s expression was slightly angry and cold to Eurius, which was rare. From his perspective, this was a golden opportunity to sweep away all the nobles. Eurius did not avoid his cold gaze. Rather, he raised his head and met the Emperor¡¯s eyes. ¡®This is important.¡¯ If he failed to persuade the Emperor, the oue would be no different from his previous life, except that he was the victor. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s the chaos of the political situation.¡± ¡°Chaos?¡± ¡°If we kill all the nobles in the south now, there will be bacsh. If we use such a hardline policy, we will only give them an excuse to unite.¡± The Emperor frowned at the first reason. Eurius¡¯s opinion was too orthodox. ¡°That¡¯s obvious. But without the Grand Duke, they will be wasting their efforts.¡± ¡°What about the blood that will be spilled?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯m prepared for.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Emperor and Eurius¡¯s eyes shed again. ¡°If that¡¯s all you have to say¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Eurius sighed. It was inevitable that it would be rude to talk to the Emperor like this, even if he was his son. He widened his eyes and red at Eurius. ¡°What else are you dissatisfied with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you the second reason, Father.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The Emperor was already quite angry, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was acting like this. ¡°Tell me the second reason. This is an imperial order.¡± Eurius finally opened his mouth reluctantly. ¡°I found some of the manuscripts that the Grand Duke wrote himself in his castle.¡± ¡°Manuscripts?¡± ¡°Yes. ording to them, the reason why he openly supported the nobles was because¡­¡± The Emperor jumped up from his seat after hearing the next part. He started to look at Eurius with a terrifying gaze. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re on his side now because he saved your life?¡± Eurius did not stop speaking in front of the enraged Emperor. ¡°But it¡¯s a reasonable argument. It¡¯s true that Father¡¯s ascension to the throne and killing all the nobles and imperial family members who opposed him helped the development of the empire, but I think that resulted in the Grand Duke¡¯s rebellion.¡± ¡°I would have cut your throat if someone else had uttered such nonsense!¡± The Emperor was furious. It was obvious why. The reason was that he had suppressed the power of the nobles with blood and caused this situation. It was no different from denying his entire reign. But Eurius¡¯s tone was calm from beginning to end. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that Father¡¯s way was wrong.¡± ¡°Then what are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that there is no need to spill blood anymore. Civil war leaves nothing behind. The only thing left is the blood of innocent people who are swept away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius was not talking as an emperor right now. He was trying to have an equal conversation with his father as an emperor from his previous life. He had always tried to avoid civil war and after reading the Grand Duke¡¯s manuscripts, he became convinced of that. ¡®The Grand Duke became estranged from Father because of bloodline issues, but also because he spilled too much blood in the beginning and the nobles who needed someone to protect them turned to him!¡¯ There was no one who could be their leader now, but who could guarantee that there wouldn¡¯t be another Grand Duke in a few years? He didn¡¯t know what would happen in decades, just like the current Emperor. The current Emperor who strengthened his power by spilling blood! Eurius who got caught up in a civil war because of his weak power in his previous life! It was a clear difference between the two rulers. But Eurius knew too well that there was nothing left for either side in a civil war. The losing side would take all the me, but in reality both sides were responsible. [The trait ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ is activated.] [Your charisma and charm increase.] The Emperor couldn¡¯t help but look at Eurius with surprise at his serious aura. ¡®When did he grow up so much?¡¯ Eurius, who was now having a dignified conversation with him face to face, had grown up enough to express his opinion logically in front of him. ¡®To be honest, I think he¡¯s too soft, but anyway he¡¯ll be running the country in a few years¡­¡¯ The Emperor thought rationally that Eurius¡¯s opinion had some merit, even though it was different from his position. And crucially, he was old and he couldn¡¯t guarantee how long he could run the country. ¡®Now is the time to sway Father¡¯s heart.¡¯ Eurius brought up thest reason. It was the bond of blood. ¡°And thest reason is Leonhardt.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°He may be your son, but he is also my brother. Do you really intend to cut his throat or exile him for life?¡± He brought up the third reason of blood ties because if he appealed to his petty feelings when the emperor¡¯s mind was set, it would backfire. ¡®But if his mind is somewhat moved, this third reason is the most powerful weapon!¡¯ No matter how much the emperor favored him, he used topare children to ten fingers that all hurt when bitten. The third reason was a decisive blow to him, whose momentum was already broken. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°I apologize for being so rude to you, even though you are the emperor. Please forgive me.¡± Then Eurius knelt down on the floor and bowed his head cheekily. ¡°Enough! Fine, do as you wish. Ugh, you¡¯re such a scoundrel¡­¡± The emperor finally surrendered. He agreed to ept Eurius¡¯s opinion. It was not just because he was persuaded. He was secretly very satisfied, even though he did not show it. To be honest, he had been supporting Eurius for a while, thinking that he was just helping a smart kid. But now his mind has changed! ¡®This guy, who just turned twenty, thinks like a benevolent ruler who has umted a lot of merit. If he can understand the damage and suffering of the people caused by the civil war, there won¡¯t be much problem if I leave it to him.¡¯ The emperor was not lying when he said that he felt guilty for the bloodshed. Especially when he talked about Leonhardt, he could not help but waver. He had brothers too. He just pushed them all away with power struggles and became the emperor. ¡®It¡¯s admirable that he cares about his brother, who could be a thorn in his eye for the throne.¡¯ Considering all these points, the emperor decided to follow Eurius¡¯s opinion. There was no parent who did not rejoice at their child¡¯s growth. But there was something he had to point out. ¡°Then, if I agree to your words for now, how do you n to exin the absence of the Grand Duke?¡± ¡®Sess!¡¯ Eurius had brought up an opinion that could have been out of favor with the emperor, but he had no choice but to be grateful that the emperor epted his opinion. ¡°Thank you very much, Your Majesty.¡± The emperor sat back in his chair and answered in a grumpy voice that did not match his inner feelings. ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re such an brat¡­ You don¡¯t have to make such a fuss. You must have nned how to deal with the Grand Duke since you brought up this opinion, right?¡± Eurius also lifted his head and smiled. ¡°Actually, I have something in mind for that too.¡± At the same time, an alert rang in his head. [The trait ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ rises from B rank to A rank.] Chapter 122: The Next Day. Chapter 122: The Next Day. ¡°The First Prince has finally returned. You better be prepared.¡± ¡°Have you all written your wills?¡± ¡°Will they even be delivered? They will probably be buried without anyone knowing.¡± The nobles of the south, who had received much favor from the Grand Duke, had a nightmare of a week. Especially the high-ranking nobles, who were practically imprisoned in the imperial pce. But the Grand Duke who could save them was already a cold corpse. The old nobles had even written separate wills. They knew very well what kind of person the emperor was. ¡°He won¡¯t miss this golden opportunity to annihte us. He will somehow link us to the Grand Duke and kill us all.¡± Some trembled in fear, while others sighed in resignation, as the nobles entered the court one by one. The emperor, who sat on the throne, finally brought up the incident as if he had been waiting for it. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the most urgent matter, the matter of the Grand Duke.¡± ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ ¡®Please spare my life!¡¯ The nobles shivered inwardly as their eyes focused on the emperor. But the emperor gestured as if he had just remembered something. ¡°Come to think of it, there is someone more qualified than me to discuss this issue. The First Prince Yurius! Come forward and exin!¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Hearing thatmand, the nobles had no choice but to resign themselves even more. They had all witnessed Yurius and the Grand Duke fighting a week ago. If a superhuman had his eyes bloodshot like that, he would have no way out of this court even if he came back from the dead. Yurius came to the center of the court and looked up at the emperor as he opened his mouth. His words werepletely different from what the nobles expected. ¡°I barely survived this attack with the help of the Grand Duke. It is a very regrettable thing that such a loyal subject lost his life to an unknown group of assants.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®What did the First Prince eat wrong?¡¯ ¡®You were fighting fiercely with the Grand Duke yourself, what are you talking about?¡¯ The nobles were dumbfounded. In fact, it was thest explosion that cut off the Grand Duke¡¯s breath, but from their point of view, Yurius had killed him. What? He saved your life? To make matters worse, Yurius continued his words as if pouring salt on their wounds. ¡°He was the best knight in the empire and a loyal subject. He deserves to have a respectful funeral with a state funeral! And I think it is right to send a medal of martial honor to his family.¡± At that moment, the eyes of all the nobles turned to the emperor. They knew that the emperor would never tolerate such a prank. ¡°Hmm¡­ We often argued, but it is indeed a pity that the empire lost the Grand Duke. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of scolding Yurius, the emperor defended him with his answer. The nobles were speechless for a moment. How should they interpret this? But among the nobles, there were some who were quick-witted. The first one to open his mouth was a middle-aged noble with a stylish beard. ¡°That is true! The Grand Duke devoted his life to the empire. I am amazed by the First Prince¡¯s consideration. Haha¡­¡± ¡®Ah!¡¯ Then most of the nobles realized what this situation meant. Another noble hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°I report to Your Highness, the First Prince. I don¡¯t know what to say about your wise judgment. The Grand Duke was not only an excellent knight, but also a representative of the southern nobles. I thank you too.¡± Some nobles even bowed their heads as if they were going to touch the ground. They all had one thought in mind. ¡®This is a test for us. He is warning us to follow him obediently from now on instead of ming us for our sins with the Grand Duke!¡¯ ¡®It means we have been put on a leash instead of losing our heads. But I have to save my life first, right?¡¯ Yurius pretended to have a heavy expression and spoke again in a cheeky tone. ¡°I appreciate your words. Now I see that you are truly loyal subjects who think about the future of the empire.¡± ¡°You tter us. Haha¡­¡± As a harmonious(?) atmosphere was created between Yurius and some nobles, the others had no choice but to swallow their anger. ¡®Damn it! How did this happen?¡¯ ¡®Do they have no shame? How can they be so brazen¡­¡¯ Whether they liked it or not, Yurius and the emperor were smiling faintly at each other. ¡®The intention was sessful. As expected, none of them have big enough guts to covet the imperial power as long as they get some benefits. This is better.¡¯ *** The emperor frowned again at Yurius¡¯ words yesterday. ¡°Don¡¯t me the Grand Duke for his crimes?¡± ¡°And you have to package him as a loyal subject in a grand way.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor had no choice but to think again. He had agreed to Yurius¡¯ suggestion, but he didn¡¯t really like it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say he died identally? Why do you need to give him such honor?¡± But Yurius¡¯ answer was firm. ¡°Because that¡¯s how we can shake the nobles who followed the Grand Duke!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Then the emperor realized his intention. ¡°You mean to sow discord among them?¡± ¡°Yes. There must be many who value their lives among them.¡± The reason why a civil war broke out was because the southern nobles were tightly united. But human hearts are treacherous. If they protect the Grand Duke¡¯s honor and don¡¯t me their families, what would they think? They would surely believe that Yurius, who would be at the center of power in the future, would be willing to negotiate with them, unlike the current emperor. After all, they joined the Grand Duke because he represented their interests. ¡°It¡¯s definitely effective, but I don¡¯t like the idea ofpromising with them.¡± The emperor was not satisfied, but he was not a person who would go back on his word. ¡°Then you do it yourself. But if you can¡¯t bnce it, it might be worse than wiping them all out.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Yurius smiled again. This method would spill less blood than sweeping them all away, but it would take more effort to maintain the emperor¡¯s power and appease the nobles. ¡®But I can do it if I can see into people¡¯s hearts!¡¯ He had the ability to see people¡¯s stats and inner thoughts. With this ability, he could easily sort out who would follow him and who would resist him. As he was thinking that, the emperor finally rxed his displeased expression and opened his mouth again. ¡°And there is one more condition.¡± Yurius¡¯ eyes lit up again. The emperor had something else to ask him? ¡°Please tell me.¡± *** The nobles in the court were divided into two groups as Yurius expected. One was the side that ttered him and begged for their lives like before! The other was the ones who looked at those nobles with a dumbfounded expression and sighed. They were the ones who had some brains. ¡®We won¡¯t be able to raise a banner against him anymore. Even if we stick together, we can¡¯t match him, and there are so many who fall for the First Prince¡¯s sweet talk¡­¡¯ There was also one more person who had a hardened expression, though he was not a noble. It was the Second Prince Leonhardt, who was quietly standing on the side of the nobles. He was also somewhat puzzled inside. ¡®If I had persuaded Abamama well, this would have been a chance topletely oust me and the Grand Duke, but why did he choose this method?¡¯ Leonhardt couldn¡¯t understand it. It would have been better to eliminate himpletely even if it meant shedding blood, why did he leave a tail? ¡®Anyway, I almost gave up when I heard that the Grand Duke died, but I guess the opportunity hasn¡¯tpletely gone yet?¡¯ But Yurius, who was blocking his way now, had be a huge wall. So his mind was filled with various thoughts. But there was a sound that broke themotion. ¡°Hmm! Hmm!¡± The emperor¡¯s cough made the court quiet again. ¡°Then we¡¯ll deal with the matter of the Grand Duke as we agreed and there is a second agenda for today.¡± At that moment, everyone in the court except Yurius and the emperor had a puzzled expression. The problem of the Grand Duke¡¯s rebellion was so big that they didn¡¯t predict what other agenda there would be behind it. ¡°Besides the Grand Duke who died sadly, there is another one who made a great contribution, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Then all the officials in the court eximed. Come to think of it, Yurius¡¯mendation hadn¡¯t ended yet. Yurius smirked. He remembered thest condition that the emperor had given him yesterday. He had no reason to refuse anymore. The emperor opened his mouth with a stern expression. ¡°I don¡¯t need to praise you any more, including thismendation, so I¡¯ll just say one thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The audience waited for the emperor¡¯s words in silence. ¡°Do you want to take the crown prince¡¯s position?¡± Yurius bowed his head. ¡°I still think I¡¯m young andcking, but I will.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s decided? Anyone who wants to object cane forward and speak.¡± Of course, there was no one who would do that in this situation. The emperor smiled contentedly. ¡®Finally, I can prepare to step down from this annoying position.¡¯ ¡°Then you need some preparation time, so let¡¯s have the First Prince Yurius¡¯ crown prince coronation ceremony in three months!¡± And that day¡¯s court meeting was over. After that, Yurius had to sweat profusely as he faced the endless stream of officials. ¡°Your Highness, the First Prince! Congrattions. You will soon be called Your Highness, the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Thank you again for your treatment of the Grand Duke. I didn¡¯t get to say it earlier, but I¡¯m Count Lubeck from the south. I hope to¡­¡± Not only the bureaucrats of the emperor¡¯s faction, but also the nobles who had switched to Yurius¡¯ side all bowed before him. Most of the bureaucrats were sincere congrattions, but the nobles were persistent in trying to stamp their eyes on him, forgetting their dignity and pushing through the crowd. ¡®It seems like I won¡¯t be able to go back early today.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t rudely chase them all away for his reputation management. As he smiled and greeted them, finally someone he had been waiting for spoke to him. ¡°Brother! Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you. You must be worried about the Grand Duke¡¯s death too. Are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sad thing, but we have to mourn when we¡¯re sad andugh together when we¡¯re happy.¡± As he greeted him in front of him, Leonhardt saw that the nobles behind him were clicking their tongues. ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s obvious what a royal would say when pushed out of power¡­ If it were me, I would never spare him.¡± ¡°Shh! But I heard that their rtionship wasn¡¯t that bad?¡± ¡°Anyway, as the Second Prince, he has to look good somehow to save his life. It¡¯s pitiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leonhardt boiled inside even though he couldn¡¯t hear it. In fact, Yurius could get rid of him at any time if he wanted to. Yurius also smiled brightly at Leonhardt on the outside, but sneered coldly inside. ¡®Don¡¯t do anything stupid. Now that it¡¯s been revealed that the Grand Duke had almost no connection with the Order, you¡¯re the only one who can bring them in from your previous life.¡¯ The reason why he didn¡¯t get rid of Leonhardt right away was simple. It was because it was safer to let him stay in the pce and observe him regrly than to send him to exile far away. And he had a second reason after getting new information. [Leonhardt von Scharnos] yer Factor (50%) When he returned to the pce for the first time and observed him, Yurius was shocked. Compared to Yurius or the emperor, who had virtually no yer aptitude, his aptitude was abnormally high. ¡®He¡¯s been two hundred years old, but what kind of mutant is he? Why is his aptitude so high?¡¯ Chapter 123: The Eastern Continent Incident Chapter 123: The Eastern Continent Incident The funeral of the Grand Duke was held grandly in the capital. He was like the symbol of the imperial knights. Most of the people who did not know the truth about his treason mourned him with regretful expressions. The death of the Grand Duke was not just a matter of losing a talented person, but also a matter of affecting the prestige of the empire. ¡°Who would have thought that His Grace the Grand Duke would pass away¡­ Was there a really formidable attack?¡± ¡°Now one of the four seats of the Superhumans is vacant. Who do you think will fill that position?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know? Although there are many talents in the empire, it¡¯s not like a Superhuman can be made in an instant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. At least these days, there are many promising talents in the Sharnos Knights, including His Highness the First Prince, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ No matter what, they are too young! Even if they reached it quickly, they should be over thirty. Maybe in ten years or so, but it¡¯s too early now.¡± The people¡¯s interest was not only in mourning, but also in the power vacuum caused by the death of the Grand Duke. Although there was no country on the continent that dared to face the empire head-on, recently there was a sign of trouble in the southern desert, so losing one Superhuman was a serious problem for most people. It was the same in the imperial pce, where people were restless about this issue. While discussing the future matters, Marius opened his mouth first. ¡°So, how about taking this opportunity to visit the Holy Kingdom for a while?¡± ¡°I agree with that. If you get recognized as a Superhuman by the Temple before the crown prince¡¯s appointment ceremony, wouldn¡¯t your status rise even more?¡± The emperor seemed to have the same opinion. A Superhuman was a term for a knight of the fourth stage, but to be officially recognized as such on the continent, one had to pass a test given by the Temple of War. And of course, the qualification of a Superhuman that was directly announced by the Temple was generally the greatest honor that a knight could have. But Eurius¡¯s answer was unexpectedly lukewarm. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. But my personal opinion is that it¡¯s too early.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± They tilted their heads. It was a good opportunity to widen his position now that there was no Grand Duke, so why did he refuse? Eurius opened his mouth again. ¡°Actually, isn¡¯t that test something you can take anytime? I think it¡¯s more important to settle the chaotic situation and strengthen our foundation than that.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, I won¡¯t stop you, but¡­¡± Looking at the two old men with regretful expressions, Eurius sneered inwardly. Of course, having a higher reputation would help his actions, but he didn¡¯t have enough time to care about that right now. ¡®And honestly, I don¡¯t even know why I have to take that test.¡¯ It was a secret what kind of test they gave at the Temple of War, but if he had already reached that level, he wouldn¡¯t lose his skills just because he didn¡¯t go to the Holy Kingdom. And more importantly, didn¡¯t he have an imminent goal now? ¡®Now that the enemies inside are almost powerless, it¡¯s time to turn my eyes to the enemies outside.¡¯ There was still plenty of time left until the crown prince¡¯s appointment. It was a good time for him to move his personal forces. That night, Eurius summoned his followers. He smiled as if he was d to see them entering one by one into the secret room prepared in his pce. ¡°Thank you for attending without fail despite my sudden call.¡± The reaction inside was divided into three groups. First of all, Marius had been called for this kind of gathering for the first time, but he smiled and sat down like an experienced official. ¡°If Your Highness calls me, I have to run. Hehe¡­¡± The second group was two young people who looked bewildered. They were Beatrice and Kains. They thought Eurius was looking for them and were surprised by this unexpected meeting. ¡°Your Highness? Who are these people?¡± The third group was Nuada. He looked around with an interested expression. ¡°There are quite a few new faces today. Are they all friends who follow you?¡± ¡°By the way, don¡¯t you have to go back to the mountains?¡± At Eurius¡¯s question, he grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m pretty stable now and trivial matters will be handled by the elders of my tribe. My goal was to give him a proper blow for once, but it seems like it will be difficult for a while.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius turned his gaze to where Nuada nced. ¡®Come to think of it, their atmosphere is not good? Is there something urgent?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± He realized that Jegal Unhyeon, who was always smiling and bickering with Nuada, was a bit strange today. No, all three people from the Jegal n who attended today were sitting quietly without saying anything. Nuada looked rough at first nce, but he had sharper senses than anyone. He could tell the atmosphere just by looking at it and was only observing without saying anything. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°My lord¡­¡± ¡°I will tell my lord myself.¡± As soon as he noticed Eurius¡¯s gaze, Jegal Hwayoung tried to open his mouth first. But before he could finish his sentence, Jegal Unhyeon interrupted him and started to talk with a serious expression. ¡°My lord, you must have summoned these talents here to discuss your future ns, right?¡± ¡°Is that so? Is there any problem?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I have something to tell you.¡± Unusually, Jegal Unhyeon was showing respect to him. It was obvious that something had really happened. ¡°Actually, around the time you returned to the capital, a red order arrived from the main house in the Eastern Continent.¡± ¡°A red order?¡± ¡°An order, not a letter, is a mark used by the n to convey the most urgent news. Sigh¡­¡± After a sigh, Jegal Unhyeon finally got to the point. ¡°Among them, a red order means that the n is facing a crisis that threatens its existence. There must have been some problem while I was away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius remained silent for a moment after hearing that. He could easily guess what woulde next. Since it was a problem that threatened the n¡¯s existence, the people from the Jegal n would have to leave for a while. ¡®It must be awkward for them. The n is in crisis, but I have the final say.¡¯ Eurius decided to test them first. What would they do in this situation? ¡°What answer would you like me to give?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a heavy silence, Jegal Unhyeon opened his mouth again. ¡°We will follow your decision, my lord.¡± ¡°Is that so? I heard that the n is in a crisis.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s expression was as solid as ster. If he had prioritized the n over hismand, he would have left without waiting for an answer. ¡®They showed their sincerity, so I should give them a proper reward as their lord.¡¯ Eurius answered with a serious expression. ¡°Actually, I need a lot of power for what I called you for. It would be very disappointing if you lose your power there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So how much power do you have to take away?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but¡­ at least Gun and I have to go back to the main house.¡± ¡®Tsk! As expected.¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue. As he expected, it was not something that could be solved by taking away some information agents or ordinary experts from the Moonlight War. In fact, Jegal Unhyeon was one of the top Superhumans in the Western Continent. His existence was one of the most reliable forces for him. Jegal Gun was also an excellent expert who was close to a Superhuman. If these two left at the same time, there would be almost no power that he could rely on from the Jegal n. That¡¯s why they hesitated. And Eurius said he needed power now because he called them. What answer would he give? ¡®If he has somewhere else to use us, then it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ The people from the Jegal n were resigned inwardly. Seeing that he summoned even people he rarely saw, this n must be no ordinary matter like taking down the Grand Duke. ¡°I see. As soon as the meeting is over, head to the Eastern Continent. I¡¯m sorry to hold you back if it¡¯s an urgent matter.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­ What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Go to the Eastern Continent as soon as the meeting is over. This is an order.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Eurius smiled slyly. ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of loyalty. Don¡¯t you think I should give other talents a chance to shine on this asion?¡± And his confident gaze met Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s eyes head-on. ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Unhyeon opened his eyes wide and scanned Eurius¡¯s body once. If he was such an expert, he could roughly estimate his opponent¡¯s level just by observing. ¡®Did he grow another step? He¡¯s really amazing.¡¯ The aura he felt from Eurius was different from when he left the capital. He was still iplete, but he had tasted a bit of the level above the fourth stage. It was natural. He bowed his head and saluted deeply. ¡°Thank you for your grace, my lord.¡± ¡°Thank you for your grace!¡± Jegal Hwayoung and Jegal Gun also followed suit and saluted. The other people who didn¡¯t know what was going on just stared at them nkly. ¡®I was worried for nothing. He can handle any danger by himself if he has grown that much.¡¯ In fact, Jegal Unhyeon was also concerned about Eurius¡¯s safety, who was still immature as a warrior, even after the duel with the Grand Duke. As the one who held the Blue Dragon Law of the Death God n, he had to prioritize Eurius¡¯s safety over the n¡¯s well-being. And he saluted because Eurius knew that and still used the means of an order to show his consideration for the n¡¯s well-being. ¡®As Master Manbyeok said, he must have something special since he was born with the Death God Body.¡¯ As he admired him inwardly, Eurius spoke to him again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you in the East next time. It won¡¯t take long, I guess.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you will cross the continent yourself?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to reim the legacy of the Masterless? I have a n for that. Don¡¯t worry and prepare a grand wee for me.¡± Eurius answered casually and the people from the Jegal n couldn¡¯t help but tilt their heads. How could he, who would soon be the crown prince, cross over to the East? ¡®I¡¯m d it turned out well. I felt sorry for neglecting other talents because I relied too much on their power.¡¯ Now Eurius was not someone who could be beaten (?) anywhere, and his subordinates had also grown enough except for the Jegal n. He nned to use the talents he captured with his abilities rather than the benefits given to him as a yer in this n. It was a skill that he had to have as an emperor to use talents in the right ce. ¡®There are many people who should do their part this time!¡¯ p! Eurius pped his hands with a smile. ¡°Actually, there are some talents that I haven¡¯t introduced yet.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± Jegal Hwayoung asked curiously. At that moment, the door of the secret room opened and two men entered. Squeak. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness.¡± ¡°Greetings to Your Highness!¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± Most of the people in the room tilted their heads when they saw them. They were two young men. One of them had a manly appearance, but he was not a warrior and wore a military uniform. He seemed to belong to the military staff. The other man looked even younger and was a novice. He had a thin body and an intelligent face. He looked like a typical low-ranking official. ¡°Devan, and Bryan, long time no see.¡± ¡°Nice to see you again.¡± ¡°Thank you for remembering me.¡± They greeted him, but their faces were slightly pale. The people in the room didn¡¯t show much of their aura, but they were so formidable that even their faint aura created an oppressive atmosphere. ¡®They are not ordinary people. What kind of meeting is this?¡¯ ¡®Why did he call me, a mere low-ranking official, when Marius is also attending? It doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary ce.¡¯ Eurius observed their expressions for a while and then opened his mouth. ¡°Actually, what I wanted to see most in this ce was you!¡± ¡°Me?¡± The person he pointed at had a dumbfounded expression. Why did Eurius want to see him? But soon he realized that he made a mistake and bowed his head hastily. ¡°I apologize. But how can I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous, Bryan.¡± The person Eurius pointed at was Bryan. He was currently helping Marius and achieving great results in the north, and in his previous life, he was known as Money King on the continent. In fact, Eurius only heard rumors about his nickname and ability, but he didn¡¯t know much about him. ¡®I didn¡¯t know he had other skills besides financial management. Well, geniuses in one field tend to excel in other simr fields.¡¯ Eurius winked at Marius and Jegal Hwayoung. ¡°Chief of Staff said that his advice was the most helpful in finding out about the ck market in Moonlight War. Is that true?¡± Chapter 124: Gathering Chapter 124: Gathering ¡°I heard that from Lord Marius himself.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Hwayoung nodded his head and Bryan looked bewildered. ¡®What is the ck market and what does it have to do with me?¡¯ Bryan¡¯s gaze unknowingly went to Marius¡¯s face, who had mentioned him. He stroked his beard and opened his mouth. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯ll exin that to you, young man.¡± *** It was a few months ago. The government office of Stefan, the central city of the north, was busy as usual. It had been almost two years since the Northern War, and the ce was booming with work as it was developing rapidly. Of course, there was no need to say who was the busiest. ¡°Lord Marius, we have received a report on the progress of Bern¡¯s development.¡± ¡°The residents of the northwestern region are asking for relief because of the cold wave that hit them.¡± Marius scratched his head as he looked at the documents. ¡®Objectively speaking, there is no shortage of talent, but thend is too vast! It seems hard to avoid manpower shortage for a while.¡¯ That¡¯s right! The northern territory that they had pioneered this time was sorge that it upied a quarter of the empire¡¯snd, and they were always suffering from a chronk of manpower as they tried to develop it quickly. Marius and other bureaucrats were overwhelmed by the workload that was two or three times more than that of the central government. On top of that, he was the chief in charge and had to go to the capital regrly, and he also had a lot of things that Eurius had asked him to do. ¡®I should be enjoying my grandchildren¡¯s antics at this age, but what kind of hardship is this¡­¡¯ ¡°Excuse me.¡± Creak. The door of his office opened again as he sighed inwardly. ¡°Lord Marius, I have organized the report on this month¡¯s taxes.¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯ve done a great job.¡± He greeted with a rare smile the young man who had earned his favor and was making a name for himself in the north. His name was Bryan. ¡®If only all the neers were as good at their work as this guy, I wouldn¡¯t ask for more¡­¡¯ At first, he thought he was just a young rookie, but he learned fast and especially meticulous for someone his age who should be full of vigor. He recognized his calmness and ability and recently entrusted him with almost all the financial matters such as taxes, except for the final payment. That showed how much he trusted hispetence. ¡®Besides, His Highness Eurius told me to use him well, so maybe I should entrust him with the secret trade with Blue Dragon Company soon?¡¯ ¡°Lord Marius, I¡¯m sorry but I have some questions about this report and I think I need to report them separately.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Before he could finish his thoughts, Bryan opened his mouth with a slightly tense expression. ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Actually, I looked over the books from the major cities in the north for the past few months and there seems to be some mistake on my part.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He had seen all of Bryan¡¯s reports. Even in Marius¡¯s eyes, who was known as the best administrator in the empire, his reports were wless. ¡°Can I sit down for a moment? It would be easier to see if I do some calctions.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± As he looked at him with a puzzled expression, Bryan sat down at the desk in his office and took out an abacus from his pocket. ck! He flicked the beads at lightning speed. ¡°First of all, this is the customs duty of the major cities in the north, including Stefan.¡± He meant the tax paid by themercial associations or authorized distributors in the city. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°And this is the list of Sangdans currently operating in the northern cities. They also have individual trade statements.¡± Bryan said in a careful tone. ¡°As a result ofparing them, there was a fairlyrge discrepancy of five to seven percent in all cities.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Hehe¡­¡± Mariusughed lightly as if it was nothing. ¡°Isn¡¯t there always such a discrepancy in customs books? It¡¯s embarrassing to say, but not everything is strictly enforced in the empire.¡± ¡®He is still young, so he has the ability butcks flexibility.¡¯ He knew from his experience that customs revenue was not always strictly enforced. There were cases where he paid with goods instead of money, but suddenly their prices plummeted. And it was a shameful thing, but there were also many cases where local officials or lords took bribes andmitted fraud. But Bryan had a serious expression again. ¡°I have not ignored that point while doing my work for a few years, even though I am inexperienced.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The cities I gave you the list of arerge, but they are new cities that have not yet received nobles as their territories. I think we should also consider the uniqueness of the north.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marius was not a fool. He might have missed something because he had too much work to do. After thinking for a while, he opened his mouth again. ¡°There is indeed something suspicious, but do you want to investigate it?¡± ¡°I brought it because I think Ick experience to judge. But I think it¡¯s not something to overlook when the books don¡¯t match uniformly for several months.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± What Bryan meant by the uniqueness of the north was that unlike other regions, the cities were developed with meticulous nning from the beginning. Most of the residents were people who came in through migration, so their identities were clear. The empire conducted regr and thorough poption surveys to secure taxes, so there was almost no possibility of errors in the new cities. ¡®There are no lords or local forces or merchants who canmit corruption there, right?¡¯ Of course, there was also a possibility that the guards who guarded the gates or the lower-level officials would personallymit corruption, but Bryan¡¯s opinion was that it was impossible to make such a hole in the books with that. Marius¡¯s eyes narrowed. That meant! ¡°Are you saying there are bastards who are making a lot of money by evading taxes in the north?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definite answer, but I think so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marius¡¯s hand was trembling slightly. ¡®How dare some trash do such insolent things on thend that His Majesty entrusted to manage!¡¯ Bang! He mmed his desk and got up and shouted. ¡°Bring me all the responsible people who have been grantedmerce in the northern cities!¡± That¡¯s how a storm of tax investigation seemed to sweep over the north, but surprisingly, the result was nd. A few dayster. ¡°Did you not find the culprit?¡± ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, it seems that there is no culprit in the upper or lower sses.¡± ¡°Huh really?¡± He entered the investigation with enthusiasm, but he couldn¡¯t find the culprit even though the books were empty. ¡®The upper ss is not? But how can the calction of the books be wrong?¡¯ Marius, who was holding his head and worrying, had no choice but to visit Blue Dragon Company. It was because Eurius had instructed him to consult with them if there was any problem. And a few weekster. *** Eurius opened his mouth with an interested expression. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the reason why the books are empty is rted to that ck market?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We were able to catch the ck market secretly infiltrating into themercial associations of the north. At that time, we didn¡¯t know what kind of group they were¡­¡± ording to Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s exnation, that was the main method of the ck market. They used the local power or upper ss to secretly infiltrate their forces. And in the case of big cities, they took over slums or ck markets and gradually expanded their power. Eurius bit his tongue. If they usedmerce, it meant that the bastards called Gyodan were more widely spread across the continent than he thought. ¡°Tsk! Now I know why they were able to quickly reach out to the north, which hasn¡¯t been developed for long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°How is it your fault?¡± Heforted Marius, who was smiling bitterly. It was Bryan who made the discovery, but it was Marius who wisely entrusted Blue Dragon Company with the investigation as a responsible person. Eurius praised him for that and turned his eyes to Bryan. ¡°And Bryan, you did a great job this time. I won¡¯t forget this.¡± ¡°How can it be a merit to faithfully perform my duty? You are too kind.¡± Bryan, who had an awkward expression on his face, didn¡¯t know why Eurius praised him. ¡°No way. Do you know if there is any content about the country¡¯s finances among what the yers left?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Eurius smiled and opened his mouth again. ¡°There is something like this. It¡¯s not that the country has no money. It¡¯s that the country has too many thieves!¡± ¡®Was there such a saying?¡¯ Everyone in the hall had a question mark on their heads. Was there such a thing among the yers¡¯ words? Even Marius and Bryan, who were officials, had never heard of it, but would the emperor lie? And Bryan, who heard that, nodded inwardly. ¡®It¡¯s a bit radical, but it¡¯s a reasonable thing to say.¡¯ He thought that the secret to making money that was originally not there was to prevent waste in the first ce. ¡®Even Lord Marius was skeptical at first, right?¡¯ In fact, Mariusughed when he heard his report because he was obsessed with numbers to the point of being sick. Even in his academy days, there were quite a few people who were annoyed by him. But this case was where his meticulousness paid off. Eurius also knew that and gave him a usible word from the help message. ¡®As far as I know, the secret to his rise to the position of finance minister of a country at a young age was his meticulous personality.¡¯ He was about to be the crown prince soon, and he praised him greatly while mentioning the yers¡¯ words. ¡®I don¡¯t really know what great merit I have done, but he knows me!¡¯ He bowed his head and Eurius looked at him with a smile and turned his eyes to Jegal Se-ga. ¡°So what was the result of digging up their backs?¡± It was meaningless to wipe out only a part of such a tightly organized organization. The first priority was to find their base and kill that strange bastard called the archbishop. ¡°I think we need a little more clue.¡± At this moment, Jegal Hwayoung had a slightly deted expression. He had to send back two of the best yers in Sega to the east, but he had no significant results in the information sector. ¡°Hmm?¡± But Eurius didn¡¯tin about that report. Rather, he made an unexpected suggestion. ¡°Then can you predict the approximate location?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain that there is none in the north and central parts of the empire. The traces we found were cut off at the capital. They definitely cut off their tails there.¡± ¡®As expected!¡¯ He smiled inwardly and said. ¡°Then, if we can find their traces in the south of the empire, the time to find their base will be shortened considerably?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± This meant that he knew that clue, so Jegal Hwayoung answered confidently. ¡°If it¡¯s certain that they have their base in the south, I think I can show you results within a month!¡± Eurius smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Actually, I have one more person to call who has that information.¡± Druruk. At the same time, the door of the secret room opened again. The person who had Eurius¡¯s ¡®clue¡¯ came in. ¡°Who is this?¡± The person who came in was an old man with white hair. He knelt down as soon as he came in and looked at Eurius. ¡°Thank you for protecting His Highness¡¯s honor.¡± ¡°I just kept my condition with you. It¡¯s been a long time, Victor!¡± He trembled all over with an indescribable expression. In fact, no matter how much he had done for him, how could he forgive him for attacking the pce with treason? But Eurius not only fulfilled his condition that he thought was impossible, but also gave him honor. It was not unreasonable for him to shake with emotion. Finally, all the people Eurius had captured gathered. Nuada, who became his strong ally in the north! Jegal Se-ga, who had information, strategy, and force in the east! Marius and Bryan, who would be his brains in politics, administration, and military, and Devan! Beatrice and Kains, who were the best talents of the royal guard! And finally Victor, who was originally his force but finally came into his arms! They were all outstanding talents and Eurius thought that this was enough to hit the ck market even though Jegal Se-ga¡¯s power was greatly reduced. ¡°Then everyone is here now, so I¡¯ll exin this meeting to those who don¡¯t know.¡± He still had many mysteries he didn¡¯t know, but one thing was clear: his real fight was just beginning. Chapter 125: Secret Contact Chapter 125: Secret Contact Eurius had gathered people for a purpose: to eliminate any suspicious forces before he ascended to the crown prince position. The first one was to find the ck market. They must have a grudge against Eurius, so he couldn¡¯t leave any traces behind. And the second one was to stabilize the national affairs. No matter how well he appeased the nobles, there might be some who had ulterior motives, and they could cause trouble someday. He was doing his best to search for the ck market. And the second one was the responsibility of the bureaucrats who followed Eurius. The beginning was a proposal that Marius brought up in the Council meeting. ¡°Do you mean to conduct a tax audit in the southern part of the empire?¡± ¡°Yes. There will be regr inspections from now on, so please prepare for them.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°What should we do about this?¡± There were groans among the nobles. If it was just an intention to harass them by picking on them, they would have something to say, but this time, the reason was quite usible. Marius pushed the documents he brought from the north in front of them and said. ¡°It has been confirmed that arge amount of taxes have leaked out of the cities in the northern part of the empire. I don¡¯t doubt you, but His Majesty is also interested in this matter, so I can¡¯t help it.¡± As he said, the emperor was sitting silently on the throne, but he was staring at the nobles with an angry expression. The nobles couldn¡¯t help but flinch. ¡®I¡¯m doomed. Now that it¡¯se to this, I have to empty my coffers and fill up the empty books, but what can I do about this?¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t His Highness, the first prince, embrace us? This is troublesome.¡¯ Not all of them were dirty, but most of the southern nobles had a custom of taking some money from behind. The problem was that there was no way that the emperor or Marius wouldn¡¯t know that. This was nothing but a huge provocation to them. Eurius also backed up Marius¡¯s words. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say that there was one official who made a great contribution in investigating the missing taxes in the north?¡± ¡°You mean Bryan. He is young but very promising.¡± ¡°If he is so capable, it would be good to employ him on this asion.¡± ¡°Of course. Actually, I was going to tell you first.¡± They spoke as if it was not a big deal, but since they had already set up everything, their words fit perfectly. In the end, the nobles couldn¡¯t make a sound and the tax audit in the southern part of the empire was decided. ¡°I will send special inspectors to all southern territories with Marius as their leader. Be ready to cooperate with the tax audit.¡± At the emperor¡¯s deration, the nobles were busy thinking. There were two main reactions. First, there were those who openlyined. ¡°When His Grace was alive, it wasn¡¯t like this. You are trying to break our spirit from now on. How can we live like this?¡± Eurius smirked at their sight. ¡®Those guys are quick with their mouths, but they can¡¯t act. They are typical scoundrels who are only busy with their own interests.¡¯ The second category was resignation and realism. ¡°What can we do? Without His Grace now, can we resist His Majesty or His Highness, the first prince, by sticking together? Don¡¯t waste your timeining and find a way to minimize your losses.¡¯ Eurius thought that those people could be brought over as allies. ¡®If they are quick-witted and can read the situation, they are not ipetent at least.¡¯ And not long after, there was a third category. And filtering out those people was the true purpose of this tax audit. ¡°¡­¡± Most of the major nobles in the south who wereparable to His Grace belonged to this category. They left the Daeyeon without saying anything with stern faces. Eurius looked at them with cold eyes and clicked his tongue. ¡®Tsk! They made the worst choice. I threw out the bait, so now I just have to wait for them to bite?¡¯ It didn¡¯t make sense to hismon sense, but power, wealth and other desires tended to cloud people¡¯s judgment. The sweetness of power was truly scary, so even if they were old veterans who had been rolling around in politics for decades, they would not hesitate to do anything to protect it. A few days after the shocking announcement of the tax audit. ¡°Your Majesty, Count Wace hase to visit.¡± ¡°Count Wace?¡± But Eurius, who was waiting for the bite, had a strange experience of catching a fish from somewhere other than where he threw the bait. ¡°Your Majesty! No matter how many sins I havemitted, this tax audit is too harsh for this old man!¡± Wace burst into the room and cried and clung to Eurius¡¯s feet, and began to wail. Eurius looked at him with a pitiful look and realized that he had forgotten about him for a moment. ¡®Ah! Come to think of it, I forgot about this guy?¡¯ He had forgotten for a while, but Wace was the owner of thergest merchant group in the south, the Ryan Merchant Group. Of course, his greedy nature would have made him do more than imaginable. From Wace¡¯s point of view, it was a bolt out of the blue! It was no different from a lightning bolt that fell precisely on him. ¡®Tsk! But this person still has some value.¡¯ He looked at him for a moment and felt a little sorry, but he felt his sympathy disappear as soon as he saw his state. [John Wace] Current state: Anxiety, Conflict ¡®Is there something he is hiding from me? If his only goal was to cling to me crying and whining because of the tax audit, would he have an inner conflict?¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t just doubt him blindly, so he decided to test him. ¡°Even if you think of our past friendship, at least give me an exception¡­¡± ¡°Wace! Before that, don¡¯t you have something to hide from me?¡± He cut off his words sharply and Eurius snapped at him coldly. But Wace was also a tycoon who ran the best merchant group in the empire at one time. He pulled himself together. ¡°What do you mean by that? I haven¡¯t done anything that would harm Your Majestytely.¡± ¡®What a cunning word. Does that mean he received an offer?¡¯ No matter how hard Wace tried to keep a poker face, he could not hide his emotions from his eyes. Eurius looked at his state again and felt his doubt turn into certainty. [John Wace] Current state: shock, conflict, suspicion ¡®If he was really innocent, his state should have changed to resentment, right? He still hasn¡¯te to his senses, has he?¡¯ [The trait ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ is activated.] [Your charisma and charm increase.] Eurius waved his hand lightly in the air and lifted Wace¡¯s body into the air. Then he looked him in the eye. ¡°You know the answer better than anyone, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hyeeek!¡± Wace iled his arms and legs in the air in surprise. He had grown as a warrior and his skills had ranked up, so the pressure that Eurius emitted from his body was iparable to before. But this time, Eurius had firmly fixed Wace in the air, so he could not bow down or avoid his gaze. He was not mentally strong enough to withstand this momentum. He was half-fainted, tears and snot running down his face. Thud! Eurius mmed him to the ground and opened his mouth with a cold expression. ¡°Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth. What kind of offer did you get from whom?¡± Wace convulsed on the floor and barely spat out a scream-like voice. ¡°I¡­ they didn¡¯t tell me their names. But I never epted their offer. I¡¯m innocent! Please believe me, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Then can you describe their appearance?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t see their faces, but they were a group of people wearing ck hoods. They said they would help me overthrow Eurius Your Highness.¡± ¡°Did they make the same offer to other nobles?¡± ¡°As far as I know, most of the high nobles had contact with them. That¡¯s why we had a meeting separately.¡± After a while, Eurius rxed his cold expression. ¡°So you¡¯re not lying this time? Be careful, there won¡¯t be another chance.¡± ¡°Huk¡­ huk¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eurius looked at Wace, who was gasping for breath, and sank into his thoughts. ¡®As expected, even if I try to persuade them, not all nobles will follow me obediently.¡¯ He had expected some discontent from the south. But it seemed that there was another force behind them. Of course, he didn¡¯t have to worry much about the group of people in ck hoods who contacted them from the south. ¡®The most likely force that would be hostile to me in the south is the ck Market.¡¯ He had a rough idea of their n. They must have been badly burned in Heavengard, so they were trying to reinforce their power and eliminate him for sure. But did they have any means to kill him while he was in the capital? ¡®But they must have some confidence, since they surely lured Wace with their offer after he was dissatisfied with this tax audit.¡¯ ¡°Wace! I can guess your intention this time. Did you n to join them if I didn¡¯t let Ryan Merchant Group go in the tax audit?¡± ¡°I¡­ no! I firmly refused. This is true!¡± ¡°You must have been scared of me. But it¡¯s a fact that you lied to me and tried to betray me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wace had no choice but to shut his mouth. Eurius spoke again with a cold voice. ¡°There¡¯s only one way for you to atone. You know what it is, right?¡± Wace¡¯s face turned blue again like a corpse. He was quick-witted. He realized what Eurius wanted from him. ¡°I¡¯ll ept their offer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a wise choice. Then report to me regrly.¡± Eurius smiled and patted his shoulder. He had found a clue from an unexpected ce. If things went well there, he could gain some extra benefits. ¡®It turned out well. It¡¯s a good opportunity to stabilize the south while hitting the ck Market.¡¯ *** In the knight dormitory of the pce annex, there was a man who couldn¡¯t sleep tonight either. He wandered around his room with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡®It¡¯s such a strange thing.¡¯ The man looked young and fresh-faced. His name was Cains. He had joined the Scharnos Knight Order and quickly improved his skills to be a squad leader. To others, it was nothing short of a meteoric rise. At first, he was treated as a troublemaker in the knight order because of his reputation and personality. Buttely, he felt envy pouring from all sides. But ironically, his worry was there. ¡®His Majesty the Emperor¡­ no, I should call him His Highness the Crown Prince soon, right? Why would he push me so hard like this?¡¯ He had been living peacefully, which was his life goal, and he didn¡¯t care much about Eurius¡¯s favor until recently. ¡®Well, how can I understand the thoughts of someone so high? He must have a peculiar taste.¡¯ But his carefree thoughts didn¡¯tst long. The trigger was a few weeks before the pce raid. He was suddenly summoned by Eurius and he felt uneasy from the first word. ¡°How is your training in the formation going?¡± ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s still too much for me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He was in charge of one of the three central axes in learning the formation, but unlike the other two, he couldn¡¯t get used to it easily. ¡®Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s another special training where I get beaten up.¡¯ Cains was nervous, but he thought it wouldn¡¯t be that bad. The reason he was struggling was not because of his mental strength or swordsmanship. ¡°Hmm¡­ You have talent, but your inner power is too weak. That¡¯s why you get exhausted by my force and fall behind.¡± That was what the monstrous easterner who taught him the formation said. As he said, Cains¡¯s foundation of force was not very well polished. That was also why he couldn¡¯t reach the master level despite his excellent swordsmanship. ¡®I have an excuse this time. How can I increase the absolute amount of force by rolling around and getting hit!¡¯ ¡°Hmm?¡± As Cains was tense, Eurius seemed to think for a moment. Then he took out a small box from his pocket. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been working hard. I hope this will help you.¡± ¡°Your Highness, what is this?¡± Cains opened the box he received from Eurius and was speechless. There was an object emitting a brilliant golden light inside. ¡°It¡¯s a force stone, as you can see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cains looked back and forth between the box and Eurius, conflicted. ¡®This looks very expensive at first nce. Can I really ept this?¡¯ What Eurius offered him was the core of the weapon that he had used half of in the desert and now only had half left. Of course, a force stone of S grade was so precious that it couldn¡¯t be converted into money. ¡®But no matter how precious it is, it¡¯s meant to be used. It¡¯s lucky that it found its owner.¡¯ He urged Cains with a casual expression. ¡°It¡¯s not that valuable to me, so don¡¯t feel burdened. Actually, you¡¯ve been suffering for a while, but you only got a vacation, right?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Cains fell for Eurius¡¯s sweet talk and took the core. He realized that his words were lies in a few weeks. It was because Jegal Unhyeon, who had been giving him personal guidance,ughed and asked him jokingly. ¡°Did you fall off a cliff somewhere and get lucky?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cains looked at his sword with a dumbfounded expression. He felt his body lighten as he swung his sword mindlessly, and soon streams of materialized force flowed out of his sword. ¡®I broke through the master¡¯s wall¡­¡¯ In fact, Cains was so good at swordsmanship that there were few who could match him in the knight order. The problem was, as he said before, that his foundation of inner power was not well developed and he was stuck. But after taking the core, he solved that weakness and crossed the wall in one breath. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have such an effect if he just picked up anything and ate it. From then on, Cains felt an unidentified chill whenever he thought of Eurius. The mysterious meeting that he had been invited totely also fueled his suspicion. ¡°Eek! I just remembered the time. I have to hurry.¡± The meeting was held tonight. Cains hurried to the inner part of the pce annex. Chapter 126: Walking Provocation Chapter 126: Walking Provocation While Eurius was threatening Wace, there were others who were busy moving in the southern part of the empire. They were the ck market. ¡°How are the preparations for the sacrifice going? The ones we captured will be moving soon.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing our best to sneak them out, but there are too many of them, so it¡¯s taking some time.¡± ¡°You idiots! The whole empire will be in chaos soon anyway, why do you care about leaving traces? Just hurry up and gather them.¡± The man nervously adjusted the mask on his face. His subordinates looked at him with cautious expressions. They knew very well that he was in a bad mood since he failed once in Heavengard. The man bit his tongue inwardly. ¡®Tsk! Even with all the preparations, I can¡¯t be sure of sess, and the preparations are so slow. I¡¯ve lost too much power.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± The room was quiet after the man¡¯s scolding, but it didn¡¯tst long. Boom! ¡°Aaargh!¡± There was a heavy thud, followed by a scream from downstairs. The man snapped out of his thoughts and got angry. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Boss! Some weirdos broke in out of nowhere¡­ Ack!¡± Crash! The next moment, the ornate door was shattered and one of his subordinates flew in like a rag doll. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. ¡®This aura?¡¯ The man¡¯s face turned icy. At the same time, a rough voice came from outside. ¡°Sorry about that. I asked these guys to let me see you, but they didn¡¯t listen, so I had no choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, the man didn¡¯t care about his subordinate who became a rag doll. His eyes were fixed on the person who entered the room. ¡°I already notified you that I would take care of this target, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you think, but the main school already decided that I woulde, so you can¡¯tin.¡± The man bit his tongue again, but at the same time he was thinking hard. ¡®Of all the people from the east, why did he have toe? No, they must have sent him on purpose.¡¯ His faction was not very good at fighting. But the ones from the east were different. If it was pure strength, they were far superior. ¡®I¡¯m not ready yet, but if he helps me, I¡¯ll have to share the credit, but it¡¯ll be easier, right?¡¯ It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t listen even if he told him to go back, since he came despite his notification. Even if they didn¡¯t get along well, they had to work together for the same goal, right? The middle-aged easterner who entered the room was very tall. Another peculiar thing was that he wore clothes that looked ck at first nce, but had a dark red color as if stained with blood. He smiled creepily and opened his mouth again. ¡°So I heard from downstairs that the target is quite skilled?¡± *** [To His Majesty Eurius. As you ordered, I went to the south and joined their forces. But they seem to think that I hesitated and joined at thest minute, so they haven¡¯t told me everything yet. ¡­(omitted)¡­ But judging by their attitude, they seem to have something they trust very much. ¡­(omitted)¡­ I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I find out something new. -Your loyal Wace-] P.S: As always, I¡¯m risking my life for this. Please take care of the tax audit matter for me. ¡®He¡¯s a consistent person. How can he say such things in this situation?¡¯ Eurius closed Wace¡¯s letter with an incredulous expression. But he was sure that he was bringing useful information. ¡®Judging by this letter, are the southern nobles nning to cause some trouble soon?¡¯ And his prediction came true not long after. The grand council meeting that day had a somewhat chilly atmosphere. The emperor looked around with a puzzled expression. ¡°It seems that many nobles are absent¡­ Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it an implicit protest against the tax audit?¡± Eurius answered calmly, but inside he was coldly determined. ¡®It¡¯s finally happening.¡¯ As he expected, not even an hour after the grand council meeting began, a messenger rushed in. ¡°Your Majesty! Arge number of nobles are staging a sit-in outside the pce.¡± ¡°What?¡± The emperor couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they were doing such a pointless thing before getting angry. The messenger had arge scroll of paper in his hand, which he quickly offered to the emperor. ¡°This is their purpose for protesting. They also posted these flyers all over the capital.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The emperor unfolded therge paper and began to read. The content was roughly as follows. [Since HisGrace Grand duke, who used to represent our opinions, ¡®unfortunately¡¯ died while defending the capital, we will continue his will and appeal to Your Majesty. ¡­(omitted)¡­ The first prince is abusing the nobles with the trust of Your Majesty, who is old and frail, and coveting the crown prince¡¯s position. ¡­(omitted)¡­] [We will continue to protest in this ce to defend the justice of the empire until His Majesty epts our opinion.] ¡°¡­¡± Crack! The emperor tore the paper without a word and threw it on the floor. Then he red at Eurius. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± Eurius had no choice but to shrug his shoulders. He had a feeling that something would happen, but how could he have expected such a thing? Besides, the demands of the other side showed that their real goal was not the emperor or anything else, but only one target. Their demands were roughly as follows:
    1. Cancel the crown prince appointment of the first prince, who is ipetent!
    1. The first prince should stay away from the capital for a while and stop interfering in state affairs.
    1. If you ept this request right now, we will stop this protest.
He couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to give up my session rights and keep quiet.¡± The emperor looked frustrated as he saw Eurius, who should be more upset than himself, chuckling. ¡°This is not a joke. Do you have any idea why they are doing this? There must be something behind them that they rely on.¡± In fact, nothing would change in the current situation even if some nobles did such a thing. They could all be arrested and imprisoned for causing trouble in the capital. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just leave them alone for now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It seems that their purpose is me from the beginning.¡± ¡°But if we don¡¯t stop their actions, strange rumors will spread in the capital.¡± ¡°They are just small fry anyway. It won¡¯t hurt the nobility much if we arrest them.¡± As he said that, Eurius paused for a moment and then spoke again in a firm tone. ¡°The real ones are probably somewhere plotting to harm me. This protest is just a preliminary work for that.¡± At that, the emperor frowned and opened his mouth again. ¡°Now that I think about it, you seem to have known that something like this would happen, but how could they do such a thing unless they were crazy? There must be some powerful backing for them.¡± It was unlikely that any situation would arise where Eurius would be harmed by anything they did in the capital. The best they could do was spread malicious rumors like the nobles who were protesting outside. ¡®But something feels off.¡¯ However, the sharp emperor sensed that there was something sinister behind this protest. But Eurius just smiled and answered the emperor¡¯s question with an aggressive tone. ¡°What can I do if they don¡¯t like me and shout like this? I have to deal with the trouble they caused me!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡¯re not telling me everything again. Well then, do as you please! Just be careful not to cause any damage to the people of the capital, whatever happens.¡± The emperor clicked his tongue and decided to leave the matter to Eurius. ¡®It would be easy to solve it with force, but I wonder how he will handle those nobles this time.¡¯ He was nning to retire from state affairs in the near future anyway. He was curious about how Eurius would deal with them. Eurius also came out of the pce with a good mood, but he had a lot of thoughts inside. ¡®I can¡¯t estimate their exact strength yet, but they must have judged that they could face me enough to pick a fight with me for no reason.¡¯ He recalled the meeting he had a while ago. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t started yet, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Seeing Cains rushing in, Eurius started the meeting. The topic of the day was much heavier and more serious than usual. Jegal Hwayoung couldn¡¯t lift her head because she found out that Eurius knew about the unrest in the south before she did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the dy in the investigation.¡± ¡°No need. You must have lost a lot of power to the east, so this is actually much faster than I expected. You guys worked hard too.¡± Eurius praised her instead, and she was able to start reporting. ¡°First of all, these are some of the influential nobles who had contact with the ck market in the south.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The nobles mentioned by her were all powerful figures with considerable influence in the south. But thest name that came out was quite unexpected for Eurius. ¡°Did Duke Patrick of the southern front join them? He was almost like a disciple of His Grace Grand Duke.¡± Duke Patrick was themander of the imperial southern front, and he was one of the youngest and most talented among the existing superhumans. Grand Duke cherished him very much during his lifetime. ¡°That¡¯s what everyone thinks, but he was actually just a prisoner captured by His Grace Grand Duke, not really close to him.¡± But Victor corrected that rumor. ¡°I see¡­ Grand Duke even made Count Carlos, themander of the imperial guard, his son-inw, so that must have been his intention.¡± ¡°Yes. He actually treated him quite coldly in private.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius wanted to know the reason for a moment, but he thought it was not something to ask in this ce, so he didn¡¯t bother. Anyway, if a superhuman joined the other side, it meant that he had to face a new strong enemy besides that archbishop. Jegal Hwayoung stopped talking for a moment and then continued in a determined tone. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about their exact strength yet, but they must have decided that they could face you enough to pick a fight with you for no reason.¡± [The southern nobles must have had something to trust, too. Even if they were sponsored by the ck market, they wouldn¡¯t have raised their gs if they had any brains, but they must have thought they had a chance if a superhuman joined them.] But Eurius didn¡¯t think the situation would change much even if he joined them. Didn¡¯t he have enough power to match him on this side? ¡°Then do we have to split our superhumans, too? Nuada, you can handle him easily if you go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Nuada also clenched his fist and looked ready to rush to the south right away. But there was a hasty follow-up. ¡°Master! And please listen to what Baekho Hobeop has to say for a moment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He noticed that Jegal Hwayoung had a very serious face today. Why was that? She spoke with a cautious expression. ¡°Actually, my uncle who returned to Sega sent me an urgent message.¡± ¡°An urgent message?¡± ¡°He said that there is a great battle going on there, and in the meantime, one of the leaders of Magyo was spotted heading to the western continent.¡± Magyo seemed to be the name of the damned cult that was active in the east. ¡°Are their leaders powerful enough?¡± ¡°Actually, they are not just powerful. The reason I requested this urgent meeting today is because of this person.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The people in the room all had curious eyes and waited for her next words. The power gathered here was enough to make any kingdom unable to show their face. But why did she speak so seriously? The reason was revealed soon. ¡°The person who came over this time is a big shot in Magyo. He is called Suramazon, and he may not be well known here, but he is ranked third in Magyo! In other words, he is one of the absolute masters of the eastern continent who can be counted on three fingers.¡± ¡°Suramazon?¡± Chapter 127: Disguise Chapter 127: Disguise ¡®Yeah, it would have been better to stay under His Highness Eurius!¡¯ Wace sighed as he looked at the people in front of him. ¡°What? You want more money?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have the ability to do that, Your Grace, who owns the best merchant guild in the south? Hehe¡­¡± The old nobleman who was extorting Wace, who was no different from robbery, was Duke Arsen, the core figure who led the rebellion in the south. He was considered almost retired from politics as he was over seventy years old, but he suddenly resumed his activities in the south. His influence yed a big role in gathering the high nobles quickly, as he was the oldest and highest-ranking nobleman in the south except for the archduke. ¡®Did this old man have such ability? I thought he was just groaning in his mansion for almost ten years.¡¯ Wace was suspicious inwardly, but he pretended to be pitiful and said. ¡°You must keep your promise if you seed in removing the first prince.¡± ¡°Of course! How dare those monkeys from the east, who call themselves Cheongryong Merchant Guild or something, aim for the best merchant guild of the empire? The day the war ends, Ryan Merchant Guild will rise again as the best merchant guild of the empire.¡± ¡®Yeah right! I¡¯ll go bankrupt before that!¡¯ Wace spat out curses inside. In fact, neither the archduke nor Eurius had ever demanded money from him that would shake his foundation. But these nobles from the south, including Duke Arsen, were all as greedy as Wace. ¡°Sorry to say this, but¡­ weren¡¯t you originally the guardian of the first prince?¡± ¡°We also need to see some sincerity from you. Haha.¡± This was the limit of a bat. He couldn¡¯t get proper trust from either side because he stuck everywhere. Wace, who was a cunning fox himself, sensed that he would be stripped of money until he went bankrupt and eliminated. ¡®Now my lifeline is really His Highness Eurius.¡¯ He sat down on a chair to write a letter to Eurius after being ripped off again today. ¡®Damn old men! I¡¯ll show you!¡¯ He looked like a three-year-old child whoined to his parents, rather than pitiful. *** ¡°The first prince should step down!¡± ¡°Step down! Step down!¡± It had been three days since the nobles continued their protest in front of the imperial pce. They shouted so hard that some of them had sore throats even though they were nobles. ¡°I know we¡¯re supposed to do what they tell us, but isn¡¯t this too hard?¡± ¡°Shh! Look over there and hurry up and shout!¡± The nobles, who were already exhausted, soon started shouting again when they saw a group of peopleing out of the pce. ¡°The first prince should step down!¡± ¡°Step down! Step down!¡± The ones who came out of the pce were Eurius and his escort knights who had finished their meeting. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius nced at the nobles once and then hastened his steps without saying anything. Whisper whisper. There were various rumors spreading in the capital as the nobles staged such a protest for three days. There were already many spectators gossiping in front of the pce where the nobles protested. ¡°He doesn¡¯t say anything today either?¡± The spectators who secretly hoped that Eurius would show some reaction were all disappointed. ¡°What did the first prince do wrong? He is almost a hero of the empire. He would have be emperor anyway.¡± ¡°But there must be a reason why those high-ranking people act like that.¡± The protest that the nobles did with such hardship was indeed effective. The fact that Eurius did not exin anything made the capital more restless. The state affairs themselves were not going well as the nobles intended. Marius frowned with displeasure. He knew why they didn¡¯t respond, but he was very annoyed by such rumors. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should make some exnation? The people are very disturbed.¡± ¡°Why bother to respond to those who will be arrested anyway? If we start an argument, it will only make more rumors.¡± ¡°I suppose so¡­¡± Eurius answered indifferently and opened his mouth again. ¡°By the way, have you finished preparing for the tax audit?¡± ¡°Everything is ready. But the situation is so chaotic right now that we can¡¯t leave for a while. Tsk!¡± Eurius smiled as he watched Marius clicking his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s good news. Finish preparing to leave with Bion by the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Marius, who briefly showed a surprised expression, soon nodded. ¡°You must have found a way to crush them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± That night. At a secret ce in the capital, nobles were sitting around and chatting. ¡°At least we put out the fire for now. Haha!¡± ¡°No matter how stupid the first prince is, he can¡¯t touch us when we¡¯re united like this, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Duke Arsen. I thought he hadpletely retired, but he gave us such a help!¡± Most of the nobles sitting around were influential people from the south. Unlike the riffraffs who were protesting, they were the core forces behind this incident. No! They firmly believed that they were the core forces. Because in the upper floor of the secret ce, where they were creating a friendly atmosphere withughter and chatter, other men were having a conversation. Suramazone spoke in a cold tone without any change in his expression. ¡°You still have a terrible taste. Don¡¯t you feel bad dealing with those pigs? I would have smashed their heads in a second if it were me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I like them either. But we need some time in the capital to carry out the n, and that¡¯s why I brought them in.¡± The masked man grumbled as he received his words. In fact, he didn¡¯t do it because he liked it. He needed some time in the capital to carry out the n, and that¡¯s why he brought them in. ¡®That damn eastern monkey knows that too, but he¡¯s whining!¡¯ Suramazone seemed to notice his inner thoughts and showed a slight interest in his cold eyes as he moved his gaze to the center of the room where he was standing. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re not very weing even though I came here. Did you not expect me to use the n¡¯s relic?¡± At the end of his gaze, there was a small golden cup the size of an adult¡¯s palm. It looked like an ordinary cup at first nce, but anyone with good eyesight would notice that the cup was slightly vibrating and emitting a ck luster. Suramazone also noticed that and opened his mouth again with an interested expression. ¡°This is my first time seeing it in person. Is this the ¡®Shadow Grail¡¯? I don¡¯t feel any impressive power from it.¡± ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯ The masked man, who was usually cunning, couldn¡¯t help but get angry when his opponent caught his tail and provoked him with the n¡¯s relic. He snapped back at Suramazone with a sharp word. ¡°Why don¡¯t you see for yourself? Then you¡¯ll know if it¡¯s just a cup or a grail.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The room was quiet as the person who should have retorted suddenly stopped talking. But that silence didn¡¯tst long. ¡°It seems like you won¡¯t have a chance to see it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suramazone, who suddenly said something iprehensible, started to walk leisurely toward the door with his back turned. ¡°I can feel a strong aura from the back door. I¡¯ll take care of that side, so you deal with the rest of the riffraffsing from the front door.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as he understood his words, the masked man twisted his face and at the same time, screams of nobles and loud noises erupted from downstairs. ¡°What is this, what?¡± There were many knights stationed in the rooms and corridors of the building for security, but they couldn¡¯t stop or even dy the intruders. Shriek! ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± The swords that stretched out like ghosts knocked them all down. Crash! The door of the secret room turned into dust and an intruder broke in with a loud noise. ¡°Em¡­ Emperor Your Majesty!?¡± ¡°How did they¡­¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t even attend the war council, but they were having a fun party here.¡± Eurius, who was smiling brightly, raised his hand lightly without holding a sword. ¡°His Majesty Abamama entrusted me with full authority for this matter. I have evidence, so I¡¯ll arrest you for treason.¡± At the same time, the knights who followed him entered the room and began to subdue the nobles. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± ¡°Let go! How dare you touch me.¡± Some of the nobles closed their eyes in resignation, while others resisted fiercely, but they couldn¡¯t escape the strong hands of the knights. Then! A hoarse voice came from the stairs leading down to the secret room. ¡°What is thismotion?¡± The owner of that voice was so old that he seemed to have trouble walking, and he slowly descended the stairs. When he came down, Eurius spoke to him. ¡°Are you Duke Arsen?¡± The old man answered slowly. ¡°Yes. I saw you when you were young, but you don¡¯t recognize me.¡± ¡°Do I need to? The one I know was already buried, as far as I know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The wrinkled eyes of Arsen frowned slightly, and his expression twisted in an instant. Eurius clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk! I saw you before at Heavengard. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t recognize you?¡± ng! In an instant, a red line was drawn on the neck of Duke Arsen, or rather, the ck market owner, and his head fell off. *** Crash! Meanwhile, there was movement at the back door. A man with a sturdy physique broke down the door and jumped into the room. ¡°Did they say to go to the top?¡± Nuada muttered to himself for a moment and then flew toward the stairs. ¡°¡­!?¡± But as soon as he stepped on the stairs, he quickly turned his head. ng! A ck de grazed Nuada¡¯s neck, but surprisingly, it made a metallic sound and bounced off his neck. ¡°Not bad for an attack?¡± He gave a punch as a return gift for the attack while giving apliment. Crash! The attacker, who couldn¡¯t keep his distance in the narrow stairs, fell down with his body shattered by that punch. He didn¡¯t even look at the corpse and Nuada ran up the stairs while taunting. ¡°It seems like there are a few more of you. Let¡¯s fight fair and square!¡± Swoosh. As if stimted by his words, about ten more presences appeared. He looked at their faces and tilted his head. ¡°Brown skin? Are you also from that other continent?¡± ¡°¡­¡± They didn¡¯t answer and drew their weapons or swung their arms and legs at him. Nuada frowned. ¡°You¡¯re so rude. You don¡¯t even say your names while attacking in groups?¡± The ones wearing red clothes had decent skills. But they were no match for him. ng! Crack! Nuada¡¯s fists and feet, stained with white light, cut through their weapons like butter. He quickly finished off about ten experts and tried to go up again. But at that moment! A chilly voice rang in his ears. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good for your age. It seems like you made the right choice.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He trusted his senses. He felt a creepy sensation on his spine and quickly moved to the side. Thud! The ce where he had been standing sank in and arge palm print appeared. It was on the floor made of solid stone, without making any sound. ¡°Are you their leader? What¡¯s your name?¡± Nuada red at the intruder with a fierce expression. The other person was different from the others and wore dark red clothes. He was a middle-aged man. It was Suramazone who came down himself. ¡°¡­¡± He nced at Nuada up and down for a moment and muttered coldly. ¡°If you canst ten seconds against me, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Chapter 128: Destroying the Sacred Object Chapter 128: Destroying the Sacred Object One Day Before the Raid Eurius gathered the people and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. He spread it on the table. It was the information that Wace had obtained from the nobles by pouring blood-like money. ¡°This is the information about the location and the power of the other nobles, including Duke Arsen.¡± ¡°We have already confirmed it from our side of the Hyunwoljeon.¡± Jegal Hwayoung added to Eurius¡¯s words with a tense expression. Seeing his expression, Eurius smiled and praised him. ¡®He¡¯s worried about not getting the information beforehand.¡¯ ¡°This time, your contribution was great, Jegal family. Thank you for always working hard, especially with the information from the Magyo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an overrated evaluation. It¡¯s all thanks to you, my lord, for giving us the clues.¡± Jegal Hwayoung finally sighed with relief and put his hand on his chest. ¡®Thank goodness you forgave us for missing their suspicious movements twice¡­¡¯ In fact, as Eurius said, their contribution was quite big this time, but it was a shameless thing to be reported by the side that had obtained the information first. She also bowed her head to Eurius with a grateful expression. Zzzt! ¡®Huh?¡¯ Eurius suddenly felt a slightly prickly gaze on his face. His eyes turned to where there was a slightly sullen face. [Beatrice Dios] Current state: anxious, jealous He was puzzled at first, but soon nodded inwardly as if he understood. ¡®I haven¡¯t paid attention to hertely. She didn¡¯t have much opportunity to make a solo contribution, either with breaking the wall or anything else.¡¯ In fact, she and Cains didn¡¯t have much to do in this meeting. They were pure warriors, so it was natural. Cains had improved his skills noticeablytely, but Beatrice wasn¡¯t like that. ¡®But breaking the wall is something that even that gentleman Jegal Unhyun doesn¡¯t know well, so it¡¯s not something that can be solved right away¡­ I¡¯ll have to give her a chance to make a contributionter.¡¯ Having made his decision, Eurius sent her a warm look as if to reassure her. ¡°¡­¡± But Beatrice¡¯s sullen face didn¡¯t ease up, but rather became moreplicated. ¡®Why is she acting like that? Should I ask herter while sparring?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Then there was a sound that broke the awkward silence in the room. ¡°Hmm? But if the enemies are only this powerful, is it worth gathering all of us?¡± Nuada, who was usually quiet because he was only lending his strength, opened his mouth for once. ¡°¡­!?¡± The eyes of the room were focused on him as he suddenly spoke. Nuada¡¯s gaze was directed at Eurius. ¡°You promised me before that you would give me a good opponent.¡± ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t forget that promise.¡± Eurius felt grateful to him for breaking this awkward atmosphere and winked at Jegal Hwayoung. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you instead of my lord, Baekho Hobup.¡± ¡°What is his hobup¡­ Anyway, tell me.¡± Nuada grumbled and waited for an answer. The reason he questioned was because there was no mention of the power of the Magyo or Duke Patrick, the superhuman of the noble side, on the list of enemy forces on the desk. ¡°First of all, ording to what we confirmed, there was no sign of the Magyo¡¯s power in the enemy¡¯s base, including magic. There are some personal knights of the nobles, but you don¡¯t need to step in for that.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± Jegal Hwayoung asserted in a firm tone. ¡°But we are confident that there is a Magyo¡¯s power in this base with more than enough probability.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Nuada made a doubtful expression. What does it mean to be sure when they haven¡¯t even found the enemy? *** After following the n and jumping into the back door of the enemy¡¯s base, Nuada was quite nervous. ¡®She was right.¡¯ He felt at least as much momentum from the man standing in front of him as Jegal Unhyun who had defeated him. Sura Mazon snapped his fingers as he looked at Nuada for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds as a senior. Come at me first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nuada was angry for a moment, but he was calmly assessing the situation inside. ¡®He seems to be careless. I have to take this opportunity.¡¯ Nuada pulled back his fist and took a stance. That movement alone caused a small whirlwind in the room. Keeing! His fist stretched out at a light-like speed and made a sonic boom. The fist that narrowed down several meters of space in an instant was aiming for Sura Mazon¡¯s head. Kwarung! A loud noise shook the whole room. The stone walls of the building were broken or shaved off by the aftermath. The dust flew around and it was hard to see in front of his nose. A calm voice rang out in the room. ¡°One!¡± Nuada didn¡¯t even pretend to hear. He didn¡¯t expect to finish him with one blow. He didn¡¯t withdraw his fist that was blocked by Sura Mazon¡¯s palm, but bent his arm. Nuada¡¯s elbow aimed for Sura Mazon¡¯s chest with a terrible speed. ¡®Where have I seen this technique?¡¯ Sura Mazon was rarely impressed, but he blocked that attack with his other hand. ¡°Two!¡± ¡®This is the end.¡¯ Nuada¡¯s eyes shone with killing intent. He had thought of thisbo since he said he would give him three seconds. He didn¡¯t back down after two attacks, but prepared for the third one. ¡°This technique is!¡± Sura Mazon eximed. He tried to pull back his body, but it was toote. Kwaaa! A strong suction force urred from Nuada¡¯s body and sucked him in. His two hands were blocked by the elbow and fist. His target was this third attack. He couldn¡¯t back away and his posture copsed temporarily. Nuada¡¯s shoulder hit him hard. Kwaaaang! Sura Mazon¡¯s body flew into the air and hit the wall. The technique that Nuada used was abo from Baekho Mumun¡¯s Saengsabak. The punch, elbow, and shoulder strike flowed like water. If the opponent didn¡¯t know beforehand, he had to take it without moving. ¡°¡­¡± But even though he hit him squarely, Nuada¡¯s expression twisted. ¡®Damn it¡­ There¡¯s no feeling!¡¯ As he said, Sura Mazon who was hit by the shoulder flew back, but he looked fine as he twisted his body in the air. Tuk! He kicked the wall andnded lightly on the floor. His clothes were torn a little where he was hit, but he looked fine. He had pulled his body out at the moment of impact and minimized the shock. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ Nuada felt his momentum die down as he failed to inflict any serious injury on his opponent, who had given him three chances already. But Suramazon seemed to have a different idea. He walked back to Nuada with a curious expression and opened his mouth. ¡°Where did you learn this technique?¡± ¡°What do you care?¡± Nuada retorted, but Suramazon nodded. ¡°Well, I guess you won¡¯t answer me. But I never expected to see the White Tiger n¡¯s technique on this continent.¡± ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Suramazon seemed to forget that they were in a fight and shook his head in thought for a while. Nuada felt a surge of anger at his dismissive attitude. As Suramazon charged at him again, he raised both hands as if he had no choice. ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll have to drag you to our headquarters after half-killing you. You¡¯re a lucky one.¡± His eyes glowed eerily again. *** Eurius quickly shouted after he beheaded Owner, who was disguised as the Duke Arsen. ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡± Whoosh! As the knights swiftly carried the captured nobles outside, the room was engulfed in a fierce fire, just like at Heavengard. ¡®Did the Duke Arsen really have enough energy to lead this conspiracy at this point?¡¯ Eurius had been suspicious ever since he heard from Wace that Arsen was the mastermind behind the nobles¡¯ protest. ¡®He should be dying soon, right?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t have misremembered the news of a duke¡¯s death, even if it was from his previous life. And why would an old man who was coughing up blood and had only a few days left to live have any ambition for power? When he saw Arsening down the stairs for thest time, Eurius realized that there was no need for conversation. ¡®He¡¯s a tough one. I didn¡¯t expect him to be disguised as a high-ranking noble.¡¯ [???] upation: Merchant, Archbishop (Heimdall Sect) Strength: C+ Agility: C+ Intelligence: S Willpower: A Dark Power: SS Disposition: Greed, Fanaticism [Traits] ??? After checking his stats and cutting off his head without hesitation, Eurius examined the remains carefully. Clunk! A mask fell from the charred corpse and turned to dust as soon as it touched the floor. ¡°Tsk! How many of these masks are there? You all, get out of here!¡± ¡°Are you going alone?¡± The knights looked at him with worried eyes, but Eurius felt that they were more of a hindrance than a help. ¡®That guy seems to specialize in mass destruction with fire. I can¡¯t afford to worry about the knights while fighting him.¡¯ Eurius left an order and flew to the top floor of the castle. He sprinted up the stairs at a fast speed and felt something strange. ¡®No one is blocking me?¡¯ He thought there would be at least some minions, but there was no resistance at all. Soon, he reached the top floor without any trouble. Bang! He broke down the door and entered the room, only to change his expression to astonishment. ¡°¡­!?¡± The room was full of corpses that were shriveled like mummies. Eurius couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue as he checked their outfits. ¡®As Jegal Seiga said, they must have used some evil means. Not only ordinary people, but even their allies were not spared?¡¯ As he thought, the room was filled with various corpses, such as those wearing ck hoods that he had seen before from the sect, and those who looked like normal citizens. And in the center of the room, there was a golden cup that was now so ckened that it emitted a dark glow. Ding! [You have found the artifact ¡®Shadow Grail¡¯.] [Status of the Grail: Charge rate 80%] [Destroy the Grail. Your achievement will increase.] Eurius didn¡¯t hesitate and drew his sword to strike it down in one blow. Crack! The golden cup itself was not very sturdy, as it shattered in an instant under Eurius¡¯s attack, just like when he destroyed the altar in the desert. ¡°Hmm?¡± But even after he destroyed the cup, he didn¡¯t get the questpletion message he was waiting for. Instead, he heard a familiar voice from the fragments of the grail. ¡°I wish you had waited a little longer until the power was fully charged, but I can¡¯t help it. Since Sura left his seat, I¡¯ll make do with you.¡± Roar! The fragments vibrated and sent ck waves in all directions. Eurius quickly raised his sword to defend himself, but the waves were not an attack. They brushed past his body and gathered in the air, forming a human shape. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius widened his eyes slightly as he looked at the ck figure. Eurius von Scharnos Strength: S Agility: S Dark Power: SS+ *** Boom! The knights who heard the explosion from the back of the castle looked down from the lower floor with anxious eyes. ¡°Is His Highness alright?¡± ¡°He¡¯s that kind of person, let¡¯s trust him and wait¡­¡± sh! ¡°¡­!?¡± The knight who was answering fell down with a dumbfounded expression, pierced by an invisible de. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°What the hell is this?¡± The one who appeared out of nowhere and swung his sword was a monster covered in dark shadows. The knights were startled and took a defensive stance. ¡°Back off!¡± The captain Heinz stepped forward. But he also felt a cold touch on his neck and quickly blocked it with his sword. ng! Heinz grunted in doubt as he fought against the monster. ¡®What kind of monster is this?¡¯ But he didn¡¯t have time to think, as the monster started to swing his sword more fiercely, pushing Heinz back. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Shing! A piercing light flew in and stabbed the monster¡¯s neck. It was Beatrie, who had rushed over after hearing the sound. Shriek! But the monster didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the wound on his neck, and turned his body to swing his sword at her. ng! ng! ng! She and the monster shed their swords more than ten times in an instant. But Beatrie¡¯s expressionless face gradually turned serious. She groaned and looked at the monster in front of her. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Chapter 129: Rogue Chapter 129: Rogue ¡°Hey! Wait a minute!¡± The masked man who was left on the top of the castle was stomping his feet in frustration. It was because Suramazon had jumped down to block the intruders at the back door without consulting him. ¡®That brute! How can he be so reckless when we are not ready yet?¡¯ He had sent down a puppet disguised as the Duke of Arsen to buy some time, but the enemy had simply cut off its neck. ¡®What do I do now? I haven¡¯t even filled half of it yet.¡¯ He had no choice but to make a grim face. His original n was to start his operation after he had gathered enough holy power in the shadow grail a few dayster. But somehow, the enemy had discovered them much sooner than expected! ¡°Quickly, move the sacrifices to the front of the grail!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°And you too!¡± ¡°Me?¡± The masked man threw everyone he had captured for sacrifice, whether they weremoners or his subordinates, into the grail. But he was still far from reaching the desired level. ck! Then, he heard the sound of Eurius climbing up the stone stairs with force. He had to make a choice. He had fought with Eurius before and knew that he couldn¡¯t be sure of victory with this level of preparation. Finally, he made his decision, and his eyes glinted sharply through the mask. ¡°The risk is too high, but I have no choice!¡± *** ¡®Copy?¡¯ Eurius tilted his head as he saw the ck monster. Why did it have his name on it? The answer came right away. ng! He instinctively raised his sword to block and hardened his expression. ¡®Intangible sword?¡¯ Surprisingly, the ck monster had the same abilities as Eurius. The habit of wielding a sword with superhuman skills. Even his fourth-stage trait. Swoosh. And it wasn¡¯t just one. He felt a faint presence behind him and quickly backed away. Two more ck monsters were attacking him relentlessly. He managed to fend them off somehow, but it was clear that Eurius was at a disadvantage. Seeing him being pushed back, the original finally showed himself. The darkness gathered from the fragments of the broken grail and formed into the masked man. Swoop. He raised his hand and the monsters backed off for a moment. But they still surrounded Eurius from three directions, as if to block his escape route. ¡®So that¡¯s the real one.¡¯ Eurius stared intently at the masked man who appeared. [Giovanni] (Descent state) Job: Merchant, Archbishop (Heimdall Sect), Puppeteer Strength: B Agility: B Intelligence: S Willpower: A+ Dark Power: SS+ Disposition: Greed, Fanaticism [Traits] Create Burning: The ability to turn blood into fire Marite: The ability to control clones with his own abilities. If a clone receives a strong impact, the original will also be damaged. Descent: A secret technique that fuses with the relic of his faction and increases his power. However, if he perishes, the relic will also be destroyed. (New) Soul Copy ¨C Summon a subordinate that copies the information of a designated target. ¡®Clone?¡¯ Eurius finally realized what these monsters were. The masked man Giovanni also looked at him with confidence. The power of the shadow grail was to summon clones with the same strength as the target. He originally nned to clone Suramazon, but he didn¡¯t think there was much difference if it was Eurius. ¡®No matter how good he is at flying and crawling, he can¡¯t escape from here with two clones that have the same power as him.¡¯ He was sure of his victory, so he rxed a bit and made an offer to Eurius. ¡°Stop for a moment!¡± Eurius looked at him with a puzzled expression as he stopped the monsters when he had the upper hand. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It seems like you have no chance of winning, so do you have any interest in cooperating with us?¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°If you help us, I¡¯ll guarantee you the emperor¡¯s throne! You just have to agree to some of our demands.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Giovanni watched Eurius as he pretended to think deeply. In fact, he had lost too many forces this time. But if Eurius, who was currently in charge of the empire, cooperated with him, he could make up for that loss and more. ¡®If that emperor bastard has any brains, he¡¯ll ept my offer.¡¯ But Eurius gave an unexpected answer. ¡°So did you lure my brother in like this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Giovanni looked surprised for a moment. How did he know about that? But it wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t reveal if he agreed to cooperate with him. ¡°That¡¯s true, but how did you know that we contacted the second prince?¡± ¡®As expected!¡¯ Eurius felt a piece of the puzzle fit in his mind. He had been suspicious of him for being too inactive, but it turned out that he was not the archduke, but Leonhardt, who was rted to the sect. ¡®I need to dig deeper into him.¡¯ ¡°Why did you choose Leonhardt? If you wanted the power of the empire, you could have persuaded me.¡± It would make sense if he was weak in his previous life, but why did he ignore him, who had gained a lot of ground in the earlypetition, and only contact Leonhardt? ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Giovanni fiddled with his mask and made a troubled expression. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that right now. I¡¯ll tell you when you gain our trust by cooperating with us.¡± ¡°Is it such a big secret?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even when Eurius asked again, Giovanni remained silent. He clearly had some secret that he couldn¡¯t reveal. A momentter. ¡°So? Will you cooperate or not? You don¡¯t have much time, do you?¡± ¡°Time?¡± Heek. He smiled slyly again. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your loyal knights downstairs. If you don¡¯t want to lose them all, you¡¯d better follow my words.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius groaned faintly. It was obvious what he meant. The monsters had gone to the lower floor where the knights were waiting. ¡°¡­¡± He hardened his expression and pointed his sword forward again. ¡°Then I really don¡¯t have time for this. I need to finish this quickly and go down.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Giovanni looked dumbfounded. He was being pushed back until a moment ago, and now he said he would finish it quickly? ¡°What do you mean?¡± Crash! Before his question was finished, one of the monsters flew back with its body shattered. He had killed one of them much more easily than before. Giovanni looked at Eurius with disbelief. ¡°How? The clones made by the power of the relic should have the same skills as you.¡± Eurius chuckled and gave a brief answer. ¡°It seems like it produces defective products when used on me.¡± ¡°What?¡± *** Meanwhile, Beatrice on the lower floor was busy blocking the monster¡¯s sword, but she couldn¡¯t help but stare at it with a pale and disgusted face. ¡°This is definitely His Highness swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The monster didn¡¯t respond. But judging by its trait and swordsmanship that approached stealthily without any presence, it was certain that it had something to do with Eurius. And of course, she and Eurius had a big difference in skills. ng! The intangible sword grazed her shoulder and left a bloody mark. She almost lost her shoulder if it had gone deeper. ¡°Captain! Cough!¡± The knights tried to help her, but there were more than one monster. There were three of them that attacked the knight squad. ¡°Everyone, spread out and face the enemy!¡± But the monsters were really amazing. They tore through the knights like wolves among sheep. It was only possible to resist because Heinz and other captain-level knights formed a line, so there were hardly any deaths, but it was a desperate situation. It was also possible because Beatrice was holding off one of them by herself. ng! ¡®He¡¯s not His Highness. He can¡¯t multiply himself into three.¡¯ She was pushed back constantly, but she regained her calm expression as befitting her personality. ¡®And more importantly, his strength, speed, and reaction are far below His Majesty¡¯s.¡¯ Chang! Cha-chang! Beatrice had lost a lot of blood and had a pale face, but she was doing much better than before. She knew His Highness sword as well as he knew hers. She also had plenty of experience fighting against him in his current state. The enemy was definitely superhuman, but if she could predict what kind of attack woulde, it would be easier to defend. ¡®I can handle this.¡¯ As she blocked the attacks frantically, a thought shed through her mind. The enemy used the same swordsmanship as Eurius. Then? ¡°Can I¡­ imitate His Highness?¡± She muttered without realizing it. But at that moment! Her sword began to change slowly. In the midst of a fierce battle, her thoughts drifted back to the past as she entered a state of no-mind. *** ¡°How do I break through the wall?¡± ¡°You just have to achieve the goal you set when you picked up the sword.¡± That was the answer her father, the Duke Dios, gave her. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it very well, but when I knew what I wanted to change the future, the wall copsed.¡± That was Eurius¡¯s answer. Both of them sounded like nonsense. A goal? A desire? Doesn¡¯t everyone have them? But at that moment! She realized what she wanted first. Didn¡¯t Jegal Unhyeon also tell her something like this? ¡°I don¡¯t really know why you can¡¯t break through the wall. You have a solid foundation and plenty ofbat experience¡­ Maybe you should look back on why you started training in the first ce?¡± ¡®Why did I start training in swordsmanship?¡¯ Her goal for picking up the sword was her father, who was a great superhuman. She worked hard to catch up with him and became a genius, reaching a high level at a young age. But now she was different. The person who changed her was Eurius, whom she met much earlier than expected. Their positions and rtionships had changed a lot from before. Her goal before meeting Eurius was to surpass her father, who was a superhuman. But then she met Eurius, who was almost the same age as her. He was always ahead of Beatrice by a few steps. Every time she saw Eurius, she felt a mix of admiration, jealousy, and affection. And finally, she made up her mind. ¡®My goal now is to stand side by side with His Majesty!¡¯ As soon as she realized that, her sword changed. *** Pop! The monster that had been dominating the duel with her all along had its sword blocked without any force. And that wasn¡¯t all! ¡°¡­¡± There was no sound of the sword swinging, but fine cracks began to appear on the monster¡¯s body. Crack! Sssss! The monster¡¯s body started to crumble, and only then did the sound follow. Her sword had shattered the monster faster than sound. This was her fourth-stage ability, Swift! It was the legendary skill of Beatrice, who was known as the fastest in the continent in the past. But she had no time to enjoy breaking through the wall. ¡®I have to save them!¡¯ She ran towards the knights with a terrifying speed. She didn¡¯t know who the enemy was, but one thing was certain after seeing it crumble without any resistance in front of her who had just broken through the wall. ¡®These monsters are simr to His Highness, but much weaker!¡¯ *** Giovanni muttered with a stupid expression. ¡°Defective products?¡± Eurius answered him coolly. ¡°Yep! It seems like they only copied the appearance.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be!¡± He hastily drew out the power of the relic and created another copy of Eurius. Three more clones shot at him with fast speed. But the result was no different from before. Crack! Bang! Boom! They attacked him in threes, but they couldn¡¯tst a second in front of Eurius¡¯s sword. But it was impossible for Giovanni¡¯smon sense. ¡°How can this be¡­ The power of the shadow grail is not absolute?¡± He was so frustrated that his trump card was blocked that he kept drawing out the power of the grail and creating clones endlessly. ¡®If I can¡¯t win with skill, I¡¯ll overwhelm him with quantity!¡¯ But that was also useless. Zap! A line was drawn around Eurius in the room. His Severing Sword cut Giovanni and his clones in half with one strike. At the same time, the whole room tilted and made a loud noise. Crash! He was in a room inside the spire. He had cut off the spire itself. [You have killed the Archbishop of Heimdall Sect.] [You have destroyed a relic.] Giovanni looked at him with disbelief in his eyes behind his mask. Eurius left hisst words to him. ¡°That¡¯s an amazing power indeed, but it can¡¯t copy the yer¡¯s trait.¡± Chapter 130: Immortal Body Chapter 130: Immortal Body Rumble! The spire that Eurius had sliced off along with the enemy crashed down, making a loud noise. He felt his energy draining and grumbled inwardly. ¡®This skill is too hard to control.¡¯ He had not beenzy in his training, but he still could not use the Severing Sword, a secret technique, as freely as he wanted. The destructive power was unnecessarily huge. On top of that, another problem was that it was difficult to adjust the range. The consumption of stamina and force was probably rted to this. But even if he was not in his best condition, there were still enemies left. Eurius hardened his face as he felt the presence from the other side of the castle. ¡®I have to hurry.¡¯ The aura of Nuada, which had been intense until a moment ago, was fading gradually. It was clear that the opponent was much stronger than expected. *** Bang! A cloud of dust and stone powder flew as a person mmed into the wall of the corridor. ¡°Cough!¡± Nuada spat out a mouthful of blood and slid down from the wall where he was stuck. The corridor leading to the back door of the castle was already destroyed beyond recognition by the sh of the two superhumans. Nuada barely managed to stand up and adjust his posture, but a curse came out of his mouth. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± A gloomy voice came from beyond the dusty sight. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just follow me obediently? You might be able to save your life until then. Or are you giving up now?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Nuada retorted, but his expression turned slightly grim. He knew very well that he had no chance of winning at this rate. ¡°You talk so confidently, but you can¡¯t even face your friend.¡± *** On the day of the raid. ¡°So how strong is this Suramajon that you speak so highly of?¡± Eurius could not help but be curious as Jegal Hwayoung spoke so seriously. He did not know much about the Demon Sect, so even if he exined about the experts of the East, he could not understand the gravity of the situation. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t exined to you about the martial artists of the East.¡± Jegal Hwayoung also realized that this ce was not the East and started to exin slowly. ¡°First of all, there are seven martial artists in the East who have reached the fourth stage in the West, or what we call Manifestation in the East.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius uttered an exmation inwardly. ¡®The size of the Eastern Continent is less than a third of this continent, but their average level of martial arts is high?¡¯ ¡°Among them, there are three absolute experts in the Demon Sect who are called the Three Divine Demons in the East. Suramajon is ranked third among them, so you can say he is the third strongest.¡± Eurius tilted his head. ¡°Then he¡¯s not that impressive, is he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Don¡¯t you have experience fighting against the experts of the Demon Sect?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He fell into thought for a moment. The Demon Sect in the East must be the same group as the sect he had faced. And when he thought about their abilities that they had shown so far, he got an answer. ¡°They have other means besides martial arts, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The experts of the Demon Sect are often those who learn both strange spells and martial arts, so it¡¯s hard to judge their strength by their martial arts level alone.¡± ¡°Then how does hepare to your uncle?¡± Her uncle was Jegal Unhyeon. ¡°He actually shed with my uncle several times since they were young. The result was three times. My uncle won.¡± Eurius finally became serious. He realized what that meant. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he survived after losing three times?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My uncle said that it was still difficult for him topletely cut off his breath with his ability.¡± ¡°Grr¡­ Then he¡¯s a tough opponent.¡± Eurius groaned and there was an unexpected voice that caught his words. ¡°That¡¯s good. If there¡¯s someone like that, can you leave him to me?¡± ¡°You?¡± Of course, it was Nuada who said that. He had been living a rather boring life since Jegal Unhyeon left for the East. But when he heard about Suramajon, who had escaped several times, he seemed interested. ¡°It might be dangerous, can I ask you for this?¡± Thud! ¡°¡­¡± Nuada silently clenched his fist and smiled provocatively. It meant that there was no need for words. Eurius made a decision after seeing his expression. ¡°Then let¡¯s make a raid n like that!¡± *** The reason why Nuada infiltrated first through the back door was simple. It was because of the n that Eurius hade up with. ¡°You go in first and draw Suramajon¡¯s attention. He has a strong pride, so if you make some trouble, he¡¯lle to you.¡± Even though they were both superhumans, Eurius could hide his identity with the Counter-Ear Piercing. Therefore, if Nuada infiltrated alone, he could naturally divert Suramajon¡¯s attention to the back door. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll take care of the other guys and go help you. Even if the enemy is stronger than you think, hold on well.¡± ¡°Will that happen?¡± Nuada, who had confidently assured and jumped into the back door, was in a very disadvantageous situation. He tried to think rationally and find a way out, but this time the opponent was too bad. Thud! His fist, shining white, hit Suramajon¡¯s palm again, but it was blocked too easily. He had never experienced this before. ¡®Damn it. How can my fist not work at all¡­¡¯ Nuada¡¯s secret technique was focused on the characteristic of destructive power, so it was rare for anyone, even a superhuman, to withstand it in a simple frontal confrontation. Even Jegal Unhyeon had subdued him with his mysterious spear technique, not with his strength. ¡®But he didn¡¯t even flinch when I hit him squarely.¡¯ His closebat ability was on par with Nuada. They had exchanged attacks almost equally in terms of frequency. Bang! This time, Nuada¡¯s leg, which suddenly bent in the air, struck Suramajon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± He chuckled and blocked it with his shoulder, then threw a punch at Nuada¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Cough!¡± Nuada flew back again with a groan. As this kind of exchange continued, he could only get more wounds on his body. Suramajon was still in a pristine state without a speck of dust on his clothes, but he was reaching his limit. Suramajon licked his tongue and raised his hand. ¡°I admit your courage, but you¡¯re stupid. Shall we finish this soon?¡± He raised his hand to end it. But his expression froze for a moment. ¡®What is this?¡¯ As he turned around, feeling a creepy aura! Kwaaaa! A straight line swept through the corridor and cut Suramajon in half. The path itself copsed in an instant as the line cut through the pirs. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius, who had run over before the corridor copsedpletely, rescued him. He had picked up Nuada and jumped down to the lower floor just before the copse. Nuada, who had been saved by Eurius, looked at the copsing corridor with angry eyes. ¡°I have no face to show to my friend.¡± ¡°The opponent was bad. I think he¡¯s going to be much more troublesome than I thought.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Nuada looked puzzled. Didn¡¯t he just cut the enemy perfectly? ¡°That was an amazing attack. I wondered why his presence disappearedpletely¡­¡± Suramajon walked out slowly from the rubble of the copsed corridor. He smiled slyly as he saw Nuada, who was speechless. ¡°But it¡¯s not enough to break my immortal body.¡± Eurius looked interested. ¡°Immortal? You mean you can¡¯t die?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Suramajon boasted and he fell into thought for a moment. He was also quite surprised. ¡®No¡­ I hit him squarely with spatial severance, but why is he so fine?¡¯ Suramajon looked too clean for that. It would have been better if he had split and regenerated, then he could have said he used some other technique. But it looked like the attack itself didn¡¯t work at all. Eurius came to a conclusion soon. He drew his sword again and took his stance. ¡°That can¡¯t be true.¡± ¡°You can believe it or not, but you¡¯ll soon find out.¡± Suramajon sneered and leaped into the air, mming both hands down at Eurius. Boom! ¡®Too big of a movement and full of openings? How did he beat Nuada?¡¯ Eurius easily blocked it and wondered in his head. His sword and Suramajon¡¯s hands crossed and another fierce battle began. Meanwhile, Nuada, who had recovered somewhat, kept his distance from the aftermath of the sh. He wanted to watch the situation for now. ¡®My friend is stronger than me, that¡¯s true. But can he beat that guy?¡¯ The Suramajon he saw was a monster who didn¡¯t take any damage from any attack. And his own skill was not inferior to him either. Kwakwakwang! But after a few shes, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh and admire. ¡®My friend has improved so muchpared to before. I thought I trained hard too, but I need to reflect.¡¯ The battle was surprisingly in Eurius¡¯s favor. Pupupuk! His sword moved delicately and swept through Suramajon¡¯s body. Normally, his body should have been torn apart. ¡°It¡¯s useless, I told you.¡± But Suramajon endured all his sword attacks with his body and rushed into Eurius¡¯s arms. ¡°¡­!?¡± But unlike Nuada¡¯s case, Eurius disappeared smoothly and dodged the attack. His presence also vanished like a ghost due to the Counter-Ear Piercing. Shuk. The next moment, Eurius appeared behind Suramajon and swung his sword with all his might at his head. Kwaaaa! This time, there was a slight effect. Suramajon¡¯s body flew in the air andnded again, regaining his posture. But he still had no wounds on his body. But Suramajon also admired Eurius¡¯s skill, which was unexpected, with a rxed expression. ¡°You look like you¡¯re not even thirty, but you¡¯re really amazing! But you picked the wrong opponent.¡± But Eurius was rather doubtful. He had been nervous because Jegal Unhyeon had admitted that he was a tough opponent, but his actual skill was not that impressive. ¡®Why does he have so many openings? Even if he can take it with his body, his skill is too far below my expectations.¡¯ [You idiot, your skill has improved.] ¡®My skill has improved?¡¯ He checked his stats at the words of the Yellow Dragon Sword. [Eurius von Scharnos] [Traits] Swordsmanship(SS) ¡®My swordsmanship rank went up?¡¯ He had run over right after killing the archbishop, and he didn¡¯t see it because of the achievements and quest notifications that filled his sight, but his swordsmanship had gone up a level without him knowing. This was the same rank as the top superhumans like Daegong or Jegal Unhyeon. He wondered what caused his skill to increase without him knowing. ¡°Ah!¡± He suddenly remembered the battle with the ¡®copies¡¯ that had just happened. ¡®Now that I think about it, I felt that the copies¡¯ movements were too clumsy!¡¯ The copies were another version of him, excluding the privileges of the yer. Normally, even if a person knows their own weaknesses, it is extremely hard to see them objectively. But by crossing swords with the copies, Eurius unconsciously saw their sloppy movements and corrected his own actions that still depended on skills and traits. In other words, he got a new opportunity to fix his shorings! He stopped attacking for a moment as he realized that and Suramajon opened his mouth with an arrogant expression. ¡°Did you realize that it¡¯s useless no matter what you do?¡± ¡°No?¡± Eurius smiled instead. ¡®If my current skill is clearly above his, I have a guess.¡¯ He knew from the beginning that Suramajon was not something like an immortal body. But he didn¡¯t know his trick, so he was looking for a way. ¡°Immortal body? Are you trying to cheat in front of me?¡± Chapter 131: Gap Chapter 131: Gap Despite Eurius¡¯s confident deration, Suramazon¡¯s expression did not change at all. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± But Eurius was nodding inwardly as he checked the opponent¡¯s stats again after the encounter. ¡®There¡¯s no use pretending!¡¯ The abilities of Suramazon that he had confirmed were as follows: [Bukgung Ma-yeong] Job: Archbishop, Grandmaster (Superhuman) Strength: A Agility: SS Intelligence: B+ Willpower: B+ Dark Power: S+ Disposition: Cunning, Ambitious [Traits] Martial Arts (S), Weapon Arts (S+), Unarmed Combat (A) Shape-shifting ¨C A 4th-level force control technique. It allows moving so fast that it seems like there are two people. Extrasensory Perception (A-rank) ¨C A power that makes the five senses and the sixth sense abnormally sharp. When he first saw him, he was an absolute master of the East. His stats did not seem impressive for someone who imed to be an archbishop. But unexpectedly, the opponent showed a monstrous ability that made him immune to any attack. However, it was not easy to infer his ability from that alone. ¡®First of all, his traits andbat style don¡¯t match at all?¡¯ His 4th-level secret technique and traits suggested that he had a speed-focused ability like Beatrice, but Suramazon had superhuman skills, but he never showed explosive speed that made his body look like it split in two. What does fast movement and immortal body have to do with each other? At first, he had no choice but to believe that the opponent had the skill to easily withstand his attacks. But after shing a few times, he realized that was not the case. ¡®If he had that kind of skill, I would have lost miserably like Nuada. There must be some trick!¡¯ Shiiik! Eurius¡¯s sword aimed at Suramazon¡¯s whole body like lightning again. But this time too, it was futile. His flesh was really immortal, and no matter how much he cut or stabbed him, he did not bleed a drop. ¡®First of all, when he gets attacked, he bes like a ghost and physical attacks don¡¯t work on him.¡¯ Swoosh. As his dark hand approached Eurius¡¯s face, he had no choice but to block it with his sword. ng! Eurius was pushed back by the impact of the collision and bit his tongue. ¡®Second, he can also attack, so he¡¯s not a simple illusion. Then there¡¯s a way to test it.¡¯ He might have had a hard time figuring it out if he couldn¡¯t see the opponent¡¯s traits, but he had a guess. ¡®He said his ability was shape-shifting, right?¡¯ Eurius shouted loudly. ¡°Nuada! I need your help for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Nuada, who was watching the duel from behind, came out with a puzzled expression and Suramazon sneered. ¡°Is that what you thought? A joint attack?¡± ¡°No.¡± Eurius briefly answered and gave Nuada a hint. It was his idea to expose the fake immortality of the opponent. ¡°Is that all I have to do?¡± ¡°Of course. Just tell me if you find out anything.¡± Nuada also looked confused by his request, but nodded for now. Swoosh. As soon as Nuada started moving, Suramazon sent him a wary look, but soonughed again. ¡°What kind of joke is this?¡± Nuada did not join in the attack or attempt a surprise attack, but just walked slowly from afar. It was not a distance for a joint attack or a surprise attack. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you just bluffing?¡± Pat! When neither of them answered, Suramazon threw himself at Eurius again. His hand and Eurius¡¯s sword collided and made a loud noise again. Kwarung! ¡®He may be up to something, but there¡¯s no way he figured it out.¡¯ He swung his hands fiercely, but Suramazon did not forget to watch Nuada who was observing him from afar. His extrasensory perception, which was a power he received after bing an archbishop in addition to shape-shifting, could easily detect any signs within hundreds of meters around him without having to turn his eyes. Swoosh. As soon as he felt Nuada moving, he snorted inwardly. ¡®You guys are like that!¡¯ But his expectation of a joint attack waspletely wrong. Nuada just moved slightly to the side. But Suramazon frowned when he saw that simple action. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ Thud! At the same time, Eurius¡¯s sword pierced through his abdomen. Of course, he did not inflict any wounds this time either. Suramazon faltered slightly but opened his mouth with a calm expression. ¡°It seems useless, you stubborn bastard.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Even though his attack did not work, Eurius smiled slyly. ¡®I finally figured it out. I was right!¡¯ He finished his thought and threw a sharp question. ¡°Then why did you back off when the attack didn¡¯t work this time? If you¡¯re really immortal, you should have pressed on like before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Suramazon could not answer his question for a moment. Seeing him, Eurius still smiled and raised his sword again. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer me, I¡¯ll have to check it myself.¡± He kicked the ground and the closebat resumed, but the situation was simr yet different from before. Swoosh! Thud! Puff! Eurius¡¯s sword still pierced and shed Suramazon, but it did not do any damage. But there was a crucial difference. Nuada, who was watching from afar, muttered with a puzzled expression as he moved his body as Eurius instructed. ¡°Geez¡­ It¡¯s amazing. Why can¡¯t he counterattack?¡± What he saw in his eyes was Suramazon being butchered one-sidedly, with only no wounds. Eurius did not order him anything special. His whisper earlier was this: ¡°Don¡¯t interfere and just observe from afar.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I observing already?¡± ¡°Yes. But when he moves, move with him and align the direction.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± His request was nothing special. He asked him to move so that he was exactly symmetrical with Eurius, who was facing Suramazon head-on. That is, if Eurius, who is facing the enemy head-on, is at twelve o¡¯clock direction, Nuada, who is at the opposite position, is at six o¡¯clock direction. Just by doing that, Suramazon, who was on a roll until then, was being pushed back helplessly. He cursed inwardly. ¡®Damn it¡­ He seems to have figured out my secret. But I just need to find an opportunity to get out.¡¯ Of course, Eurius knew that too. But he couldn¡¯t help but stick out his tongue as he had missed him several times. ¡®Tsk! He¡¯s persistent even though his trick has been exposed. Is he trying to hold on until he can escape? That would be troublesome.¡¯ If he could deal such a decisive blow, Je Gal Woon Hyun would have killed him long ago. Eurius was also anxious as the opponent held on well. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Now¡¯s my chance!¡¯ He sensed that while he was thinking for a moment. Suramazon quickly detected it with his sharp senses. A streak of dark light flew towards his forehead. It was so fast that it seemed impossible to avoid it even if he detected it. Ssssh! The light was a sword light. The dark sword light pierced through his forehead and then the sound followed. ¡°Damn!¡± Suramazon backed away and spat out a curse. He was not afraid of the attack. As Eurius¡¯s attack did not work, the sword light did not hurt him either. But he cursed because he showed his weakness by ¡®dodging¡¯ the sudden attack. The person who made the attack quickly blocked his escape route. His heart sank as he felt her presence. There was no way to get out of this situation. ¡®Damn it! She¡¯s also a master. It¡¯s hard to escape.¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty! Are you all right?¡± ¡°Lize?¡± Eurius showed a moment of joy but also a puzzled expression. He had a hunch when he saw the sword light, but he was slightly surprised when she revealed herself. ¡®Her skill is enough to be safe, but when did she climb over the wall?¡¯ [Beatrice Dios] Job: Senior Knight, Grand Master (Superhuman) Strength: A Agility: S+ Intelligence: A Force Aptitude: S+ Force: S+ Disposition: Pure, Stubborn, Hard-working [Traits] Swordsmanship (S+) Swift ¨C A 4th-level force control technique. It allows amplifying agility momentarily depending on the proficiency level. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s something to celebrate. But killing him is the priority here.¡¯ Eurius regained hisposure and gave Nuada a wink first. ¡°Your Majesty, you seem to be upset¡­¡± ¡°Huh? No, no. Haha!¡± ¡°¡­¡± She looked at him with a serious expression, as he pretended to be calm. ¡°May I ask you one question?¡± ¡°What question?¡± She hesitated for a moment. It was the reason why she had been gloomytely. She finally opened her mouth. ¡°Am I of any help to you? You even advised me to go back to the Holy Kingdom, but I stayed here against your will.¡± This was her worrytely. She was not arrogant, but she was more confident when she came to the Empire. But after spending a few years by his side, she realized that there were many young and talented people in various fields around him. ¡®All I can do is swing a sword.¡¯ And if it came to using force, there were many warriors who were better than her, such as Nuada, Je Gal Woon Hyun, and even Cain¡¯s growth rate was not normal. ¡®I might be bothering him with some old ties.¡¯ That was why she was cautious. But Eurius tilted his head. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did anyone say that to you? I always think that no one has helped me more than you.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± She widened her eyes. Of course, Eurius said that without thinking much, including his previous life, but she didn¡¯t know the truth and thought he was teasing her. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Do I have to swear on my name? Anyway, it¡¯s true.¡± He confirmed it and there was no reason to ask more questions. ¡°Thank you for your generous praise. Then I¡¯ll go back to my squad.¡± She quickly bowed her head and returned to the knight¡¯s ranks. ¡°Hmm?¡± Seeing her, Eurius twisted his face slightly. He knew that she was not the type to say such insecure things. ¡®She must have had a serious slumptely. But she climbed over the wall this time, so her confidence shoulde back.¡¯ He took his eyes off her and missed an interesting sight. As she slowly returned to the knight¡¯s squad, Beatrice clenched her fists and eximed softly. ¡°Sess!¡± *** The next day. Eurius called the Royal Guard and gave them an order. He couldmand them because the Emperor had given him full authority for this matter. ¡°I¡¯ve caught the ringleaders who raised their swords against the royal family, so it¡¯s time to clean up the rest.¡± ¡°Please leave it to us!¡± The royal guards captured all the nobles who were protesting in front of the pce. The citizens who saw them being dragged away could only look at them with curiosity. Buzz buzz ¡°What happened to those arrogant nobles?¡± ¡°I heard they were charged with treason.¡± ¡°Treason?¡± The nobles who were captured had dead faces. The high-ranking nobles who gave them orders were also caught and brought along. Some of them were still in shock and shouted or denied their crimes. ¡°How dare you do this to us, even if you are the Crown Prince? What have we done wrong?¡± ¡°We just attended a secret social gathering. We never raised our swords against you. You have no evidence, do you? No evidence!¡± Eurius answered them with a nk expression. ¡°The evidence wille from the south soon. The rest will be exined at the trial.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Three days passed after that. Many nobles were arrested and the capital was chaotic. But the people who made it even more noisy finally arrived. Arge army with the imperial g arrived at the city gate. The people who recognized their mark were shocked. ¡°I am Count Peres of the 3rd Army! I have received the Emperor¡¯s order and brought the traitors here, so open the gate.¡± They were none other than the 3rd Army that he had sent to the south. What did they do? The answer was with Eurius. He came out to meet them personally at the square in front of the capital. ¡°Peres! Long time no see. I heard you had a lot of trouble this time.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who worked hard, but these youngsters. Thank you for sending me such good talents. Haha¡­¡± Eurius also smiled happily and looked at one person behind Peres. He frowned as soon as he met Eurius¡¯s eyes. He was a knight who seemed to have suffered a lot of injuries, with bandages wrapped around his arm and head. ¡°You¡¯re really too much, Your Majesty. I really thought it was a vacation.¡± Eurius scratched his head and smiled as he looked at Cains. ¡°But didn¡¯t you do a great job thanks to that? You really worked hard.¡± Chapter 132: Homecoming Chapter 132: Homing Thwack! ¡°Ow!¡± Someone smacked the back of Cain¡¯s head, who was still sulking despite Eurius¡¯s answer. ¡°How dare you be rude to His Highness the Prince!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius looked back with a puzzled expression. ¡°Father! I¡¯m a wounded man! And this is not in front of His Highness? You should be more supportive of your sessor¡­¡± ¡°You stupid son!¡± Thwack! A palm struck his back of the head again. Then it pressed down on Cain¡¯s head and forced him to bow. ¡°Your Majesty! I apologize for my son¡¯s rudeness.¡± ¡°Son?¡± Eurius watched the quarrel between the father and son with interest. The person who was bickering with Cains was an old nobleman with gray hair. ¡®So this is the current Count Cains?¡¯ ¡°Even though you¡¯ve changed a bit, I can guess how your knight order life was by looking at this! Sigh¡­¡± The old nobleman sighed deeply and quickly turned his head to Eurius. Then he prostrated himself on the ground and bowed. ¡°I greet Your Highness the First Prince. I am Count Cains. The father of this worthless son.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius made a slightly dumbfounded expression. No matter how high his status was, it was not enough for a nobleman of a count¡¯s rank to prostrate himself and greet him. He quickly gestured to Cains. ¡®Why is your father doing this?¡¯ ¡°Haha¡­¡± Cains made a sheepish expression and tried to lift up the count, but he did not budge and kept shaking his body with emotion. ¡°Thank you for saving this hopeless son!¡± ¡°What?¡± *** The beginning was a few weeks ago. ¡°Brother! This is really suspicious. Something seems to be going on, but I¡¯m the only one on vacation.¡± ¡°Well? Would His Highness give you a mission while sending you back to your hometown? He would have told you in advance if that was the case.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Two people were talking in a carriage heading south. They were Cains and Devon. They were about the same age and had simr experiences of wandering, so they got along well and became close enough to call each other brothers. Devon¡¯s tone was rxed. ¡°I¡¯m rather envious of you. From what I heard, His Highness has been very interested in you from the beginning. Others might even envy you.¡± ¡°Do you say that too, brother?¡± ¡°No matter what, from what I heard, that n is supposed to take ce in the capital. Maybe he cares about you and took you out of the dangerous ce.¡± ¡°Your words make sense.¡± Cains agreed with Devon¡¯s words. He thought it made sense. ¡®My hometown is nothing but a countrysidepared to the capital. What could happen there?¡¯ He felt peaceful for the first time in a long time as he saw his hometown scenery. There was nothing to see except the vast wheat fields, but he felt peaceful for the first time in a long time. ¡®Still nothing in this rural territory. But I can rx for a while!¡¯ With that inted dream, Cains headed to the castle in the center of his territory. . But something was strange about his territory. ¡®It should be busy with farming at this time of year, but why don¡¯t I see any people?¡¯ There was no one in sight on the fields around the road leading to the castle. ¡®Are they all gathered somewhere for a festival? It¡¯s not that time of year, is it?¡¯ He tilted his head and approached the castle gate and announced his arrival. A quick wee came out because he was the eldest son and heir of a count. The gate opened and an old knight with neatly tied gray hair greeted him warmly. ¡°My lord! You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Max, long time no see.¡± The loyal old knight Max was someone who had taken good care of him since he was young. He smiled brightly and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about your achievements in the knight order. The count was also skeptical at first, but I could see that he was secretly pleased.¡± ¡°Father? Speaking of which, I should greet him first. Where is he?¡± He said that, but Cain¡¯s expression was not very good. His father, the count, was a very strict person and their rtionship was not very good. It got worse when he started to ck off, and they stopped exchanging letters. It had been several years since Cains joined the knight order, but he only came home now for a reason. Max made a slightly worried expression. ¡°Actually, he¡¯s out of town for a while. The situation in this territory is not very goodtely.¡± ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s no one outside either. Is something wrong?¡± Cains looked more puzzled. He thought there was nothing like that in this territory. It was a small territory with only a little fertilend, not a major source of ie like a mine. What kind of incident could happen here? ¡°¡­¡± But Max, the knight, couldn¡¯t answer that question for a moment. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Boom! As he was about to open his mouth, suddenly the sound of the castle gate closing was heard. Hearing that sound, Max changed his words. ¡°It must be time for the lord to return. Let¡¯s go greet him. He¡¯ll be very happy to see you.¡± At that, Cains looked toward the gate. His father, the current lord of Cains, was a former central knight who received a small territory in hister years for his merit. It was a rare case for a knight. The lord walked into the castle with a dignified stride, as befitting a knight. He ran into his son, Cains. Cains quickly bowed his head. ¡°Greetings, father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The lord seemed surprised for a moment, but soon put on a cold expression and stared at Cains for a while. ¡°What are you doing here in this backwater? I thought you were staying in the capital.¡± His words were so cold that Cains flinched. He said he came on vacation. The lord snorted. ¡°Hmph! You still haven¡¯t changed yourzy habits. I heard you¡¯ve been doing welltely. Did youe to brag to this old man?¡± It was no different from picking a fight with him, even if he was his son. Cains couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed your personality either¡­ You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re good at ttering the First Prince. Go back as soon as possible. I don¡¯t want to see your face!¡± The lord said harshly and walked past Cains. ¡®No, why is that old man acting like that again!¡¯ Cains was about to argue with him right away, but there was a hand that quickly grabbed him. It was Max. ¡°Why is he like that? Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Max sighed. The lord had ordered him not to say anything, but he sincerely wished that the lord and Cains would reconcile. ¡°Let me take you to your room first. I¡¯ll tell you there.¡± A littleter. Cains widened his eyes in his room. ¡°A territorial war?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s more like coercion than a war.¡± Max began to exin with a rare angry expression. ¡°Recently, some nobles who imed to have power in the nearby area secretly contacted us.¡± [We, the New Southern Alliance, are trying to maintain the order of the empire against the tyranny of the first prince. ¡­ (omitted) ¡­ We ask for your cooperation, Lord Cains. The content is ¡­] Recently, a group called the New Southern Alliance was established among the nobles in the south. They were secretly gathering the nobles in the south and plotting something. But not all nobles agreed with their idea. ¡°The lords nearby, including you, all refused. But then they started to pick fights with us openly.¡± At that time, the capital was in turmoil due to the nobles¡¯ protests and it was impossible to ask for mediation from the central government. The nobles who belonged to the New Southern Alliance were trying to force the lords to surrender or drive them out by requesting territorial wars through duels. ¡°In the end, we also had to do a proxy war through a duel. The lord must have decided that it would be better than shedding blood since we have so few soldiers.¡± Cains looked puzzled. ¡°No, if it¡¯s a duel, he should wee me instead? There¡¯s no decent knight in this territory?¡± He felt a little embarrassed to say it himself, but Cains had gained quite a reputationtely. Well, he still got beaten up regrly in special training though. Max became more serious. ¡°I actually tried to tell him that too, but he adamantly refused.¡± ¡°Does he hate me that much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. The problem was who we were going to fight against.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Cains looked more curious. H ow good could a personal knight of a mere count be? ¡°The person who requested the territorial war this time was Count Lawrence, who has thergest power in the nearby area. He has already fought two duels in other territories. The results were shocking.¡± ¡°Shocking?¡± ¡°The knight who came out from Count Lawrence¡¯s side defeated the opponent knight in just over ten moves. The defeated knight was master-level.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cains finally realized how serious the situation was. He didn¡¯t know how such a skilled knight could be under a mere count, but this was undoubtedly a carefully prepared n. But he knew it was reckless, so why didn¡¯t the lord just join them? He asked that question, and Max hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth again. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another reason why the lord didn¡¯t call you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you not holding a position in the First Prince¡¯s knight order right now? The lord thought of your future and made this choice.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Cains, who understood everything, let out a small exmation. His father was indeed blunt, but he was not the kind of person who would pick a fight like that. Max continued. ¡°He didn¡¯t show it, but as I told you, he was very pleased every time he heard your news. Please don¡¯t take his harsh words too much to heart.¡± After that, there was silence in the room for a while. ¡°¡­¡± Then Cains opened his mouth. ¡°Max.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°When is that damn proxy war?¡± He got up from his seat with a determined expression. *** Meanwhile, in a castle that was quite splendidpared to the shabby one of the Cains lordship. The man had a smug expression on his face as he wore rings on his fat fingers. ¡®Hmm¡­ I heard that the Cains lordship¡¯s territory is quite fertile, even though it doesn¡¯t have any major ie sources.¡¯ He was Count Lawrence, who had thergest territory in the area. He was also a noble who had considerable connections in the central government based on his solid foundation. As a noble who was famous for his greed in the nearby area, he was one of the most active participants in the formation of the New Southern Alliance. He was given the important task of absorbing the neighboring nobles as a reward. ¡®Hehe¡­ It would have been fine if they had obediently submitted, but they epted a territorial war instead. It¡¯s like a blessing from heaven.¡¯ As he was chuckling to himself, a grim voice reached his ears. ¡°You look very happy.¡± ¡°Huh! You¡¯re here?¡± Count Lawrence, startled, got up with an astonishing speed for his bulky body and bowed politely. He had a faint fear in his eyes as he looked at the man who came in. The man smiled slyly. ¡°I came to hear some information since the next opponent has been decided.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ To be honest, I doubt you¡¯ll have a chance to step in. I heard that all the knights there are old and weak, including the lord.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be careless. You never know what tricks the first prince will pull.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Of course, I¡¯ve done proper research too!¡± The man looked like he was in his mid-thirties with no insignia on his in armor, but Count Lawrence, who was over fifty, couldn¡¯t move or say anything but please him. That was because this man was the most crucial person in this n. He could even be seen as the leader. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you came here.¡± ¡°Shh! I¡¯m just an ordinary frence knight now. Watch your mouth.¡± Chapter 133: A Few Days Later. Chapter 133: A Few Days Later. The day of the proxy duel for the territory finally arrived. A horde of horsemen visited the castle of the Cains viscount. They were the earl of Lawrence and his knights, the opponents of the duel. Behind them, soldiers followed in a long line, creating an atmosphere as if they came for a war rather than a duel. ¡°Did you arrive, my lord?¡± The earl of Lawrence had a sullen expression despite the polite greeting of the viscount of Cains. ¡°How did you dare to ept a proxy duel in such a shabby and small territory? Did you prepare well for the transfer of ownership?¡± He tantly ignored the courtesy and offended the viscount. The retainers behind the viscount all showed displeased faces. ¡°¡­¡± The viscount, who heard the insult, turned his back silently and moved his steps to lead them inside the castle. ¡°Hmph! Do you want to keep yourst dignity? I¡¯m d you don¡¯t beg or cry.¡± He acted as if he had already won and followed the viscount into the castle with confident steps. ¡®Well, it¡¯s going to be mine soon anyway. I don¡¯t want to look too bad by mocking it too much.¡¯ He did not think that he would lose even by a slight chance. That¡¯s why he could behave so arrogantly in a duel that involved both territories. Buzzing. The castle of the viscount, which was usually a quiet countryside territory, was bustling with external guests today. They were the nobles and knights who came as witnesses for both sides of the duel. They were preparing for the duel. Soon, an old noble who took charge of representing the witnesses came out and looked at both owners of the territories alternately before opening his mouth. ¡°Since all the guests have arrived, I think we should start soon. Are you ready?¡± ¡°We are ready on this side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no different from a decided oue anyway. Let¡¯s start quickly!¡± He nodded his head after hearing both answers. ¡°Then you can send out your knights. The rules are as you know, the side that makes one knight unable to fight or subdues him first wins.¡± And then he turned his eyes to the viscount¡¯s side and showed a slightly sorry expression. ¡°The losing side must follow the rules and cannot take anything out except for two wagons of property. Do you agree?¡± ¡®Tsk!¡¯ He and other witnesses all clicked their tongues inwardly. They were annoyed by the earl¡¯s rude attitude, but they also felt sympathy for the viscount. ¡°He had such bad luck in his old age.¡± ¡°Why did he resist when he could just surrender to the noble alliance? Knights from military backgrounds are too stubborn for their own good.¡± The viscount could not help but hear their murmurs. ¡°¡­¡± But he had a reason why he could not join the noble alliance, not only because of his loyalty to the emperor. ¡®I can¡¯t hold back my son who is doing well.¡¯ What would happen to Cains, who was doing well by the side of the first prince, if he surrendered? He would not hear good words for sure. If he had a chance to seed in the capital, he could not burden his son with this problem of a rural territory. That was what the viscount thought. ¡®Max said that he was angry and went back to the capital. That¡¯s good. He almost made me worry for nothing.¡¯ The viscount¡¯s heart sank when he saw Cains for the first time. He came back on vacation at this time and almost ruined his hidden n. ¡®But why did hee back on vacation at this time?¡¯ He had a slight doubt, but he soon sorted out his thoughts and nodded his head with a determined expression to the witness. ¡°Of course I am ready.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± The duel was scheduled to take ce in the training ground inside the castle. The earl¡¯s side sent out their knight first. He approached a knight with a full smile on his chubby face. ¡°Hehe¡­ It seems that Sir Howard will have to do us a favor again this time.¡± The knight nodded his head without answering and walked out slowly. It was a bit strange to see their rtionship as a lord and a knight. The knight who stood in the center of the training ground opened his mouth and revealed his identity. ¡°I was a free knight, but I decided to serve under Earl Lawrence recently. My name is Rick Howard. I hope for a fair and good fight.¡± Whispering. There was another buzz from the witness seat after hearing his words. They had attended two previous proxy duels that happened nearby, but they had some doubts about who this knight called Howard was. ¡°No matter how many hidden masters there are in this continent, how can someone who can easily subdue master-level knights be just serving under an earl?¡± ¡°Well, maybe he is a knight who is training under a prestigious martial arts family? Anyway, there is no need to watch the oue this time.¡± ¡®It¡¯s my turn now.¡¯ The viscount closed his eyes and raised his hand to signal to send out his knight. He was prepared to lose anyway, so choosing one was rather difficult. The knight he chose was a middle-aged knight who had served him for a long time. He thought that sending out an experienced knight would allow him to surrender before getting seriously injured. Thump thump. He heard footsteps from behind and turned his head with a sorry expression. ¡®I¡¯m sorry for him. I hope he doesn¡¯t get hurt too much¡­ Huh?¡¯ The viscount¡¯s eyes widened. The knight who came out waspletely different. ¡°Why are you?¡± He was so surprised that he let out a sigh. The knight who finished his bow shouted before the viscount could say anything. ¡°I am Bernard Cains, the eldest son of the Cains viscount and a captain of the SCharnos knight order under the first prince!¡± There was an exmation louder than when the opponent came out from the witness seat after seeing the unexpected appearance of Cains. ¡°Indeed¡­ I¡¯ve heard his name before. He was a knight who performed well in the royal martial arts tournament a while ago, right?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, the viscount¡¯s eldest son is gaining fame in the capital these days, right? He had such a hidden card!¡± They all nodded their heads with interest, and the viscount could not say anything to change his knight. If he tried to change him forcibly in this situation, he would only humiliate his son. The viscount¡¯s face shook and red at Cains. ¡®You bastard! Why did youe here?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± He did not answer anything and greeted the opponent knight as well. ¡°I ask for a fair fight.¡± ¡°Do you have the skill for that?¡± The knight called Howard secretly sent his pressure to Cains. It was to intimidate him, but also because he was curious about him, who was a knight of the first prince. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look that strong, even though I¡¯ve heard his name before?¡¯ ¡°Hmm?¡± Surprisingly, Cains seemed to be slightly flustered by his pressure, but he quickly regained hisposure. His eyes twinkled. ¡®Look at that?¡¯ He was hiding his identity, but he was actually a superhuman-level knight. The fact that he could deflect his pressure so skillfully meant that his opponent was not easy. ¡®But he doesn¡¯t look like a superhuman-level knight anyway. I¡¯ll make him regret meeting me today.¡¯ He only looked surprised for a moment, then his eyes filled with killing intent. He had no intention of sparing Cains, who was introduced as Julius¡¯s aide. On the other hand, Cains pretended to be calm on the outside, but he was sweating profusely inside. He had doubted the im that he had suppressed a master-level knight, but this aura was unmistakably that of a superhuman. ¡®No! Why am I so unluckytely? Everyone I meet is better than me¡­¡¯ The reason he could shrug off the aura of a superhuman was because he had gotten used to facing stronger opponents in his special training. But that was training and this was real. And judging by the fierce aura of his opponent, he didn¡¯t seem to have any mercy. At this moment, Cains¡¯s concentration reached its peak. It was an inevitable fight. Didn¡¯t he have a reason to win? ¡®It¡¯s do or die!¡¯ As Cains showed his fighting spirit, Howard only gave a cold smile. ¡®You¡¯re determined, but how long can youst?¡¯ Soon, the duel began with the signal of the witness. ¡°Then, let the knights of both sides begin the duel.¡± Swoosh! Howard¡¯s sword flew with a ferocious force towards Cains¡¯s heart. It was a vicious move that aimed for a vital spot from the very beginning, even though it was a duel. Seeing that, the viscount¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®Can he handle such a knight? He has a reputation, but¡­¡¯ ng! ¡°¡­!?¡± Both Howard and the viscount were surprised. Cains had unexpectedly blocked that blow with ease. And he evenunched a sharp counterattack. ng! ¡®He¡¯s better than I thought.¡¯ Howard hardened his face and rushed in again. He swung his sword fiercely, not giving Cains any chance to counterattack. His intricate consecutive attacks were very shy and powerful, and it seemed like Cains would fall at any moment, bleeding. ng! ng! ng! In fact, he was pushed back relentlessly. He barely managed to defend against his opponent¡¯s attacks. ¡°¡­¡± However, Howard¡¯s expression became stiffer as he attacked. ¡®He seems to be pushed back one-sidedly, but he has no wounds at all. Is he trying to exhaust my stamina?¡¯ The viscount also looked worried at first and was ready to raise a white g at any time, but soon he realized what was going on and watched the duel with amazement. ¡°Look at that. Didn¡¯t you say he had talent?¡± Max, who had approached him unnoticed, smiled brightly. The viscount frowned. ¡°You lied to me. You said he went back to the capital.¡± ¡°It was his request.¡± At that brief answer, the viscount sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all because of my ipetence. I won¡¯t me you for it.¡± ¡°Of course not. Wasn¡¯t it your will to send him to the capital?¡± ¡°I hoped he would change his personality a bit. But I didn¡¯t expect this oue.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it good as long as the result is good?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The viscount didn¡¯t answer anymore, but Max knew what he was thinking and smiled contentedly. He also wondered about something. ¡®By the way, who changed that stubborn young master so reliably? Was it his colleagues in the knight order? Or that first emperor?¡¯ But before he could solve that mystery, the situation of the duel suddenly changed. sh! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Young master!¡± Cains, who had been blocking well until then, finally allowed an attack. Howard¡¯s aura became even more ominous. He clenched his teeth inwardly. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having a hard time with this brat!¡¯ He activated his secret technique and his power and speed increased dramatically. So Cains had no choice but to be on the defensive. He had endured well so far thanks to his repeated training with superiors who were far superior to him. sh! His body was already covered in blood from various sword wounds. But Cains opened his eyes wider and looked for an opportunity. ¡®I can still hold on. I just need one chance!¡¯ He was definitely a superhuman, but he wasn¡¯t as ruthless and strong as Julius or Beatrice who had beaten him up mercilessly. He didn¡¯t care about the scratches he got used to. As he saw him persisting, Howard felt something was going wrong. ¡®He¡¯s annoyingly tough.¡¯ His secret technique was called Double! As the name suggests, it had the characteristic of increasing his power and speed as he continued to attack. But Cains¡¯s sword moved like a ghost and interrupted his attacks, preventing him from unleashing his full power. He was weak among superhumans, but Cains¡¯s swordsmanship itself was the worst match for his secret technique. So even though he was overwhelmingly pushing him back, it wasn¡¯t easy to decide the oue. Howard panicked and nodded his head. ¡®He can¡¯t keep up his stamina while bleeding. It will end with my victory eventually.¡¯ He had hoped to win overwhelmingly at first, but that seemed difficult. ¡°Huff¡­¡± He loosened his attack a little to conserve his stamina. And that was the moment Cains had been waiting for. ¡®It¡¯s my chance!¡¯ Cains gripped his sword with both hands and jumped into his opponent¡¯s swordy. This was the trick he had learned by getting beaten up to death. ¡®No matter how vignt they are, superhumans don¡¯t doubt their victory against ordinary knights!¡¯ He had tried all kinds of ways tond a hit on Julius in order to escape from the hell of special training. The most effective one was this moment. When the opponent was confident of victory and slightly slowed down his offense! Swoosh. His sword slid like a ghost and shed Howard¡¯s chest. It was his ultimate move that invested all his strength. Howard was shocked. ¡®What the hell!¡¯ No matter how superhuman he was, he couldn¡¯t take the de of a master-level knight with his bare body. If the sword stopped near his neck, it would be his defeat. Howard gritted his teeth. ¡®I¡¯m not going to lose to this brat!¡¯ He twisted his upper body to avoid the attack as much as possible and stabbed his sword towards Cains¡¯s heart. sh! Thud! Cains¡¯s sword missed the neck and cut Howard¡¯s chest, and Howard¡¯s sword pierced Cains¡¯s heart area. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Howard had suffered a severe injury that exposed his ribs. And Cains, who had been stabbed in the heart, staggered back with a pale face. ¡°Lord¡­ no, Sir Howard!¡± ¡°Bernard!¡± The representatives of both sides looked like they were about to rush out at any moment with pale faces. And the result of their one strike each was soon revealed. Thud! Howard copsed first with a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°Th¡­ the winner is Lord Cains!¡± The representative of the witnesses dered Cains¡¯ victory with a stutter, surprised by the unexpected oue. ¡°Call a healer!¡± ¡°My lord!¡± Sir Max, who hurriedly ran out, examined Cains¡¯ condition and sighed in relief. ¡°It barely missed your heart by an inch. You¡¯re very lucky.¡± Just as Howard had stabbed him with a killing intent, he had also twisted his body slightly at thest moment and avoided the de by a hair¡¯s breadth. Cains, who received emergency treatment, fainted on the spot. The witnesses were all busy praising him. ¡°He was amazing. I thought he would lose for sure. Poor Earl Lawrence.¡± ¡°Poor? He deserved it for being so greedy!¡± Earl Lawrence was trembling with a pale face. ¡®No, how did this happen!¡¯ In his mind, Howard, the superhuman, was an unbeatable card. But thatmon sense was shattered. He couldn¡¯te to his senses for a while and started to think. ¡®I can¡¯t lose my territory like this. But what can I do?¡¯ His eyes turned malicious. ¡®This miserablend is nothingpared to my knight force. Maybe I should kill them all and destroy the evidence¡­¡¯ ¡°Surrender peacefully, criminal!¡± But before he could make a decision, the gate came down and knights poured in. Their number was hundreds, a sight that could never be seen in this rural area of the south. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s happening?¡± Among the knights who surrounded the manor, a middle-aged man in a neat uniform walked out. He spoke in a stern tone. ¡°I am Count Perez, themander of the Third Legion of the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The people in the hall had no choice but to be surprised. ¡°Why is the central army here in this countryside¡­¡± The reason was soon revealed. ¡°Earl Lawrence! You are under arrest for treason for joining the New Southern Alliance.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Earl Lawrence shook his fat body and froze like a statue on the spot. How did they find out that information? And more words from Count Perez¡¯s mouth shocked everyone in the hall. ¡°And that fallen man over there too! His Majesty has ordered to question him for his involvement in the New Southern Alliance and for leaving his post without permission as an Earl of Change.¡± Squeak! One of the knights who approached him peeled something off from the face of Howard, or rather, the superhuman. There was nothing more to be surprised about, but some nobles gasped. ¡°That face is?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Count Patrick?¡± And the face that was revealed was none other than Count Patrick, the superhuman who was in charge of the southern border. He was the one who disguised himself as Howard. Perez epted it and dered. ¡°This is a very sophisticated mask made from human skin that came from the east! There¡¯s no doubt about his identity with this, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was nothing to say. The knights roughly tied up Count Patrick, who was barely breathing, with thick chains. ¡°¡­!?¡± The lord had no idea what was going on and looked back and forth between Cains and Perez with a nk expression. Seeing that, a young man among the witnesses walked out. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you, my lord.¡± A whileter, Cains woke up after receiving treatment and also looked at the person who was barely holding back his smile in front of him with a bewildered expression. ¡°No way, Devon brother! How did you get here?¡± ¡°Well, I came here by His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± ¡°What? His Majesty?¡± Cains frowned. He remembered what Eurius had said to him not long ago. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard enough. Go back to your hometown and rest!¡± *** This is what happened behind the scenes. ¡°A New Southern Alliance?¡± Eurius frowned at the unsettling currents in the capital and the news of a force that was forcibly gathering nobles in the south. ¡°And it seems that Count Patrick, the superhuman of the south, is behind it.¡± Hearing Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s words, Eurius spat out one word without much hesitation. ¡°If that¡¯s the opponent, then this is a good opportunity to send Cains.¡± ¡°Cains, you mean?¡± Devon, who was next to him, tilted his head. He trusted Eurius¡¯ judgment, but could Cains handle a superhuman? ¡°Isn¡¯t he the weakest among the superhumans of the empire? And I heard from Victor that he was talented but arrogant and cruel, which made him disliked by the Grand Duke. He should be able to handle someone like that.¡± ¡°Still.¡± Devon closed his mouth as he was about to say something more. Surely Eurius wouldn¡¯t send Cains to his death? ¡°Then I¡¯ll estimate their strength and prepare ordingly.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± At that time, Eurius had no time to spare for the southern troublemakers because of the affairs in the capital. Besides, no matter how much the southern nobles united, they couldn¡¯t match the Third Legion led by Devon. ¡®The problem is Count Patrick, the superhuman of the south, but if my guess is right, Cains will be enough to stop him.¡¯ Eurius had his own confidence. It was his memory from his previous life. ¡°Who would you choose as the best knight in the south, excluding the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°It would have to be Count Patrick, another superhuman, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But what about Lord Cains, who is undefeated?¡± ¡°Do you think he can stand against a superhuman?¡± In his previous life, everyone would name those two as the best swordsmen in the south, except for the Grand Duke. But there was an interesting anecdote about their oue. ¡°It¡¯s unpleasant topare me with such a person.¡± But Count Patrick seemed to be always bothered by theparison between him and Cains, who was rumored to bezy. One day, he visited Cains¡¯ territory and challenged him to a fight. ¡°Sigh¡­ This is a lose-lose situation¡­¡± Cains was very embarrassed by his persistent request and finally epted it on the condition that they would do it secretly indoors. And the result was surprisingly a draw. ¡°¡­¡± After the fight, Count Patrick left for his territory with his mouth shut. This was the representative event that made Cains so famous. He had a fight with a superhuman in his undefeated record. But when Eurius heard that Count Patrick was arrogant and cruel, he immediately realized it. ¡®If he has such a personality, he wouldn¡¯t have spared Cains. In my previous life, that fight was definitely Cains¡¯ victory.¡¯ Cains surely had enough skill to hold his own against him, so Eurius sent him to the south. Of course, sending him to the territory and participating in the duel was not exactly his strategy, but Devon¡¯s n. ¡®If I lose Cains in a battle with an ident, I won¡¯t be able to face His Majesty.¡¯ That¡¯s why Devon came up with the n of territorial war. It happened that Earl Lawrence, who was greedy, had his eyes on Cains¡¯ hometown territory. It was a perfect opportunity to create a one-on-one situation between them. Devon disguised himself as a witness and attended the duel. As soon as the oue was decided, he immediately signaled and called in his legion. He also prepared a minimum measure to save him in case Cains was in danger. *** ¡°¡­¡± After hearing the whole story, Cains shivered and couldn¡¯t help but cry out in injustice. ¡°Your highness!¡± Chapter 134: Eastern Envoy Chapter 134: Eastern Envoy With Cain¡¯s final feat, all the unrest in the south was suppressed. ¡°No¡­ Does this mean I have to fight for my life against superhumans on my vacation?¡± ¡°If you whine one more time, I¡¯ll use my authority as a duke to ban you from entering my territory!¡± ¡°¡­¡± He kept grumbling that it was unfair, but he had no choice but to shrink back when his father, the duke, roared at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to show you such a disgraceful sight, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Not at all! I heard you had a cold rtionship, but it doesn¡¯t seem so. I¡¯m d.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Although he spoke harshly, Eurius had heard that they were quite awkward with each other. It seemed that they had reconciled to some extent on their way here. The duke kept bowing his head in embarrassment, but Eurius smiled and moved his steps toward the pce. *** ¡°¡­That¡¯s all for the report on the southern turmoil.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯ve done well.¡± The emperor looked at his ministers on both sides with a satisfied face. Among them, the number of nobles had decreased by two-thirds. A whopping third of the nobles were arrested for being involved in this incident. ¡®I spilled much less blood than I thought. This should make it easier to deal with the nobles from now on.¡¯ When the emperor decided to sweep away the southern nobles, he expected that at least half of the southern territories would be devastated by civil war. But when Eurius used tax audits as bait to weed them out, he managed to clean them up without much civil war. Of course, there were fierce battles behind the scenes, but that was something the emperor didn¡¯t know at this point. ¡®This should be enough to trust him with controlling the nobles from now on.¡¯ With that thought in mind, the emperor gave an order. ¡°Those who participated in the rebellion will be punished ording to their crimes. And those who contributed to the suppression will receive appropriate rewards!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The emperor sent a signal with his eyes to Eurius, who bowed his head. ¡®I have something to tell you after the meeting is over. Follow me.¡¯ And a littleter. ¡°You know why I called you, right?¡± Eurius nodded at the emperor¡¯s question. ¡°Is it about the crown prince¡¯s coronation ceremony in a few weeks?¡± ¡°Yes. Have you decided on the territory and title you will receive? I haven¡¯t heard from you yet because of the busy state affairs.¡± It was something that should have been decided long ago. The crown prince could receive a title equivalent to a duke and a territory through a proxy, even if he didn¡¯t rule it directly. But what was really important was what came next! The territory and title were meaningless to the crown prince who lived in the capital anyway. What the emperor was asking was about his activities after the coronation. The crown prince had the authority to lead the state affairs on behalf of the emperor. The emperor revealed a bit of his malicious intention here. ¡°How about you take over the state affairs for a few years as a test? There won¡¯t be anyone who opposes it now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius chuckled inwardly at the silence. ¡®You¡¯re trying to hand over the state affairs to me at this opportunity?¡¯ He said it was for a few years, but how long would the old emperor live? This was undoubtedly an implicit pressure from him saying ¡®I¡¯m going to rest now!¡¯ and handing over all theplicated state affairs to Eurius. ¡®But you¡¯ll have to work hard for a little longer.¡¯ It would be nice for Eurius if the old emperor retired from tiring state affairs and lived long, but it wasn¡¯t time yet. Didn¡¯t he still have enemies left? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Thank you for entrusting me with such an important position.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± The emperor smiled slyly. ¡®Is this guy finally willing to follow my will after wandering around? But why does he agree so easily? It feels strange.¡¯ ¡°But!¡± Eurius, who seemed to answer obediently, suddenly raised his voice. The emperor frowned openly at this. ¡°What? What¡¯s yourint now? Ugh¡­¡± Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s one more ce I want to visit before I go.¡± *** There was a good reason why it took three months to prepare for the crown prince¡¯s coronation ceremony. First of all, they needed time to send envoys to each country, and it also took a lot of time for them all to gather. In addition, Eurius had some moreplicated circumstances. ¡°The envoy from Holy Kingdom has arrived.¡± ¡°Partia has sent an envoy as a representative of South Desert Kingdom.¡± ¡°The representative of North Barbarian¡­ No, North Tribe has arrived.¡± It was because Eurius had many forces under his control. Especially, it took a long time to decide when the news came from the farthest north and south of the continent. There were whispers among the officials. ¡°Is this the first time that North Tribe and South Desert Kingdom have sent envoys to the crown prince¡¯s coronation ceremony?¡± ¡°Well, His Highness¡­ No, I guess we can call him His Majesty now. Anyway, he personally went there and made alliances with them, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unprecedented. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he had something to do with the East before he became the emperor.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ No way!¡± There were so many surprising people among the participants of this crown prince¡¯s coronation ceremony that such jokes came out. However, the bureaucrats and nobles in the empire were calm. It was because it was no different from doing something that had been decided several years ago. The order of the ceremony was simple. A noble who served as a host recited the achievements that Eurius had made to be the crown prince, and then he received a crown from the emperor himself. The interest of the officials was not in such formal procedures, but in Eurius¡¯s activities afterwards. They would probably hear it after all the ceremonies were over today. As time passed, the emperor dered solemnly on the stage set up in the hall. ¡°With this, I appoint Eurius, the first prince, as the crown prince.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± After a cheer burst out once, Eurius raised one hand. Shh. ¡°¡­¡± As his hand went up, the hall was silent in an instant. ¡°There was one project that I wanted to pursue if I became the crown prince.¡± At his words, the eyes of the people in the hall were more focused and waited for his mouth to open with bated breath. Soon after confirming that enough attention was paid, Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°I want to send ¡®Eastern Envoy¡¯ again!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Eastern Envoy?¡± The officials who expected his future ns or policies were puzzled for a moment. Eastern Envoy! It was an event where Scharnos Empire and Hwan Empire, a single state in the east, regrly exchanged envoys after trade began with the eastern continent. It had its own tradition andsted for more than a hundred years, but it suddenly stopped when Hwan Empire stopped sending envoys. But was there a need to send an envoy separately now? The officials were all unconvinced by that question. ¡°¡­¡± But since the emperor didn¡¯t say anything, it was clear that this was not a joke. ¡°I will announce the participants of the envoyter. That¡¯s all for now!¡± ¡°¡­¡± p p! The officials, who were only staring at Euriusing down from the stage with a stunned expression, finally began to p sporadically. *** ¡°Ah!¡± And a few dayster, when the list of the envoy was revealed, the officials had to nod their heads. ¡°I guess I know what His Majesty¡¯s intention is. Tsk¡­ Power is cruel indeed.¡± ¡°I thought he would be merciful, but he seems to be very angry because of the southern rebellion that happened before. It¡¯s a rather ingenious way to eliminate his enemies, don¡¯t you think?¡± The officials looked at one side of the hall with pity. They thought that Eurius had used the excuse of sending an envoy to get rid of hisst enemies as he became the crown prince. [The 99th Eastern Envoy List] Envoy Leader: Leonhardt von Sharnos, the second prince . . . . . . He will be apanied by servants and porters. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Leonhardt felt the pitying eyes of the officials and got angry, but what could he do? ¡®As soon as I go to the east, I will lose all my connections, including Father¡¯s protection. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if I only left a corpse.¡¯ He gritted his teeth and recalled a week ago. Eurius, who suddenly visited his ce, asked him how he was doing with a bright smile. ¡°How have you been? Are you healthy?¡± ¡°Haha! What could happen to me who is eating and ying in the capital? How about you, brother? You¡¯re going to have your crown prince¡¯s coronation ceremony soon. Are you okay?¡± Eurius nodded and opened his mouth again. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re in good shape. I have a good offer for you. I¡¯ve consulted with Father and came here.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leonhardt felt suspicious inside, but he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°An offer? I¡¯m looking forward to it. Is it about going out of the pce?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°As expected¡­¡± Sure enough, Eurius¡¯s offer was in the worst form possible. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to send an envoy to the east, and after consulting with Abamama, we thought it would be best to send you as a representative.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Leonhardt broke out in a cold sweat. Just as Duke couldn¡¯t do anything to Eurius in the pce, now the situation waspletely reversed and he couldn¡¯t go out of the pce at all. ¡®If I go out, I might die without anyone knowing.¡¯ He opened his mouth. He would have been lucky to leave a corpse behind. If he was thrown into the sea or had an ident in a faraway continent, there would be no hassle of cleaning up after him. Leonhardt quickly weighed the pros and cons and sprang to his feet. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He bowed down in front of Eurius, who asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Brother¡­ no, Your Majesty! Please spare me!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I have no power left, do I? I know nothing about the nobles¡¯ rebellion! Please believe me!¡± Eurius scratched his head silently with a dumbfounded expression as he watched his brother¡¯s sudden change of attitude. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®He still has a keen sense of the situation. He has too much pride to bow down to me, even if he feels threatened by death¡­¡¯ He looked at his brother, who was lying on the floor with his head down, and pretended to be sympathetic. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Please forgive me!¡± Eurius spoke more firmly as he saw that he did not get up. ¡°Then it¡¯s an order. Get up.¡± Flinch. Leonhardt shuddered for a moment and slowly got up. Eurius opened his mouth with a still sympathetic expression. ¡°If I wanted to get rid of you, would I have consulted with Father? You don¡¯t have to worry, I have no such intention this time.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leonhardt fluttered his eyelids slightly but did not answer. He thought that going to the east was no different from jumping into a hellish inferno. Eurius sighed as he read his thoughts. ¡°Sigh¡­ Let¡¯s say I want to eliminate you. Then why would I use such an inconvenient method?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leonhardt¡¯s face turned pale for a moment. Was that a threat that he could kill him right away if he didn¡¯t go to the east? ¡°And I swear! As long as you don¡¯t touch me first, I won¡¯t kill you either. This is also a promise I made with Father.¡± As Eurius repeated his threats and coaxing, Leonhardt had no choice but to surrender. ¡°I believe that you will keep your promise, brother.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They made a promise, but they didn¡¯t trust each other at all. Leonhardt was not the type to trust anyone in the first ce, and Eurius had experienced it before, so he had no reason to believe him. [Leonhardt von Scharnos] yer Factor (50%) Job: Emperor, Intermediate Knight Strength: B+ Agility: B Intelligence: A+ Spirit: A+ Force: B+ Force Aptitude: A Disposition: Cold-blooded, Ambitious, Charismatic Current State: Anxious, Relieved, Doubtful [Traits] Imperial Bloodline-You have inherited the yer¡¯s bloodline. You receive a bonus that makes all your abilities grow faster. Versatile-You learn any field faster than others. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with the Order from his stats. But he has the yer aptitude and maybe a memories of his previous life, so he must have some secrets.¡¯ Eurius had to go to the east for the quest anyway, so he thought he would take this opportunity to see how he would turn out. ¡®Actually, I was going to monitor him while I was going as the leader.¡¯ Unfortunately, that n was thwarted by the emperor¡¯s fierce opposition. ¡°You want me to send both of them who have the right to inherit the throne across the sea? I can¡¯t do that even if you put a knife to my neck!¡± ¡°I can protect myself in any case. I heard that the sailing route is quite safe these days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. Would you send both of your children there?¡± ¡®How do I deal with this¡­¡¯ Eurius was at a loss as he faced the rare strong opposition. But then he had a brilliant idea. ¡°What about Leonhardt? Actually, I need someone to check on the situation in the east.¡± ¡°That bastard Leon?¡± Eurius persuaded him earnestly and finally the emperor had no choice but to settle the matter by sending Leonhardt. *** Three days after the eastern delegation left, Marius rushed in with a pale face. ¡°Your Majesty! There¡¯s trouble!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The emperor asked while slightly closing his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Eurius Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Did he disappear?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± The emperor silently pointed at a note rolling on the floor. [I thought Leonhardt¡¯s movements were suspicious, so I decided to go to the east for a while. -Eurius-] ¡°¡­¡± After a brief silence, the emperor put his hand on his head. ¡°Bring him back by any means necessary.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll prepare to send a backup team to the east right away.¡± Marius quickly answered at his resolute tone. The emperor spat out the next words as if squeezing them out of his head. ¡°When I bring him back this time, I¡¯ll have to lock him up in the pce, even if I have to abdicate him.¡± Chapter 135: Arrival? Chapter 135: Arrival? ¡®I have to go to the Blue Dragon first.¡¯ Eurius, who had escaped from the imperial pce, rode his horse day and night to the rendezvous point. There, the people he had promised in advance were already waiting. Jegal Hwayoung, who greeted him, expressed a slight concern. ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t mean to question you, but are you sure it¡¯s okay to leave the imperial pce empty?¡± ¡°This matter is one of the most important things to me.¡± Eurius said firmly, but in fact, it was an uneptable act to leave his position without permission as the crown prince. But he had a reason why he could do so. It was his confidence that there would be no big problem even if he left his seat for a while, since he had no enemies within the empire. ¡®Anyway, there is no one who can challenge me in this situation. If I make some excuses for a few months, I cane back without anyone noticing that I was gone.¡¯ He had also cleaned up the nobles who had other intentions beforehand to buy time to go to the east. [Main Quest ¨C The Dark Clouds over the Royal Family] [Content: Investigate the forces behind the royal family of Hwan Empire.] [Main Quest is a quest rted to the yer¡¯s ¡®clear¡¯.] [Clear: The yer¡¯s ultimate goal. You need to raise your achievements to ess more information.] ording to the quest he got from the Northern Mountains, he could find clues to solve his questions about the yer in the east. ¡®And thest descendant of White Tiger who left this quest disappeared at the same time as the eastern delegation was cut off.¡¯ The eastern delegation stopped sending envoys from the Hwan Empire thirty years ago, and since then, there was no oneing from the east except for traders. That meant that the royal family of Hwan Empire that Leonhardt was sent to as an envoy was very likely a tiger¡¯s den. ¡®It might be better to prepare thoroughly outside and then enter.¡¯ The key was in Jegal Sega¡¯s hands. No matter how high Eurius¡¯s position was in the western continent, it was not very helpful in the eastern continent. ¡°Are you still getting news from your Sega?¡± ¡°I heard that there was a lot of damage due to the war with Makyu, but regr contact is stilling.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll have to repay you for your help this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, my lord.¡± Jegal Hwayoung answered seriously, but Eurius¡¯s help was not insignificant for her either. First of all, he brought people who were extraordinary in every aspect, so having one more master was very reassuring at this point. She looked around at the people Eurius brought with him. ¡°Rize, this trip to the east is dangerous, so please be careful.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The first one was Beatrice. She was obedient, so there would be no trouble with her. But from the second one on, they were people who were a bit distant frommon sense, so Eurius had no choice but to warn them firmly. ¡°Nuada! When you arrive in the east, even if there is something you don¡¯t like, follow Jegal Sega¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°If my friend says so, I can¡¯t help it. But they can¡¯t treat me like a servant. Unless it¡¯s that senior who defeated me.¡± He looked reluctant, but he agreed for now. And thest one was someone who was not originally nned, but he recognized his skills and brought him along this time. ¡°Cains, you probably don¡¯t know much about the east either?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­¡± Eurius looked at him scratching his head and said in a decisive tone. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do business, go back to the western continent and do it. I¡¯m not joking, this ce we¡¯re going to is really dangerous.¡± Cains also instinctively realized that Eurius had no intention of deceiving him this time by looking at his serious expression. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± As he warned them three times, Eurius turned his head and noticed a strange gaze on him. ¡°¡­¡± The source of that gaze was Jegal Hwayoung. She looked at Eurius with an indescribable expression. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± She tried to say something but stopped. She had something on her mind, but she decided it was not a big deal. ¡®I¡¯ll help him well by his side. Then maybe we can get through this safely.¡¯ She thought so and opened her mouth. ¡°Then I¡¯ve prepared a ship for you.¡± Eurius and his party boarded a ship prepared by Jegal Sega. It was Eurius¡¯s first time on a ship, so he looked around the ship with interest. ¡°Does it take about ten days to get to the east?¡± ¡°If there are no weather changes, it should be.¡± Swoosh The voyage was smooth. One day before the arrival, Eurius was watching the sea while standing on the deck in the pouring rain. Jegal Hwayoung, who was watching him quietly, opened her mouth. ¡°The captain said that we would arrive onnd tomorrow morning without any trouble.¡± Eurius turned his head and looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s been raining heavily for three days, but we¡¯re faster than expected?¡± ¡°The route between the east and the west is known to be safe. I don¡¯t know of any ships that have lost contact in thest few decades.¡± ¡°Then how about we check the n again? Tell everyone toe inside.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Should I tell Nuada toe in too?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± At the same time, a loud sound came from the bow of the ship, and Eurius gave a bitter smile. ¡°Let¡¯s leave him alone for now. I¡¯ll tell himter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nuada, who was lying on the bow like a dead man, was at his wit¡¯s end. He had never ridden a horse, and he had lived his whole life roaming the mountains. Traveling by ship was quite humiliating for him. ¡®It was fine until a few days ago, damn it¡­¡¯ The problem was that the weather worsened recently and the ship shook violently due to the storm. No one expected that someone who was as strong as a superhuman would get seasick, but he lost his strength and copsed after three days. His hope was that this voyage would end in half a day. ¡°I¡¯ll be free from this hell tomorrow morning. Ugh!¡± He endured the nausea and got up. ¡®Did my friend tell me toe inside earlier?¡¯ He felt a little better and tried to move from the bow. But then! He heard something ominous. Swoosh! The raindrops became several times thicker than before. He felt a chill on the back of his head and turned around. Nuada¡¯s face, which was already pale from seasickness, turned almost blue. ¡°Crazy!¡± A huge wave that seemed to be tens of meters high was crashing down on the ship. Ssh! The ship survived once. The mast broke and the hull shook, but it was a sturdy ship and it held on. But Nuada, who was standing unprotected on the bow, couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Aaaah!¡± His body was swallowed by the violent wave and sucked into the swirling sea. Meanwhile, in the cabin, a conversation was going on. ¡°Did you say it was Murim?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Unlike the western continent, the eastern continent has groups that act independently without belonging to ces like the royal family. Our Sega is one of those groups in Murim.¡± To be honest, Eurius didn¡¯t understand it well because he was a westerner, but he nodded his head. ¡°So you¡¯re going to join Jegal Sega first?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to think about the detailed n after we hear from Sega. And some of you, including Your Highness, will have to hide your faces for a while.¡± ¡°Hmm? Is my face known in the east too?¡± Eurius and the other westerners in the cabin tilted their heads. But Jegal Hwayoung shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± Ssh! At that moment, water poured into the cabin and the ship rocked violently. Eurius was the first to regain his bnce and ran to the bow. The scream he heard just now was a familiar voice. ¡°Could it be Nuada?¡± But that was a very dangerous move. Jegal Hwayoung, who quickly assessed the situation, shouted urgently. ¡°My lord! It¡¯s dangerous to go outside now¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Swoosh! Before she could finish her words, Eurius was swept away by a fierce wave. Everyone in the cabin could only watch that scene with pale faces. And the ship couldn¡¯t withstand several waves that were tens of meters high. Swoosh! The third wave that came over turned the ship upside down. It was a route that boasted of its safety, but an unexpected storm shattered the ship. Swoosh A quiet beach with only the sound of waves. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius looked at the distant horizon with a hollow expression. He was in a position where he couldn¡¯t even go out alone, but he was standing alone on this beach. He muttered with an incredulous expression. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ [Head, strange, storm.] ¡®No, I know that.¡¯ He had nothing but his wet body and the Yellow Dragon Sword on his waist on this beach. He was a superhuman, so he regained consciousness in the sea and managed to reach this beach by following the current. But in the meantime, the crew of the ship scattered and he drifted to this deserted beach. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius could only stare at the horizon with a nk expression for a while, feeling helpless and guilty. ¡®Beatrice, Nuada, Cains¡­ And Jegal Sega¡¯s people too¡­¡¯ The seast night was a terrible memory for him too. He somehow saved his life, but what about the others? There were people on the ship who were not very good at martial arts, and Nuada had lost his energy from seasickness for three days. Hmm. [Idiot, survival, possibility, high.] ¡®Hmm?¡¯ The Yellow Dragon Sword rattled and Eurius snapped out of his despairing thoughts. ¡®The first thing is to check the situation.¡¯ He shook off his dazed expression for a moment and tried to sort out his thoughts. The first thing was to confirm the life and death of others. ¡®At least I arrived at this beach half a day after drifting, so I¡¯m not far fromnd. Beatrice and Nuada are superhumans, so they have a high chance of surviving!¡¯ Eurius also drifted aimlessly in the waves until he reached the beach, so they might have drifted to some other beach too. As soon as he reached this assumption, Eurius felt a little relieved about Beatrice¡¯s life and death. The second thing was how to move in this situation. Eurius thought carefully and came to a conclusion. ¡®I can¡¯t stay here like this. I¡¯ll find a way if I go to where people live.¡¯ Fortunately, most of the people in the eastern continent had ck hair and ck eyes. Eurius¡¯s appearance would stand out too much. ¡®Everyone has enough ability to protect themselves, so if they survived safely, I¡¯ll be able to find them by asking around.¡¯ Eurius decided to look for a ce where people lived. He seemed to regain some of his usual cheerful personality as hope rose. ¡®The surroundings are all surrounded by mountains? If I¡¯m unlucky, I might have to run for days?¡¯ He had to get to the vige as soon as possible to join them or search for them. He kicked the ground and dashed through the mountains in a straight line. *** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Jegal Hwayoung barely woke up and looked around. She was the weakest in martial arts among them, so she had to suffer more than anyone elsest night. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± She looked around with a weak expression and suddenly came to her senses when she heard a voice. ¡°Lady Beatrice?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for half a day. It¡¯s been about a day since we drifted here.¡± Jegal Hwayoung vaguely rememberedst night and quickly got up and hugged her. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡± The reason why she, who had weak martial arts, could barely save her lifest night was because Beatrice, who was in the same cabin, held her and swam desperately. ¡°It was only natural.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice was basically expressionless, but she had a strange tendency to sound colder to her. Jegal Hwayoung guessed why and gave a bitter smile. ¡°Are there no others?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just us here.¡± Jegal Hwayoung looked at Beatrice, who answered shortly, and sank into her thoughts. Her head was still fuzzy and she couldn¡¯t think clearly. ¡®I need to join Sega first. And His Highness¡¯s life or death¡­ He must be alive.¡¯ Her thoughts finally reached Eurius¡¯s whereabouts. She thought that there was a high possibility that Eurius was alive if she judged calmly. Beatrice, who was rtively weaker, managed to drift to the beach with her as a burden, so Eurius must have survived. ¡®Come to think of it, His Highness also drifted separately¡­ I tried to guide him to Sega as discreetly as possible, but things got messed up. There was never a shipwreck on this route before. I need to update the information.¡¯ Jegal Hwayoung and Sega¡¯s people had crossed the continent several times through this route, but they had never been swept away by a storm that could break the ship, so they couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®If I don¡¯t find him soon, His Highness might catch the eyes of Murim people. If that happens¡­¡¯ As she thought that far, Jegal Hwayoung suddenly snapped out of it as if she had been sshed with cold water. ¡°Ah!¡± At the same time, her face turned pale as a sheet of paper. Beatrice saw that and tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I need to find His Highness¡­ quickly!¡± Jegal Hwayoung shouted urgently, but Beatrice didn¡¯t show any emotion. She even opened her mouth as if she didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°His Highness is not someone who would die from being swept away by such a storm. I¡¯m fine too¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** At that moment, Eurius was running through the forest at a wind-like speed. He had been running for half a day, but he didn¡¯t see any signs of people and he was getting anxious. ¡®It seems to be quite far from where people live. I don¡¯t see any ce to stay if it gets dark¡­¡¯ ¡°Hmm?¡± But at that moment, he sensed a faint presence in his senses. He cheered inwardly and moved his steps toward it. Rustle The source of the presence he felt was four young people. They wereposed of three men and one woman, and they were running through the forest at a fairly fast speed. ¡°Namgung Sohyup! Are you okay with your wound?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not. But I don¡¯t have time to whine until we reach the branch of the alliance¡­¡± ¡°Did you stop the bleeding properly?¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯m always causing trouble for you, Seomun Sojeo. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± They were having a friendly conversation while crossing the forest with light steps. They were wearing different colored clothes, but they all had the same character of Jeongdo (ÕýµÀ) embroidered on their left sleeves. The only woman in the group sighed. ¡°Phew¡­ We barely escaped with our lives. Luckily, they didn¡¯t chase us this far.¡± ¡°Gangnam is our Namgung Sega¡¯s territory. No matter how strong the Magyo is, they can¡¯t invade it recklessly.¡± Namgung Sohyup, who was called by that name, answered with a proud expression. At that moment, a gust of wind suddenly passed by them. Whoosh! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°I finally met some people.¡± The wind was none other than Eurius, who followed the presence and ran like an arrow. When he stopped, dust rose up and blocked his sight. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Who are you!¡± The four young people tensed up. They had just been chased by Magyo until a while ago, so they felt gloomy. ¡®He¡¯s a master!¡¯ They were considered promisingte-stage masters, but they didn¡¯t notice him until he approached them so close, and the amazing skill that he used to pass by them just now proved that he was not an ordinary master. They tensed up and looked at the man who walked out of the dust. Eurius slowly opened his mouth. . Fortunately, thenguage was the same even in the eastern continent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask you this. Can you take me to the nearest city?¡± He asked humbly without caring about his dignity. He didn¡¯t think he could find a ce where people lived by himself. Swoosh! ¡°Hmm?¡± But before he could hear the answer, the four young people drew their weapons. As soon as they saw Eurius¡¯s appearance, they decided that there was no need to talk. ¡°Did you send a pursuer all the way here¡­¡± ¡°How dare you, Magyo¡¯s viin!¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 136: Misunderstanding Chapter 136: Misunderstanding Eurius raised his hand and pointed at himself with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°The Dark Sect? Me?¡± ¡°Are you mocking us?¡± One of the young men, who seemed to have a quick temper, swung his sword like a gust of wind and attacked Eurius. Crack! ¡°Ugh!¡± But when Eurius lightly swung his sword, the sword in his hand shattered into pieces and fell to the ground lifelessly. A scream erupted from the other three young men. ¡°Peng-hyung!¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely a wicked sorcerer!¡± ¡°What do you expect when you swing your weapon at me without even listening to my answer? He¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± Eurius was actually in a bad mood after hearing them use him of being a member of the Dark Sect or an evil enemy just for asking for directions. But even so, he didn¡¯t inflict any serious injury and only knocked him out for a while. But the remaining three guys didn¡¯t appreciate his mercy and red at him with eyes full of hatred. ¡°It seems like you have some misunderstanding, but I have nothing to do with the Dark Sect¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s attack together!¡± He didn¡¯t get a chance to exin himself again. With a signal, the remaining three rushed at Eurius at the same time. ¡°Sigh¡± Eurius lifted his sword with a puzzled expression. The three young men seemed to have some experience in coordinating their movements, as they didn¡¯t interfere with each other andunched a sharp attack. The first two who surrounded him from front and back were the young man and woman who were talking earlier. And the young man with a blue hood who was waiting for an opportunity from a distance quickly flicked his hand. ¡°¡­!?¡± Thud. Eurius deflected the small metal needles that flew at him. And at that moment, the two who were waiting for an opportunity swung their swords at him simultaneously. ¡®I guess I have to knock them down first and then talk.¡¯ Swoosh. Eurius hid his figure with a counter-attack technique. ¡°The sorcerer disappeared!¡± ¡°He must be using some evil magic. Be careful.¡± ¡®They¡¯re really noisy. Are all Easterners like this?¡¯ Eurius was annoyed by their constant shouting and using, as if they were drumming and ying gongs. How could hemunicate with them when they wouldn¡¯t listen to anything he said? Thump! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± He knocked down the two men with a light tap of his sword. And he grabbed the wrist of the woman who was holding a sword and made her drop it, then pressed his sword against her neck. But her reaction was even more outrageous. She dropped her sword and cried out with tears in her eyes. ¡°Just kill me! You viin!¡± ¡°How can you wear a human face and do such things? Not only killing us, but also trying to rape thisdy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Seo-mun-so.¡± ¡°No, what did I do wrong?¡± Eurius exploded with anger. Who was the one who attacked him first without any reason when he came to ask for directions? Why did he have to suffer such a misunderstanding? Shing. ¡°¡­!?¡± When he sheathed his sword, the young men looked at Eurius with astonishment. ¡®Why isn¡¯t that wicked sorcerer killing us right away?¡¯ Eurius was so wronged that he felt like going crazy, but he still judged the situation calmly. ¡®This is the East. Maybe I made a mistake.¡¯ No matter how stingy the Easterners were, they wouldn¡¯t draw their swords at him without any wrongdoing. He sighed and opened his mouth. ¡°First of all, I have nothing to do with the Dark Sect. If I offended you in any way, I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The four young men still looked at him suspiciously. ¡°And I have a favor to ask. Can you hear me out?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Namgoong So-hyeop! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to listen to that sorcerer¡¯s words?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The young man called Namgoong So-hyeop gestured them to be quiet. He wanted to hear what Eurius had to say first. ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, since I¡¯m lost, take me to the nearest city. I need directions.¡± The young men tilted their heads at his request. It waspletely different from what they had expected. ¡®Is that blue-eyed man really not rted to the Dark Sect?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t true that only the Dark Sect had people with different eye colors. But they had a good reason to suspect him in the first ce. Namgoong Ho still asked him with a doubtful expression. ¡°Is that all you want?¡± Eurius thought for a moment and then smiled brightly as if he had a good idea. ¡°No,e to think of it, there¡¯s one more thing. Do you know where Jegal Se-ga is? I¡¯d appreciate it if you could tell me when we get to the city.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When they heard his condition, the four people looked at each other and confirmed. ¡®He¡¯s definitely a wicked sorcerer of the Dark Sect as we thought!¡¯ ¡°Can you give us some time?¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Eurius thought it was better to move with them than to suffer alone in a ce where he didn¡¯t know the way. Whisper whisper. [We should reject his request, but then he might take our lives right away. Let¡¯s pretend to agree and find a way to ask for help.] [But how?] [That way is¡­] A momentter. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the nearest city since you said you¡¯re lost. We¡¯ll tell you where Jegal Se-ga is as promised.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine by me.¡± Eurius was smiling happily as they seemed to agree with him unexpectedly. ¡®Even if the continent is different, sincerity still works. I must have done something wrong when I first met them.¡¯ ¡°Then let¡¯s introduce ourselves since we¡¯ve settled the problem. My name is Eurius.¡± When he spoke with a smile, the four young men felt a chill but decided to y along. ¡°I¡¯m Namgoong Ho of Namgoong Se-ga.¡± He was the handsome young man who had been called Namgoong So-hyeop from the beginning. ¡°I¡¯m Seo-mun Hye-mi of Seo-mun Se-ga¡­¡± The woman still seemed shocked (?) and answered in a faint voice, and the remaining two men reluctantly gave their names. ¡°I¡¯m Peng Ryuk of Peng-ga.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dang Mun-cheol of Dang-ga of Sa-cheon.¡± They were members of the Five Great Sects, which held the most core positions in the alliance of the orthodox martial arts world, the Righteous Alliance. Of course, Eurius, who had no idea about that, smiled and urged them to walk. ¡°Nice names. Then lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®As if.¡¯ The four young disciples of the sects thought he was mocking them and gritted their teeth as they started to guide him. But they had their own ns. ¡®He asked us to take him to the city, right? But as soon as we enter Hwainam, that will be hisst day!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not too far. It was worth running all day.¡± Eurius was enjoying the exotic atmosphere of the East and smiled proudly. Namgoong Ho tried to act calm and spoke to him. ¡°Since it¡¯s getting dark, how about we go to an inn first¡­ would you?¡± He asked cautiously in a polite tone. It was an obvious stalling tactic, but he didn¡¯t know why the arrogant sorcerer agreed to go to Hwainam without any reaction. ¡°You can lead me wherever you want.¡± Eurius didn¡¯t know what an inn was, but he decided to trust his guides. And his expectation seemed to be met. He was satisfied with the ce they took him to, which was called an inn. ¡®They¡¯re cold, but they have a good heart. I just asked for directions, but maybe they felt sorry for attacking me with swords? They even provided me with food and a bed.¡¯ It was a good time to rest after wandering all day. But only Eurius was happy, and the three who sat around the table in the inn looked pale. ¡®Now we have to avoid his eyes and ask for help from the sect¡­¡¯ Namgoong Ho was nervous. This ce, Hwainam, was the territory of Namgoong Se-ga, wasn¡¯t it? If he had a little time, he could contact his sect and eliminate this sorcerer. But he knew that he wouldn¡¯t let them contact anyone else. ¡®How can we send a signal to someone from our sect¡­¡¯ At that moment, a lifeline suddenly appeared in front of Namgoong Ho¡¯s eyes. A man with a tempting ck beard entered the inn on the first floor. ¡°Master!¡± Namgoong Ho eximed with joy. He had a good reason to do so. The man in front of him was one of the great masters of his sect, who could be counted on one hand. ¡°Ho, what are you doing here? Weren¡¯t you sent to the Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°Master! That man is a sorcerer of the Dark Sect.¡± As a signal, the four disciples jumped up and surrounded Eurius like lightning. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius was eating with chopsticks that he wasn¡¯t used to and looked up at the middle-aged man with a ck beard. [Namgoong Hwang] Job: Peak Master Strength: A+ Agility: A Intelligence: B Mental: B Force Aptitude: A Force: A+ Disposition: Hot-tempered, stubborn [Trait] Swordsmanship (A+) Changgung Sword Technique ¨C The secret sword technique of Namgoong Se-ga. You get an additional bonus for your swordsmanship rank. ¡®He¡¯s a top master in this continent. But what is he doing here?¡¯ Namgoong Hwang didn¡¯t bother to ask any more questions and drew his sword at Eurius. ¡°You¡¯ve been harassing these kids, is that true?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Wasn¡¯t that misunderstanding resolved? Eurius red at the four young men who had guided him here. And then he turned his gaze to Namgoong Hwang and opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re misunderstanding, but I¡¯m just looking for Jegal Se-ga.¡± When Eurius answered him bluntly, Namgoong Hwang¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡®He¡¯s looking for Jegal Se-ga? And that arrogant tone proves that he¡¯s a Dark Sect bastard.¡¯ He didn¡¯t doubt it at first because he looked young, but if he was a simple merchant or traveler, he wouldn¡¯t react like that. Shing. He pointed his sword at Eurius and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need any more questions. You¡¯ll be the sixth sorcerer to fall under my sword this year.¡± *** Namgoong Hwang, who had rushed at him with his sword drawn, was lying in a corner of the inn with his body limp. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The four disciples turned pale. He was one of the elders of their sect, who were only three in number. ¡°Master! How did this happen¡­¡± ¡°What did I ask you?¡± Eurius drew his sword and emitted a cold aura. The four disciples trembled in fear. ¡®I knew it was too easy.¡¯ Eurius sighed inwardly. It seemed like they still had some misunderstanding, but he was in a hurry. As long as he didn¡¯t kill them, they probably wouldn¡¯t have any unnecessary misunderstanding. ¡°Let¡¯s fight a little!¡± Chapter 137: Fear Behind the Wall Chapter 137: Fear Behind the Wall ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A momentter. The fourte-stage Qi Practitioners were lying on the ground in a forest slightly away from the city, moaning in pain. But before they had time to ease their agony, a cold voice came from above their heads. ¡°This ce should be quiet enough for us to have a conversation.¡± It was Eurius¡¯s voice. Shiver! The fourte-stage Qi Practitioners, who had lost consciousness for a while, felt a chill down their spines. They had been beaten up in the inn and then moved to this deserted forest. ¡®There¡¯s no way he wants to talk in this situation.¡¯ ¡®How could he be so powerful that even the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect couldn¡¯t handle him?¡¯ ¡®He must have brought us to this forest to kill us without any witnesses!¡¯ They never dreamed that Namgoong Hwang would be defeated so easily. Who was he? He was the Grand Elder of the Namgoong n, who was known as the Heavenly Sword and ranked among the top five in power in the Five Continents. Their faces turned pale as they didn¡¯t know when Eurius¡¯s sword would cut off their necks. On the other hand, Eurius, who was staring at them, was still sighing inwardly. ¡®I was careless. I shouldn¡¯t have treated this ce like the Western Continent. I had some doubts, but I didn¡¯t expect them to attack me without hesitation just because of a slight misunderstanding.¡¯ He had let them go even though he knew their hostility, because there was no one else around and more importantly, they firmly believed that Eurius was an expert from the Demon Sect and didn¡¯t have any suspicions. ¡°¡­¡± [Namgoong Ho] Current state: Hostile, Fearful, Resigned And even now, they seemed to still think that Eurius was an expert from the Demon Sect. It was a headache-inducing situation. ¡®It¡¯s already toote to fix this misunderstanding, but since they mentioned the Demon Sect, it¡¯s the only clue I have in this situation. Then¡­¡¯ He rxed his expression and opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re misunderstanding, but let me say it again. I have nothing to do with the Demon Sect.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯m from the Demon Sect. Then why would I bother to guide you? It would be easy for me to take your lives, just like him.¡± Eurius pointed his chin at Namgoong Hwang, who was clearly still breathing. ¡°Hmph! You think you can fool us with such tricks!¡± ¡°Peng Hyung, stop for a moment!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Peng Lyeok, who had the most fiery temper among the fourte-stage Qi Practitioners, was about to sneer again, but Namgoong Ho stopped him. ¡°Then what is your identity? You have the appearance of a Westerner and such powerful martial arts. How can you not be from the Demon Sect? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a bit hard to exin, but can¡¯t you think of me as someone rted to the Jegal n?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Are these Easterners always so stubborn? Or did the Demon Sect cause so much trouble in this continent?¡¯ The eyes of the fourte-stage Qi Practitioners were still full of doubt. Eurius noticed that and clicked his tongue as he drew his sword again. ¡®Damn! I¡¯ll have to use some force to get some answers. It¡¯s not the time to be picky.¡¯ Swoosh. As soon as the Yellow Dragon Sword was drawn, the faces of the fourte-stage Qi Practitioners turned white. But before the sword moved, a shout came from behind. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The owner of the shout was none other than Namgoong Hwang, who had been unconscious until then. Thanks to Eurius¡¯s mercy, he had recovered a bit and got up. He struggled to stand up and looked at Eurius with a blue face. ¡°Who are you?¡± At his words, the fourte-stage Qi Practitioners tilted their heads. Was he not an expert from the Demon Sect? ¡°Now we can talk.¡± Eurius sheathed his sword and turned his feet toward Namgoong Hwang. ¡°I have a question for you. Why did you attack me out of the blue?¡± ¡°First, I need to know your identity.¡± Eurius shook his head with a cold expression. ¡°I asked first.¡± Kwaaa! ¡°Huh!¡± Namgoong Hwang stepped back in surprise at the sharp aura. Eurius was already in a hurry after being separated from his subordinates due to the shipwreck, and this incident made him even more impatient. He wanted to find Je Gal Se Ga as soon as possible, so he deliberately raised his aura and pressed him down. ¡°Kuh¡­ It¡¯s because you are a foreigner and a master of martial arts. And the testimony of those kids who were chased by the Demon Sect was decisive.¡± Namgoong Hwang finally spat out the reason, struggling against the pressure. But it was not the answer Eurius wanted. ¡°Do you draw your sword at innocent people just for that reason in the East?¡± Eurius, who was still pressing Namgoong Hwang, was going to ask him more details, but this time he gritted his teeth and endured. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to answer. What is your identity and why are you looking for Je Gal Se Ga?¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± Namgoong Hwang showed his dignity as an elder of the world. He looked like he would kneel at any moment, but he persisted stubbornly. Eurius paused for a moment as he saw him. ¡®I like his spirit. But would he believe me if I told him that I¡¯m the crown prince of another continent?¡¯ Tuk ¡°Huk¡­ Huk¡­¡± As soon as the aura stopped, Namgoong Hwang was barely able to catch his breath. Eurius opened his mouth. He had thought of a usible identity to disguise himself. ¡°Do you know that Je Gal Se Ga has recently expanded to the Western Continent?¡± ¡°I heard that he sent people there under the pretext of business¡­¡± Eurius smiled faintly here. ¡°I heard that Je Gal Se Ga is in a very precarious situation this time. So they asked me for help from their branch there.¡± Namgoong Hwang still had a doubtful look. Judging by how he easily defeated him, a peak master, he must be at least a fourth stage. A transcendent master who crossed the continent? ¡°So you were hired toe here?¡± ¡°Well¡­ You can say that. I¡¯ll find out more when I join them.¡± Eurius answered calmly, and he quickly calcted. ¡°I apologize for my rudeness.¡± ¡°Elder!¡± ¡°Leader!¡± ¡°Are you saying that he is not from the Demon Sect?¡± Thete masters were all flustered. But Namgoong Hwang rather frowned. ¡°Look at his peculiar outfit and hand speed. And if he was from the Demon Sect, would he have spared me?¡± Namgoong Hwang had expected death when he fell to Eurius¡¯s sword. But when he checked his body condition, he found that all the vital parts were barely missed. ¡®If he can afford to do that against me, he must be at least in the top five in rank among the Demon Sect, even if they are trembling with fear. But none of them have such a appearance.¡¯ And there was one more decisive reason. ¡°More importantly, I have fought with a noble family of the Demon Sect who have wall eyes. They don¡¯t use swords, and their aura ispletely different.¡± Thete masters might not know, but he had some experience in fighting with a transcendent master of the Demon Sect who had wall eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Thete masters were all speechless. Then they had been picking a fight with such a terrifying master from the beginning. ¡°We apologize for our rudeness!¡± They all bowed their heads and stiffened. Eurius waved his hand as if annoyed. He didn¡¯t care about that right now. ¡°If you cleared up the misunderstanding, hurry up and guide me to where Je Gal Se Ga is.¡± Namgoong Hwang quickly made a calction here. ¡®You don¡¯t seem to be apletely ruthless person, since you spared me and these kids. In that case¡­¡¯ He snapped his fingers and called out to Namgung Ho and the other three. ¡®They started the trouble, so they should take responsibility.¡¯ A momentter. ¡°These kids are about to leave for the ce where Jegal Se-ga¡¯s people are. Do you need someone to guide you along the way?¡± ording to his exnation, the fourte-stage Qi Masters had left the Righteous Alliance for a scouting mission, but they were attacked by the Demon Sect and barely escaped. That¡¯s when they encountered Eurius. Eurius widened his eyes slightly. That meant he was entrusting the fourte-stage Qi Masters to him. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to protect them safely, even though we had a fight just now?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your mercy, those kids would have been dead twice over. If they go missing, you¡¯ll be immediately suspected, but if they join up safely, won¡¯t that be better?¡± Eurius confirmed that he was sincere and was quite surprised inwardly. ¡®He¡¯s surprisingly cold-blooded.¡¯ But it was a good offer for Eurius as well. He didn¡¯t know the geography of this area at all, and if he moved alone, he was likely to get lost. Having a guide would help him arrive much faster. Thete-stage Qi Masters cautiously urged Eurius. ¡°Then, Great Master¡­ can we leave now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. Show me the fastest way possible. But what does this title of Great Master mean?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s a kind of honorific we give to senior experts.¡± Eurius seemed to think for a moment and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s an unfamiliar title, but it doesn¡¯t feel bad. Just call me that.¡± ¡°Yes, Great Master!¡± They smiled on the outside, but they were inwardly grimacing. Namgung Huang had scolded them harshly and gave them a new mission. ¡®There¡¯s no way such an expert would appear out of nowhere. Even if he¡¯s not from the Demon Sect, we can¡¯t let our guard down.¡¯ They were ordered to observe Eurius¡¯s every move as they headed to where the Righteous Alliance was gathered. Namgung Huang sighed inwardly as he gave them the mission. ¡®But how can such an expert suddenly appear, even if he¡¯s a rogue cultivator? And why now of all times?¡¯ The martial world was in a tense state, as if a war between the Righteous and the Demonic was about to break out. And at this point, a rogue cultivator supreme expert appeared? But he couldn¡¯t figure out why. He said he was rted to Jegal Se-ga, but he couldn¡¯t trust that blindly. However, judging by the fact that he couldn¡¯tst even ten seconds against him, who was the strongest among those left in Se-ga, it was impossible to force him with strength. After sending off thete-stage Qi Masters and Eurius, he had no choice but toe to a conclusion. ¡®I have to inform the leader first and discuss countermeasures. What is going on here, damn¡­¡¯ His worries deepened as he had a new source of trouble after the Demon Sect. *** A day passed since then. Unlike Namgung Huang¡¯s worries, the journey of Eurius and thete-stage Qi Masters who apanied him was surprisingly smooth. Eurius was not someone who picked fights for no reason, and thete-stage Qi Masters also tried not to provoke him by treating him respectfully, so there was no room for trouble. ¡°So you guys are from Jegal Se-ga?¡± ¡°Yes. The four of us here are all affiliated with Jegal Se-ga.¡± ¡°I made a mistake by only hearing the name of your group. I wouldn¡¯t have been so harsh if you had told me earlier.¡± ¡°How can that be your fault, Great Master? Haha¡­¡± Namgung Ho, who was sweating nervously, had be Eurius¡¯s personal travel guide. Who in the world wouldn¡¯t think of Jegal Se-ga when they heard the name Namgung Se-ga? But whether he liked it or not, Eurius was diligently asking questions and absorbing information in his head. ¡®I should have gotten more detailed information from Jegal Se-ga. I guess it¡¯s easy to misunderstand when I only know the basics.¡¯ The reason why Eurius took them with him was not only because he didn¡¯t know the way, but also because he realized how ignorant he was about this continent after this incident. ¡®You should at least learn somemon sense in this ce called the martial world.¡¯ The information he had learned beforehand was that there was a separate world called the martial world in the Eastern Continent, which had nothing to do with the central government or the royal family of the Western Continent. And that there was a group called Jegal Se-ga, which led the Righteous Alliance, an organization that opposed the Demon Sect. Eurius asked another question with a sudden look of curiosity. ¡°By the way, if you guys are from Jegal Se-ga, why were you running away in such a remote mountain?¡± It was a mission, but their skills were not bad. They seemed too valuable to be wasted on scouting or something like that, so he wondered. Namgung Ho answered casually, as it was not something to hide. ¡°Did you hear about the sh between the Righteous and the Demonic over a secret cave that was discovered a week ago?¡± ¡°A week ago? What is a secret cave?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± They tilted their heads at Eurius, who didn¡¯t know the rumor that had spread widely in the continent, but then opened their mouths. ¡°Come to think of it, you might not know if you just arrived.¡± The situation of the martial world now, as exined by Namgung Ho, was this. ¡°First of all, the power of the Demon Sect is more expanded than ever. As evidence, a month ago, Yongjung, the base of Jegal Se-ga, which was attacked fiercely, turned into ruins.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eurius was quite surprised. He had heard reports of fierce battles in the east, but did they mean that they were wiped out? But he was relieved when he heard the next words. ¡°Of course, many of the leaders joined the Righteous Alliance. Among them are Great Master Jegal Unhyeon Shinchang, one of the four great experts, and Lord Ga-ju.¡± ¡®Looks like they chose to retreat and preserve their forces while waiting for me in the middle.¡¯ If Jegal Unhyeon and the other leaders survived, most of the secret forces they had brought would still be intact. And it made sense why they pointed their weapons at him when he asked for Jegal Se-ga¡¯s location. ¡®Tsk! They must have thought I was a tracker from the Demon Sect.¡¯ It was an incredibly unlucky situation. But Namgung Ho, who had no idea what he was thinking, cautiously spoke again. ¡°And about the secret cave¡­¡± Namgung Ho¡¯s eyes were looking at Eurius¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you know the legend of Byok-an-geop?¡± ¡°Byok-an-geop?¡± It was a natural reaction for Eurius, but thete-stage Qi Masters looked at him with a strange expression. ¡®Does he really not know?¡¯ But they couldn¡¯t just stare nkly. Namgung Ho decided to exin what was obviousmon sense. ¡°Byok-an-geop (±ÌÑÛ½Ù). Also known as Byok-an-geop-ma, he was a supreme expert of magic who appeared two hundred years ago.¡± He is said to have fallen by the hand of Lee Cheongmun Daehyup, who was known as the best healer in those days. ¡®Lee Cheongmun?¡¯ Eurius widened his eyes slightly. It was a familiar yer¡¯s name. ¡°Can you tell me more about that incident? And what about that secret cave?¡± Chapter 138: The South Sea Chapter 138: The South Sea Meanwhile. Unlike Eurius, who had encountered an unexpected and awkward situation, the other two castaways were not in such a bad state. It was because they had someone who knew the way. It was none other than Jegal Hwayoung, who was originally supposed to guide them. ¡°We should ask for Sega¡¯s help to find the lord and the others. It would be faster that way. Let¡¯s head to the contact point first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Beatrice had no objections, so the two of them headed to the contact point that they had agreed on with Sega beforehand. But the result was disappointing. ¡°¡­¡± Jegal Hwayoung bit her lip. There was nothing left at the temporary base of Sega, who was supposed to greet them, except for the ruins of a burned building. ¡®Did something happen to Sega while we were out of touch?¡¯ It was not a simple arson by looking at the state of the building. It was clear that it was burned down by their own side to destroy any evidence after evacuating the people. She searched through the debris and finally found Sega¡¯s secret mark. The code that was found with the mark was deciphered as follows: [The Dark Sect gathered in the South Sea, Sega fell, emergency withdrawal, contact point changed.] ¡®The Dark Sect¡¯s gathering? And Sega fell even though my uncle returned?¡¯ Her face turned pale for a moment at this ominous news, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡®If they were able to leave this mark despite the Dark Sect¡¯s attack, then most of Sega¡¯s leaders must have escaped safely.¡¯ And there was another question. It was about this voyage and the Dark Sect. ¡®The South Sea should have been where our ship passed by, right?¡¯ In fact, this route that crossed the South Sea was not amon trade route, but a route that Sega had discovered on their own. It was absurd that a storm suddenly hit after using it safely for decades. She pondered for a while and came to a conclusion. ¡®No matter what happened, we have to contact Sega first.¡¯ She soon collected herself and exined the situation to Beatrice. ¡°We have to go ind and contact Sega.¡± But that was the problem. Beatrice¡¯s reaction was not very pleasant. ¡°His Majesty might have drifted nearby as well. Shouldn¡¯t we prioritize joining him first?¡± ¡°The lord might have already moved ind. It would be better to gather information by joining Sega¡­¡± ¡°What if they are also burned down like this ce?¡± Seeing Beatrice speak in a rare sharp tone, Jegal Hwayoung¡¯s expression also turned serious. ¡®This is bad¡­ I¡¯ve lost her trust.¡¯ It was true that she was the one who arranged the ship and suggested going to the contact point first. But the results were unsatisfactory in a row, so it was understandable that Beatrice, who had been calm, became edgy. But Jegal Hwayoung did not insist on going ind just for Sega¡¯s sake. ¡°It was an unfortunate ident that we were shipwrecked, but it was all my fault. But I think it would be faster if you listen to me for the lord¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice still looked at her with suspicion. Feeling slightly angry at her attitude, Jegal Hwayoung started to exin in a cold tone. ¡°It¡¯s useless to look for him here. The coastline is very wide. And if the lord has already moved ind, it would be pointless.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°This area has rough terrain and few cities, so it¡¯s hard to get any rumors. But fortunately, the lord¡¯s appearance stands out in this continent. It would be much more efficient to send out agents and collect information.¡± She could not argue with her logical words. Jegal Hwayoung, who had been annoyed by her unnecessary doubt, added onest thing. ¡°I¡¯m also worried about the lord as much as you are. But we won¡¯t find him if we get swept away by our emotions. The lord must also be making a calm judgment and finding a way to join us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Beatrice remain silent, Jegal Hwayoung felt a surge of blood in her head and then felt a bit flustered. ¡®Did I go too far?¡¯ She was a bit more sharp than usual, as she had to deal with various problems, such as Sega¡¯s safety and Eurius¡¯s whereabouts. In fact, she wanted to maintain a good rtionship with Beatrice if possible. Based on her observations, she was likely to be the future mistress of the house, which was a reasonable judgment. ¡®I made an uncharacteristic mistake. I should have persuaded her gently. What if we be estranged here?¡¯ However, Beatrice¡¯s reaction was different from what she expected. She bowed her head slightly. ¡°I think I made a wrong judgment. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± Jegal Hwayoung also awkwardly epted her apology. Actually, Beatrice was also burning inside about Eurius¡¯s whereabouts, just like she pretended to be calm on the outside. She had also drifted with Jegal Hwayoung, whom she didn¡¯t like very much, so her judgment was blurred for a moment. But Beatrice was not a fool. When she heard her exnation, she realized that it was better to collect information slowly and aim for a reunion than to find Eurius right away. And when she heard that Eurius would have made a cold judgment, she had nothing more to say. ¡®I came along to help His Highness, but I ended up trying to cause discord with an ally.¡¯ She felt so sorry that her expression softened slightly. Seeing that, Jegal Hwayoung was rather bewildered. ¡®Why is she acting like that? She¡¯s usually so cold.¡¯ But soon she figured it out, as she was smart enough. ¡®She has an unexpected side that doesn¡¯t suit her martial arts. Come to think of it, she¡¯s six years younger than me, right?¡¯ That¡¯s right. Beatrice was only twenty years old. She didn¡¯t show it much because she was always quiet, but it would be more strange if she was calm in this situation. Thinking that way, Jegal Hwayoung felt like she had fought with a young child and softened her expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rude to the person who will be the mistress.¡± ¡°Mistress?¡± Beatrice tilted her head. She didn¡¯t understand why Jegal Hwayoung said that. ¡°Hmm! I¡¯ve always wanted to tell you, but I didn¡¯t have a chance.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Hwayoung coughed lightly and said what she had been wanting to excuse herself for. In fact, wasn¡¯t it very embarrassing to say this with her own mouth? ¡°I have no rtionship with the master in the way you think.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice blushed slightly when she heard that. Did that mean she was the only one who misunderstood and messed up? ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jegal Hwayoung said firmly, and she felt so sorry that she bowed her head again. Seeing her look so cute despite her worries, Jegal Hwayoung smiled slightly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Fortunately, the next contact point is not far away, so we should find the master first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two women who became allies in a strange ce arrived at a small mansion in a secluded vige in Jiangsu Province, the next base of Jegal Sega, in less than two days. They hurried their steps and arrived at the ce. As soon as she showed a sign at the entrance, the door opened immediately. Inside, a young man stood up and weed them. ¡°Lady, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Seongun, you¡¯re safe.¡± Jegal Hwayoung also greeted him happily and sighed with relief. This young man¡¯s name was Jegal Seongun! He was one of the core figures in Sega, who was in charge of the current moon war despite being a side branch rather than a direct descendant of the lord. If he was safe, then all the key leaders in Sega would be fine. ¡°How is Sega¡¯s situation?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you inside. But who is this?¡± Jegal Seongun pointed at Beatrice, who was hiding her distinctive appearance by pulling down her hood. Jegal Hwayoung chuckled here. ¡°He¡¯s a brother I met in the Western Continent.¡± *** Lee Cheongmun, the Master of all Martial Arts! He had four disciples and was famous as the god of martial arts who no one could match at that time. There were yers in the Eastern Continent, but no one dared to challenge his name. However, an unexpected challenger appeared in hister years. His name was not known, but the martial artists of that time called him with fear as White Horse or Pegasus . It was because he was a rare person with blue eyes in this continent where most people had ck or brown eyes. He defeated all the absolute masters of the martial world at that time and made his reputation with his cruel methods. What was more surprising was that he was not a yer. The mages and evil sects who were fascinated by his powerful strength gathered under his banner. Soon, the martial world seemed to be engulfed by a bloodbath due to his power that grew out of control. However, as soon as the yers who had been watching him quietly stepped in, the situation changed drastically. Lee Cheongmun and the yers who followed him united and attacked his faction, Dark Sect, and they could not stop the alliance of yers no matter how strong they were. Even Pegasus, who fled to the end, could not escape Lee Cheongmun¡¯s relentless pursuit. Eventually, he was driven to a remote ind in the South Sea, where he had to fight Lee Cheongmun in a final battle and died by his hand, ording to legend. After hearing this exnation, Eurius asked with a curious expression. ¡°Are you saying that Dark Sect is the same as Magyo?¡± Namgoong Ho shook his head. ¡°No. They were just a group from a distant past. They are known to have different roots from the current Magyo.¡± ¡°Then why is someone with blue eyes suspected of being Magyo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because one of the three great families of Magyo has blue eyes.¡± ording to the exnation, there are three great families in Magyo that take turns selecting the sect leader. Theters lowered their heads awkwardly here. ¡°Actually, this is the first time we¡¯ve seen a person of color. The official trade has been cut off since thirty years ago, so it¡¯s hard to see them in the ind except for port cities.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius realized why they didn¡¯t believe his words. If trade had been cut off long ago, it would be natural for him to be suspicious if he suddenly appeared. ¡°That¡¯s enough. So what is this Penins thing?¡± ¡°Actually, there is a rumor that Bongmado, which was only passed down as a legend in the South Sea, has been discovered.¡± ¡°Bongmado?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ind where the final battle between Lee Cheongmun, the cure for all diseases, and Pegasus took ce. Hisst trace was cut off there, so there is a high possibility that he left his legacy there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius opened his eyes wide here. ¡°Did he die there?¡± ¡°Magyo ims so, but the orthodox sects don¡¯t believe it. The time when Lee Cheongmun went there coincided with the time when all yers disappeared.¡± ¡°So he disappeared with other yers after dealing with Pegasus?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ording to the rumor that spread this time, there are both Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy and Pegasus¡¯s martial arts on that ind.¡± ording to Namgoong Ho¡¯s exnation, a huge cave that leads to the underground of the ind was found on that ind named Bongmado. The cave was full of traps using various mechanisms, so no one could enter it yet. ¡°The alliance had treated it as a rumor at first, but when Magyo tried to take over that ce, the rumor gained credibility and eventually it had to turn into a big fight.¡± ¡°And Jegalsega was attacked in the meantime?¡± ¡°Yes. Among the five great families, Jegalsega was the most active in investigating that cave.¡± ¡®Tsk! That makes sense.¡¯ Eurius clicked his tongue. He knew how Jegalsega¡¯s crisis came about. They would not have wanted to give up a ce where Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy might exist to Magyo, and eventually it would have turned into a fierce battle. Finally having heard the whole story, Eurius suddenly got up. ¡°So you guys are going to where Jegalsega and that alliance are?¡± ¡°Yes, I was on a scouting mission there when I was spotted by the cultists and had to flee.¡± Nangong Ho answered with a puzzled expression. ¡°We better hurry. We¡¯re going to run day and night from now on, so I¡¯ll need your guidance.¡± Eurius was excited even as he flew. He came here to face the cult, but it turned out to be an unexpected situation. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll find the legacy of a new yer.¡¯ *** Three dayster Eurius and hispanions were taking a short break in front of a forest. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± The exhausted rookies were dying. Eurius had run almost non-stop for three days as he had promised. They looked at him with resentful eyes. ¡®If he showed any signs of fatigue, I would ask him to rest.¡¯ But Eurius was fine without even breathing hard after the same three-day march. He even opened his mouth as if to urge them to get up quickly. ¡°Is this the base of the Righteous Alliance right after we cross this forest?¡± ¡°Yes. You might even meet some of the people from Jegal Se¡¯s faction.¡± They answered hastily, but their condition was not good. It was already remarkable that they had followed Eurius, a superhuman, this far. Swoosh. But as soon as he heard that answer, Eurius drew his sword. The rookies looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Grandmaster?¡± And their expressions turned into horror at his next words. Eurius smiled wickedly and pointed his sword at them. ¡°You¡¯ve done well guiding me. Now you can die.¡± Chapter 139: Strange Beggar Chapter 139: Strange Beggar ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± The candidates were stunned. EEurius had a smile on his face, but he was emitting a faint killing intent and pointing his sword at them. ¡°Then, farewell.¡± EEurius kicked the ground and dashed towards them at a terrifying speed. He looked like he would sh their throats without any hesitation. The four candidates were too slow to react to his speed. They could only widen their eyes and wait for the de toe. His first target was Namgoong Ho, who was the closest to him. As the sharp de approached his neck, he instinctively closed his eyes. But that was only for a moment. He didn¡¯t feel any pain as he expected. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Swish! When he opened his eyes, he saw EEurius¡¯s back, who had spun his body like lightning. At the same time, a loud explosion shook the forest. Roar! ¡°Gasp!¡± The candidates regained their senses after hearing that sound and quickly retreated. It was not them who EEurius was aiming at with his killing intent. He was targeting the shadow that had rushed from behind him. The candidates were bewildered by what was happening and stared at the front with nk expressions. EEurius knew from the beginning that there was someone following him from behind. ¡®He showed himself when they were in danger, so he¡¯s not an enemy. But why did he tail me?¡¯ At first, EEurius mistook him for a wild beast because his presence was so weak, but after he increased his speed three days ago, he couldn¡¯t avoid being detected by EEurius no matter how stealthily he moved. Soon, the dust settled and the situation became clear. EEurius opened his mouth with a surprised expression. ¡°You¡¯re quite something to follow me for three days. What¡¯s your trick?¡± The person who walked out of the dust was an old man in rags with a short stature. He grumbled with an annoyed expression. ¡°Eh¡­ You youngd are more cunning than I thought. Did you know from the start?¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Before EEurius could answer, a groan erupted from among the candidates. ¡°Strange Beggar! No, Divine Beggar Elder!¡± ¡°Elder Noh, how did you get here?¡± ¡°Strange Beggar?¡± EEurius looked at him with interest. [Gu Cheon-geol] Job: Beggar, Peak Master Strength: B+ Agility: SS Intelligence: S Spirit: A Force Aptitude: A Force: A Disposition: Free-spirited, entric, Inquisitive [Traits] Stealth (S+), Staff Technique (A+), Formation Technique (A+) EEurius tilted his head after examining the information. ¡°Beggar?¡± He turned his head slightly and nodded at the candidates. ¡®Exin to me why this beggar old man followed me.¡¯ ¡°Haha¡­¡± The candidates had no choice but to sweat nervously. The mysterious master was a problem, but the old man who appeared now was also a headache-inducing existence. Strange Beggar (¹Öؤ) Gu Cheon-geol! He was the former leader of Dogbang, one of the pirs of the martial world besides the Five Great Sects. His martial arts were not as strong as those of superhumans, but as the best master of Dogbang, which was known for its informationwork, he had no match in stealth and formation techniques. If that was all, they would have been grateful for the senior master who came to help them, but there was a reason why the candidates were flustered. ¡®Thebination of an unidentified master and Elder Noh is unimaginable. I don¡¯t know what will happen.¡¯ ¡°ording to the rumors, he¡¯s the one who hit the back of the head of the Lord of Justice and ran away at his birthday banquet?¡± He didn¡¯t get the nickname of a weird beggar for nothing. The rumors about him were enough to justify the epithet of a freak. The bigger problem was that if he decided to run away or hide, there was almost no way to catch him even for a superhuman-level warrior. He used to have a more usible nickname of Shadowless Hound. But after he handed over the position of the leader of his sect to his disciple, he wandered around the continent and caused all kinds of incidents, and soon he got that nickname. Eurius summarized the words that were whispered to him in one sentence. ¡°So, in short, he¡¯s a crazy beggar?¡± ¡°Great Master! I never said such a thing.¡± Namgoong Ho became silent again. He didn¡¯t know what kind of horrible prank he would do to him if he heard it. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re a youngd who speaks his mind!¡± But Gu Cheon-geolughed out loud at his words. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at him for a moment and asked. ¡°So why did you follow me?¡± ¡®You see this?¡¯ Eurius was much older than him, but he dared to talk down to Gu Cheon-geol, who was at least three times older than him. He felt slightly offended. ¡®This brat is relying on his martial arts and has no manners.¡¯ Of course, Eurius didn¡¯t ignore him because of his martial arts, but because he always talked down to people, but Gu Cheon-geol didn¡¯t know that. He grumbled and opened his mouth. ¡°I heard that there was an unidentified master who easily defeated Namgoong Huang in Hoenam, so I came to see.¡± ¡°Is that all? Then you¡¯ve seen enough, so you can go now.¡± Eurius¡¯s goal was to join up with Jegal Sega. He had no time to waste here. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re impatient. You have to answer my questions too.¡± Gu Cheon-geol stopped him as he turned around. Eurius raised his sword with an annoyed expression. ¡°What else do you want? If possible, I¡¯d like to do itter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the Western Continent, right? A knight or a high noble? I heard that all the warriors who reached your level there have high status.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but what does that have to do with anything?¡± Eurius lowered his sword slightly. He became interested in him. ¡®Now that I think about it, he said he was from an information organization called Gabang. He somehow figured out that I¡¯m from the Western Continent and have a high status?¡¯ Gu Cheon-geol asked again. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re friends with Jegal Sega and you¡¯re going to Namhae to help them out. Is that true?¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there another ce where Jegal Sega¡¯s people are? If your goal is to join up with them, you don¡¯t have to go to Namhae right now, do you?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± It was a tempting suggestion. Finding his scattered subordinates was also an important issue. But after a moment of hesitation, Eurius shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s a good offer, but I¡¯ll decline. I have something to do in Namhae right now.¡± Of course, at first he had set his priority on joining up with Jegal Sega to find his subordinates, but now he had a new purpose: collecting relics. ¡®It would be troublesome if those cultists get their hands on the relics.¡¯ And he could go to Namhae right away and send some of Jegal Sega¡¯s people to find his subordinates. But Gu Cheon-geol hardened his expression when he heard his answer. ¡°Do you have a reason?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? I¡¯m going to help out Jegal Sega.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He looked at Eurius up and down with a suspicious expression. ¡®He¡¯s definitely from the Western Continent, but there¡¯s still a possibility that he¡¯s one of the cult¡¯s minions.¡¯ He was famous for his adventures, but in fact he was collecting information while roaming around the continent. And he learned something along the way. ¡®From what I¡¯ve learned, the Dark Sect has also extended its reach to the Western Continent. It¡¯s too suspicious that a stranger appeared at this point, even if he¡¯s not a Dark Sect disciple.¡¯ He was surprisingly aware of the rtionship between the Western Continent and the Dark Sect, which even Je Gal Se had only recently discovered. But he had also saved Nam Goong Hwang and the otherte-stage masters, and from what he had observed while following him, Eurius didn¡¯t seem like such a bad guy. ¡®There¡¯s no need to make trouble.¡¯ Having made his decision, Gu Cheon Geol made a suggestion. ¡°Then how about you stay here for a few days? I¡¯ll send word to Je Gal Se for you.¡± Eurius shook his head firmly. It was a question that didn¡¯t need any thought. Gu Cheon Geol looked at him with a pitiful expression and asked again. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste any more time. Can I go now?¡± Gu Cheon Geol tried to persuade him with a serious expression, but it was unlikely that Eurius would listen to such words. In the end, Gu Cheon Geol resorted to hisst resort. He chuckled and provoked him. ¡°Hehe¡­ Well, then I have another way.¡± Eurius frowned at his unpleasant smile. ¡®He¡¯s an old man who needs a beating toe to his senses.¡¯ ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of killing me, go ahead. It¡¯s very easy for me to escape from here and let them know that you¡¯re suspicious.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Master Eurius, it would be better to follow Elder Gu¡¯s words here¡­¡± Nam Goong Ho, who had been watching, cautiously spoke up. The reason was that even though Gu Cheon Geol was notorious for being entric, he was still the highest elder of the Open Sect. Even if Je Gal Se defended Eurius, it would cause enough trouble if Gu Cheon Geol advertised to the Absolute Sect members that he was suspicious. Eurius asked with an annoyed expression. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that it would cause problems if I killed or beat up this old man and drove him away?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, then I have no choice.¡± Eurius raised his sword again. If it wasn¡¯t for the inheritance, he could have given in a little bit for the sake of finding his subordinates. But he had to find the inheritance as soon as possible, no matter what. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Gu Cheon Geol couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when Eurius raised his sword again as if he didn¡¯t care about the Absolute Sect or the Open Sect. ¡®What a brute!¡¯ ¡°Wait!¡± He shouted as he jumped back and created some distance. In fact, Eurius wasn¡¯t the only one who was in a hurry. Gu Cheon Geol also had trouble sending an unidentified stranger to the South Sea. He didn¡¯t seem to have any bad intentions from what he had seen so far, but there was always a possibility. He wanted to keep Eurius for a few days, even if he was innocent. ¡®Unfortunately, there¡¯s no way to stop that brat with a frontal confrontation.¡¯ Gu Cheon Geol waved one hand. He had only exchanged one blow with Eurius, but his wrist was still tingling. He had thought that he was careless when he heard that Nam Goong Hwang couldn¡¯tst even ten seconds, but Eurius turned out to be an even more formidable master than he expected. But Gu Cheon Geol, an old fox who had lived for a long time, wanted to use this to his advantage. ¡®He¡¯s young and has already reached such a level of martial arts. He must be very proud of his skills. He won¡¯t refuse for sure.¡¯ Eurius looked interested when he heard his proposal. ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You look like an absolute master who has reached the fourth stage, but you won¡¯t refuse because you think you can¡¯t catch an old man like me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± ¡®He took the bait.¡¯ As expected, Eurius showed interest and Gu Cheon Geol smiled triumphantly. He confidently shouted. ¡°It¡¯s simple! Catch me while I¡¯m moving from ten steps away.¡± But Eurius was actually snickering inside. ¡®He must be hard to catch for any superhuman, judging by his stats. But will that work on me?¡¯ He opened his mouth. ¡°What are we betting on?¡± ¡°If I win, you just have to wait here for three days. I¡¯ll send word to Je Gal Se as I suggested before.¡± Gu Cheon Geol answered and thought that it was impossible, but he also offered a condition for when he lost. ¡°If you win, I won¡¯t block your way and I¡¯ll grant you one request, whatever it is.¡± ¡°Anything?¡± Eurius questioned him. His tone was too calm and Gu Cheon Geol felt a bit uneasy. ¡°Ahem¡­ within the range that I can grant.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Eurius had something in mind and epted readily. He added a word with a generous tone. ¡°About the distance, isn¡¯t it too close for an old man like you to avoid my hand? I don¡¯t mind doubling it.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Gu Cheon Geol felt a bit angry when he sensed that his opponent was looking down on him. But he had no reason to refuse. ¡°Then let¡¯s start from twenty steps away. As long as you don¡¯tinter, I don¡¯t care.¡± Eurius nodded and Gu Cheon Geol jumped back and created some distance again. He was sure of his victory at this moment. ¡®Even if the Dark Sect leader came from twenty steps away, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch me while I¡¯m running away. That brat is too overconfident.¡¯ It happened to be a bamboo forest nearby. It was a good ce for him to use his specialty of hiding. It was hard to notice his presence, let alone catch him when he ran away. A momentter. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ Nam Goong Ho, who became a shrimp in a whale fight, witnessed the scene with a trembling expression. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± Ssssh! In an instant, Gu Cheon Geol dashed into the bamboo forest with an unbelievable speed. And then his presencepletely disappeared and a loudughter came from far away. ¡°Hahaha! Brat, if you catch me for real, I¡¯ll be your ve or whatever. Come on, follow me!¡± It was hard to tell the direction in the bamboo forest where only bamboos could be seen everywhere. How could he catch him when he hid his presence and disappeared like a ghost? Thump! His feet bounced off the ground every time and created tens of meters of distance. His chubby body didn¡¯t slow down at all while escaping through the bamboos. ¡°Hmm?¡± He ran without stopping for a while and then slowed down slightly and instead hid his presence like a ghost. ¡®I can¡¯t feel the brat¡¯s presence at all. Did he give up?¡¯ Strangely enough, Eurius, who should have used his energy to follow him, was nowhere to be seen. Gu Cheon Geol tilted his head and muttered. ¡°He didn¡¯t look like someone who would give up?¡± ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius appeared behind him like a ghost. ¡°Eek!¡± He was shocked for the first time in his seventy years of life and started to run away again. Ssssh! He ran through the bamboo forest like flying, but he couldn¡¯t shake off Eurius who followed him like a ghost. He turned his head to see if he was gone, but Eurius¡¯s face always appeared. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give up now?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He ran away for tens of minutes, but the situation didn¡¯t improve at all. ¡°Huff! Huff! Damn it, where did youe from¡­¡± He was someone who wouldn¡¯t get tired even if he ran for a week day and night, but he was so flustered that his inner energy was disrupted and he started to run out of breath. ¡®Did I lose him?¡¯ He turned his head for the fifth time and saw a cold sword de. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± Swoosh. Whoosh. Gu Cheon Geol felt a chilly sensation on his head. His hair tie had been cut and his hair became messy. He trembled his lips and opened his mouth. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had lost in hide-and-seek. ¡°Brat¡­ you¡­ what are you?¡± ¡°Old man? Did you say something wrong?¡± Eurius frowned and tapped his shoulder with his sword. Only then did Gu Cheon Geole to his senses a little bit. And he remembered the condition he had set. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± The answer came from Eurius who smiled brightly again. ¡°Yes! Be my ve!¡± Chapter 140: That Guy Chapter 140: That Guy The eastern port of Zenobia in the Scharnos Empire. This ce was in a state of emergency that was not appropriate for the time. At the port where twenty galleons were anchored, soldiers wearing the imperial navy uniforms were frantically carrying supplies. ¡°How is the loading of food and ammunition?¡± ¡°More than 30% ispleted. If the knights arrive, we can set sail in a week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s toote! His Majesty ordered us to set sail within this week.¡± Count Kernell, who was in charge of the first fleet of the empire, shouted from inside the gship. ¡°But it¡¯s such a sudden order that we don¡¯t have enough time.¡± The lieutenants looked gloomy, but Count Kernell had no choice. In fact, the imperial navy didn¡¯t have much to do. Their main duties were to escort a few minority merchants who had permission to trade with the east, and to repel pirate ships that asionally came from the southern coast. ¡®I haven¡¯t had any trouble for twenty years since I took office, but it¡¯s all messed up at the end.¡¯ Having nothing to do meant having no influence in the military. He was the admiral of the first fleet, but he had never seen the emperor except for his inauguration ceremony. But this time he was unexpectedly summoned to the pce and scolded. ¡°Send the knights and prepare to sail to the eastern continent. You have to set sail as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, sir.¡± He quickly moved his fleet to Zenobia port and prepared to set sail. He didn¡¯t know why, but the emperor¡¯s order was absolute. But why did he have to go to the east, where official diplomatic rtions had been cut off decades ago? ¡°Maybe¡­ It¡¯s not a war with the Hwan Empire in the east¡­¡± A lieutenant voiced his concern. Kernell shook his head. ¡°That can¡¯t be. A diplomatic delegation left a while ago, so maybe they have some other mission for us.¡± But his guess seemed to be sadly wrong. *** Bang! ¡°We have to bring Leonhardt back, even if it means going to war with the east!¡± The emperor mmed his fist on the armrest of his throne with an angry expression. It was very rare for him to lose his temper like this at a grand council meeting, so his ministers could only bow their heads and keep silent. After the grand council meeting ended, the ministers gathered in groups and whispered. ¡°Have those easterners gone mad? Did they harm Prince Leonhardt, who we sent as a diplomatic delegation?¡± ¡°Hey¡­ No way. It¡¯s been decades since we sent a diplomatic delegation, so there must have been some misunderstanding.¡± It had been over a month since the eastern diplomatic delegation left. The reason they heard was that there was a problem with Prince Leonhardt¡¯s identity in the east. It was an urgent matter that the emperor had no choice but to be furious about. ¡°After the north and south, now another continent is causing trouble? I don¡¯t know why there are so many surprisestely.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± One of the naval ministers suddenly wondered. ¡°But why is the Crown Prince so quiet in this situation?¡± A sharp-eyed minister quickly rebuked him. ¡°You have no sense. He said he was locked up in a vi for knight training, but do you think he wouldn¡¯te out in this situation?¡± ¡°What do you mean? He didn¡¯t even show up at today¡¯s grand council meeting.¡± ¡°Tsk! That¡¯s the most decisive evidence.¡± The sharp-eyed minister began to exin confidently. ¡°Who sent Prince Leonhardt to the east as a diplomatic delegation¡­ No, who kicked him out? Isn¡¯t it Crown Prince?¡± ¡°So what? What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Think about it. The first fleet of the empire is preparing to depart right now, but where do you think Crown Prince is?¡± The first minister who asked was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Crown Prince is also going to the east?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! There will probably be some kind of sh with the east. His Majesty is so furious that Prince Leonhardt must be detained in the east.¡± Then, the other ministers who had been listening quietly began to nod their heads. ¡°Oh dear, is it the east this time?¡± ¡°Maybe he predicted this situation beforehand. Poor Prince Leonhardt.¡± There was no evidence, but they all believed that Eurius had deliberately caused this situation. It was understandable, since it was Eurius who had sent Leonhardt to the East, and he suddenly locked himself in the pce and refused toe out. It was suspicious, to say the least. If it was a normal diplomatic mission, there would be no way to avoid rumors when Leonhardt died. But dying as a hostage in a war zone was a different story. For Eurius, it was a perfect n to go to the East, pretend to fight a war, and then make peace, while disguising Leonhardt¡¯s death as a tragic ident and boosting his own merit. The servants all clicked their tongues at Eurius¡¯s ruthlessness, but the truth was quite different. *** After the meeting, the emperor was talking with Mareus in a separate room. ¡°This should do it. Eurius, that bastard, can be away for a long time and the servants will ept it.¡± ¡°Well, they are not entirely wrong in their guesses, are they?¡± The emperor¡¯s biggest concern was how to hide Eurius¡¯s absence while sending a search party to the East. He had his dignity as an empire. He couldn¡¯t announce that the crown prince had run away, could he? But he couldn¡¯t fool the servants if he sent arge fleet. He and Mareus had racked their brains over this problem and came to one conclusion. ¡®If we can¡¯t hide it, then let¡¯s make it look like he secretly went on a mission.¡¯ Of course, it didn¡¯t make sense to send both of the heirs to the throne to another continent. But if they subtly revealed Eurius¡¯s absence in this way, it would work. The servants would think that Eurius had some intention and went to the East without making it official. And it was true that the East diplomatic mission led by Leonhardt had lost contact. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but the emperor was bothered by the words Eurius had left behind. [I¡¯m going to the East because Leonhardt¡¯s movements are suspicious.] ¡°As soon as you arrive in the Eastern continent, ask through the official envoy what happened to Leonhardt and secretly proceed with Eurius¡¯s search.¡± The emperor instructed them urgently before the search party departed. Of course, themander was Count Cornel, who led the 1st Fleet, but the search party was going to act under separate orders from the emperor. ¡°I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty!¡± The search party was led by Haines. He and the knights of Sharnos Order participated inrge numbers. They were also worried about the sudden disappearance of the core member of their order and Eurius. Of course, they had heard from Eurius beforehand that he was leaving, but they couldn¡¯t disobey the imperial order as knights. Twenty galleons and five thousand infantrymen from the 1st Fleet. Two hundred knights from the search party, including Sharnos Order. This was the number of additional fleets sent to the East. The emperor and Mareus were confident that they could bring Eurius back safely unless a full-scale war broke out. But just as they finished organizing them and were about to send them off, an unexpected news came in. ¡°Your Majesty! The envoy from Holy Kingdom is requesting an audience.¡± ¡°Holy Kingdom?¡± The emperor looked puzzled. It hadn¡¯t been long since Eurius¡¯s crown prince ceremony ended. Why did they send an envoy at this time? But his puzzlement soon turned into annoyance. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say? Tell them to request an audience again tomorrow!¡± The emperor had been exhausted from squeezing his head for days and was not receiving any audience today. But Sijong looked embarrassed and opened his mouth. ¡°I was going to send them back today too¡­ but they are very stubborn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The emperor put away his anger and looked interested. His attendants were experienced and quick-witted. He wondered who had visited that made Sijong look so awkward. ¡°Hehe¡­ Holy Kingdom? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the pope of one of the three churches?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. But¡­¡± Sijong approached the emperor and whispered in his ear who the visitors were. ¡°¡­!?¡± The emperor¡¯s face changed into a serious expression. They were really unexpected visitors. ¡°Let them in.¡± Sijong bowed deeply and stepped back. And a momentter ¡°¡­¡± Two people walked into the corridor in front of the audience hall with Sijong¡¯s guidance. They were both old men who had aged considerably. One of them hadpletely white hair and looked at least seventy years old. They had to return their weapons before entering the Alhyeon room. The royal guards, who had been informed in advance, quickly came forward and asked them. ¡°You two need to hand over your weapons before entering the Alhyeon.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± One of the two elders, who looked slightly younger, handed over his sword with a cheerful expression. The guard who received it tried to reach out to the other elder, but his face stiffened for a moment. ¡®Is that a war hammer of the Mars sect? How can that be a human weapon?¡¯ The elder with white hair was carrying a huge war hammer on his back. It was so big that the weight attached to the end of the hammer was as big as an adult male¡¯s head. No matter how strong the knights who wielded force were,pared to ordinary people, he doubted how practical such a crude lump of iron would be. But their duty was only to keep the weapons. The guard coughed lightly and stretched out both hands. ¡°Hmm! I¡¯ll take this too.¡± ¡°Please be careful.¡± The elder said briefly and pulled out the hammer with one hand and handed it to the guard. The guard tilted his head at his light movement. ¡®Is it not just iron, but a light material like mithril?¡¯ But as soon as he received the hammer with both hands politely, the guard staggered. ¡°Ugh!¡± The guard, who was ashamed of his reputation as a royal guard, almost fell down. The weight of the hammer was much heavier than he imagined. ¡®He lifted it with one hand? Is he human?¡¯ The guard barely stood up by using all his force and looked at the back of the elder who disappeared into the Alhyeon room with disbelief. *** ¡°I greet your majesty, the great emperor of the empire!¡± ¡°I greet your majesty.¡± The two elders who entered the Alhyeon room bowed deeply. The emperor epted their greeting and looked at them alternately with interest. ¡°Hmm? Did you say you had an urgent matter to request Alhyeon?¡± The emperor couldn¡¯t help but be interested in these two people. They were like pirs of the holy kingdom. No, even if they searched the whole continent, they would have a hard time finding anyone who had as much fame as these two people. ¡°I apologize for being rude to your majesty. But it was a matter of utmost importance in the holy kingdom, so we had no choice.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Especially you, since my eldest son owes you a lot.¡± The one who apologized politely first was none other than Duke Dios, Beatrice¡¯s father. He was not only a duke of the holy kingdom, but also had enough qualifications to receive such treatment as one of the top three among superhumans. ¡°And¡­ I think this is the first time I see you in person, but I didn¡¯t expect you toe here?¡± Actually, it wouldn¡¯t be that surprising if Duke Dios came here after exchanging some letters beforehand. The emperor¡¯s attention was on the elder standing next to him with white hair. ¡°Your majesty. Actually, this Alhyeon was requested by me.¡± ¡°Oh? Now tell me what your purpose is.¡± The identity of the elder was Archbishop Galeus! He was the person in charge of the executioner position in the sect that served the god of war, Mars. He was always one of the three people who were considered to be the strongest in the continent, along with Wilhelm Duke who was already dead and Duke Dios who was here. But if they had to decide who was superior among those three people, everyone would pick this Archbishop Galeus first. The strongest superhuman in the continent couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he came to visit as a mere envoy from the holy kingdom. Galeus opened his mouth. ¡°Actually, there is someone else I want to meet.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The emperor felt something deja vu in his head. Wasn¡¯t there someone who always got involved in these unexpected events? ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ ¡°The person I request to see is your highness, the crown prince of the empire.¡± The emperor grabbed his head and uttered a tired word with a weary face. ¡°Him again!¡± Chapter 141: Joining Forces Chapter 141: Joining Forces There was someone who was embarrassed n to hear the new news today, even in Jeongdomaeng, which could be called the center of the Jeongpa martial arts world. ¡®What¡­ an unidentified master of great skill?¡¯ In a spacious room that looked like an office of Jeongdomaeng. An old man in a white robe was slowly reading the letter in his hand. At first, he looked embarrassed, but soon his expression changed to a curious one. ¡°Leader, what is going on?¡± The man in a blue robe who was sitting next to him in a schrly style asked him as if he was curious. He knew well that the old man did not usually make such an expression. The old man¡¯s name was Shin Ja-seong, the White Crane Sword Immortal, and he was a master of swordsmanship who had no match in the entire Eastern Continent. Besides his skill, he also had a noble and pure character, and he became the leader of Jeongdomaeng with overwhelming support when it was established. The White Crane Sword Immortal chuckled lightly. ¡°Hehe, what can I do when I¡¯m just eating rice in this room. Rather, I¡¯m sure you have a lot of worries about the affairs of the worldtely.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. Thanks to your kindness, all the food masters of the world are doing well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d they¡¯re doing well. I had something to discuss with you because of this letter, but I wondered if this old man was doing something insensitive again.¡± ¡°What do you mean by discussion?¡± The person who was called by the White Crane Sword Immortal as a military officer was Jegal Do, the current head of Jegal World and also the military officer of Jeongdomaeng. He wondered what had happened and took the letter and read it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What do you think? The master of great skill is looking for Jegal Sega, do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Jegal Do put down the letter and looked embarrassed. He was smart and realized as soon as he read the letter that this was about Eurius, who was supposed toe from the Western Continent. ¡®I heard that he would arrive soon, but it seems that something went wrong.¡¯ He called Eurius ¡®him¡¯. He had not met him in person yet, even though he had Jegal Un-hyeon¡¯s guarantee. But he couldn¡¯t tell anyone who Eurius really was, whether he was the prince of the Western Continent or the former master of all diseases. ¡®It¡¯s tricky. There will be a lot of trouble if I say he¡¯s the prince of the Western Continent or the former master of all diseases.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit vague to tell you in detail. It¡¯s rted to the martial arts secrets and history of our world.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The White Crane Sword Immortal¡¯s expression clouded slightly and Jegal Do quickly made an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not an enemy. He¡¯s heading to where Jeongdo Alliance is right now, so I think we¡¯ll get a report soon. I¡¯m sorry to ask you this, but please give me some time.¡± He bowed his waist as he finished speaking. It was a sign that he would ept any punishment for not being able to answer the leader¡¯s question as a military officer. ¡®Him?¡¯ The White Crane Sword Immortal paid more attention to the honorific than to Jegal Do¡¯s attitude, who bowed his waist deeply even though he was the head of one of the five worlds. ording to the letter, the master of great skill looked like he was in his twenties at best, but seeing that Jegal Do, who was the head of one of the five worlds, used such an honorific, he must not be an ordinary person. But unlike his inner thoughts, the White Crane Sword Immortal¡¯s answer was cool. ¡°Heheh, if you say so, I won¡¯t ask any more questions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jegal Do lowered his head with an apologetic expression. Of course, the White Crane Sword Immortal was a trustworthy person. However, matters rted to Sasinjihoe and the martial arts secrets and history of their world were among the highest secrets that could not be casually revealed to others. But it was a problem that he couldn¡¯t give a proper answer as a military officer when an unidentified master appeared. However, the White Crane Sword Immortal was a person who was famous for his gentle and mild character. He didn¡¯t care and ratherforted Jegal Do. ¡°So for now, we can consider that master of great skill as an ally?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I will send a letter to the other sects and alliances. If I vouch for you, there will be no more trouble.¡± ¡°I am grateful for your kindness, Lord.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, haha¡­¡± As he watched Je Gal Do bowing his head repeatedly, Baek Hak Geom Seon smiled gently. **** Gu Cheon Geol, who had unwillingly joined the group, was leading Eurius with a bitter expression at the front. ¡°We¡¯ll reach the base of the Jeong Do Alliance that Jeong Do Maeng sent in an hour.¡± ¡°An hour?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Eurius¡¯ question, his wrinkled face crumpled even more. He corrected his words with a stutter. ¡°An¡­ hour¡­ sir! Damn it!¡± ¡°From now on, leave out the damn it. This is an order.¡± Eurius smiled brightly and corrected the insolent tone of his ve. In fact, he had jokingly said that he was a ve, but Gu Cheon Geol really followed his orders without anyints. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look like he has a good temper, but do martial artists usually keep their promises so well?¡¯ ¡®Damn it! How did I, who was the leader of ten thousand beggars, end up like this because of a young brat!¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t know because of the cultural difference, but it was not easy for someone in Gu Cheon Geol¡¯s position in the martial world to take back what he had said. It would have been fine if it was just Eurius, but the problem was that there were witnesses. Those witnesses were barely holding back theirughter as they received Gu Cheon Geol¡¯s fierce re. ¡®Who would have thought that the old bastard Gu would end up like this?¡¯ ¡®If he joins the Jeong Do Alliance like this, there will probably be a storm in the martial world. I wonder how that bastard Dae Hyup will handle it.¡¯ Gu Cheon Geol, who saw them clearly, boiled inside. ¡®It¡¯s because of those brats from that damn sect that I got a master out of nowhere. Sigh¡­¡¯ That¡¯s right! Even if he was a fluffy chick, he was still a descendant of a prestigious sect. He couldn¡¯t break his promise when four of them were watching. So he ran for hours while cursing in his mind. Finally, as they were almost at their destination, Gu Cheon Geol opened his mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost at the ce where the Jeong Do Alliance is. Sir¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡®Worked hard? What do I do about this!¡¯ He seemed to have given up as he sighed deeply. There would be major figures of Jeong Do Maeng gathered at the base of the Jeong Do Alliance. Now he didn¡¯t know anyone except for that bastard and four junior disciples, but he felt bitter when he thought that he would soon announce to the world that he had be a subordinate of that bastard at the age of over seventy. ¡®And I¡¯m not sure about his identity yet. If he¡¯s someone who wants to harm Jeong Do Maeng¡­¡¯ In that case, Gu Cheon Geol would have to atone by killing himself. Bing Eurius¡¯ subordinate was his personal mistake. But leading him to the ce where the Jeong Do Alliance was located was a matter rted to the future of the martial world. Especially if he was a master who could easily catch him running away with all his strength, he had to be more careful. ¡®I doubt even Baek Hak Geom Seon, that old snake, could catch me so easily¡­¡¯ Thud! As his mind wasplicated with various thoughts, Eurius suddenly stopped running. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Dae Hyup?¡± Eurius looked back at them and tilted his head as he opened his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s someone ahead. Are they from Jeong Do Maeng as you said?¡± ¡°What?¡± Before his answer was finished, people wearing blood-red clothes rushed out from between the trees. There were about thirty of them, and they quickly surrounded Eurius¡¯ group in a circle and closed in on them. They had been waiting there to kill anyone who came this way. The ones standing at the front muttered in a gloomy tone. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Beggars¡­ are you the leader of the Open Sect, Goege?¡± ¡°Tell the vice-sect master that we can¡¯t let our guard down. There are some formidable ones here.¡± ¡°They are from the Demon Sect¡¯s Blood ughter Group!¡± As Gucheongeol eximed in surprise, Eurius drew his sword and looked puzzled again. ¡°They are from the Demon Sect?¡± ¡°Of course. No! I mean, of course, sir.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then protect these people for me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pop. Without waiting for an answer, Eurius flew out of his spot and attacked the Blood ughter Group. The first ones he aimed for were those who tried to escape from the encirclement and report to their superiors. Swoosh! ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius caught up with them in an instant and cut them in half before they could get out of the circle. The Blood ughter Group members were stunned because they couldn¡¯t even see how he moved. ¡°Is he a color-eyed? Who is this guy?¡± ¡°Surround him!¡± But there was no way they could handle him with just a few dozen scum. Bang! ¡°Aaargh!¡± Those who rushed in from the front were all smashed into bloody pulp and thrown back. It didn¡¯t take long for all of them to be taken care of. Gucheongeol, who watched the scene, stuck out his tongue. ¡®His swordsmanship is as terrifying as his divine technique. When did such a master appear in the Western Continent?¡¯ He also smashed the heads of a few who ran towards him and his juniors, but most of the corpses scattered around were Eurius¡¯s work. His juniors also looked flustered when Eurius suddenly jumped out, and they opened their mouths btedly when they saw the fight was over. ¡°The Blood ughter Group is the third strongest military force in the Demon Sect, but he took care of them so easily¡­¡± ¡°Sect leader, thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But Eurius, who put away his sword, still looked unsatisfied. ¡®They are nothing special for being called the Demon Sect?¡¯ Of course, the Blood ughter Group members who attacked just now were about as good as first-ss knights who were slightly inferior to masters in the Western Continent. But the enemies Eurius had faced so far were not just at this level. The first encounter with the Demon Sect, which had a grandiose name, was too nd. ¡°Are you sure these are from the Demon Sect?¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Gucheongeol nodded his head. He was sure they were from the Demon Sect¡¯s Blood ughter Group by looking at their intense demonic energy and distinctive outfits when they first attacked. Eurius looked more curious and tried to say something, but before he could, another scream came from the other side of the forest. ¡°It seems to be over there!¡± ¡°Are they from the Demon Sect?¡± This time, people wearing various outfits rushed in front of Eurius and his group. The difference from before was that they wore white bands on one arm as if to distinguish their allies. ¡®They have different outfits this time, but I guess there were some left.¡¯ Swoosh. Eurius drew his sword again. But this time, Gucheongeol quickly stopped him. ¡°Sire! Wait!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The people who looked like color-eyed saw Eurius draw his sword and became hostile. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t you see who I am?¡± Gucheongeol shouted as he stepped in between Eurius and the white-banded ones. ¡°Goege sir?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the great leader of the Open Sect?¡± ¡°Then what about that bastard?¡± The ones with white belts all murmured and stepped back slightly. Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s face twisted again. ¡®Damn it¡­ The time has finallye.¡¯ They were all part of the Jeongdo Faction. But if he revealed his identity here, he would naturally have to exin his rtionship with Eurius as well. ¡®I have no choice.¡¯ He was burning with rage inside, but he opened his mouth to exin the situation. ¡°This person is¡­¡± But at that moment! Something unexpected happened that no one had anticipated. ¡°Would you mind stepping aside? It seems that the person I¡¯ve been waiting for has arrived.¡± ¡°Divine Spear Je Gal Dae-hyeop?¡± The person who appeared by pushing through them was surprisingly someone that Eurius knew well. Eurius was d to see him in this ce, as he had not expected to meet him here. ¡°As expected, you were here. I heard that the legacy was discovered, so I thought you would be here!¡± The middle-aged man with a spear on his back. Je Gal Un-hyeon smiled and then sped his hands together in a hug. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, my lord!¡± At that moment, Gu Cheon-geol blurted out something he didn¡¯t even know himself. ¡°What, my lord?¡± Chapter 142: The Eastern Master Chapter 142: The Eastern Master The joy of finally reuniting with Jegal Se was short-lived. After hearing the situation from Eurius, Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Hmm¡­ As far as I know, there are no typhoons at this time of the year. It¡¯s a strange thing.¡± ¡°Have you heard any news about the others?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t received any contact yet. I¡¯ll send someone to the base as soon as we get back.¡± ¡°Please do that. I survived, but I¡¯m worried about some of the weaker ones.¡± Jegal Unhyeon thought for a moment and then smiled again. ¡°Hwayeong and that kid, as well as the others who came with us, are all outstanding talents. They have a high chance of being alive. For now, you should go to the Alliance of Justice. I¡¯ll guide you.¡± He led Eurius and his group slowly from the front. The ce they entered was a small coast where the sea was visible. ¡°This is the base of the Alliance of Justice that was dispatched this time. We were nning to sail to the South Sea soon.¡± Eurius felt a presence for a moment and his eyes sparkled. ¡®Indeed¡­ I can feel an extraordinary aura, but?¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon, who noticed his thoughts, exined. ¡°You are sharp indeed. You can assume that half of the main force of the Alliance of Justice is gathered here.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s understandable since it¡¯s Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy¡­ It must be an iparable treasure in the Eastern Continent¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The two people who were chatting at the front made the masters of the Alliance of Justice and Gu Cheon-geol who were following behind them look incredulous. ¡°Master? That guy who is famous for being rude even in Jegal Family is our master?¡± Gu Cheon-geol muttered as if he was bewitched. The one he knew as one of the four great masters of the Eastern Continent, Jegal Unhyeon, was not someone who would act so friendly even in front of Baek Hakgeomseon, the leader of the Alliance of Justice. As proof, that damn guy was still turning his head and talking down to him, who was a senior master. ¡°You also joined our master¡¯s side because you lost a bet, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Jegal Unhyeon smiled brightly. It was obvious that he was holding back hisughter. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the saying that you should serve someone who has a connection with you? My family has some kind of fate with our master.¡± We are different from you who came under him by chance! That¡¯s what he meant. Gu Cheon-geol had no more strength to be surprised or angry, and he slumped his body. ¡®Out of all the prestigious families in the continent, why did Jegal Family have such a rtionship with him¡­ That bastard¡­ No, what is the identity of that damn master?¡¯ Eurius, who was watching their conversation, opened his mouth curiously. ¡°You seem to have a considerable connection with each other. What kind of rtionship do you have?¡± ¡°You can think of it as a business rivalry.¡± ¡°Business?¡± ¡°Information.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius nodded his head. ording to Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s exnation, Jegal Se and Gu Cheon-geol werepeting with each other in terms of information within the Alliance of Justice. ¡°Of course, if you look at itprehensively, the family with more powerful masters has a slight advantage, but Gu Cheon-geol also has its strengths.¡± Although they had fewer masters, Gu Cheon-geol was a group of almost 100,000 beggars. They were unmatched in collecting and analyzing the trivial information that floated around the continent. ¡°Hooh.¡± Eurius agreed as if it made sense. Gu Cheon-geol didn¡¯t like beingpared to a bunch of ragtag beggars by numbers, and he snapped back. ¡°Hmph! Is that why you couldn¡¯t predict the attack of Majo and even got your precious base raided?¡± ¡°Haha! We were careless this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Ugh, I should have chewed him out for that.¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon passed it off so skillfully that Gu Cheon-geol had nothing else to say. They murmured. Meanwhile, the fourte-stage Jisu and the experts of Jeongdomang who were following behind them had their mouths wide open. To their eyes, the two people who had a high reputation in the martial world were bickering like children next to Eurius. ¡°Did Jeong Chang Jegal Unhyeon, the great master of Shinchang, ever act like that to anyone?¡± ¡°And didn¡¯t he call him master? What is the identity of that foreigner¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon was one of the four great masters in the martial world, excluding Magyo. He was also famous for being elusive and rarely appearing in front of people. ¡®If he is so respectful to that person, he must have an extraordinary status.¡¯ ¡®And that weird old man who is famous for being entric is also following him obediently(?). What is his identity?¡¯ Receiving countless gazes from behind, Eurius entered the base of Jeongdomang. The experts who were guarding the ce greeted Jegal Unhyeon warmly. ¡°You¡¯re back. Wasn¡¯t it an attack from Magyo?¡± ¡°It seemed like Magyo, but he took care of them so we didn¡¯t have a chance to do anything.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Looking at their bewildered expressions, Jegal Unhyeon looked back at Eurius. ¡°I think it¡¯s important to inform the leaders of Jeongdo Alliance about your existence if you want to join them.¡± ¡°That would be good. I¡¯m sick of being misunderstood by now.¡± In fact, Eurius knew almost nothing about the martial world. He had managed to find his way here while being involved in various troubles. Jegal Unhyeon, who guessed that well, first guided him to a fairlyrge two-story building in the center of the vige. ¡°This is where the leaders of Jeongdo Alliance gather. The deputy leader of Jeongdomang, who is leading this alliance, is also here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the leader of this ce?¡± Eurius asked with a curious expression, and Jegal Unhyeon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I like wandering around, so I don¡¯t have much influence in Jeongdomang. Usually, people who have both background and skill sit in these seats.¡± That meant that there was someone who matched Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s skill in this room. Following his guidance, Eurius went up to the second floor of the building and found out who was the owner of the intense aura he felt when he first entered the vige. There were two people sitting in the room drinking tea. One of them had shaved his head bald. He greeted Jegal Unhyeon happily. ¡°Namu Amitabul. Jegal Master has returned.¡± Jegal Unhyeon also briefly introduced him to Eurius. ¡°Master, this is Jiwoo Sunsa from Sorim.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Is he simr to a monk of the Order? Anyway, nice to meet you.¡± As he said that bluntly, Jiwoo was not offended but slightly flustered. ¡°¡­!?¡± [Jiwoo] Job: Monk, Peak Expert Strength: S Agility: S Intelligence: B+ Spirit: A+ Force Aptitude: A+ Force: S Disposition: Calm, Gentle [Traits] Fist Technique (S+), Staff Technique (S+) ¡°Jegal Master? Who is this?¡± Looking at Jiwoo¡¯s slightly flustered expression, Eurius calmly evaluated him. ¡®He¡¯s not the one. He¡¯s strong enough not to lose to any superhuman, but he¡¯s not a superhuman.¡¯ Then it was obvious that the person sitting next to him was the one who had the strong aura when he entered the vige. The person sitting next to Jiwoo Sunsa was a tall and burly middle-aged man. He looked at Jegal Unhyeon with a puzzled expression and opened his mouth. ¡°Unhyeon, who is this foreigner?¡± Jegal Unhyeon smiled brightly and looked at the middle-aged man. ¡°He is the master that my sect serves.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Namu Amitabul?¡± A momentter. The middle-aged man who had jumped up from his seat looked at Eurius and Jegal Unhyeon alternately with a doubtful expression, even after hearing a brief exnation. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t know that this lord was such a person. It¡¯s a great fortune for the martial world to have another reliable ally at this time.¡± Master Jiwoo, who had a good rtionship with Jegal Unhyeon since childhood, smiled and sat down again. He didn¡¯t think Eurius was a viin. But the middle-aged man still looked dumbfounded. ¡°This bastard¡­ I mean, this young master is your lord?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Oh, I forgot to introduce him.¡± Jegal Unhyeon introduced the middle-aged man to Eurius as well. ¡°This person is Namgoong Ilcheon, the head of the Namgoong family and the deputy leader of the Righteous Alliance. He and I have been friends since we were young.¡± Eurius nodded his head. ¡®So he¡¯s the deputy leader? He¡¯s a Grandmaster.¡¯ [Namgoong Ilcheon] Job: Grandmaster Strength: S Agility: S+ Intelligence: A Willpower: A Force Aptitude: A+ Force: S+ Disposition: Righteous, Firm [Traits] Swordsmanship (S+) Changgung Sword Technique ¨C The secret sword technique of the Namgoong family. You get an additional bonus to your swordsmanship rank. Lightning Strike ¨C A 4th stage force control technique. You change your force into the attribute of lightning. You get an additional bonus to your agility and force rank. The intense aura that Eurius felt was from this person. ¡°Nice to meet you, Eurius.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon shook Eurius¡¯ hand, but the overall atmosphere in the room was awkward. He didn¡¯t know how to act in this situation. He looked at Jegal Unhyeon with a nervous expression. ¡°So this young master is alsoing with us to the South Sea?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t tell me his identity or background?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details, but you and I are not strangers, right? And Jegal family guarantees the lord¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon made a troubled expression. He trusted Jegal Unhyeon personally, but he was the deputy leader of the Righteous Alliance. He couldn¡¯t fully trust an unknown bastard. But he couldn¡¯t ignore their words either, since they were from the Jegal family. And Jegal Unhyeon, who belonged to the same group of great masters, had a lot of influence as well. It was a headache for him. He decided to postpone the decision for now and sent them away. ¡°Wait for a moment. I have to hear from the kids who came back this time and Koo Cheon-geol senior first.¡± The decision was temporarily dyed, but as he left the temporary office, Jegal Unhyeon opened his mouth in a calm tone. ¡°He¡¯s a fair person, so he¡¯ll listen to your words and allow you to apany us.¡± Eurius felt a bit drained. He had been doubted as soon as he exined himself, but the matter was easily resolved by Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s simple guarantee. ¡®It seems that reputation and power are important in both continents. I have to pay attention to that if I want to act in the East Continent.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t cared about that until now, because he had been an emperor or crown prince, which were high statuses in the West Continent. But when he came to the East Continent, he realized that his status in the West Continent wasn¡¯t very helpful. ¡°That¡¯s good, but there¡¯s something you need to exin to me.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± As they headed to the residence of the Jegal family, Eurius opened his mouth with a tired expression. ¡°Please exin to me about the Righteous Alliance and the Dark Sect. It would be more reliable if you do it.¡± ¡°You must have had a hard time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more difficult than I thought because of the cultural difference.¡± ¡°Of course. The martial world has different values from the West Continent.¡± Of course, Eurius had caused trouble for himself because of his way of speaking rather than just cultural difference, but Jegal Unhyeon decided to keep quiet about that. ¡°It¡¯s strange for someone who is already a crown prince to change his way of speaking now.¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun, who had suppressed augh for a moment, opened his mouth to exin. ¡°First of all, have you heard of the four great masters of the Eastern Continent?¡± ¡°Vaguely. Are they the superhumans of the Eastern Continent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ording to his exnation, there were four martial artists of the fourth level in the Eastern Continent, excluding the Dark Sect. The leader of the Martial Alliance, White Crane Sword Sage Shin Ja Seong! The head of the Namgung n, Thunder Dragon Namgung Il Cheon! The strongest of the Je Gal n, Divine Spear Je Gal Woon Hyun! Upon hearing this far, Eurius couldn¡¯t help but be slightly surprised. Je Gal Woon Hyun was a master who was almost on par with the great masters who were ranked in the top three in the Western Continent. ¡°You¡¯re only ranked third? You don¡¯t look much different from that Namgung guy to me.¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun gave a bitter smile. ¡°Of course, the order I mentioned is just their external reputation. There¡¯s not much difference between Il Cheon and me. But there¡¯s a significant gap between us and the leader or the other absolute masters of the Dark Sect.¡± If there were four great masters in the orthodox sects, there were also three masters in the Dark Sect who matched them. ¡°First of all, I heard that you killed Sura Ma Jon.¡± Sura Ma Jon, who was the third-ranked absolute master of the Dark Sect, had crossed over to the Western Continent a while ago under the orders of the sect and met his end at Eurius¡¯s hands. Eurius nodded his head with a grim expression. ¡°He was a tenacious bastard. But you¡¯re saying there are two more who are much stronger than him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They are none other than the leader and deputy leader of the Dark Sect. In fact, no one can fight them one-on-one except for the leader of the Martial Alliance, White Crane Sword Sage.¡± At this point, Je Gal Woon Hyun sent a meaningful smile. ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not true anymore. You¡¯re here too.¡± ¡®Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll have to see them to know for sure.¡¯ Eurius had also surpassed the normal standards of superhumans after obtaining the secret technique of the empire, but he couldn¡¯t tell the oue without actually fighting them. ¡®Anyway, it seems that the level of the Eastern Continent is generally higher than that of the Western Continent.¡¯ As he watched him shaking his head repeatedly, Je Gal Woon Hyun opened his mouth again. ¡°Actually, you might have that opportunity this time.¡± Eurius understood right away. ¡°One of them came down here because of this legacy thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The deputy leader of the Dark Sect came down. The Martial Alliance was nning to send me and Il Cheon to deal with him.¡± That meant that two martial artists who were almost at the level of great masters had to attack him at the same time to have a chance. He was not an opponent that Eurius could becent about. ¡°Deputy leader, you said? What¡¯s his name?¡± Finally, from Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s mouth, the name of the most powerful enemy he would face this time began to emerge. ¡°His name is Byuk Ok, also known as Ice me Sword Demon. He is a fearsome master who is called the best sword in magic.¡± Chapter 143: Nokrim Chapter 143: Nokrim Rustle. A man was walking through the dense forest and grasnd, pushing aside the branches and leaves. ¡°Damn! Is there nothing but mountains here? I¡¯m in trouble since I don¡¯t even know where I am.¡± He muttered to himself without realizing it. He was in a quite difficult situation. Of course, it was not a matter of survival. The asional beasts that popped out were nothing but a good meal for him, and the cold of the night was not a big enemy for him who had spent more than half a year in the northern mountains covered with snow. ¡®The problem is that I can¡¯t find a single ant. Is this a ce where people live?¡¯ He had been wandering in the mountains for three days already. In fact, the ce where he drifted was a deserted coast. It was quite lucky for Eurius to meet someone after running for half a day. ¡®This is crazy. I have to find my friends andpanions, but there¡¯s no hope at this rate.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the way or have a map. In this situation, even Nuada, who was familiar with the mountains, had a hard time finding his way. He originally thought that if he walked in a straight line for a few days, he woulde across a vige, but he seemed to have taken the wrong path as there was no end in sight. And Nuada knew better than anyone that when he lost his direction in the mountains, he shouldn¡¯t move without certainty. ¡®I don¡¯t even know where mypanions are. If I wander around more, I might get farther away from them. I need toe up with some n.¡¯ As he pondered on how to find his way, Nuada recalled the method that Eurius used to track their tribe. ¡°He looks at the age rings of the cut trees and confirms the direction?¡± ¡°There are other ways too, but that¡¯s the simplest one!¡± But that method was only useful when he knew the map or the destination. Nuada didn¡¯t even know where he was, so what use was it to know the cardinal directions? ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Crack! He vented his anger by punching arge tree that caught his eye. With a thud, the waist of the pine tree snapped and fell down. Thud! He felt a little better after hearing that sound, and Nuada tried to hurry his steps again. ¡°¡­!?¡± But then, he noticed something different about the nearby trees with his keen eyesight. ¡°What is this?¡± He opened his eyes wide and observed the trees around him carefully. As he checked, he found that the trees here were either deformed and twisted or too hard to knock down. There was only one thing that this fact meant. Someone had taken away the trees that were straight and easy to chop for firewood. ¡®There must be traces of logging for firewood. Then there must be people nearby.¡¯ He searched around for another half day and found clear signs of human touch. There were stumps of trees that were left behind or marks of dragging fallen logs. Once he found out this much, finding where people lived was a piece of cake for him. ¡®Even if some time has passed, the footprints of wild animals or monsters are different from those of humans.¡¯ He calmly brushed aside the fallen leaves and looked at the ground. Nuada soon found human footprints leading to the foot of the mountain. It was inevitable that he would be d to see human traces after several days. ¡®Is it over there?¡¯ He followed the trail without hesitation. *** ¡°Congrattions on your 44th birthday, Chief!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Hahaha!¡± Today, there was a big feast at Geowungchae, located in Daepasan, to celebrate the chief¡¯s 44th birthday. On one side of the mountain house, there was a pile of wealth that had been plundered from nearby viges and trade stations, and in the center of it, there was a man with a fierce face whoughed loudly as if he was in a good mood. ¡°Lately, those bastards from Jeongdomaeng don¡¯t bother our business (?) anymore, so only good things happen.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it all thanks to you, Chief?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! No matter how much those Jeongdomaeng bastards hate us, who is our Chief? He is one of the best bandits among Nokrimchilshipichae (The 72 Bandit Houses of Nokrim), Paeryeokbu Hyupgon Daerin (The Great Leader Hyupgon of Paeryeokbu)!¡± ¡°Haha! You guys are really ttering me.¡± The surrounding minions were all busy pleasing Hyupgon, the leader of the bandits. It was obvious ttery, but as usual for this kind of human, he loved this kind of praise, so the atmosphere was very harmonious. In fact, it was not all ttery. Contrary to his appearance, Hyupgon was a master who had learned a considerable level of martial arts. He was one of the 72 bandit groups that called their banditry business in this continent. It literally meant that there were 72 groups of mountain bandits. But unlike the mediocre bandits, there were quite a few masters who had learned martial arts among them. And if they became the leader, they were the owners of martial arts much better than the average third-rate master, so it was actually a situation where both hands and feet were raised in the righteous sect or the government. Moreover, the atmosphere of the righteous sect was chaotic these days, so they had no room to pay attention to them, so they were more active. Their noisy voices echoed through the nearby mountains. The guard dog at the gate, who was on guard in case of any emergency, was eagerly waiting for the shift change. ¡°Damn. I¡¯m unlucky to be on guard today. This year is really unlucky¡­ Huh?¡± The guard dog, who was regaining his appetite, spotted a stranger walking fast from afar on the mountain road. ¡°¡­!?¡± The bandit¡¯s den was located on a steep rocky cliff, so it was good to observe enemies from afar and difficult for enemies to approach. But the stranger who was approaching now seemed to be walking slowly at first nce, but he was lightly jumping over the steep rocks and cliffs and approaching the bandit¡¯s den. ¡®Does he look like a master who has learned martial arts? Should I report it to the boss?¡¯ He thought so, but as soon as he saw the appearance of the man who had approached nearby, he could only tilt his head. The other party had ck hair and ck eyes, but his facial features were like a foreigner with big eyes and a straight nose. He wore a white fur coat, but judging by his appearance, he was definitely not a master from the orthodox sect. The guard dog cautiously spoke to him. ¡°Are you sent by the general leader?¡± Except for his different race, he looked like a colleague, so it was understandable for the guard dog to mistake him. There was also information that Gunrangchae, which was the leader of Nokrimchilsibichae, was recruiting a lot of masters recently, so he was more careful. However, after hearing the next words of the man, his face turned pale. ¡°I have a question. How do I get to Jegal Sega¡¯s ce from here?¡± ¡®It¡¯s a big deal!¡¯ The guard dog hastily hit the gong next to him. ng! ¡°Huh?¡± The sound of hitting the gong soon echoed throughout the bandit¡¯s den. Along with that, bandits armed with weapons poured out from the gate. ¡°Who is that!¡± ¡°Did the government troops attack?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man who just asked for directions. Nuada was surrounded by them in an instant. But he looked around calmly as he saw that they were all just small fries. ¡°What¡¯s going on! Who is that young man?¡± Soon Hyupgon broke through them and showed his imposing physique. He was in a very bad mood because his birthday party was interrupted. But he was also a master who had some reputation in Nokrim. He noticed that Nuada was some kind of master who had learned martial arts as soon as he saw him. He frowned as the guard dog approached him and whispered in his ear. ¡°He asked about Jegal Sega?¡± Hyupgon pondered for a moment. He was surprisingly quick-witted and knew how to use his brain unlike his size. He soon came to a conclusion. ¡®There is no way that one of the Five Great Masters would be here at this point. He must have some other purpose.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re looking for Jegal Sega? Why?¡± ¡°To meet a friend.¡± Nuada¡¯s answer was short as he had no other purpose than asking for directions. Hyupgon looked puzzled. ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡®Is he crazy or something?¡¯ ¡®Why does this young man in blue call Je Gal Se Ga as if he lives next door, and why does he ask me, a member of Nok Rim Do, about him?¡¯ His eyes, honed by decades of banditry, warned him. In fact, the most important thing to survive in this world was to choose your opponent well. If you make a mistake and encounter a martial arts master, bandits like him would be worth less than a fly¡¯s life. That was the reality. He cunningly used his head, which did not match his physique, and soon nodded agreeably. ¡°I know where Je Gal Se Ga is.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nuada, who showed a hint of surprise, shook his head regretfully. ¡°But it¡¯s quite far from here. Can you go there alone?¡± Nuada had traveled far away from Yu Ri Oos because he had lost contact with him when their ship was wrecked. ¡°Is it that far? Hmm¡­¡± Nuada groaned as he roughly heard the distance. He realized that it would be impossible for him to find his way there with just directions. He knew nothing about the Eastern Continent, even less than Yu Ri Oos, and it was a serious problem for him who had been wandering for three days. ¡®And my friend told me not to use force if possible?¡¯ Yu Ri Oos had told him not to solve things with power in the East, so Nuada had no choice but to ask politely. ¡°Can you please show me the way there? I will consider it a debt and repay you someday.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Hyup Gon dly agreed, thinking that he was naive as he looked. ¡®He must be a newbie or a madman who just came out of the martial world. Je Gal Se Ga has been conquered long ago and he asks about him?¡¯ If he was a master of Ma Gyo or Jung Do Mang, he would have known that fact. ¡®But if he learned martial arts, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be careful.¡¯ Hyup Gon smirked inwardly as he made a suggestion. ¡°But today is a good day and it¡¯s a bit hard to choose someone to guide you. How about resting here for a day? I¡¯ll send someone with you tomorrow.¡± ¡°I guess I have no choice. Can I impose on you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural in the martial world to help each other. Hahaha!¡± Hyup Gonughed heartily as he led Nuada to the banquet hall. But he had a different n. ¡®You can¡¯t fool my eyes that have rolled around in this world for decades!¡¯ He scanned Nuada¡¯s body with greedy eyes. Nuada did not wear any special weapons, but his clothes were surprisingly valuable. The fur coat he wore outside was the skin of the spirit beast that had been passed down in his tribe for generations, and the shirt underneath was a fine product made from the skin of Yi Moo Gi that he caught with Yu Ri Oos. ¡®Hehe¡­ No matter how skilled he is, can he do anything if I ambush him while he sleeps?¡¯ That was Hyup Gon¡¯s n when he met Nuada. He quickly calcted how much he could rip off from him. He sat back on his chair and shouted in a cheerful voice. ¡°Come on! We have a rare guest here, so bring more wine!¡± ¡°Woohoo!¡± His subordinates were staring nkly at first, but in this stronghold, the leader¡¯s word wasw. Once Hyup Gon decided to treat him as a guest, they had no objection. ¡°Thanks for weing me.¡± Nuada felt something was odd, but he was not unhappy to be weed. He obediently sat down and epted the hospitality, keeping Eurius instructions in mind. After a few rounds of drinks, Hyup Gon seemed to be in a very good mood today and suddenly ordered his subordinates. ¡°Today is a good day, so I have to show off my strength! Bring me my weapon!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± His subordinates went inside and came back with something that three people struggled to carry. It was a huge axe that was as big as a human torso. Hyup Gon picked up the axe that three people had carried with difficulty with one hand. His subordinates cheered at his monstrous strength. ¡°Woah! He is truly our leader!¡± Hyup Gon looked satisfied as he scanned his subordinates with a drunken face. ¡°Hahaha!¡± He burst into another round ofughter, his muscles swelling like balloons. He must have raised his inner strength to the maximum, as his arm holding the blue-tinted axe was pulled back as far as possible. ¡°Huaaah!¡± Whiiing! The heavy axe flew out of his hand and shot towards the cliff behind the mountain stronghold. Kwaduduk! The axe that was hurled like an arrow pierced into the hard rock and raised a cloud of dust. He must have done this often, as there were axe marks all over the cliff. Anyway, he had a natural brute strength, and it was not something anyone could do to make such a massive axe dig into the cliff. ¡°Waaaaah!!!¡± The cheers of his subordinates shook the mountain stronghold again, and Hyupgon gave a satisfied expression and ordered them to retrieve the axe. But it was hard work to pull out the axe that was too heavy to lift from the cliff. Seeing about ten bandits climbing up the cliff and groaning, Nuada got up abruptly. He felt sorry for just being treated well. ¡°It looks hard to pull that out. Can I help you with that?¡± ¡°Huh? Do as you please.¡± Hyupgon readily agreed. He wanted to see the skill of that brat anyway. But Nuada didn¡¯t walk towards the cliff, but looked around here and there. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hyupgon turned his head with a puzzled expression, when Nuada seemed to have found something suitable and raised his arm up. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°I saw a good show, so I¡¯ll show you one of my skills too.¡± It wasmon for warriors to show off their skills at festivals in Nuada¡¯s tribe. He felt a strange kinship with Hyupgon and lifted up a long spear that had a g of the Geowungchae hanging on it. He didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, so Hyupgon tilted his head. But the next moment! Kwaaaang! ¡°What the hell!¡± He had no choice but to jump up from his seat. The mountain stronghold shook with a loud noise. He didn¡¯t even see Nuada¡¯s movement properly, but when dust and gravel flew up with a loud noise, he looked at the front with a surprised expression. Thud! The next thing he heard was the heavy sound of the axe falling. The source of the noise was the spear that Nuada casually threw. He looked at the fallen axe and moved his eyes to the cliff, and Hyupgon and his subordinates opened their mouths wide. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°How can that be¡­¡± The spear didn¡¯t just stick to the cliff, but went deep enough that even the handle couldn¡¯t be seen. That wasn¡¯t all. The ce where the spear hit was cracked like a tofu, leaving a mark that was several meters deep and tens of meters wide. Hyupgon, who opened his mouth wide enough to drop his jaw, turned his head stiffly like a machine to look at Nuada. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about that? Is this enough proof of being an excellent warrior¡­ Huh?¡± Hyupgon¡¯s body was faster than he thought. He fell t on his face with a speed that was unimaginable for his huge frame, and buried his head in the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were Master!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were Master, great leader!¡± ¡°Please spare my life!¡± Hyupgon, who buried his head and trembled, kept shouting in his mind. ¡®I¡¯m screwed! He¡¯s a real master now. Not a shoddy bandit like me, but a terrifying master like a chieftain!¡¯ Nuada looked at them with a bewildered expression, who bowed their heads from all sides. ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 144: The Strong Chapter 144: The Strong Nangong Yichen summoned his subordinates to make a decision. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re all back safely.¡± ¡°We are ashamed, father.¡± Nangong Hao bowed his head deeply, as if he had brought a bomb with him. The other subordinates also looked down, and the reason was as follows. ¡°What? You¡¯re saying that your brother lost without even putting up a fight?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nangong Huang, who had been beaten up by Eurius before, was Nangong Yichen¡¯s older brother and one of the top experts in the Nangong n. ¡®Brother is skilled, but he is also impulsive and passionate. If he had listened to the young ones more carefully, this wouldn¡¯t have happened¡­¡¯ His face was filled with shock and worry, and he sighed as he opened his mouth again. ¡°Well¡­ it can¡¯t be helped if the opponent is such a master, but your rash actions have tarnished the reputation of our n.¡± ¡°Please punish me, father.¡± Nangong Hao bent his waist so low that his head almost touched the ground. The Nangong n had been enjoying the greatest glory among the five ns recently. But if it became known that Nangong Huang, one of their best experts, had lost to an unknown person from a remote region, it would be a huge blow to their fame. ¡®But this is troublesome. From what they told me, it seems that we were the ones who started the trouble.¡¯ Nangong Yichen was a fair-minded person, and this was a very headache-inducing situation for him. ¡®I can¡¯t just let this go, but I can¡¯t also try to restore our honor by clinging to this matter when we were in the wrong.¡¯ But he thought that he had to take responsibility for this incident as the head of the Nangong n. He decided to find out more about Eurius first. ¡°First of all, tell me what you felt or learned about that person from the remote region on your way here.¡± *** A littleter. The second person who was called in was Gu Chun Geol, who was known as the Mad Dog. He was a person with a high status and a strange reputation, so Nangong Yichen¡¯s tone was cautious. ¡°How have you been? It¡¯s been a long time since I saw you.¡± ¡°Hmph! Cut the crap. Why did you call me, old man?¡± Gu Chun Geol answered with a sour tone, as if he was very displeased. ¡®Well, of course he wouldn¡¯t be happy.¡¯ Nangong Yichen forced a bitter smile and asked him about the unbelievable fact that he had heard from his subordinates. ¡°I heard from the kids that you had a duel with that person from the remote region and lost. Is that true?¡± ¡°You already know, so why are you asking? It¡¯s exactly as you heard.¡± Nangong Yichen broke out in a cold sweat. But he had to ask to confirm the truth. ¡°I asked the kids and they said that as a result of the bet, you became his subordinate¡­¡± As soon as he said that, Gu Chun Geol¡¯s expression crumpledpletely. ¡°You¡­ did you call me to mock me?¡± ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s such an unbelievable thing. Haha¡­¡± Seeing Nangong Yichen trying tough it off, Gu Chun Geol clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk! Then can I go now?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Nangong Yichen stopped him hastily, and Gu Chun Geol looked back with annoyance. ¡°Ah, what!¡± ¡°What do you think of that person from the remote region? He can¡¯t be a bad person if you followed him obediently, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Bang! He mmed the door open roughly, as if he was too tired to answer any more. ¡°Ah!¡± He was about to leave when he turned his head as if he remembered something. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some advice. Don¡¯t do anything stupid for the sake of your pride. You¡¯ll only end up humiliating yourself like me.¡± Nangong Yichen met his eyes with an embarrassed expression. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, if nothing else happens.¡± Bang! As soon as the door closed, Gu Cheongeol chuckled. ¡°I warned him, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. He values the honor of his n too much. I¡¯m sure there will be some good entertainment soon.¡± He also didn¡¯t know much about Eurius¡¯s identity. He felt like he had a clue, but he couldn¡¯t grasp it. ¡®That bastard¡­ No, damn it! Did he say his name was Eurius? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere¡­¡¯ Gu Cheongeol shook his head and returned to his quarters. *** The next day, an unexpected visitor came to see Eurius, who was staying at Je Gal Se Ga¡¯s ce. Eurius, who was having tea with Je Gal Unhyeon, looked at the visitor with interest. ¡°Did youe to see me?¡± The visitor was none other than Nam Goong Ilcheon, who brought a group of experts with him. ¡°I heard that the elders of our n caused trouble for you. I came to apologize.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that anymore. I¡¯m sorry for using force too.¡± Eurius nodded slightly. He thought it was unlucky at first, but he gained a good subordinate and the result was quite good. But Nam Goong Ilcheon didn¡¯t seem to let it go easily. ¡°We have to repay kindness and enmity in the martial world. I apologize on behalf of our n.¡± ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll ept your apology¡­¡± Eurius looked puzzled as he bowed his head slightly. ¡®Is he a nice guy? Or does he have another motive?¡¯ The people he met in this eastern continent were very proud of their skills. The more outstanding experts like Gu Cheongeol or Nam Goong Hwang, the more they tended to be so. It was strange to see Nam Goong Ilcheon, who was almost a superhuman in the western continent, admit his mistake so easily. ¡°Haha! He¡¯s always been a nice guy. He must feel bad about being rude to you.¡± Je Gal Unhyeon watched their exchange with amusement. Nam Goong Ilcheon asked him for help with a subtle look. [Unhyeon, please don¡¯t stop me for the sake of our friendship.] [I won¡¯t stop you. Do as you please.] Je Gal Unhyeon smiled reassuringly and Nam Goong Ilcheon finally brought up his second request. ¡°Actually, I have another favor to ask you besides apologizing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± He sped his hands together and bowed to Eurius. ¡°I am the head of Nam Goong Se Ga. I request a duel with you.¡± ¡°A duel?¡± Eurius tilted his head at the unfamiliar word. Je Gal Unhyeon exined it to him. ¡°It means a sparring match in the western continent. There are duels where they fight for their lives, but not in this case. Right?¡± Nam Goong Ilcheon agreed. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a friendly duel. I heard you came from the western continent. I¡¯ve always wanted to see the swordsmanship there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult.¡± Eurius got up from his seat. He was sure that Nam Goong Ilcheon¡¯s apology was sincere. He didn¡¯t know why he asked for a duel, but he didn¡¯t have any ill feelings towards him. When he agreed to the duel, Nam Goong Ilcheon felt relieved inside. He expected Je Gal Unhyeon to dissuade him, but surprisingly he agreed to the duel without hesitation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be your witness on your side.¡± ¡°Our side will have the experts of our n as witnesses.¡± With both sides¡¯ consent, they went to the center of the vige where Jeong Do Yeon Hab was stationed. The experts of Jeong Do Yeon Hab who heard rumors about Eurius gathered around the open space with interest. They murmured. ¡°Is the author that infamous scoundrel who is a master of martial arts? I heard he has Je Gal Se Ga under hismand, but I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± ¡°From the Nam Goong n, they say that Nam Goong Il Cheon, the great master, is going to challenge him.¡± ¡°Then the result is obvious. The Nam Goong n will win. That scoundrel must have epted the challenge without knowing anything.¡± The martial artists who gathered had heard rumors about Eurius, but most of them predicted Nam Goong Il Cheon¡¯s victory. In fact, Gu Cheon Geol was famous in the martial world as the best master of the divine technique, but his martial arts skills were inferior to those of the four great masters. Moreover, Nam Goong Il Cheon was considered the strongest master among the four great masters, except for Baek Hak Geom Seon, the lord of the martial world. So maybe this spection was reasonable. ¡°Please take care of me.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Swoosh. Nam Goong Il Cheon drew his sword with a cautious expression. His thoughts were as follows: ¡®I have to show him an overwhelming performance as much as possible.¡¯ He had no ill feelings towards Eurius, but he came to challenge him for the sake of his n¡¯s honor. If the rumor that Nam Goong Hwang, the head of the n, lost without even fighting spread, it would be a disgrace to the n. Honor was a very sensitive issue in the martial world. If Eurius was an old or well-known person, he could have let it go, but the rumor of a strong man was not so easy. It was a serious problem that the whole Nam Goong n could be underestimated by an unknown Eurius. To prevent such a rumor from spreading, Nam Goong Il Cheon, the best master of the n, had to defeat Eurius in this challenge. ¡®I¡¯m sorry for my friend Woon Hyun, but I have to win this challenge.¡¯ Nam Goong Il Cheon was determined. He probably agreed to end the challenge at a reasonable point for his friend¡¯s sake, but he had a responsibility as the head of the n and he intended to do his best against Eurius. . . . . . ¡°Tsk! Woon Hyun must be thinking like that¡­ But I¡¯m actually sorry for you.¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun was holding back hisughter while biting his tongue. ¡°Shall we start then?¡± Eurius drew his sword and aimed at Nam Goong Il Cheon. The challenge began at the same time. ¡°Hap!¡± Nam Goong Il Cheon was determined to do his best against Eurius, so he used his secret technique from the first move. Crackle! His sword glowed blue and sparks flew. This was why he was nicknamed Thunder Dragon. The destruction of Nua Da took the form of a white lightning bolt, but it had nothing to do with thunder. But Nam Goong Il Cheon¡¯s secret technique could change the true energy infused in his sword into a blue current. Rumble! Nam Goong Il Cheon swung his sword mercilessly at Eurius with a blue lightning bolt. As their swords collided, there was a thunderous noise. ng! ¡°What!¡± ¡°Get back!¡± The martial artists who gathered did not expect Nam Goong Il Cheon tounch such a terrifying attack from the beginning and retreated hastily to avoid the aftermath. Their thoughts were unanimous as they retreated. ¡®That scoundrel will be crushed to bones, right?¡¯ But the result was opposite to their expectations. Crash! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°How can this be¡­¡± The one who bounced back from the collision was rather Nam Goong Il Cheon. He staggered back a few steps. ¡°Kuh!¡± He quickly regained his posture, as befitting a seasoned expert. He did not expect to be so easily defeated by the young and fresh Eurius, and his face became more serious. Eurius blocked his attack with a single swing of his sword and followed up with a counterattack that pushed him back. Namgoong Ilcheon rushed at Eurius again with a grim expression. ¡®I was wrong. But I can¡¯t back down like this.¡¯ Kwaaaa! This time, dozens of lightning bolts split and aimed at Eurius¡¯s whole body. The power contained in each bolt was astonishing, and even a slight touch on the nearby trees or ground burned them ck. The spectators had only stepped back a few steps at first, but as the aftermath of the sh grew, they soon had to widen the distance. But Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s face was not very good, despite his overwhelming attack. The spectators mostly couldn¡¯t identify their movements, but they were baffled to see Eurius withstand the attack. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°That young man is making Namgoong Daehyup struggle so much.¡± If Namgoong Ilcheon was lightning, Eurius was an iron wall. He blocked all the lightning that came at him with an incredible speed. The spectators didn¡¯t know, but Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s face gradually darkened as a result of his fierce attack. It seemed like a close match at first nce, but at some point their movements stopped abruptly. Chang! Using the recoil of the swords shing, Namgoong Ilcheon widened the distance and stood still with a pale face. The spectators looked at him with curious eyes. Namgoong Ilcheon stared at Eurius with aplicated expression for a while. Then he sheathed his sword with a resigned face. Swoosh ¡°¡­!?¡± Before the spectators could react, he resumed his stance and said something unbelievable from his mouth. ¡°I admit my defeat. Thank you for your mercy, Daehyup.¡± ¡°Your skill was also excellent.¡± Eurius also raised his sword in a knightly manner, following the Eastern Continent style. Whisper whisper. ¡°What on earth is going on? Namgoong Daehyup admitted defeat?¡± ¡°The young man defended well, but it looked like an even fight?¡± The spectators were confused for a moment. It was shocking that Namgoong Ilcheon admitted defeat. ¡°¡­¡± But Namgoong Ilcheon walked away silently, heading back to his ce. Namgoong Ho, who followed him, couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity and asked hastily. ¡°Father, what is the meaning of this result?¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ How did you see the duel just now?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon didn¡¯t answer, but instead asked back. Namgoong Ho opened his mouth with a bewildered expression. ¡°With my humble skill, I couldn¡¯t even see your movements, but I barely saw them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing that, Namgoong Ilcheon kept silent for a while and then opened his mouth. ¡°If that man had swung his sword with the intention of killing me, I would have been dead already.¡± ¡°What?¡± Namgoong Ho also lost his words at that shocking answer. ¡°Hehe¡­ Woonhyun, did that friend choose me as a stepping stone to announce your reputation?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon muttered weakly to himself and started walking again. *** Meanwhile, Jegal Woonhyun greeted Eurius with a bright smile. ¡°Well done, Daehyup.¡± ¡°You said it was a simple sparring match. Did you trick me?¡± Eurius frowned. Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s attack was too serious to be considered sparring. It was lucky that he backed off willingly, or he could have been injured. But Jegal Woonhyun still smiled. ¡°Ilcheon is not a person who holds grudges. I thought he would back off once he confirmed your skill. And wasn¡¯t it a rare opportunity to gauge the strength of the Eastern Continent experts?¡± ¡°He gave up on attacking after I showed him some signs several times.¡± Eurius nodded as if he agreed with his words. He seemed to be only defending himself, but he asionally tried to unleash spatial cutting on Namgoong Ilcheon by showing a slight hint of his intention. Of course, if he actually did it, he would have been cut in half without knowing why, but since it was only for intimidation, he felt an indescribable chill and kept swinging his sword. But when it repeated a few times, he realized that Eurius could kill him but gave up on attacking and admitted defeat. And Jegal Woonhyun had another thought as well. ¡°And I used him as a scapegoat for our future ns.¡± ¡°Future ns?¡± Jegal Woonhyun nodded with a serious expression. ¡°The martial world basically respects the strong. They call it ¡®the strong rule¡¯. I can guarantee your identity, but if you want to exert influence in the martial world, you need to establish your reputation as a strong person.¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡± Eurius would join the Righteous Alliance and go to find the inheritance. But if he wanted to have a say in that group, he needed a reputation that matched him. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I should build a reputation as a martial artist in this Eastern Continent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s essential if we want to face the Demon Sect. Of course, you shouldn¡¯t make enemies. In that sense, Ilcheon was perfect for this.¡± Eurius looked surprised. ¡°Is it okay to do that to your friend?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll understand. He also knows that it¡¯s hard to face the Demon Sect with his current strength.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon, the deputy leader of the Righteous League and one of the four great experts, was a very suitable person to build such a reputation. But more than anything, his upright personality was the decisive reason for this duel. Eurius understood everything and finally smiled. ¡°If the martial world is like that, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to make a force here.¡± Chapter 145: The Power of the Fist Chapter 145: The Power of the Fist The sun set faster in the deep mountains than on the ins. A man was walking along the darkening mountain path. ¡°What kind of endless mountain is this, damn it¡­¡± The man¡¯s name was Cains. He had barely survived the shipwreck and drifted to some coast. He had no choice but to do so. ¡®I have to find some people first if I want to reunite with His Majesty.¡¯ However, he was slightly less skilled than his otherpanions, so his moving speed was slow. He had to walk endlessly in the mountains until dusk. He was not like Je Gal Hwayeong, who knew the way and was adept at surviving in the mountains. Naturally, he was more anxious than anyone else. But he was strangely lucky and managed to meet some people more easily than the other two. ¡°There¡¯s a light!¡± He saw a faint light in the distance on the dark mountain path. He forgot his fatigue and hunger and ran towards where the people were. But before he could even reach there, he was greeted by a bunch of spears and swords. Swoosh! ng! ¡°Who are you!¡± ¡°How dare you try to ambush the convoy of Cheonryong Trade Company!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He looked around with a bewildered expression at the people who surrounded him. A group of people dressed in blue clothes neatly encircled him. And from another ce, a horde of people rushed towards Cains. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Is it an attack?¡± The second group of people were not orderly or neatly dressed at all. They mostly wore shabby clothes and had various weapons. Cains tilted his head. ¡®They don¡¯t seem very skilled?¡¯ But he didn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstanding, and the enemies were also numerous. So Cains quickly raised both his hands. ¡°I surrender.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a moment of silence in the field. What kind of attacker would barge in alone and surrender right away? ¡°What? Is that it?¡± ¡°He looks like one of those weird foreigners we¡¯ve only heard about. He¡¯s got brown hair and brown eyes.¡± The ones in shabby clothes looked at Cains with interest. The ones in blue clothes also looked at Cains suspiciously, but soon a middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader came out. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cains was momentarily flustered. He had heard some basic information before he came. It didn¡¯t matter that he was a knight and a nobleman in the Eastern Continent. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment and then decided to twist the truth a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m from the Western Continent. I came to visit the East, but my ship was wrecked by a storm.¡± The middle-aged man looked at Cains with disbelief. His name was No Gwang. He was a fairly skilled expert who was in charge of the chief convoy of Cheonryong Trade Company, thergest tradepany in Gangnam. No Gwang quickly examined Cains¡¯splexion, clothes, expression, and so on. ¡®He does look simr to those from the Western Continent?¡¯ He rarely saw them, but he had asionally seen some foreigners when he handled goods from the Western Continent as part of his tradepany work. ¡°What¡¯s your status in the Western Continent?¡± ¡°I was guarding someone important.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± No Gwang nodded. He didn¡¯t know his exact skill level, but Cains clearly had a sword and looked like he had trained somewhat. He finished his thoughts and looked at Cains with pity. ¡®You¡¯re in a tough situation. If you were shipwrecked, then the precious person you were serving must have died, and you were left on another continent without any money?¡¯ He lowered his sword when he saw Cain, who was rolling his eyes innocently. He didn¡¯t look like a bandit or a fearsome master no matter how he looked. ¡®Should I report to the lord first?¡¯ Nogwang hesitated for a moment, but he thought that there was no need to wake up the lord with this much trouble, and he called the men in shabby clothes. ¡°Can you take care of this friend a little until you get to Nakyang, where Jeongdomaeng is? He can use a sword, so you can hire him with you.¡± When they heard Nogwang¡¯s suggestion, they chuckled. ¡°Hehe. A funny-looking friend hase in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good to have one more arrow shield, right?¡± ¡°Hey¡­ That¡¯s why you guys are bandits¡­ He¡¯s a person in a tough situation, so take good care of him.¡± Nogwang frowned and handed Cain over to them. He had a generous personality and left hisst words with a pitying expression. ¡°All you have to do is what they tell you. Once you get to Nakyang, you¡¯ll be able to earn some money, so you can find a way to go back to your continent.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Cain didn¡¯t know what he was saying, but he understood that he was joining the group anyway. On the other side, a tall man in his thirties with a goat beard waved at him. He was dressed rtively neatly among the shabby bandits, and his tone was quite polite. ¡°Hey,e here, you foreigner.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As Cain ran over to him, the tall man opened his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name is Cain.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s an unusual name. My name is Socheol. I look older than you, so you can lower your speech, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Cain agreed and Socheol smiled brightly. ¡°I heard your situation earlier and it seems pretty tough, but Cheonryong Pyoguk pays well, so you¡¯ll probably make enough money to go to the port.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what is Pyoguk?¡± At Cain¡¯s question, Socheol realized that he didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Is there no bandit or Pyoguk on your continent?¡± ¡°Bandit?¡± ¡°Tsk! I guess I have to exin it to you.¡± Socheol exined to Cain in detail. Bandits meant low-ranking warriors who received money and used force. Those who couldn¡¯t enter the first-ss sects or families had to earn money by being hired by Pyoguk or nearby sects¡¯ power struggles. After listening to a rough exnation of Pyoguk and bandits, Cain nodded his head. He had an easy time understanding because there were mercenaries and knights on the Western Continent. ¡®So I have to do mercenary work without any status as the eldest son of a writer. I can¡¯t tell my father even if the sky falls.¡¯ He didn¡¯t like it very much, but he had to do something to survive, right? Cain wasn¡¯t such a stubborn person either, so he decided to do whatever he could until he found his party. That¡¯s how Cain¡¯s bandit life began. *** Nogwang entered therge tent in the center and reported. ¡°It was noisy outside. What was the trouble?¡± Bang Da-in, the lord of Cheonryong Pyoguk, asked Nogwang with a curious expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He shrugged his shoulders and gave a brief report on Cain. Bang Da-in narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°A foreigner at this time? Isn¡¯t that a bit suspicious?¡± ¡°Should I interrogate him?¡± Bang Da-in thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°No need. It would be better to trust your judgment than waste time on that. Aren¡¯t you the best master of Cheonryong Pyoguk?¡± ¡°Haha! Thank you for trusting me.¡± Nogwang, the chief escort of the caravan, was also the most trusted confidant of the caravan leader, so he seemed to let go of the matter about Cains. But the real reason why the caravan leader called him was not for such a trivial disturbance. He stroked his ck beard and opened his mouth again with a serious expression. ¡°We have about a week left, right? As I said, this cargo was requested by the Righteous Alliance itself. In the worst case scenario, we might be attacked by the Dark Sect.¡± ¡°I keep that in mind. That¡¯s why you brought all the chief escorts and twelve first-ss escorts with you this time, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But we must never bex in our vignce.¡± The Thousand Dragon Escort Agency was the best escort agency in the south of the river, so the quality of their escorts was quite high. Nogwang, who was in charge of the chief escort, was an outstanding expert who had entered the threshold of the peak. Even the first-ss escorts were experts who could be recognized as decent forces in any sect of the martial world. They had nothing to fear from ordinary bandits. But the name of the Dark Sect was enough to weigh heavily on their shoulders. That¡¯s why they hired a lot of riffraffs like bandits who they usually didn¡¯t employ much. They could use them as shields in case of emergency. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It will work out well.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡± *** A few dayster Nogwang, who was driving the horse at the front, shouted vigorously. ¡°We¡¯ll rest here today! Everyone get ready for camping!¡± ¡°Phew! Is this it for today?¡± ¡°We only have three days left to reach Nakyang. I want to rest in a warm ce soon.¡± The escorts scattered and set up tents and bonfires. The bandits did the same and worked diligently, and Cains was among them. ¡°Hey, you foreigner! Can you help me with this pole?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Cains easily lifted up a thick wooden pole that supported the tent. In fact, it was not a difficult task for a knight of his caliber, but for bandits who were nothing more than third-rate martial artists, they couldn¡¯t help but look at him with amazement. ¡°You¡¯re a strong guy. Are you a great expert by any chance? Haha!¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯m just escorting a precious person from the Western Continent. How can Ipare with you third-rate martial artists?¡± Cains surprisingly adapted well to joining them abruptly. He avoided conflicts and epted most requests like just now. And another reason was Socheol¡¯s existence. He seemed to like Cains and treated him well. He was more refined than other bandits and surprisingly a veteran among them, so it was easier for Cains to adjust. ¡°Thanks to you, the escorting has be much easier.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m getting more help from you.¡± They became close enough to call each other brothers and talked about their future ns. ¡°You said you¡¯re going to look for the person you were escorting when you arrive in Nakyang?¡± Socheol looked at him with pity after hearing his rough situation. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have no choice but to ask around in the city since there¡¯s no way in the mountains.¡± Then Socheol made him a tempting offer. ¡°Then how about joining the Bandit Alliance temporarily? You need money to find someone, but it¡¯s not an expense that you can afford without a penny.¡± ¡°Bandit Alliance?¡± ¡°Yeah. With your skills, you can easily get more than first-ss.¡± The other bandits didn¡¯t care much about Cains¡¯ strength. In fact, why would an outstanding expert join them? But Socheol noticed that Cains was a trained martial artist after spending a few days with him. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stop by when I get to that city called Nakyang.¡± As he nodded cheerfully, their camping preparations werepleted. The night in the mountains was quite cold even though it was summer. ¡°Achoo! I wish we could get to Nakyang soon.¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯m dying for a warm bath¡­¡± The two escorts who were on guard duty grumbled as the night deepened. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for the shift change?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Isn¡¯t the night watch sleeping?¡± As they were grumbling, one of the guards noticed something strange. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that red dot?¡± ¡°What?¡± One of the guards turned his head. But what he saw was not a red dot. Shiiiiing! ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, a man in blood-red clothes was standing in front of them. The red dot was him, but he was so far away that he looked like a speck. He had closed the distance in a blink of an eye. ¡°¡­!?¡± ng! Before they could blink again, one of the guards¡¯ heads exploded like a watermelon. The remaining guard backed away in fear. But the man did not move. He just looked at the guard with cold eyes and opened his mouth. ¡°Are you the trash from the Thousand Dragon Courier Service?¡± He called the Thousand Dragon Courier Service, the best courier service in Gangnam, trash. It was an arrogant remark, but the guard nodded his head without thinking. ¡°I found the right ce.¡± The man smiled wickedly and ordered the guard. ¡°Call your boss. I have something to say to him.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± The guard ran away in a panic towards where the boss was. ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± ¡°What?¡± Soon, people poured out of the tents. The boss, Jang Dae-in, also ran out in a hurry. He saw the man in blood-red clothes and his face turned pale. ¡°W-who are you from the martial world?¡± ¡°Boss! That¡¯s one of the elders of the Dark Sect!¡± An old man who ran out with him quickly exined. The man looked at him with surprise. ¡°There¡¯s someone who knows me in this third-rate courier service? You seem to have some skill too.¡± The man had messy hair and was so tall that he looked like a giant rock. ¡°The Dark Sect?¡± The word made everyone¡¯s faces turn ashen. The old man uttered his name with a trembling voice. ¡°Kwonma Hongjin!¡± ¡°Kuhahaha! That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Hongjin!¡± The intruder was none other than the 10th ranked in the Dark Sect! He was one of the top experts in the Dark Sect. Chapter 146: The Mercenary Chapter 146: The Mercenary The faces of the group from the Heavenly Dragon n turned pale as soon as they saw Kwonma Hongjin appear. Jang Daeein asked again with a trembling voice. ¡°What do you want from us? I don¡¯t think we have anything that the Magyo would want.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Hongjin snorted and stretched out his hand. Then he said with an arrogant expression. ¡°Hand over the divine artifact. Then I won¡¯t bother with your lives, you worms.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jang Daeein sighed inwardly. ¡®I didn¡¯t know why such a terrifying master would block our escort mission, but now I see that the information leaked out!¡¯ Among the goods they were transporting, there was one thing that they had to deliver to the Righteous Alliance at all costs. Jang Daeein bit his lip and winked at Nogwang. ¡®You are the best martial artist among us. Run away with it.¡¯ ¡®Master!¡¯ Nogwang wanted to refuse, but he couldn¡¯t dissuade his master who had served for decades when he saw his expression. ¡°A divine artifact? We are just transporting some goods at the request of the Righteous Alliance.¡± ¡°Kuhuhu¡­ I knew you would say that.¡± Hongjin sneered at Jang Daeein who was ying dumb. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter! It¡¯s very easy to kill you all and take the goods.¡± Chang! Chae-chang! At his words, the mercenaries and escorts drew their weapons in anger. But to Hongjin, they wereughable. ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t touch our master!¡± The first ones to rush in were the first-ss escorts. They wielded weapons that glowed blue with their infused energy. They were all skilled in their own ways. But as Hongjin had boasted, they were not much help. Chang-gang! ¡°Ugh!¡± Hongjin broke the escorts¡¯ swords with his bare fist as if they were nothing. The first-ss escorts were also able to infuse their weapons with energy to increase their power, but they were no match for Hongjin, who could freely manipte his refined energy in front of a peak master. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do as I said and kill you all and take them.¡± As soon as he said that, his hand turned ck with dark energy and swept over the first-ss escorts in an instant. Kwajik! ¡°Kraaak!¡± Every time his hand touched them, their weapons shattered and blood and flesh flew. It took less than a minute for the twelve first-ss escorts to be corpses. ¡°How can this be.¡± The faces of Jang Daeein and the remaining escorts turned ashen. The mercenaries¡¯ faces were even paler. Hongjin reached out his hand towards Jang Daeein as if he had nothing more to say. Kwaaa! His hand stretched out like lightning, tearing through the air. It looked like the hand of death, so Jang Daeein closed his eyes with a pale face. ¡°Chang!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But what followed was not pain, but a dull sound. He slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Hongjin, who had stepped back slightly. He had anger on his face. ¡°Who are you!¡± The answer was unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m a hired man.¡± ¡°What?¡± **** The faces of the bandits turned pale as the first-rate marksmen, who were quite formidable, were annihted in an instant. It reminded them of a collection of portraits. Socheol, who drew his old sword, whispered to Cains with a pale expression. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not officially hired, so sneak away when we charge.¡± ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a young man with a bright future ahead? You said you have to find your lord too.¡± Cains looked puzzled. He thought that it was suicidal for the bandits to rush at the old man with a huge body. But why did he tell him to run away alone? ¡°We are hired by the Heavenly Dragon n. How can they trust us if we abandon our client and run away in the bandit world?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Even if we run away now, the Bandit Alliance won¡¯t ept us anyway. They might even send a pursuit team to catch and kill us!¡± As he said, there were more than fifty bandits here, but none of them seemed to have any intention of escaping even though they were trembling. ¡®Whether I die now orter, it¡¯s all the same!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s better to die here and get some constion money from the Alliance for my family.¡¯ Cains realized that it was true when he looked at Socheol and their faces. But he couldn¡¯t leave them alone to die like this. ¡®Especially since I owe him a favor.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know why, but Socheol was not as rough as other bandits who had been around for a long time. He took care of Cains as if he was his younger brother with an age gap. In fact, Cains was not in a good mood when he was stranded alone in another continent. He was originally optimistic, so he didn¡¯t show it on the outside, but his mind was full of worries about hispanions, including Eurius. He had no choice but to live among the rough bandits, but thanks to Socheol, he was able to get a lot of information about the Eastern Continent and find a way to look for hispanions. ¡®His Majesty told me to avoid showing my power as much as possible¡­¡¯ Cains and hispanions were told by Eurius and Jegal Hwayoung not to show their power if possible. It was a measure to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings with the martial artists in case of an emergency, but what about this case? ¡®Well, His Majesty will understand.¡¯ Cains drew his sword and blocked Hongjin, who was about to attack Jang Da-in. Hongjin tilted his head when he saw the young man with a shy appearance standing in front of him. ¡®A foreigner? He doesn¡¯t look like much, but he repelled my fist. He¡¯s not an ordinary guy.¡¯ He rubbed his slightly sore fist and red sharply at Cains. ¡°So the Jeongdo Faction didn¡¯t neglect their preparations after all?¡± ¡°Jeongdo Faction? I have nothing to do with them. If possible, please step back¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± If he had been a little less aggressive or smarter, he could have talked to Cains and spared the lives of the bandits in exchange for some goods. But he was not that kind of person. He clenched his fist and charged at Cains. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Cains had no choice but to swing his sword and fight back. ng! Every time the sword and fist collided, a loud noise echoed and the ground they were standing on sank deeply. Surprisingly, Cains was not pushed back by Hongjin at all. *** ¡°Who¡­ who is that guy?¡± Jang Da-in was so surprised that he couldn¡¯t speak at first. He barely managed to utter a word. No Gwang, the leader of the marksmen, also didn¡¯t answer right away as if he was speechless. How could they imagine that the foreigner they brought along as a sidekick was such an amazing master? ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Socheol and the other bandits were also watching this astonishing fight with their mouths open. ¡°Brother So! Did you know that kid was such a master?¡± ¡°How could I know that even though I¡¯ve been around for a long time¡­¡± Socheol also answered with a stunned expression at the bandits¡¯ question. They were even more dumbfounded because Cains, who had been with them until a moment ago, was nothing more than a slightly shabby swordsman. The thoughts of the Thousand Dragon Bounty Guild and the bandits soon changed from astonishment to bewilderment. ¡®No, why did such a master join the bandits?¡¯ *** Meanwhile, Cains, who was fighting, also swung his sword with a somewhat bewildered expression. ¡®This guy is at least two or three levels above me in terms of force?¡¯ Hong Jin was not a superhuman, but he was an outstanding master who was among the top five in the Demon Sect with his fists, as his nickname Demon Fist implied. Logically, Cains, who had not even been a master-level for a year, should be pushed back. But the situation waspletely different. Swish! sh! Hong Jin¡¯s arm was split open and blood sttered. He had been cut quite deeply, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill down his spine. ¡®Where did this guye from? I¡¯m being pushed back like this!¡¯ He thought it was ridiculous at first because he didn¡¯t feel any strong power from Cains¡¯ sword, but when he actually fought him, the result was the opposite. Normally, if a master like Hong Jin unleashed his fist, any ordinary sword would break like a straw due to the pressure, but Cains seemed unaffected by it. Cains¡¯ sword came in like a ghost, ignoring his pressure. sh! As the wounds increased, Hong Jin¡¯s face gradually turned pale from bleeding and tension. In the end, he had no choice but to give up the fight. ¡®Crap¡­ I have to show my back to someone who is half my age¡­¡¯ Boom! Hong Jin unleashed his fist with all his might for a moment and used the momentum to spin his body. Swoosh Cains was pushed back slightly by the powerful pressure. He smiled inwardly with satisfaction. ¡®I can get away with this.¡¯ He slid back about ten meters in an instant. ¡°Damn!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The Thousand Dragon Bounty Guild and the bandits let out a regretful sigh. It was obvious that Hong Jin had seeded in escaping. ¡°¡­!?¡± However, Hong Jin, who thought he would run away, couldn¡¯t move any further. No, rather, he looked back with an unbelievable expression. ¡°¡­¡± Squirt! His waist was split open and blood gushed out like a fountain. The result was clear. Cains¡¯ sword had cut off his waist before he couldpletely get away. Thud. He shuddered his huge body and copsed on the ground. Cains looked at the dying Hong Jin with a bewildered expression. ¡®That was too easy?¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent for him either, but he killed an opponent who he thought was one or two levels above him without any serious injury. Cains couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡®Well, as long as the result is good.¡¯ But in fact, Cains¡¯ skill was one level above Hong Jin¡¯s. The reason why his skill had developed so much was none other than the realbat experience with strong opponents! Cains didn¡¯t intend to do so, but he had hardly fought anyone weaker than him until now. He always fought life-and-death battles with opponents who were overwhelming or a few levels above him, so his skill had increased rapidly without him knowing it. Soon he turned around and looked at the bandits with an awkward expression. ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The silence that had been maintained for a moment in the hall was soon covered with cheers as someone eximed. ¡°Woah! You¡¯re awesome!¡± ¡°Did you see that? I couldn¡¯t even see how his sword moved!¡± Even in the midst of themotion, Socheol looked at Cains with aplex and subtle expression. He was confused about how to address him. ¡°Uh¡­ I mean, Grandmaster¡­¡± But Cains lowered his head with a shamefaced expression. ¡°Brother! I¡¯m sorry for hiding my skills. You must be very angry.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Seeing him, Socheol was flustered and then smiled brightly. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Thank you for saving my life! You are a hero to all of us!¡± ¡°Woohoo!¡± The bandits gathered around Cains in groups of three or five and created a festive atmosphere. But there were people who walked through them and approached him. ¡°Hmm! Hmm! Excuse me, can you make some room?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The person was none other than Jang Daein, the head of the Cheonryong Trade Company, and Nogwang, the chief bandit. They bowed deeply to Cains as soon as they saw him. ¡°Grandmaster! Thank you very much.¡± ¡°We owe you a great debt.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Cains scratched his head and epted their greetings. Jang Daein tried to invite him inside with a ttering tone. ¡°We can¡¯t let a master like you stay in such a shabby ce! We¡¯ll prepare a room for you right away.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m fine staying here.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± His answer was quite firm, so Jang Daein and Nogwang didn¡¯t dare to insist. But they had another purpose, so Jang Daein opened his mouth nervously. ¡°Well¡­ then there¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to ask you here.¡± This time, the Cheonryong Trade Company lost twelve first-ss bandits in an instant. If bandits attacked them on their way back, they couldn¡¯t guarantee the safety of their goods. ¡°Actually, this trade mission was requested by the Jeongdo Alliance. We¡¯re transporting some very important items.¡± But Cains didn¡¯t even know what the Jeongdo Alliance was, so he tilted his head. ¡°So?¡± ¡°We originally agreed to end our contract with the bandits when we arrived at Nakyang, but could you please protect us until we safely return?¡± Cains nodded readily. He considered it a small favor since he owed them too. Jang Daein thanked him repeatedly and bowed his head. ¡°Thank you. Grandmaster! I¡¯ll let the Jeongdo Alliance know about this. I¡¯m sure the leader of the Jeongdo Alliance, Baek Hakgeomseon Grandmaster, will praise you highly for this.¡± Just as the atmosphere became friendly. ¡°What about the payment for my brother then? He risked his life and defeated a master of the Makyu Sect!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Brother?¡± The one who interrupted between Jang Daein and Cains was unexpectedly Socheol. He was shaking slightly but stared at Jang Daein with a stern expression. ¡°I may be a third-ss bandit scum, but he¡¯s not! He also saved your lives by fighting a master of the Makyu Sect, but there¡¯s nopensation for that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°How dare you! A mere bandit like you!¡± Nogwang blocked Socheol¡¯s way with an annoyed face. But Socheol opened his mouth again with a trembling but firm voice. ¡°Cains is temporarily joined, but he¡¯s still hired by you! He deserves to be paid ording to the bandit¡¯sw.¡± That¡¯s right. Even if he joined temporarily, it was customary in the bandit¡¯s world to treat them ording to their skills. Of course, the only thing they could pay for wielding their weapons for money was money. Socheol snickered inwardly. ¡®You must have thought you could fool my brother who doesn¡¯t know much about this world and use him for free, but I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¯ Jang Daein looked back and forth between Socheol and Cains with a sweat on his forehead as he wiped it with a handkerchief. ¡°I was thinking of reporting to the Lord of Justice for a reward. Then I would get not only money, but also a great honor from the Alliance¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not from this continent. I¡¯m looking for my lost master. I¡¯m going to return to the West Continent soon, so I have no reason to care about fame here.¡± Socheol¡¯s words were wless in logic. It was true that Cains¡¯ goal was to find Eurius and hispanions, not to make a name for himself in the martial world. ¡®Rather than paying a fortune to an information organization, what¡¯s the point of caring about fame when he¡¯s not going to stay in the martial world?¡¯ ¡®Brother¡­¡¯ Cains looked at Socheol nkly and then opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°By the way, I was hired as a mercenary. If you request an escort, I should get paid.¡± ¡°If the Alliance Leader says so¡­ I understand.¡± Jang Daeein looked gloomy. He knew that it would cost more than hiring a unit of mediocre mercenaries, considering Cains¡¯ skills. After they left, Cains thanked him. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, brother, I would have been killed. Thank you again.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­ It¡¯s ridiculous to treat you as a mercenary with your real skills! It¡¯s just that the damn lord was trying to take advantage of you, so I just made up some excuses.¡± Socheol looked at Cains with an awkward expression and then asked again. ¡°So, are you going to Nakyang and look for your master right away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m worried about the otherpanions too.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Then it would be better to rip off as much as you can from the Cheonryong Express and then use that money to request an information organization like Gaebang or Hamoon.¡± ¡°Information organization?¡± ¡°Yes, actually they charge a lot of money for requests, so I didn¡¯t mention it until now. Then I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Cains chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to stop by the Mercenary Union too. Didn¡¯t you promise me?¡± Socheolughed with him, thinking that Cains was joking. ¡°Of course! How can a master like you be satisfied with being a third-rate mercenary? If you report to the Justice Lord, you might get a good treatment there.¡± But Cains¡¯ expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°I like this life in my own way. If you help me a little bit, brother, this is the best job for me to wander around looking for my master.¡± He had his own thoughts. How long would it take to find Eurius when he didn¡¯t even know where he was? After thinking about it for a while, he decided that this life was not bad, considering Socheol¡¯s existence who treated him kindly here. ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hearing his clear answer, Socheol fell into deep thought again. ¡®It¡¯s ridiculous for him to be a mercenary with his skills, but¡­¡¯ Socheol was not an ordinary street-born mercenary. He was the son of a low-ranking military officer and had been a literate person when he was young. But ten years ago, his family was involved in a conspiracy and he became homeless. He ended up wandering the streets as a third-rate mercenary. That was why he had a good head for a mercenary. After racking his brains, Socheol finally came up with a conclusion. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we go big if we¡¯re going to be mercenaries?¡± ¡°Go big?¡± ¡°Take over the Mercenary Union!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°It may sound sudden, but it¡¯s not impossible with your skills.¡± The Mercenary Union was also part of the martial world. The martial world was ruled by the strong! There were some high-ranking mercenaries among the mercenaries who could match the masters, but Socheol thought that there was no one who could beat Cains. There was another reason for that. ¡°Besides, in the martial world where fights never stop, the Mercenary Union is a fairlyrge group. It will also help you find your master.¡± The number of mercenaries spread across the East Continent was tens of thousands. If he gained the status of their representative, it would be a great help in finding people. That was Socheol¡¯s idea. ¡®Isn¡¯t this too big? What am I going to tell His Majestyter?¡¯ Cains felt a bit of bad feeling, but Socheol¡¯s words made sense, so he nodded for now. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can sit in such a grand position, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± Chapter 147: Entry Chapter 147: Entry After that, the journey of the Heavenly Dragon n, including Cains, went smoothly. They arrived at Nakyang, where the main branch of the Righteous Alliance was located, in less than three days. Nakyang was one of thergest cities in the western region of the Hwan Empire, and it was iparable to the small viges they had often visited before. ¡°Phew. Well then, I¡¯ll go to the Righteous Alliance first and deliver the goods ande back.¡± The head of the bureau, Jang Daein, who had been restless before arriving, greeted Cains and hurriedly headed to the Righteous Alliance. Socheol looked at him with a slight suspicion. ¡®The goods that are targeted by the high-ranking members of the Demon Sect and have to be delivered directly to the Righteous Alliance¡­¡¯ ¡°Brother, are you worried about something?¡± ¡°No, not at all. Anyway, we should also go to the Lovers¡¯ Union as soon as possible while the head is away! They say it¡¯s better to pull out a horn while it¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Cains and Socheol chatted as they headed to the city of Nakyang. *** Some timeter, Jang Daein stood in front of the office door of the Righteous Alliance with a sigh of relief. ¡°Leader, the head of the Heavenly Dragon n hase to deliver the goods.¡± ¡°Tell him toe in.¡± Creak. Jang Daein opened the door and entered, and politely greeted Shin Jaseong, the leader of the Righteous Alliance and a master swordsman known as Baekhakgeomseon. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Leader Shin.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m just an old man. Please sit down. I¡¯ll have some tea for you.¡± The leader Shin Jaseong weed him with a smile like an immortal, but Jang Daein had no leisure in his mind as he had gone through a life-threatening situation. He quickly took out a small wooden box from his bosom and ced it on the table. ¡°The goods are here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Jaseong stared at him with curiosity and offered him someforting words. ¡°It seems that you have faced quite a crisis, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Isn¡¯t this much sacrifice necessary for the justice of the martial world?¡± He said so, but Jang Daein was unhappy inside. He had lost twelve first-ss expressmen, and the amount he had to pay Cains was also considerable. Shin Jaseong consoled him with a warm tone. ¡°There will bepensation for this incident from the Righteous Allianceter. I guarantee it with my name as the leader.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say when you say that, Leader Shin.¡± After some formal conversation, Shin Jaseong gently lifted up the wooden box that Jang Daein had handed over with both hands. Then he uttered a faint exmation. ¡°Hmm.¡± Even though it was summer, the box was hot as if it had been heated by fire. It would be hard for anyone who didn¡¯t practice martial arts to carry it on their body. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a divine artifact. I¡¯ve received it for sure.¡± Jang Daein bowed his head silently and wondered inside. He didn¡¯t really know what he meant by a divine artifact. He had a habit of evaluating the value of goods as a merchant. He thought it was a code name for transportation at first, but it seemed that the original name of that thing was a divine artifact by looking at Shin Jaseong¡¯s expression. ¡®If it¡¯s something that a high-ranking member of the Demon Sect would covet, it must be extraordinary. Let me see¡­ What kind of treasure in this world would be called a divine artifact?¡¯ ¡°Haha¡­ What are you thinking so hard about?¡± Shin Jaseong¡¯s gentle words brought him back from his thoughts to the office. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking something unnecessary.¡± ¡°Haha, you must have suffered a lot because of this thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. If you receive the goods yourself, there is no need for me, a lowly merchant, to interfere.¡± Shin Jaseong added another word with a nonchnt look as he saw Jang Daein bowing his head repeatedly. ¡°A divine artifact is literally a divine artifact.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°How many treasures are recorded as divine artifacts in all the ancient books? ¡° ¡°¡­!?¡± At first, Jang Dae-in thought he was joking. But when he saw Shin Ja-seong staring at him with a calm expression, his face turned pale with shock. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Shin Ja-seong spoke in a rxed tone. ¡°That¡¯s right. Inside this is one of the four divine weapons that belonged to Lee Cheong-mun, the peerless master of the martial world two hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Jang Dae-in was a merchant, but he had also dipped his toes in the martial world, so he knew the legend of the four divine weapons. The four divine weapons were, as Shin Ja-seong said, the four weapons that Lee Cheong-mun used two hundred years ago. ording to the legend, each of those divine weapons had the power to destroy mountains and split seas. It was a nearly forgotten name now, but people at that time also called him the master of the four directions. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s amazing. Haha¡­¡± Jang Dae-in took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. It was natural for him to be flustered. ¡®If the four divine weapons really existed, it would be a huge event that would turn the martial world upside down. Why is he telling me, a mere merchant, about this?¡¯ Moreover, if it was such an item, it would not be enough even if it was guarded by a strict security and escorted by the experts of the alliance. Why did he send it secretly through the courier service? Seeing him rolling his eyes, Shin Ja-seong chuckled. ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s not confirmed yet that it¡¯s a genuine divine weapon. It¡¯s just that in a few days, the alliance will have a meeting to determine whether this is a divine weapon or not. By then, it won¡¯t be a secret anymore.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I see.¡± Shin Ja-seong changed the topic after saying that much. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the old story aside and tell me what happened on your way here. I heard you were attacked by the evil sect¡­¡± Jang Dae-in came to his senses when he heard that. That¡¯s right, there was something about Caines, the mysterious expert with colorful eyes. He opened his mouth to tell him everything. ¡°Well¡­¡± *** ¡°The preparations for the ship are all done.¡± ¡°Then we can leave now?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, grandmaster.¡± Namgoong Il-cheon still felt a bit awkward facing Eurius because of his previous martial arts performance. But during the time they prepared the ship to cross the South Sea Road, there were many changes between Eurius and the righteous alliance. First of all, Eurius was able to show his face in the leadership meetings like this one. He broke Namgoong Il-cheon with Je Gal-se¡¯s guarantee, and no one could deny his position. There was also his presence. ¡°Snort! So you came here to volunteer for the exploration of Bidong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I have some reasons.¡± Gu Gae Gu-cheon-geol had somewhat resolved his doubts about Eurius over these few days, but he still looked at him with a slightly curious expression. ¡®Well, even in the Western Continent, the legend of Lee Cheong-mun is famous, so maybe he¡¯s interested?¡¯ Left evil. Namgoong Il-cheon took out a map from his bosom and spread it on the table. ¡°First of all, this is the unconfirmed map of Bidong that was discovered this time.¡± ¡°Unconfirmed?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you.¡± Je Gal-un-hyeon exined when Eurius showed his question. ¡°Actually, this sh with the evil sect was caused by this map.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± A few months ago, this mysterious map came into the hands of the righteous alliance. The map showed the location of the ind and the terrain of Bidong in detail, but it did not indicate what was there. ¡°It¡¯s suspicious indeed. Howe a map of an area that hasn¡¯t been properly investigated suddenly appears?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And there was another problem. Rumors.¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± Je Gal-un-hyeon smiled bitterly and continued. ¡°There were only two copies of that map, and they each went into the hands of the righteous alliance and the evil sect. And then rumors about Bidong spread throughout the martial world.¡± ¡°Is that the legend of the Wall of Ankeuma or something?¡± ¡°You seem to have heard of it.¡± ¡°I got into unnecessary trouble because of it.¡± As he looked at the grumbling Eurius, Jegal Unhyeon chuckled and opened his mouth again. ¡°Since you know, I¡¯ll skip the exnation. Yes, this map shows the location of the Wall of Ankeuma, where the legacy of Lee Cheongmun, the Investigator, is rumored to exist in Bongmado.¡± At that point, Eurius¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Never mind the suspicious part, isn¡¯t this a trap?¡± ¡°The Alliance also judged that there is a high possibility of that.¡± An unidentified map, a rumor that suddenly spread. And the fact that the side that obtained the map was hostile to them, and that they were thergest forces in the martial world, the Righteous Alliance and the Magyo. Eurius looked somewhat disappointed. ¡°Tsk! Then there is a possibility that Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy does not actually exist?¡± ¡°That may not necessarily be the case.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But Jegal Unhyeon seemed to have a different idea. ¡°I can¡¯t be sure that it¡¯s Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something in there.¡± ¡°The reason?¡± ¡°First of all, the mechanism inside was too borate. Both Righteous Alliance and Magyo sent their first exploration teams and couldn¡¯t even return alive. The survivors were trembling with fear, saying that the traps inside were really vicious.¡± Eurius nodded his head. It seemed that sending two superhuman experts was not just because of a quarrel with Magyo. ¡°And the area is huge. Even if they expanded the existing cave, it would be almost impossible to create such arge underground space with human power.¡± Hearing that, Eurius added a word. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s a ce where yers have intervened?¡± ¡°I think there is a high possibility of that.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°As I hear it, do you have an interest in yers?¡± As their expressions became serious, Gucheon Girl casually intervened. He wanted to know Eurius¡¯s identity, so he often asked questions like this. ¡°I¡¯m more interested than others.¡± It was a dry answer, but Gucheon Girl pondered for a moment after hearing it. ¡®He¡¯s a nobleman of high rank, interested in yers, and has excellent martial arts skills¡­¡¯ As half of the people gathered in the hall fell into silence, Namgoong Ilcheon, who was stuck in between, was at a loss. He was supposed to be the leader of this Righteous Alliance, but he looked rather pitiful. ¡°Leader, can we resume the meeting now?¡± ¡°Ah! I was thinking too deeply. Please continue.¡± Eurius answered coolly and the meeting finally reached a conclusion. The summary of the conclusion was as follows. One, they take a boat to Namhaedo. Two, they divide the people who will enter the Wall and those who will guard outside to prevent Magyo¡¯s attack in the middle. Three, they take the items obtained from the Wall to Righteous Alliance first and decide who owns them. The third use was mostly added with Eurius in mind, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡®Anyway, even if there is a legacy, I can just learn it by acquisition.¡¯ Things went smoothly like that, and Eurius and Righteous Alliance boarded a boat to Namhaedo. He frowned as he boarded the boat. ¡®The weather is really bad. Do I have no connection with the sea?¡¯ He honestly didn¡¯t like taking a boat because of his shipwreck experience. Whooosh! ng! And even the weather was like this. The wind was strong and it started to drizzle. It wasn¡¯t bad enough to prevent them from sailing, but for Eurius who had been swept away by a typhoon, it was enough to cause trauma. ¡°The weather is very fickle this year. The fishermen said that it would be sunny for a few days until you arrived.¡± Jegal Unhyeon shook his head as if he was amazed by that and Eurius observed the state of the waves from the bow. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a very faraway ind. There shouldn¡¯t be any trouble.¡± Woong woong! Eurius, who was standing on the deck, felt a strong vibration from his waist and slightly lifted his Yellow Dragon Sword. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± [¡­] He looked at the Yellow Dragon Sword, which gave no answer, with a puzzled expression. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s been strangely quiet since we came to the Eastern Continent.¡± The Yellow Dragon Sword had stopped talking at some point after they arrived in the Eastern Continent. But Eurius didn¡¯t think much of it, since it wasn¡¯t very talkative before either. He put the sword back in its sheath. ¡°Normally, it would at least curse at me. Maybe this damned sword is finally growing up?¡± *** Half a dayter. Eurius and the Alliance of Justice were standing at the entrance of a cave located inside a rocky cliff. This was the secret cave that was marked on the map. Namgoong Ilcheon bowed his head politely to one of hispanions. ¡°Thank you for being our guide, Senior Gu No.¡± ¡°I came here for that purpose, so you don¡¯t have to tell me!¡± Gu Cheongeol snapped back and tapped around the entrance with his wooden staff. He alsoy down t and sniffed the air. This was the real reason why he came to the Eastern Continent. He was not only a master of the Open Boat, but also a renowned expert in various mechanisms and tracking skills. He was called the best in the martial arts world for these abilities. He was an indispensable talent for breaking through this secret cave, which was full of traps. After finishing his investigation, Gu Cheongeol started to report with a grumpy face. ¡°There are some people who entered an hour ago. They must be from the Demon Sect. There are no special devices at the entrance.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s face became slightly anxious when he heard that. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. We need to enter quickly. We can¡¯t let the Demon Sect get ahead of us.¡± He looked at Eurius with a worried expression. ¡°We don¡¯t know if there will be an attack while we explore the secret cave, so one of you, either Eurius Grandmaster or Je Gal Woonhyeon, should stay behind.¡± There were three superhumans, so one of them had to stay behind to guard the entrance. Je Gal Woonhyeon spoke up casually. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay behind. There won¡¯t be any trouble if you and Master go together.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon honestly thought that there might be some argument here, but surprisingly, Je Gal Woonhyeon backed off easily. ¡°Are you okay with that, Grandmaster?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a difficult task. I¡¯m fine.¡± Eurius agreed readily, since he had already talked to Je Gal Woonhyeon beforehand. He had to act together with them and build trust if he wanted to win their hearts. It was a wise choice to conserve his energy at the entrance in case of an unexpected attack, and Je Gal Woonhyeon was already a reliable subordinate whom he could leave alone. ¡°There¡¯s another benefit to this.¡± This was what Je Gal Woonhyeon said. As he made his decision confidently, the people of the Alliance of Justice looked at Eurius with admiration. ¡°He¡¯s going into a dangerous ce where he might sh with the Demon Sect, and he¡¯s leaving behind a superhuman like Je Gal Woonhyeon Grandmaster for us¡­¡± ¡°He may look a bit odd, but he¡¯s extraordinary in both martial arts skills and generosity.¡± Martial artists respected the strong by nature. And he showed them his magnanimity by leaving behind a superhuman subordinate for the sake of the remaining people of the Alliance of Justice. They couldn¡¯t help but admire him. In this friendly atmosphere, the Alliance of Justice finally entered the secret cave, led by Gu Cheongeol. The number of people was about fifty elite experts, centered around Eurius, Namgoong Ilcheon, and Gu Cheongeol. They thought that more than that would be rather hindering when moving fast. The experts of the Alliance of Justice who stepped into the secret cave cautiously eximed as soon as they entered. ¡°Is this the secret cave?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing as I heard. How did they make such a spacious cave?¡± The entrance of the secret cave was narrow, but the inside was widened by human power, making the width of the passage very wide. And on the ceiling, there were expensive night pearls lined up, illuminating the inside. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt Senior Gu No¡¯s skills, but please be careful.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Guchunghul stepped into the cave with a tense expression, ring his nose. This ce was so dangerous that it almost wiped out dozens of experts sent by the Jeongdomaeng. Namgoong Ilcheon, who was also staring intently at Guchunghul¡¯s investigation, looked at Eurius next to him with a slightly puzzled expression. ¡°Grandmaster? Is there a problem?¡± Eurius, who had been looking around with a strange expression as soon as he entered the cave, said. ¡°No, I just have something to think about.¡± Eurius casually nced around and suddenly shouted at Guchunghul, who was busy investigating. ¡°Guchunghul! Move three steps to the side!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Guchunghul frowned, wondering why that damn lord was doing that again. But an order was an order. He obediently moved three steps. But Eurius¡¯s instruction was not over yet. ¡°From there, two more steps forward!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The people of the Righteous Alliance, including Guchunghul, tilted their heads, wondering why Eurius was doing that. ¡®Is he ying with me? Ugh¡­¡¯ Guchunghul stepped forward two more steps without much thought. But at that moment, Eurius¡¯s voice rang in his ear. ¡°Watch your head!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shiiik! Guchunghul looked up at the ceiling. And he was startled. ¡°Gasp!¡± The ceiling cracked open and a small jar fell down like an arrow toward his head. But Guchunghul was a master of divine arts, recognized in the martial world. He spun his body in an instant without any preparation and dodged the jar. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Chiiiik! ¡°¡­!?¡± Surprisingly, as soon as the liquid in the jar touched the floor, it corroded and melted the floor. Judging by how it melted the hard granite in an instant, if it had hit a person, it would have dissolved them without leaving any trace. ¡°It¡¯s hwagolsan!¡± Hwagolsan was one of the most deadly poisons with acidity, and it could melt a person without leaving a corpse even before they finished drinking a cup of tea. Guchunghul widened his eyes and looked at Eurius. How did Eurius detect the trap that he didn¡¯t notice? But Eurius didn¡¯t answer and smirked. ¡®It seems like we¡¯vee to the right ce.¡¯ Others couldn¡¯t see it, but now his eyes showed a detailed map of this cave. [The quest ¡®ck Tortoise¡¯ begins.] [A map is given. Avoid the traps and clear the cave.] Chapter 148: Upper Floor Chapter 148: Upper Floor [SS Rank Dungeon: ck Tortoise Cave] [The map will be revealed ording to your achievements.] [Your achievement rate is high. More detailed information will be revealed.] As the system said, Eurius could tell what kind of devices were in the dungeon¡¯s passage just by ncing at it. He walked forward and turned his head to Namgoong Ilcheon. ¡°I have some knowledge of these mechanisms too, so I¡¯ll take the lead with you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Thank you for that.¡± No one dared to argue with him. They had just seen Eurius pinpoint the location of the trap. ¡®Damn! How did he find the trap that even I couldn¡¯t detect? There¡¯s no point in apanying him.¡¯ Gu Cheon-geol was so hurt by his pride that he started to advance ahead of Eurius. But the result was not very good. As he moved forward, he heard Eurius¡¯s calm voice. ¡°Oh, there will be steel arrows shooting from the side of the passage.¡± Shriek! As soon as he said that, a terrifying sound of breaking the air rang out. ¡°¡­!?¡± Gu Cheon-geol bent his waist back in surprise. Dozens of silver arrows barely grazed his torso. Puff puff! The arrows pierced through the solid stone wall like a tofu. Seeing that sight, Gu Cheon-geol broke out in a cold sweat. ¡®If I had been hit squarely, my body would have been pierced through, regardless of my defensive skills.¡¯ He was not a foolish person, so he cautiously looked at Eurius. ¡°Then how do we deactivate it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you! I don¡¯t know much about the devices.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unfortunately, Eurius only knew the location of the trap, not the expert of the mechanisms. It was all up to Gu Cheon-geol to figure out how to break them. He examined the wall where the arrows had been fired. Sometimes he went in and activated the mechanism again. His effort was not in vain, so he shouted loudly to the United Alliance side. ¡°Just follow me and step on exactly where I step!¡± Gu Cheon-geol skipped dozens of steps on the floor of the passage. It was a structure that fired arrows when a certain part of the floor was stepped on. That way, the masters of the United Alliance were able to cross safely by stepping on only where Gu Cheon-geol had stepped and passed. Simr situations repeated after that. Of course, the one who suffered the most was Gu Cheon-geol. ¡°Ah! That ce¡­¡± Whoosh! Before Eurius¡¯s words were finished, a fierce me spewed out from the ceiling. ¡°Huek!¡± Gu Cheon-geol rolled on the floor to barely avoid the me, and almost screamed out loud. ¡°This damn bastard¡­ No, sir! Are you doing this on purpose?¡± Eurius made an excuse with a poker face. ¡°How could I? I just detected it a littlete.¡± Of course, his inner thoughts were like this. ¡®I can¡¯t go in there myself, can I? You¡¯re good at martial arts, so you should do it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t possible topletely prevent danger by knowing what kind of devices were there. The system¡¯s exnation was not very detailed. [Hellfire ¨C mes spew out from the ceiling. A Rank Mechanism.] It was impossible to predict perfectly by looking at such a vague description without showing how it worked. ¡®I don¡¯t know how dangerous it is even if it¡¯s A Rank.¡¯ In that sense, there was no reason not to use the best person to throw as a scapegoat. Gu Cheon-geol was the most agile and skilled in martial arts except for Eurius, so he wouldn¡¯t be seriously injured even if he was told a littlete. ¡®Damn it¡­ I¡¯m old and this is too hard!¡¯ Gu Cheon-geol grumbled inwardly, but still investigated and made a way to break through the traps that Eurius pointed out. ¡°There¡¯s no way around this one. If I have to say something, I just have to cut off the ceiling part where the mechanism is installed¡­¡± Squeak. Thud! Before his words were over, Eurius¡¯s sword cut off the ceiling where the me had spewed out. The neat skill made the masters of the United Alliance behind him gasp and admire. ¡°As expected!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that he easily subdued Namgoong Daehyup.¡± In this way, this strangebination cleared the traps and advanced. The United Alliance was grateful to Eurius for passing through the terrifying traps without any injuries. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Daehyup. How can we thank you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m also apanion, and I¡¯m d that my colleagues are safe. You said we don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Eurius smiled and still led the United Alliance. As he looked around diligently, even those who were somewhat displeased with Eurius, the foreigner, had to nod and agree. ¡°How many of us would have been safe if it weren¡¯t for Daehyup?¡± ¡°I thought he was suspicious at first, but maybe I should look at him again.¡± But on the other hand, there were some suspicious eyes. ¡°How can a foreigner know so well about the mechanisms of the far east? Maybe he had already investigated this ce beforehand?¡± Of course, Eurius had thought of that too. Throwing Gu Cheon-geol into the trap on purpose was one of the acts to disguise that his knowledge was not omnipotent. ¡®If they doubt me more, I have another way.¡¯ [Needle Wall ¨C Needles pour out from the wall. D Rank Mechanism.] Swoosh! Eurius passed by the mechanism indifferently, but as soon as the party moved, countless sharp needles poured out to the United Alliance side. ¡°Huh!¡± The startled people couldn¡¯t prepare for it. As they closed their eyes tightly! Thud. Eurius, who hade close to them somehow, blocked all the needles. He swept away all the needles with the wind pressure of his sword. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was too stealthy and I couldn¡¯t detect the mechanism here.¡± Eurius apologized with a sorry expression, and the masters of the United Alliance declined with embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have been seriously injured.¡± This wasn¡¯t the only time this happened. Crash! Suddenly a hole opened in the passage and a steel ball that looked over two meters high rolled at a terrifying speed. It was obvious that if it hit squarely, it wouldn¡¯t leave any bones. [Steel Ball Rotation ¨C A steel ball made of steel crushes you. C Rank Mechanism.] ¡°Block it!¡± The United Alliance drew their weapons and tried to stop the rolling ball. But this time too, Eurius was the fastest. He blocked the front of the party with lightning speed and hit the rolling steel ball. Boom! With that strike, Cheolgu exploded into pieces. The fragments that scattered as Cheolgu was torn apart were blocked by the other experts, including Namgoong Ilcheon. ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re fine.¡± At Eurius¡¯s worried voice, the experts who had been approached by Cheolgu stuttered their answers. And as this situation repeated itself, their expressions softened as they looked at Eurius. Who would hate someone who risked his life to protect hispanions? ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of what I doubted before. You threw yourself in front of us to protect us, even though we¡¯re no different from strangers.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯re iparable to the evil Magyo.¡± As they cleared their misunderstanding(?), Eurius smiled contentedly. ¡®Leaving some traps behind was effective.¡¯ In fact, the trap just now was also like that. Eurius had deliberately left behind some traps that were not very dangerous. Of course, they would be fatal if they were careless and hit them, but the Jeongdo Alliance wasposed of considerable experts, so they wouldn¡¯t have suffered much damage even if Eurius didn¡¯t intervene. He had already warned hispanions about the big traps that seemed to be fatal. But even if they were nothing, damage was damage. So he blocked them instead, and he got an unexpected effect from it. Eurius was a strong man who had defeated Namgoong Ilcheon, who was as good as the vice-leader of Jeongdomang. When such a person threw himself in a hurry to block the traps, the traps received a tremendous evaluation. The trap that sent small needles flying was treated as a terrifying trap with deadly poison on the needles, and the simple trap that rolled a metal ball was regarded as a clever trick that made the metal ball explode suddenly and send fragments everywhere. ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, Daehyup!¡± ¡°Hmm! It was nothing big.¡± As they looked at his grateful face, Eurius was dying to hold back hisughter. ¡®No, even if I had left them alone, most of them would have only gotten a few scratches¡­¡¯ But he didn¡¯t need to exin that. That¡¯s how Eurius was gradually building trust(?). By the time he had almost passed through the corridor of the upper floor of Bidong, their eyes were filled with respect and gratitude for Eurius. The attention of the hall was focused on his every move. ck! When Eurius suddenly stopped walking, they all looked at the corridor with tense expressions. ¡®There¡¯s something there!¡¯ As they expected, Eurius slowly opened his mouth. His expression was full of tension. ¡°There¡¯s a room ahead and there seems to be something in it. It¡¯s not human, but a monster or a spirit beast.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± At his words, the people of Jeongdo Alliance tensed up and followed Eurius as he moved forward with a snicker. ¡®It must be the floor boss.¡¯ ording to the map, this Hyunmubidong was divided into upper and lower floors. And Eurius¡¯s party was on the upper floor. And on the upper floor, there was a gate that blocked the way down to the lower floor. [Hyunmubidong-Floor Boss View] [Thousand-Year Armor (S-Rank Spirit Beast)-A monster that resembles a turtle and has grown by absorbing the power of Bidong for hundreds of years. The shell that hassted for a thousand years is hard to scratch with any attack.] ¡®It¡¯s not an easy opponent to be careless with. S-Rank means it¡¯s on par with Imugi, who I fought with Nuada before.¡¯ Eurius approached the room cautiously. The experts of Jeongdo Alliance followed him closely. But just before he entered the room, he tilted his head. ¡°Hmm? Why don¡¯t I feel anything?¡± He had reached right in front of the room where the boss was supposed to be, but there was no sign of anything inside. And when he entered the room, he found out why. He opened his eyes wide at the unexpected sight and heard a moan from behind him. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°How could this be¡­¡± The people of Jeongdo Alliance stared at the scene in front of them with horror. In the room, there was a huge spirit beast that resembled a turtle, but its body and shell were already shattered and lying on the floor. Eurius muttered in a calm tone. ¡°It looks like someone got here before us and killed the spirit beast.¡± ¡°Judging by the corpse of the spirit beast, it must have been the Magyo.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon said with a grim expression. Eurius looked at the corpse of the spirit beast more closely. A small exmation escaped his lips. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡®Whoever it was, he was a great fighter. He destroyed this hard shell with a single blow and killed the spirit beast.¡¯ Eurius drew his sword and struck a piece of the shell. It was a strike that he put his heart into. ng! The shell had a faint scratch on it, but it didn¡¯t break and instead bounced off Eurius¡¯s sword. That meant that the one who killed the spirit beast was one step ahead of Eurius in terms of simple destructive power. ¡°Did you say the Magyo expert who came here was Bingyeomgeomma?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon nodded with a heavy expression. ¡°You seem to have noticed. I know it might sound ufortable to you, who are as good as Daehyup, but please be careful when you face him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After confirming the corpse of the spirit beast, the people of Jeongdo Alliance looked somewhat dispirited. It was because the second-ranked absolute expert of Magyo was down there. Behind the room where the corpse was, there was a downhill corridor leading to the lower floor of Bidong. As he walked down slowly, Eurius checked the map of the lower floor. ¡®There are no traps set by mechanisms on the lower floor, but there are many powerful spirit beasts and monsters.¡¯ ording to the map, the upper floor was just a taste. The real horror of Hyunmubidong was on the lower floor. Chapter 149: Spirit Elixir Chapter 149: Spirit Elixir ¡°Cough, cough, we¡¯ve entered a strange ce from here. There are no more devices, but it smells weird.¡± Gu Cheon-geol sniffed the air and frowned at the damp and moldy smell. ¡°It seems like there are no traps from here either.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± The experts of the Righteous Alliance seemed to sigh in relief when Eurius looked around and confirmed that there were no traps. As he said, the lower floor was very different from the upper floor, which had various mechanisms and neat passages. The ground made of slippery rocks due to the moisture was in the shape of a typical natural cave. The size of the cave wasrger than the upper floor, making it feel like passing through a huge hall. The quiet cave only heard the sound of people¡¯s footsteps and asionally the sound of dew falling from the ceiling. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But unlike most people, some of the outstanding experts were still looking around the cave with tense expressions. ¡°What do you think, Master Zhiwu? I don¡¯t think this is the end.¡± ¡°Amitabha¡­ You are right, Lord Nangong. I can feel a faint evil aura inside. It seems that it is not only the people of the Dark Sect.¡± Nangong Yitian and Zhiwu, the master of Shaolin, whispered to each other with serious expressions. Soon after, they seemed to have made a decision and turned their heads to one ce. ¡°What do you think, Grandmaster?¡± ¡°What do you see, Lord?¡± They fixed their eyes on Eurius. They wanted to hear his opinion because he had shown a dazzling performance until now. Eurius also nodded his head. ¡°There seems to be something for sure. I¡¯ll take the lead with Gu Cheon-geol as before, so you guys watch out for the rear of the party. That will make it easier to deal with the situation.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius¡¯s tone was still rude for someone who was dealing with a master of Shaolin or a deputy leader of the Righteous League. But now there were people who looked at him with interest, but he did not feel any hostile eyes at all. It was because his evaluation had skyrocketed due to his performance in the tomb. Eurius¡¯s attitude now raised other questions for them. ¡®What is his identity that he can treat Master Zhiwu and Grandmaster Nangong without hesitation?¡¯ Among them, some sharp people guessed Eurius¡¯s identity roughly. Gu Cheon-geol was one of them. ¡®If you look closely, he is not arrogant, but rather has a natural attitude. If his attitude is so natural, there are only a few possible identities.¡¯ Gu Cheon-geol nced at Eurius and moved on. And as expected by the party, the next obstacle of the tomb appeared soon. ¡°Krrrr!¡± ¡°Kieee!¡± Suddenly, a pig-like scream sounded and strange human-shaped monsters appeared from the ceiling and walls of the cave. The monsters¡¯ bodies resembled humans, but their whole body was covered with green scales and their heads had the shape of fish. ¡°Kruk!¡± Eurius frowned at the monsters that swung their sharp ws. ¡°Are they intelligent monsters?¡± ¡°Demons! Everyone get ready to fight!¡± sh Nangong Yitian¡¯s sword cut off the head of an approaching monster. Just as there were monsters in the Western Continent, these monsters were called demons in the Eastern Continent. They had fewer habitats and were harder to find than in the Western Continent, but they also had more powerful individuals. [Fishman Warrior (B+ Rank Monster) ¨C A monster that lives in groups under the sea. It means a warrior ss among them.] The fishman warriors that attacked the Righteous Alliance were as many as dozens. But most of the experts sneered. ¡®Hmph! They are nothing but low-level demons.¡¯ A middle-aged expert who looked confident drew his sword at lightning speed. His target was the neck of a fishman warrior! He intended to pierce his neck in one breath and eliminate one of them. But as soon as his sword hit his neck, a dull sound rang out. ¡°Chae-chang!¡± ¡°Kiek?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Squeak! The middle-aged expert retreated in shock. He couldn¡¯t pierce the neck of the ck-skinned fishman warrior who had filled his body with energy. Instead, his clothes were cut by the counterattack of the swinging ws. Eurius shouted with his tongue clenched. ¡°Only those who have reached the master level¡­ no, beyond the peak level should join the attack. The rest should focus on defense.¡± The Alliance of Justice was a group of elite warriors selected from the Justice League. Naturally, their skills and pride were extraordinary. But in the lower part of this ck Tortoise Cave, they were struggling even against the fishman warriors, who were considered the weakest monsters. Eurius surveyed the situation and came to a conclusion. ¡®I wanted to save my strength before shing with the Dark Sect, but that¡¯s not the situation.¡¯ Eurius drew his sword. sh! At the same time, five fishmen who were approaching from the front were cut into pieces and sttered blood. They were a threatening presence for the mediocre experts, but not for Eurius. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t underestimate them.¡¯ The other experts of the Alliance of Justice also began to show their abilities after seeing his action. ¡°Namu Amitabha¡­ may you be reborn as a human in the Pure Land in your next life.¡± Master Jiwoo lightly clenched his fist and stretched it forward. It was a light movement like an old man doing morning exercise, but its power was not light at all. Crack! A fishman who was about to jump on them from dozens of meters away had his head smashed like a watermelon. This was the Hundred Palm Divine Fist, the most difficult martial art to learn in Shaolin. As the name suggests, every time Master Jiwoo stretched out his skinny hand, a fishman¡¯s head exploded without fail at a distance of several steps. Eurius was impressed by his sight. ¡®He hasn¡¯t broken through the wall of superhumans, but he wouldn¡¯t be inferior to any superhuman. Indeed, there are many outstanding martial artists in the East besides the known superhumans.¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t know well, but Master Jiwoo¡¯s identity was not ordinary either. He was none other than the former abbot of Shaolin! If he was the former abbot of Shaolin, one of the great leaders of the martial world, he might have more influence than Baek Hak-geom-seonbo, the leader of the Justice League. Zap! Namgoong Ilcheon also felt that it was not time to spare his energy and used his secret technique. Wherever his sword shed with blue fire, fishmen screamed in pain. ¡°Kyaah!¡± There was no blood where his sword passed, but only charred fishmen corpses scattered with a burnt smell. Gucheon Girl also took this opportunity to vent her anger (?) that she had received from Eurius and pulled out a ck stick from her waist. It was Tagubong, a symbol of openness. Whirring! Her movement was so fast that it looked like nothing but a ck whirlwind. In that state, she jumped into the crowd of fishmen and beat them up with Tagubong. Bang! ¡°Kieee!¡± The pitiful cries of the fishmen echoed in the cave. As if they heard that sound, more and more fishmen poured out from inside the cave, but it didn¡¯t take long for them to clear them up as their faces were so great. ¡°Phew¡­ It looks like the attack is over now. But if these guyse out from the entrance, I can¡¯t guarantee what kind of monsters wille out next.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon had a worried expression, but since it was confirmed that the Dark Sect had entered this passage first, they had no choice but to go. Besides, this cave was extraordinary at first nce. They couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what kind of treasure would be there if they went all the way to the end. But as they went deeper into the cave, the monsters and spirits that came out became more vicious and powerful. The first fishman warriors that came out were hard enough to pierce their tough scales and hit them unless they were above peak level experts, but the monsters that came out after that were even more tricky. The next thing that appeared was a giant jellyfish that could turn invisible with its stealth ability. [Transparent Jellyfish (A+ Rank Spirit) ¨C It canpletely hide its presence and shape with its stealth ability. Its tentacles have paralyzing venom.] Whirr! ¡°Aaah!¡± One of the experts who was wrapped by an invisible tentacle was sucked into the mouth of the jellyfish in an instant. ¡°Ha!¡± Boom! Master Jiwoo punched the jellyfish¡¯s body with a powerful fist, but his fist did not prate the squishy body. Yu Riwoo and Namgoong Ilcheon had to step in. Squeak! Swoosh! Thebined attack of the two superhumans was terrifying. The jellyfish was cut into dozens of pieces in a blink of an eye. But seeing the blue fluid that spurted from the cut surface, Yu Riwoo shouted urgently. ¡°That liquid is a paralyzing poison. Back off.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon and the experts of the Jeongdo Alliance retreated hastily. ¡°¡­¡± Ssh! The transparent jellyfish seemed to live up to its name as a spirit beast, as it kept swinging its tentacles even as its body was torn apart. It was not easy to approach because of the paralyzing poison that sshed every time it was cut, but eventually it stopped wriggling after being chopped into pieces by Yu Riwoo¡¯s sword. ¡°Good job.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon thanked Yu Riwoo and felt a doubt. ¡®There are two absolute experts who have reached the fourth stage on this side. How did those bastards from Magyo get past this ce?¡¯ Even if he was Bingyeom Sword Devil, he could not withstand such battles without any damage. As if to answer his question, Yu Riwoo pointed to the entrails of the jellyfish that had been cut. ¡°They seem to have thrown some bait and ran away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The experts of the Jeongdo Alliance were speechless for a moment. As he said, from the entrails of the jellyfish that had been torn apart by hooks, corpses wearing blood-red robes poured out. ¡°Namu Amitabul! They threw their allies as food for the monsters and advanced. They are truly worthy of being hated by heaven and man.¡± Master Jiwoo muttered curses incessantly to calm his anger. Gucheon Girl quickly approached the corpses that had melted halfway. It was not a pleasant sight, but she had to dig up some information. ¡°Tsk! They are Mains from Hyulsaldae. It means they brought stronger forces with them if they abandoned them. What are they trying to get?¡± Although their numbers had decreased somewhat because of Yu Riwoo¡¯s previous actions, Hyulsaldae was the third strongest force in Magyo. What were they after by throwing them away as sacrifices? ¡°We have to catch up with Magyo quickly. I can¡¯t guess what they are doing here. They must have some intention.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon urged his party to hurry up with some impatience. The next thing that appeared was a giant eel-shaped spirit beast. ¡°Shaaaaa!¡± [Electric Eel (S-rank Spirit Beast) ¨C An eel-shaped spirit beast that can store electricity in its body and release it at once.] ¡®Electric?¡¯ [Electric ¨C Charging electricity.] Yu Riwoo, who had never seen an electric eel, quickly looked up the help menu and shouted hastily. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t use your power!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s sword had already pierced the eel. Crackle! Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s lightning streak disappeared into the eel¡¯s body as if it was sucked in. And soon, sparks began to fly from the eel¡¯s body, which was tens of meters long. Zap! Zzzz! At the same time, the cave shook as if there was an earthquake. ¡°Crazy!¡± Yu Riwoo quickly drew his sword. Namgoong Ilcheon was one of the top superhumans among superhumans. And the eel that absorbed his power was an S-rank spirit beast! The eel¡¯s body glowed white for a moment. And from its body, lightning bolts thicker than Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s attack shot out in all directions. Zzzz! The moisture on the cave wall evaporated in an instant, leaving behind a charred ckness. The entire cave shook as if an earthquake had urred. ¡®We¡¯re dead!¡¯ The moment they saw the blinding white sh that filled their vision, the group from the Justice Alliance closed their eyes tightly. They did not have the courage to face the amplified electric shock from that eel. Shoo. Soon, smoke rose from the inside of the cave where the eel¡¯s electric shock had swept through. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The experts from the Justice Alliance opened their eyes with a bewildered expression and looked around. Surprisingly, they did not have a single scratch on them. And what was even more surprising was the sight of the eel. ¡°Shriek¡­¡± The head of the eel, which had been screaming for a moment, was cut off without any strength. Thud! ¡°¡­¡± As they watched the scene with their mouths open for a moment, another sound reached their ears. ¡°Phew¡­¡± They heard someone slump down. Their eyes naturally turned to that direction. ¡°Grandmaster?¡± ¡°I need to rest for a bit. I used up too much energy dealing with that damned thing.¡± Eurius, who was grumbling, was sitting on the ground with a weary look. He was the one who had defended against the electric shock just now. Whisper whisper ¡°Thanks to Grandmaster, we saved our lives again.¡± ¡°What an amazing martial art you have! I thank you on behalf of our group.¡± The experts from the Justice Alliance all hurriedly came to Eurius and bowed their heads. Eurius waved his hand with an annoyed look. ¡°It¡¯s only natural as apanion. I need to rest, so leave me alone.¡± Especially Nangong Yiqian, who had a look of having nothing to say even with ten mouths, quickly approached and bowed his head. ¡°I caused trouble for Grandmaster because of my rashness.¡± ¡°You know it now.¡± Eurius snapped back with a cold face. He really had no strength left in his body. He was in a situation where he had to rest without moving for an hour. ¡®It¡¯s still too much of a burden to use spatial cutting on a wide range.¡¯ Eurius had just cut off the space and blocked the lightning that wasing at them from the front, and also cut off the eel¡¯s head with the momentum. It was a miraculous ability to others, but the drawback was that it consumed too much stamina and force. ¡®If I rest here for an hour, it will be hard to catch up with the Dark Sect. This is bad.¡¯ But that problem was solved in an unexpected way. Nangong Yiqian was not such a reckless person who would keep his mouth shut after causing trouble (?). He pondered for a moment and put his hand in his pocket and took out a small box. What came out of it was a blue pill the size of a marble. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is a secret pill from Nangong Sect called Qingyuhuan. It is a pill that helps increase internal energy, but in this emergency situation, it also helps recover force quickly.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this precious to your sect?¡± Nangong Yiqian gave a bitter smile. In fact, Qingyuhuan was one of the top-grade pills in Nangong Sect that only had two left, and he had been cherishing it like his life. ¡°It was my mistake, and Grandmaster is not only our benefactor, but also the benefactor of the entire Justice Alliance. It is only natural as the leader of the Justice Alliance.¡± The Justice Alliance was a group that opposed the Dark Sect, and valued righteousness and justice. In such a group, if the leader did not set an example, the morale would not be maintained. ¡°Then I¡¯ll gratefully ept it.¡± Eurius was not one to refuse what was given to him. He quickly took it and put it in his mouth. And not long after, he eximed. ¡°Amazing.¡± Ding! [You have taken an A-grade pill Qingyuhuan. The amount of force increases slightly. Force recovers quickly.] With the power of the elixir, Eurius was able to get up from his seat in an instant. It was time to depart now. But Namgoong Ilcheon was not the only one who had something to ask of him. ¡°Hehe¡­ Lord, this old man also has to repay his benefactor properly.¡± Jiwoo, the advisor of Namgoong Ilcheon, seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon shook his head decisively and took out a box from his bosom. ¡°That is¡­¡± Some of the Shaolin disciples who had apanied them were about to say something in surprise, but they backed off obediently when they met Jiwoo¡¯s gaze. ¡°This is called the Great Elixir.¡± At that sound, the figures of the Alliance of Justice were all shocked. ¡®The Great Elixir!¡¯ The Great Elixir was the highest-grade elixir of Shaolin, and there were hardly any elixirs that belonged to a higher level than the Great Elixir in the entire martial world. It was something that was strictly managed by Shaolin, but he willingly handed it over to Eurius, a foreigner whom he had met for the first time a few days ago. Eurius looked a bit nervous. ¡°Is this¡­ okay for me to ept?¡± He was not a fool without tact. He could clearly see the hearts of the people around him who tried to hide their astonishment, and he could tell that this was not an ordinary thing at a nce. Jiwoo smiled brightly. ¡°Hehe¡­ When I return, the young ones will scold me, but elixirs are made to be used. Others may call it a divine object or Shaolin¡¯s treasure, but it¡¯s just an elixir.¡± In fact, Jiwoo had liked Eurius quite a bit from the beginning. There was some quarrel at first, but in the end, no one was seriously injured or killed because of him. ¡®He has such martial arts and enough power to have Jegal Seoga under hismand, but he doesn¡¯t show off or cause trouble. He¡¯s not an ordinary person.¡¯ Moreover, thanks to Eurius, there were hardly any casualties when they entered Hyunmu Bidong. Jiwoo, who had cultivated his mind for a long time, had some insight into people. He was the first to figure out that Eurius¡¯s intention was rather pure, so he wanted to repay him for his favor. Originally, he gave him the Great Elixir to save his life if necessary, but he decided that it would be better to give it to Eurius. He felt a little sorry for a moment, but he smiled even more brightly. ¡®My disciples mayin, but I think helping that lord will bring great fortune to Shaolin someday. Yes! That¡¯s it.¡¯ Eurius was somewhat bewildered, but he thought well of Jiwoo who had no ill will. ¡®He¡¯s a kind-hearted monk indeed. Anyway, I¡¯ll use it gratefully.¡¯ He put the Great Elixir in his bosom and stood at the front of the group again. ¡°Let¡¯s speed up from now on and catch up with Magyo in one breath!¡± Chapter 150: Findings Chapter 150: Findings ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Eurius let out azy sigh as he checked the exploration status. [Exploration of ck Tortoise Cave 90%] ¡®It seems like we¡¯re almost there. We should be able to catch up soon.¡¯ ¡°There are only corpses of monsters in the next passage. It seems that the cultists killed them first.¡± Gu Cheon-geol, who had sent out a scout, reported that there was no enemy in the next passage. After defeating the eel, the alliance of righteous sects sped up their advance. That was because the ones ahead of them had cleared the passages for them. The monsters and spirit beasts that inhabited ck Tortoise Cave were so numerous that they seemed endless, but once the passages were cleared, it took time for the monsters to gather again. ¡®The decrease in battles means that we have narrowed the distance¡­¡¯ [Exploration of ck Tortoise Cave 95%] ording to the map, if they passed this passage, the next ce would be the biggest obstacle of ck Tortoise Cave. Soon, their footsteps stopped in front of a huge stone door. Eurius paused for a moment in front of the stone door. ¡®ording to the map, this is where I meet him, right?¡¯ Nangong Ilcheon asked cautiously. ¡°Leader, is this the ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems like we¡¯ll see the end of this cave after passing through the next room.¡± ¡°Master, then shouldn¡¯t we hurry inside?¡± Jiwoo Seonsa, who had been silently following behind, also expressed his concern that the cultists had entered thest room first. But Eurius had no intention of opening the stone door right away. He said in a rxed tone. ¡°I think everyone is exhausted froming this far. It would be better to rest for a while.¡± The experts of the righteous alliance were all surprised by this unexpected remark. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯vee this far and you want to just watch?¡± Everyone looked at Gu Cheon-geol, who asked first. Eurius found a t stone and sat down on it as he answered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Everyone is tired, so let¡¯s rest for a bit and then go.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± Gu Cheon-geol pounded her chest in frustration and opened her mouth again. ¡°The cultists have already entered there, and you want us to fold our arms and watch?¡± Eurius shook his head with a calm expression. The item inside was most likely something that he could use best. Why would he give up on it? ¡°Do you think so? I have no intention of letting the cultists take the lead.¡± Gu Cheon-geol widened her eyes. He realized that Eurius had something in mind. ¡°Then why are you stopping here?¡± Kwaang! Before Eurius could answer, a tremendous roar erupted from behind the stone door. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The experts of the righteous alliance stared at the stone door in shock. What was happening beyond there? ¡®Tsk! Bingyeom Sword Devil? He¡¯s faster at assessing the situation than I thought.¡¯ Eurius also clicked his tongue and got up from his seat. He expected it to take a little more time, but it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t give him time to rest leisurely. Kurung! The stone door vibrated violently and opened wide. At the same time, dozens of shadows rushed into the passage. ¡°¡­!?¡± Chang! Chaechang! ¡°¡­¡± The experts of the righteous alliance drew their weapons with stiff faces as they looked at them. The ones who rushed into the passage were wearing red and blue clothes respectively. They looked like about thirty people, and each one of them emitted an intense aura that was not ordinary. Nangong Ilcheon spat out a groan as he drew his sword. ¡°Yin-Yang Twin Dark Sect! If they¡¯re here, then¡­¡± A shadow emerged slowly from behind them, as if to answer his words. The shadow belonged to a man with a burly figure, d in ck clothes. He had covered his mouth with a ck cloth, so his exact face was not visible, but from what was exposed, he seemed to have a slender face and not very old. ¡°You worms of the Righteous Alliance have followed me all the way here.¡± His voice was cold and sinister, like boiling phlegm. But at his voice, the faces of the Righteous Alliance members hardened. ¡®Iceme Sword Demon!¡¯ He was none other than the second-inmand of the Dark Sect, the Iceme Sword Demon. The ones in red clothes were his guards and the second strongest force in the Dark Sect, the Yin-Yang Twin Dark Group. The Yin-Yang Twin Demon Group wasposed of two factions: the Red Fire Faction that used hot yang energy, and the Ice Spirit Faction that used cold yin energy. They were only thirty in total, but each one was a formidable expert above the peak level. Anyway, the Righteous Alliance and the Dark Sect were mortal enemies! Grrr. The atmosphere in the hall became tense in an instant, as both sides emitted fierce auras that could explode at any moment. Whoosh! The Iceme Sword Demon was a belligerent expert even within the Dark Sect. He drew his sword slowly, and a scorching heat poured out of it like the sun. The sword de was blurred by the heat waves. Crack! At the same time, he lifted his left hand that did not hold a sword, and it was slightly frosted before a cold wind blew. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to arrive so soon¡­¡± The Iceme Sword Demon uttered his final verdict with a creepy smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Dead men tell no tales.¡± That meant he was ready to fight. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Namu Amitabha!¡± Sparks flew from Nangong Yiqian¡¯s sword, and Master Zhiwu also shouted a Buddhist chant as he took his stance. At the same time, the Righteous Alliance and the Yin-Yang Twin Demon Group also began to gather their inner power. ¡°Wait!¡± But there was a voice that broke the situation. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°Grandmaster?¡± The people of the Righteous Alliance looked at the source of the voice with bewildered expressions. The owner of that voice was none other than Eurius. ¡°I understand that you have a lot of hatred for each other, but wouldn¡¯t it only cause more damage to both sides if you sh here? So I have a suggestion¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± The Iceme Sword Demon coldly retorted, not understanding why he said such things. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that they had to shed blood when they met their enemies? ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re too impatient. Listen to me until the end.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The Iceme Sword Demon felt mocked and sent out a terrifying aura, but Eurius remained unfazed by it. His expression became colder as he saw that. ¡®As I expected, he¡¯s not an ordinary guy.¡¯ Whether he liked it or not, Eurius continued his words. ¡°Our goal is to investigate Bidong, not to fight with the Dark Sect. How about we have a truce here for now?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The Alliance of Justice also looked bewildered. Eurius¡¯s attitude seemed like he didn¡¯t want to fight with the Dark Sect, but rather talk to them. ¡°Grandmaster, you don¡¯t intend to avoid fighting with the Dark Sect here, do you?¡± ¡°If possible, that would be better.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± His calm answer made both the Alliance of Justice and the Dark Sect restless. Especially, Bingyeom Sword Devil was curious. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the Alliance of Justice didn¡¯t stop Eurius from saying such nonsense. ¡®What is his identity that¡­¡¯ He felt a slight interest and asked Eurius. ¡°Why should I do that?¡± ¡°Have you decided to listen to me now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath and tell me your intention.¡± ¡°Grandmaster! There is nopromise with the Dark Sect. They are our enemies from the start, aren¡¯t they?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon also expressed his disbelief and unintentionally supported Bingyeom Sword Devil. Eurius smiled here. ¡°That¡¯s because of the obstacle beyond that door.¡± ¡°Obstacle?¡± ¡°How do you know about that?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon and the experts of the Alliance of Justice were puzzled, and Bingyeom Sword Devil looked at Eurius with a strange expression. Eurius turned his gaze to the Alliance of Justice and began to exin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why they arrived before us but came back to the door again?¡± At his words, the Alliance of Justice stirred. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± ¡°Namu Amitabul! Master. Then do you know the reason?¡± When Jiwoo Seonsa expressed his doubt, Eurius turned his gaze back to Bingyeom Sword Devil. ¡°It must be because of the spirit beast beyond the door, right? I heard it¡¯s a very powerful one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Eurius asserted, Bingyeom Sword Devil also fell silent for a moment. As he said, he and Eumyangssangmadan entered the door first, but they had to retreat for a while because of an unbelievably powerful spirit beast. The power he had now was objectively not inferior to the Alliance of Justice excluding Eurius, but even so, the spirit beast inside that stone door was a terrifying existence. ¡°First of all, you have to exin how you know that.¡± Bingyeom Sword Devil raised his sword again with a grim face. But Eurius didn¡¯t even prepare to fight back. ¡°Even if you kill us here, do you have confidence in facing that thing inside? Outside this cave, Jegal Unhyeon is waiting.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± At his words, Bingyeom Sword Devil had no choice but to hesitate. He was confident enough to face two superhumans. But Eurius in front of him was an unexpected person who fell from the sky. ¡®If that bastard is an ordinary fourth-stage expert, I can easily kill him even if I attack him with Namgoong Ilcheon at the same time. But¡­¡¯ He thought that even if he underestimated Eurius¡¯s power, it would be a life-and-death situation to break through the next room after fighting with the Alliance of Justice. And when he heard that one of the four great experts, Jegal Unhyeon, was waiting outside, he was conflicted. It would be a really awkward situation if additional support came from the Alliance of Justice side. ¡°I admit that there is some truth in your words. But do you think it is possible for our sect and your faction to cooperate?¡± ¡®He¡¯s almost convinced.¡¯ Eurius walked silently toward the Alliance of Justice with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now, but I actually knew some information about this cave. That¡¯s why I was able to see through the traps.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon groaned. He had forgotten for a moment because Eurius protected his party so devotedly, but there were some suspicious points indeed. Eurius continued. ¡°The monster in the next room is too hard for us two. You can tell by looking at Bingyeom Sword Devil who retreated, right?¡± The next room was thest obstacle of this Hyeonmubeodong. ording to the information marked on the map, there was a spirit beast guarding it that was different from anything they had seen so far. That¡¯s why Eurius suggested taking a break. He raised his hand and pointed at Bingyeom Sword Devil. ¡°My original intention was to have the authors weaken themselves a bit and then enter, but they were smarter than I thought.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ So that was your intention.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon nodded. Judging from Eurius¡¯s achievements so far, and the fact that he knew about this secret passage in advance, it was a usible exnation. But why was he confessing something that he could have easily concealed, considering his merits? ¡°What is your identity, Grandmaster?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon asked with a serious expression. Eurius shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t reveal it now. I¡¯ll exin everything once we get out of this passage. So can you trust me just this once?¡± ¡°Grandmaster¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth. Eurius¡¯s contribution was great, but he had his own position. ¡°I acknowledge your merits, Grandmaster¡­ But cooperating with the Dark Sect is absolutely uneptable.¡± ¡®Tsk!¡¯ Eurius secretly clicked his tongue. He thought he had earned enough trust, but the answer was stubborn. ¡®Their hatred is more formidable than I expected.¡¯ But Namgoong Ilcheon closed his eyes slightly and continued. ¡°However, there are too many people here who owe their lives to you, Grandmaster, including myself.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eurius brightened up at Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s make it a majority vote. Everyone who trusts Eurius Grandmaster¡¯s words, please raise your hands.¡± Snap! As soon as he finished speaking, surprisingly more than half of them raised their hands. ¡°¡­¡± The figures of the Righteous Alliance were silent, but they thought Eurius¡¯s words were worth trusting at least once. That¡¯s how many of them felt indebted to him. ¡°The result is clear. We¡¯ll follow Grandmaster¡¯s words for once.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon granted permission with a refreshing tone. ¡°Thank you.¡± Eurius sighed inwardly. It was a bit of a gamble, but his efforts were not in vain as he obtained their consent. He turned his head and looked at Bingyeom Sword Demon with a wink. ¡®What do you say?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Bingyeom Sword Demon nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s not attack each other until we break through the room ahead.¡± He also had something to do in this passage. He chose to cooperate for a while rather than risking a fight with the Righteous Alliance. But that truce was only temporary. ¡®I¡¯ll deal with them after I kill that damn monster using them. The truce is only until we break through this room.¡¯ Namgoong Ilcheon also warned Eurius. ¡°Please be careful. They are the kind of people who might stab you in the back at any moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well prepared for that.¡± In fact, the experts of the Righteous Alliance also had a reason to agree so easily. They didn¡¯t think the Dark Sect would keep their promise faithfully. ¡®All I have to do is watch out for their surprise attacks. They¡¯ll break their promise anyway!¡¯ In other words, they were drinking from poisoned chalices! They had made a precarious agreement that could break at any time. ¡®At least I avoided a fight for now. That¡¯s enough!¡¯ Of course, Eurius, who guessed their inner thoughts clearly, smiled inwardly. Just as the Righteous Alliance and the Dark Sect had different thoughts, he also had a reason to propose this temporary truce. His eyes were fixed on Bingyeom Sword Demon who was walking towards the stone door. [Pce Jade] Job: Swordsman Strength: A Agility: S+ Intelligence: A Spirit: S Force Aptitude: S Force: SS Disposition: Cold-blooded, Vengeful [Traits] Swordsmanship(SS), Qi(S) At first nce, Eurius was somewhat surprised. ¡®Is this guy not rted to the sect?¡¯ The previous third-ranked Sura Amazon of the Dark Sect was a skilled fighter who used both the dark force and martial arts of the sect. But this Bingyeom Sword Demon was a pure martial artist who ranked higher than her. Of course, he could beat him if he joined forces, but it would be troublesome if Bingyeom Sword Demon died in battle. The reason was because of the martial art he had learned. ¡®I have to find an opportunity to capture him alive.¡¯ [Phoenix Fire Spirit Art-One of the four divine arts of Ilcheongmun. A martial art that maniptes the extreme cold qi. Depending on the proficiency level, it receives a bonus on the rank of qi and force.] He unexpectedly found one of the lost divine arts of Phoenix Martial School from a person of the Dark Sect. Chapter 151: Handwritten Chapter 151: Handwritten ¡°¡­¡± Apart from the sound of footsteps, a quiet silence flowed in the corridor. It was natural, since both sides did not trust each other at all, even though they somehow agreed to cooperate. In the meantime, the Ice me Sword Horse, who was walking in the front, opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. That¡¯s the end of this cave.¡± Swoosh! A little light leaked out along with the sound of waves where he pointed. The bottom floor of the ck Tortoise Cave was connected to the sea. The figures of the Righteous Alliance who came out through the corridor let out a faint exmation. ¡°This ce exists¡­¡± ¡°Was this cave built inside a cliff?¡± What they came out of the corridor was a wide hollow that looked about a hundred meters long and wide. The bottom of the hollow was a sheer cliff, and the waves were still raging due to the bad weather. But except for the corridor they hade through, there was nothing but sea and rocks wherever they looked left and right. ¡®Do we have to jump into the sea from here?¡¯ Nangong Ilcheon, who had a question, opened his mouth. ¡°Leader, what is this ce?¡± But the answer was not given by Eurius. The Ice me Sword Horse, who was staring at the front with a cold expression, spat out a word. ¡°It¡¯sing.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Swoosh! Suddenly, something huge jumped out of the sea with a nging sound. Then itnded in the hollow with a heavy noise. Thud! The first thing that came from the huge figure was a creepy re. No matter how brave one was, they would feel their spine chill when they saw six eyes shining like torches in the dark. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± The experts of the Righteous Alliance retreated in surprise. It was at least tens of meters high from the sea to this cliff¡¯s hollow, but that monster jumped up so lightly. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Keeek!¡± ¡°Kraaang!¡± The monster had one body, but strangely enough, three kinds of roars echoed. Eurius nodded his head as he confirmed the monster. ¡°As expected¡­ It has three heads, huh?¡± The monster¡¯s shape resembled a lizard, but its body was much thicker. And the most peculiar point was that it had three heads. This monster was thest obstacle of the ck Tortoise Cave. [Three-headed Dragon (SS-rank Spirit Beast) ¨C A mutated form of an ancient spirit beast that has been dormant for over a thousand years. It is very cunning and intelligent as its three heads share thoughts.] As he said, the Three-headed Dragon did not rush to attack the intruders like a normal spirit beast. Rather, it rolled its six blue eyes and observed the figures of the Righteous Alliance and the Demon Sect. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡®It looks like it¡¯s judging who¡¯s more appetizing.¡¯ Eurius gave a bitter smile and drew his sword and slowly walked towards the Three-headed Dragon. The Ice me Sword Horse followed him and confirmed the n again. ¡°The method you mentioned earlier is correct, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t know, but the help message doesn¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°Help message?¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing.¡± Eurius calmly answered and approached near the Three-headed Dragon. Nangong Ilcheon also came forward with a tense expression. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you, leader.¡± It was meaningless to rush in as a group in a fight against this kind of spirit beast. Moreover, this spirit beast was not something that could be caught by doing so. ¡°As I said before, we have to hit its heads almost at the same time¡­¡± ¡°Kraaang!¡± Eurius had not even opened his mouth when the Three-headed Dragon pounced on him with a terrifying momentum. It seemed to intend to swallow him in one breath with its mouth wide open. ¡°Eek!¡± The Three-headed Dragon was so huge that there was no ce to avoid left and right. Eurius hastily jumped into the air. But that was what this cunning monster was aiming for. ¡°Keeek!¡± The remaining two heads opened their mouths. They were about to fire what they called breath. Swoosh! A jet of water with a terrible pressure spewed out of one mouth, and a suspicious green liquid spewed out of the other mouth. Crack! The high-pressure jet of water hit the wall of the cliff directly. It had enough power to shave off a thick rock in an instant. And the identity of the green liquid was acid. Sizzle! ¡°Leader!¡± The figures of the Righteous Alliance stared at the front with a pale expression as they saw the hard rock covered with acid melt like butter. ¡°Grrr?¡± But surprisingly, Eurius was already gone where the breath hit. The Three-headed Dragon felt something suspicious and quickly tried to back away. Boom! ¡°Keeek!¡± The head that spewed acid suddenly shattered. Eurius, who had escaped skillfully with a spatial jump, had ambushed from behind. It was a head protected by hard scales, but it could not withstand being hit by someone like Eurius without defense. The Three-headed Dragon seemed to stagger back after losing one head. But soon the remaining two heads roared and showed their ferocity. ¡°Kraaang!¡± At the same time, Eurius sent a signal. ¡°Now!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± The Ice me Sword Horse acted. A sword in his right hand with mes flickering and cold air swirling in his left hand! As soon as he clenched both swords, the two energies collided and brought out an enormous destructive power. Zap! The Ice me Sword Horse¡¯s sword smashed the remaining two heads. As soon as he swung his sword with great power, the two heads exploded. Among the superhumans gathered here, Nangong Ilcheon did not even have a chance to use his hand as he destroyed all three heads. The Ice me Sword Horse¡¯s destructive power was so great that Eurius licked his tongue as he saw it. ¡®That was the technique that destroyed the shell of the turtle spirit beast on the upper floor.¡¯ [Harmonious Force ¨C A martial art that brings out repulsion by colliding two opposite attributes. If your achievement is low, you may get injured by the repulsion.] ¡®He doesn¡¯t only use martial arts from Jujak Sect, but also something like that? Then¡­¡¯ Eurius fell into thought about the identity of the Ice me Sword Horse for a moment. But that thought did notst long. ¡°Damn it! Is it regenerating again?¡± As he said, the Three-headed Dragon was still alive even after losing all three heads. It grew bones and flesh from its neck at an astonishing speed. At this point, it was not regeneration but resurrection. The Ice me Sword Horse shouted with an angry expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we just have to destroy all three heads? It¡¯s regenerating again?¡± ¡°Huh? That can¡¯t be¡­¡± Eurius muttered stupidly without knowing it. [Three-headed Dragon ¨C The core moves to another head when a head is destroyed. Destroy all three heads before they regenerate.] ¡®Then does it mean literally destroying them at the same time?¡¯ Anyway, feeling the sharp gaze of the Ice me Sword Horse, he swung his sword horizontally with an awkward face. ¡°Gurk?¡± Chop! This time, all three heads were cut off at once. Eurius cut them off simultaneously with spatial severance. Spatial severance also had the effect of temporarily disabling regeneration, so he stared at the Three-headed Dragon with an expectant expression. But. ¡°Krrrrk!¡± ¡°Kieeek!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon looked at Eurius with a subtle expression, while the Ice me Sword Demon red at him with a murderous gaze. Eurius had nothing to say, even if he had ten mouths instead of three like that bastard. The three heads regenerated in less than a minute. ¡®How could the help message lie to me?¡¯ Swoosh! ¡°Eek!¡± He dodged the breath that came at him again and hastily opened the help message. [You are viewing the information on ck Tortoise Cave.] [ck Tortoise ¨C The ce where ck Tortoise¡¯s manual is sealed. However, the seal is notplete and some of the power leaks out. The manual has several times the effect of normal training, so the sea spirits fight over this area.] ¡°Manual?¡± ording to the map, this three-headed dragon was the ruler of ck Tortoise Cave. ¡®Then that exins his regeneration ability.¡¯ In other words, his regeneration ability was not his own power, but the power of Hyunmu Bidong that was constantly supplied from somewhere. But Eurius could not see any ce that felt like the source of that power. ¡®The bottom is a raging sea and the sides are cliffs. Where should I go?¡¯ Vroom. Eurius felt the intense vibration of the Yellow Dragon Sword in his hand and came to his senses. ¡®Why?¡¯ [¡­] But the Yellow Dragon Sword did not answer. However, it shook madly in his hand and tried to get out. Vroom! ¡®Why are you doing this?¡¯ ¡°Kieee!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± While Eurius was distracted by the Yellow Dragon Sword, the three-headed dragon did not stay still. Whirr! Its huge body mmed into Eurius. He barely dodged it. But the sword¡¯s shaking became stronger and stronger. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Eurius let go of the Yellow Dragon Sword with a puzzled expression. It felt like his hand would be torn apart if he held it any longer. The sword had a mind of its own, but it never exerted this much force before. Suddenly, the sword¡¯s shaking became tens or hundreds of times stronger. Vroom! The Yellow Dragon Sword that floated in the air even emitted a faint light. Zing! ¡°¡­!?¡± Ssh! ¡°No way, you crazy!¡± It was unbelievable and absurd for Eurius. Surprisingly, the Yellow Dragon Sword plunged into the deep sea. The current state of the sea was obviously dangerous with violent currents and waves. In an instant, dozens of thoughts shed through Eurius¡¯s mind, but there was only one conclusion. Eurius shouted urgently to Namgoong Ilcheon. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon! Just hold on here for a while!¡± ¡°What?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon widened his eyes as if he wondered what Eurius was talking about, but he was shocked by what happened next. ¡°Great Master!¡± ng! Eurius jumped off the cliff that was tens of meters high and plunged into the sea. It seemed like a reckless choice, but it was the best he could do. ¡®Judging by how Magyo escaped safely earlier, that monster can¡¯t chase us inside the tunnel.¡¯ He was slightly worried about what Bingyeom Sword Devil would do, but he also knew that he had exhausted a lot of his strength from the consecutive battles with Samduryong. As long as Namgoongilcheon was still there, he could hold on until he came back. Eurius dived into the water and looked for his sword. ¡®There it is.¡¯ Yellow Dragon Sword was emitting a faint golden light, making it easy to spot in the dark water. He was not a professional swimmer, but he was a formidable warrior who could move in the water without much difficulty. He quickly closed the distance between him and Yellow Dragon Sword. Yellow Dragon Sword was swimming like a fish in the sea, leaving behind a trail of gold. ¡°Daehyeop?¡± Meanwhile, Namgoongilcheon was staring at the spot where Eurius had jumped off with a dumbfounded expression. But there was another pair of eyes that had been watching Eurius¡¯s movements with a cold and calm gaze from the beginning. Those eyes scanned the surrounding cliffs. ¡®There¡¯s nothing here. Jumping into the sea, could it be¡­¡¯ It was Bingyeom Sword Devil. He looked at the cliff where Eurius had disappeared with a suspicious eye. ¡°Krrrrr!¡± ¡°Kieeek!¡± The next one to think about Eurius was Samduryong. The ancient spirit, who had more intelligence than most humans, exchanged thoughts with its three heads and came to a conclusion. [Run?] [Underwater.] [Let¡¯s go after him!] Samduryong was originally a water dragon that lived in the sea. For him, the water was his home turf. And Eurius, who had jumped into it, looked like the most delicious prey. Spirits could gain a lot of power by swallowing humans who had umted a lot of internal energy through training. ¡°Krrrrk!¡± Ssh! Samduryong also followed Eurius into the water, leaving behind the other people in confusion. ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± Bingyeom Sword Devil seized the opportunity and quickly ordered his subordinates. ¡°Block the way so that those Jeongdo Alliance bastards can¡¯t get in.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh! Iceme Sword Demon blocked the path to the sea in an instant. At the same time, Bingyeom Sword Devil also jumped into the water. It took a long time to exin, but all these actions happened in less than a minute. The Jeongdo Alliance people, who had no clue what was going on, could only watch this situation with a bewildered expression. ¡®What on earth is happening here?¡¯ Chapter 152: Black Tortoise Chapter 152: ck Tortoise [Prey.] [Don¡¯t let it go.] [Shoot.] One of the three-headed dragon¡¯s mouths opened wide again. Shoooot! Crack! A powerful jet of water shot straight at Eurius. It pierced through the small rocks and corals in the water and aimed precisely at him. It seemed that its power was not diminished at all despite being underwater. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius was startled and quickly dived down. The jet of water barely grazed his head and passed by. ¡®Why is that snake following me?¡¯ No matter how fast he swam, he couldn¡¯t escape from the water dragon for long underwater. And he didn¡¯t want to fight it without his sword either. Eurius swam desperately after the Yellow Dragon Sword, which was still emitting a faint golden light and heading somewhere. Meanwhile, the Bingyeom Sword Master, who had jumped into the sea after the three-headed dragon, was chasing them with a terrifying speed. He swung his sword behind him like an oar and then exploded heat and cold. Boom! The recoil from the collision of the two energies pushed the Bingyeom Sword Master¡¯s body. He used that force to shoot forward like an arrow. Eurius chasing the Yellow Dragon Sword! And the three-headed dragon chasing him madly! And finally, the Bingyeom Sword Master chasing them both! The sea was turned into a battlefield by these unexpected intruders. The three-headed dragon smashed through the rocks and corals with its body as it passed by, and the Bingyeom Sword Master also fired his martial arts to gain momentum, so the water was not calm at all. Especially, the three-headed dragon was almost kicking as it chased them, and the reason was as follows. [It¡¯s heading to the Sea of Death.] [No!] [If we go there, we won¡¯t be safe either.] Coincidentally, the ce where Eurius was heading was a ce that the sea rulers of this area never approached tacitly. Even the fishing boats that humans rode never passed by this area. The reason was because of the huge whirlpool that existed in this sea, which had an enormous suction power. The so-called ¡®Spiral of Death!¡¯ It was a disaster of the sea that once you fell into it, you could never get out. The whirlpool¡¯s surroundings were rich in energy that the rulers could absorb, but because of this reason, the three-headed dragon, who was the ruler of this sea, also avoided approaching it. But that prey somehow knew and was going to the ce he hated most. Swoosh. The three-headed dragon¡¯s speed slowed down as it sprinted through the water. The survival instinct of an old ruler suppressed its greed. [It¡¯s dangerous if we go any further.] [Let¡¯s wait and see.] [Agreed!] The three heads nodded and stopped. But at that moment! Bang! A dull sound rang out from behind and a ck shadow flew past the three-headed dragon and shot towards Eurius. The Bingyeom Sword Master, who had caught up with them at a great risk, was grinding his teeth. ¡®Damn it¡­ They¡¯re both too fast!¡¯ Coincidentally, Eurius had a body that wouldn¡¯t run out of energy even if he swam for three days and nights because of the elixir he had eaten and various fortunes he had gained. The three-headed dragon was also good at swimming since it was originally a sea ruler. But the Bingyeom Sword Master had wasted his inner power like water as he chased them, so he had to be exhausted. ¡®But I can¡¯t give up now.¡¯ The Bingyeom Sword Master bit his lip. He had something he had to get from Bidong. *** ¡®They¡¯re not chasing me anymore?¡¯ Meanwhile, Eurius felt a bit relieved when the three-headed dragon stopped moving. The Yellow Dragon Sword also slowed down and seemed to be within his reach soon. But did he know that another disaster would strike him? ¡°¡­!?¡± Boom! As soon as the Yellow Dragon Sword slowed down, the current around it became extremely strong. Soon, his body began to be sucked into somewhere with a tremendous force. ¡®What?¡¯ The center of the whirlpool had a very low pressure and sucked in everything around it. It was hard enough to control his body in the water, but there was no answer to being caught in such a giant whirlpool. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Bubbles. Bubbles came out of Eurius¡¯s mouth. He cursed inwardly and tried to get out somehow, but he couldn¡¯t. It was just when he was having trouble breathing. A great warrior could hold his breath for tens of minutes in the water with one sip of air, but that also had a limit. His body was sucked into the center of the whirlpool with the Yellow Dragon Sword and began to fall into the deep sea. ¡®Did that sword go crazy after changing color?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± That was Eurius¡¯sst thought. He lost consciousness as he fell to the bottom of the sea. And the Bingyeom Sword Master, who followed him closely, couldn¡¯t avoid the same fate. ¡®What?¡¯ He was exhausted and didn¡¯t notice the whirlpool that came in an instant. He flew to the center of the whirlpool in a moment. ¡°¡­!?¡± Bubbles! That¡¯s how a sword and two people were swept away by the whirlpool and sucked into the bottom of the sea. *** ¡°¡­¡± Eurius felt a faint light hitting his eyelids. At the same time, he heard a voice he had never heard before. [Wake up.] ¡°¡­¡± [Wake up, I said!] ¡°Huh?¡± He was startled by the thunderous voice in his ears. He quickly raised his upper body and heard another grumbling voice. [You¡¯re so slow to react. How did such a guy get chosen¡­ Tsk!] The voice was heavy and dignified, but it had a knack for scratching people¡¯s nerves subtly. ¡®Where have I heard this voice before?¡¯ Eurius looked around as he got up. Surprisingly, the ce where he arrived after being swept away by the whirlpool was not underwater. It was a huge space like a cave that looked like hundreds of square meters. The cave was made of solid rocks, and in the center there was argeke-like ce, which was obviously connected to the sea and came in here. ¡°Where is this?¡± [This is the center where Hyunmu¡¯s water g is sealed. The whirlpool was the entrance.] ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius, who was shaking his head, suddenly noticed a mysterious voice. ¡®Where is this voiceing from?¡¯ Woong woong! The answer came from his waist. The Yellow Dragon Sword was vibrating its body slightly and quietly stuck to his waist. ¡°¡­¡± He was so dumbfounded that he snapped at it. Shouldn¡¯t it have told him beforehand if it was going to guide him to such a ce? [Was there any other way in that situation? You can¡¯t even catch a single snake, you talk too much.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius had no choice but to shut his mouth again. Surely, if he had defeated the Three-headed Dragon in that ce, he could have received the guidance of the Yellow Dragon Sword slowly. ¡°Then let¡¯s bury this matter. But¡­¡± Eurius suddenly thought of the Yellow Dragon Sword. ¡®Did it know how to talk?¡¯ Until then, this damned sword had only expressed its will through the stat window, and it had never spoken to him. But now it was talking to him in a clear voice. [Since I came to this continent and absorbed energy continuously, the seal has loosened a bit.] ¡°Seal?¡± [Yellow Dragon Sword (2nd stage)] ssification: Intelligence Weapon (The weapon has a self) Trait: The 2nd stage seal has been released. The ability as a divine artifact returns slightly. To release the final seal, you need to collect all four divine artifacts. [Four Divine Artifacts ¨C Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, ck Tortoise. They are divine objects that contain the power of the Four Guardian Beasts. The help of the divine artifacts is essential to exert the power of the Four Guardian Weapons.] Eurius looked at the Yellow Dragon Sword with an astonished expression. ¡°So this cave is where the ck Tortoise¡¯s divine artifact is sealed? Is that why you brought me here?¡± The Yellow Dragon Sword boasted with a proud voice. [That¡¯s right. I had no choice but to do so because you were so stupid that you couldn¡¯t find it even after a million years.] Snap. A vein popped up on Eurius¡¯s forehead, but he couldn¡¯t me it since it was done with good intentions. ¡°Then where is the divine artifact?¡± [Soon that bastard ck Tortoise will start.] ¡°ck Tortoise?¡± Whooosh! Suddenly, a huge creature sprang up from theke in front of Eurius¡¯s eyes. The first thing that came in was a giant shell that resembled a turtle. But it wasn¡¯t a turtle. A long neck that looked like a snake! And its tail was so long that it wrapped around the shell several times and still had some length left. And at the end of its tail, there was a snake¡¯s head. It looked remarkably simr to the ck Tortoise in the legends of the East. This was the divine beast ck Tortoise that governed water and cold! ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius felt slightly intimidated by its overwhelming presence. The cave was tens of meters high, but when the ck Tortoise raised its head, it almost touched the ceiling. Soon, the ck Tortoise¡¯s deep voice echoed in the cave. [Are you the one who qualified this time?] ¡®What qualification?¡¯ Before Eurius could ask, another voice cut off the ck Tortoise¡¯s words. [Who are you to keep your head up in front of me? Huh? Bow your head!] ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius was startled by the yellow snake that came between him and the ck Tortoise. It looked somewhat extraordinary upon closer inspection. Two horns rising majestically to the sky! mes spewing from its nose! And finally, a long body shining with a faint golden light! Seeing its appearance, Eurius muttered with an incredulous expression. ¡°You¡­ are you the Yellow Dragon?¡± [Hmph! Don¡¯t you know when you see?] The yellow snake, whose length was not even a meter from head to tail, snorted. But right after hearing that, something amazing happened. [I see that you are here, Yellow Dragon. I apologize for my rudeness.] Koong! The overwhelming creature of the ck Tortoise tucked its neck carefully into its shell andid its head on the ground. ¡°¡­¡± It was quite funny to see the monster that would make anyone¡¯s guts ache just by looking at it bowing to a yellow snake, no, a Yellow Dragon that was only as long as a human body. Snicker. Eurius held back hisughter and was also surprised at the same time. Judging by the situation, it seemed that the Yellow Dragon was higher in rank than the ck Tortoise. [Help ¨C Viewing Yellow Dragon.] [Yellow Dragon ¨C A noble golden dragon that symbolizes the emperor¡¯s authority. ording to records, it alsomands the four guardian beasts.] ¡®So does that mean the Yellow Dragon is the superior of the divine beasts, including that ck Tortoise?¡¯ [Have you forgotten the order because you¡¯ve been sealed for so long? You¡¯re so slow like a turtle¡­] [¡­] ¡°¡­¡± The Yellow Dragon, who had sold its solemn voice somewhere, was spewing all kinds ofints at the ck Tortoise. But seeing that it was listening patiently, it was certain that the order was above. Eurius looked at the Yellow Dragon with a contemptuous expression, and the ck Tortoise, who was tired of listening, turned its gaze to Eurius. [Anyway, since you came here, it means you are the chosen one. Then I will give you the divine artifact right away.] ¡°Hooh¡­¡± Eurius was not interested in this ridiculous conversation, but he was very curious about the power of the divine artifact. What kind of power did it have to have such a grand name? But the Yellow Dragon made a fuss again. [Wait!] [Why is that?] [You can¡¯t give him power right away. He¡¯s not ready yet.] [Hmm¡­] The ck Tortoise rolled itsrge eyes and observed Eurius. Then it said with a surprised face. [He¡¯s small.] [Ha! He¡¯s less than an ant.] Without a word, Eurius reached out his hand at the Yellow Dragon¡¯s rant. Crack! [Crack!] His hand grasped the Yellow Dragon¡¯s neck. As expected, it was weak for its size. After a while, the freed Yellow Dragon flew around in the air and whined. [You stupid bastard!] ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius tried to reach out his hand again. But at that moment. [Ahem!] Flinch. He tensed up and pulled back his hand at the ck Tortoise¡¯s light cough. A tremendous pressure pressed down on his whole body. ¡®Well, this is what a divine beast should be like. How did I get stuck with that yellow snake?¡¯ Eurius grumbled inwardly as the ck Tortoise spoke to him gently. [I apologize for being rude to the chosen one. Please forgive me.] Surprisingly, the ck Tortoise was also polite to Eurius. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± [First of all, the Yellow Dragon told me the situation through telepathy. If you are not ready yet, it is unfortunate that you cannot ept my divine artifact.] ¡°Huh¡­¡± What could he do if he couldn¡¯t? Eurius made a disappointed face and the ck Tortoise¡¯s turtle-like mouth seemed to smile slightly. [But it¡¯s a different story if it¡¯s ¡®part¡¯. And you can use the rest of the power naturally as you grow your vessel.] ¡°Part?¡± Eurius raised a question. It said it couldn¡¯t give it before, but what did it mean now? [First of all, let me tell you about my divine artifact. The divine artifact is made by collecting the water vapor that covers this ind and nearby waters.] ¡°Water vapor?¡± [Yes. Water vapor means the power of water and cold that I have as a divine beast.] The ck Tortoise was very kind unlike the Yellow Dragon. It exined everything he was curious about. [But unfortunately, you are stillcking in your vessel and cannot ept all of my power. Your body won¡¯t be able to handle it.] Eurius nodded his head. ¡®After all¡­¡¯ ording to the ck Tortoise, the storm and clouds around here were all the power of water vapor. It was absurd for a human to ept the power that could cover an ind and nearby waters. [So the Yellow Dragon suggested this method.] ¡°Method?¡± [That¡¯s right!] The Yellow Dragon started to speak again with a recovered mood. [I¡¯ll put in only about 10% of the power that you can ept and keep the rest!] Eurius looked suspicious. ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat it and not give it back, are you?¡± [What do you take me for!] As they were about to bicker again, the ck Tortoise opened its mouth again. [Then we don¡¯t have time, so let¡¯s start the work right away.] Snap! Suddenly, the ck Tortoise opened its huge mouth. And as they saw its mouthing closer, they stared at it dumbfoundedly. ¡°¡­!?¡± [¡­!?] Chomp! And they were swallowed by the ck Tortoise¡¯s mouth while bickering. *** Whoosh! ng! Meanwhile, outside the cave, there was still a storm and a downpour. Rumble! ¡°Eek!¡± The asional thunder also chilled people¡¯s hearts. ¡°The rain and storm are getting worse. I wonder how those who went down first are doing, well¡­¡± One of his subordinatesined and Jegal Unhyeonughed. ¡°Ha ha! The lord went there, so there won¡¯t be any problem.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Jegal Unhyeon, one of the four great masters of Jeongdo Alliance, assured his subordinate who couldn¡¯tin anymore. ¡°But it¡¯s not even rainy season and this rain is really strange.¡± Jegal Unhyeon also thought it was strange and nodded his head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m worried about going back. It¡¯ll be hard to sail a boat like this.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± His subordinate gasped suddenly. Jegal Unhyeon felt something wrong and drew out his spear. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The sun¡­¡± ¡°The sun?¡± Whoosh¡­ Amazingly, the rain that had been falling for three days stopped. That wasn¡¯t all. A sudden updraft pushed away the clouds to the other side of the sky. Behind the pushed clouds, dazzling sunlight began to shine on the ground again. ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Unhyeon also couldn¡¯t speak for a moment in surprise. Did rain ever stop like this suddenly? And it wasn¡¯t just rain. ¡°¡­¡± Whoosh¡­ The waves calmed down and the storm stopped. Before they could even drink a cup of tea, all the bad weather had cleared up. Jegal Unhyeon and the rest of the Jeongdo Alliance people looked at the hot sunlight with astonished expressions. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Chapter 153: Formless Divine Armor Chapter 153: Formless Divine Armor ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius, who was swallowed by ck Tortoise¡¯s huge mouth, almost panicked when he saw his vision turn ck. But soon his sight brightened and the surrounding scenery was revealed. ¡®Is this underwater?¡¯ ck Tortoise¡¯s body was filled with blue seawater. There was no sign of any internal organs, and all he could see was blue seawater in all directions. And the next moment, a system notification popped up. Ding! [You absorb ck Tortoise¡¯s energy.] Eurius felt a cold chill in his bones. A stream of cold energy began to seep into his head. That coldness soon spread throughout his body. But that was only for a moment. The coldness turned into a refreshing feeling. At the same time, the water that filled the surroundings began to be sucked into Eurius. Swoosh! Ding! Eurius didn¡¯t know where in his body such a space existed, but the water that seemed endless was mostly absorbed into his body. The space that was filled with blue seawater was covered with pitch-ck darkness again. The only thing left was a small blob of water that surrounded Eurius¡¯s body. ¡®Is it over?¡¯ He blinked his eyes and the next notification sounded as if to answer him. Ding! [The absorbed energy is processed into a divine artifact.] ¡°Processed?¡± Crack! ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius felt the pressure in the water blob increase rapidly. The remaining water squeezed his whole body. Eurius felt a lot of pain, but he opened his eyes wide when he saw what was happening to his body. ¡®This is?¡¯ Ding! [You have been recognized as the owner of the Four Divine Artifacts: Formless Divine Armor.] The water blob that surrounded Eurius¡¯s body gradually became transparent and invisible to the eye. But it didn¡¯t disappear. ¡®So¡­ this is why it¡¯s called armor?¡¯ He was now in the form of a thin and transparent membrane made of water covering his whole body. A transparent armor made of ck Tortoise¡¯s water energy! That¡¯s why it was named Formless Divine Armor. When the armor waspleted, another notification popped up. [You have absorbed ck Tortoise¡¯s pure power. The trait ck Tortoise Diamond Water Technique is created.] [Four Divine Beasts: White Tiger Divine Artifact, Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath, Vermilion Bird Fire Spirit Technique, ck Tortoise Diamond Water Technique] [You have cleared the quest ¡®ck Tortoise Movement¡¯.] [Your achievement increases.] [Hoo!] Along with the notification, ck Tortoise spat out Eurius from inside his body. [The injection of the water artifact isplete.] [ng!] Yellow Dragon also came out of ck Tortoise¡¯s mouth with a ssh. But unlike before, he looked strangely tired. When asked why, he answered curtly. [I had to gather several times more energy than you received. It would be strange if I wasn¡¯t tired.] He always grumbled, but he did everything for Eurius. ¡°Thanks anyway.¡± Yellow Dragon snorted at Eurius¡¯s gratitude. [Hmph! You finally realized my greatness. Instead of thanking me, think about finding other divine artifacts.] ¡°Speaking of which, you said they were Four Divine Artifacts? There are three more of these things?¡± But what did collecting the Four Divine Artifacts have to do with hiscking vessel? ck Tortoise answered that question for him. [The techniques that use our Four Divine Beasts¡¯ energy were originally created to handle the divine artifacts. Without the divine artifacts, it is hard to exert even a tenth of their original power.] [And to fuse the four energies, you need all four divine artifacts.] Eurius nodded at the exnation of the two divine beasts. The Four Directional Divine Artifacts and the Four Divine Weapons were inseparable from the start. There must be other divine artifacts somewhere in this continent. But there were more than one or two things that he was curious about. ¡°By the way, what is the chosen one that you mentioned earlier and why are you giving me this power?¡± [¡­] ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± [¡­] However, ck Tortoise remained silent. He seemed friendly enough to answer, but he closed his mouth on this question. [We cannot tell you.] Yellow Dragon also added his words and Eurius gave up with a disappointed face. It was not unexpected, actually. ¡®If it was a question that he could answer, Yellow Dragon would have told me already.¡¯ Soon, ck Tortoise opened his mouth again. [Then, since I havepleted all my tasks, I will return to the sea.] [Oh. Goodbye. Be nice next time.] Yellow Dragon answered dryly and Eurius also tried to express his gratitude again. [Oh, I forgot one thing.] ¡°Forgot what?¡± Thud! A ck object popped out of ck Tortoise¡¯s mouth again. Eurius tilted his head when he saw it. It was a person. ¡°Is that the Ice me Sword Demon or whatever? Did he jump in with you?¡± [You seem to know each other well. Normally, I would melt everyone except the chosen one in my stomach, but¡­] ck Tortoise spoke calmly with a horrifying story. [This human was a bit special. I felt the energy of a divine beast inside him, so I thought he might be apanion of the chosen one and spared his life.] ¡°Thank you.¡± Eurius thanked him. The Ice me Sword Demon was definitely using one of the Four Divine Weapons, the Vermilion Bird Fire Spirit Divine Skill. ck Tortoise must have noticed that and saved him. [I hope to see you again. May your work go well.] ck Tortoise finished his business and dived into the middle of theke again and slowly disappeared. At the same time, Eurius¡¯s consciousness flew back into the air. Pop! When he came to his senses, Eurius was standing in the same cave again, but there was no sign of ck Tortoise or Yellow Dragon, and the Yellow Dragon Sword was back on his waist. And in front of his eyes, there was a ck-d person lying down and shivering slightly. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius pondered for a moment and decided to wake up the Ice me Sword Demon first. But at that moment, a sharp voice rang in his ears. [Watch out!] Shriek! A cold de passed by Eurius¡¯s eyes in an instant. The Ice me Sword Demon, who seemed to be unconscious, suddenly got up and attacked him like lightning. He had been awake since Eurius was deep in thought. He was one of the best swordsmen in the Dark Sect! His attack was too fast to avoid. But surprisingly, it was the Ice me Sword Demon who was shocked. Ting! With a sound like paper ringing, his sword that contained a huge amount of inner power was lightly blocked. And his de bounced off without touching a single hair of Eurius. A transparent ripple appeared where the de was blocked, like throwing a stone on the water surface. ¡°Is this¡­ could it be?¡± He looked at Eurius with astonishment and killing intent in his eyes. Eurius started to speak in a rxed tone. ¡°How dare you swing your sword at your benefactor? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much?¡± ¡°Benefactor?¡± ¡°Who do you think is the reason why you are alive?¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re just a fool for sparing your enemy.¡± The Iceme Sword Demon sneered and swung his sword like a gale, aiming at Eurius¡¯s whole body. His sword was ignited with mes as he used the Fire Spirit Technique of the Vermilion Bird Sect. But Eurius did not draw his sword. He wanted to test the power of the divine artifact at this opportunity. ng! ng! ng! The sword split into three and targeted his head, chest, and neck, but they all bounced off. ¡°Kuh!¡± The Iceme Sword Demon bit his tongue andunched a more fierce attack, but it was futile. No matter how sharp and fast the attack was, it was repelled as soon as it approached Eurius¡¯s body with a transparent ripple. [Formless Divine Armor-It symbolizes the defensive power of ck Tortoise, represented by the turtle¡¯s shell. It protects the user from all external shocks.] Eurius was quite surprised inwardly. ¡®It¡¯s an amazing defense. No ordinary attack can prate this armor.¡¯ And it was not just a shield. Eurius countered the Iceme Sword Demon¡¯s sword with a light swing of his hand. ¡®Was it called ck Tortoise Water Technique?¡¯ Sizzle! Eurius concentrated the water technique he received from ck Tortoise on his hand, and his hand was covered with cold frost and froze. His hand that emitted cold frost and the Iceme Sword Demon¡¯s sword that burned with fire collided directly. Boom! A loud explosion erupted and thick steam rose up. ¡°Kuk!¡± Surprisingly, the one who was pushed back was the Iceme Sword Demon. He spat out a bowl of blood after being pushed back tens of meters. Eurius had repelled him with a martial art he had just learned without using a sword. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The Iceme Sword Demon wiped the blood from his mouth and red at Eurius as if he wanted to kill him. ¡°You really have the Formless Divine Armor!¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Do you know its name?¡± The Iceme Sword Demon thought he was mocking him and his expression became even more twisted. ¡°Are there any fools who don¡¯t know about the Four Directional Divine Artifacts? You must have known in advance since you obtained the divine artifact. You¡¯re a funny guy.¡± ¡®It seems that the Four Directional Divine Artifacts are quite well-known themselves. Is it because this is where Lee Cheongmun was active?¡¯ Eurius realized that the Four Directional Divine Artifacts were legendary items, but the information was quite widely known. And judging by the tone of the Iceme Sword Demon, he also seemed to havee here knowing that there was a divine artifact here. Snap! He stretched out one hand. ¡°Hand it over to me. Then I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± Eurius shook his head. It was a question that didn¡¯t need to be thought about in the first ce. Why should he vomit out what he had eaten? ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got the divine artifact, but it¡¯s something that our sect has marked! Your skills are certainly amazing, but I guarantee you that once our sect starts tracking you, you will surely regret it.¡± The Iceme Sword Demon changed his strategy and tried to persuade him with a rxed voice after withdrawing his killing intent. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But there was no way that such a threat would work on Eurius. Rather, he almost fainted from shock at what he said next. ¡°You¡¯re the one who has something to give me.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Eurius uttered a word lightly. ¡°Vermilion Bird!¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± The Iceme Sword Demon was so surprised that he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. ¡°¡­¡± He soon began to shiver uncontrobly. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius did not answer. There was no point in telling him that he could just see it. He would not believe it anyway. Thud! The Iceme Swordmaster suddenly backed away. His eyes, holding up his sword, were filled with even more intense killing intent than before. ¡°So you¡¯ve been toying with me all this time!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± He spoke harshly, but he felt despair in his heart. He had not been suspicious of him because he was traveling with the Alliance of Justice, but now that he thought about it, he looked suspicious from the start. ¡®Master, did he send you? I should have noticed when I saw his blond hair and blue eyes¡­¡¯ Even at that moment, thousands of thoughts shed through his mind, but he saw only one way out. ¡®I have to knock him down somehow and escape from here!¡¯ Kwaaaa! He began to gather his energy with a desperate resolve. *** Meanwhile, Eurius looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. [Pce Jade] Current state: Despair, Desperation ¡®Why is he acting like that?¡¯ [Be careful. He seems to be making hisst stand.] Yellow Dragon advised him in a calm tone. He usually spoke like this when he faced a formidable opponent. ¡®I¡¯ll have to knock him out and interrogate him.¡¯ [Wait!] Yellow Dragon stopped him as he was about to draw his sword. ¡®Why?¡¯ [Try out the divine skill on this asion.] ¡®Didn¡¯t I already use it?¡¯ Yellow Dragon clicked his tongue. [Tsk! That¡¯s not the true way to use the divine skill.] ¡®¡­!?¡¯ Eurius was talking to Yellow Dragon while the Iceme Swordmaster was readying himself. His specialty was the Unification Skill, a technique thatbined two opposing energies to create a massive destructive force. Whirr! The Fire Spirit Skill that he mastered was one of the best skills among those that dealt with fire energy. Ssssh! The cold energy in his left hand was a rare demonic skill from the Dark Sect! It was one of the best skills among those that dealt with yin energy, excluding the extinct ck Tortoise Sect¡¯s Diamond Water Skill. When these two skills collided, there were few who could withstand their destructive power. How else would he hear that he had more pure destructive power than the Master of the Dark Sect? But Yellow Dragon¡¯s evaluation was blunt. [His maniption is sloppy. He has such a good constitution, but he wastes it like that.] ¡®Huh? Constitution?¡¯ Eurius felt a moment of curiosity, but his priority was to subdue his enemy. ¡®Did he tell me to do it like this?¡¯ He focused the skill he received from ck Tortoise on one spot and blew it into the Invisible Divine Armor. The result was astonishing. Crack! Even before he released it, his surroundings were covered with frost and frozen. ¡°You bastard! Let¡¯s die together!¡± Rumble! At that moment, Bingyeom Sword Devil charged in and shed his two energies with a fierce force. His power was iparable to when he had blown up the head of the Three-headed Dragon earlier. That was because he had invested almost all of his true energy into this attack. Whoosh! The entire cave shook from the aftermath, and dust fell from the ceiling. However,pared to Iceme Sword Demon terrifying momentum, all Eurius did was stretch out his hand. ¡°Is this how it¡¯s done?¡± Swoosh. Iceme Sword Demon eyes widened as he saw Eurius casually extend his hand. ¡°What is this?¡± But before he could think any further, he felt his full-powered energy dissipate like a bubble. ¡°¡­!?¡± Crackle! A dreadful coldness poured out from Eurius¡¯s palm. It not only swallowed Iceme Sword Demon attack, but also spread throughout the cave. And a few secondster! ¡°¡­¡± Eurius blinked his eyes silently. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had done, even though it was his own action. [You did pretty well for your first time. This is how you use the divine artifact.] ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius came to his senses at the words of the Yellow Dragon. This was the power of the Four Divine Artifacts. The divine artifact of ck Tortoise, which governed water and coldness, amplified the power of the corresponding energy by tens or hundreds of times. Sssss The cave was still filled with a faint coldness, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. The entire space, which was hundreds of square meters wide, was covered with frost and ice. And in the center of it, there was an ice statue standing. It was none other than Bingyeom Sword Devil. He had frozen in the middle of his charge. ¡®Is he dead?¡¯ [Hmph! He has the energy of Vermilion Bird, so he won¡¯t die from that.] Creak! As soon as those words were spoken, steam rose from the ice statue. The ice melted quickly, and Bingyeom Sword Devil copsed on his knees. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Who are you?¡± He gasped for breath, but he still tried to lift his head and look at Eurius. ¡°Huh?¡± But Eurius tilted his head at his voice. Originally, Iceme Sword Demon voice was rough and dull like a man¡¯s. But now¡­ ¡°Are you a woman? Then why are you dressed as a man?¡± He realized that the hood that had covered his mouth was shattered by the ice. The voice that had changed was too thin and high-pitched to belong to a man who had used a voice changer. And the face that was revealed when the hood broke was too pretty to be a man¡¯s. But she¡­ or rather, he did not seem to have any intention of answering his question. Instead, he shouted again in a voice filled with resentment. ¡°Never mind that, who are you?¡± He was so wronged that he felt like going crazy. The artifact he had been aiming for was snatched away by someone else, and he was so overwhelmed by the ice that he could barely move his hand. If the other party was an expert hidden by the Dark Sect to monitor him, he would have no choice but to die without a fight. When no answer came, he was in a dilemma. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to have a hard time opening his mouth with force. But surprisingly, the Yellow Dragon gave him another clue. [Ah! Come to think of it, that Vermilion Bird bastard liked human females, right?] ¡®What?¡¯ [Show him what you have learned as a test. Maybe he will react.] He first raised the breath of the Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon among the divine beasts symbolized wind and air (¿Õ)! The Ice me Sword Demon¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly when he saw the gentle breeze-like energy rising. ¡°The breath of the Azure Dragon? Are you an expert of Jegal Sae Ga?¡± But when he saw the next energy that he raised, he couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide. A fierce beast-like energy surged from his whole body. ¡°The White Tiger¡¯s Protection Technique of the Royal Golden Army!¡± And when he showed him the cold energy of the ck Tortoise as well, the Ice me Sword Demon was trembling slightly. ¡°The three martial arts of Lee Cheong Mun¡¯s investigation! Then who are you¡­?¡± ¡°They call me Death¡¯s Body in Jegal Sae Ga, do you know that?¡± Boom! When he heard that answer, he mmed his head on the ground. At that moment, his name changed in his eyes. ¡°I, Gung Jeok Yeong of Yellow Star Intelligence, greet you, my lord!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®What? Yellow Star Intelligence? The royal information organization of Hwan Empire?¡¯ He was as surprised as him. He remembered the exnation he had heard from the martial artists who had joined the Death¡¯s Body Association after epting Jegal Sae Ga as his subordinate. *** It was when he first epted Jegal Sae Ga as his subordinate and listened to the exnation of the martial artists who belonged to the Death¡¯s Body Association. ¡°There are two major information organizations in the martial world. Jegal Sae Ga¡¯s Hyun Wol Jeon and Gae Bang.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there was also an information organization in Ju Jak Mu Mun, which had lost contact?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not a force in the martial world, so it¡¯s not well known in general¡­¡± Jegal Un Hyun made a worried expression and continued. ¡°There is no contact now, but there is Yellow Star Intelligence, an information organization directly under the royal family. They are called the eyes and ears of the Hwan Empire¡¯s royal family.¡± Chapter 154: The Power of the Imperial Family Chapter 154: The Power of the Imperial Family Leonhardt sat on a splendid throne with a bored expression on his face. ¡®I wonder when I will be able to see the emperor of this damned empire.¡¯ It had been more than a week since the delegation arrived. They had not had much contact for a long time, but they could not ignore the envoy of the Scharnos Empire. Leonhardt and his delegation were smoothly guided to the capital of the Hwan Empire, Jang-an. But the problem started from there. ¡°When will we be able to meet His Majesty the Emperor?¡± ¡°Hehe. His Majesty is currently unwell. If you wait a few more days, I will surely guide you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Leonhardt still looked at the man in front of him with a strange gaze. He looked like a middle-aged man, but he had a clean face without a beard. ¡®There are all kinds of weirdos in the East Continent.¡¯ He might have thought he had a handsome face, but he had another reason to be annoyed. It was because of the man¡¯s voice. ¡°Hehe¡­ Then I will take my leave. I hope you rest well.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Leonhardt sent him off with a nervous expression and grumbled inwardly. ¡®What kind of man has a voice like that?¡¯ He looked like a middle-aged man, but his voice was high-pitched and squeaky like a boy who had not gone through puberty. He was called a Crown Prince, which was a position, but it was his first time seeing him in person, so he couldn¡¯t help but find him odd. ¡®Anyway, I don¡¯t like anything here.¡¯ And so he was trapped in the imperial pce in a semi-imprisoned state. *** ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ A whileter, Eurius finished his reminiscence and looked at the woman kneeling before him with a nk stare. He checked her condition and found that she was not lying. ¡®The White Tiger n was destroyed by a force suspected to be the Dark Sect, right? They must have gone through something simr.¡¯ Soon his mouth opened. ¡°So you are from the Yellow Star Intelligence, the secret organization of the Hwan Empire¡¯s imperial family. I also heard that it includes the masters of the Jujak n.¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°But why are you in the Dark Sect?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iceme Sword Demon¡­ no, Gung jeok-yeong, who revealed her name, shivered for a moment and then raised her head with a bitter tone. ¡°I apologize, but I have something to ask you before that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°By seeing that you have mastered three types of Four Divine Beast, you must be one of the sessors of Ichungmun(One Pir Gate). I also have an idea why you came here.¡± Her face became sharp at this point. ¡°But this secret about ck Tortoise is very hard to obtain even for the Dark Sect. How did you get this information?¡± This question seemed trivial, but it had a lot of implications. First of all, Eurius was a person from the far West Continent. Even if he had learned Ichungmun¡¯s martial arts, he wouldn¡¯t get information out of thin air. ¡°yer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But with Eurius¡¯s casual word, she was also speechless. And then he took something out of his chest. ¡°But if you were part of the imperial family¡¯s information organization, maybe you would recognize this?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± What Eurius took out was a small jade seal with an inscription on it. It seemed to be no ordinary thing as it emitted a faint golden light. ¡°¡­¡± She fixed her gaze on the jade seal for a while and then opened her mouth. ¡°I understand what you mean.¡± ¡°You recognize it?¡± ¡°A martial artist might not know, but that is the seal of the West Continent¡¯s imperial family.¡± That jade bird was the symbol of the crown prince of the Scharnos Empire. Of course, Gung Jeok-yeong didn¡¯t know that, but as someone who worked in the pce, she could read the engraved characters on it. And at a nce, it was obvious that it had an extraordinary divine power, so she could roughly guess Eurius¡¯s identity as well. ¡®I¡¯ve heard that the royal family of the Western Continent has the bloodline of yers. Then it¡¯s not impossible for him to know the location of this secret ce.¡¯ At this point, yer was a word that could mean anything. Her doubts melted like snow and she bowed her head deeply again. ¡°I apologize for being rude to a noble person from the Western Continent. May I ask your status?¡± After making a decision, she politely asked him. Eurius shook his head. He still didn¡¯t know who she was for sure, so it wasn¡¯t time to reveal his exact identity. ¡°Before that, don¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°What happened to White Tiger n? And also tell me about the current situation of the Hwan Empire¡¯s royal family.¡± How could a person who could be called a close aide of the emperor be in the Dark Sect? She must have been one of the top talents in the pce, considering her martial arts skills. ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯ll exin.¡± She let out a sigh and started to talk about the secrets of the royal family. ¡°It all started when a man named Yeosang became the leader of Eastern Depot twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Eastern Depot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a faction of the emperor¡¯s close aides run by Crown Prince. They also belong to Vermilion Bird Sect.¡± ¡°Crown Prince? You mean¡­¡± ¡°As you know, Fire Spirit Divine Skill is a martial art that normal men can¡¯t learn.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± [That¡¯s true.] Yellow Dragon also briefly exined. Fire Spirit Divine Skill was a martial art that had an extreme yang nature, so normal men couldn¡¯t handle its energy and would lose their lives due to yang energy explosion. ¡°So Vermilion Bird Sect¡¯s leader has always been a woman or a Great Eunuch.¡± Of course, Great Eunuch meant exactly that. Eurius sweated slightly and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it before. It means men who have been castrated, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The emperor¡¯s guards are allposed of Crown Prince.¡± Hearing that, Eurius asked Yellow Dragon in his mind. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me I have to do that too.¡¯ [You idiot! Do you think ck Tortoise gave you his power for nothing?] ¡®Ah!¡¯ As Yellow Dragon said, Vermilion Bird Sect¡¯s Fire Spirit Divine Skill and ck Tortoise Sect Vajra Water Skill were originally a pair of martial arts. Just like Fire Spirit Divine Skill, Vajra Water Skill was a martial art that would freeze and kill women who learned it due to yin energy explosion. But if they learned both of them together, there would be no such side effects. But Eurius had a question in his mind. ¡®But didn¡¯t you say that only yers can learn Four Divine Beast?¡¯ [There are some cases where people with unusual bodies can learn two kinds of martial arts like her.] ¡®Unusual body?¡¯ [Ask her yourself.] Yellow Dragon answered curtly and Eurius opened his mouth to her who was still kneeling. ¡°By the way, is the reason you came here because of your body?¡± ¡°You knew it.¡± Gung Jeok-yeong looked at Eurius with admiration in her eyes. ording to her, she had a rare constitution called Yin-Yang Harmony, which was born once in a hundred years. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Yin-Yang Harmony can learn martial arts that are biased towards extreme yin or yang without any problems. Not only that, but they can also use two kinds of martial arts at the same time. Of course, it¡¯s nothingpared to you who are Four Divine Beast Body, the legendary Four Divine God Beast¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, we¡¯ve gone off topic. Tell me more about the royal family.¡± ¡°Ah! Right.¡± Gung Jeok-yeong moved on to talk about the royal family. ¡°As I said before, Yeo-sang is not only the best master produced by Vermilion Bird Sect in a hundred years, but also has a keen insight and earned the deep trust of the emperor.¡± ¡°But?¡± She gritted her teeth. ¡°However, he soon showed his true colors. He wielded his power as he pleased, with the full trust of His Majesty the Emperor on his back.¡± Behind Yeosang, there was a strong support group besides the Emperor. It was the Eastern Wall. ¡°The leader of the Eastern Wall and I were originally equal confidants of His Majesty, but after he monopolized the power, we could hardly see His Majesty¡¯s face.¡± ¡°So? It was a power struggle within the imperial court, then?¡± Eurius looked grim. Wasn¡¯t that amon urrence in such power games? But Gung jeok-yeong shook her head. ¡°If he had used his power for His Majesty and the empire, we could have endured it. But Yeosang turned His Majesty into a puppet.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ording to her, Yeosang was practically ruling the Hwan Empire right now. ¡°We, the Imperial Star Sect, tried to drive him out with the help of the generals of the Golden Army, but we failed. Instead, we were arrested for treason and executed.¡± At this point, Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled. The Golden Army was where White Tiger Sect belonged, right? ¡°Was White Tiger Sect¡¯s destruction also rted to him?¡± ¡°Yes. They couldn¡¯t stand his hostility either.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s only one suspect behind him?¡± Gung jeok-yeong also nodded with a determined expression. She and Eurius uttered one word at the same time. ¡°The Dark Sect!¡± A momentter, after hearing more details from Gung jeok-yeong, Eurius looked at her with a sour expression. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that everyone in the Imperial Star Sect was executed except for you?¡± ¡°Yes. I joined the Dark Sect since then. For revenge against Yeosang and his backers.¡± Fortunately, there were few people in the martial world who knew of her existence, so she was able to enter the Dark Sect smoothly and grow her skills. Besides, the Dark Sect was a ce where only the strong survived! They didn¡¯t care about one¡¯s background or gender as long as one had talent. And finally, she became a deputy leader, a high-ranking position that allowed her to ess many of the ns that were being carried out within the Dark Sect. ¡°One of them is collecting the Four Divine Artifacts.¡± As Eurius had experienced with his Intangible Divine Armor, each of the Four Divine Artifacts had immense power. She didn¡¯t know where they got the information from, but the Dark Sect was obsessed with collecting them. ¡°What is their purpose for finding the artifacts?¡± She shook her head at Eurius¡¯s question. ¡°Only the leader and his close aides know that. I had limited ess to information because I wasn¡¯t born in the sect.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Eurius agreed and then locked eyes with Gung jeok-yeong. ¡°So do you resent me? The artifact was originally what you were aiming for, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± She denied vehemently. The artifact was what she wanted to get for her revenge! But she couldn¡¯t possibly face the powerful Dark Sect alone even if she got it. ¡°But if you appeared, it would be a different story!¡± She looked at Eurius with hopeful eyes. ¡®You see me as a problem solver, huh? Well, I guess it¡¯s not far from the truth.¡¯ Eurius smiled as if amused. ¡°What if I don¡¯t help you with your revenge? Will you still follow me? As you can guess, I¡¯m from the Western Continent.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± She thought for a moment and then shook her head vigorously. ¡°It is my duty to follow you as an investigator of Vermilion Bird Sect. I can¡¯t make my own decision!¡± In other words, she would pledge unconditional loyalty to him. Confirming that, Eurius nodded. ¡°Can you swear your loyalty to me?¡± Thud! She mmed her head on the floor again and shouted. ¡°Even if my revenge is not fulfilled, I will obey your orders, my lord!¡± Eurius chuckled here. In fact, apart from Jeong Do-maeng, he could hardly consider anyone else as his ally. But unexpectedly, he had gained a master who could be a good force. ¡°Raise your head.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you what you have to do from now on.¡± *** ¡°Namu Amitabul¡­ It seems to be finally over.¡± Master Jiwoo made a bitter expression as he withdrew his fist. It had been several hours since Eurius and Iceme Sword Demon disappeared into the water. They had to fight fiercely with the Yin-Yang Twin Horsemen who blocked their way. Their individual abilities were of course inferior to the core masters of Jeong Do-maeng, such as Namgung Ilcheon or Master Jiwoo, but they were very tricky opponents because they divided into pairs and used the Harmonious Art, which collided the energies of yin and yang like Iceme Sword Demon. ¡°As expected, the evilness of Magyo is well-known. Fortunately, if that Iceme Sword Demon bastard hadn¡¯t disappeared, it wouldn¡¯t have ended with this much sacrifice.¡± Namgung Ilcheon also looked exhausted as he sheathed his sword, having used up most of his energy. ¡°But what should we do now?¡± At that moment, Gu Cheon-geol opened his mouth. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Tsk! I¡¯m talking about those monsters who jumped into the water.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¡°Namu Amitabul¡­¡± The masters of Righteous Alliance had no choice but to worry. They didn¡¯t know why they jumped into the water after fighting well. ¡°In my opinion, it seems like they went in to find something inside?¡± ¡°Do you mean the treasure of ck Tortoise?¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe. If they came all the way here and only found a three-headed snake, that would be more suspicious!¡± Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s words were reasonable. There must be some reward for such a deep and dangerous ck Tortoise, but they came to the end of the road and got nothing. ¡°Then shall we enter the water?¡± Gu Cheon-geol frowned at Namgung Ilcheon¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Are you crazy? Those monsters jumped in because they were confident, but we don¡¯t even know what¡¯s in there. If we go into the water, we won¡¯t survive even if we have ten lives.¡± The expert Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s judgment was cautious. In fact, they had almost no damage in breaking through ck Tortoise thanks to Eurius¡¯s help. Without him, it would be risky to advance rashly. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The dilemma deepened. But they couldn¡¯t just wait here forever, could they? But at that moment! Shuaak! A ck object sprang up from below the cliff. The masters of Righteous Alliance were startled and looked that way. Koong! ¡°Krrrrr!¡± ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Namgung Ilcheon¡¯s face turned pale. The thing that just jumped out of the water was the Three-headed Dragon that they had fought before. ¡®Does that mean Eurius Daehyup and Iceme Sword Demon are both dead? No way¡­¡¯ He assumed the worst situation and drew his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it off, so retreat to the passage first¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Namgung Ilcheon looked at the Three-headed Dragon with a bewildered expression as if he had heard something wrong. The other masters also stared at it as if they were bewitched. They were looking at the most ferocious-looking middle head among the three heads of the Three-headed Dragon. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°How can this be¡­¡± They all made incredulous expressions. Gu Cheon-geol was the first to regain his senses and stuttered. ¡°This is¡­ how¡­ how did this happen¡­?¡± ¡°As you can see, I came back riding this guy. He surprisingly listens well.¡± Eurius said with a grin, patting the dragon¡¯s scaly neck. He then jumped down to the ground and looked around at the astonished faces of his friends. Chapter 155: Acknowledgement Chapter 155: Acknowledgement Eurius epted Gung jeok-yeong as his subordinate and gave him some instructions. ¡°For now, I¡¯m traveling with the Righteous Alliance. It might raise unnecessary suspicions if I take you back with me.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t have to worry about being exposed by his appearance since he was disguised as a man, but there were many skilled warriors in the Righteous Alliance. They might find him suspicious by sensing his aura. ¡°So,e back here after things are settled. Then we can think of ways to infiltrate the Dark Sect.¡± ¡°Master¡­¡± Gung jeok-yeong looked at Eurius with an indescribable expression. Wasn¡¯t that the same as saying that he would help him with his revenge? He bowed his head silently with a touched face. On the other hand, Eurius waved his hand with a calm expression. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I do this. You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± ¡®After all, I have to do it because of the quest.¡¯ A little time passed and the two escaped from the cave through theke where ck Tortoise had entered. The method was simple. Whoosh! Just like they were sucked in by a powerful suction force when they entered, they were shot up to the surface by a fierce updraft when they left. In an instant, they reached near the whirlpool that had swallowed them and started to swim across the water quickly. But there was someone who wouldn¡¯t let them go easily. [Prey!] [I won¡¯t miss this time!] [Catch them!] The three-headed dragon was still nearby, apparently regretting that it couldn¡¯t eat Eurius. ¡®What a nuisance.¡¯ Eurius drew his sword as he saw it approaching at a furious speed. But as it got close to his nose, it suddenly hesitated. ¡°Krrr?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius held his sword and slowly started to approach again. As soon as he moved forward, it shrank back and retreated. ¡°Keeeng¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at it with a puzzled expression and moved forward another meter. Sssk! [Scary.] [Bigger than us.] [Different from appearance.] It quickly backed away a few meters again. All three of its heads were trembling with faint fear as they looked at Eurius. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ [Heh! It seems that it¡¯s afraid of ck Tortoise¡¯s aura inside you.] Yellow Dragon exined. ck Tortoise was originally a god-like being for all the spirit beasts that lived in the water. There was no way that a mere spirit beast could touch Eurius, who had absorbed some of the aura of such a divine beast. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Hearing that, Eurius made eye contact with the three-headed dragon. And then he snapped his fingers. ¡®Come here.¡¯ ¡°Krrr?¡± The three-headed dragon tried to run away instead ofing closer. But Eurius narrowed his eyes. ¡®Noting?¡¯ ¡°Keeeng?¡± It flinched and hurriedly came to Eurius¡¯s front. Gung jeok-yeong, who didn¡¯t know what was going on, quickly reached for his sword, but Eurius stopped him. ¡®It¡¯s fine.¡¯ ¡®¡­!?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the power of miracles.¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± She also nodded at his gesture and watched this scene with a curious expression. Eurius suddenly had a good idea. ¡®I can get there much faster if I ride this thing.¡¯ ¡°Krrr?¡± Eurius suddenly grabbed the three-headed dragon¡¯s neck. It was too surprised, but it was too scared to do anything but widen its eyes. ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯ Eurius instructed it to go to the cliff where they had firste up. ¡°Keeeng!¡± The three-headed dragon made a sound like a whimpering puppy and had no choice but to follow his order. *** Eurius, who hadnded on the ground, patted the three-headed dragon¡¯s body with his palm as if to praise it for its hard work. ¡°You did well. I might need youter, so go back in there.¡± ¡°Krrr!¡± Ssh! The three-headed dragon bowed its head and then jumped back into the sea in an instant. The people of the Righteous Alliance who had witnessed this scene were speechless and pursed their lips. Eurius smiled faintly at that sight. ¡°Grandmaster¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°What on earth is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon and Gucheon Girl asked at the same time, but Eurius didn¡¯t answer their question. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I know about ck Tortoise Cave? I¡¯ll exin it to you when we go up. Let¡¯s get out of here first!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The way up was also a series of surprises for the experts of the Righteous Alliance. ¡°Krrk?¡± ¡°Krk!¡± Surprisingly, as soon as they encountered Eurius, who was leading them, the monsters and spirit beasts ran away with their tails between their legs. This was also the effect of absorbing ck Tortoise¡¯s aura. The monsters of ck Tortoise Cave couldn¡¯t resist the powerful presence that they felt from him. Whisper whisper. ¡°What on earth is this¡­¡± ¡°What is his identity?¡± The experts of the Righteous Alliance had endless questions, but they held back until they got out of ck Tortoise Cave. Whoosh. Finally, as they got out of ck Tortoise Cave, the intense sunlight hit their eyelids. ¡°The vice-master has returned.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± At the same time, the experts of the Righteous Alliance who were leisurely guarding outside gathered in groups. At the front of them was Jegal Unhyeon. ¡°I¡¯m d that you don¡¯t seem to have any big injuries.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But even at Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s words, Namgoong Ilcheon remained expressionless. He silently gestured with his eyes toward Eurius. ¡®Ah!¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what happened, but it seemed that his master had caused some trouble(?). Jegal Unhyeon chuckled and politely greeted Eurius. ¡°I¡¯m d that you came back safely.¡± ¡°You did well too. And now I think it¡¯s time to exin.¡± He had gained a lot of trust from the experts of the Righteous Alliance in this ck Tortoise Cave incident. But he also left a lot of mysterious points, so he needed solid evidence that he wasn¡¯t a suspicious person. ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Unhyeon nced at Eurius for a moment and tilted his head. Then he suddenly drew his spear. Swoosh. ¡°Hmm?¡± Shiiik! Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s spear flew at a terrifying speed towards Eurius¡¯s chest. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Unhyeon! You?¡± It was such a sudden attack that anyone would think that Eurius¡¯s chest would be pierced by a hole. However. Ting! With a clear sound, Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s spear was lightly bounced off. His spear could not prate the invisible armor either. But he did not show any regretful expression and calmly opened his mouth towards the people of the Alliance of Justice. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who he is by this?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have done it in another way? Why did you have to do it like this?¡± Eurius grumbled and turned his head. Near his body, transparent circles were spreading out from the spot where Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s spear had hit. It was a colorless and transparent invisible armor, but it showed some shape to the experts with excellent eyesight when it received sunlight. And the experts of the Alliance of Justice widened their eyes when they saw it. ¡°A transparent armor made of water? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Namu Amitabul. Jegal Lord¡­ Is this what I think it is?¡± ¡°It is as you suspect, Master.¡± As Jegal Unhyeon finished his words, Master Jiu groaned. ¡°Ugh¡­ Then?¡± ¡°He is a descendant of ¡®our¡¯ founder.¡± Founder meant the founder of the Martial Arts. ¡°¡­!?¡± Swirl swirl. The Alliance of Justice suddenly fell into chaos. There was only one person that the Jegal n called founder. But it was hard to believe because his name was too huge. ¡°Lee Cheongmun, the Master of Martial Arts!¡± A word burst out of someone¡¯s mouth like a moan. ¡°The first master of ancient medicine?¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Jegal Unhyeon looked at them in confusion and spoke again with more certainty. ¡°The lord here is indeed a descendant of Lee Cheongmun, the founder. The Jegal n guarantees it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon was lost in thought. He was carefully examining whether his words were true. ¡®First, he knew the internal structure of the secret chamber, right?¡¯ It would have been suspicious under normal circumstances, but if that secret chamber was where Lee Cheongmun¡¯s legacy was sealed, then it could be understood. It could be a preparation for his descendant. ¡®And what Eurius is wearing on his body now is definitely the invisible armor that was only considered legendary.¡¯ An armor made of transparent water! And an unbelievable protection that easily bounced off the spear of an early fourth-stage expert! There was no way that such a device existed twice in the world. And above all, there was the guarantee of the Jegal n. ¡®Unhyeon is not a person who would lie about this kind of thing.¡¯ The people of the Alliance of Justice were not fools. They could not miss it with this much clue. If Eurius was a descendant who inherited Lee Cheongmun¡¯s martial arts, then everything was exined: his actions after entering the secret chamber, his mysterious device, and the guarantee of the Jegal n. ¡®There are some suspicious points, but¡­¡¯ That was Eurius¡¯s intention, but it was not a big problem either. After entering the secret chamber, Eurius did his best to protect the Alliance of Justice no matter what happened. In the end, Namgoong Ilcheon had no choice but toe to a conclusion. He walked up to Eurius and politely hugged him. ¡°I greet you, descendant of Cure-All!¡± ¡°Namu Amitabul. I greet you, descendant of founder! It is a great blessing for the martial world that you appear at this time. Heheh.¡± As the two most influential people in the Alliance of Justice bowed their heads, the others also began to lower their heads one by one. ¡°We greet you, descendant of Cure-All!¡± ¡°Please forgive our rudeness until now!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at them with a bewildered expression. He then turned his gaze towards Jegal Unhyeon as if asking for an exnation. ¡®Why are they acting like this?¡¯ From what he had felt while traveling with the martial artists, they respected the strong, but they did not show such excessive courtesy. Even if he revealed that he was the crown prince, they would not treat him with such reverence. Jegal Unhyeon answered his question. ¡°It¡¯s because of the ¡®rank¡¯.¡± ¡°Rank?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a very important part of the martial world.¡± Rank was a kind of hierarchy that was followed in the martial world. For example, if person A and person B had the same rank, then A and B¡¯s disciples would also have the same rank. This was not determined by the age difference, but by the rank of the master. ¡°Aha!¡± Eurius realized why they were showing him more respect than necessary after hearing that exnation. Wasn¡¯t he practically a disciple of Lee Cheongmun, who lived two hundred years ago? ¡°Usually, it is ignored if too much time passes, but Lee Cheongmun is too famous to be ignored.¡± In other words, Eurius¡¯s rank was right below that of a person from two hundred years ago. If hepared his rank to others, there would be no one higher than him. And there was also his appearance after passing through the secret chamber, so the experts of the Alliance of Justice looked at Eurius with admiration as if they finally understood. ¡°No wonder¡­ How could he have such martial arts at that young age without having such a secret identity?¡± ¡°There have been many bad things happeningtely because of the Dark Sect¡¯s uprising, but this secret chamber and Lee Cheongmun¡¯s arrangement were there. And at this time, his descendant appears.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius silently epted their greetings and Jegal Unhyeon gave him a bitter smile and exined. ¡°Please forgive me for not mentioning the rank beforehand. They only believed it after seeing your true value. Who would believe that you are a descendant of a person from two hundred years ago?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Looking at their admiring eyes, he felt that they would follow him without question even if he gave them an order. Jegal Unhyeon whispered to him onest time. ¡°As I told you before, the fastest way to deal with the Dark Sect here is to get the power of the Alliance of Justice.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You mean to get a faction?¡± ¡°Yes. Now that your identity is known! The Alliance of Justice will eventually roll into your arms.¡± Jegal Unhyeon showed a satisfied smile as if his n had seeded. *** A few hourster. After all themotion died down and the day gradually darkened. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest here today? You must be tired from everything that happened.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon suggested to Eurius in a cautious tone. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± He was about to say that anyway. Eurius nodded readily and the Alliance of Justice prepared to camp in front of the secret chamber. ¡°You must have gone through a lot today. Why don¡¯t you rest for now?¡± Jegal Unhyeon also suggested that he rest, worrying about his condition, but Eurius shook his head. ¡°Can you follow me for a moment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He was quick-witted and realized that Eurius had something to show him and nodded his head. Eurius walked briskly towards the sea. Jegal Unhyeon followed him. Swish swish! Finally reaching the shore where the waves were crashing, Eurius turned his head sharply and frowned. ¡°Why did you do that when you knew it wouldn¡¯t work?¡± Swoosh! At the same time, a short shadow that was hiding its presence jumped out. ¡°Aw¡­ I got caught again.¡± It was Gu Cheongeol, who seemed regretful as he licked his lips. He was surprisingly unfazed by Eurius¡¯s identity being revealed, and his attitude towards him did not change either. ¡°How old do you think I am to be surprised by this? Tsk¡­¡± He shrugged it off casually, but Eurius noticed that he was hiding something. [Gu Cheongeol] Current state: Doubtful, conflicted ¡°So? You seem to have something to say to me since earlier. Why don¡¯t you say it here?¡± He was the first servant he had taken in since he came to this continent. He was useful in many ways, with his quick wit and keen sense. He was willing to grant him some requests. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Gu Cheongeol noticed that Eurius had seen through his thoughts and stuck out his tongue. ¡°You have a ghost-like intuition. Sometimes I feel like you are at least several decades older than you look.¡± Of course, Eurius was actually a middle-aged man who had easily passed forty if he counted his previous life. He also admired Gu Cheongeol¡¯s insight and nodded his head. ¡°So what do you want to say to me?¡± ¡°Suddenly, I¡¯m in a position where I have to ask for a favor, so I¡¯ll be polite.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Gu Cheongeol suddenly changed into a solemn expression. His quirky appearance was gone, and he even exuded a dignified aura of a famous martial artist. And the words that came out of his mouth were surprising. He bowed deeply. ¡°I greet you, crown prince of the Western Continent.¡± ¡°Senior Gu¡­!?¡± Jegal Unhyeon also looked at Gu Cheongeol with astonishment. ¡°Uh¡­ Did you notice?¡± Eurius was quite shocked and looked at Gu Cheongeol. He had thought that the people of this continent had little knowledge of the Western Continent, but he had guessed that he was of high status before and even figured out Eurius¡¯s identity. ¡®But how?¡¯ ¡°I know you must be curious, but I¡¯ll exinter.¡± Gu Cheongeol still looked serious as he met Eurius¡¯s eyes and prostrated himself. ¡°My lord! Please, I beg you. Please save the Alliance of Justice.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 156: The Goal is Set Chapter 156: The Goal is Set The next day. The Alliance of Justice returned to thend by boat. Now, they only had to go back to the League and report on their mission in the North. And they also received some news that would please Eurius. The person they sent to the ce where the disciples of the Jegal n were staying hade back. ¡°My lord, fortunately, Second Prince and the young knight are safe.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Eurius sighed with relief as he heard Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s report. He had put aside his worries for a while because the legacy of the yer was such a big goal, but he was actually very anxious inside. ¡®I¡¯m d that Beatrice is safe, but I¡¯m also d that there¡¯s hope.¡¯ ¡°If those two are safe, then the others must be alive somewhere too.¡± Jegal Unhyeon also expressed a simr opinion. If Jegal Hwayoung, who was one of the weakest in martial arts among the group, was alive, then there was a high possibility that the others had survived as well. ¡°So when are they joining us?¡± ¡°ording to the report, they seem to have left for Nakyang for some reason.¡± ¡°Beatrice too?¡± ¡°Yes. They must have set their rendezvous point there after confirming that you were safe.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Eurius nodded. The destination of the Alliance of Justice was also Nakyang, where the League of Justice was located. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t see them right away, but he didn¡¯t have to be impatient for a few days until he arrived. ¡°Anyway, it worked out well. Please keep looking for the other friends, including Nuada.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jegal Unhyeon nodded and then smiled as he brought up the next topic. ¡°And Ilcheon, I asked him about it and I heard some interesting news.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that just arrived with the messenger from the Jegal n. The League of Justice is holding a ¡®Martial Arts Tournament¡¯ this time.¡± ¡°Martial Arts Tournament?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of event to boost the morale of the factions. There have been many shes with the Dark Secttely, so it¡¯s a way of gathering people and encouraging them before a full-scale confrontation.¡± Eurius tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing that? It¡¯s not a military ceremony or a victory celebration. If you gather people before anything happens, wouldn¡¯t it make them more alert?¡± ¡°You might find it hard to understand with your way of thinking. It¡¯s one of the ways of the martial world.¡± Jegal Unhyeon gave a bitter smile and exined. ¡°The important thing is justification.¡± ¡°Justification¡­¡± ¡°The participants of the Martial Arts Tournament are mostly second or third-rate martial artists. The real experts already know everything. But if you run an organization like that, you¡¯ll get resentment from the League.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius opened his mouth as if he understood. ¡°So it¡¯s a kind of propaganda. It¡¯s like reorganizing your allies before hitting the Dark Sect?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a high chance that the positions within the League will also be rearranged at this Martial Arts Tournament.¡± Eurius smiled triumphantly. ¡°I see what you mean. It could be a very good opportunity.¡± The reason why they exchanged smiles was because of what happenedst night. *** ¡°You want me to save the League of Justice?¡± ¡°To be precise, I¡¯m asking for your help.¡± He raised his head again, but still looked serious as he begged Eurius, who recalled what he had heard about Gu cheongeol. [Gu Cheon-geol ¨C The Ark of Enlightenment in the past, his martial arts level is among the top five excluding the four great experts, and his organization had an informationwork that was not inferior to the Jegal n when he was in charge.] ¡°But you suddenly retired ten years ago and started wandering around the martial world. I¡¯m surprised that you followed us obediently to the North even though you said you received requests from the League.¡± This was Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s description of Gu Cheon Geol. And he added this remark. ¡°He may look like a weird old man, but he has a deep mind and is a tricky opponent. Please be careful when dealing with him.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Eurius finished his thoughts and stared at Gu Cheon Geol intently. Then he opened his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Righteous Alliance?¡± From what he had seen of the people of Righteous Alliance so far, they were a decent group, except for a few who were arrogant and rude. ¡°They may seem like that on the surface. But the reality is quite different.¡± ¡®He must have some dirty secrets behind his back.¡¯ Eurius asked Je Gal Woon Hyun about the truth with a gesture of his eyes. He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°¡­¡± Gu Cheon Geol noticed his gesture and made an annoyed expression. His tone of voice had returned to normal. ¡°Hmph¡­ You guys who are trying to please that old snake Shin Ja Seong wouldn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Shin Ja Seong?¡± ¡°As I told you before, he is the leader of Righteous Alliance. He is famous for his martial arts skills and his gentle and fair personality.¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun mentioned Shin Ja Seong, the White Crane Sword Master, with a respectful attitude. Just by looking at that, it seemed that his character was beyond doubt. ¡°But is there something wrong with the White Crane Sword Master? I¡¯m curious why you suddenly brought him up, senior.¡± Gu Cheon Geol sighed as if the ground was copsing. ¡°I thought he was a clean person like white jade too¡­ But it wasn¡¯t.¡± He slowly began to tell the story of twenty years ago. ¡°As you know, I was in charge of information for Righteous Alliance twenty years ago.¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. ¡®Twenty years?¡¯ Twenty years meant the same year as when the royal family had a rebellion. Gu Cheon Geol noticed his curious look, but continued to speak. ¡°At that time, I identally discovered where that old man Shin Ja Seong went out regrly.¡± *** They were about the same age and had some friendship, so they would sometimes visit each other for personal reasons, not for the affairs of the faction. Of course, even then, it wasmon for him to open the door ande in at night. One day, as usual, Gu Cheon Geol knocked on his residence door and found out that he was not there. ¡°Did this old man go out or something? He¡¯s not the type to wander around alone at night.¡± He tilted his head and decided to go back for now. But it wasn¡¯t just once or twice. ¡°He¡¯s not here today either?¡± He was curious about why the White Crane Sword Master, who was known for being easygoing, disappeared at night. ¡®It¡¯s not something I should do to the leader, but¡­¡¯ Gu Cheon Geol secretly sprinkled a tracking incense on the door handle of his residence. He thought he could find out where he was going by following itter. And on the third day of waiting for Shin Ja Seong¡¯s outing! Finally, the opportunity Gu Cheon Geol had been waiting for came. ¡°Sniff¡­ This old man didn¡¯t get married again at that age, did he?¡± He confirmed that he had left his residence and followed the tracking incense with a yful thought of teasing him with his weakness. He would have been unnoticed unless he came very close to him. Gu Cheon Geol stopped talking and sighed. ¡°Sigh¡­ Until then, it was just curiosity. But I never expected to see that.¡± But the prank he started with a light heartpletely changed his fate. ¡°I found him.¡± He identified Shin Ja Seong in white clothes from a distance and began to sneak up on him. Surprisingly, he had left Nakyang and met someone in a deep forest. And when Gu Cheon Geol caught sight of that person, he made a somewhat puzzled expression. ¡®A foreigner?¡¯ Gu Cheon Geol didn¡¯t care much about things outside of the Eastern Continent. So even for him, who was as big as a ship, it was rare to see someone from the Western Continent. Whispering whispering. *** Shin Ja Seong and the cultists seemed to be talking about something, but Gu Qian Ge was too far away to hear their conversation. No matter how stealthy he was, it was impossible for him to get close enough to a master like Shin Ja Seong. ¡®How frustrating. I have to ask that old manter.¡¯ In fact, until then, Gu Qian Ge had not suspected Shin Ja Seong at all. His usual character was impable. But as soon as the cultists turned their backs after finishing their talk! ¡°¡­!?¡± Gu Qian Ge was so shocked that he almost let out a sound. ¡®How could this be!¡¯ The cultists emitted a sinister aura and disappeared into the forest. *** Gu Cheon-geol spoke hisst words to Eurius with a bitter face. ¡°That was definitely Dark Magic. They were not experts of the Dark Sect, but those bastards disappeared into the forest while emitting a dense Dark Magic aura.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± Eurius nodded his head. It was not a surprising thing. Based on his experience, the Cult of the West Continent and the Dark Sect of the East Continent were almost identical organizations. ¡°Huh¡­ If it was twenty years ago, we wouldn¡¯t have cared since we lost contact with Baekho and Jujakmumun.¡± Jegal Unhyeon also agreed with a regretful expression. He had learned about their movement by chance as Gu Cheon-geol, and at that time, Jegal Sega was busy investigating the royal family. ¡°So that¡¯s why you left Righteous Alliance, senior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Who would believe me if I said such a thing? Even I couldn¡¯t believe that the old man was colluding with the Dark Sect.¡± Gu Cheon-geol handed over his boat seat to his disciple and wandered around to investigate that matter. Of course, he also looked into the affairs of the West Continent. Eurius also agreed. The people of the East Continent knew too little about the West Continent. It wouldn¡¯t have been hard to identify him if he didn¡¯t hide his name. ¡°So you tried to stop me like that?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if they had nothing to do with the Dark Sect, I was suspicious of the West Continent from my perspective.¡± Gu Cheon-geol answered in a serious tone and then pleaded earnestly. ¡°This old man¡¯s request is to investigate Righteous Alliance. I¡¯ve been investigating for nearly twenty years, but Shinjaseong¡¯s old man didn¡¯t show any signs of movement.¡± But when he saw signs of a sh between the Dark Sect and Righteous Alliance, Gu Cheon-geol had no choice but to panic. He couldn¡¯t help but think that a man with a bad background was leading the alliance. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± The three of them exchanged nces for a moment. Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s words had no evidence other than his own testimony, but Eurius nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. You¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Fortunately, Eurius had the ability to discern that. The next one to speak was Jegal Unhyeon. He actually had absolute trust in Jegal Sega¡¯s information power, so he couldn¡¯t fully believe Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s words¡­ ¡®If my lord guarantees the truth, it must be right.¡¯ ¡°This is troublesome. I thought Righteous Alliance would be a help for my lord¡¯s path¡­ I¡¯m ashamed.¡± ¡°How is that your fault?¡± On the other hand, Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Then will you help me?¡± He actually said that with half a gambling mind. Eurius was a legendary figure, wasn¡¯t he? ¡®If he is the former sessor of Ichungmun Daehyup, maybe¡­¡¯ Of course, Eurius met his expectations and trusted his words. He even trusted him too easily that he doubted him. ¡°I¡¯ve already made enemies with the Dark Sect anyway. If I have to fight them, I have to deal with this matter too.¡± Eurius epted Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s request dly and spoke again. ¡°Then our task is decided at this point?¡± Of course, Gu Cheon-geol and Jegal Unhyeon were not people who couldn¡¯t understand his words. It was something they had to do anyway, even if they had one more enemy. The same words came out of their mouths at the same time. ¡°Take over Righteous Alliance!¡± Chapter 157: Another Royal Chapter 157: Another Royal I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??!
Leonhardt frowned. ¡®Isaiah again?¡¯ ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re healthy.¡± A grating high-pitched voice pierced his ears. He barely concealed the difort on his face and opened his mouth. ¡°So? What do you want today?¡± ¡°Today, I have some very good news for you, Your Higness.¡± ¡°Good news?¡± The splendidly dressed eunuch who was talking to Leonhardt covered his mouth with his hand and began to speak in a secretive tone. ¡°It seems that your audience with His Imperial Majesty will finally be arranged.¡± ¡°Is that true? When will it happen?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes as he had been trapped in the imperial pce of Hwa Empire for over a week. The eunuch gestured excitedly with his hands and spread them wide. ¡°That¡¯s right now! That¡¯s why I came here personally. Teehee.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leonhardt was startled by the sudden news, but soon replied. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll get ready ande out soon.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you outside. I¡¯ll also guide you there.¡± He spat out a curse as he watched the eunuch retreat outside. ¡°Why did they send me such a creepy guy from the East?¡± It had been almost ten days since he arrived at the imperial pce. The only person he had met from the Hwan Empire was that spine-chilling man. ¡®I don¡¯t like his voice, but his eyes are even worse.¡¯ The man sometimes scanned Leonhardt¡¯s body, and he shivered every time. The man¡¯s eyes were not normal when he looked at Leonhardt. It was hard to say, but if Leonhardt had to describe it, it was like this. ¡®His eyes are like those of a collector who loves his collection. Anyway, it¡¯s not normal.¡¯ He finished preparing for the Audience with a shudder. ¡°Teehee, then let¡¯s go to the Audience ce.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± He wanted to get away from this weird guy as soon as possible, so Leonhardt urged him to walk faster. ¡°¡­¡± But as he followed the eunuch through the vast imperial pce, he learned something new. Bow. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness.¡± ¡°How are you doing?¡± Surprisingly, this unpleasant man seemed to have no ordinary position in the empire. They gave him a curious nce for his exotic appearance, but they bowed their heads respectfully to the eunuch as if they had seen the king of a country. Seeing that, Leonhardt suddenly had a thought cross his mind. ¡®Come to think of it, did I hear his name?¡¯ As if he had read his mind, the eunuch turned his head. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t told you my name yet.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leonhardt was taken aback by the sudden sound, but calmly responded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Can I hear it?¡± ¡®He¡¯s guiding me and all, so he must be a high-ranking official in the Hwan Empire. I don¡¯t know much about him, but he seems to like me, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to know his name.¡¯ With that calction in mind, the eunuch willingly told him his name. ¡°I am Yeosang, the person who manages His Imperial Majesty¡¯s personal affairs. You can call me Your Excellency from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± *** After walking for a while longer, Yeosang stopped at the central hall of the imperial pce. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. This is where the Audience will take ce.¡± The grand hall of the Hwan Empire was as magnificent as that of the Sharnos Empire. ¡°Your Majesty, His Majesty of the Eastern Embassy has arrived.¡± ¡°Let him in!¡± The voice that was presumed to be that of the emperor was surprisingly young. Leonhardt entered and bowed his head in astonishment. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the emperor who rules the Eastern Continent to be such a young person.¡¯ ¡°Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°Lift your head.¡± As he lifted his head, Leonhardt was able to examine the emperor¡¯s appearance closely. He looked no older than thirty. The only other notable thing was¡­ ¡®He looks terribly tired?¡¯ He hid it with makeup and such, but anyone with keen eyes could tell that the young emperor in front of him was exhausted. The second thing was Yeosang¡¯s presence. He walked up the grand hall and surprisingly stood next to the throne. ¡®No matter how much he favors him, that¡¯s too much. How dare a servant stand side by side with the emperor?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know much about the culture of the Eastern Continent, but at least in the Western Continent, it was unthinkable for a king and a vassal to receive a bow at the same height. Leonhardt couldn¡¯t help but be curious. But his question was only for a moment, as the emperor opened his mouth. ¡°So you¡¯re from the empire of the Western Continent? But what¡¯s the matter all of a sudden?¡± ¡®I want to ask you that!¡¯ Leonhardt had no words to say, as he was dragged here against his will, but he muttered in a low voice. ¡°His Majesty of our empire wishes to resume trade with the East and maintain a friendly rtionship with the Hwan Empire. Therefore¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Bang! ¡°¡­!?¡± Leonhardt was startled as the young emperor suddenly mmed his armrest. ¡°Is there a problem with what I said¡­¡± The emperor red at Leonhardt with a furious expression. ¡°So that¡¯s why you sent so many warships? Are you not waging war, but trade?¡± ¡°Warships?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb until the end!¡± He winked. The emperor gestured to Yeosang, who smiled slyly and opened his mouth. ¡°Actually, about three days ago, there was a sh between arge force that appeared to be from the Western Continent and our empire¡¯s warships.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Leonhardt tried to open his mouth in disbelief. What on earth was he talking about? ¡°There must have been some misunderstanding! I have nothing to do with this!¡± ¡°You have nothing to do with fighting in another country¡¯s waters? You are shameless.¡± The emperor shook his head and gestured. ¡°Take him away! I¡¯ll interrogate himter.¡± ¡°No! What is this¡­¡± Leonhardt was dragged away by the soldiers who rushed in, without even getting a chance to defend himself. There was only one thing he could think of. ¡®Is it that damn brother of mine again?¡¯ *** ¡°Hoo¡­¡± After Leonhardt disappeared from the audience hall, the young emperor sighed as if the ground had copsed. He then turned his gaze to the side. ¡°Yeosang, I followed your instructions, but by doing so, it seems like we might be antagonizing a prince from the Western Continent¡¯s empire. I¡¯m concerned about the potential consequences. Is this really the right course of action?¡± ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty is so wise that it¡¯s natural to worry.¡± Yeosang bowed his head with a smile. ¡°But ording to what I confirmed through my contacts, the sh was clearly provoked by the Western Continent side. If they had no ulterior motive, why would they do that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor stroked his smooth chin without a beard and nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trust you. It¡¯s suspicious enough that they brought their warships here.¡± ¡°You are indeed wise.¡± ¡°I want to rest for a while. You should go back too.¡± Yeosang nodded and left the audience hall. The emperor watched his back with a nk stare. ¡°¡­¡± His face looked no older than thirty, but his expression looked ten years older. *** Around that time, a meeting was also held in Luoyang, where the Alliance of Justice was located. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Shin Ja-seong stroked his white beard and looked at the report submitted by the Alliance of Justice. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to take this report, this old man. Is there anyone who has any insight?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were only five people gathered in the meeting. But the small number meant that they were the core figures who led the Alliance of Justice. First, a man with a bulky physique opened his mouth. He had a fiery temper as much as his size. ¡°Does this make any sense? The Master of Martial Arts is a person from two hundred years ago. And he¡¯s a foreigner at that?¡± He was Pang Mu-jin, the head of Breaking North Family (Ha Buk Pang Ga). He had enough background to be in this ce as one of the five great families. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how to judge either. But it¡¯s hard to believe this story.¡± Next, a middle-aged man cautiously voiced his opinion. He was Seo Mun-soong, the head of West Gate Family (Seo Mun Se Ga). Drrr. One person suddenly pushed his chair and stood up, bowing his head to the others. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble to my master. He¡¯s old, so I couldn¡¯t stop him.¡± The man with a shabby appearance was Chwi Seon-gae, the leader of Gae Bang. He had to hold his head and groan when he heard from the report that his master, Gu Cheon-geol, had joined the foreigner¡¯s side. ¡®Ah! If only he had retired earlier, he would have livedfortably without causing trouble.¡¯ The three people who expressed their positions had one question. ¡®The Master of All Martial Arts Lee Cheong-mun¡¯s sessor? Do they want us to believe that?¡¯ In fact, there were quite a few headaches in the Alliance of Justice as well. It was a flimsy story to ask them to believe this fact without even seeing Eurius. ¡®But if there is a witness to that story, the situation is different!¡¯ The eyes of the three people naturally fixed on thest man who remained in academic style. ¡°¡­¡± He was Je Gal-do, the military officer of the Alliance of Justice and the head of Je Gal Se Ga. He had a great background that he couldn¡¯tin openly, but he was in a difficult situation as he received silent pressure from the three people. ¡®That¡¯s why I secretly brought him and tried to report to my master first¡­¡¯ Shin Ja-seong, who noticed the awkward atmosphere, opened his mouth. ¡°What do you think, military officer? I heard that Shin Chang Je Gal Daehyup was the first one to call him lord.¡± ¡°¡­Everything is as written in the report.¡± Je Gal-do had no choice but to answer reluctantly to the master¡¯s question. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Now even the military officer!¡± ¡°What is your intention?¡± The remaining three people were tongue-tied by the unbelievable story. Je Gal-do quickly added. ¡°I can be sure of two things. First, he is not someone who will harm the Alliance of Justice. And second¡­¡± ¡°Second?¡± Shin Ja-seong asked back and Je Gal-do answered firmly. ¡°I stake my family¡¯s honor on it that everything in this report is true. It¡¯s as I told you before, master.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve heard your position well, military officer. But¡­¡± Shin Ja-seong made an expression of embarrassment. He had to coordinate opinions as a master even though Je Gal Se Ga¡¯s im would be a strong force. Knowing that, Je Gal-do bowed his head again. ¡°I have no face for you, master. I¡¯ll just leave.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll try to understand the position of Je Gal Se Ga.¡± Shin Ja-seong looked at Je Gal-do with a full of apology. It was because the atmosphere around him had practically forced him out. This meeting was about Eurius, and it would be troublesome if there was a definite ally even if he was a military officer. Je Gal-do quickly left, noticing that. ¡°¡­¡± The meeting room with five people became four people and was silent for a while. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt Je Gal Se Ga, but the master who loves the military officer sent him away, which is surprising.¡± The one who broke the silence was Chwi Seon-gae, the leader of Gae Bang. Je Gal-do was an indispensable person for Shin Ja-seong, the master. But even if their positions were different, he didn¡¯t stop him from leaving? The silence just before was not because they were lost in thought, but because Shin Ja-seong¡¯s action was so shocking. He sighed softly. ¡°Hoo¡­ I still trust the military officer. But¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Shin Ja-seong hesitated to speak and the curiosity of the remaining three people deepened. What on earth made the master of the Alliance of Justice worry? Swoosh. ¡°Some time ago, this arrived to me.¡± Shin Ja-seong put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a new document besides the report from the Alliance of Justice. Chwi Seon-gae gasped first when he saw the splendid document with gold leaf. ¡°Huh! Master! Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shin Ja-seong nodded with a heavy expression. ¡°It¡¯s an imperial decree from the pce.¡± Chapter 158: Verification Chapter 158: Verification I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??!
As soon as they opened the splendid letter, a paper with the Imperial seal was revealed. The three people held their breath and stared at the paper intently. The letter from the Imperial pce was full of fancy expressions, but the summary of the content was as follows: [We inform the righteous factions of the martial world. Five days ago, a disaster urred in the South Sea, where ten of the nation¡¯s warships were destroyed by mysterious invaders. It is a verymentable event¡­ ¡­(skipping some parts)¡­ We cannot know the exact purpose of the enemies, but judging by their gs and symbols, we think it is an invasion from the Western Continent. Therefore, the Imperial pce issues a mobilization order to the martial world and requests the righteous factions to join forces against the foreign invasion. -Admiral Yeosang of Hwa Empire-] ¡°Is this¡­ could it be¡­¡± ¡°Gasp! Does this mean a war has broken out? And with another continent?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. But it has the Imperial seal on it.¡± The astonished three people nodded heavily at Shin Ja Seong¡¯s words. ¡°This is definitely an official document from the pce. This martial arts tournament might be a way to gather troops.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Even though the martial world and the Imperial pce did not interfere with each other implicitly, they were still citizens of Hwan Empire. They had no choice but to follow this decree. And it was not only their faction. ¡°I heard that this letter was also delivered to ck g Bandit and Alliance of Eight, who are treated as evil factions, except for Magyo, who ispletely isted.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°I understand why you withdrew your troops. I didn¡¯t know it was not just a problem of the martial world¡­¡± The leaders of Jeong Do-mang nodded their heads. They knew well that Jegal Sega had been having active exchanges with the Western Continent for a while. ¡®And he has a Westerner as his master, and now the Western Continent invades us?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it a suspicious situation? They had deep wrinkles on their foreheads. In fact, they had protested earlier to ask for his intention, not to doubt him as a member of one of the five great factions. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now.¡± ¡°I understand your dilemma. It¡¯s a really difficult situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big deal. The Righteous Alliance will return to Nakyang in a few days.¡± The leaders of Jeong Do-mang groaned. They agreed to trust Jegal Sega for now. It was Shin Ja Seong¡¯s opinion. ¡°I want to trust him for now. That Westerner might have nothing to do with the Western army.¡± ¡°Master! But the risk is too high. If we ept that Westerner, we have to give him an important position in our faction.¡± Of course, it was not easy to ept. The leaders shook their heads and secretly admired Shin Ja Seong¡¯s character. ¡®As expected, our master is good at everything, but his personality is too soft. He still trusts him even in this situation.¡¯ But if they didn¡¯t save their master¡¯s face, who would? They exchanged nces secretly. ¡®How about giving him a chance to prove himself?¡¯ ¡®But what if our faction gets hurt by doing that?¡¯ ¡®I have a good idea.¡¯ The first one to speak up was Chwi Seon-gae. He didn¡¯t show it, but he thought this was a golden opportunity. ¡®It¡¯s a bit sorry for him, but as a main faction, it¡¯s important to look good in front of our master at this opportunity.¡¯ Originally, it was the role of Gabang Bangju to oversee the information within the faction. But after Gu Cheon-geol retired, Gabang lost its status because it didn¡¯t have a top master. Therefore, they had no choice but to give up their ce to Jegal Sega, but now they had a chance to make up for it. ¡°Hmm! Hmm! Master, I have a good idea.¡± ¡°Bangju has something to say?¡± Chwi Seon-gae coughed repeatedly and made an enticing suggestion. ¡°The problem with Jegal Sega and that Westerner is that we can¡¯t trust him, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We understand your feelings for him, Master. Then how about giving him a chance to verify himself?¡± ¡°Verify?¡± *** The letter from Jeong do-mang arrived at Righteous Alliance in one day. It was because they were not far away now. ¡°Do you need to verify whether I¡¯m an enemy or not?¡± Eurius asked with an incredulous expression. He had worked hard to build trust until now, but what was this ridiculous thing? ¡°Something seems to have gone wrong. Please read this letter.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius skimmed through the letter. But he couldn¡¯t understand it easily because there were many words he didn¡¯t know. Jegal unh-yeon asked cautiously. ¡°Do you have any idea?¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Eurius thought hard. The summary of the letter in three sentences was this: One, Jeong Do-mang wees Eurius as an ally. Two, but because of the recent sh with the Western Continent in the South Sea, they ask for his understanding that they cannot trust him immediately. Three, therefore, Jeong Do-mang decided to give him a mission and judge him ording to his performance. After finishing his thoughts, Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°ording to this letter, they give me the position of the leader of Red Flower Society, but can you exin it to me?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Jegal unh-yeon looked embarrassed. He was sure that Eurius would be offended if he told him. ¡°From what I heard from Ilcheon, not only the righteous figures of the martial world, but also all the factions except for Magyo are nning to attend this martial arts tournament.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°And Red Flower Society means ¡®a group that drives out the foreign forces¡¯.¡± At this point, Eurius frowned. ¡°Do they want me to fight against the people who came looking for me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He had already heard information about the Western Continent¡¯s warships. There was no way that another kingdom would suddenly bring an army, so it was obvious that it was the empire¡¯s fleet that came looking for Eurius. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect them to mobilize a fleet to find me. Father is too much¡­¡¯ He grumbled inwardly and moved on to the next question. ¡°And I haven¡¯t heard much about the members of this group either.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Jegal unh-yeon sighed and gave him a detailed exnation. ¡°Actually, Jeong Do-mang already had Righteous Alliance, so there was no need to form a separate military group. They could just include the masters who gathered.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°The problem is that this mobilization is an imperial decree. So ck g Bandit and Alliance of Eight, who are evil factions, joined in. We have a bad rtionship with them, but we have to cooperate on the surface.¡± ¡°So the imperial order works in the martial world too?¡± ¡°No matter how many martial artists there are, they can¡¯t stand against hundreds of thousands of soldiers.¡± And after hearing about ck g Bandit and Alliance of Eight, Euriusughed incredulously. ¡°Haha! So they want me to lead bandits and mercenaries and fight against our imperial army?¡± The summary of the letter was this: [We will give you the position of the leader of Red Flower Society (Cheokhwadan), which is specially formed, and cooperate with ck g Bandit (Nokrimbang) and Alliance of Eight (Alliance of Eight) to defeat the Western Continent¡¯s army, who are invaders!] Hehe, he wasughing, but Eurius suddenly stoppedughing. Then he clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk! Those bastards had a trick too.¡± Jeong do-mang might have been fooled, but did they think that the empire¡¯s army that came looking for him would rashly cause a conflict with another country? It was obvious that this sh was also thoroughly nned. Jegal unh-yeon also lowered his head as if he had no face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such an order from the pce either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You couldn¡¯t have known.¡± He only found out recently that there was something suspicious in the pce. ¡®They¡¯re trying to scratch their nose without using their hands. But Magyo¡¯s power is more impressive than I expected.¡¯ It was clear that Magyo was behind all this, but their name was not mentioned at all. It was not possible to use the pce without a delicate scheme. If this goes on, Eurius, the Western Continent¡¯s fleet, Jeong Do-mang. They could make these three annoying forces fight each other. It didn¡¯t matter if Eurius didn¡¯t follow them. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll end up fighting with Jeong Do-mang.¡¯ ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Jegal unh-yeon also didn¡¯t have a head to solve thisplicated problem in one go. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After thinking for a while, Eurius asked a question. ¡°Are they going to make that Red Flower Society or whatever at the martial arts tournament that will be held soon?¡± ¡°Yes. There is a high possibility that they will have your appointment ceremony at the ce where ck g Bandit and Alliance of Eight gather.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Snort. Eurius smiled and asked back. ¡°So if a fight breaks out at that martial arts tournament, wouldn¡¯t the verification of me be postponed indefinitely?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± He finally realized his intention and nodded. ¡°Then what preparations should we make?¡± ¡°First of all, gather information about ck g Bandit and Alliance of Eight. And we can do more after we join your three factions¡¯ people.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Eurius started to move busily. Just as his opponent had many cards he didn¡¯t know about, he also had some secret cards, didn¡¯t he? **** Meanwhile, Gu Cheon-geol, who found out that the one who suggested the verification was his disciple Chwi Seon-gae, raged for a long time. ¡°Chwi! You worthless beggar bastard!¡± He was ready to run to Jeong Do-mang and grab his cor and twist it, so Eurius quickly stopped him. ¡°Calm down, I know it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Fault or not, this is so rude! How dare they try to verify the person that my master is hosting, even if they are his disciples!¡± He couldn¡¯t calm his anger for a while and shook his body. Then he asked with a trembling voice. ¡°Then what should we do? I tried to expose Shin Ja Seong, that old man, but instead we became the ones who are suspected.¡± ¡°There is something you have to do urgently for now.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius took out a small pouch from his bosom. ¡°Take this and go to the ce I tell you right now.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Gu Cheon-geol took the pouch and looked puzzled. Jeong Do-mang was already close by, so why did he send him, who was a great master and a witness that Shin Ja Seong was colluding with Magyo, to another ce? ¡°That is¡­¡± After hearing a brief exnation from Eurius, Gu Cheon-geol had no choice but to agree. This was something that only he could do. ¡°I guess your disciple¡¯s education can wait until this is over.¡± ¡°Snort¡­ I¡¯ll follow your order.¡± Gu Cheon-geol spat out his displeasure and stepped back from Eurius. ¡®Chwi, you bastard, you didn¡¯t get enough beatings for a few years and lost your mind. I¡¯ll show you when this is over.¡¯ Pop! He kicked the ground and disappeared from Eurius¡¯s sight with a terrifying speed. Seeing him, Eurius smiled faintly. ¡®This is almost the same aspleting the first preparation.¡¯ Gu Cheon-geol was the fastest person in the martial world. No matter how far he was, he would be able to deliver the news in time. ¡®What was his name? Jeong Do-mang¡¯s master?¡¯ Eurius checked his n and suddenly grimaced. ¡®Who¡¯s verifying who?¡¯ To be honest, this word verification was unpleasant for Eurius. ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s going to be verified this time.¡± Chapter 159: The Lion Chapter 159: The Lion I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??!
¡°I am truly ashamed before Your Excellency. I will do my best to report to the Lord and improve the situation.¡± ¡°Namu Amitabul. I will also plead with the Lord. He is not a person whocks discernment, so why¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon, the leader of the Righteous Alliance, and Master Jiwoo, a Buddhist monk, bowed their heads in front of Eurius with expressions full of regret. They were actually doubtful about the decision of the Righteous Alliance. ¡®To bring along ck g Bandit and the mercenaries to stop the foreign invaders¡­ Isn¡¯t this just dumping the unruly ones on Eurius Excellency?¡¯ They would follow the royal order, but it was unreasonable to expect the mountain bandits and hired mercenaries to fight faithfully. No matter how they thought about it, they were not a meaningful force to include. Moreover, despite being the benefactor of the Righteous Alliance, they did not even treat him as a guest in the Righteous Alliance. They felt even more sorry. Even if there were some things that had not been revealed yet to Eurius, it was an outrageous treatment considering his achievements this time. ¡®When did the Righteous Alliance treat their benefactor like this?¡¯ That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t raise their heads in front of him. But the person himself smiled lightly and didn¡¯t care. ¡°Thank you for your concern. Then let¡¯s part ways here for now.¡± ¡°As per your request, I will report and arrange a meeting with the Lord right away.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Master, then I will see you next time.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± After sending them off, Eurius turned his head to Jegal Unhyeon. ¡°You said there is a ce where the people of Jegal Sega are staying?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go there first. There are people who are looking forward to seeing you.¡± *** A short whileter. Eurius was guided to a secluded garden on the outskirts of Nakyang. Unlike the Righteous Alliance, who had received a prior notice, they were ready to wee them. ¡°Greetings, my lord.¡± The door of the garden opened wide and soon the faces of those who had been waiting for Eurius appeared. Eurius greeted them with a smile. ¡°Lize!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± Beatrice tried to keep a calm expression, but tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing her like that, Eurius felt a bit awkward before feeling happy. ¡®I should have written a letter when I informed them. The others must have had a hard time adapting in a strange environment, even if they had a high chance of survival.¡¯ Eurius put his hand on her head and stroked it gently. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But that moment was brief. She knew that there was something to do before relieving her anxiety, so Beatrice stepped back with a slightly regretful expression. Eurius soon turned his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more relieved that you¡¯re safe, my lord.¡± Jegal Hwayoung was watching the two of them with an envious expression and quickly bowed his head. Then he continued cautiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much trouble since I joined up with Jegal Sega¡¯s leaders. My sister suffered more mentally.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± Eurius looked slightly puzzled. ¡®When did they be so close? Weren¡¯t they awkward until before we left?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I had more trouble than Jegal Unni¡­¡± Beatrice trailed off with no answer at the word ¡®mentally¡¯. ¡®Well, they must have naturally bonded in an extreme situation like shipwreck.¡¯ ¡°Nice to meet you, my lord.¡± At that moment, someone greeted Eurius appropriately. He intervened as soon as Eurius cleared his mind, which showed that he had a keen eye for situations. ¡°Hmm?¡± What caught Eurius¡¯ eye was a young man. He wore schr-like clothes and held a brush in his hand. He looked more like a schr who took exams than a martial artist. ¡°I am Jegal Seongun.¡± ¡°Ho ho¡­ You are?¡± Eurius looked at the young man in front of him with interest. He had heard some things about Jegal Sega¡¯s leaders. Wasn¡¯t Jegal Seongun the chief in charge of Hyunwoljeon? [Jegal Seongun] Job: Scribe, First-ss Expert Strength: B Agility: B Intelligence: SS+ Spirit: S Force Aptitude: B Force: B Disposition: Gentle, Curious [Trait] Seonbeop (A) Cheongiseong ¨C A person who was born with the energy of Cheongiseong. He has outstanding intelligence and curiosity. Jegal Seongun¡¯s intelligence was the highest among the people that Eurius had ever seen. ¡®I can understand why he is the top leader of Jegal Sae¡¯s faction at that age. He must have the ability to match it.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first. I have prepared some tea for you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± *** As Eurius and the others sat around the table, Jegal Seongun opened his mouth with a gentle expression. ¡°I was nning to prepare a grand wee for you, but¡­¡± He bowed his head slightly and apologized with a regretful tone. ¡°I would like to tell you about the current situation of Righteous Alliance first. Please forgive me for theck of preparation.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s rather good.¡± Eurius inwardly admired him. Jegal Seongun was meeting him for the first time, but he quickly grasped his intention and moved on to the topic he wanted. ¡®He is quick-witted. His high intelligence is not just for show.¡¯ Moreover, Jegal Seongun apologized to Eurius as a subordinate should. This was a consideration for him not to feel offended by his insight into his mind. ¡®He is a desirable person to appoint in the empire. He stands out among the talents I have seen in the Eastern Continent.¡¯ But as much as Eurius praised him, Jegal Seongun also gave him a generous evaluation. ¡®I was skeptical when I only saw the report, but now I understand why even my strict uncle Unhyeon followed him without question.¡¯ What impressed Jegal Seongun was that Eurius calmly sorted out his mind even after meeting his subordinates who had been separated by the storm. He nced at Beatrice for a moment. ¡®I heard from thedy that she is like his soulmate.¡¯ He thought that it was not easy to be calm after losing the most precious person in a storm. Considering Eurius¡¯s age, that calmness was something that ordinary rulers could not do. ¡®And he doesn¡¯t seem cold-hearted either. It¡¯s natural that he is trusted by his subordinates.¡¯ He could have been seen as stiff and heartless, but he stroked Beatrice¡¯s head just before and greeted Jegal Hwayoung without missing anyone. He also had a clear distinction between public and private matters. ¡®I need to observe him more, but he is definitely an outstanding person.¡¯ [Jeong Seongun] Current state: Curiosity, Favor ¡®For some reason, he doesn¡¯t seem to have a bad impression of me.¡¯ Eurius, who noticed his inner thoughts, smiled softly and asked gently. ¡°So, what is the current state of Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a difficult situation. The lord is practically under house arrest, so it¡¯s as if Sae¡¯s influence has been blocked.¡± ¡°The lord?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ording to him, Righteous Alliance¡¯s military leader and Jegal Sae¡¯s lord, Jeongdo, was currently staying in the faction and restricted from going outside for the reason of maintaining neutrality. ¡°I thought that the faction leader Shin Jaseong would save him, but he said that he couldn¡¯t help it because it was the majority opinion this time.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Who would let go of the fish they caught?¡± Jegal Seongun nodded at Eurius¡¯s blunt remark. ¡°Indeed¡­ It¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°Seongun, do you mean?¡± Jegal Hwayoung, who realized what he meant, asked in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± It was hard to ept that Righteous Alliance leader plotted against Eurius and Sae. Jegal Seongun sighed and exined the situation. ¡°Phew¡­ This isplicated. It¡¯s not easy to overthrow him because he has a strong support base.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a simple matter indeed.¡± ¡°Plus, there is still the variable of the imperial order. The Dark Sect¡¯s scheme this time is amazing.¡± In fact, it was not difficult to stop the imperial fleet. If Eurius himself stepped forward, those who recognized him would stop fighting. But the problem was the imperial decree. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± If this was not resolved, removing Righteous Alliance leader would be meaningless. Jegal Seongun thought for a while and groaned with a troubled expression. ¡°This could make Righteous Alliance as a whole be branded as traitors who disobeyed the imperial order.¡± Even if he was smart, he couldn¡¯t think of a good solution in this situation. Eurius grinned at this point. ¡°I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Jegal Seongun widened his eyes slightly at Eurius¡¯s next words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a traitor once?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jegal Seongun was clearly much smarter than Eurius. But there was a reason why he couldn¡¯te up with a solution. ¡°You are thinking too much in terms of the martial world. Have you forgotten who I am?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± sh As soon as he heard those words, lightning struck Jegal Seongun¡¯s mind. ¡®My lord is the crown prince of the Western Continent. And now his country¡¯s fleet has entered the Eastern Continent¡­ Then?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t stupid. He had never thought in this way because he had lived in the martial world all his life. He eximed in astonishment. ¡°That¡¯s right. If we use that method, we can draw the power of the Righteous Alliance (Jeong do-mang) to our side!¡± ¡°What!?¡± The other people in the hall seemed to have not realized it yet, but Jegal Seongun was different. Eurius smiled with satisfaction as he saw him who was quick to judge. ¡°Then let me hear your opinion on the details of the n.¡± *** The next day. Eurius stood in front of a huge gate with a signboard hanging on it. [Righteous Martial World Protection Alliance] Or Righteous Alliance for short. ¡°Shall we begin then?¡± He spoke lightly and had Jegal Unhyeon on his left and Beatrice on his right. ¡°Who are you?¡± A master who was in charge of guarding the gate blocked Eurius. His duty was to question anyone without a pass or suspicious. ¡®What the hell is he doing?¡¯ ¡°I came to see the alliance leader.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Does he mean he¡¯s a guest of the alliance leader?¡¯ He opened his mouth again with a cautious tone. ¡°Do you have a pass?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have such a thing.¡± ¡°What? Then did you make an appointment beforehand¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The master who was guarding the gate felt dumbfounded for a moment as he heard his casual answers, but soon he started to shiver. Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t he a suspicious guy? ¡°What is your purpose here?¡± Eurius answered with a calm expression as usual. ¡°How tedious. Didn¡¯t I say I came to see the alliance leader?¡± ng! ng! In an instant, the master drew his sword. At the same time, two other masters who felt something ominous from behind joined him. Three masters blocked Eurius and his party¡¯s way. ¡°Attack!¡± Shriek! In an instant, three swords flew towards Eurius like arrows. ¡°Hooh¡­¡± He shed his eyes. ¡®It would be hard to make Righteous Alliance our enemy if their level of guarding is this high.¡¯ No matter how low-ranking their position was, Righteous Alliance didn¡¯t entrust their guard to just anyone. In fact, they were called ¡®Nakyang Three Swords¡¯ and had some fame around here. But that was only in general cases. Eurius and his party didn¡¯t fall into that category. Snap. Eurius raised his left hand slightly and gave a signal. ng! A short metallic sound rang out. ¡°¡­!?¡± Nakyang Three Swords felt something cold brushing past them. Crash! Ssh. The next moment, they saw their swords shattered into pieces and scattering fragments. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± Nakyang Three Swords looked at the person who blocked them between them and Eurius with horrified eyes. Surprisingly, it was a slender woman. She held a sword in her hand, but they didn¡¯t even feel her sword move. ¡®She¡¯s a master of a different level from us. Where did these peoplee from?¡¯ And they didn¡¯t pay attention to Eurius¡¯s appearance because it was too unusual, but the middle-aged man on his right was someone they knew well. ¡°Jegal Daehyeop! Who are these people?¡± Jegal Unhyeon shrugged silently. ¡°¡­!?¡± The first expert who drew his sword had no choice but to ask again, hesitating. It was a sure death if they attacked here. ¡°It is impossible to see the leader of the alliance without requesting a meeting in advance. If you tell us who the envoy is, we will¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Eurius cut off his words and tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you keep rejecting my requests?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll tell you now.¡± Eurius uttered one word at a time. ¡°I came as an envoy from the Sharnos Empire of the Western Continent to the Righteous Alliance.¡± *** ¡°Leader! Please reconsider the treatment of Jegal n Leader at least.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ I wish I could do that too. But¡­¡± Shin Jaseong was about to say something, but there were people who quickly intervened. ¡°I understand the Vice Leader¡¯s opinion, but this is not the situation, is it?¡± ¡°Just look at the report that just came in. The size of the warships floating in the South Sea is not normal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nangong Ilcheon red at them with an angry expression. They were n leaders of other five great ns, Seomun Sung and Paeng Mujin. Their martial arts were much worse than his, but their speaking rights were not to be ignored. ¡®These guys¡­¡¯ The leader of the alliance, Shin Jaseong, was taking a position of treating them fairly and did not take sides. And he could not easily exercise his decision-making power on a matter that more than half of the alliance¡¯s leaders opposed, even though he was the vice leader. ¡®What should I do? Sigh¡­¡¯ Thud! When he was groaning inwardly, the door of the conference room suddenly opened. ¡°Leader!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The one who opened the door was a beggar with a shabby appearance. He was clearly a member of the Open Sect. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an urgent report! The foreign enemies in the South Sea have started to move north at an unbelievable speed!¡± ¡°What?¡± The leaders of the Righteous Alliance all asked in surprise. ¡°An unbelievable speed? And where are they heading?¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The beggar took a moment to catch his breath and then told them an even more astonishing story. ¡°The destination is right here! Nakyang. And there are unbelievable experts among them. They might reach nearby in two days!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Experts?¡± They thought they would mainly face trained soldiers from the Yellow Pce when they heard about the invasion of foreign enemies, but what was this nonsense? Shin Jaseong opened his mouth with a calm expression. ¡°Tell me more in detail¡­¡± Thud! Before he finished his words, the door of the conference room opened again. ¡°This is the conference room. The leaders of the alliance, including Ilcheon, should be gathered here.¡± ¡°You did well.¡± Eurius gave a short answer and smiled faintly as he slowly walked. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Who are you!¡± Seeing him, the leaders of the Righteous Alliance jumped up and got up from their seats. ¡°A great master? You shouldn¡¯t have been granted ess?¡± Nangong Ilcheon quickly approached him and tried to dissuade him in a whisper. [Great Master! If you act wrong here, you might turn the Righteous Alliance into an enemy¡­] [I didn¡¯te here for that today.] [¡­!?] Eurius stared straight at the old man sitting on the seat of honor. ¡°Are you the leader of the Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± Shin Jaseong pretended to be calm, but Eurius knew he was quite flustered. Thump! Eurius took out a scroll from his bosom and threw it on the table. ¡°I had no choice but to do this because you wouldn¡¯t let me in.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Shin Jaseong opened the scroll with a puzzled look. In an instant, everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to the table. ¡°What is this?¡± [To the leader of the Righteous Alliance of the Eastern Continent. Our Scharnos Empire was attacked by a group suspected to be Makyu several months ago. In the meantime, our Emperor His Majesty was threatened with assassination, not to mention¡­ ¡­(skipped)¡­ Therefore, our Empire ns to inflict due punishment on Makyu and asks for your cooperation.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What is this!¡¯ The leaders of the Righteous Alliance who confirmed its contents could only stare at each other stupidly. Chapter 160: Secret Weapon Chapter 160: Secret Weapon I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??!
Eurius¡¯s appearance was not a formal visit with permission, but almost a forced entry. Naturally, the Righteous Alliance had to be on high alert. Weren¡¯t the leaders of each faction gathered in the conference room right now? ¡°An intruder? Who dares to attack the Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°The conference room is where the leader is. We have to hurry.¡± Shh! Swoosh! The Righteous Alliance had many experts staying there to prepare for the martial arts tournament. They rushed to the conference room. The entrance to the conference room was normally off-limits to anyone except the leaders of the Righteous Alliance, but it was different in an emergency like this. In an instant, the hall was filled with experts swarming in like bees. Except for the minimum security personnel guarding each faction, almost all of the experts left to stop themotion in the conference room. And there were people who quietly watched this scene from the shadows. [We seeded in drawing their attention. How are they doing?] [They just contacted us. They should arrive soon.] [Don¡¯t let your guard down in case of any trouble.] [Understood.] *** The gathered experts looked at Eurius, who was confronting the leader, with a puzzled expression. Many of them belonged to the Righteous Coalition. Whisper whisper. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the scoundrel Grand Master?¡± ¡°Ah! The one rumored to be the Inheritor Master of All Martial Arts?¡± ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Hearing their whispers, Eurius smiled inwardly. ¡®The audience seems to have arrived.¡¯ The leader in front of him, Shin Ja-seong, was sweating coldly and retorted. ¡°You said you were here to punish the Dark Sect?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m asking for your cooperation.¡± ¡®How rude!¡¯ ¡®How can he be so impolite?¡¯ They were momentarily outraged by his arrogant tone. But there was a reason why they couldn¡¯t rush in easily. ¡°¡­¡± It was Beatrice and Je Gal Un-hyeon! They were two superhumans who stood firmly on either side of Eurius. There were only three absolute experts at the fourth level in the Righteous Alliance, including the leader. But Eurius was using such rare beings as superhumans as his escorts. The leaders of the Righteous Alliance had no choice but to wonder about his identity. ¡°Excuse me, but can we know who you are?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t reveal my identity easily, as I have a mission from His Majesty.¡± ¡°Heh heh¡­¡± Shin Ja-seong pretended to be calm and stroked his beard, but he racked his brain to figure out Eurius¡¯s intention. ¡®What does he want?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t received any ¡®instructions¡¯ for this situation. He didn¡¯t expect him to pick a fight with the entire Righteous Alliance. After a moment of hesitation, he came to a conclusion. ¡®This is nothing but a threat. No matter how strong he is, he can¡¯t face the whole Righteous Alliance with just Je Gal¡¯s trio.¡¯ He made a regretful expression. ¡°You said you were Eurius Grand Master? I¡¯m sorry, but we have no way of verifying the authenticity of this letter.¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s right! It¡¯s too much to ask us to believe something that happened in that faraway continent!¡± When the leader firmly refuted him, the other leaders finally regained their spirit and added their words. ¡°You want evidence?¡± Eurius suddenly widened his eyes. Then he repeated his words like a parrot. ¡°Evidence¡­ evidence, you say? That¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius spoke again in a serious tone. ¡°Then do you have any evidence that I¡¯m a suspicious person? Do you have a good reason for not letting me in?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was silence between them for a while. They realized that Eurius¡¯s intrusion was a protest. Shin Ja-seong tried to open his mouth quickly. ¡°We have no choice. It¡¯s the Imperial decree¡­¡± Eurius looked even more puzzled. ¡°A decree? So you have no evidence?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He showed a hint of anger here. ¡°Is that a more decisive reason than the favor I¡¯ve done for the Righteous Alliance? I can¡¯t understand this treatment.¡± At his words, all of the leaders of the Righteous Alliance felt embarrassed. It was unprecedented to deny entry to someone who had done as much as Eurius for the alliance. That¡¯s why Namgung Il-cheon and Jiwoo Seonsa felt sorry for him. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at them like honey-eating mute people, Eurius nced at the gathered experts. ¡°You seem to like using people based on suspicion, but I find you more suspicious.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Eurius said calmly. ¡°I came here to question the Dark Sect for their crimes, but you seem to have fallen for some trick. You¡¯re trying to make me a suspect without any evidence.¡± He tilted his head slightly. ¡°Is there anyone here who is colluding with the Dark Sect?¡± ¡°What!?¡± At his words, the leaders of the Righteous Alliance were about to re up. Especially, Chwi Seon-gae, the leader of the Open faction who tried to fight Eurius with the imperial army, was the most furious. ¡°How dare you nder us!¡± ¡°Then are you not?¡± Chwi Seon-gae raised his voice with a vein on his neck. ¡°No matter how much you talk, you have no evidence. It¡¯s natural to doubt someone whose identity is unknown!¡± ¡°Ho ho¡­¡± Eurius shook his head slightly. ¡°Then it would be fine if I had evidence?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Grand Master! What are you?¡± At that moment, only the people in the room who had reached the realm of superhumans felt a chilling aura. To be precise, only those with that level of skill could sense the danger. Pop! Eurius drew his sword so fast that most people just felt something sh. And the direction of his sword was! ¡°Leader!¡± Eurius¡¯s sword reached Shin Ja-seong¡¯s neck in an instant. ¡°Gasp!¡± But he was also a person who was called the best master in the Righteous Alliance. He could handle a sudden attack well enough. Swish. His sword swiftly blocked Eurius¡¯s sword. It was a natural defense like flowing water. But at the moment of collision, Shin Jaseong¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­!?¡± He then bent his waist back and tried to get out of Eurius¡¯s sword trajectory as much as possible. ng! Crack! His sword broke first with a metallic sound, and then his chest was split open. No matter how fast his defense was, he couldn¡¯t withstand the spatial cutting. It was impressive that his body didn¡¯t copse. And when the masters of the Righteous Alliance saw that, they were so shocked that they drew their weapons and rushed to Eurius. ¡°Assassination?¡± ¡°What is this madness?¡± ¡°Do you still say that after seeing this?¡± Eurius replied calmly. His sword stopped attacking and aimed at Shin Jaseong¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­!?¡± The masters of the Righteous Alliance were startled again. ¡°There¡¯s no blood?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Surprisingly, not a drop of blood came out of Shin Jaseong¡¯s chest where the sword had passed. But looking at the wound, the internal organs and bones that were exposed between the flesh created a bizarre scene. Especially, the leaders of the Righteous Alliance who were standing behind Shin Jaseong were so astonished that their eyes seemed to pop out. They uttered a word as if groaning. ¡°Zombie!¡± ¡®Zombie¡¯ means to control a corpse or a living person¡¯s vital functions with a strange technique and make them act like puppets. Among them, Zombie made from living people were called ¡®living zombies¡¯. The characteristic of living sombies was that the maker could either leave or erase their reason depending on their ability. If they left their reason, living zombies would look no different from before they died. But inside was different. Under the restriction of the technique user, they could think to some extent, but all their actions ultimately followed the will of the controller. *** Eurius thought that the most important thing before executing this n was to reveal the identity of the sect leader. ¡°What¡¯s the point of driving him away as a fake if he denies it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a fake.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°The Righteous Alliance is not an easy ce for a fake to pretend to be the sect leader for over ten years.¡± Jegal Seongwoon firmly denied the possibility that Shin Jaseong was a fake. The sect leader of the Righteous Alliance had to have strong power and leadership, so the selection criteria were strict. ¡°If they had enough power to set up a fake Alliance leader, they wouldn¡¯t need to resort to such tricks. They could have taken over the sect with the sect leader¡¯s sidekicks and countless eyes in it.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°This is hard to believe without Gu Cheon-geol testimony, but¡­¡± Jegal Seongwoon cautiously put forward his opinion. ¡°I think he is either controlled or ckmailed by some technique.¡± But who could pull such a trick on the sect leader of the Righteous Alliance, who had fierce guards and whose power was among the top in the Eastern Continent? ¡°Is that what we¡¯re going to find out this time?¡± ¡°Yes. It will be hard, but we have no choice.¡± But in reality, it was not difficult for Eurius at all. ¡°Then I just have to visit him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll know as soon as I see him.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± . . . . . And the result he confirmed was worse than being controlled. Shin Ja-seong Job: Swordsman, Grandmaster (Superhuman) Strength: S Agility: S Intelligence: None Spirit: None Force Aptitude: S Force: SS Disposition: Mild Current State: Must follow orders. [Traits] Swordsmanship (SS+) Zombiefication ¨C Lost his proper reason by an external technique. Being controlled from outside. *** Eurius clicked his tongue. ¡°There are some weird techniques too. To think that they can make a normal person into a bloodless monster.¡± Jegal Unhyeon said solemnly. ¡°It would be better to subdue him if possible. Maybe there¡¯s a way to restore his reason.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The leaders of the Righteous Alliance who approached Shin Ja-seong quickly backed away from him. They couldn¡¯t believe that the sect leader they had brought was a mindless puppet! It was unbelievable even after seeing it. The other masters who were watching from outside also had pale faces. Their eyes were fixed on the sect leader. ¡®How could this happen!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Shin Ja-seong became silent. He didn¡¯t need to pretend to be a normal Alliance leader anymore. The only thing left for him, who was being controlled, was thest order given by the controller. [3rd, if your identity is revealed, use it even if it¡¯s iplete. You have to inflict as much damage as possible on the Righteous Alliance.] ¡®As ordered¡­¡¯ Shin Ja-seong, whose eyes were now blurred, took out a small box from his sleeve. Boom! The box opened and the temperature around Shin Ja-seong rose sharply. ¡®What is that?¡¯ A thunderous voice rang in Eurius¡¯s head as he watched. [Stop him from swallowing that!] ¡®What?¡¯ What came out of the box was a round stone the size of an egg. It looked ominous at a nce, and mes were burning endlessly from the red stone. Swoosh! Eurius¡¯s sword quickly cut off one of Shin Jaseong¡¯s arms, but the master didn¡¯t need an arm to pick up something. Swoop. He ignored his fallen arm and pulled the stone with his air suction. And he swallowed it in an instant. Gulp! And at that moment! Whoosh! mes erupted near Shin Jaseong¡¯s body. A circr me that rose from him reached tens of meters into the air. Roar! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Get back for now!¡± The masters of the Righteous Alliance retreated in a hurry, unable to withstand the heat. The mes were so intense that they burned everything in the conference room in an instant. Of course, people were no exception. The faces of the leaders of the Righteous Alliance, such as Chwi Seon-gae, who were near Shin Jaseong, turned ck. The masters outside also backed away far enough, let alone those inside. They closed their eyes tightly as the mes engulfed the room. ¡®We¡¯re dead now.¡¯ ¡®Orajil¡­ We were just following our master¡¯s words.¡¯ But it seemed that they were not destined to die yet. Swoosh. ¡°Huh?¡± Chwi Seon-gae opened his eyes wide when he didn¡¯t feel the pain of burning flesh. Instead, he felt a cool breeze. And at the same time, he heard a snarky voice. ¡°Get out quickly. I can¡¯t protect you forever.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Swoosh. A thick steam appeared in front of them. And in the center of the steam was Eurius! He was wearing a white ice armor on his body. The cold air that spewed from the armor neutralized the hot heat. This was the power of the Invisible Armor. The power of Hyunmu, who controlled water and cold! ¡°Tha¡­ Thank you, Grandmaster.¡± ¡°We will never forget this favor.¡± The leaders of the Righteous Alliance flew out of the room. It was a close call. Eurius smiled mockingly as he watched them. ¡°At least you know how to be polite.¡± [Don¡¯t waste your thoughts and focus on the enemy ahead.] Hwangryong¡¯s nagging voice was heard as the steam cleared up. Eurius¡¯s expression hardened as he saw the huge shadow that appeared. ¡®That¡¯s Vermilion Bird¡¯s power?¡¯ The shadow was a giant made of fire. It was over five meters tall. On its face, where eyes were supposed to be, two sun-like mes were burning fiercely. [Yeah. I don¡¯t know how they did it, but they used their brains.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ [The power of a divine beast can only be used by the chosen ones. But¡­] ¡®Ah!¡¯ Eurius let out a small exmation as if he realized something. [If someone like him, who has an outstanding vessel among humans, bes an undead and has a hardened body, he might be able to withstand it for a while.] In other words, Shin Ja-seong, who became a giant of mes, was a secret weapon prepared by the Dark Sect for a long time. ¡®He¡¯s not an easy opponent even if he got a divine power.¡¯ Eurius pulled up his Hyunmu¡¯s skill as much as he could, though he was not very familiar with it yet. His sword was covered with white frost and emitted cold air. Roar. The giant moved and a tremendous heat rose from him. Whoosh. Swoosh. The massive heat that the giant emitted from his whole body! The white cold that concentrated on Eurius¡¯s sword! Boom! The two forces collided and made a terrible noise. Chapter 161: The Unveiled Identity Chapter 161: The Unveiled Identity I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??!
ng! Shriek! The first sh was a victory for Eurius. The coldness made the me giant¡¯s arm evaporate on the spot. But it regenerated by absorbing the heat around it. ¡°¡­¡± Then, its huge body disappeared from Eurius¡¯s sight in an instant. Thud! ¡°¡­!?¡± The giant fire appeared in mid-air. It raised its burning fist and mmed it down on Eurius. Bang! Eurius kicked the ground and dodged. A st of intense heat and light spread where it hit, creating a deep crater. ¡®It¡¯s surprisingly agile. It still has the senses of a martial artist even after transforming.¡¯ Amazingly, the me giant could mimic the movements of a martial artist with its massive size. That meant it had the skills of a superhuman martial artist while using that powerful heat. But Eurius was the same. He was also a martial artist, and a master of swordsmanship called White Crane Sword Lineage. The giant was no match for him in hand-to-handbat. ng! His sword lowered the temperature wherever it touched. The giant¡¯s body made of mes did not freeze, but it evaporated. Holes were drilled into its body, making it seem wobbly. Whoosh! But it quickly recovered by igniting more mes with a fierce speed. At the same time, something like a stick popped out of its hand. ¡°Damn!¡± Eurius hastily backed away. The me sword in the giant¡¯s hand exploded and shed around. Kaboom! Everything melted where the sword passed by. And Eurius was the one who faced that terrifying attack head-on. The giant¡¯s sword, which was almost ten meters long, and Eurius¡¯s sword, which was covered with white frost, collided again. Crash! ¡°Ugh!¡± This time, Eurius was slightly pushed back. For the first time, the heat broke through the coldness of his intangible divine armor and reached him. [It¡¯s impressive how well it uses its divine power, considering it just acquired it.] ¡®What?¡¯ Eurius frowned as if he was being scolded, but Yellow Dragon¡¯s voice was calm. [I¡¯m just stating the fact. It seems to have done a lot of research.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Before Eurius could reply, a whip of fire sprouted from behind the fire giant¡¯s back. Snap! The whip split into six strands and tried to wrap around Eurius. Whoosh! The fire giant¡¯s sword was not idle either. It shot out again with a trail of fire. ¡°Huh!¡± Eurius was startled by this fearsomebination attack. He leaped out of the whip¡¯s range. Of course, the whips followed him like snakes, flickering with fire. But Eurius seemed to have waited for this moment and swung his sword from left to right. Thud! Suddenly, a blue line appeared in the air around him. And everything that entered that line was cut into pieces. Rumble! The pir that supported the half-destroyed conference room was cut off and the building copsed. Of course, the me giant was no exception. ¡°¡­¡± Hiss! The me sword and whip that were about to hit Eurius lost their strength and fizzled out. The fire giant¡¯s torso also had a blue line on it and stopped moving. ¡®Did I seed?¡¯ [It doesn¡¯t seem so.] Whoosh! Soon, the giant started moving again. The spatial cutting had the ability to block regeneration or fusion, but it only worked for a very short time, just like with the three-headed dragon. [It¡¯s receiving power from Vermilion Bird, so it won¡¯t flinch at any ordinary attack.] Just as the three-headed dragon had an abnormal regeneration ability when it received power from Xuanwu in ck Tortoise Cave, the me giant was in a simr situation. ¡®Then what should I do? Eek!¡¯ Crash! A heavy sound echoed and Eurius had to jump again to change his position. The giant swung its me sword at him again. And behind its back, more mes swirled and created whips. This time, there were as many as sixteen whips. ¡®Tsk!¡¯ Eurius bit his tongue. He could have handled it if it was just a sword fight, but he was in trouble when his opponent attacked him like that. ¡®Is there any way to stop the regeneration?¡¯ Yellow Dragon answered his question in a faint voice. [There is one way to wait until his power runs out. That¡¯s a kind of trick, so he won¡¯tst long.] It was a tempting suggestion. ¡®How long will it take?¡¯ [Judging by his momentum, I think he can hold on for a day or so.] ¡®Rejected!¡¯ Eurius shook his head. If he dragged on the time, it would not be a temple but a ruin. He would be safe, but it would be troublesome if that giant attacked other experts. ¡®Is there any other way?¡¯ [There is, but¡­ can you do it?] Yellow Dragon answered in a gloomy tone. [Of course, you just have to suppress him with your power.] That meant to win in a head-on confrontation. But that was also difficult in the current situation. Eurius chewed his lips nervously. ¡®His swordsmanship is nothing special. I can beat him head-on.¡¯ Although the believer who turned into a giant was one of the best experts in the Eastern Continent, he was only an expert of the fourth stage. Eurius had gained some of the essence of the emperor and was able to glimpse the realm above that. ¡®If I had to say, I could be considered as 4.5 stage.¡¯ But his ability to handle divine energy was far superior to his opponent. Eurius could only block the heat with coldness or reduce the damage, but he did not have the ability to create a sword of me or whip dozens of whips like his opponent. Whoosh! ¡®Damn!¡¯ ng! He concentrated coldness on his front and blocked the whips flying at him. ¡®I don¡¯t know how he does that. He should be inferior to me in terms of realm¡­ Wait!¡¯ A thought shed through Eurius¡¯s mind as he grumbled. ¡®Realm¡­ I should be superior?¡¯ Come to think of it, it was strange. Eurius asked Yellow Dragon again. ¡®Didn¡¯t you say that the ability to handle divine energy depends on the owner¡¯s ability?¡¯ [Yes. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t ept most of the power instead of yours.] Eurius tilted his head. ¡®So you¡¯re saying that guy is better at handling divine energy than me even though he¡¯s not higher than me in realm?¡¯ It didn¡¯t make sense ording to Yellow Dragon¡¯s exnation. [Think for yourself.] Yellow Dragon did not answer any further. This was something he had to realize on his own. ¡®Realm¡­ and divine energy?¡¯ Whoosh! A tremendous heat rose in front of Eurius, who was lost in doubt. The giant of mes seemed to want to end it here. ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh! Sixteen whips twisted in the air and merged into one. The fire giant mmed the whip down at Eurius with a terrifying speed. Squeak! An attack that was different from before! But until that moment, Eurius did not think of dodging and was deeply immersed in his thoughts. And when the whip came close to Eurius! Crack! A rectangr ice suddenly sprang up in the air. It looked like a shield made of squares. And over the shield, the whip mercilessly stabbed down. Bang! As soon as the whip broke the first ice shield, three more ice shields sprang up behind it. The three stacked shields collided with the whip imbued with mes and made another loud noise. Boom! The collision of ice and fire caused thick steam to cover the surroundings again. And from within that steam, a voice of ecstasy was heard. ¡°I got it!¡± *** ¡°¡­¡± The giant of mes had no reason, so he started regenerating as soon as his attack failed. The consumed mes were replenished and swords and whips sprouted from the swirling mes again. But Hiss! Have you ever put ice in hot water? T hen the ice melts quickly with a sound of losing air, but the temperature of the part that touches the ice drops rapidly. Just like that, holes began to form all over the giant¡¯s body. Eurius stretched out his left hand without holding a sword and pointed it at the giant. And wherever his hand pointed, holes were inevitably drilled. He didn¡¯t actually attack him. His hand pointed at a spot where the temperature dropped sharply and ice crystals formed. However, they melted in an instant because of the me. ¡°¡­¡± The giant¡¯s body was made of fire, and when it was pierced by a hole, it was impossible to survive. He moved his body like lightning to somehow get out. re! The me sword ignited again and the giant charged at Eurius, but it was different from before. Crack! A square ice shield was created in the air again. It was hard to break through when several of them were stacked together at the same time. The shield was emitting a coldness that was eerie. Crash! The giant¡¯s sword was blocked by the stacked ice shield. Sizzle! The me sword evaporated in an instant and the giant¡¯s hand disappeared as well. As the fire that made up his body kept disappearing, the giant¡¯s body began to shrink rapidly. His height, which had been close to five meters, shrank to about three meters in an instant. Seeing this, Eurius was surprised inwardly. ¡®I expected it, but it¡¯s much easier than I thought.¡¯ [You were stupid for not being able to apply it.] ¡®I have nothing to say about that.¡¯ What Eurius had just done was the 4.5th stage application of being able to put a certain space under his control. The fact that he could cut space meant that he could literally put a certain area under his control. If hepleted this stage, he would be able to sh and cut enemies far away in an instant. Didn¡¯t Sharnos the Great, whom he had seen in the video before, turn a forest into a wastnd with this method? Of course, Eurius still didn¡¯t have that much ability, but he could use the power of the artifact to that extent. He raised his hand again. ¡®How far does the control reach? About thirty meters?¡¯ That distance matched exactly with how far he could cut with space cutting. ck Tortoise had caused a storm over the entire ind nearby, but he could do something simr. Crack! The giant, who was rushing in with his shrunken body, stopped with arge hole in his chest. The temperature in the area designated by Eurius dropped sharply and the fire that made up his body went out. Sizzle¡­ The giant soon shrank to the size of a normal human while spewing steam. He was no longer a giant. He was just a me human who had transformed into a believer of Mangyu. At a nce, it seemed too easy to suppress him, but it was only natural. They both possessed artifacts, but Eurius was more skilled and he also received yerpensation. It was obvious that Eurius would overwhelmingly win if they handled artifacts at a simr level. ¡®What do I do now¡­¡¯ It seemed like a piece of cake topletely annihte him now, but Eurius hesitated for a moment and shook his head. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯d better stop at suppressing him just in case.¡¯ Eurius reached out his hand again and created ice in the air. Thick ice crystals began to surround Shin Ja Seong. Crackle! He couldn¡¯t create weapons yet because of his skill level, but he could easily make simple shapes like shields as before. Bang bang bang! Soon Shin Ja Seong waspletely trapped in ice stacked like bricks. ¡®Phew¡­ He won¡¯t be able to move for a while now.¡¯ The n to reveal Mangyu¡¯s identity was slightly distorted due to the unexpected situation, but it was rather beneficial since he learned how to use the artifact. After finishing suppressing him, Eurius finally had time to look around. The surroundings werepletely ruined. It wasn¡¯t his fault, but Shin Ja Seong¡¯s attack as a giant was too fierce. The conference room waspletely destroyed by fire and collision, and the walls were also melted and frozen everywhere. And between the copsed walls, countless eyes were watching him. ¡°¡­¡± *** Flinch! As Eurius slowly walked toward the wall, the people of Righteous Alliance flinched unconsciously. ¡°¡­¡± They were buzzing at first, but as the sh between him and the giant progressed, they lost their words. They usually called outstanding warriors superhumans who transcended humans, but this sh was too scaled up. It was absurd that Shin Ja Seong turned into a monster spewing mes and melted everything around him, but Eurius who suppressed that monster was also unrealistically unreal. ¡®What is his identity¡­¡¯ ¡®Is he human?¡¯ Receiving such gazes, Eurius reached where the people of Righteous Alliance were avoiding him in no time. ¡°A yer¡­¡± Now that Mangyu had be like that, there was no one else who could represent Righteous Alliance except Bumaingju Namgoon Ilcheon. He stepped forward voluntarily because he had a lot of questions. ¡°First of all, thank you for saving our lives.¡± ¡°Are there any injured people?¡± ¡°Some have suffered minor burns, but no one has lost their lives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Eurius unexpectedly asked about the injured first. This meant that he had no intention of harming Righteous Alliance, so Namgoon Ilcheon sighed inwardly. He began to ask carefully the questions he wanted to ask. ¡°First of all, what about Mangyu¡­¡± ¡°I only suppressed him. But I don¡¯t know how to turn him back to normal.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Namgoon Ilcheon looked disappointed. It was because Righteous Alliance had suffered a painful loss of power. But he only thought that for a moment. ¡°¡­¡± He swallowed his saliva and finally asked what the people in the hall wanted to hear the most. ¡°What is your identity?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®You look at me like I¡¯m some kind of non-human being.¡¯ Eurius sneered inwardly. In fact, the only identity he had hidden so far was that he was the crown prince. But it was troublesome to be treated like a monster like this. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? This is not my martial arts, but the power of the Formless Divine Armor.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Only then did Namgoon Ilcheon think of that. In fact, artifacts were things that were only dismissed as old legends in the martial world. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ve heard legends about the power of the artifact that ck Tortoise Divine Artifacts had, but I didn¡¯t know they were all true.¡± Only after hearing that conversation did a buzz begin among the experts of Righteous Alliance. ¡°Come to think of it, didn¡¯t he say he was the sessor of Master of All Martial Arts?¡± ¡°There were many people who treated it as a rumor in the maeng.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said the people who went to ck Tortoise Cave with him believed it from the beginning!¡± The buzz grew louder and the fear in their eyes looking at Eurius gradually subsided. It was partly because Eurius was their savior, but mainly because of the familiar expression of sessor. It was easier for them to ept that a sessor of a legendary warrior appeared than that an unknown stranger appeared and saved them. ¡®Well, if he¡¯s a sessor of a yer, maybe that¡¯s possible?¡¯ That¡¯s how Eurius¡¯s unbelievable miracle was understood as a legend. But there was still a question. Why did a stranger who wasn¡¯t even from Dongdaeryuk suddenly appear as a sessor? And what was his purpose foring to Righteous Alliance? As he thought that far, Namgoon Ilcheon remembered something he had forgotten for a moment because of the unexpected situation. The cause was a piece of paper that Eurius had thrown earlier. ¡®Surely¡­¡¯ ng! Before he could finish his thought, he heard a dull metallic sound from behind him. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What are these guys?¡± ¡°Strangers?¡± All the experts of Righteous Alliance were gathered here, so they didn¡¯t get any report of anyone entering. ng! Suddenly, dozens of unfamiliar people in armor entered from the entrance. Their number increased and soon exceeded a hundred. They didn¡¯t approach Righteous Alliance¡¯s experts right away. They settled in a slightly distant ce and organized their ranks orderly. ¡°¡­¡± And seeing their formidable aura, Righteous Alliance¡¯s experts began to tense up again. ¡®Where did these guyse from¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s been a long time!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Before they could react, Eurius approached them with quick steps. And then! Thud! Thump! Thwack! Suddenly, those who wore silver armor knelt down without anyone saying anything. Hundreds of them knelt down in the same posture at almost the same time, which was a spectacle that fixed the eyes of everyone in the hall. And then, an old man who was at the front bowed his head and shouted. ¡°We greet His Highness the Crown Prince!¡± ¡°We greet His Highness!¡± ¡°What?¡± The people in the hall thought they had heard wrong, but their voices were too loud to be mistaken. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°His Highness?¡± ¡°¡­¡± They were confused for a moment and then blurted out nonsense. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Their eyes quickly left the knights and turned to Eurius. They thought they had nothing more to be surprised about, but now they couldn¡¯t close their mouths. ¡°He said crown prince?¡± Chapter 162: Empire VS Empire Chapter 162: Empire VS Empire Eurius smiled and looked over the knights. ¡°You¡¯ve done well toe this far in such a hurry.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Everyone, rise.¡± Shuk. After giving them a proper salute, he asked about their well-being. The leader of the group, Heinz, who was standing in front, asked with a worried expression. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Did you have any trouble on the way?¡± ¡°Thanks to the guide you sent us, we had no problems.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡± The people of the Righteous Alliance who were watching this scene snapped out of their stupor. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°The Crown Prince?¡± But most of them still looked confused by the situation. Of course, the leaders of the Righteous Alliance had a rough idea and their faces turned thoughtful. ¡°What do you mean by the Crown Prince?¡± ¡°It seems that those Westerners are somehow under hismand¡­ I mean, under his majesty¡¯smand¡­¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that the Western troops in the South Sea were just starting to march north?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, our kid said it would take two days.¡± Chwi Seon-gae, the leader of the Open Faction, remembered something he had forgotten for a moment because he was too surprised. There was a beggar in the conference room who hade to report on the northward movement of the Western vanguard. ¡®Grr¡­ I saved my own life as a leader, but I couldn¡¯t save the lives of my faction members. This is shameful.¡¯ He looked around for the beggar¡¯s whereabouts. The people in the conference room had survived thanks to Eurius, so he thought there was a high chance that he was alive too. ¡°Did you find him?¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re alive!¡± A beggar came out from between the people. It was the same beggar who had rushed in with an urgent report earlier. Chwi Seon-gae felt relieved for a moment and then opened his mouth curiously. ¡°But how did you report it? Why are those Westerners there?¡± The beggar was someone he had never seen before in the Righteous Alliance. He probably came from one of the branches in the South Sea. But then he tilted his head slightly. ¡®Wait? He should be good at martial arts if he¡¯s used as a messenger, right?¡¯ There were many beggars in the world, but it wasn¡¯t verymon to see a beggar who was a master. Chwi Seon-gae narrowed his eyes. ¡°Where do you belong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The beggar didn¡¯t answer. Chwi Seon-gae became more suspicious and pulled out a cudgel from his waist. ¡°Hey! You need to get hit toe to your senses¡­¡± ¡°The one who needs to get hit is you.¡± The beggar uttered a word abruptly. Chwi Seon-gae looked dumbfounded. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Shik! In an instant, the beggar disappeared from Chwi Seon-gae¡¯s sight as if he had vanished. He turned into a ck whirlwind and rushed towards Chwi Seon-gae. ¡°Ack!¡± His movement was so fast that it was doubtful if he could avoid it even if he knew it beforehand. Tuk! In a sh, the beggar passed by Chwi Seon-gae and held his stolen cudgel in his hand. But that wasn¡¯t important. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Chwi Seon-gae started to tremble uncontrobly. He had seen this movement many times before. Jiiik! The beggar put his hand on his face and tore off a finely made mask. And his face was¡­ ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Oh, you! You rotten bastard!¡± The beggar¡¯s true identity was none other than Gu Cheon-geol, the former leader of the Open Faction. He held the stolen cudgel and started beating Chwi Seon-gae mercilessly. Pupupuk! ¡°Ow! Master! Let me exin¡­¡± ¡°What exnation is there!¡± Shiiik! Every time the cudgel cut through the air, Chwi Seon-gae¡¯s scream echoed. ¡°Aaack!¡± At the same time, Gu Cheon-geol¡¯s sigh also flowed out. ¡°I heard that you treated me like an old fool in the faction, huh¡­¡± ¡®You didn¡¯t learn your lesson because I didn¡¯t beat you enough for these ten years!¡¯ The disappointment that Gu Cheongeol felt towards his disciple was indescribable. He nced at Eurius. His hands kept moving without a pause. ¡®I can understand that he doubts him because his identity is uncertain¡­¡¯ But still, shouldn¡¯t he have asked Eurius for the reason and judged him properly if he was following him obediently? The more he thought about it, the more outrageous it was. ¡®I have to fix his stubbornness today, even if I have to break his bones!¡¯ With that firm resolution, Gu Cheongeol¡¯s clubbing became even more fierce. Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°Ughhh!¡± That day, Chwi Seon-gae was beaten to death by his master in front of countless experts of Jeongdomaeng. *** A little time passed after thatmotion, and the leaders of Jeongdomaeng and Eurius were sitting in a temporary meeting room. ¡°Hehe¡­ I honestly still find it hard to believe.¡± ¡°I understand. But would you have believed me if I had revealed that I was the crown prince?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon let out a faint groan. It was hard to believe even after seeing the articles, so it would have been useless to say it before. ¡°Then¡­¡± Namgoong Ilcheon hesitated for a moment. He was wondering how to address Eurius. ¡®He deserves respect even as a martial artist, let alone as the crown prince¡­¡¯ In his eyes, Eurius was one of the best martial artists in the world, and his identity as the crown prince made him even more so. ¡®Should I use an honorific term?¡¯ But Eurius seemed to read his mind and answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Just call me Daehyeop as you did before.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Eurius chuckled here. ¡°Just do as you did. We have a lot to talk about right now.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon came to his senses when he heard that. ¡®That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t waste time on things like titles right now.¡¯ He looked at Eurius with gratitude. This meant that he didn¡¯t expect too much courtesy from him. How could he keep looking at Eurius¡¯s face when there were so many things to deal with right now? Considering how Jeongdomaeng had treated Eurius before, this attitude was very generous. ¡®He has a broad mind. Is this what it takes to be the crown prince of the empire?¡¯ Namgoong Ilcheon praised him inwardly and went straight to the point. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s about the imperial pce. What do you know about it, Daehyeop?¡± Eurius¡¯s identity was no longer doubtful. But the order from the imperial pce was a scheme to make Jeongdomaeng and Eurius fight each other, so there had to be some questions. ¡°The imperial pce is practically in the hands of Magyo.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°What are we going to do!¡± Eurius said calmly, but it was like a thunderbolt to the people of Jeongdomaeng who gasped. ¡°Hehe¡­ I had a hunch when I saw the leader¡¯s face, but I didn¡¯t know that their influence reached the imperial pce.¡± Namgoong Ilcheon sighed and looked at Eurius with a troubled expression. ¡°Do you have any ns? It would be very difficult to fight against Magyo alone, let alone with the imperial pce joining them.¡± The reason why he sighed was because the imperial pce was not a martial force. ¡°The biggest problem is that if they can control the Imperial family, Jeongdomaeng will be traitors who disobeyed the emperor¡¯s words in no time.¡± His concern was the same as Jegalseongun¡¯s guess. How could Jeongdomaeng handle hundreds of thousands of soldiers with only a few thousand experts? There were also outstanding experts who learned martial arts among the gold army affiliated with the Imperial family. No matter how you look at it, Jeongdomaeng was at an absolute disadvantage right now! ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s what you say¡­¡± But Eurius seemed to have a different idea. ¡°If the army is a problem, I¡¯ll take care of the imperial pce side.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius¡¯s answer was too cool, and everyone in Jeongdomaeng¡¯s leadership was shocked. Namgoong Ilcheon asked hastily. ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But how¡­¡± Eurius tapped his chest confidently. ¡°I might havee here alone, but aren¡¯t there people from my empire here now?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** The imperial pce in Jangan was veryrge and wide. It took tens of minutes to walk to the main pce where the emperor lived! But there was no time to wait for that now. A thin eunuch was running frantically. ¡°Ahem¡­ As a guest?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Sangughed and began to exin his n. * A few dayster, another envoy from the imperial pce arrived at Jeongdomaeng. ¡°They want peace?¡± ¡°Yes. His Majesty wishes to forget the unpleasant incidents that happened recently and strengthen the rtionship between the two empires.¡± The envoy, who was a civil official, spoke smoothly as if his tongue was coated with oil. Eurius watched him and smiled inwardly. ¡®They don¡¯t want peace, they want to drag me into the tiger¡¯s den. Well, I¡¯ll bite the bait anyway.¡¯ Eurius read the letter carefully and smiled faintly. ¡°Tell His Majesty of the other side that I ept his invitation.¡± Chapter 163: The Purifier Chapter 163: The Purifier Whoosh! A ck shadow was speeding through the mountain range, where countless strange rocks stood. It was running through the rugged terrain without any hesitation. ck! The shadow stopped in front of a building after running through the harsh mountains. This ce was called the Thousand Mountain Range, a remote area that was treated as a forbidden zone by the martial artists. The reason was this. ¡°Vice-sect leader! Have you returned?¡± ¡°I request an audience with the sect leader.¡± A low and hoarse voice came out of the shadow¡¯s mouth. Soon, he was guided to a room. On one side of the room, there was a curtain, and behind it, a human silhouette could be seen faintly. ¡°I greet the great sect leader of the Dark Sect.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The voice from behind the curtain was low and full of dignity. ¡°It seems that your mission did not go well?¡± ¡°I apologize!¡± The absolute master who was called the Frost Sword Demon in the Demon Sect bowed his head deeply. He was the second in rank in the sect, but there was only one person who could make him bow his head. The person behind the curtain was none other than the sect leader of the Demon Sect! ¡°You lost the divine artifact?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Frost Sword Demon kept his head down without moving an inch. Even though he was the vice-sect leader, his actual authority was not that strong. The sect leader had enough power to take his life for failing his mission. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There was a master on the side of Justice Alliance that I could not handle.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The Frost Sword Demon widened his eyes. There were not many masters in the martial world who could defeat him. Did the sect leader know in advance that he would lose? ¡°It¡¯s fine that you lost the Yin-Yang Twin Demons, they are a force that can be easily rebuilt.¡± Until now, the sect leader¡¯s tone was gentle. He seemed to not care about losing the Yin-Yang Twin Demons, the second strongest force in the Demon Sect. ¡°But failing to obtain the divine artifact is a rather painful loss.¡± ¡°I have no excuse.¡± The Frost Sword Demon had to bow his head again. Contrary to his brutal reputation, the sect leader was not a cruel person. Rather, he had a soft personality if anything. This level of reproach meant that the sect leader was not in a good mood, so he had to be very nervous. But the next words that came out were not punishment or scolding. ¡°I will assign you Number One.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean I will give you a chance to redeem yourself.¡± The sect leader said hisst words in a calm tone. Hearing that, he could not help but open his eyes wide. ¡°I will give you your orderster. Take Number One with you and go to Yellow Pce.¡± ¡®Yellow Pce!¡¯ *** On the day he gave his answer and sent back the envoy of the royal family, Eurius was struggling with one problem. ¡®I locked him up for now, but how should I deal with him?¡¯ He meant Shin Jaeseong, the leader of Justice Alliance who was still trapped in ice. Even if he was half-dead, he was still a living human being. If he kept him in ice for too long, he would soon die. ¡®But I can¡¯t release him when I know he is being controlled by magic.¡¯ He thought that something woulde up if he locked him up, and there was a reason for that. Jegal Seungwoon, who nned the operation with him, said this. ¡°If the leader is controlled by magic, then a master of Buddhism can heal him by infusing inner energy.¡± Wasn¡¯t there Jiu Sunsa, the top master of Shaolin Temple in Justice Alliance? So he partially thawed him and handed him over to him, but this answer came out. ¡°Namu Amitabha¡­ I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t help. I can¡¯t save the leader with my poor medical skills.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jiu Sunsa exined the reason with a shameless expression. ¡°The unknown energy is mixed with magic and blocking my inner energy of Binseung.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± The reason was none other than Shin Jaeseong¡¯s divine artifact,Vermilion Bird. The energy it emitted was mixed with magic and prevented Jiu Sunsa¡¯s inner energy from healing him. ¡®Then what if I take out the divine artifact first?¡¯ He tried this idea too, but it was useless. [The reason why that old man is still alive is because of the heat from the divine artifact. If you take it out now, he will freeze to death right away.] Eurius was in a dilemma because of the words of the Yellow Dragon. The people of Jeongdo n treated him as if he was a savior from heaven. ¡°Eurius Daehyeop will surely save our n leader! Isn¡¯t that why he suppressed him so firmly without moving?¡± Because of their admiring gazes, Eurius couldn¡¯t say ¡®I need his divine power, so I don¡¯t care if he lives or dies!¡¯ ¡®How annoying¡­¡¯ As Eurius continued to worry, the night came. He walked towards the conference room and stopped in front of a huge ice pir. There was no sign of life around him in the dark night. He sighed and tapped the ice with his fingers. ¡®I have to leave for the Yellow Pce soon, but what do I do with this trouble¡­¡¯ But there was no solution no matter how much he thought. ¡®In the worst case, I¡¯ll have to kill him and take him out.¡¯ Swoosh! ¡°¡­!?¡± Just when he reached that conclusion! Eurius turned his head sharply. He sensed an unknown presence. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°You seem to have a problem.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± What he saw was an old man with white hair. He didn¡¯t notice him until he came so close, even with his senses. But that wasn¡¯t why Eurius was so surprised. ¡®Where did this monster-like old mane from?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just because of the old man¡¯s stats. Eurius¡¯s senses told him. The white-haired old man was stronger than anyone he had ever met. Even his biggest enemy, the Great Demon, seemed to be inferior to the old man. ¡°¡­¡± Shuffle shuffle. The old man slowly walked towards Eurius and reached the front of the ice pir. Then he suddenly stretched out his hand to the pir. Whoosh! The old man¡¯s hand was covered with red mes. But Eurius knew at a nce that it wasn¡¯t fire. ¡®Mars Church!¡¯ He had heard that the pdins of the Mars Church, one of the three great churches on the western continent, used red mes instead of blue force. But that wasn¡¯t all that happened in the old man¡¯s hand. Fwoosh! The red mes gradually faded and turned into a dazzling white color. The old man inserted his hand into the ice pir with a white me. The hard ice cracked like butter and his hand went in easily. ¡°Wait!¡± It would be troublesome if the ice melted now. But the old man said something unexpected. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Before he knew it, the old man¡¯s hand was buried in ice up to his elbow. And the white me from his hand shone brighter. Fwoooosh! Suddenly, a bright light exploded and lit up the conference room like daylight. And Eurius saw what was happening inside and widened his eyes. ¡°What is this?¡± Meanwhile, the light that could be clearly seen from afar could not be missed by the experts of Jeongdo n. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on again?¡± Whooosh! Thud! Soon dozens of expertsnded on the conference room floor again. They ran towards Eurius in a hurry. ¡°Daehyeop!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± They all focused their eyes on Eurius¡¯s arms. ¡°n leader!¡± The n leader Shin Jaeseong, who had been trapped in ice, was now unconscious in Eurius¡¯s arms. ¡°Could this be?¡± Jiwoo Seonsa looked at Eurius with a rare expression of surprise. ¡°I guess as you can see¡­ he seems to have detoxified the magic that was corroding him.¡± Hearing his answer, everyone in Jeongdo n eximed. ¡°He seeded!¡± ¡°Daehyeop is a great benefactor to Jeongdo n!¡± Although Shin Jaeseong had caused a great incident under the control of the Demon Sect, he was undoubtedly a respected leader of the Alliance. The experts of the Righteous Alliance had always admired him, but now they seemed to reach the level of worship. However, Eurius sneered. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move this person to a warm ce? He looks very weak.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± They lifted Shin Jaeseong¡¯s cold body and hurried to call a doctor. Watching them, Eurius recalled the old man who had appeared earlier. ¡°¡­¡± *** Whoosh! The old man¡¯s hand, burning white, melted the ice and enveloped Shin Jaeseong¡¯s body in an instant. ¡°¡­!?¡± At first, Eurius wanted to stop him, but he was shocked when he saw Shin Jaeseong¡¯s status window. ¡®The demonic energy that corrupted his body was detoxified?¡¯ But he was only surprised for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the conference room!¡± As he heard the sound of people running from the Righteous Alliance, the old man showed a slightly regretful expression. ¡°You must have many questions, but there are too many people today. I will greet you formally tomorrow.¡± Swoosh. As soon as he finished speaking, the old man disappeared from his spot like a ghost. Eurius stared silently at the ce where the old man had vanished. ¡®What is the intention of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people to appear here? And why did they save the leader?¡¯ **** The next day. ¡°Your Highness! The reinforcements sent by the fleet have arrived.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Eurius had ordered Gu cheon-geol to bring people who could prove his identity. But he could only send the knights first if he wanted them toe as fast as possible, and the rest of the people had to followter with a time difference. And now, a few days after the incident at the Righteous Alliance. The people who had left as reinforcements finally reached where the Righteous Alliance was located. ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince! I am Cornel, in charge of the 1st Fleet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard your name. You¡¯ve worked hard to get here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± He first received a greeting from Cornel, the admiral of the 1st Fleet. But Eurius was not waiting for him. In fact, he had already received a hint when the knights arrived. After a few words of formal courtesy, Eurius got to the point. ¡°I heard that someone from the Holy Kingdom wanted to see me?¡± ¡°Yes. Huk!¡± Snap! Before Cornel could introduce him, an old man with white hair walked out from behind. Eurius raised his eyebrows when he saw him. ¡®I confirmed his status yesterday, so it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s the one I saw.¡¯ The old man bowed his head slightly in front of Eurius. ¡°I greet Your Highness, Crown Prince of the Empire, whose fame is widespread.¡± Even in front of the Crown Prince of the Empire, the old man only bowed his head slightly. But no one in the hall med him for that. Eurius also nodded his head with a friendly face. ¡°It is an honor for me to see the greatest superhuman of West Continent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yes, this person was none other than Galeus, Archbishop of West Continent! He was regarded as one of the oldest and strongest superhumans in West Continent. Even in the Holy Kingdom, his position was right below that of three Popes. That¡¯s why Eurius, Crown Prince of Empire, couldn¡¯t treat him lightly either. ¡°I have just met Your Highness and I apologize for being rude, but I have one request.¡± He went straight to his purpose. It was an attitude that showed his blunt personality. ¡°A request?¡± ¡°Can I ask for a private conversation in a quiet ce?¡± Eurius also had a lot of questions for him. He readily agreed. ¡°I was hoping for that too.¡± *** A short whileter, they were facing each other alone in the ruined conference room where they had first met. ¡°So what is your reason for requesting a private conversation?¡± ¡°Then let me ask you one question first.¡± ¡°As you wish¡± In this situation, it would be natural to expect him to exin why he wanted to see him from Holy Kingdom. But what came out of Galeus¡¯ mouth was an irrelevant question. ¡°People often divide four stages of martial arts mastery in this world. Do you know them?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius was slightly surprised, but he opened his mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t thatmon sense? Aren¡¯t the fourth-level warriors called superhumans?¡± Galeus nodded. ¡°I asked because you called me a superhuman just now.¡± His eyes gained more intensity. He stared at Eurius with a strong gaze and asked another question. ¡°Then, what level would you say this old man belongs to?¡± Galeus was obviously a superhuman, and he belonged to the fourth level. But Eurius burst into a snicker. ¡°What do you think?¡± Hisughter made Galeus tense up a bit. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius knew the answer he wanted to hear. He stoppedughing and began to speak slowly, emphasizing each word. ¡°From what I see, you have surpassed the fourth level! If I have to name it, I would call it the fifth level?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did I answer wrong?¡± Snap! Eurius¡¯s answer was correct. Galeus suddenly knelt down on one knee. It was a contrast to his reaction of only bowing his head when he met the crown prince earlier. ¡°Hm?¡± Galeus, who knelt down, lowered his head further. And a heavy voice burst out. ¡°Galeus, the Purifier of the Holy Kingdom, greets the Godly One!¡± Chapter 164: The Emergence of a Godly One Chapter 164: The Emergence of a Godly One The Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom, Galeus. ording to Eurius, he was almost a hundred years old. He was thirty years older than the Grand Duke, and his reputation and skills were absolute. But he had not been active for decades. In fact, how often would he have to act, given the nature of the Holy Kingdom, which was absolutely neutral? So Eurius vaguely thought of him as a warrior of the same level as the Grand Duke. But the real him was a monster beyond imagination. [Galeus] Job: Archbishop (Mars Church), Transcendent Strength: SS+ Agility: S Intelligence: A Spirit: S Holy Power: SS+ Disposition: Fanatic, Warlike Current State: Ecstatic [Traits] Blunt Weapon Skill (SS+) me of Purification ¨C A divine power that burns away impure energy. Mind Weapon ¨C A secret technique of those who have broken through the fifth wall, for more details see Help ¨C Heart Sword. ¡®Fifth wall?¡¯ What surprised Eurius most was that he was not a superhuman. He was a step above that! He had reached the realm called ¡®Transcendent¡¯. And surprisingly, he bowed to Eurius. It was quite unexpected, considering his reputation, age, and position in the Holy Kingdom. And the word that Galeus uttered while bowing his head was unfamiliar to him. ¡°Godly One?¡± Eurius was not very surprised or flustered. How many unexpected situations had he faced since bing a yer? He had developed some immunity. ¡®But I¡¯ll have to hear him out.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± He spoke to Galeus, who was still kneeling. ¡°Get up first.¡± Snap! Galeus stood up, but still showed respect to him. ¡°May I ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Eurius raised one finger. ¡°First of all, what is a Godly One? I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± Galeus¡¯s answer was simple, with a stiff expression. ¡°A Godly One is literally a human who has the same power as a god.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± At first, Eurius thought he was joking. ¡®Well, if you spell out Godly One, that¡¯s what it means¡­ Wait?¡¯ But at that moment! A thought shed through his mind. ¡®yer!¡¯ He had died and gone back in time to be a teenager again. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough to call it a god¡¯s power? Eurius quickly opened his mouth. ¡°Do you mean that Godly One is another word for yer?¡± ¡°They are simr but different.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Galeus shook his head and continued. ¡°To be precise, Godly Ones were among the yers. Do you remember the three most great ones?¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes lit up at this. This must be referring to the three most famous yers. The founder of the Empire, [Emperor] Scharnos! The legendary warrior of the East, [Master of All Martial Arts] Lee Cheongmun! The founder of the Holy Kingdom, [Holy Lady] Demya! They were not only great in their achievements, but also had many unbelievable stories. They were so incredible that most of their deeds were considered legends. ¡°So those three were Godly Ones?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They were not ordinary yers, ording to the records.¡± Eurius made a puzzled expression. He knew they were amazing, but what made them different from other yers? ¡°We don¡¯t know the reason either. But there was a clear and decisive difference between them and other yers. Do you have any idea what it is?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius thought hard. But he had no way of finding out, since he had never seen another yer. If there was anything unusual, it would be the yer factor. ¡®I became a yer with almost no yer factor. Could that be rted?¡¯ But he had too little evidence. After thinking for a while, Eurius decided to move on to another topic. He raised his second finger. ¡°Then here¡¯s my second question. What is a purifier? I¡¯ve never heard of such a name in the Holy Kingdom.¡± Galeus answered without hesitation. And there was a subtle pride in his voice. ¡°[Purifier] refers to one of the three divine powers of the Holy Lady.¡± ¡°Divine power?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Galeus suddenly raised his voice. Eurius felt a slight crack in hisposure as the stiff old man suddenly acted like this. ¡®Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?¡¯ Regardless, he ranted with an impassioned tone. ¡°The great god who founded the holy kingdom! The great saintess who ascended to heaven after receiving the call of the gods! She left behind her divine power divided into three parts for the three great churches!¡± ¡°Three parts¡­¡± ording to his exnation, those divine powers were as follows: [Purification] that repels impure energy. [irvoyance] that allows one to observe any ce no matter how far. [Resurrection] that can revive even the dead. After saying this, Galeus looked at Eurius with pride in his eyes. ¡°Do you know who has these abilities?¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eurius answered with a still nervous expression. ¡°Judging by what happened yesterday, you must have the power of purification.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± This was something that didn¡¯t even need guessing. Galeus himself had dered that he was a purifier. Eurius tried to guess the other two powers. ¡°And the power of irvoyance¡­ Maybe it belongs to the Odin Church of Wisdom? I think I read a passage in the scriptures that says that he has only one eye, but he can see the whole world with that eye.¡± Eurius answered by recalling the basic knowledge he had learned when he took the emperor¡¯s sses. He also spoke about thest power. ¡°Then there¡¯s only one left, so it must be the Medit Church of Healing, right? Healing and resurrection seem rted, so it makes sense.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Galeus suddenly knelt down and looked at him with eyes full of admiration. ¡°You are truly a god. Everything you said is true. This old man can¡¯t help but bow to your insight.¡± ¡®No, I just said the obvious things, why are you making such a fuss?¡¯ Eurius was utterly bewildered. His attitude had changed strangely from being businesslike when they first met. ¡®It¡¯s like he¡¯s treating me like a cult leader.¡¯ It¡¯s amon phenomenon that when one has blind faith in someone, everything they do seems admirable! Galeus¡¯ attitude was simr to that. ¡®Wait, cult?¡¯ Eurius remembered seeing his personality through his stats. [Galeus] Personality: Fanatic, Aggressive He broke out in a cold sweat. ¡®Fanatic? Could it be¡­¡¯ Galeus, who got up again, made a shocking statement. ¡°We [lesia] have been waiting for two hundred years for the god who will appear someday. We are so d that our wait was not in vain!¡± ¡°lesia?¡± Eurius was surprised again. lesia was the name of the secret organization Illuminati in the Western Continent, wasn¡¯t it? The secret military group [dius] of the empire was absorbed by Eurius as they were loyal to the emperor. The information group [Oculus] directly under the empire was the only force left in the empire. But he had heard that thest member [lesia] had lost contact with the Scharnos Empire long ago. But he met someone rted to them in the faraway East. ¡®So they didn¡¯t disappear, they just cut off contact?¡¯ When he asked about this, Galeus answered firmly. ¡°It is true that the imperial family is the bloodline of the god. But only the god himself can make us follow him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius let out a groan. ¡®So they came looking for me only after I became a yer.¡¯ And judging by Galeus¡¯ attitude, Eurius, who was suspected to be a god, was definitely their object of worship. That¡¯s why Galeus¡¯ attitude changed like this. But there was still a question that wasn¡¯t answered. ¡°Then why did youe looking for me now? I became a yer quite a while ago.¡± ¡°That is really regrettable. It was because of ourck of ability¡­¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t kneel down again.¡± Eurius stopped him and felt his illusion of the superhuman from the Western Continent shattered. ¡®Geez¡­ Where did his stern appearance from before go?¡¯ A momentter ¡°Then, I will skip the formalities as you wish, Godly One.¡± Galeus said with a regretful expression. ¡°The reason why we werete to meet you was because of our archenemy.¡± ¡°Archenemy?¡± ¡°Yes. For nearly two hundred years since you appeared, the history of the continent has been nothing but a fight between the Holy Kingdom and them. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that.¡± Here, Eurius nodded. He realized who that archenemy was. ¡°The Heimdall Cult!¡± It was undoubtedly the group that was called the Cult in the Western Continent and the Dark Sect in the Eastern Continent. ¡°That¡¯s right. You know them well, Godly One.¡± Here, Galeus became serious. ¡°As you already know, they are a very powerful force. Don¡¯t you wonder why they haven¡¯te to the forefront for two hundred years?¡± That was something Eurius had always been curious about. From the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent, their influence was astonishingly deep. ¡®What could prevent them from acting fully?¡¯ He finished his thought and his eyes shone. ¡°It must be the Holy Kingdom! You mean you¡¯ve been holding them back?¡± ¡°Yes. Even at this moment, the Holy Kingdom is doing its best to stop them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t leave.¡± Eurius couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted. Then, there was a high possibility that the Cult he had faced so far had a lot of their power tied up. ¡°Even with a warrior like you, you couldn¡¯t uproot them? How powerful are they?¡± Here, Eurius suddenly had a doubt. ¡°But if that¡¯s the situation, can you afford to leave? It must have taken a lot of time toe to the East.¡± Galeus was one of the most skilled people in the Holy Kingdom! It was strange that such a person suddenly left the Holy Kingdom after such a long fight. He smiled with satisfaction as if he liked Eurius¡¯ question. ¡°You are wise, Godly One. Don¡¯t worry, there is a good reason for it.¡± ¡°Reason?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Galeus put more strength into his words and began to exin. ¡°Actually, we had some doubts while observing you for years in the Holy Kingdom. In fact, it¡¯s been a long time since a Godly One appeared on the continent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Eurius agreed. Come to think of it, they must have had some reason to believe him as a Godly One. ¡°But now we don¡¯t need to do that anymore. A few days ago, a divine message came down to the three great churches at the same time!¡± ¡°Divine message!¡± Eurius couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. A divine message meant that God spoke directly to them, right? ¡°What did it say?¡± ¡°Of course! The content of the divine message was to announce the appearance of the Godly One.¡± Galeus was a person who had such deep faith in God that he could be called a fanatic. He was so moved by the thought that he trembled and even shed tears. ¡°Pleasee to the Holy Kingdom! The gods of the three great churches have all called for you.¡± ¡°To the Holy Kingdom?¡± Ding! ¡°¡­!?¡± [Emergency Quest-The Call of the Holy Kingdom] [Emergency Quests have a time limit.] [The Call of the Holy Kingdom (Emergency)-Go to the Holy Kingdom. There are beings who call for you. Remaining time: 99 days 23 hours] Chapter 165: Sword of God Chapter 165: Sword of God ¡®Emergency Quest!¡¯ The quest that appeared by Galeus¡¯ words was different from the others. Eurius thought about that point. ¡®I¡¯m curious about the beings who call me. He said it was a call. Does that mean the quests that have appeared so far also have some intention of God?¡¯ He had two quests that he was currently doing. One was [The Dark Cloud over the Imperial Family] to investigate the Imperial Family of the Hwan Empire. The second was [The Forgotten Sect of God] to face the Heimdall Cult that had been causing trouble from the Western Continent. And what connected these two quests was the Dark Sect! He came to this Eastern Continent to subjugate the Dark Sect. ¡®The quest said I have about a hundred days left, right? That¡¯s plenty of time.¡¯ The quest that came down now seemed like someone was considering his situation. Wasn¡¯t the time allocation too perfect? ¡®If I have three months, I can finish my business in the Eastern Continent and go back to the Western Continent without beingte!¡¯ Eurius made a decision. Perhaps the ones who sent the divine message to visit the Holy Kingdom also gave him enough time with this in mind. He turned his gaze back to Galeus. He had been trembling for a while, but he seemed to have calmed down and straightened his back again. ¡°So what are you going to do? I have things left to do in the Eastern Continent. Can I finish them and go back to the Western Continent and then go to the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, Godly One.¡± Galeus bowed his head. It was an attitude that he would not argue with his decision. Eurius was impressed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you received a divine message? What if I don¡¯t do this and don¡¯t visit the Holy Kingdomter?¡± ¡°That must be God¡¯s will too. We have no right to force you, Godly One.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± Eurius nodded. Indeed, these people had absolute trust in the name of Godly One. ¡®I don¡¯t know if they are flexible or not.¡¯ ¡°So what are you going to do now that you¡¯ve delivered the divine message?¡± Eurius was sure that he would help him. ¡®He came all the way from that faraway Holy Kingdom, he must havee to help me.¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty, Godly One! I have to go back to the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eurius widened his eyes. Galeus started to exin with an awkward expression. ¡°You have to go to the Holy Kingdom and get recognized. Then you canmand us.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius let out a hollowugh. So helping Lord Jungdo yesterday wasn¡¯t as a subordinate? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Thud! Galeus knelt down on the floor again and bowed his head. ¡°I want to help you, but the great ones who sent the divine message told me to do so.¡± ording to him, the divine message that came down to the three great sects at the same time had this content. [Find the chosen one. And bring him before me.] So far so good, but the problem was what came next. [But! My servants are not yet allowed to serve him.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression. ¡®Come on, if you¡¯re going to send someone, at least help me! The ones they call God are so stingy.¡¯ Galeus in front of him was a strong man who couldn¡¯t bepared with any of the warriors he had seen so far just by looking at his stats. If he helped him, things would be much easier. As he grumbled inwardly, Eurius heard a familiar voice in his ear. [Tsk! You¡¯re already lucky enough, and now you want to ride a bus too.] He didn¡¯t know what he meant, but Yellow Dragon kept clicking his tongue. ¡®What¡¯s a bus?¡¯ A littleter. ¡°So I can¡¯t expect you to use force for me in this Eastern Continent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Please forgive me for not meeting your expectations¡­¡± He sincerely regretted refusing Eurius¡¯ request. Then Eurius brought up another topic. ¡°Then what about another kind of favor?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Not asking you to defeat enemies, of course.¡± ¡°Anything! Just tell me!¡± Galeus lifted his head with a pale face. As long as it wasn¡¯t forbidden by the divine message, he would even get him a star from the sky. He waited for an answer and Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°Stage Five.¡± ¡°Stage Five, you say¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a proper behavior for a subordinate to teach me, is it?¡± Eurius¡¯s request was to ask him to show him the way to enter Stage Five, as his growth had stopped. He had acquired some artifacts recently and grew stronger, but his growth as a warrior had been stagnant since he defeated the Great Emperor. ¡®I guess it¡¯s hard to achieve it with simple training, since there¡¯s no known path after Stage Four.¡¯ But wasn¡¯t there a warrior of Stage Five, who was only known as a legend, right in front of him? Eurius had to find a clue to reach the next level at this opportunity. Hearing his words, Galeus showed a hint of doubt on his wrinkled face. ¡°Pardon me for saying this.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you already at that level, my lord?¡± Galeus¡¯s gaze scanned him up and down. Of course, Eurius was in a half-transcended state of Stage Four. ¡°I don¡¯t think my level isplete. Shall I show you?¡± Swish! ¡°Hmm?¡± The trail of his sword lightly swung cut a rock cleanly at a distance of about thirty meters. It was the space-cutting technique he learned from the Great Emperor¡¯s secret technique. This skill, which was almost impossible to defend against, seemed omnipotent at first nce, but in fact it was iplete. The first problem was the range. The range that Eurius could set as his effective distance was about thirty meters, and the power consumption was not efficient, so he quickly got exhausted. ¡°I thought it could be solved by training at first.¡± But it seemed that it was not a matter of proficiency. No matter how much he practiced, the efficiency of space-cutting did not improve. Eurius had no choice but toe to this conclusion. ¡®Iplete secret technique, and a skill that I learned without enlightenment. It must be iplete somewhere.¡¯ ¡°Huh¡­ I understand what you mean, my lord.¡± Galeus nodded his head after hearing his exnation and raised his hand. ¡°What I realized as the level of Stage Five is this.¡± Swish. He lightly waved his hand in the air. It looked like a child¡¯s hand gesture, but the result was astonishing. Boom! ¡°¡­!?¡± The rock that Eurius had just split suddenly shattered into pieces with a shock wave. He broke the rock with just a gesture without any sign. ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, Eurius remembered the Grand Emperor Sharnos. He was said to have split a mountain peak with a single sword. ¡®What Galeus did is simr to that, except for the scale!¡¯He might not have thought of it because of the difference in magnitude, but if he reced the gesture with a sword, the rock with a mountain, the situation was simr. It was! ¡®He didn¡¯t split the space with his gesture. He skipped over it!¡¯ Realizing that, Eurius also figured out why space-cutting consumed so much power. It was because he forcedly increased the range. In fact, it was enough to just eliminate the target cleanly, but his space-cutting also cut everything in between. It was no different from swinging a huge sword of thirty meters long. Of course, it would be costly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He nodded his head repeatedly and Galeus opened his mouth again. ¡°You seem to understand the principle. You are indeed my lord.¡± ¡°Let me try it once.¡± Eurius made a cautious face and chose a small tree a few meters away as his target. Swish ¡°¡­¡± His sword moved faintly in the air, but nothing happened. Eurius clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk! Of course it wouldn¡¯t seed easily.¡± To be honest, skipping over space was more absurd than cutting it. ¡®Cutting at least has an image of slicing! How can I cut something far away without any sign unless my sword teleports?¡¯ As if guessing his question, Galeus spoke up. ¡°My lord! What were you thinking when you moved your weapon?¡± Eurius tilted his head. ¡°Of course I swung it with the intention of cutting that tree.¡± Galeus shook his head at that answer. ¡°The tree is much farther than where your sword reaches. How did you intend to cut it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Eurius was speechless for a moment. If he knew that feeling, wouldn¡¯t he have seeded already? But Galeus wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing for no reason. ¡°You already know the method, my lord. Isn¡¯t it simple if you infuse force?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± As he said, the tree was only a few meters away from the fire. It would be enough tounch a force into the sword. This technique, called sword qi in the East, was something that anyone who had reached a certain level of martial arts could do. But what did that have to do with such a low-level (?) technique? Galerus answered his question with a serious expression. ¡°They are not different.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius felt more puzzled. What was this nonsense? While they were having this conversation, the sun had set and the surroundings had gradually darkened. And Eurius was diligently swinging his sword in the yard in front of the darkened conference room. Swoosh! But the sword that cut through the air did nothing but make a whistling sound. ¡®This is not training, but a moonlit exercise.¡¯ Eurius grumbled inwardly and recalled Galerus¡¯sst words. ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you. You are a wise neer, so you will soon realize it.¡± ¡®Wise my ass¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, Eurius did not gain any insight. He just imagined cutting down the tree he had set as his target and swung his sword in the air. Of course, the tree did not even get a scratch. ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh! He continued to swing his sword with a tired expression. In fact, he was not tired from swinging his sword like this, but he felt mentally burdened because there was no result. ¡®He¡¯s not trying to make fun of me, is he?¡¯ Before he knew it, his mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts and he could not concentrate on his training. And mistakes were bound to happen. Thud! ¡°Damn!¡± While his attention was elsewhere, he unknowingly injected force into his sword. Eurius tried to quickly change the direction of his sword, but Crack! The tree in the yard that he had originally targeted fell down without resistance, but he gave a bitter smile. ¡®I must have moved my force unconsciously while thinking about bending.¡¯ When attacking an enemy farther away than the length of the sword, it wasmon to use force to increase the power and range. He had used his force as usual in a moment of distraction. ¡®Yeah. As Galerus said, if I can use my force, cutting down a tree at this distance is easy.¡¯ But that was not training. What he wanted was not this, but a means to attack the enemy by transcending space. ¡°Anyway, I have to be careful. This kind of thing happens when I use my force habitually.¡± If Eurius was a martial artist of his level, his force would naturally rise as soon as he thought of it. The so-called sword-force unity! It was the stage where the sword hit the enemy as soon as the will arose. Hadn¡¯t he reached this stage and then risen to the level where he couldpete with superhumans like Daegong? But as soon as he thought that far, Eurius suddenly seemed to remember something. ¡°Wait? Habit? Sword-force unity?¡± And the next moment. ¡°Ah!¡± sh! A lightning-like thought shed through his head. He had found a clue! Swoosh. Eurius picked another tree in the yard as his target and drew his sword. Thud! Crack! A blue de sprouted from his sword and easily split the tree in half. It was a normal use of force. He failed to achieve his goal of transcending space. ¡°¡­¡± But Eurius did not show a disappointed expression. He looked around for another target. This time it was a copsed wall. Thud! Crack! The wall also fell apart easily. He also failed this time by using force normally. But this action was repeated without stopping. And the speed got faster and faster. Crack! Bang! Rumble! The conference room was already in ruins, but as Eurius swung his sword around, it became even more chaotic. Dust rose from the fallen walls and trees. Eurius swung his sword thousands of times in just a few hours. What was the meaning of this action? Finally, when he was about to swing his sword almost ten thousand times, there was a reaction. Ding! [Your proficiency in sword-force unity has increased.] ¡®As expected!¡¯ Eurius smiled triumphantly. The method he chose was correct. He swung his sword even harder. Whoosh. Time had quickly passed and it was already midnight. By the time the sun rose, Eurius was feeling tired. ¡®How many times did I swing? Ten thousand? No, maybe thirty thousand?¡¯ At first, he was counting the number of swings, but he soon forgot about it. [Your proficiency in Divine Sword Fusion has increased.] The asional messages of proficiency increase were the only way to estimate the number of swings. And finally! Swish! His sword cut through the empty air. And then¡­ Crash! A crack appeared on the wall that was a little far away, and then it crumbled down. His sword had sliced through the wall without even infusing any force into it. Ding! [The rank of your trait: Divine Sword Fusion has increased (S rank).] [Your job: Superhuman (Grandmaster) has changed to a higher level: Transcendent.] [A trait ¨C Mind Weapon has been created.] ¡°I did it!¡± Eurius was quite exhausted, but he was so happy that he felt like jumping. His guess had been right. Swoosh. At the same time, a presence appeared in the conference room. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Amazing! Even though you are a Godly One, I expected it would take at least a few months¡­¡± ¡°Did you watch me train?¡± The identity of the presence was Galeus. He pretended to leave, but secretly watched Eurius¡¯s training. ck! He knelt down again and bowed. ¡°I congratte you on reaching a new realm, Godly One!¡± ¡°So my method was correct?¡± Eurius smiled faintly and he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! When you reach the fifth stage, it¡¯s not important what sword you swing, but you have to swing the sword of your mind!¡± [Mind Sword] The fifth stage was the beginning of a legendary realm that was called Simgeom (ÐÄ„¦) in the East. When the mind moves, the force moves, and the mind sword that extends from there strikes the target! It was the final stage of Divine Sword Fusion. ¡°Normally, even if you swing your weapon tens of thousands of times a day, it would take decades of training, but you are different, Godly One! You reached this realm in just one day!¡± Galeus trembled with emotion. He had reached this realm when his hair had turned white, but Eurius had climbed up in just one day. ¡°I was just lucky.¡± Eurius looked at him with an awkward expression. He felt guilty because he had used the privilege of a yer to reach this realm. ¡®Divine Sword Fusion is a trait! Then, if I increase my proficiency, wouldn¡¯t I naturally reach this realm?¡¯ His guess was right and Eurius, who trained with his mind moving force and sword naturally, was able to climb up to this realm quickly. A person who reached this realm did not even need to swing a sword. He could attack as he pleased with his mind alone! Eurius wanted to test this ability. He lifted his sword and lightly swung it in the air. Snap! A blue line appeared in the air thirty meters away from him. Pop! Crash! A thick pir that was in the range of the line was cut off and a building that had be a ruin copsed. It was an amazing power, but Eurius looked slightly disappointed when he saw the result. ¡°The range doesn¡¯t seem to change much.¡± The range of his mind sword was about thirty meters in radius, just like spatial cutting. It seemed difficult to increase it further. ¡°Hehe¡­ If you keep training, your distance will gradually increase.¡± Galeus generously epted hisint. In fact, what he showed was an unbelievable realm. ¡®He is very greedy for a Godly One.¡¯ He thought so inwardly. But Eurius had a different thought. ¡®Thirty meters is too short. In fact, if they are above a certain level of warriors, they can defend against attacks from that distance, right?¡¯ Even if they were only superhumans, attacking from thirty meters away was nothing. The mind sword was amazing, but it was not an invincible skill. Eurius did not increase hisbat power much by possessing this miraculous treasure. He still felt unsatisfied after reaching the fifth stage. ¡®Is there no way to attack from further away?¡¯ [You are worrying about something simple.] ¡°What?¡± Yellow Dragon somehow knew and spoke in a casual tone. [If it¡¯s far away, just make it closer.] ¡°Closer?¡± ¡°What?¡± Galeus was puzzled by his muttering, but he had no chance to answer. His mind was spinning rapidly. ¡®Get closer? Does he mean to shorten the distance?¡¯ But it was useless if he approached. Then what did the Yellow Dragon mean by that? Eurius thought hard again. ¡®The Yellow Dragon¡¯s advice always had a meaning. He had a sharp tongue, but he was a useful sword. Sword?¡¯ He stopped his thoughts there. Come to think of it, the Yellow Dragon was a sword. The very sword he was holding in his hand right now. ¡®Then, shortening the distance means!¡¯ sh! Eurius¡¯s mind turned white as if fireworks exploded in front of his eyes. He had only figured out the training method before, but here he had a real enlightenment. ¡°Master¡­ Huh!¡± Galeus, who had been worriedly watching Eurius talking to himself, widened his eyes. sh! The sword suddenly disappeared from Eurius¡¯s hand. No, it didn¡¯t disappear, it flew away at an explosive speed. Whoosh! The sword that left his hand became a streak of light. A blue light shed across the air. Pop! He didn¡¯t care what was in front of him as he was in a state of no-mind. The sword flew straight through the roof of the central building of the Righteous Alliance and soared into the sky. Boom! The roof was torn off with a terrible noise, even though the sword had just grazed it. Broken tiles and shattered wood splinters scattered everywhere. ¡°What the hell!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The highest building in the Righteous Alliance was where the leaders lived. They were startled when the roof suddenly opened up and looked up at the sky. ¡°Is it an attack?¡± ¡°Who the hell is it again!¡± But they had to open their mouths in disbelief when they saw the light flying in the sky. Whoosh! The sword didn¡¯t fly in a straight line. Sometimes it curved, sometimes it soared high and then dropped sharply. Of course, its speed was almost too fast for the eyes to follow. Seeing the sword floating in the air, screams of fear and admiration erupted among the leaders of the Righteous Alliance. ¡°Is that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Shadowless Sword!¡± ¡°Oh! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing this in my lifetime!¡± [Shadowless Sword!] This technique, also known as Swordless Sword, was considered to be the ultimate martial art that only existed in legends along with Simgeom. This was not a simple technique of manipting objects with energy like Air Control. The sword moved by Shadowless Sword was faster than wind and had more powerful force than any secret technique in the world. The true value of the fifth stage was not an iplete Sword of Mind, but this Shadowless Sword. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Galeus also let out a hollowugh. He had reached the fifth stage more than ten years ago, but he never dreamed of such a technique. ¡®Indeed, Master is someone who cannot be measured by this old man¡¯s narrow-mindedness!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Snap! After tens of minutes, the Yellow Dragon Sword returned to Eurius¡¯s hand. ¡°Huh!¡± Eurius finally came to his senses from the shock of enlightenment and looked at the scene in front of him. Puff. The roof of the three-story building that stood in the center of the Righteous Alliance waspletely copsed. Fortunately, there seemed to be no casualties, but he was undoubtedly the culprit. Pop! At the same time, the experts of the Righteous Alliance rushed towards him. ¡°Grandmaster!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± They looked at him with faint fear and respect in their eyes after witnessing the legendary realm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Could it be another attack from the Evil Sect!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Eurius couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°I made a mistake while training. I¡¯m really sorry about that building.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 166: A Mess Chapter 166: A Mess Leonhardt could not understand why he had to live like a prisoner. ¡®No, what did I do wrong!¡¯ If he thought about it, the only crime hemitted was being born second and coveting the throne, right? He was trapped in a small room. He had no problem with living, but he could not hear any news from outside. In a dark room without a window, Leonhardt sighed. ¡®I wish that annoying eunuch woulde, even if he has a bad attitude.¡¯ How desperate was he to want to see someone he hated? ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He let out another heavy sigh. But what could he do in this situation? But at that moment. Creak! The door opened unexpectedly. ¡°Huh?¡± Leonhardt got up quickly without caring about his dignity and looked at the entrance. ¡°Hehe, are you feeling well?¡± ¡®They say a tigeres when you talk about it, and he really came?¡¯ The one who entered was the eunuch! Yeosang. He still spoke with an irritating high-pitched voice and asked about Leonhardt¡¯s well-being. ¡°Not very good. What about the misunderstanding about me? Has it been cleared up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a conflict between nations, so it might take some time. Please wait for now.¡± Yeosang casually brushed off Leonhardt¡¯s release. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Leonhardt spat out a curse in his mind and answered sarcastically. ¡°Then did you reallye to see how I¡¯m doing? Are you trying to check when I¡¯ll die?¡± ¡°Of course not. I came today with a tempting offer for you.¡± Yeosang suddenly smiled meaningfully. Leonhardt felt suspicious at his expression. ¡°An offer for me?¡± ¡°Do you know that the crown prince of the Western Continent, your brother, has crossed over to this continent?¡± ¡°My brother?¡± Leonhardt was surprised as he had never heard of it before. ¡®No, even if he likes to wander around, that¡¯s too much. The crown prince crossed the continent?¡¯ Yeosang narrowed his eyes and said in a secretive voice. ¡°It¡¯s about that crown prince.¡± *** Meanwhile, the next day after a small ident(?) caused by training, Eurius left for Jangan. ¡°Your Majesty! Please be safe.¡± The admiral of the first fleet, Cornel, initially opposed it vehemently. There was already a sh between the fleets. It was a reasonable judgment, but he had no choice but to shut up at Eurius¡¯s words. ¡°Then what about Leonhardt, who lost contact? Do you want to leave him behind and go back?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Go back by ship with Galeus. I¡¯ll give you further instructionster!¡± The first fleet of the empire was a good force, but there was no need to use it right now. ¡®There¡¯s no reason to drag the army along when I¡¯m going to ask for peace!¡¯ The imperial servants were mostly worried, but the people of Righteous Alliance were relieved. Namgoong Ilcheon took over for Shin ja-seong, who still hadn¡¯t regained consciousness, and saw him off. ¡°Then pleasee back safely. I will dere the opening of the martial arts tournament as soon as you return.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to get to Jangan. Righteous Alliance cared more about the uing battle with Magyo than the matter with Imperial Pce. And they were quite reassured after seeing Eurius¡¯s power. ¡°I was worried because our leader is still unconscious, but I don¡¯t think we have to worry about the battle with Magyo since Eurius is here.¡± ¡°Yes! I hope nothing happens while he¡¯s away.¡± And time flew by quickly. Eurius, who only brought a light escort, arrived at Jangan, the capital of Hwan Empire, in no time. *** Imperial Pce. ¡°Your Majesty! The crown prince of the Western Continent has entered the capital.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The young emperor, who looked tired today as well, was preparing to wee Eurius. ¡°He seemed very arrogant in his letter. I hope he doesn¡¯t add more wrinkles to my face.¡± The young emperor muttered softly. He was not even thirty years old yet, but he had so many worries that he cared about wrinkles. Thump thump. And the one who contributed greatly to the creation of wrinkles came in. It was the middle-aged eunuch who spoke with an annoying high-pitched voice. ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty! Are you really going to see him? In my opinion, he¡¯s not worth talking to¡­¡± ¡°Well, you might be right.¡± The young emperor agreed easily. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better to end it peacefully if possible? I have to see for myself and make a decision.¡± ¡°Hehe! If that¡¯s what Your Majesty wishes, I will follow you.¡± The emperor said so much that Yeosang had no choice but to ept it. He was also confident that no matter what reaction he had, the oue would never change. ¡®Hehe¡­ Even if Your Majesty likes him, I have many ways to deal with him!¡¯ ¡°Then let¡¯s head to the pce soon. He must be waiting.¡± The emperor hurried Yeosang, not knowing if he knew his intentions or not. *** ¡°The crown prince of the Western Continent has arrived.¡± A loud voice echoed in the pce. And! ¡®He¡¯s younger than I expected?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s young!¡¯ That was the first impression that Eurius and the young emperor felt about each other. In fact, they were both young for managing suchrge empires. [Ju Yug-yeom] Job: Emperor Strength: C Agility: C Intelligence: A+ Spirit: A Force Aptitude: C Disposition: Mild, Firm Current State: Curious [Traits] Politics(A) Emperor¡¯s Dignity C Rank-It increases yourmand and charisma as the emperor of the empire, with noble blood and experience. ¡®His stats are average for an emperor. He doesn¡¯t seem to have learned any martial arts at all.¡¯ The young emperor of Hwan Empire had stats that were neither outstanding nor ipetent. Eurius quickly made a judgment and greeted him. ¡°I am Eurius, the crown prince of Scharnos Empire. It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Whisper whisper. The emperor¡¯s eyes sparkled, and there was a small murmur among the officials. ¡®He seemed like a rude person from his letter, but he¡¯s surprisingly courteous?¡¯ The reason why Eurius¡¯s reputation deteriorated was because of his letter about the Magyo subjugation. He said he would take military action in someone else¡¯s territory, and his tone was so rude that it showed how much he despised them. ¡®Well, at least he seems to know the time and ce.¡¯ The emperor rxed his guard a little. He opened his mouth with a relieved expression. ¡°You must have had a hard timeing from a faraway empire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m indebted to you for your kindness. But¡­ where is my brother now?¡± Eurius looked slightly anxious, like a worried older brother. Of course, he was curious too. ¡®Where the hell is Leonhardt? Is he really locked up somewhere?¡¯ ¡°Hmm, that is¡­¡± The emperor also felt a bit awkward because he had taken him hostage. He tried to open his mouth. But as soon as he showed his intention, a voice interrupted him. ¡°Hehe! He is not feeling well, so we are taking care of him with utmost sincerity.¡± ¡°Leonhardt?¡± Eurius shifted his gaze slightly when he heard the irritating high-pitched voice. ¡®Is that weird person who is neither a man nor a woman Yeosang? They say he¡¯s the strongest in Imperial Pce, and he does look skilled.¡¯ [Yeosang] Job: Eunuch, Superhuman(Grandmaster) Strength: S Agility: S+ Intelligence: A+ Spirit: A Force Aptitude: S Force: SS+ Disposition: Cunning, Power-hungry Current State: Doubtful, Anxious [Traits] Swordsmanship(SS) Phoenix me Spirit Technique-A martial art that maniptes the energy of extreme cold. It receives a bonus to force and qi rank depending on proficiency. ording to Gung jeok-yeong, who he picked up as a subordinate in ck Tortoise recently, this eunuch was likely the culprit behind everything. He could tell by the way he interrupted the emperor¡¯s conversation without fear. ¡°¡­¡± The emperor did not seem angry even though his official interfered with the envoy¡¯s words. But Eurius could tell that he was secretly displeased. Eurius smiled faintly and ignored Yeosang, looking at the emperor again. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to postpone meeting my brother and relieving my worries. Thank you for your consideration.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ ¡°Although trade has been cut off recently, the two imperial families have always had a close rtionship. It¡¯s only natural to do so.¡± The emperor nodded and smiled much more satisfied than before. ¡®I like this guy.¡¯ Eurius did not answer Yeosang, who was making excuses, but instead replied to the emperor. His meaning was clear: he did not consider a mere ¡®envoy¡¯ worthy of his conversation. The emperor was pleased, but Yeosang, who waspletely ignored, crumpled his face as it turned red and blue. ¡®How dare he look down on me?¡¯ He was the most powerful figure in the imperial court. Eurius must have known that, yet he tantly disregarded him. ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± But without paying any attention to him, a friendly dialogue was going on right in front of his eyes. ¡®So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡¯ Yeosang¡¯s eyes turned cold as he waited for a chance to interrupt. ¡®Anyway, His Majesty cannot ignore my influence. I¡¯ll teach him that it¡¯s useless to try to win His Majesty¡¯s favor with his clever tricks.¡¯ As he expected, Eurius brought up the main topic after a while. ¡°So, about the matter of subjugating the heretics, can I ask for your cooperation?¡± ¡°Hmm, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult¡­¡± The emperor was not unaware of the rumors about the heretics. They were a cult notorious for their wicked schemes. He thought it would be beneficial to get rid of them. ¡°How dare you! I think that would amount to interfering with our internal affairs!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Majesty! How can you let a foreign army enter our country just to subjugate a trivial cult?¡± The moment the emperor was about to agree, the officials who were under Yeosang¡¯s influence rose up like a swarm of bees. Yeosang also opened his mouth with a cunning expression. ¡°Hehe! We understand Your Majesty¡¯s intention. But for the sake of the empire¡¯s dignity, don¡¯t you think you should think more carefully?¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± The emperor knew very well why his officials were opposing so tantly. ¡®Ugh¡­ How can you humiliate me like this in front of a foreign prince? Are you really my loyal subjects?¡¯ This reaction was nothing but a proof that his authority as an emperor was not strong enough, so his face twisted in an instant. ¡°But their fleet is only twenty ships. How can we be afraid of letting such a small force stay for a while? Where is our dignity?¡± As he said, how many soldiers could the Scharnos Empire have sent to find Eurius? The emperor¡¯s words made sense. ¡°No way, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°This is not just a matter of face! This conflict would not have happened in the first ce if they had not sent their ships!¡± ¡°They were allies in the past, but we haven¡¯t had any contact for decades. How can we trust them?¡± And so, the debate between the emperor and his officials went on for several times, and the conclusion was as follows. ¡°Hmm¡­ I agree, but as you can see, I need to discuss more with my officials.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius looked at the emperor with a very regretful expression. And he muttered softly. ¡°They say too many cooks spoil the broth¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± His gaze was only looking at the emperor, but the officials felt as if Eurius had nced at them for a moment. Shiver! The officials felt a chill run through their bodies. They sensed a faint killing intent from Eurius that swept over them briefly. ¡°¡­¡± The officials became quiet all of a sudden, and the emperor wondered why they did that. ¡°I understand that you need time. Then I¡¯ll wait for your answer.¡± That¡¯s how the audience ended that day. Eurius left the pce while murmuring to himself. ¡®What a mess.¡¯ Chapter 167: Intrusion Chapter 167: Intrusion The emperor, who had finished his morning routine, returned to his residence and was talking with Yeosang. ¡°What did you think of meeting him?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ He seemed more reasonable than I expected. Do we really need to fight with him?¡± ¡°Ha ha, it seems that you quite like that crown prince.¡± Yeosang was smiling on the outside, but he was quite tense inside. ¡®This will ruin my n.¡¯ As he had feared, the emperor said with an indifferent expression. ¡°How about we cancel the banquet n for now? Even if we send their army back, they don¡¯t seem like they would cause any trouble¡­¡± ¡°What! You want to cancel the n after I brought him here on purpose?¡± Yeosang¡¯s n was to capture Eurius by luring him here. Of course, he had prepared everything for that. He quickly knelt down. ¡°Your Majesty! Do you trust that foreign crown prince more than your loyal minister who has served you for over twenty years?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Please reconsider your words! Didn¡¯t all the other ministers agree that he is not trustworthy?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor¡¯s brow furrowed deeply again. He was used to his opposition, but he seemed to do it more often since he got involved with the Western Continent. ¡°Then let¡¯s postpone the n for now and give him a final answerter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Yeosang smiled inwardly again. It was practically the same as agreeing. He had almost all the ministers in his grip, so the emperor would have no choice but to follow him. After he left, the emperor thought of Eurius, whom he had met today. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look much older than me. I guess the Imperial Family in the Western Continent is more free than here?¡¯ Eurius had shown him respect, but he had also confidently stated his opinions. He didn¡¯t show any fear in a ce surrounded by enemies, and the emperor admired that. If he could act like that in a foreign country, he must have a lot of power in his own country. ¡®I envy him. I wasn¡¯t like this when I had the Golden Army. Sigh¡­¡¯ *** At that time, Eurius was guided to a room provided by the imperial pce. ¡°We will bring you some tea soon. Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°No need. I have something to think about, so don¡¯t let anyone in here.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Eurius nodded to the few knights who had followed him to escort him. ¡®Don¡¯t let anyone in and guard outside.¡¯ After giving them orders, Eurius looked around carefully. This ce was no different from enemy territory, so he had to be careful. ¡®There doesn¡¯t seem to be any suspicious person or trap.¡¯ The interior was quite splendid, as expected of a ce where they entertained a crown prince. He sat down on a chair and sank into his thoughts. ¡®That young emperor is almost like a puppet, right?¡¯ It was obvious that Yeosang, that eunuch bastard, had almost all the real power. To be honest, Eurius felt disgusted. It reminded him of his previous life. ¡®But does that emperor have no loyal subjects? He doesn¡¯t look ipetent, but there¡¯s no one who would side with him¡­¡¯ No matter how bad a ruler was, there should be at least one or two loyal subjects. Even he, who was executed in the end, had Mareus and the nobles of the north. ck! As he thought up to there, the door opened slightly. ¡°We brought you some tea.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius had clearly told them not to disturb him, but a young maid came in with a tray. ¡®And there are knights guarding outside?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± He lifted his head and stared at the maid who put down the tray. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Eurius opened his mouth with a delighted expression and spoke softly to the maid who was standing nervously. ¡°Is this the first time since ck Tortoise Cave? It¡¯s been a while.¡± The maid shivered slightly and bowed her head. ¡°As expected of Your Highness. You recognized me even though I hid my presence as much as possible.¡± Eurius spoke again with an amused tone. ¡°Did you try to test me?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± The maid eximed in surprise and shook her head. ¡°Then you disguised yourself as a maid for the sake of Magyo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Eurius bit his tongue. What the hell was wrong with this pce, that there were followers of the Dark Sect among the servants? But then, a question popped up in his mind. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say you were the second inmand? Is it normal for someone of your status to take on such a mission in the Dark Sect?¡± ¡°Of course not, this is an unusual situation.¡± The Maid made a bitter expression. ¡°The Dark Sect is surprisingly closed-off. Even though I¡¯m a vice-sect leader, I can¡¯t get the trust of the sect leader unless I¡¯m from one of the three great families in the sect.¡± ¡®Three great families?¡¯ Eurius felt a slight snag at that word, but right now, the pce was more important. ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯m d I can grant your wish soon.¡± ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± The Maid bowed her head and then trembled slightly. Her name was Gung Jeok-yeong. She was a survivor of the Phoenix Martial Arts School, who joined the Dark Sect for revenge. But while she was fighting over the divine artifact in the ck Tortoise Cave, she became Eurius¡¯s subordinate. And her previous identity was none other than the leader of the royal intelligence agency, the Imperial Star Agency (Yellow Star Agency)! Eurius had promised her when he epted her as his subordinate that he would help her defeat the Dark Sect and the traitor Yeosang who were meddling with the Imperial Family. ¡°I have a rough idea of the situation in the pce.¡± He had already grasped the state of the Imperial Family with just his divine vision. Gung Jeok-yeong hurriedly opened her mouth. ¡°The Dark Sect has deployed twenty elite experts and a secret weapon called No. 2, including me.¡± ¡°No. 2?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster created using the Four Divine Artifacts.¡± She exined about the weapon named No. 2. ¡°The Dark Sect has already collected three of the divine artifacts, excluding the Formless Divine Armor. But they couldn¡¯t use them.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°So they researched how to draw out the power of the artifacts. That¡¯s how No. 1 and No. 2 were born.¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of being that weapon is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have much information on that.¡± She bowed her head deeply. It seemed that it was a top secret within the Dark Sect, and only those close to the sect leader knew its identity. ¡°From what I saw¡­¡± Eurius had seen Shin Ja-seong swallow the Phoenix¡¯s divine artifact and transform into a fire giant several meters tall at Jeongdo-maeng. It was probably something like that. When he told her that, Gung Jeok-yeong continued with a cautious expression. ¡°I suspect that Jeongdo-maengju is No. 3, which they said was iplete. But I heard that No. 1 and No. 2 have much higherpletion rates than No. 3. Please be careful.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That was enough talk about the Dark Sect¡¯s power! The important thing now was to restore order to the pce, so they moved on to that topic. ¡°Just give me your order and I¡¯ll cut off Yeosang¡¯s head and present it to you right away!¡± She gritted her teeth with hatred for Yeosang. But Eurius had a different idea. ¡°Do you think we can just barge into that bastard¡¯s ce and kill them all?¡± ¡°Well, no¡­¡± Eurius raised one finger in front of her sullen face. ¡°And our most important goal is not to destroy the enemy.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Our most important goal is to clear your names. Weren¡¯t you originally close to the emperor?¡± ¡°How could that be possible¡­¡± Gung Jeok-yeong was skeptical about that point. The Imperial Star Agency she belonged to had been falsely used and executed ten years ago, and it was not easy to restore their honor suddenly. But Eurius had a confident expression. ¡°It¡¯s easy if we persuade this emperor!¡± ¡°Do you mean His Majesty? But Yeosang is someone he loves very much.¡± She was shocked. The emperor was gentle and hated conflict. Even if Yeosang was infringing on his authority, would he have a reason to tolerate them by shedding blood? Eurius shook his head with a click of his tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ You don¡¯t know him very well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He may be gentle, but if it¡¯s about that traitor, it¡¯s a different story.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°There is no ruler who would tolerate someone who takes away what is theirs in this world!¡± Eurius dered with certainty. ¡°¡­!?¡± Gung Jeok-yeong looked at him with wide eyes, but he smiled and continued. ¡°Shall we talk about that now?¡± *** Time had passed and it waste at night. Except for a few guards and soldiers on patrol, the pce was shrouded in pitch-ck darkness. ¡°Is everything normal on duty?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A middle-aged officer in armor was walking around and inspecting the soldiers. He smiled with satisfaction as he heard their loud salutes. The soldiers were all spirited even in the hard dawn shift, perhaps because they were guarding the main pce where the emperor resided. ¡°Then keep up the good work.¡± And just as he was about to turn away! Swoosh ¡°¡­!?¡± The officer felt a faint presence and looked around, but he saw nothing. ¡®How strange. I thought there was something for sure?¡¯ Tap tap! ¡°Ah¡­¡± He nodded his head in relief after hearing the sound from the ceiling of the pce. ¡°It must be a rat running around on the ceiling. Was I too sharp?¡± Swoosh. But it was not only rats that were running around on the ceiling. Surprisingly, there was a narrow passage in the ceiling that a person could barely pass through, right where the officer had just looked. This was the secret passage of the imperial pce! It was a secretive ce that was made so that important people, including the emperor, could escape from the pce in case of emergency. The narrow passage was dusty and infested with rats because it was hardly used, but a ck shadow quickly passed through them. ck! After running for a few minutes, the shadow suddenly stopped at a certain point. ¡®ording to the map, this is where that bastard emperor is.¡¯ The shadow paused for a moment and felt the presence in the room. Of course, there was no way that the security of the ce where the emperor slept would bex. ¡®There¡¯s no problem.¡¯ But the shadow sneered and jumped out of the passage into the emperor¡¯s bedroom. Creak! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± The guards who were in charge of protection were startled. They were patrolling the corridor in front of the bedroom as usual, but suddenly a wall turned and a masked intruder in ck appeared. They hurriedly tried to alert that someone had broken in. ¡°How did you?¡± ¡°Who are you¡­¡± sh! But the intruder¡¯s attack was fast. A blue light shed from his hand. ¡°¡­!?¡± Shriek! The blue light split into three and disappeared from their sight. And the next moment! ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± The three experts who were guarding the corridor all fainted without even lifting a hand. This was the sword of mind! The intruder amazingly drew out three swords of mind with a single gesture and subdued the excellent experts who were in charge of protecting the emperor. But he had no time. Others would soone to know that they had been subdued. Bang! Creak! The intruder broke open the door of the bedroom almost violently. The emperor woke up at that sound. Whoosh. ¡°Huh!¡± But he was also dumbfounded. He woke up from his sleep at the sound of breaking door, but wasn¡¯t there a suspicious-looking masked person in front of him? ¡°Who are you?¡± The emperor surprisingly did not scream. ¡°You have some guts, after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± Swoop. The intruder stepped into the room and took off his mask, showing his face. The emperor¡¯s face hardened in an instant as he saw his face. ¡°You are¡­¡± And so Eurius, who entered the emperor¡¯s bedroom, spoke with an amused face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I came to say something I couldn¡¯t say to you back then.¡± Chapter 168: Midnight Chapter 168: Midnight Ju Yug-yeom, the young emperor of the Eastern Continent! He was born as the only crown prince in the imperial pce of Hwan, where hands were scarce. It was not a difficult task for him to ascend to the throne. He had no rivals. Nor was there any other force that could restrain him. ¡®But that wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing.¡¯ However, once he sat on the emperor¡¯s seat, he realized that having no rivals wasn¡¯t always a good thing. He had to take on the heavy responsibility of being the emperor of the empire at a mere age of teens, when the previous emperor suddenly died. How much could he know how to deal with his subjects at that age, even if he had learned imperial studies since he was young? He naturally relied on the pce officials who had taken care of him since he was young. ¡°Sniff¡­ Please trust your own judgment. If there are those who ignore you because you are young, they must be punished severely!¡± Of course, the highest-ranking person among the pce officials was Ye Sang, the leader of Eartern Depot (Dongchang). Eastern Depot was an intelligence organization directly under the emperor! He had no rivals, as he held all the information in the pce and gained the emperor¡¯s trust. And in the beginning, he did help maintain the dignity of the young emperor. And crucially, there was also a force that could prevent Ye Sang¡¯s monopoly. That was the generals of the royal army. ¡°What Ye Sang says is right, but aren¡¯t you overprotecting the emperor too much?¡± ¡°Why are you doing what the emperor should do?¡± Whenever that happened, Ye Sang would cling to the emperor with a face full of resentment. ¡°Your Majesty, these people are insulting me for no good reason.¡± Of course, there were some who really looked down on him, but there were also some who were loyal and honest, worrying that a pce official¡¯s authority was bing too strong. So in the early days of his reign, the state affairs went well. Since Ye Sang and the military forces were bnced, whoever he sided with won. But after the ¡®Rebellion of the Great General¡¯ ten years ago, there was no force left in the pce that could check Ye Sang. Since then, Ju Yug-yeom felt that something was going wrong, but there was no force in the pce that could correct it. ¡®I made a mistake. I should have left at least one person who could act as a check.¡¯ If he wasn¡¯t an emperor with overwhelming charisma or absolute power, he had to maintain his imperial authority by coordinating his subjects well. But he was too young and failed to bnce them. . . . . And now! He was threatened by a stranger who imed to be the crown prince of the Western Continent. ¡°You have something to say to me at thiste hour?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Ju Yug-yeom couldn¡¯t shake off a suspicious feeling when he saw Eurius, who appeared out of nowhere. And at the entrance, there were even Eastern Depot¡¯s experts who were supposed to guard him. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± He took a step back as if surprised and fiddled with something in his sleeve. Ting! ¡°Hmm?¡± A peculiar sound simr to a bell rang from his sleeve. He pretended to be flustered and sent a signal outside. And then three or four more experts ran into his chamber. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Are you all right!¡± Eurius clicked his tongue when he saw them. ¡°Tsk! What a waste of time.¡± Pat! ¡°Kuhuk!¡± The Eastern Depot experts who rushed in after receiving the secret signal also copsed at Eurius¡¯s light gesture. Bang! Then, the signal bell that Ju Yug-yeom had secretly shaken also shattered into pieces. ¡°Damn¡­¡± His face turned pale. He realized that Eurius could take his life at any time if he wanted to. He tried to maintain his imperial dignity in a situation where his life was threatened and opened his mouth. ¡°What do you want?¡± Eurius¡¯s answer was brief. ¡°As I said, I came because of yesterday¡¯s negotiation.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom looked at him with doubt in his eyes. Wasn¡¯t there anything he said about negotiation yesterday? ¡°If it¡¯s about negotiation, didn¡¯t I say I would give you an answerter?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius tilted his head as if he was surprised. Ju Yug-yeom also looked at him with a bewildered expression. ¡°Was that your decision? I didn¡¯t get that impression at all.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Ju Yug-yeom, who was practically attacked at night, asked anxiously. Eurius smiled slyly and continued. ¡°I heard that the emperor¡¯s seat is called the highest position in the world in the Eastern Continent.¡± ¡°They do call it that.¡± ¡°But can we say that we had a negotiation with such a person yesterday?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Ju Yug-yeom was startled by those words. He was not a foolish person. But what was the reason for suddenly breaking into the emperor¡¯s chamber and bringing up such a topic on this ambitious night? ¡°How absurd. If you came here to say that, then you have invaded the emperor¡¯s chamber for nothing¡­¡± Seeing him react coldly, Eurius smiled slyly and spoke more bluntly. ¡°From what I felt, yesterday¡¯s meeting was not with His Majesty the Emperor, but with the eunuch who was next to him. It was not worthy of being called a negotiation between empires!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom¡¯s face crumpled like a piece of tissue paper. It was true, but who would dare to say such a thing in front of him, the emperor? ¡®It¡¯s the first time in my life that I¡¯ve heard such insulting words.¡¯ [Ju Yug-yeom] Current state: Confused, angry ¡®No one has ever pointed out the reality so harshly to me. Of course I¡¯m angry.¡¯ Eurius, who was watching him, smiled inwardly. He was only young in appearance, but if he added his previous life, he was well past middle age, so he had the ability to control his expression. But Ju Yug-yeom was still in his twenties, full of vigor even as an emperor! Even if he had a calm and gentle temperament, he couldn¡¯t hide his anger after hearing such words. He momentarily forgot that he was being threatened by Eurius right now and snapped at him. ¡°How dare you! Are you insulting me now!¡± Boom! A majestic aura seeped out of him and pressed down on Eurius. Feeling it, Eurius muttered to himself. ¡®At least he passed.¡¯ Should he call him a semipetent? He still had some dignity as an emperor. He could understand why he was swayed by a traitor when his opponent was none other than the Demon Sect. ¡®Then I have to make him sober up first.¡¯ Eurius lifted his head and red at Ju Yug-yeom. ¡°Insult? That¡¯s what I should say!¡± Ding! [Skill ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ is activated (A-rank).] [Charisma and charm are greatly increased.] ¡°Gasp!¡± Ju Yug-yeom gasped as his breath was cut off. The pressure he had emitted was pushed back by Eurius¡¯s aura. His dignity as an emperor was C-rank. But Eurius was two ranks higher than him at A-rank. Crash. Something seemed to collide in the ce where they were staring at each other. It was not their aura as warriors, but their dignity as emperors that shed. Of course, the result was Eurius¡¯s overwhelming victory! Roar! A tidal wave of aura engulfed Ju Yug-yeom, the emperor of the Eastern Continent. His vision turned dark as Eurius quickly moved away from him. The emperor¡¯s dignity meant the difference in status as an emperor. The gap in their aura was so obvious that he saw an illusion at that moment. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Suddenly, Eurius, who was not much different from him in height, became huge like a mountain. He rose up to touch the sky with his head reaching the clouds. And from that high ce, a voice like thunder echoed. ¡°Emperor of Hwan Empire! You have made three mistakes!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius¡¯s voice hit him like lightning. ¡°The first is that you tried to y tricks on me by inviting me to this pce! Did you really call me for negotiation?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± It was true that Ju Yug-yeom had invited Eurius for a sinister scheme. ¡°The second is that you dared to put a servant at the same level as an emperor in a meeting between empires! This is a great insult to my empire!¡± By having a meeting, the two empires were supposed to negotiate on equal terms. But having a eunuch who was neither royalty nor anything else next to the emperor¡¯s throne was a huge diplYEuriusEuriusomatic faux pas. ¡°Andstly!¡± Eurius poured out his final anger. In fact, this was the biggest reason why he felt that this ce was a mess yesterday. ¡°You did all this not by your own will as a sovereign, but by the whim of a eunuch! Don¡¯t lower your empire¡¯s dignity!¡± Rumble! Thunder roared again with his voice. A tidal wave of aura made Ju Yug-yeom¡¯s mind faint. And the next moment. sh. ¡°Ah!¡± Ju Yug-yeom came to his senses and stepped back in shock. *** Only Eurius and the two men were still standing in the silent chamber. The pressure that had been crushing him like a tidal wave seemed to have subsided, as Eurius was just quietly looking at him. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He tried to say something, still feeling dizzy and staggering. Eurius shook his head. ¡°I will give you a few days to answer. I expect you to act like an emperor until Ie back.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius turned his back on him and smiled faintly. ¡®That should be enough of a shock therapy. He seems to be quite smart, after all.¡¯ Swoosh. Unexpectedly, Eurius left the room without even waiting for a reply. The reason became clear soon enough. Shick! Shriek! ¡°Your Majesty! Are you all right?¡± ¡°Who dares to do this!¡± Dozens of shadows appeared in front of him as he crossed the corridor of the main pce where the emperor resided. In fact, the emperor¡¯s guard was not so weak. They couldn¡¯t miss the fact that they had lost contact for even a few minutes. ¡°Thank goodness! Your Majesty is safe.¡± ¡°Phew.¡± If something happened to the emperor, their heads would be gone too. They sighed in relief, but their eyes sparkled with anger. They saw a ck shadow running down the corridor. ¡°Chase him!¡± The sharp high-pitched voice of the imperial guard echoed in the corridor. The elites of the guard started to chase after Eurius. But they onlysted for a moment. Shriek! They cursed harshly as they ran with the sound of wind. ¡°Damn¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s fast as a rat!¡± Eurius, who was running with a mask on, was too fast. He barely took a few steps, but he was tens of meters away from them. They bit their lips as they saw Eurius¡¯s back getting farther and farther away. ¡®We¡¯re going to lose him!¡¯ At that moment, a red figure flew past them with a terrifying speed. ¡°Hey¡­ Useless bastards!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Lady Commander?¡± The red figure was none other than the leader of the guard, Ye Sang. She was not only the emperor¡¯s rtive, but also the best fighter in the pce! She lived up to her reputation and was on a different level from the other elite guards. ¡°Hmph¡­ I might be able to shake off the others, but not me!¡± Shooaak! Her body seemed to split into two and her shadow stretched out. It was a state called Eihyeonhwanwi, which allowed her to move at an incredible speed. She used it consecutively to catch up with Eurius. Zooom! Every time she used it, she closed the distance in an instant. The first time, she caught up with her subordinates and even passed them by tens of meters. The second time, she narrowed down Eurius¡¯s lead to about 2/3. And thest time! Papak. She finally reached Eurius¡¯s back and touched his shoulder. ¡°You insolent bastard who invaded His Majesty¡¯s ce!¡± Whooosh! Her sword, infused with Hwaryeongshingong, swung at Eurius with a fierce heat. She was confident that she could kill the intruder with this strike. Squelch. ¡°¡­!?¡± But something felt wrong when her sword touched Eurius¡¯s back. It didn¡¯t cut through flesh, but felt like hitting some rubber. Sssss. Not only that, but she also felt a cold chill from Eurius¡¯s back. She sensed something suspicious and tried to back away. But it was toote. Snap! ¡°Argh! My arm!¡± Her sword, which had been spitting out hot mes, suddenly cooled down and even froze her arm along with it. She screamed and tried to get away from him. But Eurius was faster. He turned his body and kicked her in the stomach. Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± Ye Sang¡¯s body flew into the air andnded on the guards who wereing after her. ¡°Gasp! Lady Commander!¡± ¡°Are you all right!¡± The guards who caught her were too busy checking on her condition to catch Eurius. Swoosh! And so, Eurius¡¯s figure disappeared into the darkness of the night. Whooosh! Squeak! As a master of the Fire Dragon Sect, Ye Sang quickly ignited a fire to melt the ice, but his face was still frosty. ¡°Master! Should I call a doctor?¡± ¡°No need! Call the emperor instead!¡± Ye Sang hurried back to the main pce. He saw that the emperor was safe and sound, and knelt down to bow. ¡°Your Majesty! I¡¯m so d you are unharmed.¡± Surprisingly, Emperor Ju Yug-yeom maintained a calm attitude. ¡°You have worked hard for me, Commander Ye. Did you catch the culprit?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no. Did you see his face or clothes?¡± The intruder was wearing a mask, so Ye Sang could not pinpoint his identity. Of course, he had a suspect in mind. ¡®It must be that damned crown prince of the Western Continent or his minions. I didn¡¯t expect him to have such a powerful master, but if Your Majesty orders me!¡¯ Ye Sang was determined to mobilize all the forces in the imperial pce and capture Eurius and the Westerners as soon as the emperor gave his consent. But the emperor¡¯s reaction was different from what he expected. Astonishingly, he shook his head. ¡°From what I saw, he was not a foreigner. He is not from the Western Continent.¡± For a moment, Ye Sang looked at Ju Yug-yeom with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Your Majesty? How can that be¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom frowned slightly. ¡°Are you saying that I saw wrong?¡± ¡°N¡­ No.¡± He couldn¡¯t argue any further when the victim himself was acting like that. Ju Yug-yeom scanned the room with aposed expression and opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway, you can start the investigation tomorrow. Go to another pce and rest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ye Sang and the other masters of the Eastern Sect surrounded him and moved to another pce. As he walked slowly, he was lost in thought. ¡®He said he woulde back¡­ Does he think he can break through even tighter security?¡¯ The security would be much stricter from tomorrow because of Eurius¡¯s actions today. Ju Yug-yeom was curious about how Eurius would find him again. And there was something else that bothered him after their conversation. ¡®He expects me to give him an imperial answer?¡¯ His gaze unconsciously shifted to Ye Sang, who was leading the escort and throwing stones at random. It was a sign that his heart had changed slightly. *** The next day. Eurius was being investigated naturally. ¡°Huh¡­ There was someone who tried to assassinate your emperor?¡± ¡°Yes. Where were youst night?¡± ¡°I was sound asleep, of course. I¡¯m sorry to hear that such a thing happened. You must be very worried.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Yeosang looked at Eurius suspiciously from head to toe. But even with his eyesight, he couldn¡¯t pierce through the disguise. It was infuriating that he couldn¡¯t detect any martial arts skills from Eurius. ¡®Is he really innocent? Well, even if he is, he¡¯s still someone I have to get rid of.¡¯ ¡°Hmph¡­ I see.¡± In the end, Yeosang couldn¡¯t find any solid evidence and backed off. All he could do was call the other masters of the Eastern Sect and surround Eurius¡¯s ce. ¡°The emperor is still shocked by what happened, so this meeting will be postponed for a while. Please rest well tonight¡­¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ I hope we don¡¯t see each other at night.¡± His words were nothing but a threat that if he didn¡¯t want to die, he should stay in his ce quietly. ¡®What a joke. He thinks I¡¯ll sit still while he tries to harm me. But tonight doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Of course, Eurius didn¡¯t care about Yeosang¡¯s words and nned to rest well tonight. His n was going smoothly. ¡®All that¡¯s left is her turn. I hope she can persuade the emperor well.¡¯ Chapter 169: The Second Night Chapter 169: The Second Night Meanwhile, the situation in the pce was not very good. Emperor Ju Yug-yeom had a displeased expression on his face. ¡°How long do I have to stay here?¡± ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty, but I think it is best for you to stay in a safe ce until the culprit who attacked your residence is revealed.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom wanted to ask Eurius personally why he came to his residence yesterday, but Yeosang did not let him. He seemed to intend to keep him half-imprisoned until the culprit was caught. ¡®Yeosang¡­ Isn¡¯t this too much?¡¯ He had a close rtionship with him since childhood, but Yeosang¡¯s attitude was excessivetely. He also did not like the warriors who were brought as guards. ¡°Who are these people? They don¡¯t seem to be your acquaintances.¡± ¡°They are the ones I personally trained. They are skilled enough to stop anyone who tries to intrude, even if they are martial arts experts like yesterday.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The people Ju Yug-yeom pointed at were wearing the royal gold army¡¯s uniforms for convenience, but they emitted a sinister aura. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. It is an infinite honor for us to serve as your guards for a while.¡± The leader of them had a strange voice and covered half of his face with a hood, making him look more suspicious. They did not look like they belonged to the gold army¡¯s etiquette. ¡®I wonder who is the emperor here, me or him.¡¯ Ju Yug-yeom let Yeosang go because he had a rtionship with him since childhood and he did not act beyond his status as a subject. But now, the situation was precarious! However, Ju Yug-yeom did not show his emotions outwardly. ¡°I appreciate your efforts. I hope you catch the culprit soon, Yeosang.¡± ¡°Of course! Please trust me, Your Majesty.¡± Yeosang had a confident expression. As long as the emperor was here, there was no one in the pce who could stop him. ¡®I¡¯ll pretend to look for a few days and make some usible evidence. And then I¡¯ll pin it on that crown prince.¡¯ Of course, it was risky to use a foreigner without any evidence, but he had a trump card to do so. *** ¡°Sniff¡­ Have you still not made up your mind?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leonhardt remained silent in the small room. Yeosang¡¯s proposal to him was as follows: ¡°You want me to use my brother to the emperor here?¡± ¡°Yes. If you agree, I¡¯ll make sure that crown prince disappears from this world.¡± He looked at Yeosang who tried to persuade him with a subtle tone and turned his head sharply. ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t cooperate. Do whatever you want.¡± He refused the proposal, but he did not get angry either. Yeosang narrowed his eyes and pondered over his ambiguous response. ¡®Wasn¡¯t their rtionship very bad? Is that not true?¡¯ Anyway, if he did not help him, the n to frame Eurius with Leonhardt¡¯s testimony would fail. The testimony of a prisoner was not credible because no one knew how it was obtained. The current emperor Ju Yug-yeom was a person who had a clear judgment and would not be swayed by such testimony. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are rejecting this good opportunity, Your Highness.¡± If Eurius died in another country, the throne of Scharnos Empire would naturally go to him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I need to give you some more time. But I won¡¯t wait long, so please keep that in mind¡­¡± m. ¡°Stupid! Do you think I¡¯ll fall for such a trick?¡± As soon as the door closed, Leonhardt spat out a word. ¡®Of course, it would be nice if my brother died here.¡¯ But how could he believe that? The Eurius he knew was weak but a cunning snake. ¡®Hmph! Do you think that shady eunuch can deal with my brother?¡¯ Besides, Leonhardt thought there was no need for him to intervene even if that happened. Judging by his attempt to involve him, he must have prepared another n. It would be great if he seeded, but even if he failed, his situation would not change from now. ¡®And!¡¯ Lastly, Leonhardt could not trust Yeosang. He had a keen sense since he was young. ¡®He definitely wants something from me.¡¯ Yeosang¡¯s eyes when he looked at him were not good. He had been staring at him with a sticky gaze since before Eurius came to this continent. ¡°Heh¡­ Do I have to find another way to get rid of that crown prince? I should consult with the people sent from the main sect.¡± As Leonhardt expected, Yeosang licked his lips and left the pce where he was imprisoned. *** And that night. Ju Yug-yeom couldn¡¯t sleep all night and tossed and turned. It was because he couldn¡¯t get rid of what Eurius had said yesterday. [Act like an emperor the next time we meet.] ¡®And he said he would visit again?¡¯ Would that be tonight or tomorrow night? How could he sleep when he didn¡¯t know? ¡®He should at least tell me when he¡¯sing¡­ Hm?¡¯ He felt a faint presence outside the door as he grumbled to himself and jumped up. Thump thump. ¡®What is it, are they here?¡¯ Ju Yug-yeom snorted. The presence was from the people that Yeosang had brought. They had a strange and unfamiliar aura, so he reacted sensitively. But the next moment! Something happened that he never expected. Creak. The door opened quietly and one of the guards who had been guarding him came in. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.¡± Ju Yug-yeom stared at him with a flustered expression. Now that he looked, he was the one who had been introduced as the leader of the new escort. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh. He silently pulled off the hood that covered his face. And the face that was revealed was quite beautiful. No, it was not a man¡¯s face. Ju Yug-yeom made a puzzled expression and wondered to himself. ¡®A woman?¡¯ But something was strange. T he woman who had been wearing the hood opened her mouth in a quiet voice. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ don¡¯t you remember me?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I used to visit you often with your father until ten years ago.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ ten years ago?¡± He tilted his head. Wasn¡¯t that when he had just ascended to the throne? ¡°I am Gung jeok-yeong, a descendant of the leader of Imperial Star Intelligence.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ju Yug-yeom was greatly surprised by her words. Imperial Star Intelligence was the emperor¡¯s direct intelligence agency that existed until ten years ago with Eastern Depot (Dongchang). But the reason why she mentioned ten years ago as a clue was because Imperial Star Intelligence itself had disappeared. [The Rebellion of the General] It was a conspiracy that urred shortly after he ascended to the throne. Imperial Star Intelligence, which had been close to the generals of Geumgun who were involved in this incident, lost most of its members by being beheaded or exiled. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom¡¯s face lost some color as he remembered that. ¡®We were the ones who got rid of them.¡¯ He and Yeosang had supported the Hwanguans in their power struggle with Geumgun. At that time, he was too young to make a proper judgment. ¡°Is that why¡­ you came to take revenge?¡± Thud! ¡°No way!¡± But Gung jeok-yeong knelt down and bowed her head. ¡°I have never forgotten my loyalty to the royal family. Even though Imperial Star Intelligence disappeared by your order, we were also at fault for not serving you properly.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Ju Yug-yeom became serious at her words. It was because of what she shouted as she bowed her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t serve me properly? Do you mean you were wronged?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say first.¡± And what Gung jeok-yeong said was shocking to him. ¡°The current leader of Dongchang, Yeosang, is colluding with Magyo to harm Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Ju Yug-yeom¡¯s face turned pale. He didn¡¯t like his behaviortely, but wasn¡¯t Yeosang his favorite servant? ¡°Do you have any evidence that this is not a nder?¡± Swoosh. She took out a ck jade que from her bosom and showed it to the emperor. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is a que that symbolizes the vice-leader of Magyo.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°This is the most conclusive evidence. The people who are guarding you now are disguised as Geumgun¡¯s experts, but they are all from Magyo.¡± ¡°Magyo!¡± Gung jeok-yeong began to exin the situation slowly. ¡°After the Huangsung Temple was destroyed by the Windstorm Sect, I joined the Dark Sect.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Ju Yugeom listened to her story with a cold eye at first, but at the end, he trembled with a sense of betrayal towards Yeosang. ¡®How could he have such a n?¡¯ Of course, Yeosang¡¯s n was to kill Eurius, not to harm the emperor. But now that there was clear evidence that he had brought a member of the Dark Sect into the pce, he had no choice but to believe Gungjeokyeong¡¯s words. The Dark Sect was a group of evil people who were forbidden by thew of the Hwan Empire. They had a bad reputation among themon people. Bang! He mmed his desk with force and his face was full of anger. ¡°I trusted him even when I heard rumors that he abused his power. But he stabbed me in the back like this¡­¡± The more trust was solidified, the more betrayal was felt when it was broken. He had already felt that his tyranny was too muchtely, but this time Yeosang¡¯s actionspletely crossed the line that he could tolerate. Of course, he didn¡¯t fully believe Gung jeok-yeong¡¯s words, who he met for the first time. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not true that he wants to harm me! But even if he conspired with an unknown group without consulting me, the emperor, he has alreadymitted treason!¡¯ The Eastern Depot (Dongchang) was an organization that was like the emperor¡¯s limbs. But if the leader of that ce joined hands with an external force, it was a serious crime equivalent to rebellion! Ju Yugeom wanted to arrest Yeosang and interrogate him right away. ¡®But how do I question him?¡¯ He also knew that Yeosang was the best master in the imperial pce. He doubted that he would obediently surrender even if he mobilized the imperial army to capture him. That¡¯s when Gung jeok-yeong, who had been watching him quietly, opened her mouth. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but may I speak?¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yeosang is a very outstanding master. It¡¯s hard to catch him with ordinary methods. I also have a hard time catching him if he decides to run away.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Besides, he has the power of the Dark Sect behind him. If you¡¯re not careful, there could be a lot of bloodshed in the pce.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± ¡°So what I want to suggest is¡­¡± She spoke in a cautious tone. ¡°How about joining hands with the crown prince of the Western Continent on this asion?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Remembering!¡¯ Ju Yugeom recalled Eurius, who easily knocked down the masters of Dongchang like scarecrows. *** At that moment. ¡®Isn¡¯t it time toe?¡¯ Eurius was waiting for someone in his quarters. The n for Gung jeok-yeong to persuade the emperor came from his head. Then where were the other members of the Dark Sect? ¡°Your Highness, the crown prince of the Western Continent! There is someone looking for you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Eurius pretended to be surprised and walked out of his room. Outside, there were people dressed in imperial army uniforms waiting for him. ¡°By His Majesty¡¯s order, we have something to investigate, so please follow us.¡± They pushed a decree with the emperor¡¯s seal on it, so even the Eastern Depot (Dongchang) people who were watching Eurius obediently let him go. ¡°If it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s order, I can¡¯t refuse.¡± It was a great rudeness to summon a foreign royal at night, but Eurius surprisingly followed them willingly. ¡°But where do I get investigated?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you follow us.¡± They only urged Eurius¡¯s footsteps with a stiff voice. A few minutester. Eurius and they were heading to a remote ce even within the pce. Thud thud. The ones who imed to be from the imperial army were silent and Eurius also walked silently, so it was quiet except for the sound of footsteps. ck! ¡°¡­¡± At some point, the sound of footsteps stopped abruptly. Eurius suddenly stopped walking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± One of them asked Eurius with an expressionless face. ¡°Haven¡¯t wee far enough?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± Eurius smiled faintly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to get rid of me? Hurry up and start.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Whoosh! They quickly distanced themselves from Eurius. ng! sh! The swords they drew reflected in the moonlight and sparkled. At the same time, a suffocating demonic energy rose up! They were none other than the masters of the Dark Sect who were sent to eliminate Eurius. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius looked around at those who surrounded him. But soon he tilted his head with a puzzled expression. ¡®Surely they are great elites¡­ but where are the ones with divine skills?¡¯ Chapter 170: Number 2 Chapter 170: Number 2 This was the n that Eurius had devised. ¡°First, we need to get the emperor on our side, and then we have to deal with the people of the Dark Sect.¡± He decided that it would be faster to defeat them one by one, rather than facing both the Dark Sect and the Empress at the same time. ¡®The biggest variable is that Number 2¡­¡¯ None of the other experts could match him at this point, no matter how hard they tried. Number 2 was a secret weapon sent by the Dark Sect, who used the power of a divine artifact! As someone who was collecting the Four Divine Artifacts, Eurius had to subdue him first. ¡°Did you say Number 2? Anyway, you came with him, so you must know what kind of being he is, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I don¡¯t know who Number 2 is either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Eurius tilted his head at Gung Jeok-yeong¡¯s answer. How did he bring him here if he didn¡¯t know? ¡°It¡¯s a secret¡­ I heard that he was among the experts I brought with me. He said he couldn¡¯t reveal his identity to me either.¡± The Dark Sect had sent twenty elite experts to the imperial pce, besides Gung Jeok-yeong. One of them was Number 2. ¡°Number 2 is a problem, but those twenty are not easy either.¡± [White Sword Demon Association] It was the highest military organization of the Dark Sect,posed of a hundred swordsmen. Each of them was an expert close to bing a superhuman, so they didn¡¯t have much activity. The fact that they had sent twenty of them separately showed how important it was for the Dark Sect to take over the imperial pce. ¡°Even if you are my lord, facing both them and Number 2¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eurius cut off her words and ordered. ¡°Since you are in charge of them, you must know their secret, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then send them to my ce.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** Swoosh! Eurius¡¯s sword swung in a semicircle, leaving a blue trail in the air. The trail swept across the front. ¡°¡­¡± The response of the Dark Sect¡¯s experts was quick. They grouped together in threes and fives, crossing their swords to form a defensive posture. ng! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± It was a dull sound like cutting iron, and they were pushed back several steps. But they didn¡¯t suffer any serious injuries. ¡®Look at that?¡¯ Eurius looked at them with a somewhat admiring expression. It wasmendable that they had blocked his sword strike without any major wounds, even though they were twenty in number. ¡®But their defense is good, what about their offense?¡¯ They hadn¡¯t revealed their divine artifacts yet. ording to Gung Jeok-yeong¡¯s words, there was no doubt that one of them was Number 2. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But they were just holding their swords and pressuring Eurius, without showing any signs ofunching a big attack. ¡°Weren¡¯t you here to kill me? Why are you tucking your tails in?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius bit his tongue at their calm appearance. ¡®They don¡¯t even fall for provocation. What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Anyway, he couldn¡¯t lower his sword just because they were still. Shriek! Dozens of sword shadows appeared in the air. They flew out at a terrifying speed in all directions. Bang! ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± This time it was a serious blow, and it had an effect. Those who surrounded him spat out blood and retreated a few steps. But even as they bled from their mouths, they calmly raised their swords again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius couldn¡¯t help but wonder at their strange behavior. Why were they just thickly surrounding him and not attacking him? ¡®Well, if they had attacked me, it would have been over by now¡­¡¯ The reason they hadsted so long was because they had built a solid defense in the form of a sword array. Eurius was confident that he could break them in one go if they switched to offense. ¡®But there¡¯s no point in staying like this. It¡¯s nothing more than tying me up.¡¯ Pfft! ¡®Wait?¡¯ Something came to Eurius¡¯s mind. They didn¡¯t have the power to deal with him, but they had been holding him for several minutes already. What if that was their goal? ¡°Ah!¡± His gaze turned to the pce. If his guess was right, he had no time to waste. Eurius quickly turned his head and looked at the ones surrounding him. ¡°These guys?¡± ng! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± For the first time, confusion shed in the eyes of the experts of the Dark Sect. They didn¡¯t even see Eurius make a move, but suddenly three of the frontliners were torn apart like rags and flew away. ¡®How did he do that without swinging his sword?¡¯ Chuk! Eurius extended his sword forward as if to answer their question and coldly spat out. ¡°Then I have no time, so get out of my way!¡± *** ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to contact the crown prince of the Western Continent by tomorrow.¡± ¡°I appreciate it. I¡¯m d there are still loyal subjects like you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Meanwhile, Gung Jeok-yeong left the emperor¡¯s chamber and brushed her chest. ¡®Phew! I was worried that His Majesty would be angry at the idea of bringing in foreign forces, but fortunately there was no such thing.¡¯ Then she tilted her head. ¡®But what kind of magic did my lord use to make His Majesty agree to the alliance so easily?¡¯ She had no idea, but the reason was Eurius¡¯s visitst night. The skill ¡®Emperor¡¯s Dignity¡¯ increased his charm and made the other party more favorable. Ju Yu-gyeom didn¡¯t see Eurius as someone who would harm him. If he really had such an intention, he would have lost his lifest night. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m d. With this, we can drive out that traitor Yeosang!¡¯ As she thought that, she sensed a familiar presence. ¡°Huh?¡± Thud thud. A figure emitting a faint magic aura was walking from the other side of the corridor. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Gold Master?¡± She fixed her eyes on the approaching man with a puzzled expression. ¡°I greet the Vice Sect Leader.¡± The name of that man was Geum Jong-o. He was the master of Baekgeom Dark Sect, the strongest martial group in the Dark Sect. He came along to assist her, who was the vice sect leader. But she had given him a different order tonight. ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I order you to capture the crown prince of the Western Continent?¡± Squeak. He bowed his head politely, but soon he was smiling. ¡°There is something more important than that.¡± ¡°What?¡± She noticed something was wrong with his attitude. He still smiled wickedly and reached for his sword. ¡°It¡¯s finding out who the traitor is!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Crash! Boom! A loud explosion erupted and Gung Jeok-yeong flew out. She used the momentum of shing swords with Geum Jong-o to get out. ¡®I¡¯ve been exposed. But since when?¡¯ ¡°The Sect Leader knew from the start that you had a different heart! That¡¯s why he sent me.¡± ¡°Kuh¡­¡± She groaned as she drew her sword. It was suspicious that he didn¡¯t me her for failing the mission this time, but it was clear that the sect leader knew her identity from the beginning. He used her for a long time and now he wanted to send her to the pce to clean up. The Dark Sect was not a merciful group after all. Shoo! Swoosh! Dozens of experts appeared behind Geum Jong-o, who was confronting her. They were the real elites of Baekgeom Dark Sect. The ones they sent to Eurius were just bait they prepared separately. ¡°Hmph!¡± But Gung Jeok-yeong sneered. ¡°Do you think you can beat me with Baekgeom Dark Sect behind you?¡± Geum Jong-o¡¯s rank was 5th among the masters of Baekgeom Dark Sect! But she was the vice sect leader, ranked 2nd in the Dark Sect. The gap between them was obvious. ¡°Hehe¡­ You would think so.¡± But Geum Jong-oughed even more unpleasantly. ¡®What is he relying on?¡¯ A trace of doubt crossed Gung Jeok-yeong¡¯s mind, but she had no time to ponder. ¡®I have to join my lord and tell him about this!¡¯ Whirl! Swoosh! mes erupted from her sword! Cold air rose from her hand! Boom! She collided the two energies to create a powerful destructive force. She intended to escape in one go after creating a big opening. Bang! The massive energy that spewed from her sword shot towards Jin Jong-oh. ¡®He¡¯ll surely dodge it, right?¡¯ He had that much ability. She nned to quickly slip away in the meantime. ¡°Hmph!¡± But surprisingly, Jin Jong-oh stood still and raised one hand. Thud! ¡°¡­!?¡± Gung Jeok-yeong¡¯s eyes widened. The strike that she had unleashed with all her power was blocked by something and bounced back just before it touched Jin Jong-oh¡¯s body. ¡®He blocked my strike with just one hand?¡¯ She finally realized the doubt that she had since the start. ¡°You¡¯re the second one!¡± ¡°You just figured it out? Hahaha!¡± Jin Jong-oh burst intoughter and drew his sword and charged at her. ng! ng ng ng! They were both masters of swordsmanship! Dozens of shes passed in an instant. And the one who gained the upper hand in the offense and defense was¡­ sh! ¡°Ugh!¡± Gung Jeok-yeong retreated with bloodstains all over her body. Her hand that swung the sword felt numb. She was clearly being pushed back. ¡®His skill is not much different, but his sword strikes are incredibly heavy. It¡¯s hard to even sh swords.¡¯ Jin Jong-oh¡¯s sword apanied a strong pressure every time he swung it, binding her movements. His power also increased several times, so she had no choice but to be pushed back constantly. ¡®This is bad! I have to tell my lord about this guy¡¯s identity as soon as possible.¡¯ ¡°You were so confident before, but did you run out of strength already?¡± Jin Jong-oh lifted his sword into the air with a sneer. ¡°¡­!?¡± His sword was surrounded by a fierce wind like a whirlwind. Crackle! Zap! There was also lightning in the center of the whirlwind, sparking. ¡®That is?¡¯ The moment she saw it, Gung Jeok-yeong remembered the legend of the Four Divine Artifacts. Among them, there was one that was said to have such an ability! ¡®The Azure Dragon¡¯s Artifact!¡¯ Among the Four Divine Beasts, the Azure Dragon was in charge of wind and lightning! As the saying goes, Jin Jong-oh had unleashed a powerful wind pressure from his body earlier and repelled her attack. And he was crushing her with that pressure every time he swung his sword. ¡°Then die!¡± Jin Jong-oh¡¯s sword swung with a storm. Boom boom boom boom! The ground flipped over and split open. And there was no way Gung Jeok-yeong, his target, would be safe. ¡°Kuh!¡± sh! She barely avoided being cut in half by flying her body. But as a result, her back was deeply cut and blood was pouring out. It was a situation where it was difficult to continue the battle! Her face turned gloomy. ¡®Can I get out of here alive?¡¯ She had already lost a lot of blood, so her vision was blurry and her body didn¡¯t move as she wanted. As she staggered up, she heard a mocking voice. ¡°Kuhuhu¡­ It looks like this is the end for you. The leader said he would make me the vice-leader if I bring your head.¡± Jin Jong-oh raised his sword again. This time he intended to cut off her neck. Swoosh! ¡°Ugh!¡± The moment his sword was raised high, Gung Jeok-yeong felt a premonition of death and closed her eyes tightly. But. Bang! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What?¡± She opened her eyes quickly. There was no pain as she expected, and only Jin Jong-oh flew back and hit the wall. ¡°Who are you!¡± Jin Jong-oh opened his eyes wide and looked around. He was sure he was attacked, but he didn¡¯t feel any sign of it. ¡°Whoa!¡± He widened his eyes at the man who suddenly appeared in front of him. He smiled and answered. ¡°Who do you think I am? I¡¯m the one you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°My lord!¡± Gung Jeok-yeong eximed with joy. It was Eurius who had entered the pce unnoticed. There were some annoying people, but it was not a big deal for him to take care of them quickly. ¡°Ugh¡­¡±web Jin Jong-oh quickly backed away and created some distance as soon as he felt Eurius¡¯s presence. ¡®He¡¯s a master! And an unbelievable one at that!¡¯ His own ability was not enough to pierce through the Azure Dragon Artifact (Banbakgijin), but the divine artifact he possessed warned him. Chapter 171: After the Solution Chapter 171: After the Solution Eurius spoke to the Yellow Dragon in his mind. ¡®Is he really the owner of the divine artifact? He doesn¡¯t seem to have anything special.¡¯ The reason he doubted was because of the energy he felt from Kim Jong-oh. He had heard that No. 2, who wielded the power of the Azure Dragon, had a higher degree ofpletion than No. 3, who was Jung Do-mang-ju Shin Ja-seong. But judging from the energy he felt now, he didn¡¯t seem to be that level at all. Didn¡¯t he just fall for his surprise attack without any resistance? And the Yellow Dragon also gave an unsatisfactory answer. [I don¡¯t know either. I can feel the energy of the Azure Dragon, but it¡¯s weak.] ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Then does that mean he doesn¡¯t have the divine artifact?¡¯ Pop! As Eurius asked, he was surrounded by the experts of the White Sword Demon Association. In the center was Kim Jong-oh, who had quickly grasped the situation. He was a bit flustered at first, but soon regained hisposure. ¡®Heh heh¡­ He may be stronger than the vice-leader, but it¡¯s useless now.¡¯ He sorted out his thoughts and shouted confidently. ¡°So you¡¯re the crown prince! You were lucky until now, but your luck ends here with us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very confident.¡± Eurius replied lightly and immediately went on the offensive. He nned to take care of the small fries first and then catch that Kim Jong-oh guy. ¡®Maybe I can find out something if I interrogate him.¡¯ He drew his sword and stabbed the air. It was the Sword of Mind that Eurius liked to usetely. There was no better skill than this when suppressing multiple enemies at once. Pop! The sword only stabbed the air, but dozens of swords that originated from his mind attacked the experts of the White Sword Demon Association in an instant. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The experts of the White Sword Demon Association were startled. Without any sign, dozens of blue swords sprang up around them. Kwakwakwakwang! With a loud explosion, the experts who were hit by the swords were all pushed back. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at them with a surprised expression. ¡®They blocked the Sword of Mind?¡¯ They were elite, but could they block the non-technique of the fifth stage, the Sword of Mind? [Ah! I get it now.] ¡°What is it?¡± [Look at them.] ¡°Hmm?¡± At the words of the Yellow Dragon, Eurius slowly examined them. ¡°What is that?¡± Goooh Surprisingly, a dark swirl was rising around the bodies of the experts of the White Sword Demon Association. It was like a ck wall of wind wrapping around their bodies! ¡®If it¡¯s wind¡­¡¯ The Yellow Dragon gave him the conclusion. [It seems that they all have absorbed the power of the Azure Dragon into their bodies. I don¡¯t know how they did it, but it¡¯s impressive for a trick.] That was what No. 2 meant bybining Kim Jong-oh himself and the experts of the White Sword Demon Association. There were hardly any experts who could absorb the power of a divine artifact by themselves. But it was possible to split that power and share it among several people. ¡°It¡¯s toote to realize now!¡± Kim Jong-oh and a few other experts pointed their swords at Eurius. And they blew out a fierce wind! Kwaaaaa! A de-shaped ck figure attacked Eurius. Kakakang! He quickly blocked it with his sword, but the pressure was not trivial. ¡®They¡¯re stronger than I expected. I might lose if I¡¯m careless.¡¯ And if they could defend against the Sword of Mind, they wouldn¡¯t care about any ordinary attacks. The wind that wrapped around their bodies had both offensive and defensive effects. Their individual strength would notst three seconds against Eurius, but they were effectively restraining him by sticking together. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-oh was also quite anxious as he couldn¡¯t do anything to Eurius even with all of his forces. ¡®He¡¯s holding on better than expected? Then¡­¡¯ He decided to finish Eurius off in one breath. ¡®The leader said that he stole Hyun-mu¡¯s divine artifact, right? I have to finish him off before he unleashes its power.¡¯ ¡°Prepare yourselves, all members of the White Sword Demon Association! We¡¯re using that!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± With a loud cry, they quickly distanced themselves from Eurius. ¡°¡­!?¡± As they suddenly widened the distance, Eurius tilted his head. They were currently surrounding Eurius in a circle, keeping a distance of about a hundred meters. ¡°Begin!¡± Roar! The wind that covered their bodies grew stronger. Each of them could only create a small whirlwind with their power, but what if dozens of thembined their forces? Snap! As they raised both hands to the sky, the ck wind that spewed out of their bodies merged together and soared into the air. ¡®What are they up to?¡¯ Boom! Eurius quickly swung his sword in all directions, but his attack was blocked even more easily than before. [Watch out! Above!] ¡°Huh?¡± Ssh! Thud! Eurius quickly looked up and stiffened his face. It was a clear weather until a moment ago, but raindrops were falling down. ¡°What is that?¡± Whizz! Rumble! In the sky where the ck wind had risen, a local thunderstorm and storm had suddenly urred. The power of the Azure Dragon was wind and lightning! True to their name, the experts of the White Sword Horse Society gathered their power and created a strong downdraft apanied by thunder in the sky. This was the highest technique that the White Sword Horse Society could perform. ¡°Die!¡± Shadow lowered his hand that was stretched to the sky. At the same time, a terrifying pressure came down from the sky to crush Eurius. Crash! This was one of the weather phenomena called downburst! It was a phenomenon where a powerful downdraft urred in a weather with thunderstorms, causing an explosion of wind. If it hit properly, it could break all the trees in arge forest. It was a dreadful natural disaster! The force waspressed into one point and poured down to where Eurius was standing. ¡°Damn it!¡± Eurius didn¡¯t expect them tounch such arge-scale attack, so his defense was slightlyte. Crack! The thick ice wall that he had created in the air with the power of ck Tortoise was instantly turned into dust. The invisible armor that formed around him also copsed in an instant with a hissing sound. Finally, the defense using space also failed topletely repel it because too much pressure was concentrated on one point. Thump! ¡°Cough!¡± Gulp! Eurius suffered a serious injury for the first time since he obtained the invisible armor. His bones creaked as if they were breaking and blood flowed from his nose and mouth. Roar! The power of the downburst did not just sweep past Eurius. It hit the ground and bent sideways, following the flow and hitting the pce. Bang! Part of the pce copsed. The pressure that leaked out from below hit the pirs that supported the building. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The pce! Where His Majesty is!¡± ¡°What on earth is happening?¡± The whole pce was in chaos because of the noise of the building copsing. Despite beingte at night, everyone was rmed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Emperor Ju Yug-yeom also woke up from his sleep due to this unexpected cmity. Fortunately, he was not in the part of the building that copsed, but he quickly jumped out and looked around. Swoosh. Seeing the thick dust rising around him, Geum Jong-o and the White Sword Horse Society gasped and stared at where Eurius had been. ¡°Huff! Huff! He must be pulverized by now!¡± It was hard to manipte weather phenomena even with divine power. They had invested almost all their power in this one strike. However. Ssssh! Puff! ¡°Kraaak!¡± But what awaited them was not the corpse of Eurius, but a blue sh of light. The sword¡¯s trajectory pierced through several experts of the White Sword Society like skewers, apanied by a terrifying sonic boom. ¡°Wha!¡± Kim Jong-oh¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did he survive that attack?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­ Was it No. 2? You¡¯re iparable to the time of the Lord¡­ ¡° Eurius, who walked over grumbling, barely managed to prevent his body from copsing thanks to theyers of defense he had. He still couldn¡¯t move properly because of the pain that felt like his whole body was crumbling. ¡®But I don¡¯t have to move to attack!¡¯ Whiiing! The sword that had just soared into the sky curved again in a parab. Papap! The sword that plunged down like a ray of light fell in the middle of where the White Sword Society¡¯s experts were. Kwakwakwang! ¡°Kuaaak!¡± The sword controlled by the Sword Spirit freely floated in the air and its power was beyond the level that the White Sword Society¡¯s members, who had already lost their strength, could withstand. ¡°Gather again!¡± Kim Jong-oh tried to gather his strength again in a hurry to fend off Eurius¡¯ attack, but! ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Eurius swung his hand again. Pwook! The sword that had returned somehow pierced through his neck. ¡°Krrrk!¡± Kim Jong-oh copsed in an instant with a sound of detion. ¡°Leader!¡± They were startled and tried to somehow attack Eurius, but they couldn¡¯t exert their power properly since their leader had fallen. Kwakang! Kraak! It didn¡¯t take long for the sword that floated in the air following Eurius¡¯ gesture to suppress them. Tuk! Eurius, who had retrieved the Yellow Dragon Sword, sneered. ¡®It was a draw in terms of taking one hit each, but the difference in hidden cards decided the oue.¡¯ The n to unleash the power of the Divine Device and knock down Eurius in one blow was wless. He had a hard time moving his body after taking a hit, but he was able to defeat them because he had the Sword Spirit as a means of attack. Ooduk! ¡°Ouch!¡± He seemed to have recovered somewhat while standing, but he still couldn¡¯t move well because of the pain. ¡°Master!¡± Gung jeok-yeong hurriedly approached and supported him. She had only been able to approach him now because she had endured the downward gust of wind earlier. She looked at him with an impressed expression. ¡°Master¡¯s martial arts realm is bing new every day. You are indeed the sessor chosen by Master Lee Cheong-mun.¡± Eurius shook his arms and legs with a grimace. He could move quite well now. ¡°Enough with thepliments. Don¡¯t we have someone to catch?¡± Pertuk! At Eurius¡¯ words, Gung jeok-yeong came to her senses. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Tatatuk! ¡°What on earth is going on here!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Ju Yu-gyeom, who had been staying at the pce, ran out and approached Eurius. His aides tried to stop him, but he was adamant. ¡°Get out of my way! It¡¯s an imperial order!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± He stopped in front of Eurius and looked back and forth at Gung jeok-yeong, who bowed her head, and the corpses lying around. He opened his mouth as if bewitched. ¡°So you knew this crown prince from the beginning. Right?¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± Gung jeok-yeong bowed her head and apologized. Their original n was to pretend not to know Eurius and overthrow Yeosang after returning to the pce smoothly, but it went awry due to Ma-gyo¡¯s scheme. ¡®What should I do¡­ It was for a good intention, but it looks like I insulted His Majesty!¡¯ She looked back and forth nervously at Ju Yu-gyeom and Eurius. On the other hand, Eurius was calm. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Ju Yug-yeom sped his head at Eurius¡¯s cheeky question, who was now openly mocking him. He was not foolish, but too many things had happened in just a day or two and his mind was in chaos. ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t know how to deal with this situation.¡± ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°What I want?¡± ¡°Remember what I said before.¡± [Next time we meet, I expect an answer worthy of an emperor.] ¡°¡­¡± That was what he had said before. Ju Yug-yeom¡¯s expression brightened up at those words. ¡°Are you sure I can do that?¡± Eurius smiled slyly. ¡°Of course!¡± Ju Yug-yeom turned his back to him. And he gestured to call a few eunuchs. ¡°Are you guys from Dongchang?¡± ¡°Y-yes, we are.¡± He pointed his finger at the corpses scattered around. ¡°As far as I know, these guys were introduced by Yeosang, the leader of Dongchang. Why are they lying here as corpses?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°That¡­ that is¡­¡± The eunuchs hesitated to answer. ¡°They tried to ambush me at night.¡± Eurius intervened. He pulled out a decree with the royal seal from his bosom. It was something he had taken from the pockets of those who had fallen when he left his quarters. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom¡¯s face was filled with anger. He had never stamped his seal on such a decree. Of course, that was because someone else had made that document. ¡°Bring Yeosang here! Right now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send someone!¡± Forgery of the emperor¡¯s decree was a serious crime. The eunuchs ran away in a hurry at his fury. After they disappeared, he opened his mouth quietly. ¡°Thanks for now. Thanks to you, I found out that Yeosang has a hidden agenda¡­¡± ¡°I did it for my own purpose, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± The conversation they had just exchanged implied a lot of things. The most important thing was that the young emperor of Hwa Empiere would no longer have to care about his vassals¡¯ opinions. ¡°¡­¡± Ju Yug-yeom, who had aplicated expression for a moment, opened his mouth again. ¡°But will Yeosang be caught easily?¡± ¡°Do you think he won¡¯t try to run away?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** Whooosh! The day had not dawned yet. Yeosang was heading somewhere in the pce at a fast speed. ¡°Damn it! I have to report this to the main sect as soon as possible.¡± Yeosang had been watching the battle that took ce in the pce from the beginning. But the secret weapons No. 2 sent by Magyo were all killed by Eurius. He reacted quickly when he witnessed that. ¡®I have to run away! If it is revealed that I brought the people of the main sect into the pce, the emperor will not trust me.¡¯ Yeosang knew that there were more enemies than he expected in and out of the Imperial family. The royal golden army that had eliminated most of the influential people by his instigation or those who could not speak because of his power were not the only ones who hated him. There were also stubborn vassals who disliked him among them. What had protected him from all this was the emperor¡¯s favor! But he lost the emperor¡¯s trust with this incident. Soon those who hated him would tear him apart. Even if he was clean, there would be one or two ws if they searched hard enough, let alone him who had a dirty background. ¡®If it was war, I could have solved it with force¡­¡¯ For a moment, Yeosang shuddered as he recalled Eurius¡¯s appearance. He had no idea that the crown prince was such a master. He was in a situation where he had to risk his life to escape. And he had failed his mission, so Magyo would not leave him alone either. ¡®But if I can safely take this with me, maybe the master won¡¯t me me too much!¡¯ *** Bang! Leonhardt, who was sleeping soundly, woke up with a start at the sound of the door opening. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t ask why and follow me.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leonhardt looked at Yeosang in front of him with a dumbfounded expression. He woke him up in the middle of the night and told him to follow? ¡°Come back tomorrow.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time for that!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Yeosang reached out his hand violently. He was a superhuman-level expert! Leonhardt had received knight training, but he was not a specialist in physicalbat. There was no way he could resist him. ¡®So he finally showed his true colors!¡¯ Leonhardt¡¯s vision went dark. He had a bad feeling about his eyes ever since he saw him. He was imprisoned aftering to the East, and now he was kidnapped! But at that moment! Surprisingly, an unexpected hand of salvation came to him. Swoosh! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Kraak!¡± A sword that suddenly pierced through the ceiling went straight through Yeosang¡¯s hand and pinned him to the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± His gaze naturally followed the sword. ¡®Where have I seen this sword before?¡¯ ¡°He came this way after all.¡± He heard a familiar voice. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Creak The door opened and a face he knew well appeared. ¡°Long time no see, Leon. I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± It was none other than his older brother Eurius. Chapter 172: The Spinebreaker Chapter 172: The Spinebreaker ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius pulled out his sword from the hand of the woman and pressed it against her neck. It was a sign that he would slit her throat if she made any foolish moves. ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t even nce at the woman who had a desperate expression on her face. Eurius turned his head to Leonhart. ¡°Leon! I¡¯m d to see you again, but I have one question for you¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Leonhart stiffened his face. ¡°You were just branded as a traitor by the order of His Majesty, the Emperor of this ce.¡± Boom! His chest sank at Eurius¡¯s words. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah! And you also called in some forces to try to kill me.¡± Bang! This time, it was more than just sinking. A pile of rocks fell into his chest. ¡®Why is he asking me that¡­?¡¯ ¡°Haha! That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Eurius smiled slightly and looked at Leonhart who was trying to dodge the topic. ¡°But why are you trying to run away with Yeosang now? Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°Brother! That¡¯s not true!¡± Leonhart, who was startled, raised his hands and waved them as he started to exin. ¡°It¡¯s true that Yeosang locked me up and told me such outrageous ns. But!¡± He said that he had no intention of harming Eurius and that he rejected all of Yeosang¡¯s proposals. ¡°Oh! So you rejected all of his offers?¡± ¡°Yes! How could I ever think of harming you, brother!¡± ¡°Then have you ever heard of the forces called the Magyo or the Order?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eurius was smiling on the outside, but he was slightly flustered on the inside. ¡®It seems like he¡¯s telling the truth?¡¯ [Leonhart von Scharnos] Current status: Wronged Eurius expected that his brother had something to do with the Magyo. But looking at the situation now, Leonhart said that he refused to harm him, whether he intended it or not. ¡®That¡¯s not because he¡¯s nice, but probably because he didn¡¯t trust Yeosang.¡¯ Anyway, it seemed that he didn¡¯te into this pce to plot against him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting you.¡± Eurius stopped interrogating him for now. ording to his suspicions so far, there seemed to be some connection, but at least Leonhart himself didn¡¯t seem to know anything about the Magyo or the Order. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He turned his gaze back to the man who was groaning and spitting out blood. ¡°As far as I know, you didn¡¯t learn Magyo, so what¡¯s your rtionship with Magyo?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man clenched his mouth shut. His life was hanging by a thread, but she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of talking. But Eurius knew why. ¡°You¡¯re afraid that the Magyo will get rid of you, aren¡¯t you?¡± [Yeosang] Current status: Fear, despair Gasp! The Yeosang shivered. He was right. Even if she answered honestly here, the Magyo woulde to silence her. Eurius opened his mouth calmly. ¡°Then how about this offer? I¡¯ll protect you. Will you open your mouth then?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The Yeosang looked at Eurius with surprised eyes. ¡°You saw me fighting with the Magyo just before, right? I can protect you enough! And when I go back to the Western Continentter, I can also promise you afortable life there.¡± He didn¡¯t like negotiating with someone like her, but his curiosity about Leonhart outweighed his reluctance. He turned his gaze and looked at his brother. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I want you to answer! Why did you try to take my brother away? He¡¯s a talented person, but he doesn¡¯t seem like a lowly helper for the Magyo.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The Yeosang seemed to be hesitating. He was weighing between the Magyo and Eurius. Of course, the power of the Magyo was scary, but Eurius¡¯s divinity that she witnessed firsthand was also terrifying. ¡®If it¡¯s that the case, he might be able to block the pursuit of the main school. And isn¡¯t he a person from the faraway Western Continent?¡¯ Eurius noticed that her eyes were wavering and persuaded her gently. ¡°If you want, I can swear on the name of the Imperial family! How about it?¡± ¡°Cough¡­¡± The words tilted the bnce in Yeosang¡¯s mind towards Eurius. He was the one who brought the emperor here, after all. The promise made in the name of the imperial family was more reliable than anything. ¡°I trust that you will keep your promise.¡± Yeosang bowed his head to Eurius with a servile smile. Eurius did not like his expression, but he nodded. ¡®Ugh¡­ What an unpleasant character.¡¯ But he was willing topromise for a bit of information. Hadn¡¯t he finally found a clue? After licking his lips with his tongue for a while, Yeosang opened his mouth. His eyes nced at Leonhardt, who looked bewildered. ¡°The reason I tried to take the second prince to the main temple was because I received an order from the leader.¡± ¡°The leader?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What was the reason?¡± Yeosang was about to reveal the crucial information. ¡°It was because¡­ Cough!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The moment he opened his mouth, his face suddenly turned pale and he clutched his throat and rolled on the floor. Eurius quickly checked his pulse. ¡°It¡¯s poison!¡± But Yeosang was a master of the superhuman level. Such an absolute master could expel any ordinary poison through his inner energy. But how could the poison spread so fast? ¡°Kuh¡­ Leader!¡± Yeosang seemed to know the reason and gave up with a resigned face. When he realized that he was poisoned, his internal organs were already half melted and no one could save him. ¡°The reason is¡­ Cough!¡± He kept coughing and spitting blood. ¡°Bowl!¡± Finally, he uttered hisst word and died. ¡°Bowl?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at Leonhardt sharply after hearing that word. ¡°¡­¡± He still couldn¡¯t find any suspicious signs. And so, thest clue vanished in vain. But he didn¡¯t get nothing at all. Eurius carefully pondered over Yeosang¡¯sst word. ¡®Bowl? What does that mean?¡¯ *** The next day. Buzzing. The officials gathered in the court hall were all restless. The announcement made by the emperor was too shocking. [Yeosang, the leader of Eastern Depot (Dongchang), brought in a group of heretics and tried to assassinate the emperor and the crown prince sent from the western continent, thereby igniting a war between the two continents. This heinous plot was discovered and thwarted in advance, and it was also revealed that Yeosang had been a spy sent by the heretical sect since long ago.] ¡°Those are the details of this conspiracy. Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The officials were all speechless. They had seen and heard things too. The pce copsed and Yeosang and his subordinates were killed or imprisoned. Who would dare to argue with the emperor in this situation? They just murmured quietly. ¡°Tsk¡­ They say power doesn¡¯tst ten years, but even that woman who seemed to scare away birds ended up like this.¡± ¡°But who exactly subdued him?¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t you know?¡± One of the officials pointed to a man standing quietly in a corner of the hall. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the crown prince of the western continent?¡± ¡°I heard from a golden army general that he was the one who caught that woman when the pce copsed yesterday.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Then!¡± The officials finally nodded their heads. They were convinced that Ju Yu-gyeom, the current emperor, had brought in Eurius¡¯s forces to suppress Yeosang. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for him either, but he made a bold choice! He brought in a foreigner to check the power of his officials!¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t as gentle as he seemed!¡± The officials looked at Eurius and the emperor alternately with fearful eyes. The meeting proceeded smoothly after that. The generals and officials who had been exiled ten years ago due to Yeosang¡¯s nder were reinstated and their families were also given appropriatepensation. Eastern Depot (Dongchang), the organization of Yeosang¡¯s subordinates, was decided to be closed down. In fact, their role was enough as errand boys in the pce. The reason for closing them down was that they had taught them excellent martial arts because they were no different from the emperor¡¯s arms and legs, which led to this situation. ¡°Instead of closing the Intelligence, I will revive the Imperial Star Intelligence that was abolished ten years ago. The leader will be chosen from among those who are reinstated because of this incident.¡± With this order, the former members of the Imperial Guard, including Gu Zhongying, regained their positions in the pce. However, the most urgent matter was not this kind of issue. Now that the Yeosang was dead, they could gradually correct the wrongs that had been done. ¡°Finally, let¡¯s bring up the biggest agenda for today!¡± Ju Yug-yeom announced the topic with an unprecedented solemn tone. ¡°It¡¯s about the group called Dark Sect in the martial world!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The officials all held their breath and looked at the Emperor¡¯s face. ording to the truth that was revealed today, the Dark Sect had been manipting the pce for over ten years through the Empress. It was tantamount tomitting treason. What decision would Ju Yug-yeom, the Emperor of the Eastern Continent, make? *** A few dayster Another unexpected guest arrived at the headquarters of Righteous Alliance. ¡°Vice-leader! It¡¯s a big deal.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± A master suddenly ran into the conference room and delivered the news. ¡°What, His Majesty personally sent an envoy?¡± Namgung Il-cheon, who was still acting as the leader¡¯s proxy, hurriedly got up and went to greet the envoy. ¡°Huh?¡± The procession sent by the pce was iparably splendidpared to the envoy who had asked them to stop the Western Continent¡¯s troops before. It looked like they had sent a diplomatic delegation to another country. The carriage with gold ting was pulled by more than ten horses, and behind it were officials in gorgeous clothes lined up. ¡°We wee the guest from the pce.¡± Namgung Il-cheon bowed his head. The official who seemed to be the representative of the envoy opened his mouth with a stern expression. ¡°Are you the representative of Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shh. ¡°His Majesty personally ordered you!¡± The official took out a letter from his bosom and began to read it. The summary of its contents was! [The pce will provide you with enough support, so destroy the Dark Sect!] ¡°Huh¡­ The final battle with the Dark Sect is also what we want. However¡­¡± Namgung Il-cheon began to ask something he was curious about. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean by support from the pce.¡± The official¡¯s answer was simple. ¡°Everything!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Literally everything. Normally, the pce does not interfere with matters of the martial world, but this time they decided to make an exception.¡± He put down the letter and took out something else from his bosom. ¡°This is [Imperial Decree] that His Majesty gives you!¡± ¡°Imperial Decree!¡± The people of Righteous Alliance were all shocked. Imperial Decree was not a simple letter, but amand that the Emperor personally gave when he bestowed official positions or fiefs. That meant! p. The official unfolded the Imperial Decree and began to read it. [Righteous Alliance is temporarily organized as a regr army for destroying the Dark Sect, and this group is called ¡®Demon Extermination Corps¡¯! And the representative of Righteous Alliance is appointed as a temporary official position of ¡®Demon Extermination Corps Leader¡¯, and appropriate rewards will be given ording to his merits in the future.] ¡®Demon Extermination¡¯ meant eradicating demons. Boom! The people of Righteous Alliance were all stunned. The Emperor personally bestowed an official position on a person from the martial world! What on earth was going on? ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Having nothing to say, Namgung Il-cheon let out a bitterugh and opened his mouth again. ¡°If you say ¡®Demon Extermination Corps Leader¡¯, does that mean you will send someone from the pce to be in charge?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A person selected by the pce will arrive soon tomand Righteous Alliance¡¯s people.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Namgung Il-cheon showed a regretful expression. It was a good thing to be organized as an official army and receive support from the pce, but¡­ ¡°One thing¡­ The people of the martial world are¡­¡± The official quickly said. ¡°I know [Non-interference between Official and Martial]!¡± Non-interference between Official and Martial meant that officials and martial artists did not meddle with each other. This was not aw, but a rather old rule. Therefore, if an official tried to give orders to Righteous Alliance, there would surely be some noise. But the official who delivered the Emperor¡¯s letter told him not to worry about it? ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Squeak! As soon as Namgung Il-cheon asked that, the door of the splendid carriage behind him opened. The official shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Perfect timing. The Demon Extermination Corps Leader ising out.¡± ¡®Demon Extermination Corps Leader?¡¯ That meant the person sent by the pce tomand Righteous Alliance was getting off. The eyes of Righteous Alliance were all directed at the person who came out of the carriage. Shh. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, everyone. Since it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s order, do I need to introduce myself again?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Grandmaster?¡± The one who got off the carriage was Eurius, who smiled faintly and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m Eurius, who came down from the pce as the Demon Extermination Corps Leader. I look forward to working with you.¡± Chapter 173: The Plan Chapter 173: The n This ce was the headquarters of the Demon Sect, the Thousand Mountain Range. Among them, the building where the sect leader of the Demon Sect resided was called the Heavenly Demon Pce. And at the moment, in that Heavenly Demon Pce¡­ Boom! A ck lightning suddenly erupted, shattering arge table into pieces. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Sect leader?¡± The people who were sitting across from each other in the conference room were startled and quickly got up from their seats. Arge round table that could seat at least fifty people was burned by the lightning and emitted a foul smell. ¡°¡­¡± The sect leader of the Demon Sect, whose face was hidden behind a veil, was silent, but his whole body was emitting a suffocating aura of demonic energy. It was rare for the sect leader to be in such a bad mood. A momentter, a middle-aged man with a clear and elegant appearance and a ck beard that reached his chest opened his mouth cautiously. ¡°Sect leader¡­ please exin.¡± His name was Sa Yeo-han. He was ranked fourth in the Demon Sect and was in charge of the military affairs. He looked like a weak schr, but he had sacrificed hundreds of experts from the Righteous Alliance with his vicious schemes. He was called the Demon Brain by the Righteous Alliance and feared by them. Of course, he had a lot of trust from the sect leader, so if he didn¡¯t step forward in this situation, no one else would dare to speak. ¡°The ones we sent to the Imperial Pce were annihted.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The sect leader¡¯s answer was brief, but everyone in the room looked at him with shocked eyes. If it wasn¡¯t for the sect leader who said it, they would have thought it was a joke. ¡°Unbelievable. Weren¡¯t there experts from the White Sword Demon Association, including Geum Jong-oh among them?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡± The sect leader had calmed down his anger and answered with a calm voice. Only then did Sa Yeo-han and the others nod their heads with heavy expressions. ¡°To think that our secret weapon, No. 2, would be wiped out¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the Righteous Alliance would have such strength.¡± Then someone sighed as they looked at the leaders of the Demon Sect. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The one who said that was Sa Yeo-han, the military officer. He turned his gaze to the sect leader and opened his mouth again. ¡°If we failed at the Imperial Pce, then our n must have been exposed by now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The military officer is indeed sharp.¡± The sect leader seemed to like Sa Yeo-han¡¯s insight and answered with a softer tone than before. But his expression was serious. ¡®Now that our involvement in the Imperial Pce is known, there is only one oue.¡¯ That was war. The Demon Sect had not only made enemies with their arch-rivals, the Righteous Alliance, but also with the sole nation of the Eastern Continent, the Hwan Empire. They had literally turned the entire Eastern Continent into their enemy! ¡°We have to speed up our preparations. We could have taken over the Eastern Continent in one go, but there¡¯s no choice now that it¡¯se to this.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The sect leader¡¯s eyes shed. This meant that he was going to execute his n to take over the Eastern Continent right away. ¡°Are you confident?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sa Yeo-han nodded his head firmly and lowered it slightly. ¡°But it¡¯s a shame that our spies in the Righteous Alliance and the Imperial Pce were exposed. It was a really costly mistake.¡± If everything went ording to n, they would have used the Imperial Pce to cause chaos among the Righteous Alliance and other forces, and inflicted huge damage on them before taking over the Eastern Continent easily. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that my n that I¡¯ve been working on for over ten years failed! There can¡¯t be any more mistakes like this!¡¯ But the sect leader had a slightly different thought. ¡°It might not be a mistake.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the yer said? Coincidence bes inevitability when it repeats itself.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Lately, our ns have been failing unprecedentedly.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.¡± The sect leader stopped Sa Yeo-han who was about to bow his head deeply. His eyes hidden behind the veil sparkled again. ¡°Have you ever thought that there is always someone involved in our failures?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** Meanwhile, Eurius, who had entered the Righteous Alliance, went to see Je Gal Se first. He had some news that he couldn¡¯t hear while he was in the Imperial Pce. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. It seems like you¡¯ve done something big again.¡± Jegal Un Hyun greeted him with a bright smile. Eurius answered briefly and told him his purpose. ¡°You are all safe and sound, that¡¯s a relief. Did you solve the problem I asked you before?¡± ¡°Of course, we have investigated it.¡± A young man in a military uniform came out from behind. He was Jegal Seung-woon, the chief of the Jade Moon Sect. It was his duty to answer this question. ¡°Are you talking about the two people you mentioned?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What Eurius was most curious about right now was the two people who parted ways. Nuada and Heinz. They were both outstanding warriors, so they had a high chance of being alive, but their whereabouts were still mysterious. ¡°As you ordered, we collected information on anyone with unusual features around the coast where you drifted.¡± ¡°So, did you find anything?¡± Eurius was somewhat anxious. If they couldn¡¯t find them with the information power of Jade Moon Sect (Hyunwoljeon), their chances of survival would be significantly reduced. ¡°To put it briefly, we found people who are suspected to be them.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius tilted his head. If they were them, they were them. What did he mean by suspected? ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s what I mean¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Seung-woon suddenly burst intoughter. *** For nearly two hundred years, the Righteous and the Magi had been enemies of enemies. They were so hostile to each other that they almost had arge-scale sh every twenty or thirty years. The martial arts world called thisrge-scale sh between the two sides. [Righteous-Magi War] And now, the Righteous Alliance was preparing for the seventh Righteous-Magi War. Of course, this seventh war was different from the previous ones in terms of scale. Buzzing. The factions that rushed to the Righteous Alliance¡¯s call looked at the list of leaders posted on the wall and murmured. ¡°It¡¯s understandable that traditional prestigious factions like Odaesega or Shaolin are there, but what about these people?¡± ¡°The royal army and the army from the Western Continent?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also news that the Alliance has formed a special unit called Cheokmadan. The royal support is focused there.¡± ¡°The royal family is involved in the martial arts world, which is surprising enough, but the Western Continent? I wonder if themand system will work properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure the high-ranking people know what they¡¯re doing, but it looks like they have three heads. They mightpete for credit with each other.¡± ¡°Hey! Do you think the leaders are so ipetent? They must have arranged it reasonably.¡± The martial artists who gathered in the Righteous Alliance had different opinions, but there was one thing they all agreed on. ¡®Maybe this time we can finally root out the Magi!¡¯ As they thought, the scale of the forces gathered for the seventh Righteous-Magi War was unprecedented. They had the support of the royal pce, and ording to rumors, there were many formidable experts among the Westerners. Considering that it had been a war between only the Righteous Alliance and the Magi until then, it could be said that the game had be much bigger. And if the body grew bigger, it was natural to arrange amand system that suited it! Eurius summoned people for that purpose. ¡°I greet Cheokmadanju!¡± ¡°I greet Daehyeop!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you all. Sit down first.¡± He nodded his head and looked at their faces in the conference room. First of all, on his right were those who followed Eurius from the Western Continent. The knights of Sharnos Knight Order, including Beatrice, Heinz and others! And there were also officers of the Empire¡¯s First Fleet, including Admiral Cornel. And on his left were the existing figures of the Righteous Alliance. There were representatives of Odaesega, including Jegal Sae-ga, and other prestigious Righteous factions. ¡°¡­¡± The Westerners were all those who followed Eurius¡¯s name, so they sat with a calm expression. But the atmosphere on the side of the Righteous Alliance¡¯s leaders was quite different. ¡®Ahem¡­¡¯ ¡®I trust Daehyeop, but he may not know well about the martial arts world¡¯s nature. What if there is a conflict between them?¡¯ They were either ufortable or had some small worries. This was a concern about themand system. [Non-interference between civil and military affairs] No matter how Eurius received the royal order and legally obtained themand of the Righteous Alliance, there was a fundamental difference between martial artists and soldiers. Of course, they couldn¡¯t ignore Eurius, who was Lee Cheong-mun¡¯s disciple and received royal favor, but the number of experts gathered in the Righteous Alliance was unprecedented since its establishment. ¡®Maybe we can finally subjugate the Magi this time!¡¯ There was also this expectation psychology that made their morale sky-high. Some of them already thought that subjugating the Magi was like taking something out of their pocket. What the leaders of the Righteous Alliance, including Namgoong Il-cheon, were worried about was this point. ¡®Each faction will try to take the lead in order to gain credit, but I don¡¯t know how Daehyeop Eurius, who doesn¡¯t know much about the martial arts world, will solve this.¡¯ If Eurius arranged it arbitrarily, the factions that were excluded or pushed back from the ces where they could gain credit would harbor resentment against the Righteous Alliance. This was a problem that was directly rted to the morale of the entire forces gathered in the Righteous Alliance. ¡°The reason I called you here is because of the formation.¡± But Eurius¡¯s solution was surprisingly simple. ¡°I will divide Cheokmadan into two groups.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like. I willmand the Westerners myself, and the Easterners and the royal army will be arranged by the Righteous Alliance through a meeting.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± The experts of the Righteous Alliance looked at Eurius with a surprised look. He was practically given all the authority over the Magi subjugation by the emperor¡¯s order. But he didn¡¯t use that power as he pleased, and said he would only directlymand the Westerners who followed him. Eurius began to exin slowly, as if to clear their doubts. ¡°As you all know, I still don¡¯t know much about the martial arts world and the Eastern Continent. If I interfere with the formation every day, it will only cause confusion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He smiled in front of the silent leaders of the Righteous Alliance. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be better for you to gain credit? The Westerners, including me, are here to subjugate the Magi, not to gain credit.¡± Boom! The leaders were all shocked by his words. Namgoong Il-cheon opened his mouth with a surprised expression. ¡°Daehyeop, do you mean?¡± Eurius spoke again with a nonchnt expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would split them into two? I and my followers will mainly y the role of support. It¡¯s only natural that you, who know more about the Eastern Continent, take on the central role.¡± This was tantamount to saying that he would give all the credit to the Righteous Alliance. Not to mention that he respected them without breaking the existingmand system. ¡°I thank you for your generosity, Daehyeop.¡± The leaders all eximed and sent admiring nces at Eurius. ¡®Huh¡­ Maybe I misunderstood him. He really doesn¡¯t seem to have any interest other than subjugating the Magi.¡¯ ¡®This way, I have less chance of not getting any credit!¡¯ Even those who had not very good feelings toward Eurius were overjoyed by his words of giving them credit. Seeing them relieved, Eurius smiled inwardly. ¡®This way, I can reduce the bacsh from the martial artists who aremanded by a stranger!¡¯ Now they would obediently follow Eurius¡¯s words even if they were greedy for credit. It was time for the next step. ¡°Then I will move on to the next agenda on the formation.¡± Chapter 174: Spy Chapter 174: Spy Now, all eyes in the hall were focused on Eurius¡¯s one-man show. It was because the content he was about to talk about was rted to the achievements they would make in the future War of Magic. ¡°The person who will tell you the n this time is not me.¡± Eurius gestured lightly to call someone. He immediately got up from his chair. ¡°My name is Jegal Seung-un, and I have taken over the military affairs on behalf of Lord Jegal, who is in poor health. I apologize for myck of manners, but please take care of me.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The leaders of the Righteous Alliance were slightly surprised. He was a person from the Jegal family, but he was too young. The military affairs of the Righteous Alliance were originally handled by Lord Jegal Do, the head of the Jegal family, but he was absent this time. The reason was that he felt guilty for not being able to stop Shin Ja-seong, the lord he had served for his whole life, from falling into the trap of the Demon Sect. He barely regained his sanity, but he had to recuperate for a few more months to move normally due to the aftereffects of bing a zombie. He called Jegal Seung-un, who had fallen into despair, and handed over the military affairs of the Righteous Alliance. ¡°It is my responsibility that I could not stop him from bing like that. I have no face to serve him in this investigation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Lord.¡± But Jegal Do shook his head and looked at him with a sad expression. ¡°Seung-un, I think you have enough ability to serve him. It¡¯s rather a good thing.¡± Jegal Seung-un was originally the most coveted talent in the family, so he just received the position he would have received someday. But he was an unknown person, so it was not unreasonable for the other people of the Righteous Alliance to be unfamiliar with him. ¡®He¡¯s too young to be in charge of military affairs¡­ Even if it¡¯s a rmendation from the Jegal family, can I trust him?¡¯ And his words were also proposals that broke everyone¡¯s expectations. ¡°First of all, please select elites from each family and sect. I¡¯m going to create a special unit.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Elites?¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± Everyone looked at him with a puzzled expression as Shin Un uttered a sigh. One of them, who was sitting on one side, asked a question. J Jegal Seung-un¡¯s answer was quick. ¡°It¡¯s to clean up the enemy inside before the real fight begins.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± For a moment, Shin Un¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Can you take responsibility for what you said?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The enemy inside! The meaning of that dialogue was as follows. [There are still spies of the Demon Sect within the Righteous Alliance.] ¡°And not just one or two. Maybe there are some weeds of the Demon Sect among us.¡± Eurius added in a calm tone. Shin Un and the others could only be shocked. The deputy lord Namgoong Il-cheon opened his mouth urgently. ¡°Lord! The people here are all representatives of prestigious sects with clear identities!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Eurius widened his eyes and pointed to where the lord¡¯s room was. ¡°The lord himself fell into the hands of the Demon Sect. What about those under him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hall fell silent. There was nothing to say in response. Soon Jegal Seung-un started to exin. ¡°Of course, we and I don¡¯t doubt anyone unconditionally. But we have to solve this before the real expedition begins. We will organize a special unit and secretly strike at the forces that have been captured by the Demon Sect.¡± ¡°Do you mean you already found out who the spies are?¡± Shin Un looked incredulous. If there were any suspicious signs, it would be natural for his sect, which was in charge of information in the alliance, to find something out. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ He red at his disciple Chwi Seon-gae, who was in charge of Gae Bang, with a terrifying look. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Chwi Seon-gae, who remembered Ma Ta-jak¡¯s memory, quickly opened his mouth. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ll ask this young new military officer. Our sect didn¡¯t get any information like that¡­ Can you confirm that you have solid evidence?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just a secret that cannot be revealed at the moment.¡± The confident answer made everyone in the hall look at each other. They were all renowned figures in the martial world. ¡®Is there someone among us who has been captured by the Demon Sect?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t understand it no matter how hard they thought, but after hearing about themotion that happened in the Justice Alliance, they couldn¡¯t ignore it either. However, there were some who secretly exchanged nces. ¡®How did they find out?¡¯ ¡®It could be a bluff. It¡¯s a n that our sect has been working on for decades. How could it be exposed so easily¡­¡¯ ¡®Even if we are exposed, we can just deny it and ask for evidence.¡¯ And there was an eye that silently watched them. ¡®There¡¯s no doubt that a thief feels his own foot itch.¡¯ The owner of that gaze was Eurius. *** A few hours before the meeting. ¡°You¡¯re saying that this is an opportunity to catch the spy?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have some idea? Even if we don¡¯t know their identity, there must be another spy since your leader, the head of your sect, is in such a state.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Jegal Seong-woon had a bewildered expression on his face. Of course, it was a natural suspicion since even their leader was controlled by the Demon Sect, but revealing it was another matter. ¡®How can we investigate all the sects and ns? What is he thinking?¡¯ When he asked him, Eurius smiled faintly. ¡°Well, I have a way that only I can use.¡± ¡°Really?¡± That way was his ability to see stats. Of course, the Demon Sect wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to nt someone who spewed out magic as a spy. ¡®But if I say there¡¯s a spy, there will surely be some who panic.¡¯ Eurius scanned the crowd with his eyes. [Yeon Gil-je] Current state: Anxious, nervous [Byeok Chang-hyeon] Current state: Shocked, confused . . . . Everything was as he expected. Eurius memorized the names and affiliations of those who were shaken. And those people were secretly subjected to thorough investigations. A few dayster ¡°It¡¯s as you said. ording to the investigation of Jade Moon Sect, Yeon¡¯s n was a pawn of the Demon Sect.¡± ¡°Our sect also found the same thing. Who would have thought that Geum-anbo, who had some reputation in Gangbuk, had fallen into the hands of the Demon Sect!¡± Jegal Seong-woon and Gu Cheon-geol, who had finished their investigations under Eurius¡¯s orders, came to report with astonished expressions. Something that they couldn¡¯t understand with theirmon sense had happened. ¡®How did he pinpoint the ones who were colluding with the Demon Sect?¡¯ Of course, they had investigated thoroughly, but it was Eurius who pointed them out. Normally, an investigation would be very inefficient if the scope was vague and wide. But if the scope was narrowed down to one sect or person, there was no reason why they couldn¡¯t dig up even the most secret information. Of course, Byoldongdae and Jade Moon Sect were also the best information organizations in Dongdaeryuk. But it would have been impossible to identify the spies in such a short time without Eurius¡¯s help. ¡®How did he do it?¡¯ They were very curious, but Eurius didn¡¯t bother to answer them. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve caught the pawns, we need to deal with them. Prepare the Demon yer Unit.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± They left Eurius¡¯s presence with regretful expressions on their faces. *** The operation to strike the spies was carried out in an instant as soon as their tails were stepped on. A special unitposed of only the elites of the Righteous Alliance was formed for this purpose. Its name was ¡®Demon yer Unit¡¯. It was the unit that would take charge of the actual vanguard in this Demon Sect War. The first ce they attacked was the prestigious Yeon n in the northwest. They began their assault with a roaring cry. ¡°Yaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Demon yer! Protect the Righteous!¡± ¡°Do not leave a single weed of the Demon Sect alive!¡± The Yeon n¡¯s figures were startled by the sight of the Demon yer Unit¡¯s experts pouring in like a flood. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± ¡°What have we done wrong? This is an outrageous insult!¡± But Namgoong Ilcheon, who was leading the Demon yer Unit, sneered. He had already received clear evidence from Eurius beforehand. ¡°You despicable ones are still trying to deny it until the end.¡± Swoosh! A few experts came out from behind and spilled a sack of grain on the ground. Then they brought some livestock and fed them. ¡°Gurgle!¡± ¡°Squeak!¡± The livestock that ate the grain turned blue all over their bodies in less than a minute, then vomited blood and died. Namgoong Ilcheon shouted in a stern tone. ¡°Isn¡¯t this grain the one you promised to supply to the Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Yeon Gilje, the head of the Yeon n, turned pale. They were originally a n that had amassed wealth from grain trading and vastnd. So they had a wicked n to supply poisoned grain to the Righteous Alliance, but they were exposed before they could execute it. ¡®Can I expect any support from the Divine Alliance?¡¯ He quickly racked his brain and soon put on an expression full of venom. ¡°All disciples, resist with all your might and be prepared for imprisonment! We must inflict some damage on them for the sake of the Divine Alliance¡¯s future!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Yeon n¡¯s elders clung to the Demon yer Unit like leeches. ng! Boom! Soon, the Yeon n became a hellish scene with various weapons shing. But it didn¡¯t take long for the oue to be decided. Zap! ¡°Aaaargh!¡± Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s sword turned into lightning and pierced through Yeon Gilje. The sword that turned into lightning burned him ck. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The situation elsewhere was no different. There was no way a single n could handle the elites sent by the Righteous Alliance. The Demon yer Unit sessfullypleted their first mission like that. *** ¡°Casualties: thirty, seriously injured: four, dead: ¡­ none!¡± ¡°Woooooo!¡± The returning Demon yer Unit received a fervent wee. They had prevented the dangerous plot of the Demon Sect in advance, so their morale was sky-high. And of course, that gratitude also went to Eurius. ¡°I am amazed by your wisdom, Grand Master.¡± ¡°I only gave you a little clue. You guys did more work by fighting in front.¡± Eurius declined their thanks with a nonchnt expression. The Demon yer Unit¡¯s exploits did not stop there. They exposed and annihted Gumanbo, who had sprinkled sulfur and oil on a narrow mountain path that the Righteous Alliance was supposed to pass through, and tried to kill them with fire attacks! They exposed and annihted Cheonsalbang, a secret organization that pretended to help the Righteous Alliance while secretly attempting to assassinate their leaders! In addition, weeds of the Demon Sect that had infiltrated various ces in the Righteous Faction with bizarre methods were discovered one after another. The leaders of the Righteous Alliance were all dumbfounded. ¡°I knew the forces of the Demon Sect were strong, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be so thoroughly prepared!¡± The Righteous Alliance could have been annihted before they even had a chance to fight. Eurius¡¯s judgment was correct. And the reputation of the Demon yer Squad, which had gone through several expeditions, soared to the sky. The full-scale war against the demons had not even started yet, but they had already been deployed so many times. Naturally, the threshold to join them also increased. ¡°This time, we must get our disciple into the Demon yer Squad¡­¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t it fair to give everyone an equal opportunity? What kind of ce is the headquarters that they only include three people!¡± The leaders of the Righteous Alliance who gathered in the headquarters were eager to get their factions into the Demon yer Squad. Of course, there was a prerequisite for that. ¡°Grandmaster! Our sect is proud of its hundred-year tradition¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Can we hear when the next expedition will be?¡± They were trying to impress Eurius with all kinds of methods. It was understandable, since Eurius had the authority to deploy the Demon yer Squad. Without hismand, they would not have any opportunity to act. Moreover, he did not interfere with the personnel arrangement, but in reality, Nangong Yichen and Jiega Seongun, who led the Demon yer Squad, were either his subordinates or close friends. ¡®I have to look good in front of the Grandmaster! That way, I can have a chance to earn some merit even when the real war against the demons breaks out!¡¯ That¡¯s how Eurius was able to win over the hearts of the people in the Righteous Alliance without even trying. The whole headquarters was filled with praises for him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such an effect. I admire your master n.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. This is just the beginning.¡± Jiega Seongun praised Eurius until his mouth was dry, but thetter was calm. He quietly looked at the map on the table in the conference room. ¡®I¡¯ve cleaned up all the minor ces. The Demon Sect is not stupid, they must be preparing for a counterattack!¡¯ Chapter 175: The Waterway Alliance Chapter 175: The Waterway Alliance ¡°Give me an excuse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sa Yeo-han, the leader of the Demon Brain Sect, hung his head low and did not dare to look up at the leader of the Demon Sect. He felt really wronged. His n that he had spent decades on was shattered in just over a month. His n was perfect. He had already infiltrated or captured many of the influential figures in the Righteous Alliance, including the leader. He had also set up numerous traps in various ces that could deal a fatal blow to the Righteous Alliance. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for that damn Demon yer Unit or whatever it is!¡¯ Sa Yeo-han felt more despair than anger. Even if he had personally told them, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to clear those traps faster than this. Amazingly, the Righteous Alliance, which had organized the Demon yer Unit, was destroying the spies and captured forces at a terrifying speed. ¡®Could it be that the Righteous Alliance bastards also infiltrated our sect?¡¯ Of course, that was impossible in the Demon Sect. Even he, who was considered the best brain in the sect, couldn¡¯t imagine such a thing. That¡¯s how absurd this failure was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± The leader of the Demon Sect observed him with a surprisingly calm tone. But Sa Yeo-han knew very well what would happen if he was deemed useless. ¡°Of course not! I have another n!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The leader of the Demon Sect looked unimpressed, but he didn¡¯t kill him right away, which meant he was willing to give him another chance. ¡°Tell me what your n is.¡± ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ Sa Yeo-han let out a sigh of relief inwardly and opened his mouth. ¡°The response of the Righteous Alliance was unexpected, but it could also be an opportunity.¡± ¡°An opportunity?¡± ¡°Yes. That group called the Demon yer Unit has almost all of the main forces of the Righteous Alliance gathered there, right?¡± As Sa Yeo-han exined, the Demon yer Unit had be a ce where only the elites of the elites were gathered, as each sectpeted to send their members to gain merit. There were so many applicants that it was a headache to select them. ¡°Is your goal to attack them?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Sa Yeo-han answered with a confident expression. ¡°ording to the information I obtained, that Demon yer Unit is targeting this ce.¡± He pointed his finger at a part of the map. The sect that was located there was called Daewoongmun, which had been captured by the Demon Sect a long time ago, but it didn¡¯t have much power. However, Sa Yeo-han¡¯s real target was not there. Swoosh. His finger moved slightly upward from there. It was where a huge river that divided the Hwan Empire horizontally was located. ¡°The Jang River?¡± Sa Yeo-han nodded vigorously at the leader¡¯s question. ¡°I n to turn them all into fish food in the Jang River.¡± *** Meanwhile, Eurius was also preparing for his next n. ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve cleared most of the big ces.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you, my lord. Thanks to the achievements of the Demon yer Unit, the number of experts who have joined our alliance is gradually increasing.¡± The War of Righteousness and Demons was often a fight between so-called prestigious sects and the Demon Sect. Small and medium-sized sects didn¡¯t have many experts, and losing them in a fight against the Demon Sect would be a huge loss, so they usually didn¡¯t send their core experts. But as the deeds of the Demon yer Unit became known, the atmosphere gradually changed. There was no better opportunity than this to make their sect¡¯s name known if they participated even a little bit. The Righteous Alliance was now overflowing with experts from all over the ce. Eurius¡¯s eyes sparkled as he heard the situation. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to prepare for a full-scale war?¡± They had enough power gathered and most of the spies from the Demon Sect were cleared. It was time for a full-scale war with the Demon Sect. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m nning to let the Demon yer Unit rest for a while in our alliance after this Daewoongmun subjugation.¡± Jegal Seongun agreed with his words and seemed to think for a moment. Soon, he opened his mouth with a slightly embarrassed expression. ¡°Actually¡­ I had some news to report to you, but I waste.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the Noklim Alliance that I told you before.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes widened. It was one of the news he had been waiting for the most. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s there? I heard the description was simr, but¡­¡± ¡°Actually, things got a littleplicated. I thought it would be resolved when the messenger who went to Noklim came back.¡± Jegal Seongun lowered his head as if he had no face. Eurius looked at him with a puzzled expression and replied. ¡°What happened with that group of bandits called Noklim?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trivial matter that I¡¯m ashamed to call a problem to you. I didn¡¯t expect this situation to happen either.¡± ¡°Tell me more in detail.¡± Jegal Seongun started to exin with a somewhat absurd expression. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the Janggangsu Alliance before.¡± ¡°I did. If Noklim is a group of mountain bandits, then Janggangsu is a group of water bandits, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The problem urred during the process of subjugating both factions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After listening to the exnation, Eurius muttered with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying that the bandits who steal onnd and the bandits who steal on water are fighting each other and things are not going well?¡± ¡°You summarized it well. They have a pretty deep-rooted rtionship, but if you just conclude, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The bandits who steal in the martial world could bergely divided into two categories: mountain bandits and water bandits. Mountain bandits were none other than Noklimchilshipicha¡­ Noklim Alliance. And there was a big river called Janggang that crossed the vastnd of Hwan Empire from east to west. The people who stole on this river were called Janggangsuropalsipcha! Or simply Suru Alliance. ¡°Unlike us, they have surprisingly wide influence. Especially on Janggang, Suru¡¯s power is great.¡± Unlike Noklim, who usually designated one mountain and imed their business(?), Suru had a lot of legitimate businesses, and that was the control and management of the waterway and ships. ¡°If you want to use Janggang, you have to deal with them whether you like it or not. Most of the skilled boatmen and ships on the river are connected to them.¡± And Janggang, which crossed the east and west of the empire, was also the fastest and most efficient transportation method. The headquarters of Magyo, Cheonsan Mountain Range, was located at the western end of the continent and surrounded by rugged mountains, so it was not an easy ce to go bynd unless you were an extraordinary master. ¡°So we tried to contact Suru early. It was essential to use the waterway through Janggang to move the masters belonging to Chekma Unit efficiently.¡± ¡°But it fell through?¡± ¡°It may seem like a trivial fight to you, but they are also martial artists and their prestige can be easily underestimated once it is broken in the martial world. Especially in their case, where they move people by force.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± That¡¯s right! The problem this time was the rivalry between Noklim and Suru. They were both bandits, but strangely they hated each other very much. Perhaps it was because of their difference in business style(?). ¡°Hmph! We mountain heroes don¡¯t live by pretending to be legal like those fish in Janggang. They are not bandits but merchants!¡± ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s amazing that there are stillnd dogs who are old-fashioned and talk about heroes and tolls on mountains.¡± This was their difference in opinion. Jegal Seongun sighed after exining this far. ¡°Whew¡­ I didn¡¯t expect things to happen because of such trivial problems either. Suru was at least solvable with money¡­¡± ording to his exnation, Suru promised to cooperate as much as possible with Chekma Unit if they paid money. But Noklim was the problem. ¡°They said they would never ride on Suru¡¯s ship, who is theirpetitor. If they don¡¯t ride on the ship, there is no point in bringing them in.¡± As he mentioned earlier, it was too difficult to move bynd to Magyo¡¯s headquarters unless you were an extraordinary master. The best option was to borrow Suru¡¯s ship and go by waterway, but they said they would never ride on it even if they died. ¡°Well, they are mountain bandits after all? If we press them with force¡­¡± ¡°It might have been worth considering ten years ago, but their power is not to be underestimated. Especially the leader of the Seventy-Two Branches, King Yooksangyong, who was once among the Four Great Masters of the orthodox sects. They are not strictly a faction, so they could easily side with the evil sects.¡± [Land Dragon King, Jin Yeo Hae]. He was a person who had broken through the realm of superhumans and was one of the Four Great Masters of the orthodox sects, as a disciple of Shaolin ten years ago. But one day, he suddenly disappeared and reappeared as the leader of the Seventy-Two Branches of Nokrim, shocking all the martial artists. And the other leaders of the Seventy-Two Branches who received his martial arts were also full of outstanding masters, so Nokrim was evaluated as a group that could not be underestimated in the current martial world. Finally, after hearing all the exnations, Eurius nodded his head. ¡°So, if we persuade the leader to board our ship, the problem will be solved.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think.¡± At this point, Eurius chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and persuade him myself while I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± He had just heard that he had found one of his colleagues in Nokrim. It was a good opportunity even if it wasn¡¯t for this problem. *** The current location of Nokrim was not far from Jeongdomaeng. They were originally summoned by the emperor and responded to the summons nominally. And now Eurius was sitting face to face with the leader of Nokrim. ¡°I¡¯m Jinyeo.¡± ¡°Your name is Eurius, right?¡± [Jinyeo] Job: Fist Master, Superhuman (Grandmaster) Strength: S+ Agility: S Intelligence: B+ Mental Power: A+ Force Aptitude: A+ Force: S Disposition: Stubborn, entric, Blunt [Trait] Martial Arts (S+) Diamond Indestructible ¨C It is a secret technique of the fourth stage. The strength of your body increases depending on your proficiency. ¡®He¡¯s a mid-level superhuman among superhumans. It won¡¯t be too hard to suppress him.¡¯ Eurius checked Jinyeo¡¯s stats and prepared himself in case of emergency. ¡®Apparently, these heretics value strength more than manners. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll just force him to follow me.¡¯ But Jinyeo asked him a question before he could open his mouth. ¡°Your name is Eurius, right?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius looked at him with a bewildered expression. He was not surprised by the question, but by the fact that Jinyeo¡¯s blunt expression changed slightly to a regretful one. ¡°It seems like I found him properly.¡± Jinyeo didn¡¯t wait for Eurius¡¯s answer and turned his head and shouted. ¡°Nu Daehyung! I found him right!¡± ¡°Daehyung?¡± Eurius muttered unknowingly. What does that mean? tter. At that moment, the door opened and a familiar presence entered the room. He recognized that presence and Eurius smiled happily. ¡°Nuada! You were with them!¡± The one who came in was a young man with arge physique! It was Nuada, who had been separated by a storm. They hugged each other and shook hands with joy. After they vented their emotions for a while, Nuada opened his mouth first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t join you sooner, friend.¡± He looked a bit sorry for joining now. It was rare for him to show such an expression. Swoosh. In the meantime, Jinyeo stood up. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius raised his eyebrows again before he could ask anything. He sped his hands and bowed. ¡°I congratte Daehyung on meeting his friend again.¡± ¡®Come to think of it, he¡¯s been calling him Daehyung since earlier.¡¯ Eurius stared nkly at Nuada. He sighed and exined. ¡°Phew¡­ Actually, the reason why I found my friend sote was rted to this¡­ They kept asking me to be the leader of the mountain tribe or to hand over the chief¡¯s position. It was annoying.¡± ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Eurius nodded inwardly. The information he had heard was that there was a Westerner who looked like Nuada and had a good reputation among the Nokrim people. But he didn¡¯t know that he had reached such a high position that the chief would offer him his seat. ¡°The details are¡­¡± ¡°That can wait.¡± Eurius guessed roughly how this rtionship came about. Of course, he was not uninterested in the process, but that was not what he was most curious about right now. He turned his body toward Jinyeohae. ¡°First of all, thank you for helping my friend. But I have something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius was slightly surprised. Wasn¡¯t his tone of voice much more polite than before? ¡°If you are a friend of Daehyung, you are also my superior. But that doesn¡¯t mean I will obey your orders or be your subordinate. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± At that, Eurius nodded and opened his mouth. ¡°Why did you refuse our offer? I would appreciate it if you could take the boat with us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a difficult thing to do. The water dogs of Suromaeng are annoying, but this time it¡¯s also the emperor¡¯s order.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Unexpectedly, Jinyeohae had no objection to taking the boat. But another question arose from here. ¡°Then why did you refuse at first?¡± Then Nuada opened his mouth with a sheepish expression. ¡°That was because of my request.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°If you go west by boat, wouldn¡¯t you miss the chance to meet him?¡± ¡°Aha!¡± Eurius nodded his head. It was a reasonable argument. But now that he had joined them, there was no problem. ¡®It¡¯s surprisingly easy to solve.¡¯ As he relieved himself, Nuada spoke to him again. ¡°There is also another reason why I didn¡¯t take the boat.¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it this time?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing, but¡­¡± Nuada sighed and a trace of fear shed across his face. Eurius was surprised to see him make such an expression that looked like he had nothing to fear in the world. ¡®What could be the reason?¡¯ Nuada opened his mouth again. ¡°I heard that the ce called Janggang is not a river, but a huge sea where dozens of boats can float in a row.¡± As he said, Janggang was a huge river that was tens to hundreds of meters deep and could cause big waves if the wind blew hard. Except for the fact that the waves were not high, there was not much difference between the wide part of the river and the calm sea. ¡®Wait a minute, sea?¡¯ Eurius recalled the nightmare-like memory of his first voyage. ¡®Surely Nuada is¡­¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Did you notice?¡± Nuada looked genuinely scared. The thing that the lord who ruled over the northern part of the Western Continent feared most was¡­ ¡°Seasickness?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 176: On the river Chapter 176: On the river After reuniting with Nuada, Eurius soon contacted the Waterway Alliance, his original purpose. The meeting point was a boat floating on the Yangtze River. ¡°Ha ha! Wee to the Waterway Alliance! You must be the leader of the Demon yer Unit, I¡¯ve heard so much about.¡± With a heartyugh, Jang Han greeted Eurius. He had a huge body over two meters tall, and his whole body was covered with ck dragon tattoos. ¡®That man is the leader of the Eighteen Tribes of the Yangtze River, the ck Dragon of the Water, Kyodang.¡¯ Jegal Seongun, who apanied Eurius for his mission, whispered a hint to him. Eurius smiled and greeted him back. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your fame as well. I hope we can work together.¡± Kyodang sneered at his words. ¡°Khehehe¡­ You¡¯re just as short-spoken as the rumors say.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®How dare he be so rude to His Highness the Crown Prince?¡¯ The knights who apanied Eurius were inwardly furious, and their displeasure showed on their faces. It was as if he was picking a fight with a stranger on their first meeting. ¡°Well, whatever. Let¡¯s get to the point quickly.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But Eurius brushed it off with an indifferent look. This surprised Kyodang for a moment, but he soon opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re quick to talk, I like that. Now, about the boat you¡¯ll be riding on¡­¡± He shed a cunning smile that didn¡¯t suit hisrge body, and looked at the people behind Eurius. ¡°The Righteous Alliance¡­ or should I say, the Demon yer Unit now? The negotiation was already done, but if you want to take those mongrels with you, I¡¯ll have to add another condition.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The people he pointed at reacted to his words. They were the leaders of the ck g Bandit that he met this time! They already had a bad rtionship with the water rats, and he was openly mocking them. The leader of the ck g Bandit, Jin Yeohae, quietly expressed his anger. ¡°Kyodang¡­ Are you picking a fight with my ck g Bandit? Do you not value your life?¡± He was a master who reached the realm of superhumans! His heavy aura began to pressure Kyodang. But surprisingly, he had a lot of guts. ¡°Kheh! You might be something onnd, but do you think you can act so high and mighty on this river?¡± Crack! Their eyes shed, and the cabin where the negotiation took ce became even more tense. It seemed like they would draw their weapons and attack each other at any moment. ¡°Stop!¡± But Eurius calmly intervened between them. ¡°So what¡¯s your condition?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Kyodang turned his gaze back to Eurius and looked surprised. ¡®I tried to provoke him and make him lose hisposure¡­ but he¡¯s not what he seems.¡¯ In fact, Kyodang had the upper hand in this situation. He had almost all the boats andrge ships that could transport people inrge numbers on the Yangtze River under his control. ¡°I need more money from you. This is not like diggingnd for business.¡± Then he named an outrageous amount of money. Jegal Seongun tly refused. ¡°That¡¯s different from the original condition. We can¡¯t ept such a demand.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t lend you a boat. Do whatever you want.¡± He was trying to make a fortune out of this opportunity. But Eurius didn¡¯t seem bothered by it either. ¡°Well, then I have no choice¡­ Can I bring in warships here?¡± ¡°Warships?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t offer a reasonable condition, I¡¯ll have to do that even if it takes some time.¡± Eurius smiled faintly. In fact, the Demon yer Unit was receiving support from the royal family, so moving warships was possible. It was just that it took time and it was slower than using the waterway. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work, I can also use the warships of our empire!¡± Of course, there was a way to connect the Yangtze River to the sea, so he could also use the warships of Scharnos Empire that came looking for him. ¡°Grr¡­¡± Kyodang groaned for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect him to have such a method. He also didn¡¯t like warships entering his territory. Finally, after a few rounds of bargaining, ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. Let¡¯s end the negotiation like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good choice.¡± In the end, Eurius was the winner of the negotiation. It was inevitable since Kyodang¡¯s demand was unreasonable and there were other alternatives. ¡°Then let¡¯s start moving from tomorrow. Eh¡­¡± He licked his lips and sent Eurius and the Demon yer Unit away with a regretful expression. Meanwhile, the knights who got off the boat with Eurius and the people of the ck g Bandit were still bickering. Kyodang¡¯s attitude was that rude. ¡°Your Highness! He¡¯s too impudent. There must have been other ways, why did you have to ept his demand?¡± ¡°Leader! Do we really have to borrow a boat from those water rats?¡± ¡°Be quiet!¡± Jin Yeohae, who shut the leaders¡¯ mouths, spoke to Eurius first. ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, Kyodang is a cunning and greedy man. He¡¯s not trustworthy at all. Do you have to borrow a boat from him when you have other means?¡± ¡°I agree, he¡¯s not reliable.¡± Eurius answered, and Jegal Seongun exined further. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time to prepare warships. The sooner we reduce the time, the more advantageous it is for us against the Demon Sect. It¡¯s better for us to gather our forces early through the waterway.¡± The key to a surprise attack was speed! It was not a good choice to waste time preparing a boat. ¡°Then I guess we have no choice¡­ But you should be careful.¡± Jin Yeohae still looked reluctant, but he was about to agree when Eurius opened his mouth again. ¡°You seem to know Kyodang well, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re in a simr business, so¡­ I don¡¯t trust him. He¡¯s the kind of guy who would stab you in the back and me someone else!¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡± Eurius nodded and smiled. ¡°I thought so too. I¡¯m d we agree on that.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jin Yeohae had a question on his face. Then why did he negotiate with Kyodang? Eurius¡¯ answer was simple. ¡°If we might get stabbed in the back anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to know and take it?¡± *** Swoosh. A boat was floating on the calm waves of the Yangtze River. The boat was majestic and imposing. It was over ten meters long from bow to stern, and had dozens of oars on its magnificent hull. At the end of it, there was a huge dragon head. This was the ck Dragon Boat! It was the gship of the Eighteen Tribes of the Yangtze River. The Waterway Alliance had three such boats, and they all moved only by Kyodang¡¯smand. And now, in the cabin of the ck Dragon Boat, a secret conversation was taking ce. ¡°He was tougher than I expected. I tried to rip him off as much as I could, but I failed.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ Someone did a useless thing as if they weren¡¯t a water bandit.¡± The first thing that came into view was an old man in blood-red clothes, who answered with a gloomy voice. ¡°¡­¡± Kyodang scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression. ¡°Hey, you guys are too harsh on each other as partners.¡± The ones in red clothes didn¡¯t like Kyodang¡¯s light attitude and red at him. ¡°Partners? What are you talking about¡­ You just have to do as we instructed and trap them in the pitfall.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll follow the instructions.¡± Kyodang had no choice but to obey their words without a peep. His fate waspletely in their hands. Needless to say, their identity was the Demon Sect! They were one step ahead of the Righteous Alliance this time too. As Kyodang closed his mouth, the old man in red clothes spoke again with a satisfied expression. ¡°Your n is foolproof, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kyodang straightened his back and answered confidently. The Yangtze River was his territory and he didn¡¯t know about other ces, but there weren¡¯t many who could match him in the water. Wasn¡¯t his nickname ck Dragon of the Water for nothing? ¡°Was it Cheokma Danju? I heard he¡¯s a great master, but he¡¯s still human after all. He won¡¯t be able to survive there!¡± *** Time passed quickly after that. Cheokma Melsadae, Eurius, and the experts of Nokrimmaeng were traveling on a boat provided by Suromaeng. There was no rough wind and the waves were calm. Ssh. But even on such a peaceful boat ride, there was someone who was suffering. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Are you still feeling sick?¡± The man who came out to the bow of the boat with a blue face was none other than Nuada. ¡°I¡¯m better than that damn sea.¡± Nuada spat out his words with resentment and looked at the flowing water. It was amazing that he felt sick even on such a calm boat. ¡°Pfft! Even Nuada Daehyung, who looked so strong, had this weakness.¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡± In the cabin, Jinyeohae followed behind Nuada. There was a smile on his blunt face. It wasn¡¯t verymon for martial arts masters to get seasick. ¡°If Kyodang is right, we¡¯ll arrive onnd in three days, so please bear with it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nuada¡¯s face became more gloomy at the words that there were still three days left. Seeing him, Eurius suddenly remembered something he hadn¡¯t asked. ¡°By the way, how did you be sworn brothers with him at your stronghold?¡± ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Jinyeohae answered casually. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Daehyung won in a duel with me.¡± ¡°A duel?¡± Eurius tilted his head. He expected that he had subdued him by force, but he couldn¡¯t understand why he would give up dozens of strongholds to Nuada for just that reason. But Jinyeohae also looked puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that natural? The martial world is ruled by the strong.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± But that answer didn¡¯t convince Eurius¡¯smon sense. ¡®Is it because they are bandits?¡¯ Jinyeohae looked rough on the outside, but he was quite quick-witted and continued to speak. ¡°You¡¯re different from Daehyung because you have a high status. But the orthodox sects are not much different either.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The reason why they follow you. The emperor¡¯s order or something like that is actually very trivial.¡± ording to Jinyeohae, the martial world was ultimately based on strength no matter what reason. ¡°The decisive reason why they follow you is because your martial arts are high, right? If you had no martial arts or were mediocre, the treatment you received would have been worlds apart.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He remembered when he first shipwrecked to the Eastern Continent at those words. ¡®Come to think of it, I got all kinds of misunderstandings. But after showing some strength, there weren¡¯t any big problems.¡¯ Jinyeohae smiled as he saw Eurius thinking. ¡°You seem to have remembered something. I was actually a bit surprised by this negotiation. Daehyung told me that you are an unbelievable master.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Kyodang, that water bandit bastard.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°We Nokrimmaeng are also like that, but water bandits are nothing special. I think it would have been better if you showed your strength rather than negotiating when he came out arrogantly.¡± Ssh! As he said that, a ck shadow suddenly sprang out of the water. Thud! The shadownded on the deck in the blink of an eye. It was an amazing feat to jump out of the water without a foothold. Jinyeohae frowned. ¡°You could havee by boat, why did you act like a fish¡­¡± ¡°Heh! Bandit leader or water bandit, they¡¯re all the same, aren¡¯t they?¡± The one who jumped out of the water was Kyodang. He smiled unpleasantly and turned his head to Eurius. ¡°I came to talk to you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Chapter 177: Underwater Battle Chapter 177: Underwater Battle Chapter 177 Underwater Battle ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, just that the next waterway is a bit dangerous,¡± Kyodang said, ncing at Nuada. ¡°Heh¡­ That guy will have a hard time when he enters the Three Gorges,¡± he added. ¡°Three Gorges?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a scenic spot, but also a notorious rapids area in the Yangtze River.¡± The Yangtze Three Gorges was a waterway surrounded by countless cliffs. The river width narrowed, making the current faster, and there were many reefs that could sink a boat if one was careless. ¡°We¡¯ll slow down a bit, but the boat will shake a lot because of the rapids,¡± he warned. ¡°Hmm!¡± Nuada¡¯s face turned pale for a moment at the thought of the boat shaking more than it was now. ¡°Anyway, just know this. We¡¯ll pass by at night, but we have good sailors in our water force, so we won¡¯t have any trouble!¡± Kyodang said that and went back to his boat. Jinyeohae tilted his head. ¡°The Three Gorges are indeed beautiful and dangerous, but why do we have to pass by at night? It¡¯s suspicious.¡± He thought for a while and hardened his face. ¡°We¡¯d better be careful. It would be a relief if nothing happens, but something feels fishy.¡± Ssh! And a few hourster, as he said, the boats carrying the Cheongma Moksa Corps entered the Three Gorges. It was getting dark and it looked very dangerous, but the boats proceeded into the gorge. Eurius nodded as he saw the boat speeding ahead on the current. ¡®It¡¯s definitely suspicious.¡¯ He knew that Kyodang was not someone who would care about the safety of the group. Why did he kindly inform them beforehand when he could have just notified them after entering? Soon, the surroundings werepletely dark. The only sound was the rough water hitting the boat. Nuada went into the cabin to rest, and the other boats also slept or rested, except for the guards. Not long after, the incident happened. Boom! First, the boat carrying Kyodang and the Water Force members tilted sharply and screamed. ¡°Reefs!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that there were any in this section?¡± Bang bang bang! At the same time, the same thing happened to the other boats. The boat that Eurius was on also tilted in an instant and water poured in. ng! Eurius¡¯s eyes lit up as he saw the water hitting the bow. The boat carrying the Cheongma Moksa Corps was dozens of ships, but how could so many boats stop at the same time, no matter how wide the reef area was? ¡®I expected it, but they seem to have prepared well. If I¡¯m not careful, I might be fine, but the others could suffer a big loss.¡¯ It was essential to use the Yangtze River to transport troops anyway. Eurius knew Kyodang¡¯s sinister intentions, but he went along with it because the situation was urgent, and he was confident that he could suppress him without much damage. But except for the torches on the boat, the situation was dark! ¡°This must be Kyodang¡¯s scheme.¡± Jinyeohae and Nuada, who ran out in a hurry, looked around for Kyodang. nk! The answer came from the bottom of the hull. Ssh! Blue water began to rise from the bottom of the boat. Jinyeohae¡¯s expression became serious and he spat out a word. ¡°Underwater battle! They¡¯re trying to drag us into the water and kill us.¡± ¡°Keh heh heh¡­¡± Kyodang smirked as he darted through the water at a terrifying speed. It was dark and hard to identify, but the dragon tattoo on his body was made of a special material that emitted a faint light. It looked like ck scales had sprouted on his body. This was why he was nicknamed the Underwater ck Dragon. Not only was his appearance bizarre, but he was also the best in the martial arts world in water skills. ¡®Even if they are superhuman-level experts, they can¡¯t beat me in the water! And this ce is the Three Gorges, so I have a contingency n.¡¯ Of course, Kyodang didn¡¯t think he could kill the Cheongma Moksa Corps, which had many excellent experts, by simply facing them in the water. He deliberately lured them into the Three Gorges instead of attacking them at night because he had something else in mind. Swoosh. He pulled out a sword that looked like a small hook from his bosom. The hook, which was made to cut through the water, emitted a sharp light and pierced the hull of the boat that Eurius was on. Bang bang bang! Heughed wickedly as he saw the boat tilt sharply. Crackle! ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Simr sounds were heard from elsewhere. His subordinates also jumped into the water and drilled holes in the bottom of each boat. ¡°Keh heh heh¡­¡± In a few minutes, the boats carrying the Cheongma Moksa Corps would all sink. And once they entered the water, it would be his world. Ssh! ng! As he expected, people jumped into the water from the boat with holes. He wouldn¡¯t miss them. Zing! As soon as he felt the presence of someone jumping into the water, he stabbed his hook in that direction. A creepy aura shot out, cutting through the water. The sword¡¯s momentum usually died in the water because of the pressure, but Kyodang¡¯s sword was even faster on the water. ng! ¡°Huh?¡± How dare he block his attack in the water? Kyodang opened his eyes wide and looked over there. ¡°¡­¡± The one who blocked his stab was a giant man. He crossed his arms and took a defensive stance. ¡®The bandit leader! It¡¯s him. Today is your death day!¡¯ Kyodang¡¯s expression became even more vicious and he shot towards Jinyeohae like a fish. He would have hesitated onnd, but he was confident in the water. But Jinyeohae didn¡¯t intend to take his attack quietly. He calmly stretched out his fist. Rumble! A loud noise erupted and a stream of intense water rushed through the water. The target was Kyodang¡¯s head. ¡°¡­!?¡± Kyodang quickly turned his head and avoided the water. If he hadn¡¯t, his head would have exploded. ¡®Baekbo Divine Fist!¡¯ Jinyeohae was a top talent among the disciples of Shaolin, and he had learned the Baekbo Divine Fist, which was the ultimate skill of Shaolin. If he approached him carelessly, his head would burst in an instant. On the other hand, Jinyeohae was also not free to move in the water. If he allowed him to approach, he could be riddled with holes by Kyodang¡¯s hook-like sword. ¡®He¡¯s tougher than I thought.¡¯ A sense of urgency passed between the two leaders of the bandits and the water force. *** What was Eurius doing at this moment, after diving into the water with the others? Ssh! ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Gurgle!¡± The enemies who were caught by Eurius¡¯s sword were cut in half and sprayed blood in an instant. He swung his sword at the enemies who rushed at him from all directions in the water. Most of them were experts who had mastered the art of swimming like the Cult, but none of them could stop Eurius. It was because of the intangible divine armor. It was a divine device that specialized in manipting water, so he had no trouble breathing in the water and could even move quickly by riding the current. ¡®Monstrous bastard!¡¯ ¡®Die!¡¯ Zing! They resisted with sharp weapons that were made for underwater use, but it was useless. ¡°Aaargh!¡± The dark blue water turned crimson in a moment. Eurius, who had dealt with dozens of enemies, had the goal of preserving the ships as much as possible. What he didn¡¯t expect was that they would give up their ships. ¡®Strange. The ships are a big asset for them too. Did they have so much money that they could sink them all?¡¯ Anyway, if all the ships sank, the n to use the river would be dyed considerably. So Eurius was dealing with the scum who were drilling holes in the ships. ¡°Ugh!¡± After he finished off thest enemy who was drilling a hole in the ship, Eurius turned his body. ¡®I saved half of them.¡¯ Thanks to his quick movement, only about half of the ships were damaged. This shouldn¡¯t cause much trouble for the transport. ¡®Then I have to deal with that Cult bastard.¡¯ He had no damage except for some broken ships, but he couldn¡¯t let the wicked one go. ¡®As Jin-ye-hae said, I have to teach him a lesson¡­ Huh?¡¯ Eurius was thinking that far when he suddenly felt a familiar presence. ¡®What is this?¡¯ *** ¡°Sniff!¡± One of the men who were looking at the ships that stopped in the distance smelled the scent that was carried by the breeze. He was an old man with a stocky build. ¡°The water rats failed. The ones who jumped into the water are all dead. Tsk!¡± ¡°Did you trust those guys in the first ce?¡± The one who snorted at him was also an old man, but he was skinny unlike the stocky old man. ¡°No? But they should have sunk all the ships at least! Compared to their boastful words, they are¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we sink them again now? It¡¯s not a difficult thing to do.¡± A murderous look shed in the eyes of the skinny old man who smirked. The stocky old man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re very excited. Then let¡¯s start before theye to their senses.¡± They both stretched their hands forward. *** ¡®What is this?¡¯ Whizz! Eurius quickly jumped out of the water. He climbed on one of the intact ships and looked up at the sky. Roar! ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius felt his strength drain as he looked at the whirlwind in the sky. [It¡¯s the presence of the Blue Dragon. They seem to be able to mass-produce people with the power of divine devices.] Hwang-ryong had already guessed his spection. He couldn¡¯t recover the divine devices from Hwang-gung. He guessed it like this. [Think of it as a receiver.] ¡®Receiver?¡¯ [Yeah, they seem to know how to transmit the power without exposing the divine devices.] ¡®Then it¡¯s useless to knock them down now¡­¡¯ Boom! The whirlwind had reached the river and was sucking up the water. The water that rose to the sky was sprinkled like raindrops in all directions. Ssh! Eurius called out to someone as he was hit by the raindrops. ¡°Can¡¯t we pull the ships back?¡± ¡°Leader! It seems that it¡¯s not a simple reef.¡± The experts of Jeong-do-mang, including Nam-gung-il-cheon, tried to move the ships, but the ships didn¡¯t move as if they were fixed by something. ¡°¡­!?¡± ng! The thing that fixed the ships was a thick iron chain! They had stretched the iron chains between the many reefs in the Sam-hyeop and lured the ships to get caught. It was a brilliant scheme that could only be done by the Dragon. One, they lured them to the Sam-hyeop and pretended to be caught by the reefs and sank the ships. Two, even if they failed, the ships that were caught by the iron chains couldn¡¯t move. Three, they finally deployed the power of the Cult and caused a storm to wreck all the ships. Eurius and the Cheok-ma-myeol-sa-dan were stuck in the middle of the river and couldn¡¯t go anywhere. ¡®Is that the location?¡¯ Beyond the iron chains that were installed, arge ship with a dragon head appeared. It was the ck Dragon Ship that carried the people of the Cult. ¡°Tsk! The Cult bastard who likes to show off, I wondered why he didn¡¯t ride the ck Dragon Ship, but it seems that he was robbed by the Cult.¡± Je-gal-seong-un clicked his tongue and looked at Eurius. ¡°What are you going to do? We don¡¯t have much time.¡± If they abandoned the ships and fled, most of the people would save their lives. But the n to transport the goods using the river would be a bubble. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ Eurius thought for a moment. The enemy was freely controlling the wind on the sturdy ship, and he had to face them in the water. It wasn¡¯t a good situation considering what he had experienced in Hwang-gung. ¡®Even if I knock them down, the ships will be all broken.¡¯ It was better to move the experts now than to lose all the ships and kill those bastards. ¡®Did they say it was the ck Dragon Ship? There must be a way if I can do something with that ship. For example, sink it¡­¡¯ sh! ¡®Wait?¡¯ Eurius seemed to have thought of something. He quickly opened his mouth to Je-gal-seong-un. ¡°In case of emergency, swim to the shore. I¡¯ll fight for now.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ssh! Without waiting for an answer, Eurius dived into the water again. *** Zing! Zzzz! Dozens of sharp shes cut through the water and shot out. It was the Cult¡¯s hook. He and Jin-ye-hae had been unable to reach a conclusion for more than ten minutes. ¡®Heh¡­ The bandit is pretty good in the water.¡¯ The news of his subordinates¡¯ annihtion had not reached him yet, so the Cult was leisurely pushing Jin-ye-hae back. ng! He was asionally counterattacking with his sharp fists, but he was mostly helpless against the Cult. It was because he couldn¡¯t move rashly due to the huge difference in mobility. But the Cult couldn¡¯t do anything to Jin-ye-hae, who had reached the realm of superhumans, even in the water, so they naturally fell into a stalemate. Swoosh. Knowing that well, the Cult dived into the water again. He was nning to ambush him in the dark water. ¡°¡­¡± Jin-ye-hae narrowed his eyes and looked for him, who could pop out at any time. ¡°Heh¡­¡± The Cult sneered and slowly closed the distance. But what he waited for was not Jin-ye-hae. ¡®I found him.¡¯ Ssh. Zap! The Cult felt a creepy presence and turned around. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Behind his back, Eurius was already there. ¡®When?¡¯ But he had no time to rx. He flipped his body and stabbed his weapon. Zing! But Eurius behind him calmly took his stab with his body. Slurp. ¡®Gasp!¡¯ Eurius didn¡¯t do anything, but the attack was blocked, so the Cult panicked and tried to pull out his body. And at that moment! Boom! ¡°Aaagh!¡± The Cult screamed and flew out of the water to the surface. It was Eurius¡¯s sword of the mind that bounced him out of the water. Before he knew it, Eurius had grabbed his cor. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± He coughed up blood-stained sputum, and Eurius whispered to him. ¡°You came up with an interesting scheme this time.¡± ¡°Sa¡­ Save me¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one way for you to live.¡± Eurius cut off his attempt to excuse himself. He gestured with his eyes to the ck Dragon Ship in the distance. ¡°Sink it yourself, and I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Chapter 178: Kyodang Chapter 178: Kyodang ¡°Agh! I¡¯m still not used to this body, so I can¡¯t control it well.¡± The short and stout old man grumbled as he manipted the wind to create a fierce storm. ¡°You should have practiced more instead ofining. Then you wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this.¡± The tall and skinny old man snapped back at him with a sarcastic remark. They were known as Cheonjiisal, and the tall and skinny old man was Cheonsal, while the short and stout old man was Jisal. They were both experts who ranked seventh and eighth in the Magyo, and they had received a special technique from Sayeohan in exchange for the lives of those who died. They had also received the power of the Azure Dragon Divine Artifact. What better way to sink ships and people in the water than a storm? Sweat dripped from Jisal¡¯s chubby face. Cheonsal¡¯s face was also somewhat pale. It was a burden to receive the power of the divine device so suddenly. Squeak. But their faces soon turned into smiles. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m getting used to it. Let¡¯s increase the scale.¡± ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s kill them all at once.¡± They didn¡¯t get along very well normally, but they worked well together when they had amon goal (usually killing people in masses). That was why Sayeohan, who appreciated their military skills, entrusted them with this task. Rumble! Suddenly, the wind speed of the whirlpool increased by several times! It wasn¡¯t enough to break the ships just a moment ago, but it seemed like it was only a matter of time at this rate. They had a cruel smile on their lips. How thrilling it was to destroy dozens of ships in one breath. ¡°¡­!?¡± Roar! But their smiles shattered in an instant. The whirlpool they created on the water surface was pushed back in a sh. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cheonjiisal looked bewildered as they stretched out their hands again to push the whirlpool forward, but it was as if they were blocked by a wall. They couldn¡¯t advance any further. They widened their eyes and looked around. Someone was interfering with them! ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Is that the bastard that Sayeohan mentioned?¡± Crackle! As they said that, Eurius was holding out his hand from the front of the whirlpool. He had frozen his feet temporarily to make a foothold. The whirlpool that rose from the river wasposed of water! Cheonjiisal controlled the wind to create the whirlpool, while Eurius interfered with it because of the water contained in it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just water. Crack! ¡°Cough!¡± The upper part of the whirlpool froze in an instant and dozens of ice spikes rained down on the ck Dragon Ship. Crash! Ouch! The mast of the ck Dragon Ship broke and the deck became a mess. The experts of the Magyo hastily wielded their weapons to fend off the ice spikes, but they couldn¡¯t block all the fragments that fell endlessly. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Push him back!¡± Cheonjiisal made a vicious expression and divided their roles. Cheonsal continued to control the whirlpool, while Jisal raised another storm to attack Eurius. Whoosh! ¡°Ugh! This is not easy.¡± The ice foothold that Eurius made shook as the wind swept over him. It was disadvantageous to freeze his feet temporarily when he needed to exert his strength. Wobble! The ice chunks floating on the river tilted and distracted his concentration. Crackle! Eurius had no choice but to strengthen the coldness and erge the ice under his feet. But as the foothold became more solid, he lost his power to control the water and was pushed back. And there was more than just the Heavenly Earth Killing Array on the ck Dragon Ship. ¡°Fire the cannons!¡± Boom! Bang bang! Giant metal fragments fired from the cannons rushed towards Eurius. He had to use his strength to block them. Crash! The ice was shattered by the metal fragments, and the foothold became unstable again. Eurius frowned. ¡®This is not good¡­¡¯ It was because he was outnumbered that this happened. Eurius felt keenly that his power was still insufficient. He might be able to handle one-on-one, but he was not omnipotent yet. ¡®I have to hold on somehow¡­¡¯ ¡°*** ¡°¡­¡± Nuada was feeling very badtely. He was not afraid of anything in the mountains, but what was he like when he came to the water? But he could not do anything about the nausea that rose up with his power. ¡°This is crazy.¡± He kept grumbling, and when a hole was pierced in the ship, he had to hear another humiliating remark from his friend Eurius. ¡°You can¡¯t swim, so go over to the ship and protect the others.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± As he said, he was not confident in swimming. It was hard to exert his full power without a ce to stand on. Thud! Thud! He moved on the debris of the broken ship, and saw Eurius fighting in his sight. The situation was not good. Bang bang! ¡°My friend is being pushed back. How cowardly of them to use such means¡­¡± The Heavenly Earth Killing Array was not much of a problem, but the important thing was the cannons. The power of those cannons mounted on such arge ship surpassed the strike of an ordinary expert. When dozens of cannons spewed fire at the same time, Eurius would be distracted. ¡®Is there no way to help him?¡¯ First of all, diving and swimming to the ck Dragon Ship was impossible. With his swimming skills, he would not reach the ship before the oue was decided. Ssh. Then, from the sky, dozens of ice spikes attacked the ck Dragon Ship again. Eurius, who could not stand it anymore, attacked the ship as well. ¡°Block it!¡± ng! ng! But there were experts of the Demon Sect on board the ck Dragon Ship. They had already experienced this attack once, so they blocked it properly this time. Nuada, who confirmed that, sank into thought. ¡®My friend must have some idea, but he won¡¯tst long like that.¡¯ He was not good at devising strategies, but his excellentbat sense was still intact. He soon found a way. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡± He kicked off the debris and flew towards where Eurius was standing on the ice. Crack! ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius tilted his head when he saw Nuada jumping onto the ice where he was standing. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s something behind you too¡­¡± Squeak. ¡°I finally found something I can do in the water!¡± Nuada smiled and picked up one of the ice pieces around him. It was long and broken like an icicle. Bang bang! Then, the cannons of the ck Dragon Ship fired again. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius tried to defend himself hastily, but Nuada was faster. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Woong! Nuada threw a piece of ice like lightning. His power was imbued in that ice shard, which collided with the iron balls fired from the cannon. Kwakwakwakwa! But there was no way that a mere cannon could match the power of a superhuman. Bang! The ice shard pierced through the iron balls and hit the cannon on the ck Dragon Ship. ¡°Kraaaak!¡± The heretics who tried to stop it also turned into dust along with their bodies. ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius realized Nuada¡¯s intention only then. Jjeojeoreok! Water droplets condensed in the air and dozens of white ice spears fell in front of Nuada. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Nod! Nuada nodded silently with a spirited expression and picked up a spear. The heretics who were watching from afar were startled. ¡°Get ready to defend!¡± In the blink of an eye, a white trail reached the ship again. Kwang! The target was the cannon again. No, not just the cannon, but the ck Dragon Ship itself was tilting. Nuada¡¯s spear throw was powerful enough to pierce through a wall if given enough time. No matter how sturdy it was, there was no way that a wooden ship could withstand it. Tilt! ¡°Damn it, Cheonsal!¡± The huge ck Dragon Ship tilted this way and that, disrupting their concentration. Gooooo! Meanwhile, the whirlpool that was pushed back by Eurius slowly approached the ck Dragon Ship. ¡°Damn it!¡± Cheonjiisal tried to turn the situation around somehow, but it was impossible with their power. ng! The ck Dragon Ship became a ragged wreck after just a few spear throws. And that was not all. ¡°Cheon Elder! Ji Elder!¡± ¡°What?¡± Jisal answered nervously to his red-clothed subordinate who reported with a trembling voice. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s a hole in the bottom of the ship.¡± ¡°What?¡± *** The churchman who was threatened by Eurius had drilled a big hole under the ck Dragon Ship as promised. It was easy for him to secretly ess the bottom of the ship and do such a thing with his craftsmanship. Of course, he felt like his heart was being torn apart. ¡®Kuh¡­ I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a normal ship, but I have to sink the ck Dragon Ship with my own hands!¡¯ He hated both the heretics who ckmailed him and took his ship and Eurius who beat him up and told him to sink the ck Dragon Ship himself. ¡®Since it hase to this, I have no choice but to wake up the messengers of Samhyup.¡¯ Swoosh. He cut through the water with his venomous eyes and headed somewhere. He had kept it as ast resort, but he was not in his right mind after losing dozens of precious ships and having to sink the ck Dragon Ship as well. The bottom of Samhyup was full of reefs and cliffs, creating underwater caves everywhere. And he knew about the monsters that lived in those underwater caves, like messengers of death. No human could defeat those monsters. ¡°Kuhuhu¡­ Since it hase to this, everyone will die except me!¡± Soon, he arrived at a cliff where dozens of underwater caves were pierced. Kwreung! His hand smashed the reef in front of the cave like lightning. And at the same time, dozens of sinister eyes shed in the cave under the water. Pop! Pop pop! ¡®Eek!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be eaten either! The churchman quickly got out of there. Anyway, there were countless prey for those monsters. There was no reason to chase him, who ran away like a minnow! He sank into the water and soon he was smiling grimly again. *** The ck Dragon Ship was so big that it didn¡¯t sink quickly. But unlike Eurius, who could freeze the water and stand on it, the heretics didn¡¯t have such a skill. ¡°Prepare some damn boats!¡± Cheonjiisal urged his subordinates to get the boats ready as soon as possible. Even at this moment, the ship was slowly sinking while tilting. Kururung! ¡°Kuk!¡± And the white spears that kept piercing down were a nightmare for the subordinates who were preparing the boats. ¡°We have to counterattack somehow after we get on the boats.¡± ¡°Kuuuuh¡­¡± Cheonsal and Jisal exchanged angry nces and jumped onto the boats. But at that moment! They felt something strange. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Kieeeek!¡± Swoosh! Suddenly, a huge body sprang up from the water. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± It was too dark to see well, but a huge creature that looked like a thick snake sprang up from the water. And there was more than one of those creatures. Chwak! ¡°Kieek!¡± The monsters that resembled snakes spewed out a sound like goosebumps and sprang up. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius opened his eyes wide at that sight. [Imugi (A-rank spirit beast) ¨C A being at the top of the food chain in the river.] Imugi was weaker than the spirit beasts that Eurius had fought so far. But in a way, it was a bigger crisis than before. The reason was the number! ¡°Kraaak!¡± ¡°Elder!¡± There was not one Imugi. There were dozens of caves under the water, and they were not for decoration. The sight of dozens of huge snakes rushing towards the ck Dragon Ship was grotesque. Cheonjiisal quickly drew out his power and resisted the swarm of Imugi. ¡°These damn monsters!¡± Chwak! Dozens of des of wind appeared in the air and shed at Imugi. Imugi glowed as they sprayed blue blood. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± But it was disproportionate. It would be one thing if there were three or four of them, but how could they handle more than ten of them? And in the water, something absurd was slowly rising among Imugi. Swoosh! But Cheonjiisal, who was busy shing at Imugi, didn¡¯t see that monster. ¡°Kieek¡± ¡°Kruk!¡± The water beasts quickly backed away as if they were giving up their prey when they sensed the huge creature rising from the depths. ¡°Huh?¡± Cheonji Isal looked down at his feet. ¡°Wha-what¡­¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Whoosh! Normally, the water beasts had a body circumference of about two or three meters and a length of about twenty meters. But the creature that was emerging now was far beyond that size. ¡°Holy¡­ this is no joke.¡± Eurius hardened his face. [River Dragon (EX-rank Beast) ¨C The Ruler of the River] The dragon¡¯s body was covered with ck scales and had two majestic horns on its head. Unlike the water beasts, which had the shape of snakes, it had four small but functional arms. It looked like a dragon from a legend! ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Aah!¡± Cheonji Isal was overwhelmed by its presence and tried to run away. He waspletely crushed by the aura of the beast. Even Eurius grimaced at its pressure, let alone anyone else. [Status Effect ¨C Resisting Dragon Fear.] [All abilities are slightly reduced while affected.] Eurius had to seriously consider his options. The Demon Sect was no longer a problem. ¡®Should I run away?¡¯ Crack! ¡°Kraa!¡± Soon, the dragon wrapped Cheonji Isal around with its tail and crushed him in an instant. Judging by its power, this was not something that could be dealt with bymon sense or skills. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I think we should see if we can run away first.¡± Even Nuada, who was usually confident, answered with a faltering voice. ¡°Raaar!¡± Then, the dragon noticed Eurius and the Chakma Moksa Squad. It had tolerated them for a while because they were noisy, but they dared toe to its resting ce and cause trouble. They were fearless creatures. [I should get rid of them all.] Swoosh! The dragon cut through the water swiftly and approached Eurius first. He was simply the closest human to it. [Not even a bite-sized snack¡­] ¡°Huh?¡± But the dragon suddenly stopped. It felt something familiar from Eurius. [This aura is?] ¡°Raaah!¡± Realizing it, the dragon roared and rushed towards Eurius with a terrifying speed. ¡°Oh no?¡± [Wait for me.] Eurius was about to swing his sword, thinking it would attack him, but Yellow Dragon stopped him. Thud! The dragon stopped right in front of Eurius and he had to crane his neck to look up at it. The dragon¡¯s body length seemed to be at least seventy meters. ¡°Grrr!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius doubted his eyes. The huge dragon lowered its head and met his eyes. ¡°Grrr¡­ Grrr¡­ Raaak!¡± Then it growled as if it was in a hurry. [It says it didn¡¯t know you were a noble, and it came here because there were humans who disturbed its sleep.] Yellow Dragon interpreted his words in a calm tone. ¡°What?¡± Eurius looked bewildered. Why did this spirit call him a noble? [ck Tortoise.] ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius finally remembered the incident with the dragon turtle. ck Tortoise was the father of all the spirits living in the water! Even that unbelievable giant dragon was no exception. ¡°Kieek!¡± The dragon bowed its head repeatedly, as if it hadmitted a terrible rudeness. It was because it did not know whether the experts of the Demon Sect were on Eurius¡¯s side or not. [It means to apologize and offer you a treasure from the water, or do anything you want.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Friend¡­ what is going on? Why is that dragon acting like that?¡± Eurius looked flustered for a moment. It was too sudden to adapt, even if it said it would grant his wish. But he had experienced so many unreal things so far. ¡°¡­¡± His mind spun at high speed. The dragon was not something he could handle with his own power. He had to choose carefully if he could get help from such a being. Eurius looked around first. Swoosh! ¡®It¡¯s a mess.¡¯ More than half of the ships prepared by Surumang were damaged. It was lucky that they did not all break, but it would be a lot of trouble to transport supplies or troops in the future. ¡®Then!¡¯ sh! Eurius¡¯s eyes lit up atst. If that was possible! *** The people of Cheokmamyeolsadae were also speechless. They were surprised by the night raid, but then a huge dragon appeared and red at them! ¡°Huh¡­¡± Some of them pinched their cheeks, and some looked at the dragon that stopped in front of Eurius with disbelief. ¡°Kiee¡­¡± And the next moment! They lost their words even more. ck! ¡®He got on?¡¯ Amazingly, Eurius climbed onto the head of the dragon, which was seventy meters high. And the dragon did not seem angry either. ¡°Krrr!¡± ¡°Kieek!¡± At the same time, the other spirits followed the dragon. And Eurius, who sat on the dragon¡¯s head, jumped onto the ship. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sir¡­ do we not have to worry for now?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon, who was in charge of Cheokmamyeolsadae, asked with a pale face. Swoosh Eurius answered by drawing his sword instead. ¡°¡­!?¡± Snap! Crash! He used his sword of mind to easily cut off the chains stuck on the rocks. ¡°Kieek!¡± Ssh. Then one of the spirits bit the chain and came back. ¡°Tie it firmly to the ship.¡± ¡°Huh? Tie it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jeogal Seungun was the first to react with an exmation. ¡°So you n to have these spirits pull the ships!¡± Eurius smiled slyly. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The dragon was the ruler of the Yangtze River! All the spirits in this area were under its control. Eurius¡¯s wish that he just said was for the spirits in this area to help him for a month. And that help was to pull the ships! The waterway using the Yangtze River was much faster than thend route. And if the spirits also pulled the ships in areas where there was no wind or narrow waters? Eurius grinned with satisfaction. ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about supplies or troops transportation. And the Demon Sect won¡¯t be able to pull any tricks on the river like they just did!¡¯ Who would dare to attack the ships pulled by a swarm of spirits? This way, Cheokmadan had the safest and fastest way. ¡°Krrr! Spit!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The dragon suddenly called one of the spirits from behind and threw something at him. [It says it found this in the river and asks if it is yourpanion.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Eurius looked at that ¡®something¡¯ with disbelief. It was Kyodang, who was called the ck Dragon of the Water. ¡°Did you bring these spirits here?¡± Kyodang, who was freed from the spirit¡¯s mouth,y down at Eurius¡¯s feet. ¡°Ugh!! Your Majesty! Please spare my life! I havemitted a sin worthy of death.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a superstition of the Yangtze River fishermen. It seems they don¡¯t see you as a human.¡± Jeogal Seungun exined with a bitter smile. The boatmen usually believed in superstitions because they had a high chance of dying from storms or monster attacks. ¡®Come to think of it, the tattoos on his body look simr to the dragon.¡¯ Kyodang¡¯s tattoos, which reminded him of ck scales, were undoubtedly made after imitating that dragon. ¡°Please spare my life¡­¡± Kyodang was desperate. That dragon was a famous monster that had ruled the Yangtze River since his grandfather¡¯s grandfather¡¯s time. And that being bowed its head to a human! It was no wonder that Eurius did not look like a human. ¡®Tsk! Why did you have to cause trouble then¡­¡¯ Heughed, but decided to forgive him cleanly. Anyway, he gained a great benefit thanks to him. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t disobey me, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± ¡°There is no way! The Eighteen Tribes of the Yangtze River will all serve Your Majesty from now on!¡± Kyodang got up and pounded his muscr chest with confidence. Nod. But Eurius, who nodded silently, was already thinking of something else. This incident gave him a tremendous advantage, but it was clearly a coincidence. ¡®If I didn¡¯t have timely luck, all the ships could have been wrecked and I would have had a hard fight onnd.¡¯ Eurius thought it was all his fault. If he had the power to easily suppress the Demon Sect, this crisis would not havee. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ Eurius turned his head to Jeogal Seungun after finishing his thoughts. Tap. He tapped the dragon¡¯s head and said something unexpected. ¡°I¡¯ll ride this guy and go back to Meng for now.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°I have something urgent.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Can I hear why?¡± Eurius answered briefly. ¡°Closed-door training!¡± Chapter 179: The World Chapter 179: The World The activities of the Demon yer Unit continued to be smooth. ¡°We have dealt with 80% of the forces of the Demon Sect that were confirmed by the Demon yer Leader who left his seat.¡± The military officers of the Righteous Alliance were amazed by the report of Jegal Seong-woon. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°This is really amazing.¡± ¡°Maybe we can uproot the Demon Sect for the first time in two hundred years.¡± In fact, when the royal decree came down, the leaders who knew the history of the Demon War well were skeptical. ¡®This will only be a face-saving attack and nothing more.¡¯ ¡®It is very difficult to face the Demon Sect that has dominated the martial world for over a hundred years.¡¯ ¡®How can they say they willpletely eliminate them from the martial world? If that was possible, I would believe that he is the incarnation of a yer.¡¯ But this time, the Demon yer Unit exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. Even before a full-scale war broke out, the hidden des of the Demon Sect were almost annihted. It was unbelievable. The experts gathered in the conference room looked at the empty seat in the center. It was where Eurius used to sit. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± They groaned and stared at it for a while with faint eyes of fear. And then one of them opened his mouth. ¡°But, military officer, how long will the Demon yer Leader be away?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Soon, the troops will be ready, but still?¡± ¡°Then, in the worst case scenario, a full-scale war could happen without the leader?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as that word came out, the atmosphere in the conference room was divided into two. ¡®I¡¯m anxious without him¡­¡¯ ¡®The leader must have his own thoughts, but I¡¯m worried that he hasn¡¯t heard from him since he closed himself off.¡¯ The first one was those who were friendly to Eurius. They were worried about his absence and tried to dy the march as much as possible. The representative of their opinion was Jegal Seong-woon, the military officer. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not a very good idea. The thing that binds the cohesion of the Demon yer Unit is the leader¡¯s power.¡± The Demon yer Unit was currentlyposed of forces from Huanggong, Nokrim, Righteous Alliance, and West Continent, and except for Righteous Alliance, the rest were practically Eurius¡¯s forces. ¡°So it¡¯s right to wait for his return.¡± His words were reasonable and there was no room for rebuttal, but some were dissatisfied. ¡°But what if the Demon Sect starts a full-scale war? How are you going to respond?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have a temporarymand system?¡± ¡°The Demon Sect¡¯s forces have already beenrgely annihted. You are too cautious!¡± This was the second faction. They were a collection of old leaders and famous families of Righteous Alliance. They couldn¡¯t make a peep when Eurius was there, but when he left his seat, they raised their voices again. Jegal Seong-woon had a headache. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Eurius¡¯smand was wless, but it rather created a new conflict. The Demon yer Unit was doing so well that many people were too excited. ¡°The hidden power of the Demon Sect is not easy. What we have killed so far is only a fraction of them. My policy is to be careful until he returns.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Jegal Seong-woon firmly refused and the opposing figures backed down. But they still grumbled inside. ¡®We should also have a chance to earn some merit. The leader is certainly a great person, but I don¡¯t like his followers.¡¯ ¡®This is a chance to uproot the Demon Sect for the first time in two hundred years. How can we not raise our family name in this situation? It will be an unbearable shame for decades toe.¡¯ Jegal Seong-woon knew their murmurs well. ¡®They seem to think of the Demon Sect as some street thugs. They are not such easy opponents¡­¡¯ ¡°Then let¡¯s end today¡¯s meeting here.¡± He ended the meeting with a somewhat gloomy face. *** Sigh. After finishing the meeting, Jegal Seongwoon entered his office with a tired expression. It had been over a week since Eurius disappeared, iming to be in seclusion. There had been no major problems so far, but the control of the Alliance was getting harder. There was someone who spoke to him as he came in. ¡°Huh? You look quite exhausted today.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Seongwoon quickly fixed his expression and answered with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself. As expected, Your Highness is sharp.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, it¡¯s understandable since you have so much work to do.¡± The owner of the voice who shrugged his shoulders was a blond youth. He was sitting in front of a desk piled with documents like a mountain, but he picked up his brush again while grumbling. ¡°Anyway, you better take care of yourself. If you copse, my share will increase.¡± His words were harsh, but they were ultimately words of concern for Jegal Seongwoon. Snicker. ¡®He¡¯s surprisingly cute, despite what he says.¡¯ He chuckled inwardly and opened his mouth. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t cause any trouble for Your Highness.¡± The Second Prince, Leonhardt, nodded his head. ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t you who gave me this work, but my brother. Ugh¡­¡± He hade to the Alliance with Eurius after being rescued from the pce. It was a good thing that his life was saved, but¡­ ¡°Leon, you have to earn your keep, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was not the Western Continent, and Eurius couldn¡¯t just let him loaf around and eat. He gave him some work to do. He called Jegal Seongwoon. ¡°They said they were short of hands in the Chakmadan, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. There are plenty of warriors, but there are not enough clerks to handle the documentspared to the increased workload.¡± ¡°Then take this guy and use him.¡± ¡°This person?¡± ¡°My younger brother.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t he the emperor if he was Eurius¡¯s younger brother? And he wanted him to do some paperwork? ¡°He¡¯s a capable guy, so he won¡¯t hold you back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius left Leonhardt in the office and disappeared in a sh, and Jegal Seongwoon had to think about what kind of work to give him. First of all, introductions. ¡°I¡¯m Jegal Seongwoon, in charge of the military affairs of the Alliance.¡± ¡°Leonhardt von Scharnos.¡± He answered briefly and continued. ¡°So what do I have to do?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Jegal Seongwoon hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth. ¡°This is where the final approval of the documentsing to the Alliance is done. I would like to ask Your Majesty to review them¡­¡± ¡°Drop the Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leon looked slightly resigned. ¡°It¡¯s meaningless anyway. If I don¡¯t do my job properly as an emperor, you know what my brother will say, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll call you Your Highness.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jegal Seongwoon looked at him with a somewhat curious gaze and Leon frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No, I heard that you were a bit more friendly, sir.¡± As he said, Leon was a model prince in the West Continent. He had never abandoned his courteous attitude even in front of Eurius. ¡°Do you care about everything? Then should I at least show you some respect?¡± ¡°No, sir. I hope we can work well together from now on.¡± Leon started to learn from him with a nonchnt expression. It was only natural that his attitude changed. He was not polite because of his noble temperament. ¡®Why should I bother to act in front of these people from the far East Continent? They are not even my empire¡¯s subjects or citizens.¡¯ He thought that he was captured by Eurius as a prisoner. In fact, Eurius had assigned him to Je Gal Seong Woon, a military officer, to keep an eye on Leon. And a few dayster. Je Gal Seong Woon was surprised when he saw how Leon worked. ¡°There was indeed a reason why the lord praised you. I have never seen anyone who learns as fast as you, sir¡­ No, second prince.¡± ¡°Hmph! Even a monkey can do this kind of work if it learns.¡± He was originally much more talented as a yer than Eurius. He handled all the tasks efficiently, so Je Gal Seong Woon could not help but like him. After a month or so, they were not close friends, but they could at least talk to each other. ¡°Seeing how tired you are, it seems that things are not going well. I guess the lord has not returned from his training yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We won¡¯t have to worry about these things when the lordes back. He will return soon.¡± He said it almost like a report, but Je Gal Seong Woon seemed to trust Eurius firmly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Leon noticed that and rummaged through the documents while thinking about something else. ¡®I feel his influence more when Ie here. These people are not even from the West Continent¡­¡¯ In fact, he had never seen Eurius do anything himself. But now, Jeong Do Mang was full of admiration and praise for Eurius no matter what he talked about. And Leon had seen Eurius preside over meetings in Jeong Do Mang several times. Everyone listened attentively to him as if they would miss a single word. The clever Leon also realized that Eurius had skillfully manipted their hearts. Not everyone in Jeong Do Mang followed Eurius, but he was taming them with a carrot and stick approach. Until then, Leon was so arrogant that he thought Eurius had defeated him because of his luck and superior swordsmanship. He was definitely better than him in martial arts talent, but he did not care much about the rest since he had heard that he was inferior to him since childhood. Buttely, Eurius showed him something new. He should have admitted it long ago, but he finally came to a conclusion. ¡®Maybe I was wrong about my brother all this time.¡¯ *** Meanwhile, Eurius, who had been out of touch for a week, was not far away. He was in the underground training hall of Jeong Do Mang! ¡®Stat window!¡¯ He wanted to check what he had after a long time. [Eurius von Scharnos] Job: Crown Prince, Transcender Strength: S+ Agility: SS Intelligence: A+ Spirit: S+ Force: SS+ Force Aptitude: SS+ yer Factor (1%) [Traits] Swordsmanship (SS+) Imperial Bloodline ¨C You have awakened the authority of a yer. Emperor¡¯s Dignity A rank (1st undefeated) ¨C Increases your noble bloodline, experience, charisma and leadership as the emperor of the empire. Sixth Sense ¨C The sixth sense given to outstanding force users. You can sense things that are not detected by the five senses using force. Camouge (S rank) ¨C When you reach a high level, you be ordinary again. This is your unique skill that reflects your 4th stage trait. You can hide all your information. This trait will not break unless it is a detection skill with a higher rank than this skill. Sword Fusion (S rank) ¨C The realm of the sword achieved by enlightenment. Shows sub-items. -(4th stage) Intangible Sword -(Level 5) Sword of the Mind -(Level 5) Sword of the Ego The four martial arts of Divine Beast- Lee Cheongmun. They are enhanced by divine energy and have subcategories as follows. -White Tiger¡¯s Divine Energy -Azure Dragon¡¯s Breath -Vermilion Bird¡¯s me Spirit -ck Tortoise¡¯s Diamond Water (Divine Energy Acquired) [Hidden Skill] Restart- yers can rewind time and start their lives over at any time. However, you are not an official yer, so you are limited to one time (currently permanently unavable). Second Chance- When you restart, some of your stats, memory, and awakened talents are inherited. ???(Currently an unusable skill) Overheat- A skill that only you, who have four cores, can use. It temporarily raises the rank of your force by two levels. However, using it for too long or recklessly will damage your cores. ¡®Sigh¡­¡¯ Eurius let out a sigh. Compared to when he first started, his growth was iparable. But even with such a status, he was in a crisis. A way to grow more from here! There were two main ways. One was the book that contained the legacy of Emperor Scharnos. ¡®The Emperor¡¯s book said there was a level 6, right?¡¯ Eurius had reached level 5 of using the Sword of the Mind. But ording to the Emperor, there was one more level above this. However, he could not enter this realm at the moment. ¡°Acquire.¡± Ding! [You do not qualify (yer Factor 50% required).] It was a limitation of his birth. But he was told that there was no way to increase the yer factor. ¡®The first one is still impossible. I don¡¯t know what kind of method there is, but it¡¯s impossible in a short time.¡¯ Then it was the second way. The second was the legacy of Lee Cheongmun, the peerless warrior who was on par with the Emperor! Eurius had one of his legacies in his hand right now. A red stone that emitted heat in his hand! [Vermilion Bird¡¯s Core]- A core that contains the power of the Vermilion Bird. If you take it, you can absorb its power. This was the same stone that Shin Jaseong, the former lord of Jeongdo, had used. The Archbishop Galleus he had met before had spat it out while purifying him. ¡®Is this the way?¡¯ [Of course. But as I said before, I can¡¯t guarantee how long it will take.] ¡®I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Eurius nodded his head and brought the red stone to his mouth with a cautious expression. Gulp! Hwaruk! Something that had a faint heat passed through his throat and went into his esophagus. Surprisingly, he did not feel any pain. And right at the next moment! Hwaruk! Kwaaaaa! An amazing thing was about to happen inside his body right now. Chapter 180: A while ago. Chapter 180: A while ago. [Wait! Don¡¯t put it in your mouth.] It was when Eurius was about to swallow the Vermilion Bird¡¯s Core. The Yellow Dragon suddenly stopped him. ¡®Huh? What¡¯s the problem?¡¯ [You have to choose the timing carefully from the second absorption onwards.] ¡®Why?¡¯ [Fusion.] ¡®Fusion?¡¯ [Yes. You¡¯ll find out more when you absorb it, but fusing two or more divine artifacts is apletely different matter from absorbing just one.] The Yellow Dragon¡¯s words were unusually serious. Eurius, who had lowered his hand for now, asked him curiously. ¡®So how long does it take?¡¯ [That depends on your ability. But at your current state, it could take months or even years.] ¡®¡­¡­!?¡¯ Eurius had to stash away the divine artifact that he had finally obtained. He had a pile of things to deal with right now, and he would be absent for months! It was a dizzying thought. But it was something he couldn¡¯t postpone forever. Besides, he had broken through the wall and reached the fifth stage not long ago. ¡®I should be able to handle the Demon Sect without having to collect more divine artifacts, right?¡¯ Eurius was a bit smug. He had a reason to be, as he had reached a level that was unparalleled by anyone except the yers from two hundred years ago. But the power of the Demon Sect was stronger than he expected. Eurius had some idea of it through Gungjeokyeong, who used to be the vice-sect leader of the Demon Sect. ¡°The power that the Demon Sect has shown is not even half of their total strength. They have many hidden things.¡± ¡°Hidden things?¡± At Eurius¡¯s question, she answered cautiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but the sect leader and the three great families of the new sect! And maybe Gunmisaeng Sayeohan, who is a military officer.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Her words were not bluffing. Even the ones he fought recently, who seemed like disposable goods, gave Eurius a hard time. ¡®What about the fusion of divine artifacts you mentioned before? How long would it take if I do it now?¡¯ [Hmm¡­ If you¡¯ve entered the fifth stage, fusing two divine artifacts shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. But it would still take at least a few weeks.] ¡®A few weeks?¡¯ It was a rather vague period. It would have been easy to decide if it was just a week or so. He also had a quest that required him to deal with the Demon Sect as soon as possible. But after thinking about it carefully, he decided that it was better to do it even if it took time. He didn¡¯t even know how strong the enemy was, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to prepare for any contingencies? ¡®And besides, he said it would take a few weeks at most.¡¯ Eurius had already suffered from unexpected hardships. He was confident in his own way. And now. Gulp! ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius swallowed the Vermilion Bird¡¯s Core and felt his mind go nk. At first, he felt a heat surge through his body, but that was only for a moment. Zap! ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, he heard a crackling sound and saw countless messages pop up in front of his eyes. [Loading authentication system] [Authenticationplete] [yer1 recognized] [Synchronization initiated This process may take some time.] . . . . [All taskspleted] Ding! [Hidden Quest ¨C ¡®Pro Gamer¡¯ has started.] ¡®Pro Gamer?¡¯ Aaaah! He had no time to think about the unfamiliar word as Eurius¡¯s eyes were blinded by a bright light and he lost consciousness. *** Pop! Eurius opened his eyes. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a cold metallic wall. ¡°Where is this?¡± He turned his head and observed his surroundings. It was a very strange ce. The four sides were surrounded by metallic walls and there was no exit or door in sight. The circr space was very spacious and the height to the ceiling looked to be at least several tens of meters. ¡®But where have I seen this structure before?¡¯ Eurius felt that this ce was very familiar. After a while, he eximed. ¡°Ah! The Colosseum!¡± As he said, this ce was very simr to the Empire¡¯s Colosseum. Except that it was indoors, not outdoors, there was no entrance, and the four sides were made of metal. ¡®But what am I supposed to do here?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the first time that his consciousness had flown away. Eurius decided to wait patiently. As he thought, another message appeared in front of his eyes. [The yer haspleted the connection to the arena.] [The quest will begin.] Pop! Click! The ceiling emitted a dazzling light and the dark arena became bright as day. ¡°Wow.¡± The light was iparable to anything like torches or night lights, so Eurius couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the ceiling with a curious expression. And another notification appeared in front of his eyes. Ding! [There is a reference video before you start the quest. Do you want to watch it? Video title: Memory 1] ¡®Yes!¡¯ [The video will be sent ording to your request.] As soon as Eurius nodded his head, the scenery in front of him changed again. Papapapop! First, the empty seats of the arena were filled with people. No, to be precise, they were not people. They were transparent human-shaped objects sitting on the seats. Ding! Words appeared above their heads. [Amazing event! Is this the first time an amateur has made it to the finals of Champs?] [Who cares about that, when will they start? These sponsors are so annoying with their ads. I¡¯m in a capsule, why does my head hurt;;] [The result is obvious. It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s crushing victory!] [Bullshit! You didn¡¯t watch the main game, did you?] [Lolololololol you guys are so clueless about games. What¡¯s your rank? This is not an easy league for an amateur to win.] [I agree. Did you guyse from ying some 2000s games?] [Shut up, you morons, it¡¯s starting now. Be quiet and pay attention.] ¡®What are they talking about?¡¯ Eurius could hardly understand what they were saying. Pro? Champs League? He had never heard of those words before. [There, idiots, watch this. This is how Grandpa ys.] Another message appeared in front of his eyes, followed by a loud noise. Boom! The center of the arena exploded and a huge figure emerged from the smoke. It was a giant robot with four arms and two legs, armed with various weapons. Eurius gasped in shock. ¡°What is that?¡± [Wow! Really?] ¡®¡­!?¡¯ A dazzling light burst in the center of the stadium. And with that light, a giant screen popped out! And what was shown on the screen was the sight of huge structures. Countless buildings covered with gray walls and ss were densely packed. [Period: Modern] [MAP: Sky Tower] The screen showed the scene from various angles, and then suddenly lowered the viewpoint to the ground. Pop! And the screen switched and showed a man. ¡®The Emperor?¡¯ Eurius was surprised. A handsome face with blond hair. He looked exactly like the Great Emperor Scharnos he had seen before, even smiling brightly. Only his outfit was very different. He was not wearing armor or fancy clothes, but only a shirt and pants. He looked rxed throughout, looking ahead. And what he saw in front of him was also a person. He was an old man, unlike Emperor Scharnos. ¡®A wizard?¡¯ As Eurius said, the old man was wearing a long gray robe and a gray pointed hat. He looked like a wizard from a fairy tale. He had a displeased expression, unlike the emperor. [Well, let¡¯s start. The XXth VR Champions League Final!] ¡®Huh?¡¯ Eurius was surprised again. A cheerful female voice echoed from the screen. [This tournament had a big surprise! A challenger from an amateur background made it to the league finals! The challenger¡¯s nickname is Scharnos! It looks like he really likes the Cthulhu mythos by his nickname!] ¡®It seems like he is Emperor Scharnos after all? But nickname?¡¯ Eurius nodded his head while the female voice started to introduce the other side of the old man. [Well, do I need to introduce him? He has been dominating the top for twenty years, Sir. Merlin! The number one virtual reality yer representing Ennd!] The old man in the robe seemed to be called Merlin. He seemed to have many fans, as dozens of messages popped up at the same time. [Wow! Fantasy is all about wizards.] [Look at that overflowing charisma. Compared to that, the challenger is meh¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about it.] He didn¡¯t understand what they were saying, but anyway Emperor Scharnos was the challenger and the old man was epting his challenge. He shook his head while the female voice continued to chatter. [We have some special guests for this final match. Don¡¯t be surprised! We have invited the most famous psychic of this generation. Amazingly, he is sitting right in front of me. I¡¯m also nervous. Come on! Say something!] [¡®I¡¯m Lee.¡¯] Suddenly, a blunt male voice rang out. And at that moment, people¡¯s reactions exploded. [Crazy! Mr. Lee?] [Is it Lee Chengwen from China?] [Is K Foundation crazy? No matter how much money they make from VR, they invited the current ranking number one psychic as a guest?] Chapter 181: Virtual Reality Colosseum Chapter 181: Virtual Reality Colosseum Chapter 181 Among the people who were stunned by the revtion, Eurius felt like his head was hit by a hammer. ¡®Could it be the yer I know, Lee Cheongmun?¡¯ But in this video, he was clearly called a ¡®psychic¡¯. And the Emperor Sharnos was also referred to as a ¡®yer¡¯ along with that person named Merlin. What was the difference between them? Whisper whisper. The murmurs of the people did not subside, and the woman had no choice but to introduce the next guest in a loud voice. [Our next guest is from the K Foundation, who coborated with us in developing the 6th generation VR! Please wee Dr. Dimiana Kim, the development team leader of the K Foundation VR Research Institute.] [Thank you. Please call me Dimiana.] A calm female voice answered. This was also a name he had heard a lot. ¡®The great woman Dimiana?¡¯ The name of the yer who founded a holy kingdom. Eurius could not help but be more puzzled. Come to think of it, Archbishop Galeus of the Kingdom called the three mentioned ¡®Godly One (neers)¡¯. ¡®What on earth¡­¡¯ Time passed as Eurius was lost in thought. [Then we will start the match.] ¡°¡­¡± Snap! The old man called Merlin raised both arms with a sh. He seemed to dislike the rxed expression of Emperor Sharnos. Whoosh! Boom! The ce where the emperor was standing exploded all at once. The explosion was not one or two times. Pop pop pop bang! Crash! The vicinity where the emperor was becamepletely dust due to the explosion. The broken ss windows fell down with a tter, and the walls were shattered to reveal the monstrous steel bars. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ Eurius was impressed by the sight. He could do something simr if he swung his sword, but he could not cause such destruction by just raising his hand from a distance. [What is this, it¡¯s too boring?] [Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s over like this.] ¡®There¡¯s no way.¡¯ Eurius shook his head. There was no way he could deal with the emperor like that. And as he thought. Thud thud Emperor Sharnos walked out of the rubble with smoke rising from him. Then he pointed his finger at Merlin. Click click. He bent his index finger toward himself. Anyone could see that it was a provocation! ¡®Is that all you got?¡¯ ¡°Krr¡­¡± Anger rose on Merlin¡¯s wrinkled face. He reached into his robe and pulled out something. [Oh! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Merlin pull out a weapon so quickly! Doctor! That staff is definitely an S-rank item, right?] [Yes. It¡¯s called Oblivion, a staff. It¡¯s one of the highest-ranked weapons, excluding Ex-grade equipment that cannot be disclosed due to bnce issues.] After Dimiana Kim, who was called a doctor, calmly answered, Merlin stretched out the staff he had taken out. Vroom! The bead at the end of the staff glowed and the attack began again. Zap! A huge bolt of lightning fell. The debris of the building was all burned ck. And that was not the end of it. Whoosh! A fierce wind swept up the debris. The storm swept through the city. In addition, he poured out powerful attacks without rest and finally raised his staff with both hands to the sky. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike before, nothing happened for a moment. ¡®What is this?¡¯ [Huh?] [What is Merlin doing?] The audience and Eurius all had puzzled expressions. sh. A red dot appeared in the sky. And the dot grewrger andrger until it filled the screen. It was a meteor! As it fell, most of it burned up and became the size of a bean, but its power was beyond words. Boom! The meteor crashed into the city, destroying half of it and blowing up dozens of buildings. . A huge crater was formed where the meteornded. Whoosh. Dust rose up and the femalementator and the audience were speechless. ¡®Even if it¡¯s virtual reality, isn¡¯t it too realistic?¡¯ ¡®Hmph!¡¯ Merlin, who had risen into the air to avoid the st, looked down with a smug expression. Soon, the woman opened her mouth again. [Uh¡­ um¡­ Merlin¡¯s attack was really amazing. By the way, the magic he used was very realistic. Is this also thanks to the new technology introduced this time?] Kim Dimiana answered coolly as usual. [Yes. This generation¡¯s technology focused on reproducing realism. In fact, we asked Merlin to use skills that would cause as much natural disasters as possible in theb.] There was an exmation among the audience. [Ah! Merlin was from a team under the K Foundation.] [They¡¯re really good at advertising. I can¡¯t even afford a 6th generation capsule, sigh¡­] [Tsk! You losers, I¡¯m getting mine in a week. Jealous?] [Yes, next VR please.] Whoosh. Amidst the noise, the dust slowly cleared. Thementator also seemed to remember the whereabouts of the challenger. [Ah! By the way, what happened to the challenger?] [What are you asking? He must have turned into dust in one hit.] [He¡¯s pitiful. Didn¡¯t the K Foundation pay him for advertising? Was he hired from the start?] The audience and thementator were skeptical about Sharnos¡¯s fate. How could he survive after taking such a hit? But the next moment, they were all shocked to see their eyes pop out. sh! A bright light burst out and the debris of the copsed building split apart. Then a person jumped out. It was Sharnos himself. He looked too fine except for some dust on his clothes. Tap tap. As he dusted himself off, the audience was confused. [Crazy! Is that a bug?] [What is he doing?] ¡°¡­!?¡± Merlin, who was floating in the air, also had his cold facepletely shattered. He just stared at Sharnos with wide eyes. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ Eurius also racked his brains as he watched Sharnos. ¡®Air barrier? Or did he use some other method?¡¯ Chapter 182: A Calculated Provocation Chapter 182: A Calcted Provocation Swish As if to answer him, Daeje smiled broadly and drew his sword from his waist. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to advance right now.¡± ¡°How many times have I heard that? Do you want us to wait here forever? It¡¯s been more than ten days already.¡± ¡°We already know that their forces are all gathered¡­¡± Jegal Seongwoon sighed deeply in his mind. ¡®Did the lord ever expect this to happen?¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t me Eurius. But there was always a shadow behind a good thing. Eurius had seized the weapons of the Yimugi on the Janggang River and sped up the troop transport, so the main force of the Cheokmadan hadpleted their preparations to attack Magyo in less than a month. Jegal Seongwoon also thought that their opinions were not entirely wrong. ¡®War is basically a quick and decisive matter. Dragging it out like this is not a good choice.¡¯ The Cheokmadan¡¯s troops that had moved westward through the Janggang River wereposed of three divisions. The first division was practically the main force of the Cheokmadan. It was a vanguard unit that included arge number of Jungdomang¡¯s main forces in the Cheokmamyeolsadae, which had performed brilliantly. They were elite and had high morale from their previous achievements. And skipping over the second division, the third division was Nokrimmaeng and Suromaeng. They had joined Eurius and Nuada from the beginning, so there was no problem with control. Jegal Seongwoon frowned as he thought up to that point. ¡®But the second division is the problem.¡¯ The ones he was arguing with right now were none other than this second division. They were a unit made up of small and medium-sized factions and some prestigious families. However, their overall quality was much lower than that of the first division. But that made them more impatient. ¡°Are we here to do the cleanup?¡± ¡°If they do everything after Cheokmamyeolsadae, what¡¯s the point of participating?¡± They had rtively low martial arts skills, so naturally they had few achievements following Cheokmamyeolsadae. They were thirsty for visible merits, so they naturally advocated for advancing. However, Jegal Seongwoon and the other leaders of the Cheokmadan, who were military men, were adamant. ¡°As I said, the lord wille out soon. Let¡¯s talk to him then. I¡¯m against advancing right now.¡± ¡°I agree as the deputy head of Jungdomang. Advancing without the permission of Eurius Daehyup is only going to cause confusion in themand system.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Don¡¯t be impatient and wait calmly. Do you really think the lord will nevere back?¡± But when Jegal Seongwoon, followed by Namgoong Ilcheon and Jegal Woonhyeon, who were the most skilled in Jungdomang, expressed their opinions one after another, they had no choice but to back down. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, I¡¯ll trust you for once.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But knowing that they were not convinced, Jegal Seongwoon¡¯s heart darkened again. ¡®If this goes on, something might happen. I hope the lordes out soon. I hope nothing happened to him.¡¯ He looked anxiously at the building where Eurius had secluded himself. *** Meanwhile, the situation was simr where the troops that hade down along the Janggang River had gathered. Especially, the officers of the second division of Cheokmadan were very dissatisfied. They sat indoors andined again today. First, a burly man grumbled. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for almost a week, but there¡¯s still no order?¡± He was the head of a ce called Sandong Akga in Shandong. He was well-known in his region, but his reputation was much lower than that of the five great families. ¡°Geez¡­ What are they afraid of Magyo¡¯s bastards for? It seems like there are only cowards up there.¡± The same went for Jangmunin of Sanseo Odaepa. His faction was also famous in his region, but not well-known in the whole Murim. As Jegal Seongwoon expected, they underestimated Magyo. The easy victories that Cheokmamyeolsadae had achieved had made themcent. It would have been fine if Eurius had been there, but it was nothing but unfortunate. ¡°We¡¯re already gathered right in front of Magyo.¡± ¡°What if they prepare for a counterattack while we¡¯re doing this? What are they trying to do?¡± But nothing changed by themining. And they couldn¡¯t disobey orders either, could they? *** As they were grumbling, an unexpected news arrived. Whoosh! A middle-aged man with a goat beard suddenly burst into the barracks and opened his mouth hastily. ¡°I have information from the 1st Division. They say the forces of the Demon Sect have finally appeared from Mount Tian!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± They were startled and quickly asked. ¡°What did the 1st Division say?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The middle-aged man frowned. ¡°They said they don¡¯t know their exact intention yet, so we should wait.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°How can they say that in this situation? What are they doing with the enemy in front of them?¡± They looked at the man with a goat beard with a resentful expression. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss¡­ It¡¯s no different from before, right?¡± But he suddenlyughed grimly. ¡°Hehe¡­ Is that so?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see? The Demon Sect has moved, right? That means there¡¯s a chance of a sh with them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you thinking of disobeying the order?¡± The leaders of the 2nd Division stared at the man with a surprised expression. They were very dissatisfied, but they were not so unreasonable. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ You don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The leaders looked at him with a puzzled expression. His name was Nahansung, and he was the leader of Hao Moon, a famous intelligence organization. ¡°Exin yourself. What are you trying to say?¡± Nahansung narrowed his eyes. ¡°Of course, if we attack them first, we would be viting the military order!¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°But what if the Demon Sect attacks us instead?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Then they realized what he was trying to say. ¡°You want to provoke the Demon Sect and make them attack us? Is that it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± They fell into a moment of hesitation. If that happened, it would be an opportunity to gain merit by defeating the vanguard of the Demon Sect, but the problem was the enemy¡¯s strength. But Nahansung said there was no need to worry about that either. ¡°ording to the main text, the forces of the Demon Sect that came out this time are mostly from the Demon Shadow Division, with a few experts from the Blood ughter Division. They are within our reach!¡± The Demon Shadow Division was the lowest-ranked military organization in the Demon Sect, good at intelligence but not having many top-notch experts. The Blood ughter Division that came with them was also not the elite force of the Demon Sect. ¡°They probably came out to test the strength of our Chima Division. They are not very difficult opponents.¡± Nahansung spoke confidently as if he had already defeated them. But it was a reasonable argument, so the other leaders of the 2nd Division also brightened their eyes. ¡°Then it¡¯s a golden opportunity! But will theye to us?¡± Nahansungughed grimly again. ¡°Hehe¡­ They won¡¯te to us, we have to make theme! Just trust me.¡± *** ng ng ng! As soon as Scharnos drew his sword, he unleashed a fierce attack. Merlin could not withstand his onught and kept being pushed back. ng! The dozens ofyers of shields that protected his body shattered like ss under Scharnos¡¯s swordsmanship. It was an unbelievable power. ¡°¡­!?¡± Merlin was startled and raised his staff to counterattack. His counterattack was also fearsome. He unleashed dozens ofser beams and caused explosions that covered hundreds of meters around him in an instant. But the Emperor Scharnos ignored all his attacks with ease. Zing! He dodged theser beams by twisting his body. Boom! Swoosh. He made the explosions disappear as soon as they urred and appeared right in front of Merlin, swinging his sword. sh! Merlin¡¯s body was finally wounded for the first time. After that, it was no different from a decided fight. It was over in less than five minutes. Gurgle! ¡°¡­!?¡± Sizzle Merlin¡¯s head and torso were separated with an expression of disbelief and vanished without a trace. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius stared at the video with a look of astonishment. The reason he was surprised was not because the Emperor Scharnos was simply strong. ¡®Wasn¡¯t the Emperor Scharnos a knight? Where did he get that kind of ability? I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡¯ While he was thinking, the announcer¡¯s voice echoed in the stadium. [Thi¡­ This is amazing! The first round of the final match goes to the challenger! Let¡¯s hear from Merlin, the runner-up¡­ What? He forfeited the interview?] Meanwhile, the audience¡¯s reaction was also noisy. Buzz buzz. [Who is the challenger?] [How can someone like that suddenly appear?] [Wow¡­] [Merlin is disappointing.] [The challenger is too strong!] [Is this a scam?] [Ah! I should have bet more for fun!] [XX! I¡¯m going to jump off the Han River bridge¡­] Chapter 183: Quest Chapter 183: Quest The video ended there. Leaving behind the buzz and cheers, Eurius returned to the cold arena. And before he had a chance to think, a notification window suddenly popped up. [Quest has started.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Pop! With a sh of dazzling light, Eurius found himself standing on one side of the circr arena. And on the other side was¡­ ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Eurius widened his eyes. A blond young man with a cheeky look! It was none other than the young Emperor Sharnos, whom he had seen several times in the video. ¡°Emperor? That¡¯s not my name.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius was speechless. He had no idea what to say in this situation. The young Emperor, who was staring at him nkly, suddenly smiled. ¡°Shall we begin then?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ng! ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius barely blocked the Emperor¡¯s sword, which he swung without warning. ¡°You¡¯re good at defense, huh? Then I¡¯ll go harder!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As he retreated in shock, a new notification window appeared in front of his eyes. [Hidden Quest ¡®Pro Gamer¡¯ has started.] [Objective: Defeat yer 2.] And so began Eurius¡¯s ordeal. *** 24 hourster. Thud! ¡°Cough!¡± Eurius was kicked by the Emperor and flew back. But he had no time to rx. ¡°Haha! Take this too!¡± Whoosh! The Emperor had moved above Eurius¡¯s head and shed down his sword. Bang! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Eurius barely defended himself and was pushed back. He was not weak by any means, but he was barely able to withstand the Emperor¡¯s attacks. But he was also outraged by this. ¡®Come on, at least give me some basic exnation for this quest!¡¯ He tried to talk to the Emperor several times, but he did not answer properly and kept attacking him. Puff! ¡°Cough!¡± The Emperor¡¯s sword pierced Eurius¡¯s heart. [yer 2 wins!] ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Eurius barely held back his anger at the cold sensation in his heart. He knew what would happen next. [Current record 0 wins 27 losses, psed time 1 day 0 hours 5 minutes 5 seconds] Swoosh. Surprisingly, his body, which had been bleeding from the sword wound, returned to normal in an instant. And his body was pushed to one side of the arena again. [The next round will start in 1 minute.] The Emperor also calmly returned to his original position. ¡°Can you at leastnd one hit this time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A weekter. [Current record: 0 wins, 250 losses, psed time: 8 days, 0 minutes, 5 seconds] ¡®This is dangerous. I¡¯m running out of time.¡¯ Eurius, whose head had just been smashed like a watermelon, had bigger problems than that. ¡®It seems like he won¡¯t let me out no matter what.¡¯ From the third day onwards, Eurius had to try all kinds of methods to beat Emperor. Pop! Dozens of mind swords manifested and aimed at Emperor. ¡°Whoa!¡± But Emperor reacted with astonishing speed. He skillfully parried the swords that suddenly appeared in the air. Zing! He also dodged the coldness easily and cut off the ice chunks that were shot at him. The Ego sword, which he pulled out as ast resort, seemed to work somewhat. Kiiiing! Bang! The sword that flew at an amazing speed collided with Emperor and caused an explosion. He was blown back and mmed into the wall. ¡®Did it work?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s face brightened for a moment, but he frowned when he saw Emperor walking out unscathed. ¡°This is impressive. You¡¯ve practiced a bit, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t hit me!¡± The Emperor mocked him with shy movements after that. Eurius¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t even graze his clothes. Crash! ¡°Ugh!¡± This time, Eurius¡¯s upper body flew off in one piece. He twitched and returned to the beginning. Emperor¡¯s attacks were impossible to block with bare hands. He would have been better off if he had the intangible armor, but it disappeared when he moved to this ce. And the biggest problem was¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve been here for a week, but I don¡¯t know how to fight him!¡¯ He desperately tried to find Emperor¡¯s weakness or a breakthrough. But Emperor had one feature that made all this futile. ¡®He does two or three things while I do one. There¡¯s no way I can win like this.¡¯ Emperor was not much better than Eurius in terms of speed or attack power, but he had one big advantage. Zing! ¡°Argh!¡± Eurius¡¯s body swayed. As soon as Emperor reached out his hand, the sword in his hand was pulled out. It was a new ability, but it seemed like he could attract metal. He could have blocked this much, but¡­ Rumble! Boom! ¡°Aaah!¡± Lightning struck from the air. Eurius, who was staggering, was hit by it without a chance to react and screamed. sh! The finishing blow was a sword. While Eurius was unable to respond after being struck by lightning, his neck was cut off. This was Emperor¡¯s favorite tactic. He used his powerful maism to pull out the opponent¡¯s weapon and dropped lightning to immobilize them, then cut their neck with a sword! This series of actions happened almost without any time gap, and Eurius could only defend against one attack and be helpless against the other two. ¡°¡­¡± No wonder Eurius couldn¡¯t find an answer no matter how hard he thought. [30 seconds left until the next round.] He looked at the notification window that popped up in front of him with a gloomy expression. ¡°Wait!¡± [yer2 has requested a pause.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius stared wide-eyed at the Emperor in front of him. He had been silent and focused on attacking no matter what questions Eurius asked. But what had changed his mind? ¡°Ah¡­ This feels like cheating, I can¡¯t do this!¡± The Emperor grumbled to the air and then spat out a word to Eurius. ¡°You! Don¡¯t you know anything about skills?¡± ¡°Skills?¡± ¡°Yeah, your fighting style is so frustrating that I asked for a time-out.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius quickly threw a question. He didn¡¯t understand well, but this was his chance to talk. ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The Emperor looked at Eurius as if he had seen a strange creature and examined him from head to toe. Then he pped his knee as if he had remembered something. ¡°Oh! Are you by any chance from the superpower world?¡± ¡°Superpower world?¡± ¡°You know¡­ those monsters who can shoot fire and cut buildings in half in reality, not in virtual reality. I heard they get burned if they do this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius had never heard of such a thing either. But the Emperor continued his words as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Anyway, fighting in virtual reality is different from normal martial arts. The key is how many skills you have!¡± ¡°Skills?¡± ¡°This kind of thing.¡± The Emperor stretched out one hand. Zap! A spark appeared in the air. It was the lightning that the Emperor had used before. ¡°I don¡¯t use magic much, but electric shock is a useful skill to bind the opponent¡¯s feet.¡± Zing! This time, he used maism to pull the nearby iron scraps. ¡°This is also one of my favorite skills. It¡¯s good for dealing with guys like you who only trust their swords!¡± Swoosh. Finally, he suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Eurius. Thwack! ¡°Ugh!¡± The Emperor gave Eurius a walnut on his forehead. ¡°Blink is not possible to use continuously, but it¡¯s a good skill to pierce the weak points like this.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius tilted his head as he saw the Emperor willingly reveal all his skills. The Emperor smiled and opened his mouth again. ¡°Now, show me your skills.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius spun his head furiously. ¡®Skills are not what I know, are they?¡¯ The skill he had learned was Overheat, which temporarily amplified his strength. But what the Emperor was talking about seemed to be a different concept. ¡®Lightning, pulling iron scraps, andstly teleportation?¡¯ ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius recalled the Emperor¡¯s abilities for a moment and then seemed to remember something. ¡®Wait, lightning in the air?¡¯ As far as he knew, there was only one way for a human to have such an ability. ¡®The fourth stage!¡¯ The fourth stage of Force was the realm where one could manifest their power in any image they wanted. In the East, this was called differently as Visualization. ¡®But one person can only have one ability, right?¡¯ It was unheard of for one person to use multiple abilities at the same time. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Emperor was twirling his finger around his head, as if he was incredulous. ¡°What about that ice then? You were using it just fine with your sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the power of the artifact¡­¡± Eurius was about to answer, but suddenly he stopped. ¡®Come to think of it, is there any difference between using the artifact¡¯s power and using my own skill?¡¯ He realized that all the powers he had obtained through the artifact were exclusive to yers. He suddenly felt a curiosity to test something. Whoosh! He stretched out his hand in the air, and a hot me appeared in front of his eyes. He had forgotten about it, but he had absorbed the Vermilion Bird Artifact. He had naturally acquired the ability to control the heat of the Vermilion Bird, in addition to the water and ice of the ck Tortoise. ¡°See! You¡¯re using it just fine¡­¡± Emperor shrugged his shoulders and looked at the scene. His tone implied that it was not much different from his own ¡®skill¡¯. Eurius tried to open both of his hands with a half-believing, half-doubting expression. Then he made one hand produce coldness and the other hand produce heat. Whoosh! Ssssh! ¡®It works?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know it himself, but he was able to use two powers at the same time. From there, Eurius moved on to the next thought. ¡®What if?¡¯ He thrust his sword into the air. Crackle! A fierce spark erupted from his sword, and lightning sprang out. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius was quite surprised by what he had done. ¡®This is Namgung Ilcheon¡¯s skill?¡¯ As he said, it was the Thunderbolt, a skill used by Namgung Ilcheon, one of the superhumans of Jeongdomaeng. ¡®Then?¡¯ sh! This time, his sword was dyed with a dazzling white light. He swung his sword down toward the ground. Bang! The metal floor caved in and sent sparks flying. That white light was none other than Destruction, a skill of Nuada. Eurius had suddenly be able to use multiple skills like Emperor. The question was when did he get this ability? ¡°¡­¡± But Emperor didn¡¯t let him stay silent for long. [The next round will start in 20 seconds.] ¡°You seem to have mastered the basics, so shall we start again?¡± ¡°Do all yers have this kind of ability?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Emperor didn¡¯t give him a proper answer to his question. ¡®I want to ask more, but it seems useless.¡¯ It seemed that what he did before was just a measure to remove the penalty. Emperor returned to his ruthless attitude of trying to beat him down. Eurius nced at the notification window. [psed time: 9 days 5 hours 50 minutes 5 seconds] ¡®Then clearing the quest is my priority.¡¯ He had wasted too much time. Everyone in Jeongdomaeng must be worried about him. Soon, the duel resumed. Zing! Emperor used the same tactic as before. He used maism at a precise timing to pull Eurius¡¯s sword toward him. Wobble! He had been caught several times, so he only lost his bnce slightly, but that was enough for Emperor. Thud! ¡°¡­!?¡± He blinked behind Eurius in an instant and swung his sword mercilessly. Normally, this attack would have inflicted a serious injury or killed him on the spot, but¡­ Woong! ¡°Huh?¡± His sword strangely twisted and missed Eurius¡¯s body. This was a spatial distortion! Eurius had used Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s secret technique. The sword that missed its target made him lose his bnce in a sh. Papak! Eurius took advantage of that gap. Dozens of mind swords aimed at his whole body. ¡°Damn it!¡± He bit his tongue and swung his sword as he retreated. But unlike before, he couldn¡¯t block them all. Peppepeng! His clothes were torn and blood droplets formed. Eurius didn¡¯t waste any time and poured out his fierce attacks. He instinctively knew that this was the moment to decide the oue. ¡®I have to finish it now!¡¯ In fact, he was still at a disadvantagepared to him. Even though they both used multiple secret techniques, their skill and reaction speed were on different levels. Pajijik! But a lightning bolt was created right in front of Eurius¡¯s nose, who was unleashing his fierce attacks. ¡°Ugh!¡± He quickly dodged to the side, but that was only a feint for the next attack. Ziing! He staggered as he twisted his sword with maism. This time too, he used two or three secret techniques at the same time to break him down. This difference could not be made up in a short time. ¡°I win again this time!¡± He swung his sword at Eurius¡¯s neck. Thud! But instead of a clean cutting sound, a dull noise echoed. ¡°¡­!?¡± Surprisingly, his sword couldn¡¯t cut through Eurius¡¯s neck. It inflicted a deep wound, but not enough to kill him. ¡°What! Is it body enhancement?¡± Eurius barely avoided the crisis by using Geumgangsin, a secret technique of Late Grand Duke. His body became harder than steel and blocked the sword. And this was the perfect opportunity. Kiiiing! A sword that moved with Igigum flew like an arrow. He couldn¡¯t avoid it in the nick of time as he widened the distance. Pat! But he had blink. He disappeared as if he turned off and reappeared ten meters away. The weakness of blink was that he couldn¡¯t use it consecutively and that he was defenseless for a moment after using it. ¡®But it¡¯s very useful for escaping like this!¡¯ But Eurius was already too injured to take advantage of the gap. Knowing that, he showed a rxed expression and enjoyed the drowsiness after blinking before opening his eyes. But at that moment! ¡°Gasp!¡± Pat! Eurius punched him in the chest with an unbelievable speed. He closed over ten meters in the blink of an eye. ¡®How?¡¯ He briefly showed a shocked expression and then figured out the reason. ¡°A secret technique that increases speed!¡± ¡°Correct!¡± Eurius answered briefly. It was indeed Shinsok, Beatrice¡¯s secret technique. That¡¯s why he could still generate enough speed even with his messed up body condition. Kwaang! Eurius pierced his chest with a fist that shone white. ¡°Kuuuuh¡­¡± Emperor staggered back with a groan. The power of Nuada¡¯s fist, which used the skill, was so great that it pierced arge hole in his upper body. ¡°Argh!¡± Emperor looked at Eurius with a furious face. ¡°You deliberately made a gap. You knew I didn¡¯t know much about you and tricked me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius gave a bitter smile. His words were true. He was able to win because Emperor didn¡¯t know much about his ability. On the other hand, he knew Emperor¡¯s ability very well. Because he had died countless times by him. Snicker. But Emperor soon rxed his expression andughed. ¡°Anyway, it was fun at the end. Let¡¯s fight again if we have a chance.¡± Zap! With that sound, Emperor¡¯s body disappeared. Ding! [You have cleared the hidden quest ¡®Pro Gamer¡¯.] [Your achievements increase.] ¡°¡­¡± [It took you a while, but you finallypleted it, huh?] As soon as he checked the notification, a small golden dragon appeared. ¡°Yellow Dragon?¡± Yellow Dragon spoke in a calm tone. [You must have a lot of questions for me?] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius also had a serious expression. At first, he thought it was just another quest simr to the previous ones. But there were more than one or two suspicious points. First, why did hee to this ce and watch a mysterious video when he only absorbed the skill? Second, who was Emperor? What was virtual reality and what was a pro gamer? Third, what was the mysterious ability he showed? He had gained a new ability without knowing it. [First of all, your ability is created bybining the skill.] ¡°Combining?¡± [Didn¡¯t I tell you before? You arecking in conditions. The skill is there to supplement that. You can think of it as a way to get the ability you should have originally.] ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ording to Yellow Dragon¡¯s words, Eurius was not a normal yer after all. But Yellow Dragon also said that if he collected all the skills, he could unlock all his abilities. [And I don¡¯t know much about virtual reality either.] ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± [But I can help you judge it. That¡¯s my role.] ¡°¡­!?¡± As Yellow Dragon spoke, Eurius¡¯s consciousness was flying somewhere again. [You are viewing the video data ¡®Memory 2¡¯.] Zap. *** Chapter 184: The Unveiling of New Realities Chapter 184: The Unveiling of New Realities ¡°What now?¡± The first thing that Eurius saw when the video came on was a metallic door in front of him. nk! The door opened with a loud noise and three people entered. To be precise, one of them was dragged in. Thud. Two burly men in ck clothes threw the man they had brought in on the floor. ¡°Hey! What are you doing to me!¡± The blond man who was thrown shouted in protest, but the men in ck did not even twitch their eyebrows. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please wait here for a moment.¡± ng! The thick metal door was locked firmly and there was no way out from inside. Eurius watched the scene with a puzzled expression. ¡®Did the emperor get imprisoned?¡¯ And surprisingly, he seemed to have no power at all. He was easily dragged by the muscr men¡­ Bang! Bang! ¡°You bastards! Let me out!¡± Bang! ¡°Don¡¯t you fear thew!¡± ¡°¡­¡± He was just an ordinary human who could not even break a single iron door, unlike before. Eurius looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± The emperor, who had exhausted himself from banging on the door, copsed on the ground and gasped for air. A littleter. Creak. ¡°Have you calmed down a bit?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The person who opened the door and came in was an Asian woman. She looked like she was in herte twenties and wore a white coat that gave her an intellectual appearance. But he had no chance to evaluate her, whether she was a woman or not. ¡°Who are you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked you toe here.¡± ¡°You, damn!¡± He tried to muster hisst strength and grab her cor. But that did not work either. ¡°Calm down for a moment. You¡¯re more impatient than I thought.¡± Woong. ¡°Ack!¡± He floated a few centimeters in the air and iled his arms and legs. The person who did this was a man who followed the woman into the room. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties and wore a blue robe that did not match the modern interior, as if he came out of a historical drama. The emperor, who finally noticed him, was shocked enough to faint. ¡°You are!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lee Cheongmun. I saw your match before and it was quite impressive.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The emperor blinked his eyes in astonishment. ¡°Are you calm now?¡± Nod nod. Hended on the ground again and looked at the woman and Lee Cheongmun alternately with a slightly frightened face. He was closer to fists thanws. The emperor, who had regained his senses, soon noticed the name tag on the woman¡¯s coat. [VR Team Leader: Dimiana Kim] He had an incredulous expression on his face. ¡°No, why are you, the famous psychic and K Foundation, interested in amoner like me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an ordinarymoner!¡± The woman cut him off firmly. ¡°You are the youngest champion of the virtual reality league hosted by the K Foundation.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Emperor Scharnos looked even more clueless. The woman continued to speak. ¡°The reason why I called you, Mr. XXX, is because of the K Foundation¡¯s top-secret VR project.¡± ¡®Called? Not kidnapped?¡¯ Emperor Scharnos sneered inwardly and answered. ¡°Why would you bother to call me when the K Foundation has plenty of talent to spare?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment. But she answered with a resigned expression. ¡°Name: XXX, yer ount: Sharnos, born in 2XXX, parents deceased early, currently enrolled in XX University with a special admission for VR-rted fields. Is this your personal information?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The woman recited his profile and Emperor Scharnos nodded with a puzzled expression. ¡°That¡¯s your aptitude.¡± ¡°Aptitude?¡± The woman nodded. ¡°Among the billions of people who have essed the virtual reality system created by our K Foundation, you have the highest yer aptitude. And it¡¯s not evenparable to anyone else.¡± Emperor Scharnos looked incredulous. It was a word he had never heard in his life. ¡°What do you mean by yer aptitude¡­ hey!¡± ¡°Simply put, it means the adaptability to virtual reality. Haven¡¯t you seen it in dramas or movies?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The woman exined kindly. ¡°You won the championship by defeating countless yers in just a year after starting ourpany¡¯s game. Didn¡¯t you ever think that you had some special ability?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Emperor Scharnos paused for a moment. ¡°But it¡¯s just a game. That¡¯s what you think, right?¡± The woman answered for him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But yer aptitude is a real ability. No, rather than an ability, should I say a talent?¡± ¡°Talent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chuckle. The woman smiled yfully and picked up the document again. ¡°I brought your military physical examination record when you enlisted. Your father is Korean, right? You served in the military before immigrating.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s personal information, and isn¡¯t that military secret?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about trivial things. ording to this record¡­¡± Flip. The woman turned the page and began to recite his information. ¡°Your grade at the time of examination was 3rd due to mild asthma! You¡¯re not exactly very healthy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No talent for psychokinesis either. You¡¯re just an ordinary person.¡± ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡± Emperor Scharnos snapped back irritably. This woman had a knack for getting on people¡¯s nerves. ¡°This is where it gets interesting. Even though you¡¯re like this!¡± p! The woman pped her hands and looked at Emperor Scharnos with sparkling eyes. She seemed cold and intellectual before, but she was the type who didn¡¯t listen to anyone when she got into her own world. ¡°You be the owner of a talent that no one can follow in virtual reality. Congrattions. You¡¯ve broken through this one-in-billions chance.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Do you have to say it like that?¡¯ Emperor Scharnos¡¯s face crumpled. He roughly understood what she meant. He blurted out sarcastically. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m just a simple shut-in in reality, but it¡¯s different in virtual reality, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In your case, you mainly focus onbat.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡± He had a sullen expression. He was the champion of the virtual reality world, wasn¡¯t he? But then, another voice was heard. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s different from what you think.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Emperor Scharnos widened his eyes and looked at the direction where the voice came from. It was a man in a blue robe, an oriental man named Lee Cheongmun. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You must have some prior knowledge about ¡®Ether¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I don¡¯t know the hard words, but it¡¯s the source of power that superhumans use, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± [Ether] This was a new ability that humanity discovered in the 2Xth century. ording to the ancient Greek philosophers, the world was made up of four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind! Of course, not everything in the world was made of Ether as they defined it. ¡°Human souls are made of Ether, and using the power of this soul is what superhumans who use [Force] do. That¡¯s roughly it, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. You seem to know that much.¡± ¡°Who do you take me for, an African refugee?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was a basic knowledge that everyone learned in thepulsory education system in the 2Xth century South Korea. ¡°If you know that much, then I can exin it briefly.¡± The woman intervened again. ¡°As you know, virtual reality is a technology that transfers human consciousness to virtual reality through brain waves. But there were many technical problems to create a world that was exactly like reality, and it took a long time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The woman then briefly exined the development process of the virtual reality machine. ¡°¡­And finally, in the 6th generation, we were able to achieve a 99.9% reproduction rate. You must have already seen it since you entered.¡± Nod. Emperor Scharnos agreed. He was a pro gamer and he knew better than anyone. Unlike the previous generations that felt somethingckingpared to reality, this machine created a world that was almost indistinguishable from reality. ¡°But even at this stage, there was one thing missing.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± He didn¡¯t know when he became curious, but Emperor Scharnos unknowingly asked a question. The woman answered firmly. ¡°Soul.¡± ¡°Soul?¡± ¡°We still can¡¯t synchronize the brain waves and the body perfectly. In fact, high-level superhumans like Mr. Lee Cheongmun here have a hard time using their full power when they enter the virtual world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Scharnos tilted his head at this point. ¡°But what does that matter? Virtual reality technology is already useful enough even if it¡¯s not exactly like reality.¡± That was true. In the 2Xth century, virtual reality was inseparable from human life. It was widely used from games and sports to office work. But there was no reason why that world had to be exactly like reality. ¡°¡­¡± The woman closed her mouth for a moment and ordered someone to bring something else. Thud! A paper with something densely written on it was handed over. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A contract.¡± ¡°What?¡± The woman smiled again and opened her mouth. ¡°That question is confidential and cannot be disclosed to outsiders. So¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If you sign a pledge to work with us, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Emperor Scharnos was stunned. They had kidnapped him and brought him here, and now they wanted him to sign a contract¡­ ¡°Did I have a choice in that?¡± ¡°Of course you did. If you refuse, we¡¯ll send you back.¡± He tried to answer quickly. ¡°Then send me back right¡­¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Since you have learned some of the secrets of our K Foundation, you will have to face corresponding measures. For example¡­ lifelong close surveince¡­¡± ¡°Oh,e on!¡± Emperor Scharnos was furious. They had been spouting nonsense about yer aptitude and whatnot from the start, and this was an outrage. The woman also quickly started to make excuses. ¡°We are sorry for this. But the contract terms are not bad at all. And there won¡¯t be any dangerous work either.¡± ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman responded with silence, and Emperor Scharnos also realized that it was useless to make a fuss. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± His eyes quickly scanned the contract on the table. [Top Secret Project: New World] *** Beep. Eurius¡¯s consciousness returned to the arena. [Did you get the answer you wanted?] ¡°¡­¡± The golden dragon asked, but he did not answer. He just calmly thought about it. ¡®Help view.¡¯ Sometimes he looked at the help menu. It was also necessary for making a decision. Chapter 185: Euriuss Return and the Unfolding Crisis Chapter 185: Eurius''s Return and the Unfolding Crisis After so Much time had passed. ¡°Yellow Dragon.¡± [What is it?] Eurius had a serious expression at first, but soon sighed. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It was hard to believe. Even if he exined it to someone, they wouldn¡¯t understand. [You seem to have reached some conclusion. Ask me if you have any questions.] The Yellow Dragon didn¡¯t sound as impatient as usual. It must have been an important matter. ¡°¡­¡± [¡­] Silence ensued, and after a while, Eurius finally opened his mouth. ¡°Is this world created by someone else?¡± [That¡¯s one way to put it.] ¡®One way?¡¯ Eurius tilted his head for a moment, but anyway he epted it and moved on. ¡°Then¡­¡± He paused here for a while. The first question wasn¡¯t that important. ¡®The Church of the Continent teaches that God created the world anyway.¡¯ But the second question was different. It was crucial information that could affect his future actions. Eurius carefully uttered his next words. ¡°Am I human?¡± [You are human, yes.] ¡°Then¡­¡± Eurius was surprisingly nervous. This third question was the most important clue that could solve his doubts. ¡°What about the others? Are they the same as me?¡± He was no fool. He didn¡¯t know what a yer was, but he knew that he was different from ordinary people. ¡®I can read people¡¯s minds a little bit, even if not very well. That¡¯s not normal for a human.¡¯ What he feared the most was also this. ording to the information he had checked with the help menu, [yer ¨C It means a user. It is the opposite concept of NPC.] [NPC ¨C Non-yer-character ¨C It means an auxiliary character that helps the yer. Usually in games¡­] ¡°Could it be¡­¡± When he learned this information, he was most worried about whether the people around him, excluding him, were really the same as him. The Emperor, Mareus, Beatrice, Nuada, Kains¡­ If these people were just devices made for him? It was chilling to even imagine. And the Yellow Dragon¡¯s answer made Eurius¡¯s face turn pale. [Of course they are different. You are an iplete yer.] ¡°¡­¡± Thud! Eurius kept his mouth shut, but he felt a huge lump rolling in his heart. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ However. [Just kidding. Your expression was priceless.] ¡°What?¡± He widened his eyes and looked at the Yellow Dragon. The dragon¡¯s face was hard to see, but on closer inspection, its mouth was curled up. [Biologically, you and they are the same. Is that what you wanted to ask?] ¡°Damn it¡­ You sure about that?¡± Eurius cursed as he felt his blood pressure drop. [Yes. Didn¡¯t I tell you that you have no talent? You didn¡¯t have the abilities of a yer from the start.] ¡°¡­¡± [Did you think you were some great being? I¡¯m sorry about that too. How did such a guy show up and tsk¡­] The Yellow Dragon seemed to mock him on the surface, but it was actually different, so Eurius soon found himself chuckling. ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll ask you onest question.¡± [Go ahead.] ¡°Why did I go back to the past? And why are you exining this to me now?¡± It was still a mystery to him. Why was he chosen if he had no talent? And why did Yellow Dragon, who had helped him with his training, but not much else, suddenly be so kind and informative? The Empire, Yellow Dragon, Emperor Sharnos, and the other people who appeared in the videos¡­ Who were they really? Yellow Dragon answered him bluntly. [I don¡¯t know why you were chosen either. That¡¯s why I thought you were unfit at first. Do you remember what I said about you having no qualifications?] ¡°Surely¡­¡± Come to think of it, after he got it, Yellow Dragon was just a good sword for a while, not very cooperative. [But the others liked you.] ¡°The others?¡± [You¡¯ll find out soon enough. And that¡¯s also why I changed my mind.] ¡°Hmm?¡± Beep. A video suddenly appeared next to Yellow Dragon. And in it, a familiar scene unfolded. ¡°Your Highness, the First Prince! Please focus on the ss.¡± ¡°I pledge my loyalty to Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the First Prince is again¡­¡± . . . . . . ¡°What is this?¡± Eurius looked at the video with a slightly puzzled expression. It was his actions from the moment he returned to the past until now. [This is what you experienced before you met me. I requested the data.] Yellow Dragon spat out as he continued to watch the video. [And these are things you didn¡¯t show me much.] ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± [Don¡¯t you get it yet? Anyway¡­] Yellow Dragonpared Eurius right after his regression and Eurius now. The difference was! [Why didn¡¯t you actively use your biggest advantage?] ¡°¡­My advantage? What is that?¡± [Tsk! I¡¯m talking about the privileges you have.] ¡°Privileges? Do you mean the abilities of the ¡®system¡¯?¡± [Yes. You only focused on personal training after meeting me. Well, you were lucky and the results weren¡¯t bad.] ¡®What¡¯s wrong with that?¡¯ Eurius was secretly flustered and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve always used this ¡®system¡¯ ability. If it weren¡¯t for the yer¡¯s privilege, I wouldn¡¯t have achieved such results in my training.¡± [That¡¯s just using the abilities you have naturally. Think back to your humble days.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius finally recalled his situation right after he returned to the past. ¡®Everything was a mess. I had to do anything to survive.¡¯ After his regression, he had to use all means to avoid the eyes of his enemies, build up his strength, and grow his power. And what helped him greatly in the process was¡­ ¡°Help. You mean the yer¡¯s knowledge?¡± Of course, his memories of his previous life were a great help. But he couldn¡¯t ignore the knowledge of the yer that he glimpsed from time to time. There were times when the yer showed him an unexpected twist, and usually there was the power of the hint. [Right. Things would have been much easier if you had paid attention to that point.] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Eurius felt like he had been hit by a hammer on his head. ¡®Come to think of it, did I ever actively investigate the yer, except for my childhood?¡¯ He seemed to have a lot of interest in him when he had more time. But as time passed, his interest in the yer itself faded quite a bit. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He swallowed his saliva and thought about the reason. ¡®There are several reasons. First of all, it¡¯s because of the size of the faction I have.¡¯ In the beginning, he used all means to survive. Therefore, he had no choice but to squeeze out all the abilities he had. But after a certain time, he didn¡¯t need to do that. ¡®And I was satisfied with the abilities I gained during that time.¡¯ He had capable subordinates and his power became iparable to the past. He had some crises, but Eurius rarely faced a threat to his life. As a result, Eurius continued to work hard as a warrior and as a crown prince, but he neglected to hone the yer¡¯s ability, which was the key to regression. Eurius changed his expression to a serious one as he thought this far. ¡®I was careless. Yellow Dragon had a reason to be dissatisfied.¡¯ He had already seen the yer¡¯s ability through the video that Yellow Dragon showed him. An overwhelming power that overturned heaven and earth with a light gesture! It was definitely not something that could be obtained by simple training. ¡®Maybe things would have been different if I had continued to investigate the yer.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s current state was at best ¡®an excellent warrior who uses the yer¡¯s power¡¯. Nothing more or less than that. And wasn¡¯t that something that he had seen several times from the cultists he faced? [Hmph! Did you realize it now?] ¡°¡­¡± When Eurius remained silent with an awkward expression, Yellow Dragon said something unexpected. [Actually, I was quite impressed by your early performance. You had good application skills.] ¡°Huh?¡± [You are a royal. You can be said to be at the peak of a rigid mindset. It¡¯s not something that anyone can do to use the knowledge of another world well in such an environment. That¡¯s probably why the others rated you highly.] ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yellow Dragon surprisingly gave him somepliments. But then he followed with harsh criticism. [But did you rx a bit when things got better? Think about your goal.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius honestly had nothing to say. His goal was nothing at first. [I want to live this life without regrets!] But his goal became moreplicated as time went by. The enemies who drove him out in his previous life were like onions. He couldn¡¯t see their core even if he peeled off theiryers. [A yer? What happened to me?] [A cult? They look suspicious at first nce.] [The emperor also had a secret. It must be rted to the yer.] [I¡¯ve always suspected Leonhardt too. I need to dig into him well.] [There must be a secret in the east that I don¡¯t know.] He went on like this, looking for clues, but the important thing was his method. ¡®It¡¯s not action. My response was too passive.¡¯ If he knew that it was rted to the yer, he should have focused on that point first. Killing the enemies in front of him was not everything. ¡®Then what is the ability that I need most now?¡¯ As soon as he thought of it, Eurius¡¯s vision turned white again. Whoosh. And when he opened his eyes, there was a sound that came to him. [This is my second trial.] ¡°¡­!?¡± [The second stage of Yellow Dragon¡¯s trial begins.] [Stage 2 ¨C Acquire the yer¡¯s ability and knowledge.] ¡°Knowledge?¡± [Yes. You are neither a yer nor a human of this world right now. You can be seen as a hybrid of sorts. Actually, I hoped to fix you in the first trial¡­ but¡­] ¡°By the first trial, do you mean the training I did before?¡± In his memory, it was clearly a trial where he had to raise his power naturally while his sense of force was sealed. [To be honest, it was absurd. That was not what I intended.] Eurius was able to reach a higher level of mastery thanks to that trial. But Yellow Dragon said that was not his intention. [yers do not need to have the enlightenment of the martial arts. They just need to learn how to use the system.] ¡°¡­!?¡± [But the result was not so bad, so I left you alone. Anyway, you had such a low aptitude that it would have been equally hard for you to learn that skill.] In other words, being strong as a yer and being strong as a martial artist arepletely different things. Currently, Eurius had a mix of skills learned from the system and his own achievements as a martial artist. ¡°Then, can¡¯t I just keep doing what I¡¯ve been doing?¡± Yellow Dragon shook his head at that question. [What do you think is the advantage of being a yer? You¡¯ve fought them yourself, so you should know.] Eurius recalled the appearance of the emperor who fought with him until just before. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ah!¡± [Yes, yers are assisted by the system. So they don¡¯t need any concentration.] Martial artists needed a high degree of focus and control of force when using advanced techniques like secret arts. But yers did not have that. That¡¯s why Sharnos Emperor was always able to gain the upper hand when he fought with him. He could use multiple techniques at the same time and quickly. Eurius felt frustrated. ¡°No, then have I been doing something useless all this time?¡± [That¡¯s not true. If that were the case, I would have given up on you or torn you apart.] ¡°¡­!?¡± [yers cannot apply their skills. They learned their skills by rote, not by developing them themselves.] Martial artists could use their martial arts or secret arts in various ways. They understood how their techniques worked because they were the result of hard training with blood and sweat. Depending on their proficiency, they could be much more powerful than what yers could do. ¡®Which case am I in then?¡¯ Eurius thought for a moment and then looked at Yellow Dragon with a surprised expression. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± [That¡¯s right. What I want from you is to take advantage of both. It should be possible for you at your current level.] The advantages of being a yer and being a pure martial artist! Eurius could have both at the same time. He quickly opened his mouth again. ¡°How do I do that?¡± [¡­] Instead of answering, Yellow Dragon showed him a notification window. Ding! [You open a specific help file ording to the system¡¯s instructions. Category-Virtual Reality] [VR! The Mysterious Experience] [The End of Virtual Reality in the 2X Century] [Surviving in Virtual Reality -Desert Ind Edition-] And many other materials filled Eurius¡¯s vision. ¡°What is this?¡± [These are materials to help you understand. And there¡¯s something else too.] Ding! [You open a specific help file ording to the system¡¯s instructions. Category-Modern Knowledge] [Social Education that Even Primitive People Can Understand] [Understanding Modern Society] [The Progress of Civilization] ¡°¡­¡± [You need to understand society as well if you want to fully grasp the knowledge of being a yer. So¡­] Yellow Dragon spat out in a firm tone. [Study.] ¡°¡­¡± The titles seemed strange, but Eurius asked with a nervous expression. ¡°All of this?¡± The contents he was looking at were enough to fill hundreds of books. [Yes, you must feel like a child, but there¡¯s no helping it.] ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­ What about the time?¡± He would have to study if it was something he needed to know, but he didn¡¯t have enough time. He had less than three months left for the quest to go to the Holy Kingdom. [Don¡¯t worry, this ce applies the time of virtual reality.] A window in front of Eurius¡¯s eyes zoomed in. [Virtual reality can slow down the flow of time up to one-tenth of reality. In theory, it could be hundreds or thousands of times, but human consciousness can¡¯t handle that flow¡­] ¡°One-tenth?¡± [It means that time flows ten times slower here than outside. You¡¯ve been here for quite a while, but outside it hasn¡¯t even been three days.] ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius let out a faint exmation. Then he had a lot more time. [I think you should stay here for about a year in outside time, but it¡¯s up to you.] ¡°That would take too long.¡± Eurius tly refused. Wasn¡¯t that saying he had to be trapped here for ten years? [But it would take that long to learn all the knowledge, wouldn¡¯t it? As I said, you are exposed to themon sense of apletely different world.] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± But he couldn¡¯t do that. The final battle with the Demon Sect was imminent. ¡°Let¡¯s just try it for a year for now.¡± [You¡¯ll regret itter if you run out of time, won¡¯t you? This space is not always essible.] ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± [Tsk! You¡¯re still stubborn. Fine, do as you please.] As Yellow Dragon grumbled and backed away, Eurius copsed on the floor. ¡®I don¡¯t have much time. I have to look at it quickly.¡¯ His eyes turned to the help files. ¡®Knowledge about the world of yers¡­¡¯ Actually, he was notpletely uninterested. He just didn¡¯t have enough time to look at it calmly. And time¡­ flew by quickly. The scene changed to Jeongdomang. It was where the Cheokmadan¡¯s headquarters was located. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°What are we going to do about this!¡± And it was also where endless sighs were flowing. One of the owners of those sighs asked a question. ¡°Military officer, what should we do about this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jeong Seongwoon kept silent as he looked at the faces of those sitting around him in the conference room. He bit his lip. ¡®The situation is dire. I think I underestimated the Demon Sect¡¯s scheme too.¡¯ He trusted Eurius, but there was no news from him for over a month. In fact, he even broke into the training hall after more than three weeks of seclusion and opened the door. But ¡°The lord¡­ is gone?¡± There was no trace of Eurius. Jeong Seongwoon had a momentary thought of horror, but shook his head. ¡°That can¡¯t be. The lord must have some reason.¡± But the current situation was too desperate for him to find a way out. ¡°Cheokmadan leader! No, what happened to that bastard?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Je Gal Seong-un had nothing more to say whenever such a question came up. He could only quietly swallow his frustration. ¡®I¡¯ll do what I can for now. And wait for my lord to return.¡¯ He finally opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no point in thinking about someone who¡¯s not here right now. And isn¡¯t this crisis partly our fault too?¡± ¡°Ahem! That may be true, but¡­¡± The dissatisfaction didn¡¯t seem to subside. Je Gal Seong-un felt a headacheing on as he thought he had to engage in another pointless argument today. ¡°How dare you insult His Highness the Crown Prince in his absence!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh! The knights of the Western Continent were already anxious because of Eurius¡¯s disappearance. They couldn¡¯t stand it when the other figures of the Righteous Alliance insulted Eurius and drew their swords. ¡°Hmph! Who are you to get angry at us when you¡¯re the ones who abandoned your duty first?¡± Woong woong! The figures of the Righteous Alliance also raised their energy, making their wide sleeves flutter. ¡®Ugh¡­ If only Uncle Unhyeon was here¡­¡¯ Je Gal Seong-un hurriedly tried to mediate between the two sides. The situation was on the verge of explosion! The two sides that had been holding back finally erupted. But just then! ¡°Please calm down a little. My lord is¡­¡± ¡°Did you just call for me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Je Gal Seong-un looked at the direction where the voice came from with a surprised expression. Following his gaze, everyone else also shifted their eyes. ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Their eyes were directed at the entrance of the conference room. Eurius was standing there as if he had been there all along. Everyone was stunned, and he extended one hand. Snap ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius snapped his thumb. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 186: Sky and Earth Net 1 Chapter 186: Sky and Earth Net 1 Deep in the forest The sound of weapons shing was rampant. ng! Swoosh! A spear flew like a snake. The spear shadow split into dozens of strands, tearing the flesh and spraying the blood of the enemies. sh! ¡°Argh!¡± The ones who bled were wearing ck clothes and emitting a sinister aura. Whoosh. Je Gal Woon Hyun, who retrieved his spear, wiped his sweat and shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s already the third day. Do these bastards have no end?¡± But he had no time to catch his breath. A young man in blue clothes ran towards him. His name was Je Gal Geon. ¡°Uncle! More enemies have appeared at the rear of the front line.¡± ¡°Reinforcements?¡± ¡°Master Nam Goong is heading there. But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s them again, I suppose.¡± Whizz! Je Gal Woon Hyun swiftly flew to the rear of the front line. He was leading the first battalion of Cheok Ma Dan, which was currently trapped in Magyo¡¯s encirclement. [Sky and Earth Net] It meant a of heaven and earth that would prevent any enemy from escaping once surrounded. But normally, this kind of dense could only be formed when the enemy¡¯s strength was overwhelming. That¡¯s why the people of Cheok Ma Dan never thought that Magyo would reverse their situation and encircle them. Je Gal Woon Hyun bit his lips as he ran. ¡®Did I underestimate Magyo¡¯s power?¡¯ His speed as a superhuman was like the wind. He reached the rear in an instant andunched a lightning-like attack. The enemies were mysterious men in ck robes. They were fiercely attacking Cheok Ma Dan¡¯s experts, but they changed their stance when they saw Je Gal Woon Hyun. ¡°Superhuman¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Je Gal Se Ga¡¯s divine spear.¡± ¡°Form a.¡± Swoosh. Five experts surrounded Je Gal Woon Hyun. ¡°Hah!¡± His spear moved dazzlingly, creating dozens of shadows. Any ordinary expert would not be able to block even one of them, but the men in ck robes were different. ¡°Hup!¡± They were all bare-handed, but they emitted a strange energy and stretched out their hands forward. Whoosh. The energy from their palms collided with Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s spear. Boom boom boom! Rumble. The men in ck robes were pushed back by the explosion. But that was it. ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh ¡°Huh¡­¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun sighed anew. The men in ck robes who blocked his spear and approached him again as if nothing happened! ¡®How did Magyo have such experts? What are these guys doing?¡¯ Surprisingly, these five men who could stop a superhuman-level expert were more than thirty in number. Far away, Nam Goong Il Cheon was struggling against their. The superhumans were tied up, let alone the other experts. Wherever the men in ck robes joined the battle, there were screams and a thick smell of blood. ¡°These bastards!¡± ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Retreat! Get out of the encirclement!¡± Jegal Unhyeon, who had shaken off the head-like creatures with a powerful attack, quickly broke through the siege. It had been like this for three days. There was no way to win in a frontal confrontation, so he had to escape somehow. He was lucky that there were only two superhuman-level experts among the enemies. Otherwise, the first squad of Cheokmadan would have been annihted in an instant. Crash! His effort was not in vain, and a small gap appeared in the encirclement. ¡®I have to break through quickly. I can regroup once I get out of here.¡¯ He brightened his eyes and was about to leap forward. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Boom. Along with someone¡¯s sneer, something heavy and powerful fell on his head. ¡°¡­!?¡± Bang! He quickly dodged, and arge hole was dug where he had been. And someonended there. ¡°Hehe¡­ You are as agile as I heard.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The man whonded was also wearing a ck robe, but the energy he felt was much heavier and intense. Feeling that, Jegal Unhyeon spat out a curse. ¡®This guy is an expert¡­ Did the Magyo have someone like that besides the leader?¡¯ Anyway, thanks to the man¡¯s intervention, the escape route that he had barely opened was blocked again. Jegal Unhyeon had no choice but to look around with a gloomy expression. He was quite exhausted from the repeated battles for three days. ¡®Can I deal with him quickly and break through the siege again?¡¯ He judged coldly that it was impossible. No, even if he was in his prime, it would be doubtful. The man in front of him was surprisingly a superhuman-level expert. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± The man let out an unpleasantugh and opened his mouth again. ¡°My name is Bukgungpa. Have you heard of me?¡± ¡®I think I¡¯ve heard it somewhere before¡­¡¯ Jegal Unhyeon shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have. This is the first time I¡¯vee out of Shingyo.¡± Jegal Unhyeon shrugged his shoulders at his words. ¡°Oh, is that so? Sorry for not knowing you. I thought some third-rate magician was pretending to know me.¡± Snap! His provocation worked well. Bukgungpa, who called himself that, hardened his face and growled. ¡°How dare you, who are already dying¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look so impressive either, attacking me when I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°That will be yourst words.¡± Bukgungpa flew like lightning. And at that moment! ¡®Got him.¡¯ Swoosh. ¡°Damn!¡± Bukgungpa, who was rushing in with an angry expression, was startled by the dozens of spearheads that sprang up from under his feet. Jegal Unhyeon¡¯s secret technique: space distortion! It was a surprise attack using its characteristics. He had provoked Bukgungpa to lure him into this trap. ¡°Ugh!¡± But the opponent was not easy either. He only panicked for a moment and then soared into the sky with his body as it was. The height he jumped was astonishing. ng! The spearheads only managed to scratch his ankle. And Bukgungpa fell from the sky like a tiger. ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Jegal Unhyeon clicked his tongue and prepared to defend himself. The fact that he avoided his desperate surprise attack meant that he had been on guard all along. ¡®The Magyo bastards are not easy.¡¯ Although he did not show it outwardly, Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s heart was filled with anxiety. Would they be able to escape safely? Kwaaang! The sh of Buk Gung Pa¡¯s two hands and Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s spear produced a deafening sound that was iparable to anything before. ¡°Kuhuk!¡± ¡°Keeeuuuk¡­¡± They both retreated, spitting blood from their mouths. Je Gal Woon Hyun, who vomited ck blood, seemed to have suffered a bit more damage, but considering that he had swung his spear for three days and nights and added the momentum of Buk Gung Pa¡¯s fall to his attack, it was not a big loss. However, given the current situation, Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s injury was more fatal. ¡°Heh! Anyway, if I capture you, the leader will be pleased.¡± Buk Gung Pa raised his two hands again, putting aside his wounded pride for a moment. If he continued to fight like this, his victory was likely. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun kept smiling amiably, but he could notpletely hide his pale face. Buk Gung Pa sneered as he noticed that. ¡°Hehe¡­ You are quite good at bluffing.¡± But as he was about tounch himself again, something astonishing happened. Swoosh. A sword suddenly appeared near his neck. ¡°Uhek!¡± Buk Gung Pa was startled enough to make his whole body hair stand on end. His neck was about to be sliced off. He quickly concentrated his energy on his neck to defend himself. ng! Chwaaak! Unfortunately, the sword was stealthy and swift, but slightlycking in power. It only managed to inflict a fairly deep wound on Buk Gung Pa¡¯s neck. ¡°Eing¡­¡± A sigh of regret was heard as the owner of the sword moved to Je Gal Woon Hyun¡¯s side. ¡°Are you alright, instructor?¡± ¡°Instructor?¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun quickly looked at the man. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte. Please exin this to His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun looked at the man with a mixture of relief andplexity. He was Cain, who had been out of touch since he came to the Eastern Continent. And as he revealed his identity, a cheer erupted. ¡°Waaaaah!¡± ¡°Rescue the Chek Ma Dan!¡± Suddenly, reinforcements appeared outside the encirclement. ¡°Who are they?¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun calmly observed them. Their outfits were not uniform, and their martial arts skills varied widely. ¡®In the martial world, such a group would be¡­¡¯ ¡°Beggars!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Were you among them? And those experts are?¡± Surprisingly, there were quite a few skilled experts among the beggars. With them as the core of the attack, even though the beggars¡¯ level was low, they temporarily pushed back the Demon Sect with their sudden raid. ¡°I only found out recently, but those guys are called the Beggars¡¯ Ten Greats. They seem to have quite a reputation among themselves.¡± Je Gal Woon Hyun could not help but be amazed by Cain¡¯s words. ¡°The Beggars¡¯ Ten Greats?¡± [Beggars¡¯ Ten Greats] Generally speaking, even among the beggars who were considered lowly in the martial world, there were some oddballs who existed and among them were some outstanding experts. ¡°But I heard that they all have peculiar personalities and don¡¯t stick together?¡± Cains scratched the back of his head with a sheepish expression. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable.¡± Jegal Unhyeon, who was momentarily surprised, lifted his spear again. The first priority was to break through this encirclement. Now was the opportunity, as the battlefield was disrupted by the participation of the Nangin. *** ¡°I think it¡¯s time to go. I¡¯ve learned enough by now.¡± [Hey.] ¡°Hmm?¡± Yellow Dragon looked at Eurius with a strange tone. [I take back what I said about you having no talent.] ¡°What are you talking about?¡± [I didn¡¯t expect you to acquire this much knowledge in just a year. You¡¯re definitely born in this world, right?] ¡®Why is he suddenly acting like this?¡¯ Eurius was slightly taken aback by the unexpectedpliment, but soon burst intoughter. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying among the yers that everywhere people live is the same?¡± [¡­] Yellow Dragon looked at Eurius with an incredulous expression, then shook his head. [Well¡­ In a normal case, it would be a really useless talent. Anyway, I¡¯ll give you some credit.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius shook his head in disbelief. He had gotten used to Yellow Dragon¡¯s words in the past year. ¡®If you¡¯re going to praise me, just praise me. Why do you have to add a sour note?¡¯ Ding! [You have cleared the second stage of Yellow Dragon¡¯s trial.] [Your achievement increases.] After spending a year in the virtual space, Eurius found himself standing in front of the people of Righteous Alliance. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I was toote.¡± ¡°No, my lord.¡± ¡°We are d that Your Majesty has returned safely.¡± ¡°Er¡­ um¡­ well, at least you¡¯re back now¡­¡± There were surprisingly no people whoined about his return. The knights and subordinates were needless to say, and most of the others had seen Eurius¡¯s power firsthand, so they were rather pale-faced from being caught badmouthing him behind his back. Eurius knew their situation well and smiled brightly as he turned his face to Jegal Seongun. ¡°It seems like the situation is serious from what I heard briefly. Can you exin it to me?¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Jegal Seongun also hurriedly opened his mouth. The current Cheokmadan was in a precarious situation where most of its forces were wiped out and the remaining ones could be annihted at any time. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius made a serious expression after hearing the exnation. ¡°So we¡¯re screwed.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, I mean, I misspoke.¡± ¡®Thank goodness no one understood me.¡¯ Eurius broke out in a cold sweat. He had developed some side effects from trying to adapt to the knowledge of the other world for a year. He used to only know the refined royalnguage, but now he had acquired some strange expressions. ¡°Anyway, we need urgent rescue, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We already sent out a rescue team led by Nuada-nim, but they said it would take some time to arrive.¡± Eurius¡¯s judgment was quick. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself.¡± ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± Jegal Seongun also quickly followed up. ¡°We¡¯ll form a rear guard with the remaining forces. Just wait for a moment¡­¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯ll be toote then.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius turned on his heels and walked away coolly. ¡°I¡¯m enough on my own.¡± *** ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Behind the curtain, a satisfied sigh escaped. Seeing that, Sa Yeo-han, the head of the intelligence department, hurriedly started the remaining report. ¡°The army that the Righteous Alliance has deployed is half-broken. They are barely holding on with the power of two superhumans, but ording to Bukgung Hobeop, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they are annihted.¡± ¡°What about the other forces besides the Righteous Alliance?¡± ¡°The Huanggung and the West Continent are involved, but they are only elite minorities. They need the support of the Righteous Alliance¡¯s forces to wage arge-scale frontal war like this. The situation is extremely favorable for our school.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The leader seemed to agree with his detailed exnation, as the shadow behind the curtain nodded slightly. ¡°You did well to trust the military. You have worked hard.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s all thanks to your grace.¡± Sa Yeo-han bowed his chest and felt relieved that his n had seeded. To be honest, he was dizzy when he heard the report that a monster appeared in the Janggang River and swept away the experts of the school, including Cheonji Isal. ¡®But I¡¯m not going to be fooled so easily¡­ Damn it! Of course not!¡¯ However, even after repeated failures, the leader did not abandon him. Eventually, he achieved a great feat by destroying half of the Cheokmadan. Thud thud. He walked out of the leader¡¯s residence and thought about what was toe. ¡®By the way, why is that prince of the West Continent so quiet?¡¯ The one who had made him drink water several times was too silent. But Sa Yeo-han soon shook off his anxiety. ¡®Well, whatever he does, it won¡¯t matter now that the three great families of the school have joined.¡¯ [The three great families of Magyo!] They hardly move unless the school is in danger of extinction or something rted to [Shintak]. But the leader decided that it was a crisis that required fighting against the entire East Continent and allowed them to use their power. And the result was also a great victory. ¡®The future is more important. The leader said he would send more people soon.¡¯ Sa Yeo-han headed to his office with a slightly uplifted expression. *** Within Magyo¡¯s Cheonra Jimang, a fierce chase was still going on. Zap! A ck shadow shot out like an arrow. The target of the shadow was Cain, who had brown hair. ¡°I¡¯ll tear you apart and throw you to the dogs!¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Cain dodged to the side with all his might. The attack barely missed him. Crack! A few alder trees next to him snapped. If that attack had hit Cain, his torso would have been in a simr state. Cain wiped his cold sweat and quickly took a defensive stance. He had almost cut off Bukgungpa¡¯s neck in their first encounter, so he was holding a grudge against him. ¡®How can someone who is as strong as a superhuman be so resilient¡­? And so damn persistent?¡¯ He mutteredints in his mind as he faced Bukgungpa with his sword. It had been three days since Nangin joined them. Their strength had been somewhat replenished, so they were holding on well against the irond siege. But he didn¡¯t know how long this bnce wouldst. ¡°You bastard!¡± Boom! Bukgungpa¡¯s palm and Cain¡¯s sword grazed each other, creating a small explosion. Twist. Of course, Cain was at a disadvantage in terms of skill. But he wasn¡¯t just being pushed around. sh ¡°¡­!?¡± Bukgungpa quickly bent his waist. He thought he had exposed a gap by breaking his posture, but suddenly a sharp sh came at his head. Swish. His sword grazed his opponent¡¯s hair, cutting off a few strands. He was surprised by the unexpected counterattack from the novice he had looked down on. The leader of the Northern Pce n lost hisposure again. ¡®No, this rat-like bastard!¡¯ But his opponent was not easy to deal with. He suppressed his anger, thinking that he might suffer an unexpected defeat. Cains was clearly a few levels below him. But whenever he tried tond a decisive blow, he would dodge like a ghost in this way. He was one of the leaders of the three great ns, but he had failed to kill him for three days. And while he was blocked by Cains, the other experts had time to break through the encirclement. Whoosh. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± A few experts around him screamed as holes were pierced through their chests. The owner of that attack was Jegal Unhyeon. ¡°We broke through the encirclement! Let¡¯s escape!¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you very much!¡± While he held off the enemy, Cains ran away through the opened exit as fast as he could. ¡°¡­¡± The leader of the Northern Pce n was so dumbfounded by his hesitation-free escape that he became even more furious. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any pride as a warrior!¡± ¡°Is that what you say when you surround me with hundreds of people?¡± Jegal Unhyeon also pretended to fight him a few times while escaping. This time too, he failed to annihte the Cheongma n. ¡°Grr¡­ As expected of Righteous Alliance, huh? You¡¯re more troublesome than I thought.¡± But he only vented his anger for a moment. The leader of the Northern Pce n looked at him with a cold expression again. ¡®Anyway, they can¡¯t escape. If I have to, I can use my trump card.¡¯ He didn¡¯t achieve his goal of annihting them, but the Cheongma n couldn¡¯t get out of the Chilraji Net either. Escaping temporarily was their limit. ¡°Hehe¡­ How long can youst?¡± Before long, it was night time. The Cheongma n barely shook off their pursuers and managed to get some rest. ¡°Phew¡­ It seems like we barely made it today.¡± ¡°You did especially well.¡± Jegal Unhyeon looked at Cains with an expression of admiration. The leader of the Northern Pce n was an outstanding expert who was not much different from him. How could he, who had not even reached the level of superhuman, do such a thing? ¡®And that¡¯s not all.¡¯ Surprisingly, Cains was improving day by day. On the first day, he almost died from the enraged leader of the Northern Pce n¡¯s attack, but now he had increased his skills enough to barely block it. I¡¯ll try to trante the text into English and edit it for better readability. Here is my attempt: He seemed to be unaware of it¡­ Of course, it was natural for his skills to improve quickly as he was fighting with his life on the line against outstanding experts. However, even considering that situation, Cains was growing at an astonishing rate. ¡°Instructor? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°Huh? No, there isn¡¯t.¡± Jegal Unhyeon turned his gaze away from Cains, who he had been staring at nkly. By chance, his eyes met with the Nangin who were gathered there. Cains seemed to be chatting with them. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon recalled the first day of his joining. . . . ¡°So¡­ you missed the timing and kept wandering around until you finally joined?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Cains exined the reason for histe joining with a sheepish expression. He was actually the first one to arrive in Nakyang among the group, but he had a reason to go somewhere else. One day, Socheol ran in and delivered some information. ¡°Wow! I heard there¡¯s a stranger from Saekmok in the area where Noklimsanjae is.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The first thing he heard was the news of Noklimsanjae, where Nuada was. He had to hurry and pack his bags to go to the distant mountain range. But when he arrived there¡­ ¡°Noklim people went to Janggang? Did you see the Saekmok person?¡± After asking around, Cains found out that the Saekmok person who appeared in Noklim was Nuada. ¡®I have to go to Janggang.¡¯ It was good that he got the news, but Dongdaeryuk was too vast. It was inevitable that he would bete if he asked people along the way. When Cains arrived at Janggang, everything was over, from the battle to whatever else. ¡°What? They already left?¡± The Surobang¡¯s subordinate gave him some advice as he let out a sigh of exhaustion. ¡°How about going to Cheonsan?¡± ¡°Cheonsan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much either, but I heard that Murim people are gathering there.¡± ¡°Cheonsan is a ce that takes at least a month bynd¡­¡± Socheol also muttered with a drained expression. Unfortunately, there was no one who could prove Cains¡¯ identity, so he had to go bynd. All the big and small boats on Janggang were collected by Cheokmadan. ¡°There¡¯s no choice.¡± Cains, who had already missed the person, was in a hurry and quickly set off for Cheonsan. This was the biggest reason why he waste. If he had stayed in Janggang and sent news to Righteous Alliance, he could have joined much earlier. Coincidentally, only Shin Ja Seong knew that he had escorted Pyoguk in Nakyang, and he was lying down because of his injury. A series of strange coincidences led him to meet the group only now. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Jegal Unhyeon also listened to his story with a dumbfounded expression and suddenly thought of something else. ¡°Then where did you get those Nangin friends from? You said you were busy moving around¡­¡± Cains suddenly rummaged through his chest and took out a gold badge. ¡°Well¡­ as soon as I got a gold badge from Nangin Yeonhap, they kepting to test my skills.¡± The ranks of Nangin were divided into apprentice, wood, bronze, silver, and gold badges, and among them, those who received gold badges had to be at least Jeoljeonggosa, which meant master-level or above in Seodaeryuk. Needless to say, there weren¡¯t many people among Nangin who were Jeoljeonggosa. Cains was a notable neer in the industry (?) who received a gold badge with only his skills and without any special achievements. ¡°A mysterious Saekmok person received a gold badge from Yeonhap?¡± ¡°You have to have some achievements even if you are Jeoljeonggosa¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s suspicious. Let me test you.¡± That¡¯s how Cains had to ept constant challenges while moving around to find the group. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m called Cheongsa (blue snake). I¡¯m ranked fifth among the Nangin Shipgang.¡± ¡°This old man is called Norong (yellow dragon).¡± . . . . Chapter 187: Subjugation (1) Chapter 187: Subjugation (1) Sssss! Before Cains shed with the Northern Pce Sect, Eurius was flying over the mountains with his sword. ¡®It must be around here¡­¡¯ The reason he left alone was simple. It would be toote if he came with the others. It took several weeks to get to the Thousand Mountains by water, and more than a month if they climbed the mountains. ¡®But it¡¯s a different story if I fly!¡¯ Eurius had barely arrived by flying day and night on his Yellow Dragon Sword. ¡°Waaaaa!¡± ¡°Annihte all the righteous bastards!¡± ¡°There they are!¡± Eurius grasped the situation in an instant as he saw the battlefield. ¡®Cains is in danger.¡¯ Boom! He first summoned an ice block to separate Cains from the enemy leader. Then he shot a sword of mind from the sky and defeated the enemy in one breath. ¡°Back off!¡± But the enemy leader seemed to have a keen sense of judgment. Eurius bit his tongue as he saw him retreat and regroup. ¡°Tsk! I thought he was just a homo, but he¡¯s pretty smart.¡± [¡­] Eurius looked down at the battlefield from the sky with a faint expression! Everyone was staring at him with stunned faces. He was about to say something with a satisfied expression when. Vroom! ¡®Huh?¡¯ [Stop showing off ande down! Do you think I¡¯m a car?] ¡®Tch!¡¯ Eurius had to quickly jump off his sword. Heined inwardly. ¡®I should have finished him off when he was scared!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, the Northern Pce Sect was watching Eurius cautiously. [If you encounter a blond-haired man on the side of the righteous, deal with him carefully and report it.] That was the order he received from the sect leader before he set out. But he never imagined that he would meet him like this. ¡®Should I retreat?¡¯ The sword flight that Eurius had just shown was a feat that he could not even dream of. A normal judgment would be to run away from here, but¡­ Flinch. His eyes quickly scanned Eurius. He had made a grand entrance, but what he observed was a bit different. ¡®No doubt. He¡¯s very exhausted.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Eurius had bloodshot eyes and his clothes were full of dust. His cheeks were hollow as if he hadn¡¯t eaten properly for weeks. ¡®Hehe¡­ Did he rush here alone? No matter how skilled he is, if he travels for weeks without rest, he¡¯ll lose his strength.¡¯ The Northern Pce Sect smirked inwardly. He was half-confident about his prediction. ¡®If I capture him, the sect leader will be pleased.¡¯ Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but if all the experts who made up the Thousand Nets joined in, it seemed possible somehow. What¡¯s a little sacrifice if it can be done? ¡°Huh?¡± But Eurius shouted out loud. ¡°Homo!¡± ¡°What?¡± He tilted his head at the word he had never heard before. ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± ¡°It means gay in yer¡¯snguage.¡± Eurius exined kindly. And Bukgungpa, who had stared at him with a nk expression for a moment, jumped up. ¡°What!¡± ¡°Is that not true? Even if Cains was mistaken, the way he looked at me was not normal either¡­¡± ¡°You bastard¡­¡± The truth was, Eurius was also unsure at first. From what he had observed briefly in the air, it seemed like Cains had misunderstood something, but he kept scanning him with a sinister smile even after he appeared. He looked like a very suspicious person. Bukgungpa felt his head spinning again. Who was he? He was one of the leaders of the three great families, which belonged to the strongest forces in the Demon Sect. And he dared to use him of being a homosexual! ¡°Grrr¡­ You!¡± ¡°An opening!¡± Bukgungpa didn¡¯t even have time to give an order. Eurius¡¯s fist turned white and shot out with a terrifying speed. ¡°Ugh!¡± He tried to dodge quickly. No matter how big the gap in their levels was, they were facing each other head-on. Unless he was extremely careless, he should be able to deal with that kind of attack. But! ¡°Argh!¡± He couldn¡¯t avoid it. Eurius¡¯s fist pierced through his chest. Bang! He flew away like a broken log and crashed into the ground. ¡°Left Guardian Method!¡± His subordinates rushed to him in shock. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But their faces turned pale in an instant. Bukgungpa¡¯s face had already lost its color. His heart was destroyed and he died on the spot. And that was with a single blow! ¡°How can this be!¡± Shudder. The Demon Sect¡¯s people backed away nervously. Eurius seemed to be having a conversation with Bukgungpa, but then he suddenly killed him with one strike. From their perspective, Eurius looked like a monster of unknown origin. Swoosh. ¡°¡­!?¡± When Eurius reached for his waist with a swift motion, the Demon Sect¡¯s people tensed up even more. ¡°I¡¯m going to use my sword next. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty tired too. If we keep fighting, there will be more casualties.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius suggested with a smirk. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be hard to kill you all, but I¡¯ll let it go this time. If you break the siege now, I¡¯ll just let you go!¡± He sounded very arrogant. As if he was doing them a favor. ¡°¡­¡± The Demon Sect¡¯s people exchanged nces while holding theirrade¡¯s corpse. He was an unbelievable person who could kill a superhuman with one blow. And the important thing was that Eurius didn¡¯t even draw his sword when he did that. How scary would he be if he used his sword? ¡°Are you really not going to attack us?¡± Finally, one of the experts in ck clothes opened his mouth cautiously. He seemed to have sorted out his thoughts. ¡°Of course! But you have to decide quickly, before I change my mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing that, the Demon Sect¡¯s people started to retreat slowly, leaving behind their colleague¡¯s body. They didn¡¯t want to die like dogs either. Swoosh. In less than a few minutes, the Demon Sect¡¯s people disappeared from the surroundings.web Eurius, who had been watching with a divine aura until they all retreated, spoke to himself inwardly. ¡®Are they gone?¡¯ [They¡¯re gone.] ¡°Phew!¡± Thud. Eurius staggered slightly and then copsed. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Grandmaster! Are you alright?¡± The officers of the Cheonma Group, including Jegal Unhyeon, ran over with worried expressions. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I had no choice but to run from afar.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ In that case!¡± Jegal Unhyeon, who was sharp, noticed it right away. Eurius¡¯s threat just now was a bluff. No matter how exhausted he was, it was unlikely that such a warrior would suddenly copse unless he was really out of energy. ¡°That was a risky gamble.¡± ¡°The distance was really damn far.¡± Eurius had a reason toin. He had been locked up for over a month under the pretext of seclusion. His mind was fine, but his body had been lying around for over a month without any nutrition. That would have been fine, but he had traveled for days using a skill that consumed a lot of internal energy like flying. It was impossible for his body to be in good condition. He pretended to be fine, but he was quite nervous. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t trained my skills, it could have been really dangerous.¡¯ Bukgungpa was one of the top experts among the superhumans. It was almost impossible for even a fifth-stage expert to kill him with one blow in a frontal confrontation! But the skills of the yer who trained in the mental world made it possible. Eurius had used three secret techniques in session. First, he closed the distance in an instant with Beatrice¡¯s speed. Then he punched him with Nuada¡¯s secret technique of destruction. Finally, he used the ability of Anderson, the duke of the northern empire, who was also a superhuman: pressure. He held him down so that he couldn¡¯t escape. It would have been one thing if he used one of them, but he used three secret techniques in a smoothbination. No matter how prepared Bukgungpa was, he had no choice but to take it head-on. He used almost all of his remaining energy, but Eurius was able to kill Bukgungpa sessfully. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Eurius, who had thought that far, sprang up from his seat. He couldn¡¯t recover his depleted energy enough by resting for a while. He had to move to a safe ce quickly. ¡°Thank you again for your grace, Grandmaster! You saved our lives once again.¡± ¡°I just did what I had to do.¡± The people of the Cheonma Group kepting up to greet him with touched expressions, but Eurius found it annoying. ¡°By the way¡­ Did you already use the elixir I gave you before?¡± ¡°Elixir?¡± Namgoong Ilcheon suddenly spoke to him. ¡®Now that I think about it!¡¯ He had obtained two elixirs while raiding Hyunmubidong. It was an event that happened over a year ago, including the mental world, so he had forgotten about it for a moment. ¡®If I take the elixir, I might not be able to replenish my physical strength, but I can replenish my depleted internal energy.¡¯ Eurius understood his intention, but his face hardened at Namgoong Ilcheon¡¯s next words. ¡°Your current condition is a bit dangerous. We¡¯ve already used up all the medicine we had.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­ Cains!¡± Eurius hurried over to Cains, who had lost consciousness. He had suffered serious internal injuries from Bukgungpa¡¯s blow. The ck blood dripping from his nose and mouth indicated that it was quite serious. ¡®He worked hard for me too, so I should repay him!¡¯ Eurius took out a box from his pocket. As soon as the lid opened, a fragrant smell of medicinal herbs wafted out. What he took out was Daehwandan, which he received from Jiwoo Seonsa. The highest-grade elixir called the essence of martial arts! ¡®But I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡¯ Eurius had already surpassed the realm that could be ovee by training internal energy or martial arts. Chirp. Eurius forced Cain¡¯s mouth open by grabbing his throat and made him swallow a small pill-sized elixir along with some water. Gulp. Eurius waited for a moment after confirming that the elixir had gone down Cain¡¯s throat. ¡®It should take effect soon.¡¯ Cain was unconscious and could not control the swirling power of the elixir. He had to help him. A littleter. ¡°Huh?¡± But even after a long time, Cain¡¯s body showed no reaction. Eurius tilted his head in confusion. ¡®Usually, there should be some signs of the elixir¡¯s energy, like twitching or moaning, right?¡¯ Wondering if something was wrong, Eurius injected his inner power into Cain¡¯s body to check on him. ¡°¡­!?¡± And the next moment! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Eurius muttered with a dumbfounded expression. *** A few dayster. The Demon yer Unit hadpletely escaped from the encirclement of the Magyo. They left the mountain range behind and Namgoong Ilcheon sighed in relief. ¡°It was a nightmare-like experience. I think we underestimated the Magyo too much.¡± The second squad of the Demon yer Unit, which consisted of small and medium-sized factions, was annihted, and the first squad, which was the best elite, also suffered tremendous damage. Considering the endless power of the Magyo, it was uncertain whether the expedition would seed. ¡°I was relieved when I heard you wereing! I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re all safe too!¡± Eurius and his party joined Nua and the others at the original assembly point after leaving the mountain range. The leaders of the Demon yer Unit, who had been running day and night for several weeks, were also there. That night. Jegal Seungwoon opened his mouth with a worried expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should rest a little more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time for that. Haven¡¯t I already dyed too much because of me?¡± Eurius smiled bitterly and declined his suggestion. The deadline for the quest was not far away. ¡°I¡¯ll exin the n for the future.¡± Jegal Seungwoon spread a map on the table and began to exin. ¡°First of all, one of the reasons for this crisis is that we dispersed our forces too much against the Magyo.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The leaders all nodded their heads. The biggest reason was that the second squad fell for the Magyo¡¯s bait and went too deep, but it was also a big factor that they were isted and defeated one by one after the second squad was wiped out and the first squad went to rescue them. ¡°So I suggest this. We can¡¯t afford to waste any more time in a war of attrition.¡± Jegal Seungwoon pointed to a point on the map with a calm expression. ¡°We will break through this ce with our remaining forces. Then we will be close to the Magyo¡¯s main force.¡± The leaders who saw that location gasped in surprise. ¡°What!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Jima Gate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most dangerous gate in Cheonsan, and you want to break through it?¡± [Jima Gate] There were several branches to go to the Magyo¡¯s main force, but they were all difficult mountain roads that made it hard to advance. But even within the Magyo, there was a need for an easy way to transport supplies or move troops. There was a shortcut that only people within the Magyo could use. And of course, that road was well protected, and they had set up gates at various points using the rugged terrain. Jima Gate was the first gate leading to this road, guarded by numerous experts and sturdy walls. *** A murmur. ¡°Isn¡¯t the damage too great?¡± ¡°If the Demon Sect knows that we areing, they will do everything to stop us.¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± The one who answered the question was not Jegal Seongun, but Eurius. ¡°Great Leader?¡± ¡°Do you have a n, sir?¡± The people in the hall looked at him with curious eyes. How did he n to cross that perilous fortress in the mountains? They were skeptical in their minds. ¡®He can surely cross it with his personal power. But can he ensure the safety of hundreds, thousands of soldiers through that gate?¡¯ Eurius knew what they were thinking, so he smiled faintly. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s impossible by normal means!¡¯ But it was possible ording to his knowledge. Wasn¡¯t he trapped in the mental world for a year for more than just training? Swoosh. His hand stretched out to the sky. ¡°Sky.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Literally.¡± Eurius opened his mouth with a confident expression. ¡°We will all fly in the sky and take over that fortress!¡± This was before Eurius left for Jeongdomaeng. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What is it, sir?¡± ¡°I forgot. There is something I need to prepare here.¡± ¡°Prepare?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that hard.¡± Whisper whisper ¡°¡­¡± Jegal Seongun tilted his head after hearing the story. It wasn¡¯t very difficult as he said, but he couldn¡¯t figure out the purpose even with his knowledge. ¡°It might be a secret weapon for this Demon Sect campaign, so please pay attention.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jegal Seongun was momentarily flustered, but calmly replied. ¡°I will do as you ordered, sir.¡± He didn¡¯t know the purpose, but Eurius wouldn¡¯t say such a thing for nothing. Gulp! ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± Leonhardt was leisurely rolling around on his chair. He had no time to care about trivial paperwork because of the crisis of Cheokmadan. Therefore, he had nothing to do. ¡°Did you hear that the lord has returned?¡± ¡°Huh? My brother came back?¡± ¡°He dide back, but he had an urgent matter and left for Jeongdomaeng.¡± ¡°Really? Did he say anything about me?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad¡­¡± Leonhardt grumbled a little. ¡°He leaves me alone for a month without any contact, and he doesn¡¯t evene to see me. He¡¯s my brother, but isn¡¯t he too much?¡± Snicker. Jegal Seongun smiled slightly at hisint. ¡°You seem to be disappointed.¡± ¡°Disappointed? What are you talking about! He¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t care about me even though I¡¯m stuck here.¡± Leonhardt sat back on his seat and waved his hand. He was actually bored. There was a big war going on outside, but he was in a situation that was no different from being confined. ¡°Haha! You look very bored. But you won¡¯t have any time to spare now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Thud! Jegal Seongwoon brought in a huge pile of documents from outside. ¡°Actually, this time the lord has asked for quite a lot. I¡¯m so busy with arranging the troops that I can only review them.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Leon looked at the pile of papers with a disgusted expression. ¡°What, why are there so many?¡± ¡°There are some backlogs and some circumstances. But I think you have enough ability to handle them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll send you someone to assist you. Well, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Creak. The sound of the door closing was heard and Leon was left alone in front of the mountain of papers. Usually, he would have heard someints from him, but he seemed really busy. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Leon, who had been staring at the papers with a stunned expression for a while, approached the desk. ¡®Anyway, his brother is a person who can¡¯t stand seeing people rest. Is he doing this on purpose?¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± He tried to see what it was about and some titles caught his eye. [Status of the artisans living in Jeongdomaeng] [Inventory of fire bombs in the weapon depot] [Survey of cloth shops and weavers in Nakyang Castle] ¡°cksmiths¡­ fire bombs? And cloth means clothes or fabrics, right?¡± He muttered softly and tilted his head. ¡®What do artisans and gunpowder have to do with war?¡¯ *** The scene changed to the entrance of Cheonsan Mountain Range. ¡°As expected¡­ it¡¯s hard to capture it by normal means.¡± Eurius was observing the Jima Pass with the leaders of Jeongdomaeng. There was a precarious road between the cliffs that had been cut off, and this was the only entrance to Magyo. ¡°But do we have to go through that road? It doesn¡¯t matter if we cross the mountain.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that method is hard to use.¡± The other leaders shook their heads at Nuada¡¯s question, who was confident in mountain climbing. They had also thought of attacking from behind. ¡°There are countless traps and mechanisms everywhere except for the road leading to Magyo. It¡¯s not for nothing that the mountain range itself is called a natural fortress.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nuada scratched his chin with a reluctant expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Your role is also important in this operation.¡± Eurius took his eyes off the fortress and looked back. ¡°How is the thing I asked for?¡± ¡°I¡¯vepleted the prototype. Do you want to see it?¡± Jegal Seongwoon had someone bring the thing that Eurius had asked for. tter. Eurius smiled with satisfaction when he saw the object that came on arge cart. ¡°The appearance is perfect at least.¡± ¡°The design you gave me was detailed, so it wasn¡¯t hard to finish. But¡­¡± Jegal Seongwoon had a slightly suspicious expression. ¡°Can you really fly in the sky with this?¡± Eurius had asked for three things. The first was arge cloth that was tough and light! The weavers who were summoned to Jeongdomaeng worked hard to sew dozens of pieces of cloth together to make thisrge cover. ¡°What are you going to use this for?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a tent or a canopy.¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ve been a weaver for fifty years, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± The second item was a huge box without a lid. The craftsmen had to sweat profusely to make it as light as possible ording to the order. ¡°It could fit at least ten people inside, right?¡± ¡°What is this thing for? It¡¯s not a coffin, is it?¡± The craftsmen wondered as they made several boxes and loaded them onto the carts. Thest item was arge bowl filled with oil and dry straw. This was also strange, but it looked somewhat like a giantmp, so they were less curious. Soon, the craftsmen began to finish their work as Eurius had ordered. They tied arge cloth cover with ropes and fixed it to the box. Then they put the straw, the bowl, and other things inside. Eurius checked that everything was ready and entered the box himself for a test. Whisper whisper. ¡°Did you hear that the box can fly in the sky?¡± ¡°Come on¡­ How can that be possible?¡± Everyone in the workshop watched Eurius¡¯s actions with skepticism. He piled up the straw in the bowl and poured oil over it. Whoosh! The dry straw caught fire in an instant and emitted hot air. p. The heated air rose up and began to push the cloth upward. The cloth that was slowly smoothing out soon inted like a balloon. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± As the wooden box started to sway slightly, everyone in the workshop stared at the scene with their eyes popping out. However¡­ Thud The shaking box only moved sideways a little bit, but it did not lift off at all. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chapter 188: Subjugation (2) Chapter 188: Subjugation (2) [Eurius, 35th day of training.] . . . . [The Great History of Human Flight] ¡°Wow¡­¡± Eurius was lying on the floor, reading a book. It would have been a scandalous sight if Marius or other officials had seen him, but there was not even a chair in this white space, so it was a natural posture. ¡®If I had just one of these F-2X fighters, I wouldn¡¯t have to fight so hard, would I?¡¯ He read the book with an interested expression, but soon shook his head. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t make one anyway.¡¯ He knew that much by now. But there was plenty of inspiration to be found. ¡®Even if it¡¯s not a ne, wouldn¡¯t it be useful to have a means of flying in the sky?¡¯ He thought that far when he heard a familiar sound. [Have you read enough? It¡¯s time for training.] Yellow Dragon appeared in the white space with a pop! At the same time, the surroundings changed. Pop! Suddenly, Eurius was standing in a gray metal room. ¡°Is it already that time?¡± It seemed like a free space when he said he was acquiring knowledge, but his schedule was quite tight. [0th day of training] . . . . [Ahem! Shall we begin?] Yellow Dragon cleared his throat and snorted. [This is your timetable. There is no time to rest if you want to acquire knowledge in the shortest time possible, so be prepared.] ¡°Timetable?¡± Pop! Something appeared in front of his eyes. [06:00~06:30: Wake up, review] [06:30~10:00: Watch educational materials, read books] [10:00~12:00: Written test, rest as soon as you finish] The morning focused on acquiring knowledge. . . . [13:00~20:00: Training] And the afternoon was like now, training forbat. [Let¡¯s start.] [Simtor activated.] Pop! Three gray dolls appeared on the other side of Eurius. His task for today was to destroy them all. Bang! He sprang out with a terrifying speed and swung his sword, but the dolls were surprisingly agile. Swoosh! Eurius¡¯s sword only cut through the air. But he was already used to it and raised his hand to point at one of the dolls. Crackle! A spark flew and a bolt of lightning hit the doll that had dodged it. [¡­] The remaining two dolls quickly tried to retreat, but¡­ Fwiiing! Crash! Eurius¡¯s sword was faster by a split second. It pierced through two puppets at the same time. [Stage 30 cleared] [Proceeding to the next stage.] ¡°Phew¡­¡± [Too slow. You won¡¯t make it in time at this rate!] Yellow Dragon shouted like a thunderbolt. He was not satisfied with the result. What Eurius was doing now was training hisbat skills as a yer. [You still have a slow reaction speed, so you need to work twice as hard as others.] ¡°Reaction speed?¡± ording to Yellow Dragon, thebat power in the virtual world depended on the reaction speed. It was how much one could do in a short time that determined the oue. ¡°Ah!¡± He thought for a moment and nodded. He remembered his fight with Emperor Scharnos. He used various techniques to push Eurius back. [This is what they call physicality. Actually, you wouldn¡¯t need this if your aptitude was high.] He said that this reaction speed was influenced by the yer¡¯s aptitude. That meant Eurius had no choice but to make up for it with practice. ¡°Hmm? But wait.¡± He expressed his doubt here. ¡°What does this have to do with my future actions? There are no other yers in this world, right?¡± [That is rted to ¡®clearing¡¯.] ¡°Grr¡­¡± Eurius frowned. His fundamental question was still unresolved. ¡®Why did I go back to the past?¡¯ ¡®What is the reason for the system or Yellow Dragon to make me do this?¡¯ Of course, he had no choice but to do the quests. Even if he stayed still, the cults and sects would pick a fight with him. And it seemed that his death in his previous life was also rted to them. ¡®I can¡¯t just sit back and take it. They look suspicious from what they do anyway.¡¯ And Eurius¡¯s personal interest also yed a part. He couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the yers since this happened. Yellow Dragon also briefly exined it. [The secret will be revealed as you approach clearing. And achieving that would be good for you too, not a bad thing.] Eurius repeated the keywords briefly. ¡®yer, aptitude, and clearing, huh?¡¯ *** ¡°¡­¡± Soon Eurius finished his shback. ¡°Emperor Scharnos?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°It was really thrilling when we fell.¡± The people who rode the aircraft thanked him with a look of relief. Eurius also stopped his thoughts and gave orders. ¡°Let¡¯s go down for now. It seems impossible to bomb like this.¡± Shwoosh. Theynded on the ground and decided to set up camp in front of Cheonmagwan. It was unfortunate that they couldn¡¯t take it easily with bombing, but this ce was not very dangerous or had high walls. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but we¡¯ll have to go for a frontal assault here.¡± ¡°I agree with that idea. Let¡¯s rest today and prepare our formation for a full-scale attack tomorrow.¡± The force gathered here was not ordinary. And Eurius was there too, so it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to take down one gate. *** ¡°General! It seems that Jeongdomaeng¡¯s dogs are retreating.¡± ¡°They relied on their strange flying devices and got what they deserved.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Sa Yeo-han let out a satisfied moan and felt awe for the sect leader after receiving the report. ¡®You seem to have seen through the whole situation. Even I, the best brain of the Demon Sect, did not think of such a method.¡¯ Saying that, he wanted to open the remaining silk pouch right away, but he held back. ¡°What should we do? Don¡¯t you think we can show the righteous faction a bitter taste now?¡± Meanwhile, his subordinates next to him were restless and requested a counterattack order. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He shook his head and exined. ¡°Why should we, who have upied the advantageous position of the castle, make an unnecessary assault? Those guys have no choice but toe this way anyway.¡± ¡°But just defending like this is¡­¡± ¡°Of course! The best defense is offense. I¡¯m not ignorant of that.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Saying that, he lit up his eyes. The leader¡¯s scheme was indeed amazing, but he also had to live up to his nickname of Demon Brain, didn¡¯t he? He already had a n in his mind to deal a fatal blow to the enemy. ¡°They have to do us one more favor.¡± Before he knew it, a cunning smile formed on his lips. *** And the next morning at dawn. ¡°Great Leader! General! Urgent report!¡± ¡°What!¡± The leaders of the Demon yer Unit were startled by the urgent report. They came out of their tents and observed the Sky Horse Tower and groaned. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°How could they do such a thing?¡± Eurius also came out after hearing the report and tilted his head. ¡°Huh?¡± A huge structure that was not seen yesterday was erected in the Sky Horse Tower. The leaders who confirmed it could only open their mouths wide. ¡°A catapult?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it twice as high as yesterday? And what¡¯s with that size?¡± It was a huge structure that looked like yesterday¡¯s catapult doubled in size. It was an unbelievable size. ¡°It¡¯s almost like a small hill, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eurius also muttered with an incredulous expression. No matter how many experts they had, could they make such a structure with manpower in one night? And with dirt? Moreover, that dirt hill had three peaks, and they connected them with cloud bridges and ced experts on them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oops!¡± There was no word among the leaders when Jegal Seung-woon let out a big groan. He realized the intention of the Demon Sect. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°We have to retreat our formation right now.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Before his words were over, the Demon Sect¡¯s attack began. Piiing! Shooook! Chang! ¡°It¡¯s an attack from the Demon Sect!¡± The experts of the Demon yer Unit were startled and began to fend off the arrows and hidden weapons flying at them with their weapons. ¡°Retreat!¡± Jegal Seung-woon quickly made the experts retreat. The height of that hill was not for decoration. If they attacked from above, it would be hard for even decent experts to approach. ¡°How could they use such a method¡­¡± He bit his lip and med himself for being careless. If he had known that they had such a skill, he would haveunched a full-scale attack yesterday even if it was a bit risky. And what poured down was not just arrows. ¡°Bring me some rocks! Let¡¯s show those righteous bastards some heat!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The experts of the Demon Sect joined forces to bring a huge and round rock to the top of the hill. ¡°Watch out! Retreat further!¡± Eurius, who was observing the scene from afar, drew his sword and shouted. But before he could drive away all the experts, the Demon Sectunched their attack. ¡°Begin!¡± ¡°Roll them! Sweep them all away!¡± Rumble! At themand of Sayeon, the experts on the hill pushed the rocks down at once. The rock that the Demon Sect¡¯s experts brought was bigger than a person¡¯s height. It was also shaped to roll easily. And the height of the hill was almost a hundred meters! Rumble! Dozens of round rocks started rolling down from the hill. The rocks, which gained a terrifying speed, rushed towards the experts of Cheongma-dan along the road that led to the wall below the hill. ¡°Stop them!¡± ng ng ng Eurius quickly erected a wall of ice to block the path of the rocks. At the same time, he swung his sword and smashed any rock that came close. Crash crash crash! But he couldn¡¯t stop all of them at once. Bang! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± The other experts also tried to stop the rocks, but it was futile. Dozens of them who were in the front were crushed or bounced off by the rocks and suffered serious injuries. On top of that, arrows and hidden weapons rained down from the sky. The situation waspletely reversed! ¡°Fall back! We have to recover from the damage first!¡± Bang! Thanks to Eurius and a few other experts who blocked the rocks, and othermanders who ordered a retreat, Cheongma-dan barely managed to regroup after retreating for a while. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°We werepletely outsmarted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a disaster.¡± They had been winning too easily until then, so the shock of defeat was also great. ¡°¡­¡± Then, in the silence of themanders, a resolute voice was heard. ¡°It¡¯s good to me ourselves, but shouldn¡¯t we think about how to attack there?¡± It was Jegal Seong-woon, a military man, who brought up the topic first. Of course, the others knew that too. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°The sky is blocked, and it won¡¯t be easy to break through that hill, right?¡± The reason they couldn¡¯t speak easily was because they knew that it would be impossible to break through Cheonma-gwan with any ordinary method once that hill was built. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius, who was sitting in the center, was lost in thought for a moment. Even in his eyes, the defense power of that hill was beyondmon sense. ¡®How did they build that hill and get those rocks? Even with wind magic?¡¯ It was impossible to build such a fortress and prepare dozens or hundreds of rocks overnight. If that were possible, there would be no concept of siege warfare. No, ording to Eurius¡¯s knowledge, it was theoretically possible. ¡®Did they bring some heavy equipment from the Demon Sect? But how could that be¡­¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± As he thought about it, Eurius suddenly remembered something. ¡®Come to think of it, I made an airship too.¡¯ In fact, it was hard to reproduce that with this world¡¯s technology. But he also used some tricks to make it somehow. Surely this time the Demon Sect used arge amount of soil and rocks. ¡°Aha!¡± Eurius finally realized what had happened. ¡®It was a simple problem.¡¯ And after finding out the reason, he could roughly guess the opponent¡¯s next strategy. He quickly called Je Gal Seong Woon aside. ¡°¡­If the opponent has this ability, what will they do next?¡± ¡°Amazing¡­ Not only the ability, but also a very original idea, even though they are enemies.¡± He was also astonished, then thought carefully. ¡°¡­¡± The answer came out soon. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eurius smiled and gave the answer. ¡°It seems like we have to catch the mole first on this asion.¡± Chapter 189: The Sect Leader Chapter 189: The Sect Leader ¡°The Righteous Alliance scum are fleeing! Should we pursue them?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s end it here for today.¡± Sa Yeohan shook his head and rejected his subordinates¡¯ opinions. They all looked puzzled. ¡°But¡­ won¡¯t it be troublesome if they regroup and attack us again?¡± The best time to inflict the most damage on the enemy was when their formation copsed and they ran away. The enemy had many experts, but they also had a secret weapon on their side. If they had chased them, they could have caused a lot of casualties. However, Sa Yeohan did not order a pursuit. The reason was that he was reluctant to expose his secret weapon. ¡°Call them back. It¡¯s all part of my n.¡± Nodding. His subordinates agreed and hurriedly ran to summon the people he called. A short whileter. ¡°Congrattions on your victory. I heard from the sect leader, but your military strategy is amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your cooperation. I¡¯m grateful to you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The people brought by his subordinates were dressed in yellow. At the front of them was a middle-aged man with a rare brown beard for an Easterner, stroking his chin. ¡°But¡­ you called us here because you need our help again, right?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes shed. Unlike the friendly greetings they exchanged just before, this time he exuded a wild aura. Sa Yeohan flinched at his momentum. ¡®He¡¯s truly worthy of being one of the experts from Sagong Family, the most valiant among the three great families.¡¯ ¡°Ahem! Actually, you must have been disappointed that I didn¡¯t order a pursuit.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He cleared his throat and opened his mouth, and the middle-aged man looked puzzled. ¡°So you didn¡¯t chase after those Righteous Alliance bastards because you had another intention.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sa Yeohan nodded and began to exin his scheme. *** Time passed and it waste at night. The camp of Cheokmadan, who pretended to retreat from Magyo for the first time, was silent. There were many wounded and everyone was tired. By chance, the ce where they set up their camp was deep in the mountains. Only the asional sound of crying grasshoppers and patrolling soldiers could be heard. But then! Swoosh. Ssh. The sound of something being pushed or poured out was barely audible, buried by the surrounding noise. The source of the sound was underground. [Are you sure we hit them right?] [There¡¯s no doubt. This is their rear.] [Good job. Call the experts who will infiltrate.] [Yes!] The middle-aged man in yellow smiled contentedly and looked around. Surprisingly, they were underground, tens of meters below Cheokmadan¡¯s camp! Moreover, they had made a huge cavity in the ground to amodate arge number of troops. The tunnel leading to the cavity was also quite wide. It was enough for an expert to use their skills. They hadpleted this unbelievable scale of tunnel in just one night. Normally, digging a tunnel required a lot of manpower and skilled specialists. The ground could copse suddenly and if they didn¡¯t dispose of the soil quickly, they could easily be discovered by the enemy. Crucially, there was no way to tell the direction underground. If they dug out the soil without thinking, they wouldn¡¯t know if they were going down or up. But how did they manage to make such a huge tunnel in such a short time? This was their family¡¯s ability. The middle-aged man in yellow was the head of Sagong Family, one of the three great families, and his name was Sagong Heonwon. Swoosh The ground around him swayed and widened the earthen tunnel. By the time they finished digging the tunnel, there was someone watching them from above. ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Eurius eximed inwardly with delight. His prediction had hit the mark perfectly. There was no other ability that could handle so much soil. ¡°It seems they are using the divine artifact of the White Tiger.¡± Among the four divine beasts, the attribute of the White Tiger was earth and metal! With the power of the divine artifact, they could build a huge earth fortress or dig a tunnel in one night. Eurius had stabbed the enemy¡¯s attention by attacking from the sky, and they had counterattacked by using the ground. ¡°And if they have such an ability, they must have a powerful offensive method besides defense.¡± That was the tunnel. There was nothing more useful than this tactic if the enemy did not notice it. ¡°But it¡¯s useless if I know it in advance!¡± Eurius smiled smugly and stared at the ground quietly. Rustle His senses caught the sound of footsteps moving stealthily below tens of meters. As soon as he realized that the enemy had started moving, Eurius bent his waist and touched the ground with his hand. The moment his light movement ended! Pop! ng! ¡°¡­!?¡± One of the experts who was diligently moving underground died on the spot. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Is it an enemy?¡± The experts of Magyo who were moving underground panicked without making a sound. But the mysterious attack was not over yet. Papap! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Two more people died as if an invisible de had sprouted. The dark tunnel was soon filled with a thick smell of blood. ¡°A mysterious attack? What are you talking about?¡± Sagong Hwanwon, who received the report, looked at the ceiling of the passage with a dumbfounded expression. How could they be attacked suddenly in a tunnel tens of meters underground? ¡°It¡¯s true! The number of dead is already¡­ Gasp!¡± Pop! A bloodline was drawn on the neck of the subordinate who was reporting, and he spurted blood and died on the spot. ¡°¡­!?¡± Sagong Hwanwon felt a creepy killing intent from the ceiling at that moment. ¡°Damn it!¡± There was no reason to hesitate once he confirmed it. He soared up to the ceiling. Kwaaaa! The soil and rocks where he passed became mushy and pushed away in all directions. The other experts of Sagongga followed him. Bang! Sagong Hwanwon pierced through tens of meters of soil and rocks and soared to the ground. Thud! ¡°You¡¯re that bastard! Did you do this attack?¡± The first thing he saw when he came out was Eurius smiling brightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you moles. You should have stayed above ground, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Damn you!¡± Sagong Hwanwon clenched his fists and thrust them forward with an angry expression. The other experts of Sagongga also stretched out their arms and supported him with their power. Swoooosh! Surprisingly, waves rose even though it was not the sea. The ground shook and a mountain of soil rose up to tens of meters high. This was how they made a huge earth fortress! ¡°I¡¯ll bury you alive myself!¡± The mass of the small hill-sized mound of soil was enormous. There was no way a human could survive if they were crushed by it. Swoooosh! Swoosh But Eurius¡¯s response was simple. He drew his sword from left to right. A blue line was slightly drawn in the air. Boom! A pile of dirt weighing hundreds, thousands of tons collided with the trajectory of Eurius¡¯s sword. And the result was¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Bang! The pile of dirt exploded and copsed, scattering in all directions. ¡°Ugh!¡± Sagong Heonwon felt the earth and rocks that were moving ording to his will escape his control and was shocked. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± This was spatial cutting. A proper cutting sword, not an iplete one, cut everything. Thebined power of the experts, including Sagong Heonwon, was blocked. It was cut off in the middle. Boom! ¡°Get out of the way!¡± The weight of the piles of dirt that lost their control and poured out was enormous. If they were careless, they would be buried alive! And Eurius¡¯s sword did not miss them as they fled. sh. His sword drew a circle in the air. And the bodies of the enemies who entered the circle were all cut in half. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ Retreat to the ground!¡± As half of the experts were killed in an instant, Sagong Heonwon ordered a retreat with terrified eyes. The power that Eurius had temporarily cut off also returned. ¡°Retreat!¡± Boom! They all dived back into the ground. Swimming through the ground, Sagong Heonwon regained his calm expression. ¡®I have to report this to the sect leader! I never heard that this bastard was such a monster!¡¯ As far as he knew, Eurius was at a level where he could be easily suppressed by two of the three great families. He never dreamed that this would happen. ¡®I have to order the experts in the ground to retreat too¡­¡¯ ¡°Do you want to y mole hunting again?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± He heard Eurius¡¯s voice clearly in his ear. At the same time, he felt a burning sensation in his chest. Ssh! ¡°What is this¡­¡± Sagong Heonwon widened his eyes and looked at the ground. There was nothing but the dirt he had dug up. How did he get attacked? ¡°Could this be¡­ the legendary realm of¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. What Eurius had unfolded was the sword of mind. This was different from before. Ssh! ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Eurius killed thest expert who jumped into the ground and sighed. The sword of mind that had no distance restriction was convenient, but it also consumed a lot of force for him. ¡®It¡¯s not perfect because I learned it by simple acquisition rather than training.¡¯ He had not only learned the knowledge of the yer during his year of training. He also learned the next secret technique left by Sharnos Grandmaster bybining the two divine devices. It was said that one needed a yer¡¯s aptitude to master more than five levels of non-ss skills, but ording to Huanglong, that restriction would be lifted as onepleted the Death God Body. [So if you want to solve your doubts, you should first collect more skills diligently.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Waaaaaaah!¡± Eurius, who was thinking for a moment, snapped out of it at the sound of a cheer. ¡°It seems that the side entrusted to the military was sessful.¡± He started to walk towards the direction where the cheer came from. *** ¡°Indeed¡­ if the enemy has such an ability, there is a high possibility that they will dig tunnels andunch a surprise attack next time.¡± Jegal Seongun, who heard the exnation, agreed with a slightly excited expression. The biggest weakness of tunnels was that they were useless if one knew about them in advance. If they just ced experts near the area where the enemies would pop out, they could easily stop them. Or they could pour boiling oil on the entrance of the tunnel and set it on fire, and almost annihte the enemies. ¡°I will prepare a way to block the tunnels right away.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius stopped Jegal Seongun, who was about to leave in a hurry. ¡°It¡¯s easy to stop them now that we know their intentions. But the problem is what happens after that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± He immediately understood Eurius¡¯s words. The goal of Cheokmadan was not defense, but annihtion of Magyo. Even if they wiped out the attackers this time, the situation would not improve if they had no way to break through that huge earth wall. ¡°Why don¡¯t we use the tunnels that the enemies made for us?¡± ¡°You mean to counterattack through the tunnels.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± At this point, Jegal Seongun showed a worried expression. ¡°But the enemies must be well aware of that point. I wonder how you will do it, sir¡­¡± Eurius¡¯s idea was to quickly dispose of the attackers and thenunch a counterattack through the tunnels! But as mentioned earlier, the weakness of tunnels was that they were useless if one knew about them in advance. If the attackers lost contact with them, they would know that something went wrong. Would they just let it happen? But Eurius¡¯s solution was surprisingly simple. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just secretly take care of the ones who made the tunnels?¡± ¡°But they are underground, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I have a way to hook them up.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** As Eurius boasted, the experts of Sagong Family who dug the tunnels were annihted in an instant. They were so quickly destroyed that they had no time to inform theirrades below. And through that tunnel, Cheokmadan¡¯s experts poured in like water. ¡°Waaaaaaah!¡± ¡°General! The Jeongdomaeng bastards are trying to counterattack through the tunnels!¡± ¡°What!¡± Sagong Han, who led the tunnel n, was so shocked that he jumped up from his seat. ¡°What is Sagong Family Head doing! He should block the tunnel!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Of course, there was no way for them toe back after being wiped out. They had dug the tunnel so deep and wide for a perfect surprise attack, but it turned out to be poison. They had no ability to fill up such arge tunnel with dirt without skills. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± Blood flowed from Sagong Han¡¯s tightly bitten lips. He quickly rummaged through his bosom. ¡®I still have one silk pouch left by the sect leader. With this, I can turn things around!¡¯ Chae-chae-chang! Puh-ung! The fortress was already in a fierce battle, but Sagong Han opened hisst silk pouch. ¡°What is this?¡± Saying Han¡¯s expression changed rapidly as he read the note inside. He turned his head toward the direction of the main temple of the Demon Sect with a horrified look. ¡°Leader!¡± Swoosh. ¡°¡­!?¡± Before Saying Han could react, his neck was severed from his body. Eurius had pierced through the guards and killed him in an instant. ¡®I guess he was the leader. He seemed to be trying something, so I killed him. Should I have interrogated him first?¡¯ Eurius finished off the remaining guards and stared at the silk pouch and the note on the floor. ¡®What is this?¡¯ He read the note first and looked at the severed corpse with a slight surprise. ¡°So he was the militarymander of the Demon Sect.¡± The content of the note was also astonishing. [Militarymander, you have done well so far. Personally, I hope you don¡¯t have to open thisst pouch. ¡­ (skipped) ¡­] In the end, it was clear that the leader had foreseen Saying Han¡¯s death and given him this third note. But that was not the most important thing. The bottom part of the note was not written for Saying Han. There was a map drawn in detail and a brief message along with it. [To the crown prince of the Western Continent¡­ You have done well toe this far. If you have any questions for me,e alone to the ce marked on the map. I will answer you obediently.] ¡°¡­!?¡± *** ¡°The remaining ones seem to have fled to the main base of the Demon Sect!¡± The cleanup of the battlefield did not take long. In terms of numbers, there were more experts on Cheokma¡¯s side, and the trump cards of the Demon Sect, the experts from the three great families, had all lost their lives at Eurius¡¯s hands. It was a natural oue. Eurius quickly gathered hismanders. They seemed to have been waiting and offered their opinions. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we quickly reorganize our formation and attack the main temple of the Demon Sect?¡± ¡°Our morale is at its peak. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll miss a good opportunity if we don¡¯t take advantage of this momentum.¡± Their opinions were quick and decisive! They were all very confident since they had not suffered much damage. Eurius agreed with them. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to attack right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a wise choice.¡± Themanders¡¯ faces brightened at his words. The main temple of the Demon Sect, which had never been invaded for two hundred years! It was a great honor in the martial world to conquer that ce. ¡°But there¡¯s no need to reorganize our formation.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± His intention was soon revealed. *** Chapter 190: A World Beyond Reality Chapter 190: A World Beyond Reality Rumble! A white lightning bolt struck the massive door. Crash! Wooden splinters fell to the ground as the main gate of the Demon Sect was shattered to pieces. ¡°¡­¡± However, the experts of the Blood Demon Sect were all staring at the broken door with stunned expressions. Even Nuada, who had thrown the spear to destroy the door, was wide-eyed. After a moment of silence, his groan escaped. ¡°Nobody¡¯s here?¡± The Demon Sect had withdrawn cleanly without leaving a single ant behind. There were many buildings as grand as the pce of the Eastern Continent, but not a single person was in sight. ¡°Master¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°Could it be a trap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unsettling. We came all this way and it¡¯s empty.¡± As suspicious nces crossed each other, there was one person who remained silent. ¡°Grandmaster?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Eurius was lost in thought for a moment. It was not unexpected. The mysterious message from the leader of the Demon Sect. And the empty Demon Sect headquarters. He came to a conclusion. ¡®He tricked me. He had something to do with me from the start.¡¯ The others might not know, but the battle with the Blood Demon Sect was not that important to this leader of the Demon Sect. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given up his base so easily. ¡®Leader, huh?¡¯ What Eurius had heard about the Demon Sect was as follows. First of all, in addition to the publicly known hierarchy, there were three real powers called the Three Great Families. The first one was Beigong Family, who were proficient in both magic and martial arts. Sura Mazun, the first expert of the Demon Sect that he had killed, was the leader of this Beigong Family. The others who appeared after him also mostly died by Eurius¡¯s hand. The second one was Sagon Family, who guarded the Heavenly Horse Pavilion. They were mostly pure warriors who belonged to the elite of the Demon Sect. Even in Eurius¡¯s eyes, they were different from the other hastily assembled experts in that they used the power of artifacts very skillfully. It was not something that could be done without a lot of practice to create an earthen wall and a long tunnel using earth in an instant. And the third family was somewhat peculiar. Thest family was none other than [Lee Family]. They were the family that had been in charge of the leader of the Demon Sect for generations. Their characteristic was! ¡®Blonde hair and golden eyes, right?¡¯ That¡¯s right! The reason why Eurius was mistaken in the Eastern Continent was because of them. The experts of Lee Family did not appear in the martial world often, but they attracted people¡¯s attention with their unusual appearance. The leader of the Demon Sect had never shown his face to his followers either, but since he was a member of Lee Family, it was certain that he had blonde hair and golden eyes. Eurius couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. That leader guy tried to kidnap Leonhardt. And from his note, it seemed like he knew something about him too. ¡°¡­¡± Hum! ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius turned his gaze to his waist. It seemed like Yellow Dragon had sent him a signal after a long time. The sword had left his waist and floated in midair. ¡®What is it?¡¯ [Follow me. It¡¯s rted to the quest.] ¡®Quest?¡¯ Shoo! Yellow Dragon flew at a fairly fast speed between buildings. He acted as a kind of guide for him, just like in ck Tortoise Cave. [I feel a faint aura from this side.] He passed through the eerie buildings and stopped at a building that had a peculiar style by Eastern Continent standards. Eurius also felt curious about it. ¡°Is this a temple?¡± Unlike the buildings with the distinctive tiled roofs of the Eastern Continent, only that ce had stone pirs lined up in a row. It looked like the architectural style of the temples of the Holy Kingdom. Eurius didn¡¯t know, but that ce was the residence of the Pope and the ce of revtion. Crash! Ding! [You have discovered the ¡®Temple of the Forgotten God¡¯.] As soon as he broke the entrance blocked by a stone gate, he heard the system¡¯s notification. Eurius tilted his head. ¡®It seems to be rted to the quest, but why did they leave this ce behind?¡¯ He looked calm, because he had a simr experience in the desert. The Demon Cult was a group with the same roots as the Church. It was not strange that they had a temple for the same god. In fact, he was disappointed. ¡®Hey¡­ I thought I would find some clues about the yer, but it was just a quest?¡¯ But as soon as he entered the temple. ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius widened his eyes. He was so dumbfounded that he could hardly speak. ¡°What is this?¡± There was something he never dreamed of being in such a ce. It was inside the temple. That was! ¡°Scharnos the Great?¡± The identity of the object that Eurius saw and was shocked by was a statue. No, it would be more correct to call it an idol. Ding! [You have discovered the sacred relic ¡®Idol of the Forgotten God¡¯.] [Destroy the idol. Your achievement will increase.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius was so absurd that he fell into a state of panic for a moment. ¡®Wasn¡¯t it their intention to get rid of the Demon Cult and the Church, including the Emperor Scharnos and other yers?¡¯ But in the temple of the Church, which he thought was an enemy, there was a statue of the Emperor Scharnos. How should he interpret this? ¡®What on earth is going on here?¡¯ But before he could turn his head to Hwangryong, another notification appeared in his sight. Ding! [Do you want to view ¡®Memory 3¡¯?] *** The first thing Eurius heard was a woman¡¯s sharp voice. ¡°That¡¯s the capsule for the seventh generation that you¡¯re going to enter this time.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ It¡¯s huge.¡± The Emperor Scharnos scratched his nape as he listened to the exnation of the capsule. Normally, even if it was a state-of-the-art capsule for essing virtual reality, it would not exceed the size of a single bed. But the capsule he was going in as a tester was enormous. He asked with a disgusted expression as he looked at the wires and equipment that filled up the spacious room. ¡°But are you sure it¡¯s safe? It looks like a spaceship from an SF movie.¡± ¡°Of course. As you know, K Foundation¡¯s capsules are famous for being the most stable in the world. And¡­¡± The woman continued with a confident voice. ¡°More than half of that new capsule¡¯s size is actually user protection devices. It has perfect protection for both your mind and body. Even if you want to kill yourself, it¡¯s impossible for anything to happen inside.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Even after hearing that, The Emperor Scharnos didn¡¯t look very pleased. Zzzz¡­ Zzzz¡­ After seeing this far, the video moved on to the next scene with noise. *** The next thing Eurius saw was letters filling up the screen. [Initiating first user authentication. XXX¡­] [Checking your body. Pulse¡­ Heart rate normal¡­] Eurius realized where this ce was after seeing letters filling up screen. ¡®Ah! So this is the procedure to enter the virtual space?¡¯ Then it was clear whose perspective this was. [Authenticationpleted.] sh! The view flickered in an instant and moved to the next screen. *** ¡°Huh?¡± Emperor Scharnos opened his eyes wide and looked around. The first thing that entered his eyes was the clear blue sky. ¡°Judging by the blue sky, this is definitely not reality.¡± He muttered a meaningless remark and got up. A momentter, other senses also slowly returned. Whoosh! He felt the wind tickling his nose and eximed without realizing it. ¡°She was right. This ce is better than reality.¡± The Earth of 2XXX was so covered with toxic gas that it was hard to go outside without carrying an oxygen mask at all times. But he had heard that it was impossible to perfectly recreate the sensations of the Earth when it was clean with the current technology. But the sensations he felt now were so vivid that it seemed like another reality. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He enjoyed the fresh air for a moment and then tilted his head. ¡°But didn¡¯t she say she would send me a message right away when I logged in?¡± He scanned the air, but no sign appeared. ¡°Tsk! She acts so smart, but does she not even know that I have logged in?¡± Emperor Scharnos grumbled andy down on the grass again. He had nothing to do unless someone gave him instructions from outside. He had joined as a tester, not to y the game. But he missed something because hey down. ¡°Waaaaah!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He heard a scream from afar and quickly got up. ¡®What is this?¡¯ ¡°For the kingdom!¡± ¡°Crush the enemy!¡± Two groups were shing not far away. Their battle was fierce, wearing costumes that reminded him of the medieval times. ng! sh! ¡°Ugh! Gross!¡± He had a very high yer aptitude, so he had almost superhuman physical abilities in virtual reality. He was quite far away, but he could see everything clearly, such as the blood and guts sttering everywhere and the corpses with their entrails sticking out. He felt nauseous for a moment and turned his head. ¡°No, even if they make it simr to reality, they should at least blur it a bit.¡± He turned his eyes and tried to move away from there. ¡°Hehehe!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Then! A person wearing armor and wielding a spear came rushing towards him like a gust of wind on a horse. ¡°Wow! Judging by the outfit, is he a knight?¡± Emperor Scharnos turned his steps and stared at the knight who looked like an NPC with sparkling eyes. ¡®Wow, he¡¯s amazing¡­ This is. The previous virtual reality games couldn¡¯t evenpare.¡¯ He liked novels and movies where knights of the medieval times were active, not just games. The armor that reflected the sunlight! The muscr horse that breathed heavily! The blood stains here and there added to the realism. But unlike his admiring eyes, the knight had a cold expression and pointed his spear at him. Shing! ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Who are you? You have a suspicious outfit.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Emperor Scharnos was embarrassed for a moment. He couldn¡¯t say that he was just a passing yer to an NPC. ¡°Haha¡­¡± The knight¡¯s eyes narrowed as he disliked the attitude of the man in front of him. ¡®How dare you smirk at me?¡¯ ¡°Anyone suspicious will be executed on the spot!¡± Whoosh! The spear flew through the air and pierced the chest of the man in an instant. ¡°Huh?¡± Thud! The man was stunned for a moment and then felt a hole in his chest. He saw his own blood sttering in his sight! And then¡­ ¡°Aaaargh!¡± He rolled on the ground and screamed in pain. The spear had gone through his body, and the pain was unbearable. But even as he writhed in agony, he had another thought in his mind. ¡®Crazy! It¡¯s exactly like reality, but does it also have the same pain sensation?¡¯ ¡°Grrr¡­¡± He barely endured the pain and tried to open his inventory. This kind of RPG game usually gives some healing potions. ¡®Potion¡­ or at least some herbs?¡¯ His hand groped in the air frantically. But nothing came to his grasp. ¡°XX! Why is this happening?¡± The man cursed and touched not only the air but also his whole body. But soon he realized a shocking fact. ¡°¡­!?¡± He forgot his pain for a moment and muttered with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Message¡­ system¡­ inventory¡­ nothing opens?¡± The scene changed to a kingdom. In the center of it, there was a huge white pce. **** In its depths, a secret meeting was taking ce. ¡°Sir Galeus seems to have sessfully contacted the Godly One.¡± A certain old man whispered softly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°I never thought I would see the legendary Godly One in my life.¡± The ones who answered him were also two old men with hoarse voices. Three old men wearing splendid robes and crowns! They were none other than the popes of the Three Great Churches. They were the representatives of the Holy Kingdom, the spiritual pir of the Western Continent. ¡°If you are tired, I can use the power of healing on you. Just say the word.¡± An old man with a white beard reaching his chest and a warm face opened his mouth. He was the pope of Medit, the god of healing. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s been a long time since I used this power, so I¡¯m definitely tired.¡± The one who answered him was an old man with a sharp face. He had a peculiar feature: one of his eyes emitted a white glow. He was the pope of Odin, the god of wisdom. ¡°Tsk! The Eastern Continent is far away indeed. It¡¯s the first time I see you sweat so much, Odin¡¯s first disciple.¡± The one who clicked his tongue was an old man with an unbing muscr physique. He had squinty eyes and was wearing a helmet. He was the pope of Mars, the god of war. Fwoosh! Odin¡¯s pope¡¯s one eye kept emitting light. His pupil was shaking as he stared at the air, watching something far away. Sigh¡­ And then, at some point, the light slowly faded. ¡°Huff¡­¡± When the light went outpletely, Odin¡¯s pope leaned back on his chair with a tired expression. ¡°Hehe¡­ You look exhausted.¡± ¡°You must have seen something far away with your irvoyance.¡± The other popes smiled kindly and praised him. ¡°Heh¡­ It¡¯s my duty, so I have to ept this hardship. You two are too generous with yourpliments.¡± Odin¡¯s pope wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued. ¡°Sir Galeus said he would return quickly. He was worried about the gap in our forces.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ He must be talking about Heimdall¡¯s wardens.¡± [They have been quite activetely.] The other popes frowned at those words. They thought of the beings that they hated to even mention. The Kalihaara Kingdom, which ruled over the western desert of the continent. And the cult of the evil god Heimdall, who actually controlled their tribes! They were the archenemies of the Holy Kingdom, who had fought against them for two hundred years. The divine powers bestowed by the three sects¡¯ gods were great, but the evil god was still a god. They did not know how much effort the Holy Kingdom had put into stopping them from secretly turning the continent upside down. The three popes felt sick just thinking about them. ¡°¡­¡± But today was different. They remembered the divine mandate that came down a while ago. [Find the yer who has reappeared in this world. Bring him to me.] When they heard the divine mandate that came down to the three sects at the same time, they had to do their best to investigate the person who was suspected to be a yer. It had been a long time since such a divine mandate hade down to the Holy Kingdom. And a yer! A smile of satisfaction formed on their lips as they thought about it. ¡°If the God of Prophecyes, we can end this tiresome war, right? Hehe¡­¡± ¡°Of course. Perhaps the gods also found it hard to tolerate the evil god¡¯s tyranny any longer.¡± The atmosphere around them became harmonious in an instant. It was a thrilling thing to think about. But their mood was shattered by a sudden sound. Ding! ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ O God!¡± The three popes jumped up and straightened their robes with solemn expressions. Was this not a sign of a ¡®divine mandate¡¯? They had asionally received such messages after they became popes. ¡°¡­¡± They bowed their heads and shouted in unison. ¡°Speak, your servants are listening.¡± At the same time, letters began to appear in front of their eyes. It was the same phenomenon as the ¡®stat window¡¯ that had happened to Eurius. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°There are much more letters than usual.¡± The popes looked at the letters on the notification window with sparkling eyes. Their expressions changed as they read them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°How can this be!¡± They sighed. The content of the divine mandate that came down this time was quite unexpected. ¡°¡­¡± They soon finished reading it and gathered their heads. They were confused for a moment, but they quickly came to a conclusion. ¡°Do we need to worry about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We just have to follow it. The divine mandate is absolute!¡± Paaah! A light shed in Odin Pope¡¯s eyes. He was going to use his divine power. ¡°I will then deliver the divine mandate to Galeus again.¡± His ability, irvoyance, allowed him to see faraway ces as if they were in front of him and send messages to anyone rted to the Holy Kingdom. ¡°Then I will head to Scharnos Empire. I need to prepare the fastest carriage.¡± Medit Pope, who had a white beard reaching his chest, walked outside. ¡°I will get ready for the Pdin Order!¡± Thest old man with sharp eyes got up energetically. The divine mandate was an absolutemand for them. But what kind ofmand made them move at the same time? *** ¡°¡­¡± [New World] Emperor Scharnos was trembling as he held the contract. It was a suspicious project, no matter how he thought about it. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He groaned as he pondered for a while. Then he opened his mouth. ¡°Please exin this in more detail. I can¡¯t understand anything from this.¡± As he said, the contract was tooplicated for him, an ordinary person. He could vaguely understand that he had to enter a capsule and do something, but the rest was nonsense. ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, since we¡¯re going to board the same ship anyway, I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡± Dr. Dimiana took a sip of her tea as if her throat was dry. Then she began to speak. ¡°As I mentioned briefly before, this project is actually a supranational project. It¡¯s not just about the K Foundation and virtual reality technology.¡± Her tone was different from before. It was serious. ¡°A supranational project?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a mega project involving several countries besides the Korean government. Europe, America, you name it.¡± Project New World! ording to her exnation, the goal of this experiment was to create a perfect virtual reality world, not just a simple server. In the era they lived in, many aspects of life were already eroded by virtual reality. ¡°As I told you before, we can meet in virtual space by entering a capsule anytime and anywhere. Meetings, work, etc. We rely on virtual reality for many things.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Emperor Scharnos nodded his head. That wasmon sense. But the next words were quite absurd. ¡°And there are still many people who suffer from diseases, hunger, poverty gap, and other problems in the world.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Emperor Scharnos stared at Dr. Dimiana nkly. This was not a UNICEF ad. Why did she suddenly bring up the poverty gap? But she continued calmly. ¡°So many developed countries have focused on the potential of virtual reality. Simply put, they want to make virtual reality another real reality.¡± At this point, Emperor Scharnos burst into a snort. No matter how advanced the 2X century was, this sounded like something from a cult religion. ¡°Come on, are you serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still in the testing phase, but we think it¡¯s possible.¡± She was so adamant that Emperor Scharnos had nothing to say. But it was hard to believe. He chuckled and joked. ¡°Hey¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to teleport me into a virtual world inside a capsule or something?¡± She surprisingly smiled. ¡°You got half of it right. Not your body, though.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Emperor Scharnos was about to say something with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s my job.¡± That¡¯s when Lee Cheongmun intervened. As he said before, he was one of those who were called psychics or superhumans. They could draw out ether, the power of their souls, and use force, a strange ability. The first stage of learning to sense force! The second stage of activating force in your body and gaining superhuman strength! The third stage of influencing other objects with force! The fourth stage where your ability¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯ is revealed depending on your soul¡¯s nature! Generally, those who surpassed the fourth stage were ssified as high-level superhumans and treated as major forces of each country. The standard of dividing people into nobles andmoners in Eurius¡¯s world originated from here. And he was the only one in this world who reached the sixth stage, the ultimate stage of superhumans. ¡°As you may have experienced using virtual reality games, your abilities diverge depending on your personality after you pass the fourth stage.¡± Pop! Chapter 191: The Unveiled Condition Chapter 191: The Unveiled Condition This young knight was more reasonable than I expected. I thought all the knights here had bad tempers, judging by the one who stabbed me with a spear, but they seemed to vary from person to person. ¡°Oh, by the way. I am Wilhelm, the baron who rules this territory. I am truly grateful for your help in saving us from the invaders.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± I finally realized what he meant by saying I was his benefactor. This territory belonged to this young knight, and the fight that I had just joined had turned into a victory for his side with my help. ¡°Haha¡­¡± I had no intention of doing that, but I became a benefactor by ident. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, while Wilhelm opened his mouth again. ¡°But this area is notorious for frequent wars. How did you decide to travel here?¡± Of course, I had no idea about that information, since I had just connected(?) to this ce. ¡°Haha¡­ It just happened that way.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Wilhelm tilted his head. The kingdom he belonged to was a ce where battles broke out almost every day. A normal traveler would nevere here. ¡®He seems very ignorant of the situation on this continent¡­ And he has unbelievable martial arts skills¡­¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± Wilhelm pped his knee and nodded his head with a look of understanding. ¡°Since you don¡¯t know the situation around here, are you perhaps from the Eastern Continent?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell him the details, so I nodded my head slightly. ¡°I knew it!¡± Wilhelm looked at me with sparkling eyes and admired me inwardly. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem much older than me, but he has such skills¡­ The rumor that the Eastern Continent is the origin of martial arts was not wrong!¡¯ And that evening, I was invited to Wilhelm¡¯s castle and received avish treatment. Of course, I didn¡¯t ept his invitation without any thoughts. ¡°You seem to be looking for yourpanions?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We came together, but we got separated for some reason.¡± I exined my situation with a serious expression. I was sure that I had connected with two other people, but no matter how much I looked around, I couldn¡¯t find any traces of them. ¡°A young man and a woman from the East¡­ I haven¡¯t heard anything about them. They have distinctive appearances, so if they were in our territory, we would have heard some news.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± I sank into disappointment and thought. ¡®Did they fall into different areas? And it¡¯s been quite a while since then, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any action taken from outside the capsule.¡¯ Where exactly is this ce? Is it a virtual space that I connected to with a capsule? With endless questions in my mind, I finally asked him. ¡°By the way, this is my first time on this continent¡­ Why did those enemy knights attack me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wilhelm¡¯s face clouded at my question. ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± Wilhelm sighed and began to exin his situation. ording to him, this continent was currently in a state of having no proper kingdoms or lords. There used to be a huge unified empire, but it copsed and the lords of each region exercised their own authority or even imed themselves as kings. ¡°I see¡­¡± I nodded as I listened to his exnation. My favorite historical novel came to my mind. ¡®So it¡¯s simr to the Three Kingdoms period.¡¯ This continent was in a situation where various factions with their own armies were rampant! Without a strong central government, the strong forces would subjugate or plunder the weak ones. And some of those who grew their power by doing so would im themselves as kings. ¡°You seem to understand. Sigh¡­¡± Wilhelm sighed again and started to exin his own situation. ¡°Actually, I inherited this territory only a few months ago. My father died in the fight with the eastern territory that just happened. I had to take over after him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Emperor Scharnos looked at Wilhelm and the surrounding soldiers with a look of displeasure. ¡®Come to think of it, this castle is small and the army is not impressive. They have done well to survive until now.¡¯ In this turbulent era, the fate of a small territory like this was one of two things. Either cling to a strong power or perish. ¡°As you may already know, our territory is not in a good situation. If you hadn¡¯te today, we would have had a hard time securing victory.¡± Wilhelm bowed his head carefully but not humbly. ¡°Would you mind staying in our territory while you look for yourpanions? I will do my best to help you in any way I can. Even if it¡¯s just for a few months, please.¡± Wilhelm had his own desperate reasons. His territory was in a dire state due to repeated battles. He needed time to catch his breath and recover his strength. If there was someone who could easily defeat dozens of knights and soldiers in armor, the neighboring territories would not dare to invade. ¡°Of course, I know this is a brazen proposal, but¡­¡± He decided to be honest. With the skills that Emperor Scharnos showed today, he could go to a bigger lord and get better treatment than here. ¡®He¡¯ll find out sooner orter anyway. There¡¯s no reason to hide it and it¡¯s better than nothing.¡¯ Wilhelm, who revealed his poverty, closed his eyes and made hisst request. ¡°I know you may not like it, but please stay for a few days at least, until we can restore our military.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ What?¡± To be honest, Wilhelm did not have much hope. But Emperor Scharnos agreed readily with a casual tone. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for a while. I can¡¯t just freeload, so call me if there¡¯s a battle.¡± ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± Wilhelm looked at him with a grateful expression. ¡°I will never forget this favor.¡± Emperor Scharnos smiled inwardly as he watched him bow his head again. The reason he epted his request was partly because he didn¡¯t have a bad first impression of Wilhelm. He liked that he was honest about his situation and acted like a man. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just a choice driven by emotion. ¡®It¡¯s better to have a decent power on my side than wandering around alone, right?¡¯ Judging by the situation, hispanions didn¡¯t seem to be easily found. He didn¡¯t even have a clue about this world, let alone wander around aimlessly. ¡®I need to stay here for a while and figure out what¡¯s going on.¡¯ *** ¡°No, howe the descendant is so stiff and unattached when the ancestor was so generous?¡± Euriusughed mockingly as he watched the characters in the video. Emperor Scharnos had entered somewhere through a capsule. And he met a young lord named Wilhelm. The identity of this lord was none other than the first Grand Duke Wilhelm, who was Emperor Scharnos¡¯s first follower. ¡®Then Emperor Scharnos must have entered this world through a virtual reality capsule.¡¯ This video was quite long and there was still a lot of footage left. ¡®I wonder what kind of hint is in this one?¡¯ Eurius immersed himself in Emperor Scharnos¡¯s whereabouts with an interested expression. That¡¯s how Emperor Scharnos took his first step in this world. Zzzzzz¡­ Even though it was a video, it couldn¡¯t show all his actions, so the rest of his exploits were briefly described by scene. He started as a simple foodie, but after that, Emperor Scharnos¡¯s moves were shocking. Crash! His sword swung down and ttened a small mountain peak. Emperor Scharnos was a being with god-like power in this world. ¡°I will serve you as my lord. Please lead us.¡± First, Wilhelm and the nearby lords voluntarily swore allegiance to him. ¡°Eek¡­ I surrender! Please¡­ spare my life!¡± The lords who tried to resist him in the vicinity also couldn¡¯t withstand Emperor Scharnos¡¯s sword, which was like a one-man army. Before long, his power grew absurdly and reached almost the level of a small kingdom. The legend of Emperor Scharnos Sharnos, who dominated the continent, began like this. But there was no special reason why he kept growing his power. ¡°Did you find any information about the Easterners?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it seems that there are no such people in the area we conquered this time.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± The emperor bit his lips with a restless expression. He had been in the capsule for more than a year by this world¡¯s time. But he still hadn¡¯t heard any news of hispanions who came in with him. Of course, this continent was very vast, so it was possible that they just hadn¡¯t met each other. But wouldn¡¯t they have tried to find him too? The emperor thought of the worst-case scenario as well. ¡®What if I was the only one who couldn¡¯t log out?¡¯ Then he would have been scammed big time. He was practically trapped in this world right now. ¡°Sigh¡­ What should I do¡­¡± On top of that, the power he had built up had grown toorge. He said it was to get some information, but now Sharnos was recognized as one of the biggest powers in this continent. He hadn¡¯t established a country yet, but he was practically a king in this world. He had also gained a lot of followers. ¡®If I find mypanions, would it be too heartless to leave them all behind?¡¯ Thud. ¡°My lord! Excuse me.¡± As he was thinking that far, Wilhelm suddenly burst into the room. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°We finally found them.¡± ¡°Found what?¡± The emperor blurted out a stupid question. It was too sudden. Wilhelm spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°We found someone who knows about yourpanions.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± *** ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¡°Both of you are safe!¡± The three of them met again in the inner sanctum of a temple. Surprisingly, they were all summoned to the same ce at the same time. The emperor scolded them as soon as he saw them, rather than being d. ¡°Seriously, what were you doing that you didn¡¯t contact me?¡± ¡°I feel hurt by your words. I fell across the sea to the Eastern Continent. Do you think it was easy to search that continent and thene over here?¡± Lee Cheongmun exined his situation with a shrug. He had been on a different continent, so he couldn¡¯t be found. ¡°I was staying at a temple in a remote vige for a few months.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Dimiana sighed and told him about her hardships. At least Lee Cheongmun and the emperor had some power, but she was just an ordinary person. She didn¡¯t even have the privilege of a yer, such as a stat window. There wasn¡¯t much she could do in that situation. ¡°And then I received a divine message that allowed me to find you.¡± ¡°A divine message?¡± ¡°It seems that there are peculiar jobs in this world, such as priests or saintesses. I don¡¯t know why I was chosen, though.¡± She said that she became a saintess and used her authority to try to find the two of them. But she didn¡¯t need to do that, because as soon as she came to this temple, she met herpanions. The two of them told their stories and then looked at the emperor. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡± At Lee Cheongmun¡¯s question, the emperor briefly exined what had happened so far. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­ So we three were separated to different ces?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. There was nothing like this during the test.¡± Somehow reunited, the three of them exchanged information. There were many questions, but one definite conclusion came out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like this is a virtual space.¡± ¡°Yes. There was no problem in the test, but something must have gone wrong with the soul transfer.¡± They had entered the capsule and used Lee Cheongmun¡¯s psychic power, soul transmigration, to move their souls. Something had definitely happened during the process. This ce was not a virtual space, but another world. ¡°Is there no way to take any action from the outside?¡± Emperor Scharnos asked with an incredulous expression. Did that mean they had no way out of here? Dr. Dimiana nodded with a serious look. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m wondering too. It¡¯s been so long that they should have pulled us out forcibly by now¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Good grief¡­¡± The three of them looked visibly gloomy. They had hoped that joining up with theirpanions would lead to some solution, but they had none. ¡°¡­¡± But their silence did notst long. Thud thud Dozens of people in white clothes started to enter the ce where they were standing. An old man at the front of the group opened his mouth. ¡°Pardon me, but are you the ones who came from another world?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Nod The three of them were surprised, but soon nodded their heads. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°As expected!¡± The people in white clothes murmured and eximed. And then the next moment. ¡°We greet the neers.¡± ¡°We greet the neers chosen by the great one!¡± They fell to the floor with expressions full of emotion. The three people who received their bows were bewildered. ¡°Neers?¡± ¡°The great one?¡± ¡°Oh! We didn¡¯t exin it to you.¡± The old man got up again and spoke. ¡°We are the ones who brought you three neers to the temple.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Come to think of it, the three of them had heard each other¡¯s news around the same time and met at this secluded temple. It was not a simple coincidence. But what was the purpose of these people in white clothes? ¡°Hmm!¡± The old man cleared his throat and returned to a solemn expression. ¡°We are the people chosen by the great one! We are ¡®yers¡¯.¡± ¡°Huh? yers?¡± Emperor Scharnos was startled when a familiar word popped up. But regardless, the old man continued with a serious tone. ¡°Yes. We are here to follow you as entrusted by the great one. Please lead us ording to the will of the great one.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The three of them exchanged nces, but they had no clue. What were yers and neers? But then, as if to answer their questions, a clear sound rang out. Ding! [You have received the main quest ¡®Pacify the chaotic world!¡¯] [You can receive rewards forpleting the quest.] ¡°Quest?¡± ¡°This is¡­ a system notification window?¡± The three of them were so shocked that they couldn¡¯t speak for a while. They had been unable to use any virtual reality functions until now, but suddenly a game-like notification window appeared. ¡®And rewards too¡­¡¯ The reason they were surprised was not simply because of the notification window. The important thing was the content of the quest and the reward! [Restore Peace to the Chaotic Era! ¨C Chosen Human! Help the ¡®yers¡¯ calm down the continent of turmoil.] [Quest Reward ¨C Return] *** Zzzzt! ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius opened his eyes wide and returned to reality. This very long video seemed to end here. He had obtained a lot of information this time, but he did not reach a decisive clue. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eurius groaned as he tried to organize the information. First, the leader of the yers, Emperor Sharnos, Saintess Demya, and Martial God Ichungmun had somehowe from another world. Second, as the legend said, Emperor Sharnos had restored peace to the chaotic era and unified the western continent. This was written in the history books, so there was no doubt about it. Third, the reason they had restored peace to the chaotic era was probably because of the quest reward, Return. In the end, the three of them must have gone back to their own world. ¡®But then what about the other yers?¡¯ The keywords were Eurius, Rookie, yer. These three seemed simr, but they were quite different when you looked closely. ¡°And what about that statue¡­¡± Eurius looked up at the statue of Emperor Sharnos that was erected in the center of the temple. It was a hundred percent match with what he had seen in the video. Why was there such a statue in the Demon Church? ¡°Did you watch the video well? I had a hard time preparing that.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± A familiar voice sounded in his ear, who was momentarily lost in his memories. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The voice did not answer, but clicked his tongue. ¡°I thought you woulde to the promised ce first, but I didn¡¯t expect you to start from here.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± Eurius turned his head. Somehow, there was a man standing near the entrance of the temple. He was wearing a hat and covering his face with a veil up to his chin. ¡®I guess he means that note by promise¡¯ Eurius asked him a question. ¡°Then are you the leader of the Demon Church?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man answered briefly. ¡°Huh¡­¡± But Eurius felt like he knew the man¡¯s true identity. He had given him so many hints, how could he not notice? ¡®He covered his face, but this situation¡­ And above all, that voice is¡­¡¯ Eurius finally opened his mouth with a doubtful expression on his face. ¡°I think I know who you are. Should I be respectful?¡± The man let out a sigh of regret at his words. ¡°Darn¡­ You¡¯re a quick-witted guy. Or did you recognize my voice from the video just now?¡± Thud. The man who imed to be the leader of the Demon Church took off his hat. And what came out of it was a face that Eurius had seen several times. Blonde hair and yful blue eyes! The face that was revealed after taking off his hat was very simr to Eurius¡¯s. That¡¯s right! His identity was none other than. ¡°Emperor Sharnos!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± The leader. No, Emperor Sharnos smiled brightly. *** A littleter. ¡°¡­¡± Eurius kept his guard up and maintained a certain distance from the man. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that the leader of the Demon Church was Emperor Sharnos from two hundred years ago¡­¡¯ To be honest, Emperor Sharnos was a hero of the continent and also an ancestor of Eurius for personal reasons. He should have shown him some respect, but since the situation was so suspicious, he had no choice but to be wary. Why did Emperor Sharnos, who was supposed to have disappeared, still remain in this world? And why did he appear as the leader of the Demon Church of all things? Eurius¡¯s mind was spinning fast to find an answer. ¡®I have to probe him first.¡¯ But before he could open his mouth, Emperor Sharnos spoke first. ¡°The reason I asked you to see me is because I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Something to ask?¡± ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t I say that I would tell you what you want to know if youe to find me?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Emperor Sharnos reminded Eurius of the silk pouch note that he had momentarily forgotten. Eurius quickly opened his mouth. ¡°Then. My question is¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Listen to me first.¡± Emperor Scharnos interrupted Eurius¡¯s words and chuckled softly. ¡°Before I answer your question, there is one condition.¡± Chapter 192: The True Enemy Chapter 192: The True Enemy ¡°Conditions?¡± For a moment, Eurius tried to look at the Emperor¡¯s stat window. [???] [??? ¨C ess Denied.] But nothing was disyed. And as if piercing through his mind, the Emperor opened his mouth. ¡°Do you find it strange that you can¡¯t see my stats?¡± ¡®You know about my ability to see stats?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s face became more wary. Seeing his expression, the Emperor sighed. ¡°You should know. I was the one who gave you that ability and sent you to the past.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eurius¡¯s face twisted in shock. He couldn¡¯t process the shocking truth. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Ah! To be precise, I don¡¯t have that power myself. It was done by the being who is cooperating with me.¡± ¡®The Emperor from two hundred years ago, and the being who is cooperating with him?¡¯ Eurius barely regained hisposure. But he needed time to sort out his thoughts. First of all, the one who sent him back to the past after he died was the Emperor Sharnos from two hundred years ago. Judging by the fact that he also gave him the ability to see stats, it was unlikely that he was lying. And secondly, the Emperor was the leader of the Cult, or the Demon Church, who had been Eurius¡¯s enemy all this time. But why did he do such a thing? Eurius calmly opened his mouth. Unlike before, his tone was slightly polite. ¡°If what you say is true, then I should thank you.¡± He had been a dead body in his previous life. After starting his second life, Eurius changed many things. Giving him such an opportunity was a great favor. ¡°But you mentioned conditions earlier. You revived me and gave me the ability to see stats for some purpose, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You seem to have figured it out to some extent.¡± The Emperor also put away his yful expression and nodded. ¡°I gave you the quest toe to this continent. Most of the things you experienced after your return were influenced by me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Emperor slowly opened his mouth to Eurius, who remained silent. ¡°I want to go back to the world where I came from. And I need your help to do that. This is the condition I¡¯m offering you.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius asked back with a bewildered expression. ¡°By the way, why are you still here? Didn¡¯t all three yers leave? Weren¡¯t they gone two hundred years ago?¡± He had seen in his shback that the three yers, including the Emperor, received a quest. He didn¡¯t know the oue, but at least in history, all the yers disappeared two hundred years ago and peace returned to the continent. Then they should have gone back to their original world as the reward ¡®Return¡¯ said. ¡°Huh¡­¡± The Emperor sighed as if he wanted the ground to swallow him up. ¡°I couldn¡¯t go back. So I¡¯ve been trapped here for two hundred years.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The Emperor gritted his teeth at Eurius¡¯s question. ¡°Because of that wicked old man.¡± ¡°Old man?¡± Eurius tilted his head in confusion. But the Emperor didn¡¯t answer that question and switched to another topic. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? This is not a virtual space created by our world. It¡¯s aplete and independent different world. I¡¯m what you call a dimensional traveler.¡± ¡°Dimensional travel!¡± Eurius also knew that word through the yer¡¯s knowledge. So this world was not a virtual space created by humans. ¡°But then how did I get the yer¡¯s ability?¡± The ability to see stats was clearly an ability that only existed in games. How did the Emperor give him such an ability? He answered clearly. ¡°It¡¯s because my soul came into this world through the capsule.¡± ording to the Emperor, hising to this world was nothing short of an ident. The function of the virtual reality capsule that transferred consciousness, and the unheard-of ability of soul transferencebined and sent his soul to a different world. ¡°And as I said before, I didn¡¯t send you back to the past or give you stats. It wasn¡¯t my power.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Come to think of it, the Emperor said he had another coborator. As if answering him, a ck light began to spread from behind the Emperor¡¯s back. Pop! The light seeped into the statue of the Emperor in the center of the temple. And then next moment, a voice identical to but thicker and kinder than the Emperor¡¯s came out of the statue. [I am Heimdall. The true god of this world.] ¡°God?¡± [Greetings, Lord God!] ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius looked at his waist with a puzzled expression. The golden dragon bowed to the statue with a golden light. [Hurry up and show your respect to Lord God.] ¡°¡­¡± The golden dragon was trembling with fear, clinging to Eurius. But Eurius looked at the statue and the Emperor with a nk expression and opened his mouth. ¡°How did this happen? A god?¡± As far as he knew, there were only three cults in the continent that could use divine power. They were the three major cults of the Holy Kingdom. He had never heard of any other gods. The statue answered right away. [They are not gods.] ¡®Not gods?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. The gods that the Holy Kingdom worships are not exactly gods. They are more like bugs that came along with the system.¡± The Emperor supplemented the exnation. His system, which was linked to his consciousness, caused another problem when he flew into this world. Odin, Medit, Mars These three were not names of gods, but names of artificial intelligences that formed the core of the seventh-generation virtual machine. As his soul flew into this world, the artificial intelligences recognized this world as a kind of game and started to operate. [At first, I thought they were just some peculiar beings.] The statue spoke again. The three dimensional travelers were quite interesting beings even from the perspective of a god. Moreover, the system that came along with them looked like a very convenient tool for him, who was a god from another world. [So I created beings called yers.] So Heimdall, the original god who ruled this world, decided to give humans the ability to be yers, imitating them. [The human world was too noisy anyway.] So Heimdall decided to use the humans from another world rather than expel them. [Bring the humans from another world to the temple.] Eurius finally realized what kind of ce the temple where the three people gathered in his shback was. ¡°So you gave the three yers from another world a quest to pacify the troubled times?¡± [That¡¯s right.] Heimdall¡¯s intention hit the mark and the yers were able to quickly calm down the chaotic continent. In other words, except for the three people who came from another world, the other yers were ordinary humans who were given the game system by the god¡¯s power. Eurius, who had received the ability to see stats, was also clearly one of them. ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius had a question in his mind after thinking for a while. If the gods of the Holy Kingdom were fake and this Heimdall was the real god, why did he create an evil organization like the Demon Church or Cult? And why did the current continent abandon the true god and worship the fake gods of the Holy Kingdom? ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius found a slight contradiction and opened his mouth. ¡°Are you sure you gave me the quest?¡± [Of course.] [You havepleted the main quest ¡®The Dark Cloud over the Imperial Family¡¯.] [You havepleted the quest ¡®The Cult of the Forgotten God¡¯.] [Your achievement increases greatly.] [Current achievement progress: 90%] As Heimdall¡¯s voice sounded, two quests that had been iplete until now werepleted at once. ¡°Huh?¡± But Eurius looked at that message and became more puzzled. [What¡¯s wrong?] ¡°There¡¯s one more quest left.¡± [That can¡¯t be.] ¡°No, it definitely exists.¡± Eurius checked his stat window. He still had one quest left. [Urgent Quest ¨C The Call of the Holy Kingdom] [The Call of the Holy Kingdom (Urgent) ¨C Go to the Holy Kingdom. There are beings who are calling you. Time left: 23 days] Chapter 193: The Unexpected Visitor Chapter 193: The Unexpected Visitor ¡°Wait? You want me to go to the Holy Kingdom?¡± The Emperor frowned and turned his head to the statue. ¡°Did you give me such a quest?¡± [I did not.] Heimdall casually dismissed the question. The Holy Kingdom was a ce where a system that acted as a god ruled. Why would he order him to go there? ¡°Ah¡­ damn it!¡± The Emperor suddenly let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding it well, but I¡¯ve been exposed. Is it the work of that damned old man?¡± ¡°Exposed?¡± Eurius looked at the Emperor with a bewildered expression. He turned his head sharply and shouted at Eurius. ¡°You! Where did you hide the vessel?¡± ¡°The vessel?¡± He felt like he had heard that term before. But before he could figure it out, the Emperor snapped at him. ¡°Your younger brother! The one who killed you in your previous life!¡± ¡°Do you mean Leonhart?¡± Eurius became more suspicious. He remembered that the Demon Cult tried to kidnap Leon. Of course, he prepared enough guards for him in anticipation of that. But when he heard that, the Emperor sighed and sped his head. ¡°Ha¡­ If you didn¡¯t hide him so well and left him in in sight, it would be toote already.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin! Grab my hand!¡± Eurius reluctantly took the hand that the Emperor offered. Swoosh. ¡®A sword?¡¯ The Emperor drew his sword and lightly drew a circle in the air. And at that moment! The scenery around them began to recede like an arrow. Shiiiiing! ¡°Huh!¡± Eurius felt his body being sucked into somewhere. At the same time, the surroundings distorted wildly. Pop! ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Where is this?¡± Finally, the strange distortion disappeared and Eurius looked around. He was just in a dark temple, but now he saw a city with tall buildings everywhere. Eurius let out a hollowugh. ¡°Is this Nakyang?¡± Amazingly, the Emperor lightly swung his sword and crossed hundreds of kilometers of distance to arrive at Nakyang, where Righteous Alliance was located. It was an unbelievable feat even if he saw it with his own eyes. But he didn¡¯t give him time to admire it and bit his tongue. ¡°As expected¡­ It¡¯s toote. Look at that.¡± He looked at where he pointed and Eurius widened his eyes for a rare asion. ¡°Ah!¡± The buildings of Righteous Alliance were copsed here and there as if a storm had swept through them. There was no doubt that a fierce battle had taken ce. But the reason why Eurius was surprised was not because of the buildings. Bang! He kicked the ground and flew into the building. Eurius had a reason to be anxious. He had assigned some of the best warriors to guard Leon before he left for the Demon Cult extermination. ¡®The Demon Cult seems to be after this guy, so I¡¯d better leave some elite guards even if it means losing some power.¡¯ The elite guards he chose were the ones he Divine Graceed and relied on the most. ¡®She should be able to save her life even in the worst case scenario, but I have a bad feeling.¡¯ *** A few hours before Eurius and the Emperor moved to Nakyang. ¡°Huuuuh!¡± Leonhart stretched out on his desk in his office and got up from his seat. ¡®There¡¯s hardly anything to do these days.¡¯ Even Jegal Seungwoon, who used to be hispanion, left for the Demon Cult extermination. Righteous Alliance, where most of the experts had left, was very quiet. Creak. He opened the door and left his office when someone quickly approached him. ¡°Second Prince. Have you finished your work?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Leon saw who spoke to him and gave an awkward smile. ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m going to take a break now.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll escort you to your quarters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She spoke in a stiff voice. Leon looked at her with an ufortable expression. ¡°Ahem¡­ Anyway, thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The knight. Beatrice silently moved her steps toward Leon¡¯s quarters. Leon felt very burdened by her. Of course, he knew that she was an excellent knight. As a bonus, everyone in the pce knew that she had a special rtionship with his brother, Eurius. ¡®Her appearance is fine, but she¡¯s so cold. What does my brother see in her?¡¯ Leon grumbled inwardly as he followed her steps. Their conversation was always businesslike. But couldn¡¯t she at least talk to him a little more friendly, as a fellow attendant? Besides, Beatrice was a woman who made it hard for him to casually strike up a conversation, as if she would be offended by his kindness. ¡®If my brother hears that I¡¯m bothering her, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡¯ He didn¡¯t seem like that kind of person, but Leon had no choice but to be wary of her because of Eurius. The good thing was that it didn¡¯t take long to get from the office to Leon¡¯s quarters. ¡°We¡¯re here. Have a good night.¡± Beatrice stopped in front of the bedroom door and bowed politely to him. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Leon quickly replied and tried to open the door. But then. ng! ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The sword was drawn before the words. Beatrice pulled Leon¡¯s body back and pointed her sword at the bedroom door. Leon asked her with a surprised expression as she suddenly drew her sword. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone inside.¡± ¡°In my bedroom?¡± It was already dark outside. A nd there was no one in this continent who woulde to visit him. Beatrice¡¯s sharp senses had caught the faint presence inside the bedroom. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first.¡± She said with a cautious face as she grabbed the doorknob. She was quite nervous because she had been warned by Eurius beforehand. Bang. ¡°Ah!¡± But Beatrice, who jumped into the room, was unusually startled. ¡°Who are you?¡± The faint presence in the bedroom was someone she knew. She had greeted him a few times in the holy kingdom when he followed her father. ¡°Hmm? What brings you here, daughter of the duke?¡± The old man with a snow-white beard. The archbishop of the holy kingdom, Galeus, looked at her with a puzzled expression. He had said he would return to the holy kingdom, but he was in Leonhardt¡¯s bedroom. ¡°What are you doing here, archbishop¡­¡± ¡°Are you a cleric by your outfit? Do you have business with me?¡± But before she could express her doubt, Leon entered the room. He judged that it was not an assassination attempt by the situation. ¡°Oh!¡± Galeus got up from his seat and bowed deeply. ¡°I am Galeus of the holy kingdom. Are you the second imperial prince?¡± ¡°Is that so? What do you want from me?¡± Leon received his greeting with a bewildered expression. Archbishop Galeus was one of the most powerful people in the holy kingdom, second only to the pope. He was someone who had no reason toe looking for him, who had already fallen far behind in the session rights. ¡®Something smells fishy.¡¯ But Galeus spoke calmly as if he had made an appointment. ¡°I came here with the Divine Grace of some great people. Come with me to the holy kingdom.¡± ¡°Divine Grace?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you remember that I visited your imperial crown prince not long ago?¡± ¡°My brother?¡± Leon tilted his head. He felt like he had heard something simr before. ¡°But why do you suddenlye to me? And what Divine Grace are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± For a moment, Galeus nced at Beatrice, who was standing behind Leon. ¡°It¡¯s not a difficult story. We made a mistake in interpreting the Divine Grace. The person who was supposed toe has changed.¡± Leon was skeptical even after hearing that. ¡°So, you mean, my brother was originally going to the Holy Kingdom, but it changed to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Galeus bowed his head and apologized, then opened his mouth again with a serious look. ¡°Then go. The great ones are waiting for His Majesty.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Leon was slightly taken aback. Going to the Holy Kingdom was not a difficult story. But his sharp sense felt something suspicious from Galeus. ¡®I thought so before, but this guy is hiding something.¡¯ ¡°Haha¡­ Your suggestion is good, but it¡¯s not me who decides my whereabouts right now.¡± Leon replied with a forced smile. ¡°I¡¯ll ask for permission when my brother returns and visit the Holy Kingdom right away. Then there will be no problem¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Not only Leon, but also Beatrice looked at Galeus with a surprised expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not possible. His Majesty, pleasee right now.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Leon looked at him with a dumbfounded expression rather than anger. No matter how holy the kingdom was, even if it was the order of the Three Great Orders, they couldn¡¯t tell the imperial family what to do. But Galeus was looking at him with an expression that everything was already decided, which was absurd. ¡®Ah! This guy is also not normal.¡¯ Leon finished his thoughts and made a firm decision in his mind. Chapter 194: A Mysterious Turn of Events Chapter 194: A Mysterious Turn of Events ¡®I¡¯ve never been wrong about this feeling! If I follow him, I¡¯ll get caught up in another life-threatening trouble.¡¯ He had suffered a lot from the absurd situations that Eurius had created over the years. There was only one conclusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t follow you right now. You should get permission from your brother first.¡± Galeusughed softly when he heard that answer. ¡°Hehe¡­ Can¡¯t you change your mind?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leon flinched. Galeus, who had been talking from a distance, started to walk towards him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with your crimeter. Neither His Majesty nor I can disobey the will of those great people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Leon began to back away with an annoyed expression. That meant he would take him by force, right? He was just talking big, this was kidnapping! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Galeus quickly reached a position where he could touch Leon with his hand. But there was someone who blocked him. Pit! ¡°Huh?¡± With a very faint sound, Galeus stepped back. The reason was simple. Swoosh. The chest part of his white robe was cut off. If he hadn¡¯t stepped back, not only his clothes but also his blood would have sttered. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to approach any further. Apologize for your rudeness and leave.¡± In the end, Beatrice had drawn her sword. She quickly approached Leon¡¯s side and whispered. [We don¡¯t have time. Listen carefully to what I say.] ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Galeus let out a slight exmation. Even to him, who was the best warrior in the Western Continent, this strike was quite sharp. It wasn¡¯t something anyone could do to make him back off. ¡®That¡¯s right! That cold woman finally earned her keep!¡¯ Seeing her make Galeus back off, Leon¡¯s face brightened. He thought he could somehow escape. But there was a shadow on one side of Beatrice¡¯s face. [As soon as I throw myself at him, go outside and ask for help.] [¡­!?] Leon¡¯s face hardened again at the sound of her whispering softly. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have confidence in holding out for long.¡± *** ¡°She became like this a week ago?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius stared at the bed without a word. What he had feared had actually happened. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Heinz, who had a worried expression, answered. ¡°The doctor said there is no danger to her life. The problem is that she doesn¡¯t regain consciousness, but ording to the examination by Jegal Sae, it¡¯s a temporary injury and it will take some time to recover.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s a relief.¡± Beatrice was lying t on the bed. She was already in this state when Eurius arrived. He had to hear a shocking report as soon as he arrived. ¡°Leonhardt is missing? And Beatrice is unconscious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being negligent. Please punish me!¡± The knights of the Sharnos Order, who had been left behind to guard Leon, tried to kneel down in anger. But Eurius¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°Get up. Judging by the situation, it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference if you guys had intervened.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I need some time to think, so please leave me alone.¡± ¡°¡­All right.¡± Eurius answered firmly and dismissed the knights. He had too much to think about right now. ¡°¡­¡± He looked at Beatrice, who was lying on the bed, slowly and carefully. ¡®As expected, there are no visible injuries. Then there is only one conclusion¡­¡¯ His eyes moved to the building outside the window. Leon¡¯s office, where he had been staying, was in a terrible state, as if it had been hit by a bomb. But the people who fought there were only unconscious, not injured? There was only one thing that this meant. ¡®Someone who can easily subdue her must havee. And judging by the fact that they spared her life, they must have some kind of rtionship!¡¯ The suspects were narrowed down quickly. How many people could handle her, who had reached the level of a superhuman? ¡®Come to think of it, the emperor also mentioned that ce and his expression changed, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ Eurius muttered with a suspicious expression. ¡°Could it be the Holy Kingdom?¡± Various questions and hypotheses shed through his mind. *** As soon as Eurius came out, there was someone waiting for him. He was scratching his head with an awkward expression. ¡°Damn¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know this would happen either. I was watching you too, but I didn¡¯t expect this situation.¡± Even for the emperor, this incident was quite painful. He had also been hit in the back of the head. ¡®That cunning bastard of the Holy Kingdom is quite good.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Eurius thought for a moment and opened his mouth. ¡°Now tell me everything without hiding anything. What are those guys from the Holy Kingdom doing?¡± Eurius had alreadybeled the Holy Kingdom as an enemy. He had always thought so, but there were too many suspicious points. ¡®First of all, it¡¯s the previous life. Why didn¡¯t they help me?¡¯ ording to Galeus, their enemy was a cult that served an evil god. But Eurius did not receive any help from the Holy Kingdom in his previous life. He even tried to arrange a political marriage with Beatrice to ask for their help. Moreover, he had received many attacks from the cult in his previous life. Unlike now, there were many simple assassins, but why didn¡¯t they help Eurius, who was their enemy? [The Holy Kingdom is absolutely neutral. We cannot participate in the power struggle within the empire.] They used to reject Eurius¡¯s request with such words. And ording to his guess, that was why Leon was kidnapped this time. The emperor sighed at Eurius¡¯s gaze. ¡°You have some idea? You¡¯re a quick-witted guy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Swoosh The emperor drew his sword from his waist again and smiled. ¡°Then see for yourself. Go to the Holy Kingdom.¡± *** The sh happened in an instant. Boom! With a sound of something exploding, countless pieces of wood and stone dust flew in front of Leon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ugh!¡± Leon groaned and quickly covered his eyes and nose and ran out of the room. He was trying to ask for help as Beatrice had told him. But the next moment! ¡°Gasp!¡± He couldn¡¯t move at all. A terrifying force bound his whole body in an instant. ¡°This¡­¡± Leon looked around with a desperate expression. The dust settled slowly and revealed the situation inside. The building was blown open as if it had been hit by a bomb. The walls on all sides were blown away by the impact of the sh. ¡°¡­¡± Beatricey on the ground as if she were dead. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her.¡± And Galeus walked toward Leon with a calm expression. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the Holy Kingdom.¡± Boom! A dazzling light burst out as soon as his hand touched Leon. *** ¡°We have arrived.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Leon¡¯s eyes widened. In front of him was a huge pce made of white walls. He knew that there was only one such building on the continent. ¡°Could it be¡­ the White Pce?¡± The White Pce was where the pope of the Three Great Orders resided! In other words, it was located in the capital of the Holy Kingdom. But Leon had been in the faraway Eastern Continent just a moment ago. How did he get here? His question was answered by Galeus. ¡°I used an [Item].¡± ¡°An Item?¡± ¡°It is a precious tool that the Great One bestowed upon us for the sake of the Holy Kingdom.¡± In his hand was a half-burnt piece of paper. Chapter 195: [Space Transfer Scroll] Chapter 195: [Space Transfer Scroll] ¡°Do you have many of these tools in the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°They are very rare, but we can get permission to use them for special missions like this. Come on, follow me. The Holy Popes are waiting for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leon followed Galeus without a word. He knew it was useless to resist. And he couldn¡¯t deny that he was curious about the Holy Kingdom. ¡®Why did they call me?¡¯ They arrived at a huge room after passing through a splendid corridor. It was the same ce where the three Holy Popes had gathered to receive the Trust before. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Wee, Chosen One. Pleasee in.¡± Two old men in splendid robes greeted Leon with tears in their eyes. There was no need to exin who they were. ¡°I greet the Holy Popes.¡± Leon bowed politely and felt quite bewildered. They kidnapped him and then weed him so warmly? And a momentter ¡°Galeus, you did well. If it weren¡¯t for your quick action, we would have been in big trouble.¡± ¡°Thank you for your praise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were four people sitting at the table. Among them, the old man with a sharp and cold expression, Odin Pope, opened his mouth. ¡°You must have many questions, Chosen One.¡± ¡°I heard about the Trust, but can I know why you called me?¡± Leon asked cautiously. He appreciated their hospitality, but he felt uneasy. ¡°Haha, I heard from Galeus that there was some trouble on your way here. We apologize for startling you.¡± The burly Mars Popeughed heartily and apologized to Leon. Odin Pope also smiled faintly. ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of. We brought you here to help you, Chosen One.¡± ¡°To help me?¡± ¡°Yes. We are sorry to say this¡­¡± Odin Pope nced at Leon¡¯s reaction and continued. ¡°Right now, the crown prince of the empire is named¡­ I think it was Eurius Your Highness? He is a fake set up by the evil god. The Holy Kingdom was alsopletely fooled by him.¡± ¡®Fooled? Evil god?¡¯ Leon was confused by the iprehensible words that kepting out. But the popes went on regardless. ¡°The true Chosen One bestowed by the great one! That is you, Your Highness. We brought you here to lead the continent in the right direction.¡± ¡°Chosen One?¡± Leon looked at Mars Pope with a serious expression. The owner of this continent meant the emperor of Sharnos Empire, right? ¡®And who took his ce?¡¯ There was only one person whopeted with him for that position. Leon¡¯s mind shed with Eurius¡¯s face. ¡°Do you have some grudge against my brother and the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a grudge. I told you it was a mistake.¡± Unlike Mars Pope, Galeus answered calmly. ¡°A mistake? I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simple fact.¡± Odin Pope exined. ¡°The current crown prince of the empire¡­ Eurius Your Highness, he is a fake set up by the evil god. The Holy Kingdom was alsopletely fooled by him. ¡°¡­!?¡± The words of the popes were clear. Thud! Something heavy fell in Leon¡¯s chest as he realized what they meant. He opened his mouth with a slightly trembling voice. ¡°Are you saying that you will overthrow the empire and put me on the throne?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The popes dered solemnly. ¡°The holy war has already begun.¡± *** At the same time, in the imperial pce. The hall was filled with a faint anger. ¡°What kind of rudeness is this?¡± The emperor was shaking his hand. He had a letter in his hand, but it was already crumpled mercilessly. The summary of its content was as follows: [Execute the crown prince of the current empire who received the fate of the evil god and ce the second prince on the throne.] ¡°Is the holy kingdom trying to interfere with my affairs? How dare they!¡± The emperor emitted a fearsome dignity and red at the old man below the hall. ¡°Hehe¡­ We expected that you would be surprised by this sudden matter, Your Majesty.¡± The old man with a warm impression. Pope Medit came here today to meet the emperor. But when he heard such an absurd request in this ce, the emperor was furious. ¡°Are you telling me to execute my eldest son and seat my second son? And for such a ridiculous reason?¡± At first, the emperor thought it was a joke. But as he continued to talk, he realized that these people were seriously spouting nonsense. ¡°Get out of here! I will definitely send a protest to the holy kingdom for this!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But even under the emperor¡¯s scolding, the pope and the priests remained calm. ¡°We regret that.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! The knights of the holy kingdom!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± Crash! Suddenly, the door of the hall broke and knights wearing white armor poured in. They were the holy knights of the holy kingdom. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Please step back!¡± Dozens of imperial guards who sensed the crisis surrounded the emperor. The Count Carlos, the leader of the imperial guard, quickly formed a formation. ¡°Drive out the intruders!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ How did this happen¡­¡± The emperor looked at the people of the holy kingdom with an expression of disbelief. The holy knights were known to be elite, but they were no match for the imperial guards. Moreover, there were countless knights in this pce besides the imperial guards. They would be easily suppressed by the imperial knights if they attacked. ¡®What are they thinking, doing such a thing?¡¯ The hall soon became a hell with the sound of weapons shing and people screaming. ng! ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Darn it!¡± Of course, as expected, the situation was overwhelmingly in favor of the empire. First of all, Carlos, who was a superhuman, was dominant. Boom! ¡°Cough!¡± Every time Carlos swung his sword. An invisible solid wall rushed towards the holy knights at a terrifying speed. It was a skill that was famous for its defense, but it could also be used for offense. ¡®About half left. I¡¯m d nothing happened to His Majesty.¡¯ The Count counted the number of enemies while swinging his sword incessantly. The holy knights fought bravely, but soon their number decreased to less than half. The imperial guards also suffered some minor injuries, but nothing serious. But as he observed the situation, the Count noticed something strange. ¡®The priests are too calm. And the knights don¡¯t seem to lose their morale at all.¡¯ The priests, including Pope Medit, did not show any panic. Even though they should know that they had no chance of winning, the knights were still fighting well. It looked like an overwhelming advantage, but something was fishy. ¡®They must have some n. It won¡¯t end like this.¡¯ The Count¡¯s bad feeling was proven right. As the knights kept falling, the priests finally made their move. They raised their hands above their heads around the pope and shouted with solemn expressions. ¡°We pray for the grace of the great one! Please bestow upon them the power of resurrection!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Boom! A pir of light rose from them. It pierced through the battlefield and reached the roof of the pce, turning it white. And as soon as the knights touched the light! ¡°Ooh!¡± ¡°My wounds are gone!¡± The knights who were lying on the ground moaning had their wounds healedpletely. Even those who had their heads blown off or died from fatal injuries got up as if nothing had happened. ¡°Waaaaaaah!!!¡± The fully recovered knights charged at the imperial guards with even more courage than before. ¡°What is this¡­¡± The emperor and his guards were speechless. They had never heard of such a power among the priests. But they had no time to think. ¡°Get his majesty to safety! This is dangerous!¡± Count Carlos shouted urgently and faced the knights¡¯ siege with a stiff face. But he couldn¡¯t hold them off for long, no matter how many he knocked down. ¡°Hehe, how could this happen¡­¡± The emperor could only watch his guards fall one by one with a hollow face. The same thing was probably happening all over the pce. His son¡¯s face, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, shed through his mind. ¡®Eurius, what happened to you.¡¯ *** A crack appeared in the empty air. And then it opened, emitting a faint blue light. Pah! And the next moment. Eurius was standing in front of the White Pce. He muttered with a curious face. ¡°I really crossed space. This is the true secret technique of the emperor.¡± He had moved a long distance in an instant by the emperor¡¯s sword, just like when he came from Cheonsan to Nakyang. ording to the emperor¡¯s exnation, this was his sixth stage secret technique. His fifth stage secret technique was to cut off the space between objects and slice them! He had developed that ability further and reached the level of moving by connecting the distance between spaces. ¡®Anyway, I had something to check in Seongguk.¡¯ Kwoong! Eurius opened the door of the White Pce. But then he heard a scream from inside. ¡°There¡¯s an intruder in my pce!¡± ¡°Pope Seongha said not to let anyone in!¡± ¡°We have to catch him!¡± ¡°Eek! Was there some kind of device on the door?¡± Eurius quickly ran into the corridor. It was nice that he moved him inside, but he didn¡¯t seem to be very wee here. But what he had to do here was clear. ¡®Leon, I have to find him. He must have been dragged here too.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s body shot through the corridor like a ray of light. *** The news of the intruder soon reached the inner chamber where the popes lived. ¡°An intruder?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop him.¡± Galeus, who usually guarded the popes, ran out quickly. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The pope of Mars, who witnessed the scene, opened his mouth with a grim expression. ¡°It seems that the hand of the evil god has already reached this ce. We have no time, so we must start the ritual right away!¡± ¡°I agree. It would be best if the god agreed, but we have no choice.¡± The pope of Odin also nodded his head with a determined expression. *** Chapter 196: [Space Transfer Scroll] Chapter 196: [Space Transfer Scroll] A week ago, Leonhardt¡¯s answer was this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you give me some time?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Surprisingly, Leon did not ept the offer right away. Instead, he asked for some time to think with aplicated expression. ¡°I respect your wishes if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°But the hand of the evil god is reaching out, so please make your decision as soon as possible.¡± The popes gave him some space to rest with regretful faces. Leon sat on the bed and sighed. ¡°Huh¡­ They¡¯re offering me the emperor¡¯s throne?¡± ording to the popes, they had already seeded in taking over the imperial pce and all he had to do was ept their offer and ascend to the throne. Of course, that was the ce he had dreamed of. But why did he refuse? ¡®I don¡¯t know either. Is it because I find them suspicious?¡¯ Leon grumbled inwardly as he sank into his thoughts. ¡®It¡¯s definitely suspicious, but it¡¯s also an opportunity of a lifetime.¡¯ The Holy Kingdom was the spiritual pir of all the people on the continent. If all the popes recognized his legitimacy, it would not be difficult for him to surpass Eurius and be the emperor. He was worried about Eurius¡¯ resistance, who had many supporters, but he also saw that the Holy Kingdom had some mysterious power. ¡®Should I just ept it?¡¯ A temptation came to his mind. But strangely enough, his hesitation did notst long. ¡°No.¡± Leon shook his head and brushed off that thought. He had been thinking a lot for a week. But at this decisive moment, his answer was always ¡®no¡¯. He should have dreamed of bing an emperor, so why couldn¡¯t he make up his mind? ¡°¡­¡± Leon finally came to a difficult conclusion. It was a hard decision for him, who had been praised as a genius since childhood and had a great pride. ¡®I¡¯m not fit to be an emperor. My brother is more suitable.¡¯ He had seen how Eurius won the hearts of the people in the Eastern Continent. Amazingly, Eurius had many followers who were loyal to him. And even those who were not his confidants acknowledged him and followed him. Leon could not understand why he was inferior to Eurius. A solid background as a Grand duke! And he was better than Eurius in every talent except for martial arts. But Eurius had surpassed him before he knew it and defeated the duke. And finally, he took the position of crown prince. Leon made a bitter face and had no choice but to admit that fact. ¡°I had no one. I was alone in the world.¡± That¡¯s right! Leon had a good starting point and many talented people around him, but there was no one left by his side. It was because he did not win their hearts. As a result, he had no friends or subordinates he could trust. ¡®I thought he was nosy when he went around everywhere.¡¯ From his perspective, such actions were meaningless. He thought it was better to build up his power in the center with a strong backing than to umte merits with force. But every time Eurius went somewhere, his power grew like a snowball. Even now, everyone in other continents knew his name. A ruler who has people following him and one who does not. Leon was not stupid enough to not know this difference. Even if he became an emperor, there would not be many ministers who would sincerely like him. He wanted to be a great ruler like his father if he became an emperor, as he thought when he was young. He did not want to y the role of an emperor under someone¡¯s protection. Crunch! He clenched his fist so hard that his hand broke. It was hard to spit out what he should have admitted long ago. ¡°I¡­ lost¡­ to my brother.¡± Leon muttered to himself and settled his mind with that. And as usual, it was hard to solve the problem, but once he solved it, he felt relieved. A littleter. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He let out a light sigh and felt his mind lighten up. He thought he should tell the popes his decision. ¡®I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a god or what, but it¡¯s meaningless if I don¡¯t ept the throne.¡¯ Bang! But before he could get up from his seat, the door opened with a loud noise. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Excuse us.¡± The ones who entered with hurried steps were two popes. They asked him with an urgent expression. ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± ¡°I have, but what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have time! Just tell us the result!¡± ¡®What kind of bastards are these¡­¡¯ Leon frowned. They showed their true colors when they were in a hurry. As expected, they didn¡¯t need him, they had some other intention. ¡°My answer is no.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, the room was filled with a quiet silence. The two popes exchanged nces quietly. ¡®Then let¡¯s begin.¡¯ ¡®Understood.¡¯ The two of them approached Leon with stern faces. *** Meanwhile, Eurius, who was running through the corridor like a madman, finally encountered an obstacle. ¡°We meet again.¡± ¡°Today you¡¯re not calling me a Chosen One (Godly One).¡± Eurius smiled and looked at the person who blocked his way. It was Galus, the archbishop of the Holy Kingdom and a superhuman. ¡°My mistake. But, today I won¡¯t make that mistake.¡± Galus lifted his huge battle hammer with a stiff face. He didn¡¯t need to talk to Eurius anymore since he saw him breaking into this ce. ¡®He must be one of the apostles of the evil god.¡¯ He was disgusted by the fact that he had been deceived by him so easily. ¡®I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s on the same level as me.¡¯ He had seen Eurius reach the same stage as him with his own eyes. But Galus was already a warrior who had reached the fifth stage decades ago. To him, Eurius was still nothing but a chick. Eurius noticed his thoughts and chuckled. ¡°Before we fight, I have one thing to ask you.¡± ¡°What is your question?¡± Galus was wary of what trick Eurius was trying to pull, but the question that came out of his mouth was unexpected. ¡°Why did you spare the knight who was guarding Leon when you went to get him?¡± ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Galus recalled Beatrice. He had some acquaintance with her father, Dios, the duke and guardian of the Holy Kingdom, and he felt awkward to kill a girl. So he subdued her without causing any serious injury. ¡°You seem to know her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s one of my most precious people.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Galus looked at Eurius with a surprised expression as he grinned and answered honestly. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like killing a girl who was like my granddaughter.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Eurius nodded his head. Seeing him, Galus asked without knowing it. ¡°But why did you bother to ask me that before we fight?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius looked at him with wide eyes as if he didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°Since you showed me kindness and recognition, I naturally wanted to spare your life too.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± And the sword was much faster than Galeus¡¯s reaction. ng! First, the giant hammer he was holding shattered into pieces. As he saw the metal fragments scatter, Galeus widened his eyes. He also felt a burning pain in his chest. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± At the same time, a stream of blood spurted from his heart. The de had made a hole about a finger¡¯s length away from his heart. If Eurius had wanted, he could have killed him in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± Galeus looked at Eurius with a dismayed expression. He could not understand it with hismon sense. But before he could ask, Eurius answered him. ¡°I trained under a different master. Is that a satisfactory answer?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± It was too easy to end, but the oue of the duel was inevitable. The reason was the difference in learning! Thebat simtor of the yer world that Eurius trained in was much more systematic and faster in helping him develop his abilities than this ce. The fifth stage was a realm that few people had reached in this world for decades! They had a difference of decades in training time, but Eurius had a much better environment than Galeus, who only did sparring or personal training, because he found a more efficient way of training and added the yer¡¯s ability. Thud! Galeus dropped the handle of the hammer he was holding. ¡°I lost. You have made an amazing progress while I wasn¡¯t looking.¡± ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re not going to attack me anymore?¡± Eurius tilted his head. Judging by the example of the cult, those who serve the transcendent do not fear losing their lives. But Galeus admitted defeat too easily. ¡°I achieved my purpose of holding you back. You spared me mercy, so I have no reason to throw away my life in vain.¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± Eurius tried to ask more details. But at that moment. Swoosh ¡°Huh?¡± A shadow of a person appeared between Galeus and him. ¡®An ambush?¡¯ Eurius quickly aimed his sword at the suspicious shadow. But the shadow quickly took on a human shape. ¡°Huh?¡± Eurius was greatly surprised to see the shape of the shadow that turned into a person. It was because it was someone he knew well. ¡°Leon¡­ no, you¡¯re not. Who are you?¡± Blonde hair, a young appearance that looked no older than twenty, he was undoubtedly Leonhardt, but something about him was different. But what was strange was that Eurius felt something familiar from that someone who looked like Leon. ¡®Could it be someone I¡¯ve seen before?¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Finally, the man who looked like Leon opened his mouth. The first thing he did was to look at Eurius up and down as if to evaluate him. ¡°You¡¯re decent, but not my match. If this is all you have, he will be disappointed.¡± ¡®Match? Disappointed?¡¯ Hearing that, Eurius also became interested in him. Why did he look exactly like Leonhardt? And what did he mean by match? ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man clenched his fist instead of answering. ¡°¡­!?¡± As Eurius looked at him with a bewildered expression, the man smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I wore a human body, so I might not be able to control it well.¡± ¡°Body?¡± Eurius felt a very ominous feeling for a moment. The man who looked like Leon¡¯s fist was not that big. But as soon as he lightly extended his fist forward! Eurius felt his fist grow as big as a mountain. ¡°No!¡± It was useless to fling his body backwards. Eurius was instantly swept away by the force of the fist. It was so fast and powerful that he didn¡¯t feel any pain until the sound came. Boom! The outer wall of the pce shattered. Theyers of defense that Eurius quickly deployed were of no use. The invisible armor that covered his body also lost its strength and shrunk under the immense pressure. ¡°Cough!¡± Crash! Eurius spat out blood and flew out of the pce wall. His body didn¡¯t stop easily. He plowed through walls and trees and mmed into the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± Eurius groaned in pain and checked if he was still alive. He couldn¡¯t die like this, could he? [You¡¯re fine. You¡¯re not dead yet. Recover!] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The Yellow Dragon checked his body condition for him, but Eurius was already losing consciousness. He waspletely incapacitated by a single blow. He never imagined that he would be in such a state after finishing his training. Thest thing he saw in his blurred vision was a blue crack. He passed out. *** Chapter 197: [Space Transfer Scroll] 3 Chapter 197: [Space Transfer Scroll] 3 ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As his eyelids slowly opened, light seeped in. His hearing also returned, and he heard voices. ¡°Your Majesty has woken up!¡± ¡°Call the physician again!¡± ¡°My lord! Are you all right?¡± The first thing Eurius saw when he opened his eyes was the faces of his servants. The knights, including Heinz, and the subordinates he had gathered from the Eastern Continent, such as Jegal Seongwoon, were also there. ¡°Where is this?¡± Jegal Seongwoon was the first to answer. He seemed to have returned to Jeongdomaeng, as some time had passed. ¡°Your Majesty has been unconscious for about half a month. You had suffered horrific injuries all over your body.¡± ¡°Half a month?¡± Eurius suddenly remembered everything. The day he went to the Holy Kingdom! The man who looked exactly like Leon! And finally¡­ ¡°¡­!?¡± He felt a ssh of cold water on his head, and his mind snapped awake. His head spun rapidly. Jegal Seongwoon continued to report in the meantime. ¡°The Cheokmadan has already returned to Jeongdomaeng. The remnants of the Demon Sect have also been almost wiped out.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Ah! Lady Beatrice has woken up. She will being to see you soon¡­¡± ¡°Not that.¡± Eurius shook his head. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°I want to hear news from the Empire.¡± He was not referring to the Eastern Empire, of course. The faces around him hardened in an instant. It was obvious that something very bad had happened while they were away. But they couldn¡¯t keep stalling when he demanded it. Heinz spoke up as a representative. ¡°Actually, we received a letter from the Empire. It¡¯s an order to return immediately. And¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to finish with a pained expression. ¡°Bring it to me.¡± Swoosh! Eurius unfolded the letter and checked the Emperor¡¯s seal first. It was undoubtedly genuine. And as he confirmed the contents, Eurius frowned. ¡®I expected it, but it¡¯s serious.¡¯ [You are stripped of your position as Crown Prince for colluding with the enemy nation and sending troops to the Eastern Continent without permission. You will be handed over to a military tribunal as soon as you return to the Empire. (Omitted) Leonhardt von Scharnos, Imperial Regent] ¡°Gasp¡­¡± The faces of Eurius¡¯s subordinates, especially the knights, turned grim. They didn¡¯t know what had happened, but the situation had changed drastically while they were in the Eastern Continent. ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of thought, Eurius opened his mouth. ¡°I want some rest. Can you all leave me alone for today?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± They seemed to want to give him some space, as he had lost everything. How would he feel after being branded a criminal? But what Eurius was thinking waspletely different. ¡®Isn¡¯t it about time?¡¯ After all traces of presence disappeared and a little time passed. Pop! The person Eurius was waiting for showed up. ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get you out in time.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Seeing the Emperor Scharnos appear casually, Eurius spat out a groan. ¡°Stop joking and get to the point. You promised to tell me what I wanted to know.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you shocked?¡± The Emperor Scharnos widened his eyes as if he had seen something strange. Eurius had lost everything right now. On top of that, he faced a formidable enemy that he couldn¡¯t handle with his own power. In fact, the Emperor Scharnos had thought of dozens of ways to console him beforeing here. But Eurius was too calm, whether it was a joke or not. ¡°I¡¯ve already had my neck cut by that bastard Leon in my previous life. Do you think I¡¯ll blink now?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± The Emperor Scharnos stared at Eurius nkly for a moment, then dropped his light expression. ¡°All right, what do you want to know first?¡± Eurius answered briefly. ¡°The man who looked like Leon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit long, are you okay with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± The Emperor Scharnos snapped his fingers. Ding! [There is a video avable. Do you want to view it?] Chapter 198: Player Chapter 198: yer Eurius¡¯s consciousness was sucked into the video again. He looked around with a familiar feeling. He had seen this ce before. ¡®This is where they received their first quest, right?¡¯ The first thing he saw was the temple where the three original yers had joined forces. The temple looked the same as before, but the people gathered there were quite different. The first ones to catch his eye were, of course, the three yers. The blond man in a splendid outfit and a crown, Emperor Sharnos. The woman in a robe adorned with ornaments, with a slightly regretful expression on her face. Saintess Dimiana. The oriental man in a blue uniform, still smiling enigmatically. Lee Cheongmun. And in front of them, hundreds of people were lined up with solemn expressions. Priests in white robes, hundreds of knights in armor, officials in gowns, and more! They had gathered here for an important ceremony today. Dimiana, who was looking at them with aplicated face, muttered softly. ¡°It¡¯s a shame to leave this ce. I¡¯ve grown attached to it. And today is the day we depart.¡± She seemed genuinely sorry. But the emperor responded calmly. ¡°That¡¯s true. Today is the end of our wealth and glory as an emperor. Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯ve been here for decades in this world¡¯s time, and that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± She pursed her lips with an incredulous expression. ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried. You¡¯re an executive of arge corporation, right? And that old man is a high-level ability user. But I¡¯m just an unemployed person when I go back.¡± The emperor answered with a natural face. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless¡­¡± She shook her head as if she had no words to say. It seemed that this kind of bickering was not the first time for them. ¡°Haha! You two are always so close. Why don¡¯t you just live together when you go back?¡± ¡°Who are you talking about!¡± The two of them were startled and waved their hands at Lee Cheongmun¡¯s remark. ¡°Anyway, shouldn¡¯t we get ready soon? There are many people waiting for us.¡± ¡°Stop makingme jokes!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anyway, his intervention (?) settled the situation. ¡°Hmm! Hmm! Then shall I go first as the representative?¡± Emperor Sharnos cleared his throat a few times and stepped forward to face the people. As soon as he came out, the people quickly prostrated themselves on the ground. ¡°O great god! We greet your emperor!¡± ¡°We greet your emperor!¡± ¡°You may rise.¡± The emperormanded with a calm expression. He seemed to feel a bit of weight as he looked at his subjects. But it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I wanted to say, and now we¡¯re going back. Take good care of yourselves and don¡¯t bully themoners just because you¡¯re nobles. Got it?¡± He chuckled and finished his speech casually. The subjects bowed their heads again at his words. ¡°We respect your will.¡± And at that moment. Ding! [You have cleared the quest ¡®Pacify the Turbulent Times!¡¯] [As a reward for clearing it, you can go back. Please return to your original world.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius realized then what kind of event this was. ¡®The yers disappeared from the world at the same time, right?¡¯ That¡¯s right. This was the point where the emperor had pacified the continent and cleared the quest. That¡¯s why he earned the right to return to his original world. But there was one question. ¡®But why is the emperor still in this world? What happened?¡¯ ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a logout button!¡± As if to answer his question, a sharp voice rang out. It was Saintess Dimiana. He could see what they saw in their vision because it was a video, and there was a small hologram button on one side of their vision. [Do you want to log out? Yes / No] ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first. Let¡¯s meet when we get out of the capsule.¡± Pipit! Lee Cheongmun pressed the button first and disappeared from his spot. As if he had never been there in the first ce, he vanished without a trace. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The subjects who saw that were all amazed and watched the scene. The next one to press the button was Dimiana. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much ande on time, okay? See youter.¡± Pipit! She also disappeared in an instant. ¡°Then it¡¯s my turn now?¡± The emperor smiled faintly and swept his eyes over them. They also knew that it was thest chance for the emperor, so they saluted him with a somber expression. ¡°Sniff. Your Majesty¡­¡± And then. Ding! [An error has urred. You cannot log out.] ¡°¡­¡± Eurius¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected message. Emperor Scharnos scratched his head and opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°Let¡¯s ask him why. Why he doesn¡¯t want to go back and acts like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Lee Cheongmun answered obediently. ¡°I had this in mind before I entered the capsule. Even if it¡¯s not a virtual space, but another world.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Have you ever thought that human lifespan is too short?¡± Lee Cheongmun became serious for the first time. ¡°The path of martial arts is too wide and human lifespan is too short. It was an inevitable choice to reach the extreme.¡± Originally, Lee Cheongmun was a pure martial arts fanatic who had no interest in anything other than martial arts training. But he had one concern. It was the fear of aging and death that came with his growing age! ¡°I tried to forget it by immersing myself in training without thinking about erosion. And I was able to achieve results when I was over forty years old.¡± Lee Cheongmun devoted himself to martial arts training and reached the 6th stage, which was the ultimate of superpowers. Originally, the force, which was the ability of the soul, had infinite ways of manifestation depending on the owner¡¯s desire as they became higher-level superpowers. In his case, it was soul transfer! He obtained a terrifying ability to extend his lifespan by changing his body. However, Lee Cheongmun was not satisfied with that. ¡°Taking someone else¡¯s body is too risky. I had to find another way.¡± Unfortunately, the world he lived in was highlyputerized, and personal information of each person was carefully managed. It was not easy to find a body to switch to, but more importantly, it was harder to find a body suitable for learning martial arts. ¡°Then I heard a tempting offer. It was the project you participated in.¡± Why did he participate in a virtual reality project when he had no interest in worldly affairs other than training? It was because he wanted to find a way to maintain his immortality while training. Project [New World] This was an ambitious n to turn virtual space into another reality by transferring souls. But due to an unexpected ident, they flew to a different world. Lee Cheongmun looked genuinely embarrassed. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to stop me, do you? I just want to stay here and train.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Scharnos stared at Lee Cheongmun with a dumbfounded expression. ¡®He must have lost his mind after living too long.¡¯ So he meant that he would not care about the means or methods for immortality. It was already evil enough to steal someone else¡¯s body, but he wanted him to condone that. Bang! Emperor Scharnos made a disgusted expression and rushed at him. ¡°Crazy old man! Go train in hell!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The subsequent confrontation was huge. Mountain peaks flew away and the sea split apart. When two 6th stage martial artists collided, an unbelievable aftermath urred. Their battlested long, but eventually it ended. Thud! Emperor Scharnos¡¯s sword pierced Lee Cheongmun¡¯s neck. In this world where the system applied, their skills were almost equal, but there was a factor that determined the victory or defeat. ¡°It¡¯s because of the hastily made body. If it had been a little better, I would have won.¡± Lee Cheongmun closed his eyes quietly with a regretful expression. *** ¡°Then it¡¯s already over, isn¡¯t it? How did he resurrect?¡± Eurius asked Emperor Scharnos with a puzzled look after seeing the result of the duel. The duel between Emperor Scharnos and Lee Cheongmun was one-on-one. The result was Emperor Scharnos¡¯s victory without giving him a chance to change his body. Then how did he survive? ¡°Sigh¡­ That¡¯s where I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Mistake?¡± Emperor Scharnos sighed and continued. ¡°There was a reason why the system existed in this world. Why did this world have a system like a game? And only for certain people.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The three people who moved to this world, including Emperor Scharnos, were idents. But at the same time, they were connected to the capsule. ¡°So we three are the mediums for transferring the virtual reality system to this ce.¡± The system they were connected to was managed by three powerful artificial intelligenceputers. Odin, Medit, Mars These systems merged with this world and gained power like gods. That¡¯s where the problem urred. ¡°And that damn inspiration is one of the ¡®administrators¡¯ of the system.¡± Unfortunately, Lee Cheongmun was the core figure of the project. He was the only one who could execute the work of separating and transmitting souls. He didn¡¯t die. No, he couldn¡¯t die. ¡°Have you heard of reincarnation?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it being reborn after death?¡± Emperor Scharnos nodded at Eurius¡¯ answer. ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re not included here. Only our souls came to this world through the capsule.¡± Originally, in this world, when a life died, it would be reborn ording to the cycle of reincarnation. But the yers who came from another world were not like that. The soul of Lee Chengwen, who had lost his ce, went to the system of the capsule and obtained the authority of the administrator. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Yeah, even if it¡¯s artificial intelligence, aputer can be manipted. That¡¯s the old man.¡± Eurius finally began to understand what he had heard in the Holy Kingdom. The great one they spoke of in the Holy Kingdom, the one they called God, was Lee Chengwen. In other words, the Holy Kingdom was in his hands from the beginning. The God they spoke of in the Holy Kingdom was the system that moved ording to the will of Lee Chengwen, the administrator. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eurius finally grasped the whole truth. The reason why Leon was possessed by another being was there. ¡°Now you seem to understand. He can¡¯t get out of this world, but he can take over another¡¯s body through the ability of soul transfer.¡± ¡°That guy had a rather pitiful fate too.¡± Lee Chengwen wanted a body with excellent talent, that is, a yer aptitude like the Emperor, for his training and to defeat Sharnos, the annoying obstacle. That¡¯s why Leon was chosen. Eurius could only smile bitterly. ¡®Then it was inevitable that I would be executed in my previous life.¡¯ Maybe Leon was already possessed by Lee Chengwen when he was executed. Here Eurius faced hisst question. ¡°Then why did you turn back time? Why did you give me a chance?¡± The Emperor said he used the power of Heimdall, the original god of this world, to turn back time and give him the ability of a yer. ¡®I can understand regression. It¡¯s a headache if Lee Chengwen gets a body again.¡¯ But did he need to give him a new opportunity? He was just an ordinary royal in his previous life. ¡°There was no big reason for that at first.¡± The Emperor said with a slightly sorry expression. ¡°It was a deception.¡± ¡°A deception?¡± ¡°Yeah, the more you stand out, the less attention will be focused on your brother, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As expected, Eurius could not help but frown. ¡°So you used me to hide Leon¡¯s existence?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this now. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡± The Emperor bowed his head slightly with a sincere apology. His first reason was to hide Leon¡¯s existence. Eurius had the ability to see stats and knowledge from before regression, so he was able to rise as a strong candidate for session over Leonhart in this life. And the Emperor cleverly sent the forces of the Church to Leon. But if you look closely at the inside story, Leon never responded to their requests first. It was just that the Church or the Demon Church touched Eurius first! So it was because Eurius made a name for himself on the continent and defeated the forces of the Church or the Demon Church that the Holy Kingdom thought Eurius was a new god instead of Leon and even sent a lion. The Holy Kingdom realized it in the middle and failed, but this operation was definitely effective. The problem was that it was no different from ying with him, so he could only feel embarrassed. ¡®Is this guy trying to kill me by making me run around?¡¯ He cautiously looked at Eurius. ¡°¡­¡± But again, Eurius showed no sign of emotion. ¡°I see. Then what is your second reason?¡± ¡®He¡¯s a smart guy.¡¯ The Emperor admired him inwardly. In fact, what he expected from Eurius at first was just deception. But not now. And Eurius realized that he had an unfortunate request and gave such an answer. ¡°Ahem¡­ then I¡¯ll tell you my second reason.¡± The Emperor bowed his head slightly. ¡°I hope you can stop Lee Chengwen, that damned old man.¡± ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Eurius bit his tongue inside. ¡°Why do I have to do that?¡± He had some expectations, but Eurius was curious about his reason. His ability was still far inferior to that of yers like the Emperor or Lee Chengwen. Isn¡¯t that why he lostpletely a week ago and is still lying down? ¡®He said he beat Lee Chengwen several times before. Why does he have to ask me?¡¯ The Emperor shook his head sadly. ¡°It¡¯s no use even if I take down that old man. Have you ever heard of PvP?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it mean yer versus yerbat?¡± ¡°Yes, he and I are from the same world. And we are both under the same system. We can¡¯t die even if we want to.¡± Swish Emperor Scharnos cut his own throat with a knife. Gurgle! Blood spurted out as his neck was half-severed, but he did not die. ¡°Ow¡­ that hurts.¡± Emperor Scharnos continued to speak while pretending to be in pain. ¡°The virtual reality system prevents permanent death by suicide or NPC for safety reasons. Of course, it also doesn¡¯t count the battles between yers as anything more than simple PvP.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t die when his stomach was pierced?¡¯ Eurius recalled the scene from before. When Emperor Scharnos first came to this world, he got into a fight with a knight and suffered a serious injury, but his wound healed quickly. That was because the system treated the ordinary people of this world as NPCs. ¡°Then there is no way to stop him, is there?¡± He shook his head at that. He didn¡¯t understand why he was exining this so earnestly. If what he said was true, then Emperor Scharnos and Lee Cheongmun were invincible beings. No matter what, they were practically immortal, weren¡¯t they? But as Eurius thought about it, he felt something was off. ¡®Wait¡­ yer?¡¯ Eurius felt like a lightning bolt struck his head. All the pieces of the puzzle finally connected. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°You finally figured it out, huh?¡± Emperor Scharnos pointed at Eurius with a grimace. ¡°You are the only one who can kill him and banish him from this world.¡± The principle was simple. First of all, Eurius was born in this world, so he was a human of this side. But he also obtained the authority of a yer, so he obviously wasn¡¯t treated as an NPC. [Being a human of this world and having the ability of a yer.] This was the only way to permanently defeat another person from another world who was a yer. All the quests he had done so far were part of the process of gaining the authority of a yer. ¡®Now that I think about it, the more quests Ipleted, the more I could ess the abilities as a yer.¡¯ As soon as he realized that, a notification window popped up in front of Eurius¡¯s eyes again. Ding! [You have received the mandatory quest ¡®yer Awakening¡¯.] Chapter 199: Counterattack Chapter 199: Counterattack ¡°Ah!¡± It happened in an instant. Leon, who was about to express his refusal to the popes who had just arrived, was bewildered when he saw a message appearing in front of his eyes. Ding! [Attempting to connect with administrator authority. The yer will enter aa state during the connection.] ¡®Administrator?¡¯ Whoosh! Leon, who was about to say something, felt his consciousness fading away and panicked. It was different from losing consciousness. His mind felt like it was floating and detaching from his body. ¡®This is!¡¯ Leon felt the danger and tried desperately to regain his senses. But that was hisst resistance. His consciousness was pushed to a corner of his body by some irresistible force. Aaaah! ¡°Ooh¡­¡± ¡°We, the humble servants, bow before the new god.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thest thing he saw in his fading consciousness was the two popes kneeling and shedding tears. *** During the week that Eurius was unconscious, a surprising upheaval urred in the empire. First, there was a decree posted in the capital. [Deposition of Crown Prince Eurius] [Charges: Treason, Collusion with Enemy State] Buzz buzz. The decree posted all over the capital brought a huge shock to the citizens and nobles. ¡°How could this happen to His Highness the Crown Prince? He has been doing great deeds for the empire for years. How did he end up like this?¡± ¡°Could it be a nder? There was a simr incident before.¡± ¡°Shh! You fool! Are you saying that the Holy Kingdom is lying? Be careful what you say, they might hear you at the temple.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s true.¡± People were puzzled but cautious about judging the truth. ording to the decree, the one who used Eurius of his crimes was none other than the Holy Kingdom! Eurius had tried to plunge the continent into war by carrying the evil forces of the Southern Desert on his back. And the one who knew and stopped it in advance was Leonhardt, the second prince of the empire! He was acting as a regent for the emperor who had copsed from shock. Of course, there was no way that such a big event would not have any repercussions in the empire. ¡°We havepleted arresting all the bureaucrats who sided with the first prince. They resisted more fiercely than expected.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ They are so stubborn¡­¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, does it? We can fill their vacancies with our priests from the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°Besides, some of the nobles and knights in the provinces are still skeptical. We have to bring them up to the capital and make them swear allegiance to the new god!¡± The three popes who surrounded the throne discussed with their tongues clicking. They had taken over this pce ten days ago and were gradually taking control of every aspect of the empire¡¯s internal affairs. But there were some people who resisted in the meantime. The leader of them was Mareus and his bureaucrats. The second were the knights who stayed in the pce. ¡°How dare you interfere with the empire¡¯s internal affairs even if you are from the Holy Kingdom! Unless His Majesty or His Highness say something themselves!¡± But what they got in return was ruthless suppression and arrest. ¡°How can this be? This is clearly treason!¡± ¡°Sob! You will regret this when His Highness Eurius returns.¡± ng! Since then, the pce¡¯s underground prison, which was rarely used, was filled with people from Eurius¡¯ faction. The power of the Holy Kingdom that took over the pce was so strong. But how did they manage to take over the pce by force as foreigners? The reason was thanks to the person sitting on the throne. The three popes asked him cautiously. ¡°This is what we think. What do you think, new god?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The person who received the question put his hand on his chin and seemed to think for a moment. He had a young face that looked no older than twenty, but his actions and speech were like an old man who had lived several times longer. He was Leonhardt, the second prince. No, to be precise, he was someone who borrowed Leon¡¯s body. The reason why no other empire¡¯s army or power could move even though the pce was taken over by another country was because of this reason. If it was simply an invasion by another country, then the whole empire would do everything they could to stop them. But if Leon, a royal family member, got involved, then it became a power struggle within the empire. And there was no emperor to sort things out, and it was hard to ignore that the Holy Kingdom imed Eurius¡¯ crimes. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After a while, Lee Chengwen, who borrowed Leon¡¯s body, opened his mouth. ¡°As I said before, you can handle trivial matters yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The three popes bowed their heads in unison and exchanged nces. ¡®The new god is not interested in worldly affairs. We have to deal with them.¡¯ ¡®Of course, we can¡¯t bother the great one!¡¯ ¡°Since the new god has given us permission, we will proceed as nned.¡± Their n was topletely take over the empire. And they had already decided what to do with that power. ¡°Once the empire is unified under the name of the new god, we must drive out the evil god¡¯s forces from the desert.¡± ¡°And we must also punish those vile ones who deceived us, including that crown prince!¡± Their goal was surprisingly continental unification. Just like Scharnos the Great and the yers had conquered the continent, they also wanted to do something simr under the name of Lee Cheongmun, who had descended. In the Holy Kingdom, there had been a prophecy that a new god, or a yer, woulde down to the world again. ¡®I never thought it would be fulfilled in our era!¡¯ ¡®This is all thanks to the grace of the great one.¡¯ The popes trembled with emotion and bowed their heads in front of Lee Cheongmun. ¡°Then I wille back to report again.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With a brief answer, the popes withdrew. Lee Cheongmun sat on the throne and sighed softly. ¡°Phew¡­ I wish this would end soon. I don¡¯t get along well with politics and military stuff.¡± He was the one who nned all this, but he sighed as if he was annoyed. The reason was as follows. ¡®I just want to stay in this world for a long time and practice. But they won¡¯t leave me alone, so I have no choice!¡¯ That was why he had participated in the virtual reality project, and why he didn¡¯t go back to his original world even after knowing it was another world. It was because of his desire to see the end of nothingness. But his desire had twisted over hundreds of years of living, and it had developed into a craving for immortality. ¡°The path of nothingness is too high and deep! It¡¯s impossible to glimpse the end with one person¡¯s life. I need a better body with more talent, and more time.¡± It seemed like he had already confused his means and ends, but he thought so. That¡¯s why he wanted to wipe out all the forces that tried to stop him. He had failed repeatedly because of Sharnos the Great¡¯s interference, but this time it was different. By various coincidences, he had obtained a system that could exercise god-like powers in this world. If only a few troublemakers disappeared, he could rule this world forever. The troublemakers came to his mind. Sharnos the Great, who came to this world with him, and Eurius, a new character who appeared. ¡®Well, they must have their own tricks too. I wonder what they are.¡¯ *** Eurius asked with a dumbfounded face. ¡°Wait, then why can¡¯t you just suppress him and I¡¯ll finish him off?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Do you think I can do that if you justnd the final blow?¡± The first question Eurius asked after receiving the quest was why the Great didn¡¯t intervene himself. Hadn¡¯t he defeated Lee Cheongmun in various ways several times? ¡°I can¡¯t attack him. Do you think a yer can stand up to an operator?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eurius understood right away. What Lee Cheongmun had obtained was a system that connected this world and the other side! The Great was also ultimately a being belonging to that system. He could intervene by using other forces, but he couldn¡¯t directly attack a being who controlled the system. Hmm! Here, Yellow Dragon opened his mouth for the first time in a long time. [The power of God in this world is the power of faith. If there are few believers, there is less power avable.] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Eurius groaned. ording to Yellow Dragon¡¯s exnation, God¡¯s power was determined by people¡¯s faith. The true god Heimdall, who had been pushed to the desert corner of the continent by the system for over a hundred years, had little power left. [He even used up all his power to grant you strength and turn back time.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Here, Eurius opened his eyes wide and looked back and forth between the Great and Yellow Dragon. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t help me with your power?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. At least I can¡¯t touch those who are rted to the system.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. I originally nned to just deal with the Holy Kingdom, but I got stuck with this annoying bonus called the empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Well then what do you want me to do.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s face twisted mercilessly. That meant he had to get through this on his own. ¡®But how? He looks at least a few steps ahead of me.¡¯ But he already knew it well because he had been hit by Lee Cheongmun¡¯s blow and wandered on death¡¯s door. Wouldn¡¯t it be a simr result if he tried again? ¡®And there¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯ll ept the challenge.¡¯ To make matters worse, he was already being treated like a public enemy of the continent. Lee Cheongmun, who had taken the form of Leon, had taken over the empire¡¯s internal affairs. At this rate, could he even approach him, let alone one-on-one? Many questions tangled up in Eurius¡¯s head. Soon his head was filled with worry and anxiety. In fact, he had been trying to forget it, but his situation was getting worse by the minute. ¡®Do I have a chance? Does the Great have any other means? What happened to my people in the empire? They weren¡¯t all executed, were they?¡¯ Eurius¡¯s face darkened noticeably. But as he was pondering, he suddenly had a sh of insight. ¡®Wait a minute?¡¯ He remembered something. ¡®Why do I feel like I¡¯ve had this thought before?¡¯ The crisis of being captured and executed upon returning to the empire. And the enemy being much stronger than him. Wasn¡¯t this a familiar situation? ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius eximed out of the blue. He finally realized the identity of this familiar feeling. ¡®That¡¯s right, this situation is simr to my previous life.¡¯ Indeed! Although the timing and details were different, the current situation was simr to what Eurius had faced before his regression. His loyal servants were all dead or executed. Eurius himself was beheaded in the capital¡¯s square. It was a nightmare he didn¡¯t want to recall. He felt suffocated for the first time in a long time. ¡°Haha¡­¡± A dryugh escaped his lips. ¡®It¡¯s a funny situation, isn¡¯t it? So much has changed, but the oue is simr.¡¯ Eurius unconsciouslypared the past and the present. And then, the next moment. ¡°Huh?¡± He made a bizarre expression. ¡®Come to think of it, what did I have before my regression?¡¯ Looking back, he had nothing. Compared to then, Eurius had so much more now. Even though he was wanted by the empire. It was a change of perspective. Eurius began to think of what he had rather than what he had lost. ¡®I still have trustworthy servants. I have reliable friends like Nuada. Andstly, my abilities are iparable to before.¡¯ He still had many people who would help him. The followers he gained from the east, the knights and servants who came with him from the empire, and friends like Nuada! And most importantly, Eurius had abilities that he acquired after his regression. The ability to see stats as a yer, and the skills that Eurius learned through training and various quests. ¡®I was too pessimistic.¡¯ Eurius sighed inwardly as he checked what he had now. ¡®This is not as hopeless as before. As long as I have cards in my hand, I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡¯ As he reached a conclusion, Eurius¡¯s eyes became very deep. What means did he have now? And how could he use them to ovee this situation? Countless thoughts sprang up in his head. *** The emperor watched Eurius with a slightly anxious look, though he didn¡¯t show it outwardly. The expression on Eurius¡¯s face changed constantly. From surprise to worry, and finally to satisfaction, as if he had conquered the world. It was natural that he was curious. ¡®Did he go crazy from epting too many facts?¡¯ It was possible in this situation, so the emperor cautiously approached him. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Uh!¡± The emperor was startled. Eurius¡¯s mouth opened with a serious expression. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your goal is to defeat Lee Cheongmun and get out of this world, right?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Eurius frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too shameless? You didn¡¯t tell me anything until now and suddenly you ask me for this.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor looked embarrassed. He realized that Eurius never agreed to help him. ¡°And do you think we have a chance? It looks like hitting a rock with an egg.¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s because I¡­¡± The emperor tried to exin hastily. He wasn¡¯t stupid. Did he expect Eurius to die by charging headfirst? But before he could finish his exnation, Eurius interrupted him again. ¡°I see two problems that we face here.¡± ¡°What?¡± The emperor blinked at Eurius¡¯s iprehensible words. ¡°But if you follow my instructions without question, I think we can solve this situation to some extent.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Has he really gone mad?¡¯ But despite the emperor¡¯s doubtful look, Eurius was very serious. He had obtained an opportunity to make up for his past mistakes. ¡®I was executed without knowing why in my previous life, right? But what about now?¡¯ ¡°What are those problems?¡± Emperor Scharnos scratched the back of his head and asked. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the Empire. I¡¯m currently wanted, so I have no way to approach Lee Cheongmun, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Emperor Scharnos nodded. He was bound by the system, so he couldn¡¯t touch Lee Cheongmun or any other characters from the Holy Kingdom. And if Eurius went alone, it would be nothing but a ¡®please arrest me!¡¯ situation. ¡°So, to increase our chances a little bit, we have to drag him into a one-on-one duel.¡± ¡°Your logic makes sense, but do you have a way to do that?¡± Emperor Scharnos looked at Eurius with a skeptical expression. He had a reason to be doubtful, as Lee Cheongmun and the Holy Kingdom had taken over the Empire. It was hard to challenge them directly, since they had the pretext of the Holy Kingdom and Leonhardt. ¡®Lee Cheongmun would be wary of such a challenge, wouldn¡¯t he?¡¯ To make the one-on-one condition possible, they had to make their enemy give up the many forces he had at his disposal. But was that feasible? ¡°Why don¡¯t you just follow my words and see what happens?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was a natural concern for Emperor Scharnos, but Eurius smiled instead. ¡®I¡¯m sure it would be useless to go to the pce and im my innocence.¡¯ But he had another way to oppose the pce. It would have been impossible in his previous life, but it was possible now. His eyes became sharp. To be honest, he was not happy about being betrayed in his previous life and now. He felt that the Holy Kingdom had underestimated him too much. Did they think that they could deal with him by simply branding him as a traitor? It was time for him to strike back. It was time for him to show what he had been secretly building up all this time. ¡®He seems to have something in mind.¡¯ Emperor Scharnos also became interested. He had observed Eurius for a while and knew that he was not one to bluff about such things. ¡°So what do I have to do for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Emperor Scharnos tilted his head after hearing Eurius¡¯s answer. ¡°Is that really all it takes?¡± The request was surprisingly simple. It was hard to believe that it could turn the situation around. But Eurius looked so confident that Emperor Scharnos decided to trust him once. ¡°Okay, then where do we have to go first?¡± ¡°First of all, the pce. That¡¯s the most urgent ce.¡± Chapter 200: Uniting Forces Chapter 200: Uniting Forces A small moan echoed in the dark space. ¡°Ah¡­ how did this happen¡­ I have no face to see His Majesty.¡± The person who was locked up in the dark dungeon was an old man with wrinkles on his face. He looked gloomy, as if he had lost everything in the world. ¡®I wonder what happened to Prince Eurius? I¡¯m worried that he might have been caught already.¡¯ The old man was Marius. He was one of the bureaucrats who had protested vehemently against the current situation and was arrested. ¡°This is an absurd nder! There is no evidence other than the Holy Kingdom¡¯s im!¡± But his protest was ignored and he had been in this dungeon for more than ten days. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Marius¡¯s face looked like he had aged ten years in these few days. He couldn¡¯t sleep at night because of his worry for Eurius. More than anything, he felt a deep guilt. ¡®It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t keep an eye on the second prince while His Highness was away!¡¯ Of course, it was not Marius¡¯s fault at all, but he didn¡¯t know that and he was tormented by his guilt for the emperor and Eurius. ¡°It¡¯s all this old man¡¯s fault¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Marius was startled. A quiet voice came from his side. And that voice was very familiar. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ He turned his head and almost stopped breathing. ¡°Prince Eurius!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± ¡°Uh!¡± Marius covered his mouth. A scream-like groan escaped from his lips. The person standing next to him was Eurius, whom he had been worrying about. ¡°Did youe here after being captured¡­¡± Marius thought that, but shook his head. If he had been captured, he wouldn¡¯t have been brought here secretly. Then there was only one possibility. ¡°You came back!¡± Squeak ng! Instead of answering, Eurius swung his sword and cut off both the bars and the handcuffs. Then he smiled brightly. ¡°We have to get out of here first. Follow me well.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± A momentter ¡°Huh¡­ I still don¡¯t know anything about His Highness.¡± Marius muttered softly and made a bewildered expression, because no one noticed them moving until they escaped from the pce, which had strict security. ¡®His Highness is a great warrior, so I can understand that. But how can he go in and out of the pce without being noticed while carrying this old man?¡¯ Soon, they crossed the city wall too easily. ¡°Phew, now we can talk.¡± Eurius sighed and looked at Marius with a serious expression. ¡°Can you trust me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Marius nodded. He was someone who would trust and support Eurius in any situation. Eurius knew that and smiled with satisfaction. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± *** This ce was the Kingdom of Parthia. It was thergest and most prosperous among the desert kingdoms. Until recently, it had been troubled by various problems, but now there were none of them. ¡°Is there any change in the Empire¡¯s situation?¡± ¡°There is no significant change.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± A man with a majestic physique stroked his beard. His name was Karim. He was the royal family who actually ruled this Kingdom of Parthia. He was a renowned person, buttely he had been having a headache over one problem. ¡°I see. You can leave now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When he waved his hand, his subordinates quietly left. Karim muttered to himself without realizing it. ¡°No significant change, huh?¡± He made a rare ufortable expression and got up from his seat. ¡®I need some fresh air. What should I do?¡¯ He decided to go outside for a while to relieve his frustration. But then! ¡°Long time no see, Karim.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Karim was surprised, but he quickly turned his head with a calm expression. This room was a ce where only he and a few trusted servants could enter, but someone had intruded. ¡°Who are you?¡± However, the person who was in the ce where he turned his head was someone Karim knew well. ¡°Eunin!¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± The person who walked out of the corner of the room was Eurius. He was the one who solved the great cmity that hit the Partia Kingdom a few years ago, and Karim considered him to be a great benefactor who he owed his life to. ¡°How did you get here¡­¡± And he was also the protagonist of the problem that he was currently worried about. [Prince Eurius of Scharnos Empire dethroned! Wanted as a traitor!] This news spread widely throughout the continent and gave rise to many spections and suspicions. Of course, most opinions were that it was unreasonable but inevitable since the Holy Kingdom guaranteed it. ¡®But our desert is different.¡¯ However, in the desert where the influence of the Holy Kingdom was rtively weak, and Karim, who had received a great favor from Eurius, had no choice but to worry. ¡®Eunin is in trouble. I should help him, but how do I do that.¡¯ However, it was absurd to oppose thebined power of the Holy Kingdom and the Empire with the power of one Partia Kingdom. That¡¯s why he had a lot of worriestely. He temporarily made this decision. ¡®Since Eunin¡¯s life or death is not certain, I have no choice but to do this if he does note back. However!¡¯ Karim was a person who knew gratitude. Even if it was a fight with little chance of winning, he felt that it was worth helping him when he saw Eurius¡¯s ability and character. ¡®If he asks me for help directly, I have to help him.¡¯ Karim was a very outstanding person. He didn¡¯t know how Eurius came to find him, but he quickly guessed why he came. He bowed his head slightly with a determined expression. ¡°I am ready to help Eunin.¡± *** It had been a month since the imperial pce was seized. ¡°Ugh¡­ more paperwork?¡± ¡°Running an empire is not an easy task.¡± ¡°It could be just because weck people. We need to recruit more manpower quickly¡­¡± The three popes were busy without a moment to spare from the influx of work. It was because there was a shortage ofpetent personnel due to the mass imprisonment of bureaucrats, including Marius. Speaking of bureaucrats, one of the popes raised an eyebrow. ¡°By the way, what happened to Marius? He disappeared from the imperial pce and there is no news of him¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been a little over two weeks since he disappeared, so he couldn¡¯t have gone far?¡± The empire seized by the Holy Kingdom was surprisingly peaceful. Except for Marius disappearing, there were no signs of anything strange. ¡°Ahem¡­ isn¡¯t it strange? There are still many apostles of the evil god left.¡± ¡°But the difference in power is clear.¡± ¡°They might be afraid toe or preparing some kind of n.¡± The popes racked their brains but there was no obvious answer. But they never dreamed of it. In less than two days, they became so busy that they didn¡¯t even have time to worry. It all started with a messenger. ¡°Your Holiness! Pope Your Holiness!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The popes quickly went down when they saw the knights running hastily. They sensed that something had happened because their momentum was not good. ¡°There is a rebellion in the northern part of the empire! Marius is already there somehow!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The popes seemed surprised for a moment but quickly regained theirposure. The north was originally a ce where Eurius¡¯s influence was strong. They were not unprepared for such an event. ¡°That¡¯s surprising. How did that old man get to the north in just over two weeks?¡± ¡°Maybe he had some coborators inside the imperial pce?¡± Their tone was too rxed, so one of the knights said again with an anxious face. ¡°Your Holiness! The scale of the rebellion is not normal!¡± ¡°Scale?¡± ¡°The north is only wide innd area, not in poption, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The knights hurriedly handed over the report. ¡°The immigrants in the north have joined the rebels! There are many formidable people among them and they are advancing like an unstoppable force¡­¡± ¡°Heh.¡± The popes finally realized the seriousness of the situation. This was not a rebellion that could be easily suppressed. ¡°Now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t there someone who unified the immigrants in the north as a superhuman?¡± ¡°That means they are not easy opponents. We need to prepare ordingly.¡± They became somewhat serious, but they still didn¡¯t think it was a big crisis. That was because the superhuman-level power that the Holy Kingdom could mobilize was endless. ¡®If necessary, we can send Geus to deal with it, or we can go ourselves.¡¯ They did not know that their arrogance would soon be shattered. The three popes were not scarecrows. Just like Medit Pope had defeated the imperial guard and imprisoned the emperor, they could unleash superhuman power if they used their authority well. But not even a few hours had passed when another news came. ¡°Your Holiness! An urgent report!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s from the south! There is suspicious movement in the southern desert¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The popes suddenly became grim. When they heard the word desert, they thought of one country. Kaliha, and the Heimdall Cult! ¡°The evil god¡¯s followers have finally started their full-scale activity.¡± ¡°We have to show them our power this time.¡± Mars Pope, who had a fiery temperament, rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush out. ¡°Your Holiness! It¡¯s not just Kaliha.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°The desert kingdom alliance, including Parthia, has also suddenly raised their g against the empire.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why would they¡­ Do they have any grudge against us?¡± The popes felt that something was wrong from here. How could these events happen one after another? What on earth is going on? They exchanged nces and muttered with trembling voices. ¡°We have to inform the God King.¡± *** That day, Count Wace was sweating profusely as he led the meeting of the nobles. ¡°¡­¡± They were unusually silent. The recent events in the empire were hard to believe. ¡°Where is His Majesty the Emperor?¡± ¡°It seems that Prince Eurius is in the east. I wonder how he will deal with this situation.¡± The nobles¡¯ thoughts were simple. They just had to side with whoever benefited them. The Holy Kingdom looked like a thick and sturdy rope to them. ¡°So, are we going to swear allegiance to Prince Secondus?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But it was hard to make that decision. Then Wace, who was sitting on the seat of honor, shook his head with a serious expression. ¡°We can¡¯t be hasty. Didn¡¯t you see what happened to Grand Prince and the other nobles?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let that happen again.¡± The reason why the southern nobles hadn¡¯t gone up to the capital yet was simple. It was because of the painful memories of being beaten several times. First, the Grand Prince, who had the second most power after the emperor, was purged. Then, the other southern nobles who raised their gs were also purged. Eurius didn¡¯t even get purged, but rather ascended to the crown prince position. ¡°I will follow Count Wace¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Wace, who was timid, found himself in a very awkward situation. The nobles¡¯ eyes were too bright. ¡®Count Wace switched from Grand Prince to Exiled Crown Prince Eurius, right? He also avoided the crisis with a fantastic performancest time.¡¯ ¡®I trust his decision.¡¯ That¡¯s right! Wace had no choice but to do this and that under Eurius¡¯s threat, and to the eyes of other nobles who didn¡¯t know the situation, he seemed like a master of tightrope walking. He became gloomy inside as he received the important decision-making power. ¡®What should I do¡­ Eurius is not an easy person to deal with. But isn¡¯t this situation a bit different?¡¯ But Wace couldn¡¯t predict how this incident would turn out. The imperial pce was clearly taken over, and Eurius had been silent for a month. But because of what happened in the past, he thought that it could be a test from Eurius. ¡®This is driving me crazy. Whose side should I take?¡¯ The decision he made after tearing his hair out was Eurius in the end. ¡®Well, since I¡¯m on this boat, I might as well trust him one more time.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think Eurius would win the war of session either. And Wace had a bit of conscience too. ¡®It¡¯s not like there¡¯s another crown prince to follow. I¡¯ve known Eurius since we were young, so he might be better.¡¯ ¡°I would like to wait a little longer. Eurius hasn¡¯t returned yet!¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Then I will follow your decision, my lord.¡± In the end, the southern nobles decided not to follow the centralmand for the time being. And there was someone who was smiling while watching that scene. ¡®Well, half of it is probably because they¡¯re afraid of me, but Wace has that side too?¡¯ That person was none other than Eurius. He was hiding and watching them, wondering if they might have a different idea. ¡®I¡¯ll remember this, Wace.¡¯ Eurius left their mansion and moved to the rendezvous point. ¡°Did it go well?¡± ¡°It was sessful. It was worth training them.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± The emperor looked at Eurius with a surprised expression. ¡®I¡¯ve felt it before, but he¡¯s not an ordinary guy.¡¯ When he first heard his request, the emperor didn¡¯t like it very much. ¡°What? You want me to be your transport shuttle? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just break into the imperial pce right away?¡± Eurius shrugged his shoulders and argued. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t there be too many annoying enemies? And you can¡¯t help me either, so I have to fight alone.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor felt stung and had no choice but to agree with him. But the result was surprisingly positive. The first thing he did was send Nuada to the north. ¡°Help Marius ande down from the north to the capital.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be hard!¡± Of course, Nuada agreed readily. Then Eurius rescued Marius and sent him to the north to gather forces. ¡°Gather the northern immigrants and attack the imperial pce. I trust you.¡± ¡°Is there any doubt?¡± Marius, who was transported to the north in an instant by the emperor¡¯s power, quickly called the bureaucrats and prepared for war. Eurius¡¯s reputation was so great that raising an army in the north was not a difficult task. And with the addition of the excellent warriors of the immigrants, it was icing on the cake! The northern soldiers were now descending on the capital with unstoppable momentum. And the third was the southern desert! ¡°Can you move that group called the Church?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m their leader, so it won¡¯t be hard. But they alone won¡¯t be enough to break through the empire¡¯s defense, right?¡± The emperor was the leader of the Heimdall Church, or the Demon Church. In other words, he was the actual ruler of Calihara. Naturally, raising an army was a piece of cake for him. With Eurius¡¯s connection, he added Karim¡¯s army and a formidable army was formed in the south as well. And even the southern nobles were either passive in defense or helping them out. The desert kingdom¡¯s troops were also moving northward toward the empire¡¯s capital at a fast pace. ¡°No matter how powerful the empire and the holy kingdom are, they can¡¯t handle both the south and north at once. Impressive.¡± The emperor praised him honestly. But Eurius shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we still have one more force that we haven¡¯t mobilized?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The emperor thought for a moment and pped his knee. ¡°I see. You nned that from the beginning.¡± Eurius smiled faintly. ¡°All you have to do is onest favor for me. We just need to join forces now.¡± Chapter 201: Confrontation Chapter 201: Confrontation ng! ¡°Haah!¡± ¡°Yah!¡± The spacious outdoor training ground was filled with the sound of swords and fighting spirit shing. ¡°Rize, I wonder how that child is doing. I hope she doesn¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± The Duke of Dios, a noble of the Holy Kingdom, was helping the knights with their training. But his mind was not as calm as usual. ¡®Lord Galeus said he would spare her, but she would never leave the prince¡¯s side¡­¡¯ The duke had heard a shocking news from Galeus, who had returned to the Holy Kingdom a while ago. It was something like this: ¡®I had no choice but to subdue your daughter because she refused to give up the divine seal. She should be alive, so please call her back to the Holy Kingdom if possible.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Since then, the duke had been suffering from stomachache. Beatrice was not the type toe back just because he called her. And the most critical problem was the suspicious wind that had been blowing in the Holy Kingdomtely. ¡®No matter how they call it a divine mandate, isn¡¯t it strange that the pope and his followers have taken over the pce with the knights? ¡¯ The ideal of the Holy Kingdom, founded by Saint Dimiana, was peace and love. But how could the Holy Kingdom attack the pce and seize power? ¡®I don¡¯t like this divine mandate, but I can¡¯t refuse it.¡¯ The duke felt a lot of reluctance, so he didn¡¯t go to the pce and only took charge of the training of the knights in the Holy Kingdom. The popes also tacitly approved it, as they were not in need of more manpower. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s noon.¡± ¡°Huh? Is it already that time?¡± The sun had risen to the zenith while he was worrying. It was not suitable to train in armor in broad daylight, as the sun was too hot. ¡°Then let¡¯s end today¡¯s morning training here.¡± The duke sent back the knights and started to walk towards his mansion. His frustration was still unresolved. ¡®Maybe I should sweat a little for a change?¡¯ He headed for the training ground inside his mansion. He thought of swinging his sword to calm his shaken mind. ¡°Huh?¡± But at the door of the training ground, the duke tilted his head. ¡®Someone seems to be inside?¡¯ But after Beatrice left home, there was no one else who could enter this ce except for him. But a familiar voice reached his ears. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been here. Come in.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The duke flung open the door and rushed into the training ground. And he looked at the person inside with a surprised expression. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± The duke had aplicated expression on his face and Eurius smiled outwardly, but he was also quite nervous. He was the most difficult person to persuade among those he had to meet. ¡®He is a man of integrity, but he is also a man of the Holy Kingdom. Will he listen to my request?¡¯ Eurius decided to go straight to the point. A person like him would not be swayed by any tricks. ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Please help me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The duke was silent for a moment and then said with difficulty. ¡°Is Rize doing well?¡± ¡°She has recoveredpletely. She seems to be angry that she couldn¡¯t do anything and suffered, so she trains hard these days.¡± ¡°Haha! That¡¯s like her. It won¡¯t be hard for me to help you.¡± The dukeughed heartily and surprisingly agreed easily. Now it was Eurius¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask why? I¡¯m wanted by the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°I trust your character that I have seen.¡± The Duke of Dios was a noble of the Holy Kingdom, but unlike Galeus, he was not a clergyman. He was more like a knight, so he didn¡¯t like what the Holy Kingdom did this time. ¡°But! There is one condition before that.¡± ¡°A condition?¡± The duke stoppedughing and said with a serious expression. ¡°You seem to have reached an unreachable level already. You have changed a lot since you trained here in this mansion.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius made a puzzled expression at his suddenpliment. Why did he bring that up? The duke opened his mouth again with a heavy tone. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t think you are enough to beat him who is called divine by the popes.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eurius groaned. ¡®He has sharp eyes indeed. Does he have an idea of how strong Lee Cheongmun is?¡¯ The duke then threw him a bone-chilling question. ¡°I can help you with what I can. But do you really have a chance against him right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius was silent for a moment. It was not that he did not have an answer ready. It seemed that the duke was willing to listen to him even if he had no chance. ¡®How should I exin it to satisfy him?¡¯ He did not want to disappoint the duke here. Eurius soon made a decision. ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll show him that, even if it¡¯s iplete.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll answer you with this.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Eurius drew his sword and pointed it at the duke with a cautious expression. ¡°This is what I obtained to defeat him this time. See for yourself and make your decision.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The duke¡¯s face became interested. What could Eurius possibly show him? Swish. Eurius¡¯s presence disappeared at once. He was supposed to be standing in front of him, but he felt nothing. ¡®This is his secret technique! I¡¯ve seen it before.¡¯ The duke opened his eyes wide and stared at where Eurius should be. It was a great opportunity to observe the secret technique of a master who had reached a higher realm. Meanwhile, Eurius was concentrating hard to activate his iplete technique. ¡®If I fail, it will be humiliating. I have to seed in one try.¡¯ What he was trying to show now was what he realized after seeing the yer¡¯s shback. Until then, Eurius thought he was stuck at the fifth stage. ¡®But this could still be half-baked.¡¯ The reason he thought so was after seeing Lee Cheongmun¡¯s secret technique. ording to his exnation, the stages above the fourth were like this. [At the fourth stage, you realize your own attribute. And at the fifth stage, it bes enhanced and at the sixth stage, you awaken even more absurd abilities depending on your training.] In fact, Lee Cheongmun needed time to reach the end of martial arts. He desired immortality so much that his technique of spatial transfer evolved into a technique of soul transfer. Eurius was dumbfounded. ¡®Wait, then what is my fourth stage secret technique?¡¯ He practically had no use for his secret technique after a certain point. He had a powerful weapon called the yer¡¯s legacy. What he got were Lee Cheongmun¡¯s martial arts and Emperor Scharnos¡¯s swordsmanship! And Emperor Scharnos¡¯s secret technique, ¡®the swordsmanship that maniptes space¡¯. Emperor Scharnos, who had reached the sixth stage, could use this technique to jump over tens or hundreds of kilometers of space. ¡®I made a mistake. I should have paid attention to my original secret technique as well as finding the legacy.¡¯ The yer¡¯s legacy that he learned by acquisition was not his own ability anyway. There had to be a limit to its growth. He would not be able to do things like cutting mountains and jumping over space like Emperor Scharnos. And as soon as he realized that, his secret technique evolved by one stage. It advanced from simply hiding his presence. The ability he gained at the fifth stage was to hide not only himself but also a certain range of presence perfectly! He was able to rescue Mareus from the pce by using this secret technique. ¡°Hey! If that bastard Lee Cheongmun has such a sense, how can you rescue him even if you¡¯re in the capital?¡± Emperor Scharnos also tried to dissuade him at first, but he nodded his head with an admiring expression after seeing Eurius¡¯s ability. ¡°That¡¯s an unusual ability. As long as you don¡¯t get too close, there won¡¯t be any problem.¡± Of course, it was not very useful against a master of the sixth stage, but at least it was possible to hide his presence when the distance was quite far. He sneaked Mareus out without anyone knowing. Then Eurius felt the need to advance one more step. ¡®I can¡¯t win like this even if it¡¯s a one-on-one fight.¡¯ He could not even withstand one punch from Lee Cheongmun before. How could he bite something that he couldn¡¯t even chew? He had to stand on an equal line with him for a fight to be possible. ¡®But how can I reach the sixth stage?¡¯ From then on, Eurius had one more thing to worry about. Emperor Scharnos gave him a vague answer when he asked him. ¡°I just trained and it happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He chose the wrong person to ask. Emperor Scharnos was a kind of mutant who had an abnormally high yer aptitude. He was someone who reached there by the power of talent alone, not by normal training. ¡®Then what about the second one?¡¯ The second one was Lee Cheongmun. He was very old. He must have gone through bone-grinding training to reach that realm. And ording to him, the characteristic of the sixth stage was desire! He obtained the ability he wanted because he wished for it desperately. . . . . Here Eurius recalled when he reached the fourth stage. ¡®I had no talent.¡¯ ¡®I wanted to get out of the position of emperor.¡¯ He realized his attribute and obtained the ability to hide his presence. But what about now? What was his desire? He was traveling across the continent to find someone who could help him. He had changed many things by going back to the past. He didn¡¯t want to end up in vain like before. Then? ¡®What do I really want?¡¯ When that became clear. He finally crossed the wall. *** The practice ground of the duke¡¯s house was as usual. There was no sign of tremendous momentum or destruction. ¡°Huff¡­¡± But the Duke of Dios looked satisfied and bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for your teachings. This old man feels greatly enlightened today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to show you something iplete.¡± Eurius scratched his head shyly and asked. ¡°What is your answer?¡± ¡°I honestly had some doubts, but I was relieved to see your majesty¡¯s appearance today.¡± The duke stroked his chest. He felt a little relieved from the stomachache. ¡°I will fulfill your majesty¡¯s request even if I have to stake my life on it.¡± He made a confident vow and bowed his head as a knight. ¡°Then this unworthy old man will wait for your majesty¡¯s victory in the holy kingdom.¡± *** Lee Cheongmun listened to the report with a rather amused expression. ¡°Hehe¡­ So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re surrounded by north and south on the continent, right?¡± ¡°Yes, your great majesty.¡± ¡°What should we do about this?¡± The popes were crying and making a fuss, but it wasn¡¯t a big problem for Lee Cheongmun. ¡®Are you trying to y a game ofnd grabbing? Interesting guy.¡¯ In fact, he had erased the person named Eurius from his mind. He had been knocked out in one shot when they first met, and he judged that he wouldn¡¯t be his match even if he improved his skills. What piqued his interest was that he came into the pce where his senses were crazy and took someone out. ¡®I don¡¯t know what kind of ability it is, but it¡¯s peculiar. He avoided my attention.¡¯ A slight curiosity arose in Lee Cheongmun¡¯s heart. It was an area that he couldn¡¯t help but be interested in as a natural-born tyrant. ¡®But it would be troublesome if I get pushed out of the continent.¡¯ Lee Cheongmun¡¯s goal was to be a living god by dominating the continent. That way, it would be easier for him to get bodies and deal with those who interfered with him. It would be troublesome for him if the holy kingdom¡¯s power waspletely destroyed and the empire¡¯s capital was also captured. ¡°Gather the remaining imperial troops and the elites of the holy kingdom. I¡¯ll go out myself.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He finally decided to go out himself. He had postponed going out because he thought he still had a lot of troops left, but now the situation looked quite bad. Tap tap tap! But his decision was toote. A hurried sound of footsteps was heard, and the door of the hall opened wide. ¡°Your Holiness! There is an urgent message!¡± ¡°Hey! How rude are you to interrupt me when I¡¯m talking to His Majesty!¡± The popes showed their anger, but the messenger bowed his head and apologized before delivering the urgent news. ¡°It¡¯s a big deal!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The popes sensed that something else had happened and stomped their feet. ¡°What is it this time!¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± The messenger also opened his mouth with an unbelievable face. ¡°It¡¯s the east coast.¡± ¡°The coast?¡± Chapter 202: Confrontation 2 Chapter 202: Confrontation 2 Zenobia, a city at the eastern end of the Western Continent. It was also a ce where the empire¡¯s fleet was stationed, and the only port city that could contact the Eastern Continent. This ce, which should have been filled with noisy sounds like a port city, was extremely quiet today. ¡°Evacuate all the citizens out of the city!¡± ¡°Prepare tounch the ships! What on earth is going on!¡± In the city, the empire¡¯s soldiers were running around, helping the citizens evacuate. At the same time, they boarded the ships and hastily prepared for battle. But their faces were grim. The scale of the enemy that appeared on the eastern coast was not normal. ¡®How could there be a naval battle at this time when Duke Kornel of the 1st Fleet is away! What is going on?¡¯ Count Helmen, themander of the empire¡¯s 2nd Fleet, looked at the ships in the distance with despair in his eyes. One of his staff members cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°The difference in power is too great. What should we do?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°There is no chance of winning, even by a fluke. First of all, the number of ships is more than ten times different.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Count Helmen waited for the invaders who were slowly approaching with a resigned expression. There were more than a dozen warships in this port, but the scale of the enemy fleet was literally different. ¡®Hundreds of ships¡­ Why did the Eastern Continent invade the empire? What kind of wind blew them here?¡¯ It was impossible to identify them precisely because they were too far away, but they were undoubtedly warships of the Eastern Continent by their appearance. Their size was a whopping hundreds! Even if all the empire¡¯s ships were scraped together, they would not be that much. Count Helmen had no idea what was going on. Soon, the ships began to approach near the empire¡¯s fleet. In a little while, they would reach a position where cannon fire was possible. Count Helmen closed his eyes tightly. ¡°Prepare for battle! We have to hold out as much as we can.¡± It would be a one-sided fight, but he was determined to die bravely as a soldier. But then his staff members made a strange noise. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Count! Doesn¡¯t that g look familiar?¡± ¡°What?¡± Count Helmen stared at the enemy¡¯s g with a bewildered expression. It was too far away to see clearly, but it was definitely a symbol he had seen somewhere. His staff members also noticed the g and gasped. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the imperial crest of Sharnos?¡± ¡°Why is that g on an enemy ship?¡± Surprisingly, the g flying from the enemy fleet was the imperial crest of Sharnos Empire. And one ship started to approach quickly towards where Count Helmen was. ¡°Should we fire?¡± ¡°No. Something is strange.¡± Count Helmen shook his head and stared intently at the approaching enemy ship. Come to think of it, the shape of the ship also looked familiar. ¡°That looks like a ship from the 1st Fleet, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He blinked his eyes at his staff¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on. And as soon as the ship got closer. He fainted. ¡°The Crown Prince!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Are you the leader of this fleet?¡± Thud! Eurius swiftly jumped off his ship andnded on Count Helmen¡¯s ship. ¡°What is this¡­ how¡­¡± Seeing him walking towards them, Count Helmen and his staff were speechless and confused about how to respond. The reason was obvious. Eurius was currently wanted in the capital. But Eurius himself was calm. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin everything. You only have to choose one thing.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Will you follow me? Or will you believe in that ridiculous propaganda of Holy Kingdom?¡± *** The Hwan Empire of Eastern Continent had given him a great favor. Based on that trust, Eurius led arge fleet from Eastern Continent and attacked eastern part of Sharnos Empire. The north was upied by immigrant tribes including Nuada and forces loyal to Eurius! The south was controlled by Desert Kingdom and even Heimdal Cult and nobles who used to be Eurius¡¯ enemies! And Eurius himself led forces from Eastern Continent that were bigger and stronger than those twobined. Eurius himself didn¡¯t need to say anything, but he also brought many masters from martial arts world. They had to cross the sea so they arrivedte, but their advance was much faster. The so-called three-sided siege! Sharnos Empire was surrounded by mountainous immigrant tribes in north, desert in south, coast in east, and Holy Kingdom and other small kingdoms in west. All roads except west leading to Holy Kingdom were blocked. The only part that Holy Kingdom upied was near the capital and west of the empire. They were nowpletely cornered. *** ¡°It seems that the east has also been breached, following the north and the south.¡± ¡°In a few days, this capital will be exposed to the enemy¡¯s attack.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s gather all the power of the Holy Kingdom in one ce and defend it! We have the Godly One with us, so it should be possible!¡± The popes were still in a daze. They believed that they could somehow recover if they held on to the capital. But the heart of Lee Cheongmun, who looked down on them, was cold as ice. ¡®The problem is not stopping them. It¡¯s already impossible for me to conquer the continent by normal means.¡¯ The situation was already hopeless as he thought. What was the point of holding out in the capital like this? And finally, the news that shattered thest hope of the popes arrived. ¡°Your Holiness! The knights from our homnd cannote.¡± ¡°What?¡± The popes were all shocked. The Holy Kingdom was their own country, but their orders were not obeyed. ¡°What are you talking about? Exin it in detail.¡± ¡°Well¡­ The Duke of Dios, who has themand authority¡­¡± The messenger could not continue his words, as he was too dumbfounded. ¡°The Duke?¡± ¡°He nned arge-scale pilgrimage with the knights who were entrusted with training. He already left a few days ago and it will take time toe back¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The popes lost their words. A pilgrimage meant that priests or holy knights spent a certain period of time in a quiet monastery or a secluded valley to refine their body and mind. But why would he do that at this time? *** Deep in the mountains. The Duke of Dios was leisurely walking with his knights. ¡°Hehe¡­ The air is very good here.¡± ¡°Your Grace, are you sure we can stay here? The outside is noisy with war and all¡­¡± A middle-aged knight who assisted the Duke cautiously asked. But the Duke answered nonchntly. ¡°Huh? This is also part of the duty of the knights of the Holy Kingdom. Since the Godly One hase, we should also cleanse our body and mind and worship him, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­You are right.¡± The Duke silenced the knight with an answer that sounded like clear water. He looked at the direction where the empire was. ¡®This is all I can do for you. I wish you good luck, Your Majesty.¡¯ Yes. The Duke had taken most of the knights of the Holy Kingdom and fled to a deep ce in the mountains. *** The capital of the empire was already surrounded on three sides. It was hard to expect any support from the Holy Kingdom. The faces of the popes turned dark and they looked at Lee Cheongmun with desperate eyes. ¡®I have no choice but to trust in the Godly One¡¯s ability.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Lee Cheongmun was also not feeling veryfortable at this moment. He had fallen into a serious dilemma for the first time since he revived in Leon¡¯s body. Of course, with his power, he could still turn things around. ¡®But it would be troublesome for me if the Holy Kingdom falls apart¡­¡¯ No matter how transcendent his power was, he had only one body. He could erase the enemy army, but Emperor Scharnos and Eurius would not sit still in the meantime. And if he dealt with his opponents too oppressively, there would be too much noise. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As he thought up to this point, he came up with another question. ¡®And I don¡¯t understand why he did this?¡¯ His real question was why Eurius had done this. Even if he had an advantage in military force, if he couldn¡¯t do anything to him, this war was as good as his victory. ¡®There must be some intention behind this¡­¡¯ ¡°You seem curious about something.¡± Swoosh. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Gah!¡± The people inside the war room were startled by the sudden appearance of a figure. A person appeared like a ghost without any sign. Lee Cheongmun was also briefly flustered, but soon regained hisposure. ¡°You are that guy from before, huh? Well, are you feeling better?¡± It was a remark that hit many sore spots for Eurius, who had been brutally defeated before, but he did not care and chuckled. ¡°Haha! I really thought I was going to die then. It would have been nice if you were a little gentler.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± Lee Cheongmun seemed interested by his calm answer and stroked his chin. He looked young and fresh in Leon¡¯s body, but his current owner had lived so long that he seemed experienced. But the popes who were with him in the war room were terrified. ¡°The apostle of evil is here!¡± ¡°We have to capture him right away!¡± They shouted and tried to act immediately, but Lee Cheongmun stopped them. ¡°Wait a moment. Don¡¯t we have to hear his reason?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The popes flinched and backed away, and Eurius smiled again. ¡°As expected of someone who has lived for a long time, you are reasonable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little interested in you. And you must have something to say to me, that¡¯s why you came here.¡± Lee Cheongmun¡¯s words were sincere. When Eurius had risen like a ghost just now, he had also missed his movement for a moment. It was unbelievable considering his level. ¡®I¡¯ve seeded in piquing his interest for now.¡¯ Eurius smiled inwardly and opened his mouth again. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to negotiate with us?¡± ¡°Negotiate?¡± Lee Cheongmun looked puzzled and Eurius began to exin. ¡°The current situation is favorable for us. Do you agree?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°But I also know that if I can¡¯t beat you, the victories so far mean nothing. So I thought we needed another way to end this fight.¡± Eurius was repeating exactly what Lee Cheongmun had wondered earlier. And what he proposed was! ¡°You and me. Let¡¯s settle it one-on-one.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± At this unexpected offer, Lee Cheongmun stared at Eurius for a moment. ¡°¡­You want to fight me again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Do you really think you have a chance against me?¡± Lee Cheongmun looked incredulous. He had observed Eurius and the result was as follows. ¡®He¡¯s improved a lot since before. But he¡¯s no match for me.¡¯ What he observed was not wrong. Even if Eurius had reached a new level, there was a big difference in their training periods. And Lee Cheongmun had be even stronger after obtaining Leon¡¯s body, which had an excellent yer aptitude! In fact, even if the Emperor fought him, it would not be easy to guarantee a victory this time. But to him, Eurius, who was still a chick, challenged him to a duel, so he was naturally bewildered. But Eurius¡¯s answer was simple. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to try it to find out? And even if you don¡¯t ept the negotiation, we¡¯ll have to sh anyway.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Lee Cheongmun nodded his head. He had to fight Eurius anyway. Since he was losing a lot in the current situation, the condition of fighting one-on-one cleanly was also beneficial for him. ¡®There is no chance of me losing. nd even if he tries some trick, I just need to find another body to switch.¡¯ No matter how he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse this offer. And he was also a fearless person who liked Eurius¡¯s bold challenge. ¡®Yeah, young friends should have this much spirit.¡¯ He finally made up his mind and opened his mouth. ¡°Fine, you decide the time and ce.¡± ¡®He took the bait.¡¯ As soon as he heard that answer, Eurius smiled triumphantly inside. ¡®It was worth the trouble to bring him here!¡¯ His trap was just beginning. *** ¡°He agreed?¡± ¡°Yes, surprisingly he epted easily.¡± ¡°Well¡­ He probably thinks he has insurance on his life, so I guess it makes sense.¡± The Emperor looked at Eurius with a nodding head. ¡®Honestly, I thought he had less than half a chance even if I helped him. Is he really going to pull this off?¡¯ He admired him honestly. In fact, his n had gone awry since he was hit by the Holy Kingdom from behind, and Eurius¡¯s chances of winning had decreased a lot. But unexpectedly, Eurius had created an equal or better situation than Lee Cheongmun with almost his own power. This was proof that Eurius¡¯s rtionship with his allies and subordinates was stronger than the Holy Kingdom¡¯s prestige that had been ying god for two hundred years with the system¡¯s power! ¡®Yeah, maybe he can do it.¡¯ ¡°So how are you going to prepare for the fight with him? Do you have a chance?¡± The Emperor looked at Eurius with a lot of expectation in his eyes. One of the two conditions that Eurius had mentioned earlier remained. The first condition was to bring Lee Cheongmun to the negotiation table as it is now. The second was victory! It would be meaningless if he brought him one-on-one but couldn¡¯t win. ¡®He acted like he had something up his sleeve and challenged him, so he must have some brilliant n, right?¡¯ The Emperor felt his heart pounding for once. It was like wondering what the protagonist of the game he was ying would do next. ¡°¡­¡± But Eurius suddenly looked dumbfounded and met the Emperor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault that this started, so you should tell me something.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Chapter 203: The Final Battle Chapter 203: The Final Battle Eurius and Lee Cheongmun. The leaders of both sides agreed, and the negotiation was done in an instant. The conditions they proposed were very simple. The winner takes all. It was a natural oue, since the war itself would be meaningless if one of them fell. ¡°Then we have settled the terms. Let¡¯s meet at the ce of the duelter.¡± Knowing that it was the final battle, Lee Cheongmun readily agreed to the demand to release the people he had detained in the pce. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Father! Are you all right?¡± Eurius hurriedly ran to support the old man with a sturdy physique who walked out of the pce. Rescuing the emperor was one of the reasons he negotiated. He didn¡¯t know what Lee Cheongmun would do, but he didn¡¯t trust the Holy Kingdom either. ¡°Eurius! You bastard!¡± Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± Instead of supporting him, the emperor punched Eurius in the head. It was a sincere punch that made him feel pain. After all, he had been wandering around without permission, hadn¡¯t he? Come to think of it, he had also fled to the Eastern Continent in a rogue-like manner. ¡®He must be very angry this time. How do I appease him?¡¯ In fact, this kind of punch was nothing to Eurius, but he pretended to hold his head and cry out in pain. ¡°Ow¡­ I came to rescue you and you hit me? Father, you¡¯re too harsh.¡± ¡°You¡­ still¡­¡± The emperor red at him with an angry expression, but soon sighed. ¡°Phew¡­ For now, exin what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡®I¡¯m d he looks healthy.¡¯ Eurius breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and briefly exined to the emperor what had happened so far. . . . . . ¡°¡­That¡¯s how it happened.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You went to the Eastern Continent without a word and now you¡¯re up against someone absurd again.¡± It was a hard-to-believe story involving yers, Lee Cheongmun, Sharnos the Great Emperor, and so on, but the emperor epted it for now. He also saw Lee Cheongmun, who had taken over Leon¡¯s body, so there was some evidence. ¡®Then what about Leon, that kid?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± There was no finger that didn¡¯t hurt when he bit all ten fingers. The emperor¡¯s face darkened for a moment as he thought of his second son, but soon returned to a calm expression. ¡°So do you have confidence in winning? From what I heard, it¡¯s a dangerous gamble where you lose everything if you lose.¡± He looked worried about Eurius¡¯s decision. Lee Cheongmun was one of the two legendary warriors in the history of the continent. No matter how outstanding Eurius was, he was not even thirty yet. ¡°I have to win. No, I will definitely win.¡± But Eurius emphasized his victory in front of his father. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he couldn¡¯t say anything weak. ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that so?¡± The emperor smiled contentedly and made a condition. ¡°Then can you promise me one thing as your father?¡± ¡°A promise?¡± ¡®Well, it must be something likee back alive, right?¡¯ Eurius thought it was no big deal and quickly answered. ¡°I will keep any promise you make.¡± ¡°Is that what you said?¡± The emperor smiled meaningfully and got to the point. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be emperor anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare your coronation ceremony as soon as this is over. I¡¯ll hand it over to you and take a break.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡®Oops! I forgot because he was so calm.¡¯ Eurius¡¯s face turned into that of someone who had eaten a bug. How busy had he been? He had traveled back and forth between the north and south of the continent, fought fierce power struggles in the pce, and experienced all kinds of things in the East. He wanted to rest for a few years after solving this problem. ¡®This invasion by the Holy Kingdom is a huge event¡­ Even if I solve this, I won¡¯t be able to rest for years!¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­ I understand.¡± But he couldn¡¯t take back what he had said in this situation. The emperor chuckled as he saw Eurius bow his head with a grim expression. ¡°So don¡¯t you have one more reason to win for me?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The emperor emphasized with force. ¡°You have to win in order to receive the throne. This is an order from me as an emperor!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius clenched his mouth for a moment. He realized the emperor¡¯s intention behind offering such a condition before the result was even out. It was a sign of the emperor¡¯s full support and trust in him. It meant that he had no doubt that he would win. And so did the others who believed in him. ¡®Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t afford to lose. It would be a disaster if I did.¡¯ He let out a light breath and felt the burden on his shoulders be heavier, but his mind became lighter. ¡®I will win for sure.¡¯ At this moment, he felt his chances of victory increase by a notch. *** There was a vast in in front of the imperial capital. This was the ce that Eurius had chosen as the battleground. Buzzing. Today, this ce was filled with countless people who came from all directions. The people who came from the capital side were the forces of the Holy Kingdom. And on the opposite side, there were tens of times more people gathered on the in than those who came from the capital. ¡°Your Majesty, I wish you good luck.¡± ¡°I trust my friend. You are not someone who would lose in a ce like this.¡± Marius and Nuada, who came down from the north. They were the ones who had known and been with Eurius for the longest time, both in his previous life and now. Their encouragement was especially precious to Eurius. ¡°I owe you a great debt. I hope you consider this as a partial repayment.¡± Karim, who led the troops of the Desert Kingdom. He readily agreed toe up with his enemy country Kalihara, who had a personal grudge against him, at Eurius¡¯s request. It was because he believed that Eurius¡¯s request was worth it. ¡°I pray for your victory, my lord.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s ironic that yourst opponent is Lee Cheongmun, the martial arts examiner. But it¡¯s also a challenge.¡± Finally, the people of the Eastern Continent, including Jegal Sehak. In fact, Eurius did not expect them to cooperate either. The enemy was their martial arts examiner, the legendary master Lee Cheongmun. ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know, my lord?¡± ¡°What?¡± Emperor Scharnos looked at him with a disappointed expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a way to beat that old man? That¡¯s why you boasted so confidently, right? ¡°Of course, I have some ideas of my own.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still hiding something from me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to fight him with nothing but my bare hands, do you?¡± The Emperor was speechless for a moment. ¡°¡­Did you know?¡± Eurius replied with a good-natured tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure, but I was convinced after I got hit by Lee Cheongmun¡¯s fist. I don¡¯t think I can beat him even if I reach a higher level of cultivation.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You¡¯re a quick-witted one.¡± The Emperor licked his tongue and then told him the truth he had been hiding. ¡°The truth is, he has more than just cultivation that sets him apart from you. He has a fundamental advantage in his specs that you can¡¯t ovee unless you¡¯re an unprecedented genius. It¡¯s hard to beat him by normal means.¡± That¡¯s right! Just like Eurius had been knocked out by one blow before, Lee Cheongmun had hundreds of years of training and experience, as well as a powerful inner force. And he had taken over Leon¡¯s body, which was like adding wings to a tiger. ¡°To be honest, I would have lost too if I had only relied on martial arts. I was a gamer, not a martial artist.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± But then how did the Emperor manage to defeat Lee Cheongmun? The answer was in the ¡®quest¡¯. The Emperor shook his index finger from side to side. ¡°Do you think I asked you to do that for no reason? You also learned about the yer¡¯s knowledge once, right?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Eurius caught on. The Emperor smiled slyly and held out both hands. ¡°If this is a world with a game system, then the oue is not determined by skill alone.¡± Whiiiiing! Ziiiiing! In one hand, he had a bead that swirled with intense whirlwinds. In the other hand, he had a bead that vibrated with tingling sensations. [Essence of Azure Dragon ¨C Consuming it will give you the power of the Azure Dragon that controls wind and rain.] [Essence of White Tiger ¨C Consuming it will give you the power of the White Tiger that controls earth and metal.] What the Emperor brought out were two divine artifacts that Eurius had not yet obtained. He chuckled and muttered. ¡°If I¡¯m not skilled enough, I¡¯ll have to rely on [items], right?¡± Chapter 204: Final Battle 2 Chapter 204: Final Battle 2 The quest to collect the four divine artifacts had two purposes. One was to grant Eurius the full abilities of a yer! Ding! [Quest-yer Awakeningpleted.] [You are recognized as an official yer. New abilities are unlocked.] [Your achievements are greatly increased.] [You havepleted all the achievements.] [Achievements are converted into points.] ¡®Points?¡¯ He remembered the word ¡®achievements¡¯ that appeared when he cleared the quests. He didn¡¯t know much about it until now. And now! Its use was revealed. [Current achievement points-99,990,000 points] [At the system¡¯s request, high-grade equipment will be created with points.] ¡°Huh?¡± Lee Cheongmun widened his eyes in astonishment. The energy he felt from Eurius was beyond his imagination. Swoosh! First, it was the power of ck Tortoise. The power to control water and ice transformed into a more sturdy armor. Ding! [You have equipped the ¡®Legendary¡¯ item, Formless Divine Armor.] [Your strength and force rank increase. The unique effect increases your durability and defense as a yer.] Whirr! Second, it was the power of Vermilion Bird. The fire power turned into wings of me behind Eurius. Ding! [You have equipped the ¡®Legendary¡¯ item, Wings of Scorching Heat.] [Your mental power and force rank increase. The unique effect allows you to fly.] Whizz! Third, it was the power of Azure Dragon. The raging wind gathered and draped behind Eurius like a cloak. Ding! [You have equipped the ¡®Legendary¡¯ item, Azure Dragon¡¯s Cloak.] [Your agility and force rank increase. The unique effect gives you a wind barrier.] Zing! Last, it was the power of White Tiger. As expected from the power that symbolized the earth, it covered Eurius¡¯s lower body and turned into silver shoes. Ding! [You have equipped the ¡®Legendary¡¯ item, Footsteps of Earth.] [The unique effect increases all your abilities when you touch the ground.] A formidable aura burst out from Eurius¡¯s body. He had narrowed down the gap in abilities with one item effect. ¡°Kuk!¡± Lee Cheongmun hurriedly tried to defend himself. He had nned to go easy on him at first, but if he allowed him to attack first in this situation, it would be fatal. But Eurius¡¯s sword swing was much faster. Woo-woo-woo-woong! A dazzling golden light burst out from the Yellow Dragon Sword in his hand. That¡¯s right! That was also an item. Ding! [Thest seal of the Yellow Dragon Sword is broken. Its true power is unleashed.] [Yellow Dragon Sword (Legendary)-The unique effect amplifies the power of all attacks made with the sword.] Boom! ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± That strike was too fast and fierce. The golden energy that was amplified hundreds or thousands of times by the sword pierced Lee Cheongmun¡¯s body. Kwaaah! ¡°Cough cough!¡± A loud noise echoed throughout the in. Lee Cheongmun let out a horrible scream and bounced off like a ball, crashing into the wall of the capital. Eurius hadpleted his revenge by satisfyinglynding one blow on him. Bang! ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± There was a gasp from Lee Cheongmun¡¯s camp. It was because Eurius¡¯s sword had easily swept him away like a leaf. ¡°Tsk! Is it still hard to finish him off in one go?¡± But Eurius clicked his tongue and raised his sword again. Despite receiving such a powerful blow, he didn¡¯t feel Lee Cheongmun¡¯s energy decrease at all. Swoosh ¡°This¡­ will be fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± Eurius quickly turned his body around. Lee Cheongmun had teleported behind him and swung his fist. Bang! ¡°Kuk!¡± Eurius was pushed back. Even with all kinds of fancy items, he couldn¡¯tpletely negate the shock. Lee Cheongmun, who had sent him flying, sneered and opened his mouth. ¡°I admit that you have reached the same level as me, even if it¡¯s a bit of a cheat. Now I¡¯ll go all out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Did I start with too much of a gap?¡¯ Lee Cheongmun was indeed a formidable opponent. He had umted inner strength for hundreds of years, which was like an ocean, and hisbat experience was even more abundant. He seemed to have taken Eurius¡¯s critical strike head-on, but he had twisted his body in that situation to reduce the impact. ¡°Kkng¡­¡± Eurius raised his sword again and faced Lee Cheongmun. A single thought shed through his mind. ¡®It seems like it will drag on.¡¯ *** Crash! Rumble! Boom! ¡°Hehe¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m seeing reality or not.¡± Marius scratched his head and looked at the people around him. They were observing from a distance, but the duel between the two was so huge that it was easy to see. ¡®Maybe I should have suggested to His Majesty to use the unexplorednd in the north as the battleground. There would be no need for cultivation.¡¯ With one sword swing, the clouds split and arge hole was dug in the ground. The wall of the capital that had been caught in the aftermath was already half-ruined. They also had to widen their distance from a few hundred meters to several kilometers as time went on. ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that His Majesty seems to be at a slight disadvantage.¡± The others were also shaking their heads. The unbelievable scene of destruction had happened in half a day. Eurius and Lee Cheongmun. Their fight hadsted for more than twelve hours. As time went on, anxiety began to grow in the hearts of the spectators. No, it wasn¡¯t just time. Among the spectators, those who were superhuman or above in martial arts noticed one thing. They could hardly see their fight, but they could roughly tell by looking at the results whenever they exchanged blows. ¡°His Majesty is being pushed back little by little.¡± ¡°The power seems equal, but it¡¯s probably because of the experience¡­¡± *** ¡°How about giving up? You might be able to fight for a few more days, but the result is obvious.¡± Lee Cheongmun sounded a bit tired, but he spoke with a bright voice. Eurius in front of him was half-dead. ¡°¡­¡± But Eurius didn¡¯t answer back. There was only one thought in his mind right now. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to use it if possible¡­ but I have no choice.¡¯ He still had one hidden card left. It was his sixth-stage ability! But using that ability had a powerful and deadly risk. That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t used it until now. In fact, he was a bitcent because the power amplified by the items was so great. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Eurius let out a sigh and Lee Cheongmun¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°You did your best. Have you decided to surrender?¡± He had regained hisposure. He had struggled for a while when Eurius unleashed his fierce attack at first, but as expected, he couldn¡¯t withstand his experience in a long-term battle. Lee Cheongmun looked at him with pity and said. ¡°As you know, I don¡¯t intend to harm this world. I just need to extend my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eurius snapped back incredulously. ¡°So you think it¡¯s okay to steal someone else¡¯s brother¡¯s body? And I almost died several times because of you?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¡®Even the closest friends or spouses have secrets that they don¡¯t reveal to each other, let alone humans¡­¡¯ This technique was literally a way to reveal the innermost feelings of a ruler to his subjects. Of course, it was impossible to use it without a decent amount of trust. And even with trust, it was absurd to expose one¡¯s emotions to hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of people. But he had a reason to use this technique at the risk of all that. It was why he had brought so many people to this in for a one-on-one duel! *** ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Lee Cheongmun screamed for the first time. He stared at Eurius, who was emitting an enormous aura as if he was possessed. Woo-woo-woo-woong! The sword that Eurius lifted up to the sky became a huge golden pir. An unbelievable amount of power was condensed in the Yellow Dragon Sword. Lee Cheongmun couldn¡¯t hear his inner voice. But as soon as he felt the aura that spread in all directions, he knew how he had gathered such power. ¡°Could it be¡­ you sucked up all the power of those people? How did you do that?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand it with hismon sense. It wasn¡¯t like he had stuck a straw in them, how could he freely absorb the power of those people who were far away? ¡°Watch your words. Do you know how embarrassed I was?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius answered with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°And I didn¡¯t suck it up. I borrowed it with their consent.¡± His true ability was the empathy between the ruler and his subjects. The ruler rules and cherishes his subjects. The subjects assist and devote their power to the ruler. This technique, [The Ruler¡¯s Innermost], was a manifestation of that content. Eurius was able to do this unbelievable feat of borrowing the power of others so easily because he had revealed his entire innermost to his subjects. There was also a risk. It wasn¡¯t just the shame of exposing his innermost, but there were two more drawbacks to this ability. The first was that it was very difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill. How many sincere followers would there be unless he was a ruler who had earned enough trust? Even if he squeezed their power, it wouldn¡¯t amount to much. Eurius had deliberately gathered all his forces in this in to clear this condition. The second was the burden on his body. It was dangerous to wield power that didn¡¯t match his level. ¡°Kkueu¡­¡± Eurius began to feel a dull pain throughout his body. But it wasn¡¯t a big enough burden to kill himself. This was the power of items! If it weren¡¯t for the divine artifacts that greatly increased his durability, his body would have copsed long ago. With these various conditions ovepping, Eurius could use an transcendent power that surpassed his ability only once! ¡°Let¡¯s end this. To be honest, I can¡¯t hold on much longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Cheongmun fell silent after hearing all the exnations. It was impossible to know what he was thinking right now. ¡°You¡­ won¡­¡± He uttered hisst words with difficulty and closed his eyes. Eurius smiled slightly here. ¡°I didn¡¯t win. ¡®We¡¯ won.¡± Swoosh! And then the huge pir that soared high in the sky finally began to fall to the ground. The pir reached the ground in an instant and swallowed Lee Cheongmun¡¯s body whole. Kwaaah! The earth split in half for a moment. Eurius saw the dirt and rocks flying around him and felt his strength drain away. ¡®I expected it, but it¡¯s still damn exhausting.¡¯ He lost consciousness due to the aftereffects of using too much power. Chapter 205: Epilogue Chapter 205: Epilogue [END] Chapter 205: Epilogue Eurius opened his eyes in a strange space. Fzzt. Fzzt-fzzt. Fzzt-fzzt-fzzt. As he regained his senses, he saw countless noises passing by in front of him. They were notification windows that appeared and then vanished with a crackling sound. ¡®What is this?¡¯ [The system is disappearing from this world. You have eliminated the culprit.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius lifted his head and looked at the figure¡­ no, the giant snake in front of him. He recognized the voice he had heard before. ¡°You are Heimdall. The supreme god of this world¡­¡± [Yes, I talked to you through the statue before. Now I have brought you to a special space.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Eurius tried to sort out his thoughts. In front of him, the noises kept flying by. ¡®It seems that I defeated Lee Cheongmun and his soul transfer was undone. And so the system itself is disappearing from this world.¡¯ That was obvious. But why did Heimdall call him here? [First of all, there are some beings who want to say goodbye to you.] ¡°Goodbye?¡± ¡°Me.¡± [You slept for a long time.] ¡°Yellow Dragon?¡± The two figures, no, the person and the dragon who appeared were none other than Emperor Sharnos and Yellow Dragon. Heimdall exined to him. [He can return to his original world now. And Yellow Dragon is my divine beast who haspleted his mission and returned to my side.] ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I finally finished this annoying game.¡± The emperor smiled and reached out his hand. Eurius looked slightly worried for some reason. ¡°Even if you go back, it will be two hundred yearster¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be better to reincarnate here?¡± ¡°What are you talking about! How can I live in this ce where there is no game, no TV! I¡¯d rather go to a strange ce that is modern!¡± He made a ridiculous expression and joked, then smiled again. ¡°Thank you for your concern. But they said they would adjust the time axis for me here, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be toote to go back.¡± He said that the time felt in each world was different. It was not difficult for a being with divine power to provide such a service. ¡°I won¡¯t forget you.¡± ¡°You too, live well here.¡± [Do you want to log out YES / NO] This time, he finally pressed YES. Zap! Atst, the emperor escaped from this world. [To be honest, I think it was a miracle that you solved this problem.] The next one who spoke to Eurius was a small golden dragon. Yellow Dragon still had not changed his personality and grumbled. [But.] ¡°¡­!?¡± [I think there would have been no human who could solve this problem if it wasn¡¯t for you.] ¡°¡­¡± [That¡¯s all I have to say. There will be no more involvement between me, a divine beast, and humans.] Snort. Euriusughed out loud. This was Yellow Dragon¡¯s way ofplimenting him. ¡°I thought you were a good sword, even though your mouth was harsh. Thank you for your help all this time.¡± [Hmph! Just practice hard.] Yellow Dragon disappeared with those words. ¡°Hey! You didn¡¯t even say goodbye.¡± Eurius made a regretful expression and Heimdall spoke to him. [He thinks he can see you again.] ¡°Me?¡± [Didn¡¯t he say practice? Humans also have something called ascension. In your case, it might be possible if your realm of nothingness bes higher.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eurius realized why Yellow Dragon disappeared so casually. He wanted him to reach a higher ce ande to meet him. ¡®He¡¯s still prickly until the end. No, maybe it¡¯s not the end?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Eurius thought of Yellow Dragon for a moment and finally received hisst task. [Now it¡¯s my turn.] ¡°Is it you?¡± [Yes, you have done a great deed, so you deserve a reward, don¡¯t you?] ¡°A reward?¡± [Think of it as a clear bonus in the terms of that world. What do you want? With my power, I can grant almost any wish within the human range.] Heimdall slowly exined the reward to him. He could raise his soul level and send him to the heavenly realm right away, where he could obtain eternal life. Or he could give him a more powerful ability, even if it was not a stat window. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But what Eurius asked for was unexpected even for a god. ¡°Please save my brother, Leonhardt. You are a god, so that should be possible, right?¡± [Huh?] Leon had been shattered into pieces while killing Ichungmun, and there was no way to save him. But with the power of a god, reviving one person would not be difficult. [I can do that, but are you really satisfied with that?] It seemed like a small-scale wish for a god to grant. But Eurius did not care. ¡°Isn¡¯t he my brother, after all? And I have already achieved what I wanted. I think it is right to do things like ascension with my own power.¡± [¡­] Heimdall looked at Eurius with his snake eyes. [You really have no greed, do you? Is it because you came back to life once?] ¡°Maybe that¡¯s part of it.¡± [I see. I will grant your wish without fail. Then I look forward to seeing youter.] Whooosh! Zzzzt! A dazzling light burst in the space. Eurius closed his eyes as he watched the disappearing noises. He muttered softly. ¡®It¡¯s over now. Or is it the beginning?¡¯ *** It was a very sunny day. That day, the capital of the empire was bustling with cheers and guests from outside. [SCharnos Empire Emperor¡¯s Coronation Ceremony] Today was the day when the owner of the continent changed. And since that owner was such a hot topic, this coronation ceremony was more crowded than any other in history. The citizens were busy talking about it whenever they gathered. ¡°But who gives the crown that the pope should wear? Wasn¡¯t the Holy Kingdom already in the process of dissolution?¡± ¡°Shh! There are still many believers who can¡¯t ept reality. Be careful what you say!¡± ¡°Geez¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe, isn¡¯t it? The priests of the Holy Kingdom lost their power all at once.¡± ¡°His Majesty the current emperor, or rather His Majesty who will be the Great Emperor, will give it himself, they say. Well, isn¡¯t that natural?¡± Buzz buzz. The capital of the empire had been noisy ever since the big fight that took ce there. And because of the unprecedented events such as the dissolution of the Holy Kingdom, the continent was restless every day. The imperial pce was no exception. ¡°Hurry up and get ready! His Highness Eurius has already finished preparing.¡± Mareus ran out of the pce with an agility that did not suit his old age. Today¡¯s coronation ceremony was specially held outdoors at Eurius¡¯ request. As he ran out hastily, MarIus wondered. ¡®But isn¡¯t it strange? The capital square is not a very interesting ce, so why did he choose it as the coronation venue?¡¯ ¡°Everyone be quiet!¡± ¡°We will now begin the OOth coronation ceremony of the Sharnos Empire!¡± ¡°Eek! I¡¯mte!¡± MarIus quickly ran and got on a carriage heading to the square. *** ¡°Crown Prince Eurius,e up to the stage!¡± Eurius climbed up to the high stage set up on the square. The stage was about the size of a two-story building and anyone in the square could see him. He couldn¡¯t help but recall his past memories here. ¡®I was beheaded here in the past.¡¯ But surprisingly, he didn¡¯t feel any aversion. Rather, he chose this ce as his coronation venue because he thought it was most appropriate to start his new beginning here. ck! Soon Eurius reached the top of the stage. There were several ministers and the emperor with a solemn expression waiting for him. ¡°Crown Prince Eurius, do you swear to devote your body and mind for the peace and future of the empire?¡± ¡°I swear.¡± A few more formal questions and answers followed. Soon, the most important moment of the coronation ceremony came. ¡°Then I will give Crown Prince Eurius the emperor¡¯s crown!¡± ¡°Your Highness Crown Prince! Pleasee forward.¡± All eyes in the square were on Eurius as he slowly walked. The moment he wore the crown. Eurius would no longer be a prince, but a rightful owner of this empire. But his behavior was a bit strange. Thud! ¡°¡­!?¡± The crowd stirred. Eurius had been walking towards the emperor who was holding the crown, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Then he turned his body and looked around at the people. The first thing he saw were the citizens of the empire. The people who used to scream for his death like a demon in the past were now looking at him with curiosity and admiration in their eyes. The second ce he looked at was where his subordinates were. They seemed to have adapted to Eurius¡¯s unexpected actions, as they had calm expressions on their faces. Cains, who was pretending to be indifferent, Marius, who had a slight vein popping on his forehead, and Beatrice, who was looking at him with a worried face. The scenery had changed from the past. And something had changed even more in less than a month. Trudge trudge. He moved his steps again. The emperor¡¯s crown was ced on his head for the second time. ¡°Behold the new emperor of the empire!¡± ¡°Long live the emperor!¡± At that moment, everyone in the square knelt down or prostrated themselves, bowing their heads deeply. Even the former emperor was no exception. But what was important to Eurius was not that. ¡®I can¡¯t see anything. But it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Eurius could no longer see the stats in his eyes. But even so, he felt like he knew what people were thinking. He looked at the people he cared about. He also gazed at the person he loved. ¡®I don¡¯t care if I can¡¯t see the stats anymore.¡¯ Eurius finally smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Woooooooh!¡± That day, a high-pitched cheer that had never been heard before in the capital of the empire echoed throughout. . . . . . . Emperor! Can You See Stats!? ¨C The End The Novel will be updated first on this website. 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